Progressive News, Opinion, and Analysis
Would an income tax on people who work in Providence help the local economy by replacing a regressive tax with a progressive one? Justin Katz and I debate the merits and drawbacks to the idea on this week’s episode of NBC 10 Wingmen.
News, Weather and Classifieds for Southern New England
Frank Ferri, who bills himself as a “progressive Democrat for Lt. Governor,” released a plan today that would distance legislators from lobbyists during the session, and double the time retired legislators have to wait to become paid lobbyists.
“No business wants to come to a place where the government can’t be trusted,” according to his plan, which you can read here.
Ferri, a state representative from Warwick running for lt. governor against Ralph Mollis and Dan McKee, said:
“The system is broken, and to make matters worse, those tasked with oversight and compliance responsibility have not done their jobs. It’s no wonder Rhode Islanders have lost trust in government. Public service should be about advancing and protecting the interests of a legislator’s constituents, not building relationships that the legislator can use later to pad his or her wallet.”
Ferri’s proposal would double the amount of time – from one year to two – that a former legislator would have to wait to become a lobbyist. A committee chair would have to wait for years under the proposal and the House speaker and Senate president would have to wait six years. It would also ban lobbyists from loaning legislators money.
It would also prohibit lobbyists and political action committees from donating to legislators during the session. In explaining why, he lifts the veil a bit on how the sausage is actually made on Smith Hill.
“In a practice that has become so ingrained within our state’s political culture, legislators typically hold fundraisers every week during the legislative session,” according to the proposal. “It is so commonplace, that committee hearings are often scheduled around these events.
These social hours are, on the surface, harmless opportunities for legislators to mingle with constituents and each other. However, for professional lobbyists, they provide unmatched hours of special access to Assembly leadership and committee chairs – access that the average constituent can’t afford. These fundraisers have replaced the smoke-filled back rooms of years past to become the modern day place where legislation is really won and lost.”
The plan would also make available online the names of lobbyists who testify on legislation.
“The committees already collect this information in the form of sign-in sheets. Instead of these sheets being quietly filed away, they should be posted online so that the public can see for themselves who is speaking for or against a particular bill. The House and Senate could adopt this policy immediately, and Ferri has written to the House Speaker and the Senate President to ask them to adopt the policy in their respective 2015 rules.”
At the Rhode Island State House yesterday just under 200 people representing 15,000 Liberian-Americans living here in Rhode Island rallied to call attention to the terrible Ebola crisis now ravaging four countries in Africa. The rally succeeded in its goal of gaining the attention of political leaders as Mayor Angel Taveras addressed the crowd and rally organizers announced a meeting with Representative David Cicilline to take place at his Pawtucket office following the rally.
Rally organizer and facilitator Kormasa Amos kept the proceedings on track, encouraging singing and dancing by the crowd. Samuel Aboh Jr., the other rally organizer and keynote speaker, developed the #ebolabegone campaign online, which has gained national prominence. Willete Holt delivered a poem to the crowd which was extremely well received.
Rhode Island has the largest Liberian population in the country, and the Ebola virus is tearing through that country as we speak. People are being quarantined in their homes, hospitals are closing. Food and water are becoming scarce. This is a massive humanitarian crises. Supplies, such as water, non-perishable foods and medical supplies can be dropped off at Decontee’s African Restaurant at 711 Broad St, Jerry’s Beauty Salon at 500 Broad St, Christ Center of Praise Church at 93 Prudence Ave, and at Council President Michael Solomon’s office at the Providence City Hall.
000 Kormasa Amos
000 Song
000 Song 002
000 Song 003
001 Kormosa Amos
002 Sister Miatta Dorley
003 Randell Dauda
004 Poem Willette Holt
005a Winston Gould
005b Fatima Khadar
005c Deen Ibiyemi
005d Dr Fine
006 Samuel Aboh Jr
007 Hull, Solomon Vincent
007 Taveras
007 Elorza
007 Claudius Cooper
The Rhode Island chapter of the Sierra Club has released the endorsement of the following candidates for state representative. As part of the oldest environmental group in the country, our selection committee based this on a questionnaire we did with Clean Water Action which was sent to every candidate running. Also, for incumbents, the Environmental Council of Rhode Islands legislative scorecard was used. Additionally, as is the policy of Sierra Club nationally, special weight was given to candidates who come from in activist background, particularly those who have worked with us on campaigns in the past.
House
Edie Ajello – H. 1 Providence
Chris Blazejewski – H.2 Providence
Aaron Regunberg – H. 4 Providence
Maria Cimini- H. 7 Providence
John Lombardi – H. 8 Providence
Grace Dias- H. 11 Providence
Art Handy – H. 18 Cranston
Dave Bennett H. 20 Warwick
Joe Solomon H. 22 Warwick
Scott Guthrie – H. 28 Coventry
Teresa Tanzi -H. 34 Narragansett/South Kingstown
Donna Walsh – H. 36 Charlestown/Westerly/SK/BI
Larry Valencia – H. 39 Richmond/Exeter/Hopkington
Jay O’Grady – H. 46 Lincoln/Pawtucket
Linda Finn – H. 72 Middletown/Portsmouth
Deb Ruggiero – H. 74 Jamestown
Lauren Carson – H. 75 Newport
Senate
Gayle Goldin- S.3 Providence
Doris De Los Santos – S. 7 Pawtucket
Adam Satchell – S. 9 West Warwick
William Conley- S. 18 East Prov/Pawtucket
Stephen Archambault – S. 22 Smithfield/N. Prov/Johnston
Margaux Morisseau – S. 21 Coventry/Foster/Scituate/W. Greenwich
Josh Miller – S. 28 Cranston
Cathie Cool Rumsey – S. 34 Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, W. Greenwich
Sue Sosnowski- S. 37 South Kingstown/Block Island
We thank every one who returned the surveys. We received a record number of responses and some of the decisions were difficult but everyone was considered carefully. There will be a second announcement of endorsements for the Governors, Lieutenant Governor and Treasured along with additional State Representative endorsements.
Congratulations to all those selected in this first round of endorsements and we will work with your campaigns and other endorsees to get you elected.
