Hundreds of Rhode Islanders marched and rallied at the state house last week to send a clear message to leaders on Smith Hill:

Use Rhode Island's hundreds of millions in stimulus dollars to put Rhode Islanders back to work, protect good jobs, re-invest in quality education, job training, healthcare and basic needs programs that Rhode Islanders depend on, and lay the foundation for a sustainable revenue system in Rhode Island for future years.

Click here to read coverage from the rally.

The fact is, that just like the Bush tax cuts, Rhode Island's 15 years of tax giveaways to the wealthy have failed to create promised jobs.

Instead, they have driven up property taxes for middle-income families, forced cuts to basic needs programs that help vulnerable elderly and children, made Rhode Island's economic inequality gap among the fastest growing in the nation, and reduced federal matching dollars that support our entire economy.

Now, we have growing deficits and an unemployment level rising faster than any other state in the country. Many of the Governor's hand picked Tax Commission recommendations will worsen these failed and harmful policies by giving tax breaks mostly to a handful of the state's largest corporations and to those making over $175,000.

At the rally, Chris Hurston, a nurse at Women & Infants Hospital stated:  "Our main concern is that the money is spent properly and spent where it is needed most in this state, for the hardest-hit populations.  We've cut RIte Care, child care, education and other state programs too far to pay for the Governor's tax cuts."

At the rally, members of dozens of Rhode Island community and labor groups expressed worry that the governor will follow though on his talk of tax cuts for the wealthy instead of helping to restore funds to struggling residents including students and the working poor.

University of Rhode Island graduate student Amy Maas, 24, said her hopes for the stimulus money are tempered by a sense of fear.

"We'd love for that money to go to higher education and restoring some of the cuts [we've seen], but we worry it won't." she said.

Middle and working class Rhode Islanders have shouldered too much of the taxpaying for too long. Instead of more tax cuts for the wealthiest, we must use the opportunity of the stimulus to re-build investments in jobs, education and healthcare while enacting policies to ensure Rhode Island has the revenue it needs over the long-term to maintain quality investments.

This year, the Campaign for Rhode Island's Priorities supports legislation that will restore the long-term capitol gains tax to 5% and increase short-term capital gains to 9.5%, repeal the alternative flat tax, maintain the corporate income tax and  institute combined reporting so that large corporations pay their fair share, and begin to rebalance the state's tax structure by making the state's EITC 100% refundable and expanding those eligible for the state's property tax credit.

To see video from the rally, click here.