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Of course, such a breach of journalistic ethic comes via a Providence Journal editorial about legislation that would prevent cities and towns from reducing the number of daily firefighter shifts from four to three supported by some blatant falsehoods and – of course – some grandiose overstatements of the issues importance.
“Rhode Island has suffered for too long from high taxes, a miserably poor business climate and high unemployment,” is actually the lede of the editorial. “Those who have suffered the most are members of the middle class, who struggle to get by, and the poor, robbed of the means to lift themselves out of poverty.”
Spare me the feigned interest in the poor and middle class.
The issue emanates from a longstanding legal feud in North Kingstown. No one in North Kingstown – or anywhere for that matter – is in poverty or will be lifted out of it depending on how many firefighters work on a given day. Fire departments throughout Rhode Island are funded through property taxes. And by and large it’s the rich – not the poor – who pay property taxes. It may seem generous to suggest slashing taxes for the benefit of the poor, but in this instance in particular it isn’t a very efficient way to produce the stated benefit. In other words, it’s at best shoddy economic logic. At worst, it’s deception.
The reality is the assault on firefighters in Rhode Island is being largely led by affluent small government activists, like Barrington Republican Ken Block and ProJo editorial writer Ed Achorn. The two seem to have an unofficial playbook on how to whitewash propaganda.
Block, under the guise of analysis, gins up a report to make it seem like government needs to be smaller. In this case, he cherry-picked random cities around the country and compared their first response costs with Rhode Island’s. First responders say he failed to account for different structures and other anomalies when he did so. Never-the-less, enter Ed Achorn’s role in the scam. The ProJo op/ed page then passes off the fuzzy math as gospel. Thus, despite very fair critiques of Block’s work, the ProJo op/ed page reports it as, “As has been well documented, Rhode Island’s fire costs are dramatically higher than in other states.”
The misstatements get worse. Much worse.
“Some in the Assembly have argued that changing shift structures to run departments more efficiently is an attempt to get free labor out of firefighters or threaten their safety, or the public’s.”
Reality: nobody thinks this is a conspiracy to injure firefighters or the public. Many people, however, think this is a penny-wise and pound foolish way to lower taxes by overworking first responders, which can have life or death consequences. If this is what the writer meant, he or she did harm to this very valid point. I fear that this was not botched writing but rather malevolent writing, intended to misinform the public and belittle an opposing viewpoint. I highly doubt “some in the Assembly” suggested as much; it’s more likely the writer thought a fake argument could be pinned on fictional legislators – a grave abuse of journalism.
“At the very least, this matter cries out for further study and full public debate before the Assembly acts,” reads a line towards the end of the op/ed.
Like all important political issues, this one deserve more than just study and public debate. It deserves honest study and honest public debate, the kind Rhode Islanders aren’t getting from the Providence Journal op/ed page anymore.
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When I think of the millions of people around this country, and around the world who have put in countless hours of effort to bring the right to marry to queer people, I am thoughtful of the possibilities of what can be accomplished when oppressed humans and their allies come together to effect change.
When I think about our state, and the 30+ thousand people who will come here for Rhode Island Pride weekend, I feel overwhelmed and personally grateful that a lonely and isolated gay boy from a violent, fundamentalist household in Newington, Connecticut, could move to a city only 80 miles east, and find a home here with people who love and support me. For most of my life, I had no sense of connection to the terms “community” or “family”. It was a long and intense struggle, but finally, I have been able to find those things here.
For every one of me though, there are so many more who will never have that opportunity.
There’s a transgender girl out there living in darkness and depression, who will commit suicide before she can graduate high school, because her parents and her church will tell her that that which she has no control over is an abomination, and her classmates and teachers will convince her that she is a freak and a mistake.
There’s a queer Black young man out there who, unable to find intersectional support in a society of singular identity politics, has already given up on planning a future because the concurrence of being a racial and sexual minority places him in multiple zones of peril that frustrate any hope of achievement.
These are not isolated cases; and these are not hypothetical situations- these are American realities.
We have some questions we must ask ourselves:
How could we continue to advocate for marriage equality and LGBTQ inclusion in general, but remain afraid to discuss issues of gender and race within our own community?
How can a dialogue about the experiences of LGBTQ people of color inform our work within the larger queer communities?
