The Providence City Budget Hurts the Working Class
July 3, 2023
The new budget increases residential property taxes, decreases commercial taxes, and funds a second police academy. Make no mistake: this is an attack on the working class of Providence. Instead of taxing the rich and making institutions like Brown University pay their fair share, this regressive scheme puts the tax burden on ordinary residents while giving wealthy businesses a break. On top of that, the city government is giving the police yet more funding — resources that could have gone to schools and other basic needs.
Rhode Island DSA is especially disappointed that our endorsed DSA member on the Providence City Council, Miguel Sanchez, voted for this bill. We know that Miguel was not pleased with the final product and he supported the city council’s version of the budget in order to avoid Mayor Brett Smiley’s even worse proposal. However, this is a situation in which a socialist legislator could stand up, fight back, and rally his constituents against unpopular anti-worker policies. And since the city council needs a supermajority to overcome the mayor’s veto, just one or two councilors may have the leverage to demand concessions if they are willing to break from their colleagues.
That said, we appreciate that Miguel has now promised to coordinate more closely with Rhode Island DSA and consult with us on future votes. We look forward to working with him and we will have his back if he takes a difficult stand.
But we should be clear: until the working class organizes to fight back, capitalists will continue to call the shots, and both the major political parties will do their bidding. Providence’s pro-corporate budget was designed by a city government controlled entirely by Democrats, and it made little difference that the city council president, Rachel Miller, is a self-described socialist. This situation shows why working people need a party of their own — and why Rhode Island DSA recently committed to organize for a working-class party through our work in community groups, labor unions, and independent socialist electoral campaigns.