"To preserve the independence of the people, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude." ~ Thomas Jefferson
 
Today is Rhode Island's "Cost of Government Day." Many of you may be wondering what Cost of Government Day is. It's the day when the average Rhode Islander has earned enough gross income to pay his or her share of the total spending and regulatory burden imposed by federal, state, and local government. Wednesday, August 12th, was National Cost of Government Day, which is calculated each year by Americans for Tax Reform. This year it fell 26 days later than last year; I'll let you speculate as to why. Our Press Release is linked below.
 
OSPRI President Bill Felkner is on vacation for two weeks(although he was spotted at the office). So, look for the President's Message when he returns.
 
This past week, OSPRI introduced Tom Linehan as our new Fellow on Small Business Affairs. To find out more about Mr. Linehan, see our press release below and watch for his first OpEd to be published shortly.
 
The Warwick Beacon recently ran an article on Congressman Jim Langevin in which they contacted Mr. Felkner for comments. You can read more about this below.
  
OSPRI will be featured on NBC 10's "10 News Conference" this Sunday morning. Check your local listings for the exact time.
 
The Westerly Sun asked Mr. Felkner to write an Op-Ed on municipal contracts. The piece was published this past Sunday. To read it, see below.
 
 Save the Dates! Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, will be visiting OSPRI on September 10th. We will have a reception that evening, so be sure to mark your calendars! Also, we have set September 20th as the date for our Second Annual ATF Party! More details will be released for both events as soon as they are available.
 
Once again, I am urging all of you to visit our new Rhode Island Stimulus Watch website (www.ristimulus.org) and cast your vote for the projects you feel are, or are not, critical at this time. This website was designed for you, the taxpayer, and we need your feedback!
 
This week, nine new documents were added to the RI Data website, which can be found by going to the Transparency Train. The RI Votes database is fully updated for the current legislative session: about 2000 bills were introduced in the House and Senate, and you can find them all through the RI Votes section of the Transparency Train.

As always, OSPRI continues to traverse the state in order to spread the word about our organization and the Transparency Project. We have spoken before neighborhood organizations, taxpayer groups, college students, and local public officials. If you are interested in having Mr. Felkner or one of our scholars and/or associates address your group, please contact us via phone (401-228-6691) or email (info@oceanstatepolicy.org).
 
Finally, if you have any questions about OSPRI or are interested in getting involved, don't hesitate to contact me!