How can our successes in advancing LGBTQ inclusion enhance our advocacy for racial and gender equity?
How can arguments for LGBTQ inclusion be used to shift our discussions about race and gender in creative and more effective directions?
By attending to these questions framed by intersectionality, we shift the dialogue to move beyond single labels for us all, and better advance a true and inclusive diversity agenda.
When I suggested the term “Indivisible” for this year’s Pride theme, I meant for it not simply to promote a sense of unity, but to really challenge us to ask these questions, to allow a conceptualization of diversity that moves beyond binary dimensions, and expands to include a three-dimensional sense of self and community.
In closing, I’m going to share with you one of my favorite quotes by Sir Winston Churchill as the rainbow pride flag is unfurled down these steps, but I first want to acknowledge all of the effort that has been made, and that will continue to be made, by some of the people here today.
At times we can become discouraged and lose hope at the slow speed of progress despite our fullest investment. Sometimes, we can put all of our energy behind a cause and still not be rewarded with visible change in our lifetime. But we continue to do it anyway. And it is words like these that encourage us to keep going:
What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone? How else can we put ourselves in harmonious relation with the great verities and consolations of the infinite and eternal? And I avow my faith that we are marching toward better days. Humanity will not be cast down. We are going on swinging bravely forward along the grand high road, and already behind the distant mountains is the promise of the sun.”
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1. Carried cases of beer for myself,three high, through a crowd.
2. Cleaned for an entire shift: snow storm.
3. I claim all my tips. No one will give you an apartment or credit if you dont show income.
4. Forced to close the bar and to pay the sitter for overnight hours. I finish the day up about 30 dollars. This was my money shift.
5. Served the manager drinks while I do his job.
6. Moved full kegs. Many, many full kegs and Co2 canisters (theyre as tall as I am).
7. I listen to people when theyre sad, which happens a lot when people rely on alcohol to manage their stress and emotions. Listening and empathizing is often part of the job.
8. Inventoried and processed liquor orders.
9. Restocked an entire bar. Every shift.
10. Cashed out an entire waitstaff. Most shifts. Not in my job description.
11. Accepted Crumpled up money thrown over the bar onto the floor as a tip.
12. Customer says hes a producer. Asks me to turn around and see my rear in not so polite terms before he orders. I neither do nor say anything.
13. Manager brags about running a brothel / escort service in college. I do nothing.
14. Busy day at the bar. Customer grabs drinks over the fruit tray, smashing it. I get gashes across my knuckles and bleed everywhere. No one asks if I am okay. I tape them and keep working.
15. I cut off a customer who has arrived drunk from another venue. He pees on the service area of the bar.
16. Man grabs my arm, I twist away and scowl, but otherwise do nothing.
17. Owner grabs me forcefully by the back of the neck to show me where a switch is. I dont tell him thats not my part of my job. I do nothing.
18. Owner splits up my tips. Strangely, I leave with less than when I counted it two hours before. When I make a fuss, they cut my shifts.
19. Manager tells me Ill get a great recommendation if I quit. I do not sign the paper he hands me, knowing I might need unemployment. My son is about 2 years old.
20. I close the bar by myself, at 3 AM. I put the cash in the safe, and set the alarm. Every shift. No extra pay.
21. There are many rubber floor mats here. They are all very heavy and about 6 by 3. I carry all of them, covered in filth, to the kitchen, where I clean them myself. Every shift.
22. I tear my rotator cuff setting up the bar. An accident. I do nothing. I dont have health insurance. It still hurts occasionally, years later.
23. You can still smoke in bars. I clean stacks of ashtrays, some with gum. There are maybe thirty of them.
24. I roll silverware. Enough to fill about a dozen shoeboxes.
25. I pay a sitter ten dollars an hour, so when I get to work, Im already at least sixty dollars in the hole.
26. On my feet all night. I close the bar at 3 am and get up to feed my son at 6 a.m.
27. When people say Youre too smart for this job. Why dont you go back to school?, I think, What makes you think I havent? but say nothing.
28. I memorize customers drink orders on the fly. Im pretty good. I can remember groups of about 8-10 at a time, depending on how busy it is.
