June 10, 2016 – RI Future

June 10, 2016June 10, 2016

Speaker: No minimum wage increase this year

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Speaker Nicholas Mattiello said that though he “is very supportive of raising the minimum wage,” and that Rhode Island “needs to be competitive” with our neighboring states, he has, “heard from the business community” that they need time to absorb the current wage before increasing it again. Mattiello said that the minimum wage has gone up four years in a row and, “I’ve indicated that we’re going to look at it next year.”

Massachusetts currently has a $10 minimum wage and they are going to $11 in 2017. Connecticut has a $9.60 minimum wage and will go to $10.10 in 2017. Rhode Island’s minimum wage of $9.60 will remain in effect until at least 2018, making our state an outlier. Speaking at a community event in Providence last night Governor Gina Raimondo expressed some disappointment that the 50 cent increase in the minimum wage that she had proposed was not in the budget.

Douglas Hall, Director of Economic and Fiscal Policy at the Institute, had this to say:

We are disappointed that the house budget does not include an increase to the state’s minimum wage. Increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 would have raised the wages of 78,000 Rhode Island workers. What businesses in Rhode Island need most are consumers with disposable income–the real ‘job creators’–to buy their goods and services. A $10.10 minimum wage would have given our lowest income workers an additional $27 million in wages. While we are happy to see a slight increase to the Earned income tax credit, the research shows that coupling both an EITC increase with an increase in the minimum wage reduces poverty and boosts the economy.

“And while we hate to see Rhode Island’s minimum wage workers fall further behind neighboring Connecticut and Massachusetts, the real concern is that every year we do not increase the minimum wage, we’re effectively cutting the wages of our lowest income earners, as inflation eats away at their already inadequate wages. More than a quarter of those who would have benefited from an increase to $10.10 have children, and more than a quarter are married. One in five Rhode Island children have a parent who would have seen an increase in wages. Instead, a full-time, year-round worker earning the Rhode Island minimum wage will see the buying power of their $19,960 eroded by inflation. With one in five Americans living in a jurisdiction that’s on a path to a $15.00 minimum wage, Rhode Island families working hard for low-wages are being told they have to wait.”

June 10, 2016

Speaker explains reasoning behind Youth Pride RI funding cuts

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Many worthwhile organizations doing important work found out that they had lost their grants when the budget was unveiled. Among those is Youth Pride Inc. (YPI). Having lost their Community Service Grant, the group now faces a $50 thousand shortfall. YPI is the only group in Rhode Island that specifically serves the needs of LGBTQ youth in the state.

YPI has sent an email to supporters, asking them to contact their legislators in the hope of having these funds restored.

We are asking our supporters to let the state know how valuable and important Youth Pride Inc.’s work with LGBTQQ youth is to our state and community. Let them know we are the only organization providing support and advocacy for LGBTQ youth in the state! Let them know that these youth need our organization!

“Please reach out to the Speaker of the House and Senate President immediately in support of YPI and the vital work that we do for LGBTQQ youth in Rhode Island TODAY. The Senate President can be contacted at: 401-222-6655 and the Speaker of the House can be reached at: 401-222-2466. Please reach out to your Representative as well.”

At yesterday’s House Budget briefing, I asked Speaker Nicholas Mattiello about the cuts to the program. He said that YPI serves a “very worthwhile purpose” but added, “Those services, needs, potentially are being serviced elsewhere.”

In the case of YPI, the Speaker said that he had heard the suggestion that, “guidance counselors in the school are in fact providing [these services]. Not specifically [for LGBTQ youth] but it’s something that is being addressed through other means.”

Given the range of services and programs YPI provides that specifically cater to the needs of LGBTQ youth in Rhode Island, it’s unlikely that guidance counselors are filling that need or have the time and ability to do so. That said, Mattiello, added towards the end of his statements, “We’ll take a look at [YPI] and we’ll see if it’s unique enough to fund.”

Representative Joseph Almeida entered the Budget Briefing late and asked about other worthwhile groups that have been denied funding, including the Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) which has provided employment training and placement opportunities since 2010 and the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence which works to reduce homicides and support victims of violence.

