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Ocean State Action announced the release a new national report that shows that low- and middle-income Rhode Islanders pay a significantly larger share of their income in state and local taxes than the wealthy. The report, "Who Pays?: A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States" was issued by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, a non-profit, non-partisan research and education organization that works on government taxation and spending policy issues.
The report shows that the lowest income Rhode Islanders pay up to 12% of their income in state and local taxes, whereas the very wealthiest pay only 7% (when including federal offsets, the very wealthiest actually pay only 5.6% of their income in taxes in RI).
"These numbers from ITEP's report just shows what we've been saying for years," Ocean State Action's Executive Director Peter Asen said. "Rhode Island's over-reliance on regressive taxes, including sales and especially property taxes, are a main reason that the low- and middle-income Rhode Islanders pay such a higher percentage of their income on local taxes."
"Our cities and towns are raising property taxes, which impact middle class and working people hardest, in order to make up for reductions in local aid and for tax cuts, like the alternative flat tax, that has gone to the very wealthiest, and corporate tax loopholes that have allowed some of the biggest corporations in the state to pay only $500 in total corporate income taxes," Asen said. "We need to maintain sufficient tax revenue to fund our schools and local services, but we should do that by asking more of the highest-income taxpayers and corporations, not middle-income families who are paying more than their fair share now." |
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The biggest step forward yet in the fight for health care reform just happened this weekend.
The US House of Representatives has passed a major health care reform bill, with Rhode Island Congressmen Patrick Kennedy and Jim Langevin voting yes!
The House health care bill includes most of our top priorities for reform. It makes coverage more affordable for people who have and who don't have insurance now; it forces the insurers to change the way they do business and gives consumers the choice of a public insurance plan; it begins to reduce health disparities; and it is funded through fairly, by increasing taxes on millionaires, not by taxing health care benefits.
Unfortunately, the House legislation included a provision, supported by Congressman Langevin, that will deny some women access to abortion services, a standard benefit now available on the insurance market. We are going to continue to work to see that women have access to comprehensive health coverage in the final bill that passes.
We need to keep working to make sure that the Senate bill is as strong as the House bill, and that the final legislation is stronger yet. But for now, it's time to say Thank you! and encourage our congressmen to keep fighting!
Call Congressman Kennedy (729-5600) and say THANK YOU for voting Yes on the bill and "No" on the anti-choice Stupak amendment.
Call Congressman Langevin (732-9400) and say THANK YOU for voting Yes on the bill. Also say you're disappointed that he voted Yes on the anti-choice Stupak amendment, and urge him to work to find a common-ground solution for the final bill that does not further restrict access to reproductive services.
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According to a new report released on October 15 by Ocean State Action as part of Health Care for America Now, health care will be $983 more affordable per year for the average Rhode Island family under the health care reform bill passed by the Senate HELP (Health Education Labor and Pensions) Committee than under legislation passed by the Senate Finance Committee. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse sat on the HELP committee when the bill was being crafted. Neither was involved in the Senate Finance bill.
A typical Rhode Island family of three earning $70,117 a year – the state median income – would pay $983 less in premiums and out-of-pocket costs under the HELP bill.
“Rhode Island families will have good, affordable health care if the Senate enacts the HELP Committee bill instead of the Finance Committee bill,” said Ivette Luna, lead organizer for Ocean State Action. “We appreciate the work that Senators Reed and Whitehouse did to help craft the HELP bill. Now we need them to advocate for its superior provisions as the senate crafts final legislation.”
The HELP bill also will make insurance more affordable by giving consumers the choice of a public insurance plan and by requiring larger employers to contribute to their employees' coverage. The finance bill does neither of these.
The report is available here.
You can contact Senators Reed and Whitehouse to ask them to fight for the HELP bill by clicking here.
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News You Can Use in the Ocean State
- "More unionization would be good for economy," guest column by Robert Reich in the Providence Journal (February 2, 2009)
- "Class war being waged in Rhode Island," column by Jim Barron in the Pawtucket Times (January 26, 2009)
- "Gubernatorial Hoovers make it worse," guest column by Paul Krugman in the Providence Journal (January 6, 2009)
- "A call to prayer for legislators," column by Ed Fitzpatrick in the Providence Journal (January 1, 2009)
- "Guarantee health reform, not higher profits," guest column by Vivian Weisman in the Providence Journal (December 23, 2008)
Reports and Fact Sheets
Ocean State Action has compiled several reports and fact sheets relating to issues facing Rhode Island. These contain information that is essential to understanding the problems our state faces, and how we can responsibly fix them to make Rhode Island work better for everyone. The reports and fact sheets address, among other issues: the health care crisis in Rhode Island, including how it affects small businesses; tax and budget policy, with recommendations of how we can responsibly fix our state's budget deficit; and a report entitled "The Next New Deal," a comprehensive look at how the nation can get back on track for a 21st century economy. There are also links to reports and fact sheets compiled by other groups with info essential to all Rhode Islanders.
See reports and fact sheets here.
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Visit the Rhode Island Policy Reporter at What Cheer! for up-to-date policy analysis and reports.
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