…in a lot of ways, but we’re talking about government transparency this time.

“…the signing didn’t mean the governor was pledging any additional money to keep the shelter open.”

Performing on the 38 Studios guarantee will cost nearly $100 million, a nontrivial amount in a state with just more than a million residents. Rhode Island lawmakers owe taxpayers an explanation of why the state issues moral-obligation bonds. If the answer is in order to preserve the option of default, they should provide guidance as to what kind of circumstances would lead the state to consider defaulting — and how that guidance relates to 38 Studios.

So remember to vote this November to give RIDOT all the money they want.

The state budget Governor Chafee signed into law Friday is a “step back” for Rhode Island, relying too heavily on non-recurring revenues to plug budget holes and leaving the state with growing deficits.

That is according to local policy expert Gary Sasse, who served under former Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri.

So how is this budget different from any Rhode Island budget during the Carcieri administration? Or indeed since Roger Williams’s time?

“We will be there through October, and after that we intend to maintain some presence [in Pawtucket].”

The school department is facing a $10 million budget deficit.

The General Assembly adjourned early Wednesday without approving a special tax increase on city residents to close the budget shortfall.

Perhaps the best path would be to take advantage of the fact that the 38 Studios bonds are moral-obligation bonds rather than general-obligation bonds, and simply default and refuse to pay. The big downside to defaulting is that it makes it much harder to borrow money in the future. But considering Rhode Island’s track record of debt-financed economic development schemes, that might be a blessing in disguise.

Cue potheads explaining how legalizing weed instead of just kinda decriminalizing it would permanently fix all of our problems in 3…2…1…

The Rhode Island Senate endorsed an $8.1 billion state budget Monday that would impose new taxes on taxi fares and pet grooming while increasing spending on education and services for the disabled.

The Senate voted 30-7 for the spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. It now heads to Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who is expected to sign it into law. The House approved the budget last week.