October 31, 2013 – RI Future

October 31, 2013October 31, 2013

Time to get serious about common sense gun measures

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Roughly one year ago the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School focused the nation’s attention on the scourge of gun violence. The nation mourned with Connecticut, disbelieving the loss of 26 innocent young lives needlessly taken. In its wake, the fight for legislation to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again was reinvigorated, and real progress was made. States like New York and Colorado immediately moved forward with solutions that made a tangible difference. In Rhode Island, only small steps were taken.

Inexplicably, the effort to adopt common sense gun measures has come to a halt here in Rhode Island.

When I represented the City of Providence at the State House during the 2013 session, I saw powerful special interests stand in the way of good legislation. I supported Mayor Taveras as he brought together mayors across Rhode Island to find common ground on gun legislation and worked with legislative leaders to move a package of proposals to the floor. As we fought to get law enforcement and other anti-violence coalitions into the debate, our voices were overwhelmed by the turnout of the NRA. Ultimately, the most important components of this comprehensive package were never put up for a vote, and little progress has been made since.

Rhode Island can no longer wait in vain for the general assembly to take the lead on a problem this acute. It’s time to recommit to the implementation of common sense gun measures here in Providence and in cities and towns throughout the state. Providence can and should take the lead in ending gun violence, and it can set a precedent for mayors across Rhode Island to follow.

Providence already has private organizations making great strides toward safer communities. One such group, the Institute for the Study of Non-Violence, has shown a great deal of success with its street worker program, which places individuals in some of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods. The city must strengthen its partnership with these organizations and take full advantage of the financial and human resources they have to offer. In this era of fragile municipal budgets, it is critical that the city take a more aggressive approach towards seeking alternative revenue sources, such as private foundations and federal grants, to ensure adequate funding for these crucial initiatives.

Gun violence affects all of us. Though it may be a national problem, there are local solutions. It is imperative that urban mayors work together on this issue. By combining strengths and pooling critical resources, local leaders will be able to establish aggressive community policing models that build trust with the community. Supplementing this with anti-illegal gun marketing campaigns will drive home this message effectively. There are a number of powerful enforcement measures already in place in our cities, it is critical that mayors open the lines of communication to share these initiatives with one another. Together, local leaders throughout the state can work towards banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, implementing a background check system that appropriately incorporates mental health problems and histories of domestic violence into the analysis, and promulgating similar effective tactics.

A recent three-part series in the Providence Journal reminds us all of the costs of gun violence. As a result of increased gang activity in urban communities, there has been an unacceptable rise in crime, leaving in its wake countless ruined lives.

Just last week, Providence was awarded $150,000 from the federal government to help reduce gang violence. This money will go a long way toward making our streets safe, but we must do more. The money from this grant can be used most effectively if it is coupled with policies to support it. It is vital that we work for the swift and successful implementation of these acutely needed reforms.

In response to Sandy Hook, President Obama asked the essential question: “Can we honestly say that we are doing enough to keep our children—all of them—safe from harm?” Unfortunately, the answer in Rhode Island is still “no.”

Leadership on this issue is long overdue. Through the urgently needed cooperation of our mayors, we can change this “no” into a resounding “yes” and ensure the safety of our young people, both now and for generations to come.

October 31, 2013October 31, 2013

SEIU on organizing effort of child care providers

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Here’s the full press release from the SEIU on its successful effort to organize the 500 independently-employed, state subsidized child care providers in Rhode Island. Voting ended yesterday and workers approved the unionization effort 390 to 19.

Today the RI State Labor Relations Board (SLRB) counted the votes of more than 400 Rhode Island family child care providers who participate in the state’s child care assistance program (CCAP) on the question of whether or not to form a union. The results were clear: by a count of 390 to 19, CCAP providers overwhelmingly chose to unite together in District 1199 SEIU New England.

Turnout in the election was nearly 76% percent, as 409 of 539 eligible providers cast their ballots at six different times and locations around the Rhode Island during the last week of October.

“Family child care providers can now work together through our union to advocate for improvements in our profession, just like our colleagues in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and many other states,” said Nuris Ynoa, a provider in Providence for 14 years. “Children in our communities will benefit from improved early learning opportunities as we work to expand professional development and training for our field.”

Child care is a necessity for Rhode Island families; 70% of RI children under the age of six have working parents and are in child care.

