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According to the national KIDS COUNT data center, RI's child poverty rate in 2009 was 17%. After untold billions thrown at a mind-numbing array of federal, state and local programs, the rate has increased to 21% and is the highest of the six New England states. Interestingly, New Hampshire (which spends significantly less than RI on social welfare programs despite it's higher population) has a child poverty rate that is less than one-half that of RI.

Education is the same story. RI has the third highest per-pupil expenditures in the country in exchange for being in the bottom 20% in rate of adults with a high school diploma. Sorry gang, "investments" is not the issue as RI taxpayers have made "investments" out the wazoo for decades with absolutely zero accountability.

Here are some simple, if blunt, solutions that you will never hear discussed at one of these love-ins. 1. Stop incenting young women to have children without benefit of a husband. 2. Establish a rigid end-game for welfare payments, section 8 housing, and food stamps such that government dependency ceases to become a lifestyle. 3. Enforce statutory rape laws for men who impregnate teenage girls, and make welfare payments contingent upon cooperation with law enforcement if the father is age of majority. 4. Establish a voucher plan for low income students, enabling them to flee poor and low performing schools for the same private and parochial schools attended by, ahem, Langevin, Reed, and Raimondo. While I'm sure I'll won't be invited to the next big poverty perpetuation shindig at the Crown Plaza, I'm equally certain that the same tired hacks will be returning next year with more mind numbing calls for more "investment".