By JON BAKER

LINCOLN — Anthony Gemma and Larry Riggs weren’t shy about requesting changes in how the Rhode Island Senate enacts legislation to better relationships with both area businesses, and help them “grow jobs.”

Gemma, president of Lincoln-based GEM Plumbing Inc., asked three State Senators — among them Majority Leader-Elect Daniel Connors of Cumberland/Lincoln, recently-elected Elizabeth “Betty” Crowley of Central Falls/Pawtucket/Valley Falls and Roger Pickard of Woonsocket — to look 10 years ahead to support businesses.
Riggs, president of Pare Engineering Inc., wanted government officials to work harder at supporting in-state colleges, with assistance to Rhode Island students in the engineering fields to keep them “at home.”
They, and others, made their issues crystal-clear during the senators’ tour of the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, neighboring Pare Engineering and, finally, T.H. Malloy Biodiesel & Heat, Inc. of Cumberland on Wednesday afternoon.
“I think they were really glad to talk with us in their environments, and the fact we came out to hear their concerns,” Connors stated afterward. “After all, our job is to represent the people. I think this fiscal (economic) crisis we’re in now presents us with a tremendous opportunity to hear them, and do something about what’s ailing them.
“I also think you have to identify the problems before you come up with solutions, and this is part of that identification,” he added.
“We’ve got to work cooperatively with the House and the Governor. The Senate can’t solve these problems by itself. We all have to work together.”
The senators initiated their “walkaround” at the Chamber of Commerce, headed by veteran President John Gregory.
“There are other municipalities nationwide with governments that are way ahead of the curve,” Gemma stated. “My point is, rather than re-inventing the wheel, we should go out and find the best government and see how it operates, then follow their lead. In my opinion, that place is Coral Springs, Fla. Those officials have created a model that’s 180 degrees different from the way our current governments operate.
“Their plan is directly applicable to municipalities here,” he added. “They’re among the top nationwide in constituent satisfaction with the government; employee satisfaction; and their graduation rate from high school, and college placement, is among the highest. Coral Springs also has some of the lowest cost per constituent in the country when it comes to tax base.
“Here’s the problem: If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there. We need to know where we’re going, and what the goal is for the state 10 years from now, so we as towns can work on making necessary changes to ‘drive’ there … I’m satisfied with what happened here. This is a great start. We were provided a forum to begin a dialogue to help our government move in the right direction. I don’t worry all this fell on deaf ears.”
At the next stop, Pare Engineering, Riggs explained his concerns for his corporation, which sometimes loses to competitors from Massachusetts, Connecticut and even New York. His issues included:
n Finding, hiring and retaining qualified personnel. He noted enrollment and graduation levels in the engineering fields (beginning with math and sciences) are declining more rapidly in Rhode Island.
“We’re in constant competition with the other New England states in attracting qualified personnel, both recent graduates and (those) experienced,” he said. “The state is losing on that front. Better pay and opportunities lie elsewhere, and today’s generation readily pursues elsewhere … The state needs to invest in the facilities and staff of higher-education institutions, particularly URI.”
n Overhauling the tax structure and revenue generation.
“User fees need to be increased, particularly as it relates to our transportation infrastructure,” he offered. “Gas tax revenue flow to the General Fund needs to be eliminated. A gas tax increase is well past due, and should be significant. The state missed its best opportunity six months ago, (and it) needs to act before the ‘feds’ do (as they anticipate increasing such tax from five to eight cents per year over the next five years).”
n Obstacles to economic development.
Riggs explained that a recent study documented that, on average, it takes two years to get through the permitting process in Rhode Island, while it takes a mere six months in North Carolina, a “severe deterrent to investment.”
He added that special interest and “NIMBY” groups have stood in the way of viable economic development pursuits; and that the defeat of large private investment and public works projects have created a “disincentive” for in-state investing, reducing opportunity and weakening Rhode Island strategically.
He cited “historic failures,” among them Interstate 84, Big River Reservoir, Quonset Point/Davisville and support of the Port of Providence.
n Support of businesses.
“The state has done little to nothing … already (here) -- corporate giveaway to the large and mighty, but nothing for the loyal businesses that support the state year after year,” he observed. “Rhode Island needs to attract new businesses on the basis that this state is a healthy and vibrant place to do (such), to live, raise children, recreate and retire. That will be difficult given the changing tide of demographics."
The tour’s final stop occurred at T.H. Malloy Biodiesel & Heat, which works in partnership with Newport Biodiesel. That’s where Jim Malloy, the 73-year-old company’s operations manager who came up with the idea of selling biofuels, asked the senators for little except assistance in adjusting state legislation for a tax credit consistent with the federal government.
“I heard reoccuring themes that hinder businesses,” Pickard stated afterward. “There was the NIMBY issue, with residents saying they don’t want a certain business or prospective industry located within their borders. There was permitting, which we’ve heard over and over again, and also a consistent economic plan for the state.
“I tell people all the time, I’m no genius, and I don’t understand everything that people are trying to tell me, so I look forward to speaking with people with different expertise,” he added. “They bring forth their points of view so I can make an informed decision … However, the problem we face is we also have people from an education perspective, and a a human services perspective, a municipal perspective, and those from the medical field.
“You can’t please everybody, so we need to balance all of these wants. It’s not an easy process.”