29. Manager tells me I had a really great sales day. Like, the best of the past few weeks. Feeling good, but dont get a raise or bonus.
30. The Service Bar tape is going crazy. I make pitchers of margaritas hand over fist for hours. The servers only tip us out maybe 10-15 dollars a piece. They make 2.89 an hour too. We have to tip out barbacks 15-20% to keep them happy. We tip out the bussers and expediters as well. Tips are stretched thin.
31. I run Keno slips. No one tips me on those unless they win, which is not frequent. It makes a lot of money for the bar, as I understand. Its time consuming and makes me no money and takes away from my service.
32. I wash dishes. A lot of dishes. I scrub lipstick from glasses.
33. I wear a uniform that is sexually degrading. Its a referee outfit that says #69 on it. I make good money here, so I do it anyway, even though it embarrasses me. I cant bend over without exposing my underwear. This is a new uniform and wasnt what I signed up for.
34. Senior bartender tells me Im shit, and I cry. I dont know what to do. People are yelling at me. Im only 19. Women (and servers in general) are forced to be competitive in this environment.
35. I get burned expediting food. Its my own fault, I think. Even though the manager practically threw the plate at me.
36. Underage waitress comes into the restaurant and is physically and verbally abusive to me, because she is drunk. I complain. Shes friendly with management. They make her a bartender. I have to find another job; this is ridiculous.
37. I book the shows, and live bands for the nights I work. It brings in a little crowd on an otherwise dead night. I get no extra pay for this.
38. I listen to my boss, the owner, talk about how upset they are about their personal life even though its really inappropriate.
39. I make bar food. We have a mini-fryer and a pizza oven. Im a bartender-cook now, I guess. Maybe well make more tips. I hope. We get no extra pay.
40. Every week, I do a deep clean on my slow shift. I pull out the keg coolers and mop and sweep behind them, I take out every single beer from every cooler behind the bar. Clean every shelf. Anything that can be touched by human hands, I spray cleaner on. It helps pass the time. No one comes here when it rains, except for a few friends. I will break even today.
41. I slice bags upon bags of lemons and limes for the bartender following me. It takes a long time. We help each other out.
42. I come into work, even though Im really sick. My manager says its my job to cover my shifts.
43. I pick up an extra shift, Yay! The manager just phoned me. Someone just called out. I guess in some special cases the manager will find shift covers.
44. Were open every day, rain or shine. Everything is closed in the blizzard, Ill walk the two miles, I like hiking and snow. Maybe itll be fun, even though I wont make any money.
45. I have an abusive relationship with a co-worker. I get fired a few months after asserting that I feel threatened. He does not.
46. There is a refrigerator for condiments that needs restocking. I refill ramekins of mayonnaise, and other sides. It takes me about 20 minutes. One of my many chores. Part of the job is helping out. The servers need these things ready for the next shift.
47. I refuse to wear a t-shirt that says Check Out My Rack. Thats not a funny joke to me. Im getting tired of this.
48. Im not receptive to a customers vulgar come-on. He calls me a dyke, and I walk away, otherwise doing nothing.
49. Customer says, How much for a smile? I squeeze out a grin even though its the tenth time Ive heard that this week, and its not funny anymore. It makes me feel dirty. Im not smiling because I had to push my way through a crowd to get to you. I am 20.
50. I get a really big tip. Im psyched, because we were overstaffed this week, and rent is almost due.
51. Customer repeatedly orders a Smirnoff and Vodka. I try and clarify because thats not an actual drink order and customer calls me a (expletive) idiot. I brush it off.
52. Not a lot of tips because Im working a techno night where everyone is high on party drugs and drinks 5 dollar bottled water all night. I restock the cases of water.
53. I get fired for refusing to work a show in conflict with my personal beliefs against racism and homophobia. The owner says its a no-show even though I told him far in advance.
54. Not trying to insult me, a customer says, You must love this job. Its so easy. People who have never done it dont really know what its like, or how little they have to pay us. I wish it was just chatting and being friendly; that would be great.
55. I keep a few babysitters, and family members on standby for childcare. I dont know what my schedule is going to be, and I cant say no to a shift, or I get a warning or suspension. Say no multiple times, and you get fired. I cant afford that.
