ProsperityForRI.com states RIPEC report completely misses the boat.

Think Tank ProsperityForRI.com, an organization focused on creating sustainability for Rhode Island's communities notes that the RIPEC report "Defining Government's role in Economic Development in the Ocean State" suggests that the RIDEM be included in a Secretariat of Commerce, and that this is directly opposite of what is needed to return Rhode Island communities to prosperity. Focusing on the needs of the 1 percent RIPEC continues to insist, as its corporate funders always push it to do, that a streamlining of Rhode Island to make it more business friendly is just what will bring RI to prosperity. But as ProsperityForRI.com founder Greg Gerritt notes, "the economy has changed dramatically, and the only way forward is an economy that works well for the lowest income Rhode Islanders and the ecosystem. The RIPEC report continues to insist on an economic development model that has failed for 50 years and will continue to fail as it does not account for ecosystem collapse or the need for greater equality in the economy. Given ecosystem collapse it is not surprising that the most vibrant part of the Rhode Island economy today organic agriculture, which only the DEM among state agencies supports. Hamstringing DEM is likely to have extremely adverse effects on Rhode Island.

Recent reports by Robert Gordon of Northwestern University and the National Bureau of Economic Research on the end of economic growth, and ProsperityForRI.com on a new approach to creating prosperity in the Ocean State note how important greater equality in the economy is for proper functioning and ecological healing. The continued attempt by the 1 percent to dismantle environmental protections works against the health of the RI economy and against the prosperity of our communities.
 
The problem with economic development in RI is not so much the practioners, but that the goal is wrong. As long as it is believed that making the rich happy brings prosperity Rhode Island will continue to stumble. Relying upon corporate funded groups such as RIPEC to chart the economic course for Rhode Island will continue to cause us to stumble. For more information please check out http://prosperityforri.com/38-studios-and-economic-development-in-rhode-island-2/

ProsperityForRI.com  You can not end poverty without healing ecosystems, You can not heal ecosystems without ending poverty
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Contact information:

Greg Gerritt 401-331-0529      gerritt@mindspring.com http://prosperityforri.comhttp://prosperityforri.com/38-studios-and-economic-development-in-rhode-island-2/