Here’s to the crazy ones

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“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones to do so.”

—Steve Jobs

When I ran for office this past November and won, people kept asking me, “Why? Are you crazy?”

As a former Navy chaplain, and disabled vet, who volunteered to go on active duty at 39 and a half, people asked me at that time, “Why? Are you crazy?”

My answer to both questions has always been the same, “I did it because I wanted to make a positive change.”

In my four months at the General Assembly, as a freshman representative from Cranston, I have seen a lot. Moreover, I’ve also come to believe that I might, in fact, be a bit crazy. A misfit. A rebel. One who sees things differently.

Early in the session, one of my fellow colleagues introduced a bill that would require non-profits to be more, in the words of the representative, “transparent.” Call me crazy, but I think a bill needs to be introduced that requires the state to be more transparent as well.

Think back over the last 20 years. It’s been crisis after crisis, mistake after mistake with the routine promise, of course, “it will never happen again.” Yet each time, taxpayers pay and pay, with little to no benefit. The Cranston Foundry, the banking crisis, the Convention Center project, 38 Studios, and most recently, the possible ballpark in downtown Providence. Transparency or obfuscation?

Back in 1992 the General Assembly, due to the banking crisis, began to end the practice of using restricted receipt accounts. Restricted receipt accounts were created to put collected money into specified accounts for specific purposes.

For example, user fees were implemented at state beaches; $1 for state residents and $4 for non-state residents “to be dedicated to development and renovation of recreation projects and for additional acquisition of recreation areas.” Essentially, the money was to be used for a “state beach, park, and recreation development fund.” We paid those beach fees back then, and even higher fees now, because we were told the money went to promote recreational areas. Now your beach fees can go to any program within the state budget. Did you know that?

Here’s another limited transparency issue. Look at your next landline or cell phone bill, notice the $1 assessed on each bill for 911.

In 2014, over $15 million was collected for 911 services. Of that amount collected, only a little over five million dollars ($5,400,000) was used for that purpose. In 2000, the General Assembly changed the law redirecting these previously restricted revenues into “the state general fund.” Did you know that?

Just as non-transparent as the dollar assessment is the 26-cent charge on your cell phone bill for Geo-coding and Technology. The fund was originally established in 2004 to provide a revenue stream to complete and maintain the geographic information system database and to establish a temporary E-911 answering facility. However, in 2007 the General Assembly removed the sunset provision, thereby extending the tax indefinitely, for the 26 cents on wireless telephones and altered the restricted status of the receipts, converting them to general revenues. Here’s another account for which we pay a fee or tax that isn’t being used for its intended purpose. Did you know that?

This Monday evening a group of folks will be meeting behind closed doors to discuss a new ballpark for downtown Providence. At stake, once again, are taxpayer dollars and possible long-term indebtedness, again with little to no proven economic benefit. Did you know that?

Now that you know the lack of transparency within our state budget, you may also consider yourself one of the crazies. Fees and taxes should fund the programs that charge them, is that crazy?

Transparency for non-profits, a good idea. Transparency in state government, an absolute great idea!

 

Rep. Robert B. Lancia is a Republican representative representing District 16 in Cranston.

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