August 21, 2012 – RI Future

August 21, 2012August 21, 2012

Projo Botches Facts in Editorial on Legislative Races

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How can we trust their opinions if they can’t even get the basic facts right?

The Projo editorial board was so overzealous in its attempt to slam organized labor and the candidates that support them in an editorial on General Assembly campaigns today, it botched several facts.

Here’s the list I could come up with, if you can find any more please add them in the comments below:

House Finance Committee Chairman Helio Melo is actually running unopposed. John Rossi never ended up filing all the required paperwork needed to get on the ballot.
Also related to Helio Melo. His last name is spelled “Melo” not “Melio” as the Projo wrote. (Though that would be a pretty fun name to say if it was Helio Melio!)
Speaking of spelling errors, they also misspelled Leo Medina’s name. The writer/writers could have simply referenced their own front page from last week for the correct spelling. It’s not like Medina isn’t a known quantity in newsrooms around Rhode Island as of late.
Robert Flaherty is not running for reelection this year. While the editorial doesn’t explicitly say he is running for office this year, it is an editorial advocating for which candidates voters should support this year. In the spirit of Politifacting, we rate this statement as half pants on fire because it seemed like a wanton effort to besmirch Flaherty’s name.
Update: an astute reader reminds me that, of course, John McCauley is not running for reelection either…

From my vantage point, it frequently seems as if the Projo editorial writers are more interested in trafficking in ideological talking points rather than informing its readers. As a fellow opinion writer, it’s important to do both … but the former doesn’t carry a lot of water until you can get the latter down pat.

August 21, 2012August 21, 2012

Jessica Ahlquist Honored at Touro Synagogue

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It sounds like the start of a bad joke: a Rabbi, an Imam, and an atheist walk into a Synagogue…

In this case, though, it is the story of a ceremony at Touro Synagogue in Newport – the 65th annual reading of George Washington’s Letter to the Hebrew Congregation. It was a celebration of Washington’s poignant 1790 letter eloquently stating to Newport’s Jewish community (what was left of it after the British occupation of Newport during the Revolution) that the new country would be committed to religious freedom, to being a nation where the government offers “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.” To a Jewish community used to being driven violently from country to country (including from England in the 1200’s, to be welcomed back somewhat reluctantly generations later,) these words meant that the religious tolerance they had found in colonial Rhode Island would continue in the new United States.

The invocation at Sunday’s reading of the historic letter, given by the Imam of a Providence Muslim community, and the benediction given by Touro Synagogue’s Rabbi, remind of us the breadth of this commitment: that the U. S. would be a country welcoming of Jews and Muslims (“Turks” in Colonial era parlance) as well Christians.

As was noted in the introduction of Jessica Ahlquist, the young atheist who successfully fought for the removal of a prayer banner from Cranston West High School, religious tolerance in Rhode Island applied not only to non-Christians but also to those who did not believe. And there were non-Church goers, and likely non-believers, in Colonial Newport along with Protestants, Jews, the occasional visiting “Turk,” and eventually Catholics.

Jessica was there to receive the Judge George Alexander Teitz Award, a non-monetary award from the non-sectarian Touro Synagogue Foundation that is given annually to “an individual or institution that best exemplifies the contemporary commitment to the ideals of religious and ethnic tolerance and freedom, expressed in President George Washington’s 1790 Letter.” Jessica joins the likes of the first recipient of the Teitz award, Senator Claiborne Pell.

She was introduced by Judge Teitz’ son, Andy, who reminded the audience of the threats and antagonism Jessica faced in Cranston for standing up for the Constitution and Separation of Church and State. In accepting the award, Jessica made perhaps the most meaningful statement of the afternoon’s proceedings. In talking about her experience with the Cranston school prayer banner, she said, in reference to this event at Touro, “This is what I wanted to happen, this is what I was fighting for when I did this…”

To see Jessica honored by a community that, while largely holding on to its belief in a supernatural “higher being” also sees the importance of Church-State separation, was a moving experience.

This post was written by Chuck Flippo, site manager at Loeb Visitors Center at Touro Synagogue National Historic Site, with small modifications and formatting by Steve Ahlquist.

Note: The Providence Journal covered this event with a small selection of photos yesterday, completely ignoring the fact that Jessica was honored with a prestigious award at this ceremony. As Chuck told me in correspondence:

[Not mentioning Jessica receiving the award] sounds like a deliberate slight. Though there were certainly other things to write about — the Imam giving the invocation, Sen. Reed’s speech — the award to Jessica was a significant part of the event. [It] should have been included. That’s really poor journalism.

August 21, 2012August 21, 2012

Progress Report: Engage RI, Labor Make Pensions Election Issue; The Paul Ryan, Todd Akin Connection; Generosity

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ft wetherill — Fort Wetherill State Park in Jamestown.

