January 21, 2014 – RI Future

January 21, 2014January 22, 2014

Water Vigils Around the World TONIGHT @ 6 Solidarity with W VA

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Having one? Want to join me in Charlestown? Vigils across the country (and the world) to honor and protect all water! SHARE and LIKE to spread the word. Check out the 40+ vigils that are happening, and add your own! –> http://j.mp/watervigils via WV Clean Water Hub

Water Vigils Around the World – Jan 21st. http://wvpublic.org/post/worldwide-candle-light-vigil-planned-response-elk-river-chemical-spill#.Ut7Cr6GlJkc.email

Here’s a little update-

http://sc.org/WVwaterupdate…Headline news in RI the spilled Coal Cleaning chemicals reached Evansville Indiana today. Reading what could have happened in terms of what is going on in Chemical Vally relatively unregulated the next spill could be worse. However this chemical is spooky, there is very little known about it and what it combines with. Great article.

Quotes from the field:

Honoring the Waters Candlelight Vigil Charleston,WV Press Quotes

For any other questions contact Kat Wallace: kat.toplessamerica.org 978-771-0979

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“The crisis that Crude MCHM has caused highlights just how important water is to life, especially in West Virginia. How much longer can we allow the likes of the chemical, gas, oil, and coal industries to destroy this precious resource for profit? We all live downstream. We have seen the blatant disrespect for public health and life from the WV Governors administration, the WVDEP, and these industries. Now is the time that West Virginians to not think of themselves as victims, but as fighters. Now is the time to make a change not for the benefit of West Virginia, but the whole world. Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

Dustin White: Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition www.ohvec.org 304-541-3144

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“The coal and chemical Industry created conditions to allow disasters like this chemical spill to happen, because of the influence they have over the State Government. Clean water is a human right. We have a right to know what is stored in our communities. “

Bill Price: Sierra Club Organizing Representative Environmental Justice Program; Beyond Coal to Clean Energy Campaign bill.price@sierraclub.org 304-389-8822 ___________________________________________________________________

“The outpouring of support for this event in the Kanawha Valley, around the nation and world shows the universal concern for our right to clean water. This is a powerful illustration of unity in cultivating healing and restoration of our rivers.”

Angie Rosser: Executive Director West Virginia Rivers Coalition

www.wvrivers.org 304-637-7201

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“Being a first time mother can be stressful, but when you receive conflicting information of whether I can drink or cook with the water is even worse. I live a mile away from the spill site and took a shower last week and had a bad reaction. I know use a camping shower, which is not at all cost effective. At this point I haven’t gone to distribution sites because I know there are people that really can’t afford to buy water. Depending on how long this continues, I might have to start.”

Stephanie Gale: 33 Yr. Old Expectant Mother, Kanawha County

________________________________________________________________________Honoring the Waters Candlelight Vigil Charleston,WV Press Quotes

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“West Virginians in affected areas are scared, angry, and confused. They have been told the water was safe, yet the water was not safe for pregnant women. They were told by Tomlin that it was ‘our choice’ whether or not to drink the water! As if having access to bottled water, having the money to buy it, and the ability to haul and cart it every day was a CHOICE.

“We have been blessed with an outpouring of support and solidarity from people all across our state as well as out of state. I am amazed at what we are able to accomplish through direct connections established through the WV Clean Water Hub as well as through working with community leaders, in both affected and supporting communities, who have stepped up during this crisis. This crisis is far from over and we must all work together to settle into a sustainable level of support that we can maintain over the coming weeks.”

Jen-Osha Buysee Aurora Lights: Emergency Relief Organizer jenosha@auroralights.org

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“Through this disaster I have been reassured that I am proud to be a West Virginian. The folks who make me proud to be a West Virginian are those who haven’t had work since the water crisis but are still at their local fire departments and churches handing out supplies every day. The folks who make me proud to be a West Virginian are angry about what has happened to their communities and demand something be done to fix it. The folks who make me proud to be a West Virginian live in unaffected areas but have still worked every day to collect donations and supplies to send to the affected areas. West Virginians stay strong no matter what happens. We bond together as tight-knit communities and we help each other through times of need. ”

Hannah Spencer Aurora Lights: Emergency Relief Organizer

hannah@auroralights,org 304-282-6798

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January 21, 2014January 21, 2014

Distributism and the riddle of libertarian Catholicism

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Dorothy Day is a woman on her way to sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church, a title she never desired. “Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed so easily,” she said, and many believe that “she would rather have any money spent on her canonization given to the poor.”

Whatever Dorothy Day was, she was not a tool of the rich and powerful. She advocated for the economic idea of distributism, an economic theory in opposition to both capitalism and socialism based on principles of Catholic social teachings. Pope Francis touched on distributism in his recent statements on what he called the “economy of exclusion and inequality” in his Evangelii Gaudium, taking to task those who avoid paying their fair share in taxes.

Given the historical, rhetorical and theological power of Catholics in opposition, why do some Catholics so strongly identify with libertarian ideas such as unfettered free markets and small government?