“It’s like all the poor people got cut, cut, cut,” said Almeida, who said afterwards that he was speaking from his heart, “Can’t you take money from Crossroads and give to people who really need it teaching peace in the streets and teaching people how to get jobs? I mean Crossraods? What? What do they do?”

Crossroads RI received $300,000 in the budget.

June 10, 2016June 10, 2016

Demonstrators tell National Grid: #NOLNGinPVD

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A demonstration to bring attention to the $100 million fracked, liquefied natural gas compressor station National Grid is trying to build in South Providence was held outside the company’s location at the corner of Allens Ave and Terminal Rd Wednesday afternoon. The demonstration was a joint effort of the FANG Collective, Environmental Justice League of RI (EJLRI), area residents and other community and environmental organizations.

The organizers see the expansion of chemical industries in this area of South Providence as “a clear example of environmental racism as all 11 of the EPA‘s identified toxic polluters in Providence are already in this zip code, which is predominantly low-income people of color.”

The impact and dangers of this project have been outlined by the EJLRI in detail here in a series of articles. The demonstrators have a Twitter hashtag: #NOLNGinPVD

There was a heavy police presence in the area, including a “prisoner transport van and numerous police cars. This was in addition to whatever private security National Grid employs. The heavy policing of local environmentalists and activists has been an ongoing issue in South Providence.

The dirt and soil all along this are near the port and along the bay may be contaminated with some pretty bad chemicals. When digging into that dirt, the soil needs to be tested and precautions, such as covering piles of dirt with large tarps to prevent the contaminated soil from blowing away and contaminating the air, water or nearby, previously uncontaminated areas. So it was with some surprise that I note the large piles of dirt behind the fence at National Grid, created during building project and uncovered by tarps.

Edit: David Graves, spokesperson for National Grid explains: “The soil you’re referring to is the extra dirt that is taken from the ground during gas main replacement. Because of the space taken up by the new mains and the pavement, there is always a certain amount that won’t fit back into the excavation. It’s brought to the Allens Ave. property, sifted and kept on site for future use.”

I did learn a fun game. Standing with the demonstrators and taking pictures on Allens Ave, I noticed that some of them were taking pictures of passing chemical trucks, like this one:

By noting the number on the DOT Hazard Class sign, and looking up the chemical on your cell phone, you can learn exactly how you would suffer and die were that truck ever to be in an accident too close to you. For instance, the truck above has a DOT Hazard Class 1791:

Here’s what you will find out about Sodium Hypochlorite:

ACUTE TOXICITY – Danger Corrosive

INGESTION-

Ingestion of a few ounces can cause corrosion of mucous membranes, swelling of the throat, perforation of the esophagus and stomach, vomiting, colitis, and circulatory collapse. May lead to convulsions, coma or death

EYE / SKIN-

Liquid contact can produce irritations of the skin with blistering. Direct contact with eyes may cause redness, pain and in the case of concentrated Hypochlorite ( 20% by volume), permanent damage.

INHALATION-

Inhalation of mist or fumes can cause bronchial irritation, cough, difficult breathing, inflammation of the mouth, nausea, and in severe exposures, pulmonary edema. Material has odor of chlorine.

Fun, right?

Try it yourself. Here’s a truck carrying DOT Hazard Class 1824:

Here’s the least dangerous truck with a DOT Hazard Class sign that rumbled past in a ten minute period, 3257.

I took these three pictures within ten minutes of each other. At least 20 such trucks pass by every hour.

This is what environmentalists mean when they talk about sacrifice zones. Trucks like these never trundle through neighborhoods on the East Side or East Greenwich. Yet this part of Providence is a neighborhood, with nearby hospitals, schools, businesses and homes.

People live here.

June 10, 2016June 10, 2016

Appreciating the values of a galactic education

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“But speaking the truth in love,
we must grow up in every way
into him who is the head, into Christ.”
St. Paul

This 2003 Quoflection is still pertinent for reflecting on our politics and values:

Can we set aside our national, cultural and intraspecies biases? Let us imagine we are Glipsloks from the planet Urduz (though a bit hairy, we consider ourselves beautiful). Using instantaneous googolplex processing, we quickly decipher all communications on Earth.