If you had any doubt that this year’s campaigns for General Assembly seats would be colored by last year’s pension debate, just look at the news cycle this morning: Ted Nesi reports that EngageRI is attacking those who had the nerve to speak out against cuts to retired state worker’s salaries, while the Projo editorial board condemns organized labor for doing the same.

Thanks to RIPTA for trying to stave off reductions in public transportation. Doing so would certainly be bad for our already struggling economy. Remember, the goal is to make society work well, not for it to be inexpensive.

What do Paul Ryan and Todd Akin have in common: radical beliefs on reproductive freedom.

A new report claims religious people tend to be more generous than the secular folk among us. While they may give more to their church than others do to charities, I don’t buy for one minute that they are holier than the rest when it comes to giving. In fact, WPRO’s Matt Allen points out the last paragraph in the story: “People in less religious states are giving in a different way by being more willing to pay higher taxes so the government can equitably distribute superior benefits, Wolfe said. And the distribution is based purely on need, rather than religious affiliation or other variables, said Wolfe…”

The state is looking for ideas for the old Shooters building next to India Point Park. As Providence begins its massive redevelopment project, this will be one o the lynchpins to overall success. How about an aquarium?

Poor Curt Schilling … he still somehow thinks it’s Gov. Chafee’s fault he doesn’t know how to run a video game company. In fact, he’s resorted to name calling over the matter. Even the Boston Herald recognizes this isn’t going to do him any good.

Did you hear that Augusta National is finally allowing women to join the exclusive Georgia golf country club? Well, Providence progressive activist Jessica Sherwood called upon them to do so two years ago!

Today in 1959, Hawaii becomes the 50th state.

August 21, 2012August 21, 2012

What Does Doherty Think of Akin’s Rape Remarks?

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No one in America today is less popular than Republican Todd Akin, who said “legitimate rape” rarely ends in pregnancy because women can cause some sort of self-abortion to occur in their bodies when such tragedy happens. As we reported yesterday morning, it was a ridiculous thing to both say and/or believe.

The fallout: the GOP has pulled back its financial support for his candidacy, and top party brass are either calling for him to drop out, or insinuating that he should.

But I’m a little confused as to Brendan Doherty’s reaction to the news … his campaign told the Providence Journal that Akin should suspend his campaign, according to its report, but it told Ted Nesi he should “drop out.”

It’s well worth noting that the AP reports that it was a call to drop out, but yesterday morning he told WPRO he had no comment until he knew more about it, which later in the day it reported he was “echoing” another Republican’s sentiments, according to its account.

Which is it? I think Rhode Islanders would want him to be pretty solid on such an issue – especially since he’s selling himself as the candidate of morality.

One of the reasons Rhode Island shouldn’t send Brendan Doherty to Congress is because of the people he will have to caucus with while there … if he can’t even call on a complete fool like Todd Akin to get out of politics altogether, what will he – and we – be forced to live with once he needs such people’s support?

August 21, 2012August 21, 2012

Race Is On: Who Will Be the Political Party of the Net?

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At Demand Progress we’ve just launched a public effort to compel the major parties to adopt Internet freedom planks as part of their party platforms. You can click here to sign our petition to the people responsible for drafting platforms. It buttresses a behind-the-scenes effort we’ve been running for a few weeks, and we’re very hopeful about the chances of winning. Here’s US News on the push:

In an attempt to woo so-called “Internet voters,” both the Republican and Democratic parties are considering adopting official positions supporting a free and open Internet in their upcoming party platforms at their respective conventions, according to sources familiar with party platform drafting.

There’s a race of sorts on to be the first party to corner Internet voters… and Internet dollars. The Republicans are doing an unusually good job securing support from Silicon Valley, as US News notes:

Both Republicans and Democrats are in a race to capture the Internet’s voting power, but if campaign donations are anything to go by, Republicans seem to have a slight lead. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, 54 percent of the $4 million that Silicon Valley-based PACs have donated have gone to Republican causes and candidates. Companies that have given more to GOP PACs include Intel, Microsoft and Facebook, while Google and Oracle have given more money to Democrats.

This represents a shift from the norm: Repubs were faster to peel off of SOPA and have been actively wooing tech support. There’s a strong libertarian streak among VCs and start-up entrepreneurs (too many of whom forget that the creation of the Internet was a publicly financed endeavor) that comports well with certain strains within the GOP. The Dems are still better on Net Neutrality and privacy, but SOPA was a much bigger deal both to most web entrepreneurs and rank-and-file netizens — and the Dems stood by SOPA for far too long, likely largely because they were worried about losing Hollywood’s support. The Repubs didn’t have that counterweight to consider, and were more able to make a more swift play for tech votes and bucks.

The Dems need to catch up, and fast.