The verdict is in, and it is unanimous — from The New York Times to BBC-TV America to The Washington Post to The National Journal, and now, The Economist (“Little Rhody in the red,” May 2-9). Within the past year, all have run stories describing Rhode Island’s dysfunctional political regime and economics.

Rhode Island is so far gone that mere tinkering at the margins will not be sufficient. Major structural reforms are required, such as elimination of the income tax; a pension freeze for all state and municipal workers and implementation of defined contribution plans; school choice to help bring quality K-12 education to Rhode Island; and 40-hour work weeks (going from 35 to 40 would enable a 12-15 percent reduction in headcount without a reduction in man hours).

These measures are only a start.

Does anyone believe that the Rhode Island General Assembly will enact the major structural reforms necessary to put this state on a new course — a path to prosperity for everyone instead of just their favored special interests: the public-employee unions, their relatives’ state jobs, and the Poverty Institute constituency?

Does anyone believe that absent such reforms — and therefore regime change in the General Assembly — that Rhode Island will not continue its decades-long economic decline?

Why do the people of Rhode Island tolerate this abysmal state? Surely, we can do a lot better! Let’s work for an acquittal from the damning charge of failure.

JAMES T. BEALE Jr.

Westerly

The writer is president of the Rhode Island Statewide Coalition.