There is broad consensus that early learning opportunities have a profound impact on children’s development and promote overall economic growth. A 2003 study sponsored by the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce found that “the child care sector created 9626 jobs across all sectors in Rhode Island” and that for every $1.00 spent on child care, $1.75 was returned to the Rhode Island economy.

However, state investments in early learning have decreased dramatically as the state’s economy faltered – reducing the number of qualifying children by nearly half, from over 14,000 children in 2003 to 7,849 children in December 2012. The number of family child care providers was also cut in half, leaving parents returning to work with fewer options for flexible, quality child care.

Marcia Coné, CEO of Women’s Fund of Rhode Island said, “For too long the state’s home family child care provider sector has been plagued by economic instability which has forced hundreds of dedicated providers out of business. By voting to form a union these women owned small business now have a formal voice to advocate for policies that will strengthen early childhood learning in Rhode Island.”

Providers’ decision to form a union will help to strengthen early childhood education by improving their access to training and professional development, as well as helping to stabilize their field by improving working conditions and reducing turnover.

“For too long, the work of caring for and educating young children has suffered from low wages and high turnover,” said Lori Parris, a family child care provider from Pawtucket. “Research shows how important stable relationships are to children’s development, and by improving standards in our field, we can ensure that all children get the best possible start in life.”

Rhode Island family child care providers are joining a growing national movement of front-line early educators who are uniting to raise up their profession and ensure that all young children have access to high-quality early learning.

For more information, visit www.childcareRI.org.

October 31, 2013October 31, 2013

RI welcomes 500 new workers to the labor movement

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Congratulations to the 500 child care providers who voted overwhelmingly to join a union this week! Early unofficial tallies say the vote was 390 with just 19 people opposed.

Rhode Island’s more than 500 independently-employed and publicly-subsidized child care providers join their counterparts in Massachussetts and Connecticut – and a total of 15 states across the country – in having the right to bargain for better working conditions as a group. These providers take care of the children of parents who in Rhode Island make less than about $40,000 and qualify for child care assistance so that they can work.

The campaign to organize these workers, most of whom make about $20,000 annually, has been a long, and hard-fought victory for the SEIU 1199, the group that organized the campaign and will represent the workers.

October 31, 2013October 31, 2013

Shout down at Brown: what would John Lewis do?

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Speaking of civil disobedience, Congressman John Lewis will be in Providence on Friday and I can hardly wait to ask the this living legend of the struggle for civil rights what he thinks of the instantly infamous Shout Down at Brown.

Lewis, like those who prevented Ray Kelly from lecturing on his controversial and currently unconstitutional “stop and frisk” policing style, broke the rules of civil society in an effort to force our nation to have a conversation about racism. He was arrested 40 times during the 60’s, and here’s what I heard him say at the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington:

“…we used what we had to bring about a nonviolent revolution (applause) And I say to all of the young people that you have to push and to pull to make America what America should be for all of us.”

It’s really worth listening to what this icon said just a few weeks ago about civil disobedience:

There are both obvious similarities and differences in how Lewis pushed and pulled for change during the Civil Rights era compared to the direct action successfully coordinated by a surprisingly organized coalition of Brown students and local community organizers. For one, Lewis broke rules he felt were unjust. And when he did interrupt civil society he did so merely with his presence, or his blackness, as the case was.

It’s worth noting that Gandhi’s world-changing Salt March was in tactic more akin to refusing to pay a bridge toll than shouting down an invited guest. But it’s also worth noting that Nelson Mandella was best known for leading a known-terrorist organization, Spear of the Nation, before doing 27 years hard time for other reasons.

There’s no doubt in my mind that nonviolent resistance is a more effective change agent than its morally inferior cousin civil disobedience. But there is also little doubt in my mind that if local activists want Rhode Island to have a discussion about civil rights, playing by the rules will not work. The left has lost serious ground on important issues that smack of latent racism in recent years, such as voter ID and high stakes testing. Both initiatives, like “stop and frisk,” target minority populations and these angles don’t get a fair share of attention in our marketplace of ideas.

Perhaps it’s telling that the Providence Journal’s day 2 story on this Shout Down at Brown does not offer insight from DARE, the Olneyville Neighborhood Association or Fuerza Laboral but it does have perspectives from both the Heritage Foundation and the CATO Institute – two groups that advocate for low taxes and small government, not civil rights or free speech.

In a way, there is a connection between austerity and what Ray Kelly calls “proactive policing.” It places a higher value on efficiency than individual liberty. When that starts happening, and information gatekeepers like the media and academia, don’t want to talk about it, it’s worth forcing the conversation a little bit.