Projo Politics Blog

It begins: "As the state budget crisis continues to deepen, there is growing public concern that the General Assembly has failed to return to work and address the crucial problems facing Rhode Island. Members of the House are anticipating a mid-October return, despite the fact that we were previously told to keep the last week in August open only to see that date pushed back several more times.''

"My colleagues and I [would] welcome the opportunity to return to the State House and engage in a much-needed discussion of how to tackle the state's dire financial situation. Unfortunately this constant series of changes raises questions about whether the legislature is capable of addressing this significant crisis,'' he wrote.

And finally: "This is a time when leadership is needed in our state, a time when all of our elected officials need to be involved in the effort to fix the systemic budget problems threatening our quality of life.''

There was no immediate response from Murphy or his number two at the State House, House Majority Leader Gordon Fox, D-Providence, who has also been busy behind the scenes wooing votes for his own campaign to succeed Murphy if, as expected, this proves to be his last term in what is arguably the most powerful political position in the state.

But Murphy issued this brief statement late Wednesday: "My office received the representative's campaign letter late yesterday and I will be happily forwarding my response to him tomorrow.''

In a telephone interview, Schadone said his letter reflected his frustration with what he perceives as a lack of leadership by Murphy and Fox on the state's financial crisis. He said the lawmakers need to return to work, and bang their heads together until they come up with a consensus on what to do to expand Rhode Island's revenue base, by making the state more business-friendly.

He did not lay out a game plan, but in response to inquiries said lawmakers might want to take a closer and more serious look at Republican Governor Carcieri's call for the phase-out of the state's corporations tax, as a way to attract new business.

"I don't think we gave that enough serious examination as to the end result,'' Schadone said. "We are in a serious, serious financial crisis [and] I don't believe we are doing enough to get our way out of this.''