Rhode woes

Rhode Island must not have gotten the word. Four days after Fed chief Ben Bernanke said the recession is ending, things are still grim in the country’s tiniest state.

In fact, Rhode Island is going to shut down its state government for 12 full days. I say let’s go one step further and shut down the entire state — for good.

Rhode Island has no legitimate claim to statehood any more.

Maybe back in the ol’ days 1,545 square miles was a lot of land. Today it’s a good-sized farm or national park.

The city of Houston is almost half that size at 600 square miles. And waaaay back in 1960, Houston had about as many people as Rhode Island does today — just over a million. In fact, the 1990 census was the first time Rhode Island cracked the seven-figure mark on population. (And it’s not even a real island either!)

We should let neighboring states bid on the puny principality. Or, if none of them want it, make ’em draw straws and insist the winner/loser take it in.

If government were a business, Rhode Island would have been downsized long ago. I guarantee you that six months after we do it, no one will notice it’s gone.

Sorry, Rhode Island. You had a nice little run, but the rest of the country can’t keep stringing you along forever and pretending you’re equal to real states. Please clean out your desk by the end of the year.