Letter: Goodbye Rhode Island, and good luck

To the editor:
Why would anyone want to leave Rhode Island? It has the best beaches on the East Coast, great restaurants, and a diverse population that has bestowed its culture and customs on the state. Yet I recently made the decision to move to South Carolina. Here are just a few of the reasons.
The politicians speak openly about defying the President’s attempts to eliminate illegal immigrants.
A few years ago the ACLU supported a student’s desire to have a 50-year-old school prayer removed from the wall of Cranston High School West, despite the fact that the prayer didn’t even contain the word “God” or “Jesus?
The state is full of costly redundant bureaucracies. There are the DOT and Turnpike and Bridge Authority (Rhode Island doesn’t even have a turnpike). The Providence Police, State Police and the Capitol police all protecting people at the state capitol. There are 36 public school districts to support a population that would make Rhode Island the 40th most populous county in the US.
The Town of Warren will allow a smoke shop, which sells drug paraphernalia, but not allow a pet shop or a gun shop.
The town reassesses property values as often as the law allows in an effort to squeeze more tax revenue from its homeowners, instead of addressing runaway pension costs for municipal employees.
In an attempt to offer ideas for improvement I wrote to the last three governors, as well as state and local politicians. State Senator Felag was the only one to respond but nothing of significance has changed.
The population of Warren has dropped nearly 8 percent since 2000, so I am not the only person who has left. To those of you I leave behind, enjoy all the good things that Warren and the state of Rhode Island have to offer and pray for change before the average person can no longer afford (or want) to live there.
Fran Rosato
9 Bay Road