Rhode Island spends more than most states on welfare, public safety and primary and secondary education, the Rhode Island Public Expenditures Council finds in its annual report, “How Rhode Island’s State and Local Expenditures Compare,” but less than most on highways, higher education and parks and recreation.
The Ocean State’s spending “for public welfare programs, including Medicaid, as well as public safety” is higher than the national average, RIPEC said, both on a per-capita basis and on the basis of spending per $1,000 of personal income.
The state was 10th nationwide in per-capita direct general expenditures, RIPEC said, but 15th in per-capita personal income, at $32,330.
Total state spending was $7,077 per capita, or 9.0 percent above the national average, the nonprofit said, ranking the state number 10. But in terms of personal income, that translated to $218.89 per $1,000, or 5.3 percent above the national average, for a rank of 19.
Based on spending per $1,000 of personal income in key categories, RIPEC said, Rhode Island was No. 1 nationwide for fire protection ($6.38, more than twice the U.S. average of $3.09/$1,000); third nationwide in cash-assistance payments ($4.63); seventh for Medicaid/vendor payments ($42.92); and 10th in housing and community development ($4.82). On the same basis, the state was 43rd in spending on higher education (at $14.14/$1,000); 44th in highways (at $10.55); and 46th in parks and recreation (at $4.83/$1,000).
The state spent $1,671 per capita on elementary and secondary education, enough to earn it an 8th-place ranking, though spending per $1,000 personal income was insufficient to put the state in the top 10. Connecticut’s per-capita spending in the same category was $1,883, putting the state at No. 4 nationwide, and Massachusetts’ was $1,614, putting the Bay State in 13th place.
Gary S. Sasse, RIPEC’s executive director, questioned whether Rhode Island can afford “needed investments in higher education and the infrastructure without considering ways to reform entitlement spending.”
RIPEC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that aims to promote “effective, efficent and equitable government.” Its full report can be found online at www.ripec.org.
