Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis and the R.I. Economic Development Corporation’s Every Company Counts program have, laudably, begun a new effort to make dealing with the government easier for small business owners.
The project, called “We Mean Business,” is a collaboration with state and municipal officials as well as with private-sector resources. And like all such efforts, we’re sure it will be helpful to those who participate.
But like many programs before it, “We Mean Business” has a fundamental flaw: It presumes that government is functioning well – it’s just tough to navigate.
Municipal governments are riddled with customer-unfriendly bureaucracy. Just try going to your local city hall to look up a property record, or figure out zoning rules that apply to a project.
And if you need an inspection from the R.I. Department of Health, it might take weeks to get an appointment.
Some communities will help businesses navigate the system; city officials will make helpful phone calls. But even those communities have problems of their own – and why should anything require calling in favors?
There have been efforts in the past to address these issues, and we believe Rhode Island is overdue for another. Until that happens, “We Mean Business” will ring hollow. •