Our mission today is to educate our galactic neighbors. Please share your thoughts regarding the following proposed communication.

A Wise Alien — A wise alien encourages reflection

Residents of Earth,

To gain understanding, we Glipsloks are observing your planet. Your ways are puzzling to us. We notice you have 800 million people on your planet who suffer from malnutrition. You allow 100,000 children to die every week from starvation. You say you value justice. But we perceive much selfishness and apathy.

Our survey indicates more than 30 nations are currently waging war. This infliction of misery is confusing. You say you value human life. Yet you are oblivious to the suffering you impose upon multitudes of your fellow humans.

Your linguistic logic is bewildering. Many of your governments declare they are seeking peace—even while conducting a war. We Glipsloks do not understand. Until we heard such reasoning, we had no concept of duplicity.

You have video and audio capabilities that could inform you of misfortune throughout your world. Yet you focus your vision and care upon those like you. We Glipsloks value compassion for all. We see no benefit in choosing ignorance or prejudice.

We observe the leaders of one wealthy nation using advanced weapons to invade and occupy an ancient civilization. They say their purpose is to eliminate the other government’s advanced weapons. Yet they are unable to locate such weapons—while they maintain vastly superior stockpiles of such weapons of mass destruction. This double standard is perplexing.

Some leaders proclaim their love of liberty while advocating laws which severely restrict the freedoms of their citizens. They use these laws to arrest and detain many innocent people. The irony is these injustices are initiated by those managing the Department of Justice.

These leaders also appeal to patriotism, asserting that those who disagree with them do not love their country. Yet their country was founded on the principle that people are free to disagree. We Glipsloks do not understand such treachery.

We are also mystified by religious prejudice. Some leaders reject theocracy—if established by another country—but approve of a “Christian nation.” These leaders say they are motivated by faith while the basis for their actions is fear. How can this be?

They also speak of the evil of the other nation’s president. We see that he has indeed committed numerous atrocities. But don’t those who initiate war realize they cannot conquer evil with more evil? This produces a cycle of evil. We Glipsloks understand that only goodness overcomes evil.

Many leaders trust weapons whose power is puny. True, these weapons can take control of another nation. However, perpetrating violence for short-term advantage creates more problems than it solves. Your saying is true: “The pen is mightier than the sword.” We Glipsloks understand that genuine power is the result of speaking the truth in love.

We must ask you earthlings: Do you not value Peace? Love? Faith? Do you not regard Wisdom? Compassion? Goodness? Do you not cherish Humanity? Justice? Truth? You claim to honor these values. Yet your actions do not reflect them.

Nevertheless, we Glipsloks have hope for your planet. We see a leader among you who taught and embodied these values. He was willing to die, not kill, so you might find life. His risen spirit will guide you—if you follow him.

* * * * *

My fellow Glipsloks: How would you encourage our neighbors to reflect upon the disparity between their values and their actions?

June 10, 2016

Raimondo non-committal on Keable/Fogarty bill veto

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On Thursday evening members of BASE (Burrillville Against Spectra Expansion) and The FANG Collective spoke with Governor Gina Raimondo outside of a community event in Providence.

During the exchange the Governor was given information on the impacts of MTBE contaminated water and she pledged that on Friday she will officially announce the date of her community meeting in Burrillville.

The Governor first agreed to come to Burrillville to meet with residents during an event on May 9th and her staff has since suggested that the community meeting will be during the first week of July. We look forward to confirming this date with the Governor tomorrow.

Unfortunately Governor Raimondo was noncommittal on the Keable/Fogarty bill and said that she will make a final decision on it once it reaches her desk.

Let’s make sure that the Bill gets to her desk.

Please email Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed (sen-paivaweed@rilegislature.gov) and Senate Judiciary Chairman Michael J. McCaffrey (sen-mccaffrey@rilegislature.gov) and urge them to move S3037 to a full vote on the Senate floor.

And let’s keep the phone calls and emails coming to Governor Raimondo urging her support the Keable/Fogarty bill: (401) 222-2080, governor@governor.ri.gov.

[The above was written from a press release. The video was released by the FANG Collective]