270 people a day
Governor Carcieri just doesn’t get it. Last night, his state of the state address was long on rhetoric, but once again, short on details. What’s worse is, some of the details he did provide just don’t make sense, the math simply doesn’t add up, and you need to know that.
While House and Senate Democrats are working to streamline government and make it more lean and efficient, the governor is spouting empty rhetoric that doesn’t solve the problem. Here’s just one example:
The governor is banking on $5 million in new revenue from a proposed law to ban and fine folks who get caught talking on a cell phone while driving. At $50 per offense, that means that 227 would need to be ticketed every day of the year in order for the governor’s numbers to work.
Whether or not the proposal is a good public safety measure is certainly a matter for debate, but there is no way state and local police are going to have the time to stop and fine one-tenth of our state’s population for driving while talking on a cell phone, it’s just not realistic.
Check out what Carcieri flack Jeff Neal told Pawtucket Times scribe Jim Baron when asked how they expect the numbers to jibe.
Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal said the administration “has no reason to believe” that the estimate for the revenue the measure would generate would not hold. He did allow, however that, “Since it is entirely new, it is difficult to project. If the General Assembly believes the initiative will garner less or more” revenue, it can make adjustments.
Translation: “It’s their problem to figure out.”
Boy, that’s leadership!
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:24 pm
How does a Governor of the State not realize how IMPORTANT law enforcement is and what they do already and expect them to forget about the real crime on our streets…