Brian Hull
David Cicilline and the anti-poverty agenda
I seem to remember a time when people actually cared about poverty, when poverty was something that society actually wanted to alleviate, when poverty was the social ill and not poor people. That unfortunately was a long time ago. Almost 15% of Rhode Islanders live in poverty, close to 155,000 of our mothers and fathers, [...]
Who Will Be the Next Director of Ocean State Action?
With the exciting news that Kate Brock is moving on from Ocean State Action to take a policy position in Governor Chafee’s administration, I was thinking about who could be the next Director of Ocean State Action. I say this because Ocean State Action is probably one of the most important, if not the most important, [...]
Will ‘Moving the Needle’ Help Rhode Island?
So, yesterday was the day when Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed threw down 25 bills that she hopes will “improve Rhode Island’s business climate and its position on national business-friendliness surveys.” After years of bad decisions and then paralysis, the General Assembly now has a collection of bills to review that stem from the recommendations [...]
Citizen Diplomacy: Cutler Unites Copenhagen, Providence
Andy Cutler from Cutler and Company has started a unique citizen diplomacy project called Smaller Cities Unite! The premise is actually quite simple, and pretty awesome. He is creating a new model for connecting cool, smaller cities (those with less than 1.5 million population) across the world. Smaller Cities Unite! seeks to form mutually beneficial [...]
Our Stories: Rhode Island Human Library Project
I’ve always been fascinated with hearing people’s stories. To learn about another person’s experiences and history is to begin to truly understand who they are. I’ve always considered peoples’ previous learned experiences and the circumstances from which they came as the fundamental foundation for their existing belief system. Rhode Islanders will have the opportunity to [...]
NLC 40 Under 40: Liberal Politico Brett Smiley
Brett P. Smiley has worked with nearly every level of the United States government and developed relationships with influential, knowledgeable, and accomplished elected and appointed officials across the country. He is known and respected by a large network of people for his professionalism and work ethic and he’ll be honored as one of the New [...]
NLC’s 40 Under 40: Andy Posner, Capital Good Fund
Andy Posner is the Executive Director of The Capital Good Fund. He’ll be honored as one of the New Leaders Council’s Class of 2013 40 Under 40 at an event on Saturday night. Capital Good is a non-profit microfinance organization that targets root causes of poverty through innovative microloans and personal financial coaching. By providing [...]
NLC’s 40 Under 40: Central Falls Mayor James Diossa
James Diossa was elected Mayor of Central Falls on December 11, 2012, and has accepted responsibility for navigating his city out of bankruptcy and restoring his community’s belief in political leadership. He was elected councilman of Ward 4 in November 2009 at the age of 24, defeating a longtime incumbent. He was also an New [...]
New Leaders Council ’40 Under 40′ Event Saturday
The New Leaders Council Rhode Island will kick off their 2013 Institute this Saturday, January 26, and at 6:00pm, and invites the public to celebrate and support Rhode Island’s nominees for the national “40 Under 40″ Awards. This year’s event will be held at Asian Palace, 1184 N. Main St., Providence. Rhode Island’s 2013 “40 [...]
RI Progressive Dems Endorse Cicilline
Recently, the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats interviewed both of the candidates running in the Congressional District 1 Democratic primary race, incumbent Rep. David Cicilline and challenger Anthony Gemma. Each candidate was asked the same questions and below are their video responses. When the endorsement vote was taken, David Cicilline received the unanimous endorsement of the [...]
Station Nightclub Fire Documentary
There is a documentary film project under way about the Station Nightclub fire of February 20, 2003. In 2010, Paul Lonardo helped Gina Russo write a book called From the Ashes about the loss of her fiancé, and of her survival from the fire. Local documentary filmmaker David Bettencourt is working on adapting and expanding Gina’s story for [...]
Poverty Institute Becomes Economic Progress Institute
The name changes, but the mission will stay the same. Over a year ago I (and many others) had conversations with a consultant who was working with the Poverty Institute to rebrand their image. And today, in coordination with the annual Budget Rhode Map, the Poverty Institute is officially changing its name to the Economic [...]
Feb 25: Housing Resource Fair in East Providence
Congressman David Cicilline is hosting a housing resource fair on Saturday, February 25th from 9am to 2pm at East Providence High School, 2000 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence, RI. If you are having trouble paying your rent, staying current on your mortgage, are in foreclosure proceedings or want to learn about housing resources, you should go to this event, [...]
TOMORROW: 5th Annual Budget Rhode Map Conference
Register now for The Poverty Institute‘s 5th Annual Budget Rhode Map Conference ”From Poverty to Progress“ to hear from leading experts about the economic vitality of Rhode Island and its residents. Thursday, February 16, 2012 8:30 am: Registration and Continental Breakfast 9:00 am – 12:30 pm: Conference Rhodes on the Pawtuxet 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston, RI 02905 $35 per [...]
38 Studios, Kingdoms of Amalur, and Economic Development
Everyone is certain to remember the controversy surrounding the 38 Studios $75 million loan guarantee deal. I, for one, was concerned about the tepid clawback provisions in the deal that would let 38 Studios off with a $400,000 fine if it didn’t create 400 jobs in the state. In any case, Kingdoms of Amalur was released [...]
Feb 12: Sen. Whitehouse Community Dinner in Narragansett
As Rhode Islanders continue to struggle in this tough economy, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse will host a community dinner in Narragansett this Sunday, to listen to local residents’ concerns and take questions. Sheldon will discuss his fight to support Rhode Island small businesses, preserve Social Security and Medicare benefits, and implement the “Buffett Rule” to make [...]
Community Input on Providence Schools Superintendent Search
From the Educate Providence website: Providence, like the rest of the country, faces significant challenges in ensuring that all of its children and youth have access to educational options that enable them to succeed in school and life. With shrinking budgets for school systems, increasing economic hardships and a fragmentation of the public and private systems [...]
Clean Water Action Hires Jamie Rhodes
I first met Jamie Rhodes while working on David Segal’s campaign for Congress and for the past year or so since he’s been with Ocean State Action. He’s a great guy and will be a great addition for Clean Water Action as their new Director. Congratulations Jamie! Here’s the press release: Clean Water Action welcomed [...]
Feb 9: Art from the Heart Benefit Event
Mark your calendars for the 6th Annual “From the Heart” Art Show to support McAuley House, a Providence-based organization that serves those who are homeless and struggling. The event will be held on Thursday, February 9th from 5pm to 7:30pm at McAuley House located at 622 Elmwood Ave., Providence. This event is free and open [...]
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