The lead spokesman for “I Hate Rhode Islanders,” Justin Katz, has another piece (“The four groups behind R.I. woes,” Commentary, Jan. 8) pointing the finger at all the usual suspects for the budget deficit. Yawn.

Here is why his analysis is so skewed. It has no basis in fact. Just a few facts:

• One-half of 1 percent of total state spending goes toward the Family Independence Program (the results of all those poverty pimps).

• Rhode Island ranks 23rd in the country for overall tax burden, according to the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council. Not 50th, not worst. But right in the middle.

• The tax that hurts the average Rhode Islander the most, the property tax, needs to be changed, but right wingers won’t let that happen. Why? Because it would take an increase in the income tax to offset the change. People in the highest income quintile with an average household income of $196,419 pay only 2.85 percent of their income on property tax. People in the lowest bracket pay 8.1 percent of their income to the property tax.

• In 1979, the corporate-income tax accounted for 10.4 percent of general revenue. In 2002, that dropped to 1.3 percent. Did it work? You be the judge. . . .

These are only a few examples of how the right-wing rhetoric just doesn’t match up with reality. So, if you think this reality is too tough to deal with, or too difficult to change, feel free to blame poor people, working people, union members and the rest of the right-wing’s usual suspects.

PATRICK CROWLEY

Cranston

The writer is assistant executive director of the National Education Association Rhode Island.