Rhode Island
New Census Bureau data released this month show that the share of Americans living in poverty remains high, despite other signs of economic recovery. The national 2012 poverty rate of 15 percent is essentially unchanged since 2010 , but still 2.5 percentage points higher than pre-recession levels. This means that in 2012, 46.5 million, or about 1 in 6 Americans, lived in poverty.1 The poverty rate in most states also held steady with five states experiencing an increase in either the number or share of residents living in poverty while only two states saw a decline.2
New America Media: Data Reveals Immigrants’ Financial Contribution to States
May 17, 2013
(Original Post) Asian Journal, News Report, Posted: May 16, 2013 LOS ANGELES – In California, Asian and Hispanic immigrants pay nearly $30 billion in federal taxes, $5.2 billion in state income taxes, and $4.6 billion in sales taxes each year. In New York, immigrants are responsible for $229 billion in economic output in the state. […]
Economic Progress Institute: It is time to turn up volume on silent spending
May 16, 2013
To ensure Rhode Island uses its available resources in the most effective way possible, it’s time to subject tax breaks, that cost the State over $1.7 billion a year, to the same scrutiny given to money spent through the state budget. Read the Full Report
Economic Progress Institute: Enhancing the Economic Security of Low-Income Working Rhode Islanders by Increasing the State’s Earned Income Tax Credit Refund
May 16, 2013
The Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) is widely recognized as an effective, short-term tool for lifting low-income working families out of poverty by encouraging work and supplementing low wages. Rhode Island should enhance the effectiveness of its state EITC by increasing the refund available to low-wage workers. This would put money in the pockets of […]
Go Local Prov: Rhode Islanders Speak In Favor of Raising Income Tax
May 8, 2013
(Original Post) Wednesday, May 08, 2013 GoLocalProv Politics Team An assemblage of Rhode Islanders, including labor leaders, municipal leaders, wealthy Rhode Islanders, Providence public school students, small business owners, economists and others, testified today in support of bill H-5751, sponsored by Representative Maria Cimini, that will increase the income tax rate from 5.99% to 7.99% […]
MSN News: Two-thirds of Americans oppose gas tax hikes
April 24, 2013
(Original Post) According to Gallup, Americans may object to increasing gas prices while the economy is still unstable. By Douglas Newcomb As state legislatures across the U.S. debate whether to raise gas taxes to repair crumbling roads, a new Gallup poll finds that two-thirds of Americans would vote against gas tax hikes in their home […]
WPRI: Labor, liberals push income tax hike on wealthy in RI
March 13, 2013
Paiva Weed, Fox, Chafee skeptical about 7.99% rate Updated: Tuesday, 12 Mar 2013, 10:07 PM EDT Published : Tuesday, 12 Mar 2013, 5:25 PM EDT By Ted Nesi, WPRI.com Reporter PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – A coalition of political progressives and labor leaders renewed their uphill battle to raise affluent Rhode Islanders’ taxes on Tuesday, arguing […]
The Town Talk: Louisiana’s tax code and proposal draw warning
February 1, 2013
Written by Mike Hasten Gannett Louisiana BATON ROUGE — Louisiana’s current tax structure is unfair to low- and middle-income families, a study examining tax structures says, and the tax revision plan pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal would make it worse. Matthew Gardner, head of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and lead investigator on […]
Knox News: TN Taxes Hardest on Middle and Low-income Families
January 31, 2013
Nashville, Tennessee – Like most state tax systems, Tennessee takes a much larger share from middle- and low-income families than from wealthy families, according to the fourth edition of Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States, released today by the Washington-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and […]
Pacific Business News: Hawaii’s poorest residents pay highest share of income in taxes
January 30, 2013
(Original Post) Jan 30, 2013, 12:17pm HST Staff Pacific Business News Low- and middle-income families in Hawaii pay a larger share of taxes than the top 20 percent of earners in the Islands, ranking the state the fourth worst in the nation with a tax system that favors high earners, according to a study released […]
Honolulu Star Advertiser: Hawaii among most regressive states for taxation
January 30, 2013
(Original Post) By Erika Engle POSTED: 08:07 a.m. HST, Jan 30, 2013LAST UPDATED: 08:07 a.m. HST, Jan 30, 2013 Hawaii has been declared one of the “Terrible Ten” most regressive states for tax laws, by the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, based in Wash., D.C. An ITEP study released today found that Hawaii […]
The Providence Journal: Study says Rhode Island is one of 10 states with highest taxes on poor
January 30, 2013
(Original Post) January 30, 2013 12:01 amBy Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. — As the tax debate begins anew at the State House, a new study has identified Rhode Island as one of ten states with the highest taxes on the poor. The poorest Rhode Islanders paid 12.1 percent of their income in state and local […]
WPRI: RI taxes take most from poorest, least from the top 1%
January 30, 2013
(Original Post) January 30th, 2013 at 12:01 am by Ted Nesi under Nesi’s Notes, On the Main Site The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy is out with its latest look at how much of their incomes different Rhode Islanders pay in state and local taxes, and the big headline hasn’t changed: the state’s tax […]
USA Today: Time to tweak gas taxes? States weigh options
January 25, 2013
(Original Post) Larry Copeland, USA TODAY7:47a.m. EST January 25, 2013 A great tax debate is breaking out in state capitals from Vermont to Texas: How do we maintain and expand our vital-but-aging networks of roads, bridges and urban transit systems? For nearly a century, the nation has funded projects primarily with revenue from gasoline taxes. […]
Rhode Island Poverty Institute: Improving Equity, Adequacy, and Efficiency in Rhode Island’s Tax Structure
January 14, 2013
This issue brief explains the importance of a sound tax system, with recommendations on improving the equity, adequacy and efficiency of Rhode Island tax structure.