Catholic author John Zmirak provides interesting insight into this question. It has to do with the Catholic Church’s inability to overcome the protections of the First Amendment and the separation of church and state:

In an American context, given our constitutional heritage and the large body of legal decisions solidifying its interpretation, on nearly any issue, Christians of any denomination should reject the assistance of the State. [italics in original] Our efforts to capture it, the courts have made it clear, will always fail. Any attempt to infuse the activity of the government with the moral content of a revealed religion will be rejected, in the end.

If libertarian leaning Catholics cannot control the government, then Zmirak wants to minimize state power to negligible levels.

It seems clear that the public sphere in America is irretrievably secular. So the only logical response of Christians must be to try to shrink it. Instead of attempting to baptize a Leviathan which turned on us long ago, we’d do much better to cage and starve the beast. We should favor low taxes—period, regardless of the “good” use to which politicians promise to put it. We should oppose nearly every government program intended to achieve any aim whatsoever.

Perhaps this provides an insight into why Justin Katz can say “on the issue of legalizing marijuana I personally don’t have an issue with it” yet then argue against legalization. Money made through taxing marijuana will help to fund the government, not starve it. Remember that Christians, according to Zmirak, “…should oppose nearly every government program intended to achieve any aim whatsoever.”

What should be worrisome is the anti-American, anti-Constitutional at the core of this argument. Zmirak ends his piece with, “In many cultural contexts, the State can fruitfully employ its power to promote the faith and morals held in common by a community. But that can’t happen here. Not in America. Several of our Founders, and generations of our lawyers, have seen to that.”

A secular state that protects the right of conscience, freedom of (and from) religion and separation of church and state does not serve those who seek to impose their theocratic ideas on others. Those in opposition to such freed seek to diminish the government, and in turn weaken the protections such a government provides.

January 21, 2014

On Citizens United anniversary, candidates should come to the table

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Four years ago today the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in the case Citizens United v. FEC. In the four years that have followed we’ve seen an explosion in outside money in our elections at both the local, state, and national levels. That money is used to fund advertisements that are overwhelmingly negative and increasingly mysterious in their origins.

There are two ways actual citizens can unite in reaction. One is to amend the Constitution to ensure that money does not equal speech and corporations are not people. Another, much easier way, is to pressure candidates into signing a People’s Pledge. We’re on the cusp of that in the Democratic primary for Governor here in Rhode Island.

Back on October 23^rd Mayor Angel Taveras signed a version of the People’s Pledge that would restrict outside spending by committing candidates to give to charity 50% of the value of any outside spending that occurs on their behalf. This morning Treasurer Gina Raimondo tweeted her support for the idea.

We’re 2/3rds the way there folks. Now two things need to happen for us to make it all the way. First, we need to have Clay Pell join in the commitment. Second, the candidates need to sit around the table and come to agreement. Today we’re offering this lovely conference table here at the Common Cause Rhode Island office for them to use.

Do your part by reaching out to the candidates and encouraging them to come to the table.

January 21, 2014January 21, 2014

Today begins the ’14 fight for reproductive justice in RI

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“In Rhode Island there is a real need for reproductive justice,” wrote RI National Organization for Women President Carolyn Mark on this site last week.

If you agree, join her, Paula Hodges of Planned Parenthood, doctors, clergy members, lawmakers, activists and progressive former state Senator Rhoda Perry at the State House today to “launch the 2014 legislative agenda for the RI Coalition for Reproductive Justice,” according to a release.

Some of the issues this coalition will be working towards this session, wrote Mark, include: “1) access to comprehensive reproductive health services and insurance, 2)the elimination of gender discrimination in health insurance, 3) access to affordable child care, 4) dedicated funding for domestic violence prevention and 5) commonsense accommodations for pregnant women.”

The agenda also includes:

Social & Economic Implications of Reproductive Justice for Women
Marcia Coné, Executive Director of the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island

What is reproductive justice & what are our moral obligations as a civil society?
Rev. Amy Frenze, Pastor at Hope Congregational Church UCC

Delivering on Reproductive Justice in the health care system
Dr. Christine Brousseau, RI American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology

The need is urgent: Reproductive Justice is critical to saving women’s lives
Vanessa Volz, Sojourner House Executive Director

No more labels – Making a commitment to solving real problems
Senator Josh Miller, Health & Human Services Committee Chair

Then afterwards, join coalition members at Rue De L’espoir where the group “will share more about PP’s 2014 electoral and legislative plans.”

January 21, 2014January 27, 2014

RIF Radio: West Warwick political leaders talk about the past, the future and the community

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West Warwick — This post-industrial exurb on the Pawtuxet River may no longer be a manufacturing or retail mecca, and it’s tax base could certainly use a few extra dollars, but West Warwick still seems flush with at least one resource necessary for municipal success: a very strong sense of community and people who love the town.

On Sunday, the RIF podcast team (Mark Gray and I) went to Boneheads on Washington Street in the heart of Arctic to talk about the town with three local political leaders – Senator Adam Satchell, Town Councilor David Kenahan and Town Manager Fred Presley. (Disclosure: Gray is Satchell’s campaign manager)

We touched upon how West Warwick went from being one of the biggest manufacturing locales in the world and one of Rhode Island’s premiere shopping districts to being on the verge of bankruptcy, and whether it was exorbitant pensions or steep state cuts that put it there. We also dive deep into the tremendous sense of community that exists among the locals, and some ideas for West Warwick to move forward into the 21st century economy.