Welcome to The Poverty Institute
A RESPECTED AUTHORITY ON THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF RHODE ISLAND AND ITS RESIDENTS ...
CURRENT ISSUES
SAVE THE DATE! The Poverty Institute State Budget Conference "Rhode Map" Friday, January 8, 2010, 8:30 am - 12:00 pm, Rhodes on the Pawtuxet
Please join us for the third annual Budget Rhode Map conference, a unique opportunity for you to hear from local and national experts on timely state fiscal policy issues.
This year, we are pleased to announce our featured presenter is Cindy Mann, a top ranking member of President Obama's Administration who serves as the Director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations. Mann has decades of experience in healthcare financing at the federal and state level, and has been a key player in the debate over health care reform. Also speaking will be economist Jeff Thompson of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts and Russell Dannecker, fiscal policy analyst at The Poverty Institute. We will be sending an invitation with registration information in December.
Click here for more information on sponsorship opportunities and our featured presenter, Cindy Mann.
REPORT: Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of Tax Systems in All 50 States (Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, November 2009)
Who Pays? is a comprehensive analysis of state and local tax systems in all 50 states. According to the new study, low- and middle-income families in Rhode Island pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than do the wealthiest families.
• PRESS RELEASE: Rhode Island Taxes Hit Poor and Middle Class Hardest (The Poverty Institute and ITEP, 11.18.09)
• FACT SHEET: Who Pays? Rhode Island Fact Sheet
• FULL REPORT: Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of Tax Systems in All 50 States
STATEMENT FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ABOUT POVERTY INSTITUTE'S FUTURE
Kate Brewster announces the organization will separate from the RI College Foundation and incorporate this fall. Read the statement.
THE POVERTY INSTITUTE 2009 ANNUAL REPORT: CELEBRATING 10 YEARS!
The Poverty Institute is celebrating its 10th anniversary! We could not have reached this important milestone without the generous support of our individual donors, philanthropic partners and colleagues in the community. Together, we have worked hard to improve the economic well-being of our low- and modest-income neighbors. Our 2009 Annual Report features comments from our colleagues, a timeline of important accomplishments, an overview of our revenue and expenses, and a list of our loyal donors.
2009 Annual Report (Interactive Version)
(note: a new window will appear with the report, click the corners of the report to flip the pages)
2009 Annual Report (PDF)
NEW POVERTY DATA RELEASED BY CENSUS BUREAU
The US Census released its most updated poverty numbers on September 29, finding that 120,000 Rhode Islanders (11.7%) are living below the federal poverty level. The Poverty Institute has compiled the following release and charts comparing the Rhode Island rates to other New England states and highlighting the rates by county and demographic group.
PRESS RELEASE: More than one in nine Rhode Islanders continue to live in poverty (September 29, 2009)
CHARTS: Rhode Island Poverty, Wages, Income and Health Insurance Data
ISSUE BRIEF: “Tax Incentive Disclosure And Accountability” (Tax Facts September 2009)
The Rhode Island Department of Revenue recently released its second annual report documenting the cost of six tax credits and the corporations receiving them. The Poverty Institute provides highlights of this report, as well as a detailed description of the six credits. The Institute points out that subsequent reporting on the number of jobs created and/or retained as a result of the credits is long overdue, making it difficult to evaluate the cost effectiveness of the credits.
LATEST NEWS
MEDIA: Tax Collections Plunge in RI (Providence Journal, 11.5.09)
"Russell Dannecker, former state Senate fiscal advisor, who attended Thursday’s meeting, said that, overall, state tax revenue figures are “down considerably” compared with a year ago...As a result, 'You’re obviously going to have more pressure on [the state] budget. There’ll be more pressure to cut. There’ll be more pressure to raise taxes,' he said."
MEDIA: Op-Ed: Federal stimulus sending big benefits to R.I. (by Kate Brewster, Providence Journal 11.3.09)
“It could have been worse” might not be an inspirational slogan, but it aptly describes the situation in Rhode Island and other states thanks to unprecedented federal efforts to fight back against one of the worst recessions in memory.
MEDIA: Rhode Island can’t see if its tax breaks are doing their job (Providence Journal 10.20.09)
Kate Brewster, The Institute’s executive director, said that the accountability report is especially important now, as the state struggles with another budget deficit. “Reviewing [tax credits and other such incentives] is just as important as reviewing direct spending, and this is a vital piece of the state budget puzzle,” she said. “Without information about job retention or creation, it is impossible to know whether the state is getting a good return on its investment,” Brewster said.
FREQUENTLY USED DOCUMENTS
2008 Rhode Island Standard of Need (12.08)
Every two years, The Poverty Institute publishes The Rhode Island Standard of Need (RISN) to provide a realistic standard for measuring the economic well-being of families and single adults. The RISN answers two fundamental questions:
• What is the cost of meeting basic needs for a single parent family, two-parent family, and a single adult in Rhode Island
• How do state and federal work supports help individuals and families meet the cost of basic needs?
Click here for the full report, executive summary, charts and media coverage for the 2008 RISN
1. An outline of programs that help low-income households.
2. An outline of programs that help low-income adults.
3. Review monthly income limits to help determine eligibility for programs
4. Learn how tax refunds affect eligibility for public benefit programs
5. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and it's impact on public benefits
