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Elaine,

While I appreciate the sentiment, "...good garbage pick up and snow removal, decent schools, a public pool and skating center, lots of ball fields and parks, recreational programs for children and for adults, good library, good fire protection and good police..." are all a function of local property taxes, NOT state taxes. My question specifically concerns state taxes (income, sales, capital gains,and estate). Rhode Islanders pay a mind-numbing array of taxes, but it's still important to distinguish between the state and local variety. And so I query again: What STATE services are you receiving, in exchange for a myriad of taxes, that citizens of NH are not receiving? Better state highways? No. Better, more affordable university system? No. More responsive state police? No. I have asked this question countless times and have yet to get a cogent response. Then again, IS there a cogent response? Or are Rhode Islanders so accustomed to being fleeced that they simply lose track of what the hell they're paying for?