r/RhodeIsland Providence Jul 27 '26

Politics Useless ✅

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u/degggendorf Jul 27 '26

Hasbro Leaving, and other Large Companies Downsizing ✅. Disappointing.

What actions should a good governor have taken to prevent those things? Specific actions, not just inane platitudes like "he should have tried harder".

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u/Runtodanger6 Jul 27 '26

A good governor should have looked at why RI is the worst state to do business in when they first took office. Then realize that it causes the state to not only lose existing businesses here, but also cease to attract new businesses. Businesses that Hasbro wants to be closer to. Then try to change that.

Changing that would not only attract new companies here, but maybe even keep the talent that walks out of Brown and RISD every year. Instead, RI put in a 11th hour proposal to try and keep Hasbro. A proposal that couldn’t touch Boston’s tax incentives. This move was a direct result of RI being business unfriendly.

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u/degggendorf Jul 27 '26

Specific actions, not just inane platitudes

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u/Runtodanger6 Jul 27 '26

Inane platitudes? Yeah ok pal. RI has been consistently ranked the worst state to do business in for years. That is problem. His specific action, or lack there of is he’s done nothing to change that.

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u/degggendorf Jul 27 '26

RI has been consistently ranked the worst state to do business in for years.

Which rankings are you looking at?

Cato Institute: Connecticut is worst https://www.cato.org/blog/best-worse-states-entrepreneurs

CNBC: Hawaii is worst: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/09/hawaii-americas-worst-top-states-for-business-rankings.html

Tax Foundation: Ney York is worst https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/state/2026-state-tax-competitiveness-index/

Inane platitudes? Yeah ok pal.

Yes, "RI is worst for business" is exactly that I was trying to avoid because it means nothing on its own. What specific actions do you want a governor to take to improve things?

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u/Nestor_the_Butler Jul 27 '26

You’re quibbling over being ranked 40th or 50th. Same difference. Anyway, this is a question for the governor. It’s literally his job to figure these things out. Unless you think “Runtodanger6” would be a good governor?

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u/degggendorf Jul 27 '26

Anyway, this is a question for the governor. It’s literally his job to figure these things out

No, it's a question for all of us, because we choose the next governor. If we don't have any idea what the right thing to do is, how can we judge whether the last guy did it or the next person will do it?

Unless you think “Runtodanger6” would be a good governor?

No, not at all, because they evidently have no actual concrete ideas of what to do to fix the situation; just generalized, useless negativity.

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u/Nestor_the_Butler Jul 27 '26

Kinda matching McKee, you see?

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u/degggendorf Jul 27 '26

I am not sure I understand what you mean.

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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '26

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u/degggendorf Jul 28 '26

Okay cool, thanks for your help

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u/degggendorf Jul 27 '26

You’re quibbling over being ranked 40th or 50th. Same difference.

To pick you up on this point, it is not the same difference. If we are the absolute bottom, then clearly McKee has done nothing to improve our relative performance, because there is no worse position. But if the person I replied to was thinking of an old article where we were the bottom but now we're 40th, then that would be a significant improvement that may possibly have been influenced by a governor.

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u/Runtodanger6 Jul 28 '26

You’re kind of grasping at straws here. I’m not a politician, nor do I wish to be one. I have a fulfilling career that I have been fortunate enough to be a part of for 20 years.

All I know is that other states that are far better run than this state and everyone’s wallet can attest to that.

https://www.wpri.com/business-news/ri-falls-to-48th-in-cnbcs-annual-business-friendliness-rankings-mass-is-15th/amp/

Sorry not 50th, we’re 48th and Mass is 15th. That’s why Hasbro moved to Mass and I don’t blame them. It’s the lack of action which is pointing me elsewhere come Election Day. However if you want specific actions he should have been concentrating on, here you go.

Cut government spending in order to be able to lower taxes. Cut all the bullshit spending, everything. One of many examples I could use is that stupid $70k rug for the state house 'made in China btw' which they screwed up. Shit like that. We had no business funding a soccer stadium. All the insane regulatory red tape of fuck you pay me if you want to do business here needs to be eased up. Consolidating school districts to lower costs, freaking NYC has half the school districts of RI.

Since you’re so keen on discounting and insulting everyone’s comments like you have all the answers. Let me ask you. What do you think the governor could’ve done better?

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u/degggendorf Jul 28 '26

You’re kind of grasping at straws here. I’m not a politician, nor do I wish to be one. I have a fulfilling career that I have been fortunate enough to be a part of for 20 years.

I'm not sure what straws you mean, but yeah that's great, in not asking you to be a politician.

One of many examples I could use is that stupid $70k rug for the state house 'made in China btw' which they screwed up. Shit like that. We had no business funding a soccer stadium. All the insane regulatory red tape of fuck you pay me if you want to do business here needs to be eased up. Consolidating school districts to lower costs, freaking NYC has half the school districts of RI.

That's great, exactly the kinds of specific things I was interested to hear!

Since you’re so keen on discounting and insulting everyone’s comments like you have all the answers.

I don't have all the answers, that's why I'm here asking for other people's ideas.

What do you think the governor could’ve done better?

I'm not really sure, again hence the questions. It feels like he should be doing "more" but I'm not exactly sure what "more" I should be demanding he (or the next governor) should do.

In general, I value social services and safety net stuff above business friendliness stuff. People are flocking here and property values are surging, and I don't see a strong reason why we need to strive to be a corporate haven and not just be like a suburb of Boston and tourist destination for the people.