Rhode Island Poverty Institute: Tax Incentive Disclosure and Accountability
January 14, 2013
“During the 2008 General Assembly session, legislation was enacted to require greater disclosure and accountability of tax credits received by corporations. The legislation required that information about six tax credits be released in three phases. Phase One, just released for the second year in a row by the Rhode Island Department of Revenue, lists the […]
The Poverty Institute: Rhode Island’s Hidden Spending: Tax Expenditures
January 14, 2013
Tax expenditures result in very large revenue losses to the state. Over the years, Rhode Island has given up billions of dollars in potential tax revenue through tax expenditures. Every other year, the Rhode Island Department of Revenue publishes a Tax Expenditures Report detailing the more than two hundred tax expenditures and their annual costs. […]
The Poverty Institute: A 21st Century Sales Tax Why Governor Chafee’s plan to modernize the sales tax is necessary
January 14, 2013
Rhode Island must modernize its antiquated sales tax in order to maintain investments in public services that improve our quality of life, protect our families and businesses, and help grow our economy. Today, we have one of the most narrow sales tax bases in the country, and our collections from this important source of revenue […]
Vermont Diggers: Truth Squad- Do Dubie’s tax plans help the rich?
January 8, 2013
(PDF of Original Post) By Anne Galloway on October 21, 2010 Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, Vermont‘s Republican candidate for governor, has said reducing taxes is his No. 1 priority. To do that, Dubie has proposed capping state spending at 2 percent – after he reduces next year‘s budget by $112 million. Once the caps are […]
Providence Business News: Study: R.I. taxes take most from poorest
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) Published online Nov 24, 2009 Study: R.I. taxes take most from poorest Poor pay 11.9% of income; offsets cut richest’s share to 5.6% By Ted Nesi PBN Web Editor PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s poorest residents pay more than double the amount of taxes that the state’s wealthiest residents do as […]
The Providence Journal: Details of new state budget seep out
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) PROVIDENCE –– The General Assembly on Wednesday is expected to unveil a state budget that hikes Rhode Island’s gasoline tax, tightens pension rules for state workers and teachers and eliminates certain tax breaks for high earners. But the legislature’s spending plan for the coming year –– still under negotiation as […]
The Providence Journal: Study suggests eliminating R.I.’s capital gains tax break
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) 01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, March 21, 2009 By NEIL DOWNING Journal Staff Writer Rhode Island could save more than $49 million a year by eliminating the favorable tax treatment that the state currently allows on capital gains, a new report says. Rhode Island is one of only nine states […]
Providence Business News: Op-Ed: Governor’s plan is irresponsible
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) Guest Column: Jeff McLynch In recent remarks, first to a gathering of the nation’s mayors and then again before a collection of governors from across the country, President Barack Obama issued stern warnings to local officials about the use of the billions of dollars in federal stimulus funds they are […]
The Providence Journal: Protect income-tax progressivity in R.I.
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) 01:00 AM EST on Sunday, November 16, 2008JEFF McLYNCH WASHINGTON IT ISN’T VERY OFTEN that one of life’s maxims can be applied to state tax policy. Many hands make for . . . a lot of exemptions? A penny saved is a penny . . . deducted? Yet, judging from […]
The Providence Journal: Some tax exemptions in other states border on ludicrous
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) By RANDAL EDGAR Journal State House Bureau The tone was somewhat glum as the Poverty Institute held its annual state budget conference on Friday, in anticipation of Governor Chafee’s budget address this week, but there were some moments of levity. One came during a presentation by Meg Wieghe, of the […]
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