Poli-ticks

CNBC puts a hurt on the state

By Arlene Violet
Posted 7/28/16

CNBC recently named Rhode Island as the worst state for business. The designation certainly was not the first time. Forbes Magazine, for example, parceled out the dubious distinction in 2009. While …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Poli-ticks

CNBC puts a hurt on the state

Posted

CNBC recently named Rhode Island as the worst state for business. The designation certainly was not the first time. Forbes Magazine, for example, parceled out the dubious distinction in 2009. While republicans and democrats are haggling over Republican Chair Brendon Bell’s recitation of the ranking at last week’s Republican convention, the fact is that the governor, at least, is trying to change the metrics and she deserves credit for her efforts. She also deserves financial backing from the General Assembly for similar future efforts.

Governor Gina Raimondo recognizes that there is a skills gap and has taken action steps to match jobs with necessary training. In May 2016 she announced a real jobs partnership with Electric Boat which is preparing, it says, to hire 4000 new employees in the upcoming decade. This initiative awarded $369,000 for area career technical schools to teach welding and ship fitting skills to students. Over the next 2 years about 180 students will enter the program which hopes to eventually graduate around 350 students each year. Electric Boat also expects to train its present workers this fall for advanced skills. New England Tech is also enrolling students for certification programs for the naval work.

One can be skeptical and eschew using state money to train for jobs—what Electric Boat should be doing—but the governor has taken the bull by the horns. It is refreshing to see that she is a realist and is revamping career education to match actual job needs. The governor has also correctly addressed the need to identify solutions for transportation issues occasioned by the Quonset location.

With General Electric poised to hire employees for what it claims are high paying tech jobs, the effort to develop the tech-savvy workforce of Rhode Islanders also looms ahead. Again, purists could claim that the multi-billions corporation should fund its own training but it obviously is not doing so. Governor Raimondo is putting her sights on such training in order to make the jobs available to the home crowd first.

On one level, I could argue until the cows come home about financial incentives for companies who should be putting their own money on the line. I feel the same way when I read about the tax credits being doled out under the auspices of the Commerce Commission for projects that the developers should be fronting. But, to quote my late Aunt Mary, “What’s a body to do?”

Some projects are easier than others to divine. The Pawsox stadium grab was rank opportunism and money for low-paying employment. I certainly don’t think that credits should be given to companies like A.T. Cross to leave one RI town and go to another. The Job Lot argument that it was going to exit the state was a blatant con job and I rue that it got credits. Certainly, construction jobs are generated by these proposals but so would build a pyramid in downtown Providence. There has to be some stronger nexus like actual skills training for existing well-paying jobs which seems like what the governor is doing.

So, let the finger pointing cease on Brandon Bell’s remarks and let’s work together to ramp up the job skills for the real jobs now and in the future.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.

Arlene Violet

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
Mike Rego

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.