56. I buy my own uniforms.
57. I hide my superiors drug use.
58. I memorize the daily specials, and push for extra sales. We have meetings about up-selling, and Im generally pretty good at it.
59. I make just enough money to still qualify for SNAP, or food stamps, because the cost of living is so high in the city of Providence. My rent consumes about 70% -90% of my income, sometimes more, in the years I live here. I borrow money. I get roommates. My family helps me. What do other people do to get by?
60. I cant afford a car. I walk to work. Providence is a great walking city.
61. My co-workers and I hang out after work. We vent and swap stories. Camaraderie really seems to get us through tougher shifts.
62. I set up sound equipment for the music tonight. I do not get extra pay.
63. I work well into my pregnancy. The comments about my body (some from superiors) really upset me and I say nothing.
64. I have morning sickness, and run to the bathroom frequently during my shift. Not sure if Ill make any money tonight. Not sure what Im supposed to do.
65. I think about one of my favorite elementary school teachers. She waited tables on the weekend, and was a lovely, intelligent woman. I think about her especially when people say things like Stupid people are stuck waiting tables, or when people insult my intelligence for being a server.
66. I carry 16 gallons of orange juice down two flights of stairs.
67. Stood on a ladder and dusted cobwebs. I am in my ninth month of pregnancy.
68. A dishwasher quit mid shift so I washed all the dishes in the restaurant.
No extra pay.
69. I worked for 55 hours in one week and was only paid for 39.5 hours because my boss didn’t want to pay time and a half (it would have still only been $4.36 an hour before taxes).
70. A coworker sexually harassed me in front of a crowd of people.
71. I was called a retard.
72. I was called a cunt.
73. I was told to (expletive) off.
74. Served a patron who had his penis out of his pants during moments of his
meal.
75. I worked holidays, my childs birthday, my birthday, and every
mothers day.
76. I was sexually harassed and propositioned by friends of my superiors.
77. I was told if I didn’t like it to get a real job when I asked for more
than 2.89 an hour.
77. Since becoming an advocate, I’ve been told by strangers that poor people like
me should just die.
78. The air conditioning breaks at work. Its over 90 degrees in here.
79. No lunch break, ever.
80. I pulled a muscle while lifting a heavy bus bucket. Kept working.
81. Slipped on butter and smashed my face into the tile floor. Finished my shift with a bloody nose.
82. Came into work to cover someone else while having contractions from pregnancy.
83. Turned down unsolicited dates, while smiling, and still doing my job.
84. Wouldnt let patrons in after close. Got called a bitch for doing my job.
85. Been a full-time student and made the Deans List. People still assume Im lazy and uneducated.
86. Cleaned a rotting mouse out of a sticky trap behind my bar. Got told, Clean it yourself.
87. Got left drugs as a tip. I dont do drugs.
88. I was forced to pay for tabs that were walked out on, even though I was told not to take credit cards as collateral on lunch shifts.
89. Had a drink thrown at me by a customer who had had enough to drink and was cut off.
90. Broke up a fight. Held a towel over the bleeding mans forehead.
91. Used my personal time to promote for the business that employed me.
92. Too busy to take a break, and were not allowed to eat behind the bar, so I eat my food cold at close to last call. I got here at 11 AM, so Im desperately hungry.
93. Spent my own money at the business that employs me. Im a customer, too.
94. During the lunch shift, a customer (a doctor) says, See, a girl like her is good girlfriend material.. busy and grateful. Wouldnt get in the way of the wife. Like I wasnt even in the room. I did nothing.
95. Re-organized the walk-in and made sure nothing was past code or spoiled.
96. Didnt fake sick to get out of work, but couldnt get time off for being sick even if I was. I try to never miss work.
97. I dont like karaoke. But when I worked a karaoke night, I did it anyway to give the customers a good laugh.
98. Danced with one of my customers on his birthday. We have become good friends, and we both like jazz.
99. Struggled to pay my bills. Though Im thankful for my customers, I wish they knew how their tip really pays my hourly wage for my boss.
100. A family member died this week. I go to work and tell no one how upset I am. Were supposed to keep that shit at home.
101. I met a lot of wonderful people, hard-workers, and friends at work. I think we deserve to make at least minimum wage. But we dont. Our labor is paid $2.89 an hour.
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