Jonathan Jacobs
Has the DLT Given Up?
Rhode Island has an unemployment problem that has no quick solution. One of the lessons learned from the rhetoric and subsequent results of our most recent election cycle is that an economic rebound and resultant hiring hike is not going to come in the form of a vertical jump on the line-graph. Nor should it. [...]
What Happened to Hollywood East?
It seemed that just a few years ago the film and television industry was on the rise here in the Ocean State. Underdog, 27Dresses, and Showtime’s Brotherhood series were some of the more notable productions based here in Rhode Island. The studios liked Rhode Island for a number of reasons. Locations ranged from rural settings, [...]
When Progressives Fight, Progressives Win
In 2008 progressives across America were basking in the warm glow of the nation’s first black president. A breeze of Democratic victories had blown through Congress and the long, dark night of the Bush era had given way to the rising sun of the Democratic super-majority. A Democratic executive branch and a bicameral legislative branch [...]
Leave Gordon Fox in Hen House of Representatives
This endorsement is one of the most difficult to make because, based on this author’s personal, professional and procedural experiences with Speaker Fox, he is unlikeable on all counts. In the spirit of full disclosure, when a written appeal for help on a personal level as well as a statewide plea for any continuing aid, [...]
Stephen Casey for Woonsocket State Rep
The fact that Stephen Casey requires endorsement is a bit ludicrous, considering he defeated his Democratic primary opponent by a safe margin and has no other party opponent on the ballot come November 6. But a “Do over, ‘cuz I wasn’t ready!” write-in campaign by his primary opponent has Casey continuing his election efforts in [...]
Pearson Shines Light on Moura’s Stone-Age Politics
In spite of his youth, Ryan Pearson has already served a tenure with the Cumberland School Committee and has built bridges there, rather than simply padding his resume for future office. He also ran for the state Senate once before and lost by a narrow margin to current Senator Beth Moura. Pearson has a background [...]
Send Congressman David Cicilline Back to Beltway
Congressman David Cicilline made some mistakes as Mayor of Providence. He made some enemies and he also made some friends. Many will say that a vote for David will be only to prevent the loss of a Democratic seat in the House of Representatives to a Republican. Fair enough. However, to Congressman Cicilline’s credit, he [...]
Scott Brown TV Ads Are Theater of the Absurd
The battle between Senator Scott Brown and progressive challenger Elizabeth Warren has spilled over the Massachusetts border into Rhode Island, and those who have missed the volley of advertisements are either altogether abstaining from TV or hopelessly engrossed in what happens next to Honey Boo Boo. Those in the latter group have probably stumbled upon [...]
Elizabeth Warren Reaches Rhode Island Family
It is all too often that I encounter the jaded political soul. Every day I hear a variation on the theme of distrust of all politicians. “They’re all liars,” “I hate all politicians” and “None of them care about anyone but themselves.” It is easy to think that way and, I must admit, I have [...]
Good Start: DLT Recalls 7 Call Center Employees
In a recent statement from the Rhode Island Department of Labor & Training, seven of the fifty-one employees laid off last July are being recalled. DLT Director Fogarty praised both the Governor and the United States Department of Labor for their concern for customer service. Since the recent staff reduction, contact with the DLT’s Unemployment [...]
Many Unemployed, Fewer DLT Equals Big Problems
So Governor Chafee has justified the reduction in key staff of the Unemployment Insurance and Workforce Development sectors of the Department of Labor & Training by saying that our economy is improving sufficiently enough to justify the layoffs. In a June 7th interview with WPRO, the Governor stated: “Well, the DLT is the opposite of [...]
Drowning DLT to Replace People with Robots
As we all are by now aware, Rhode Island’s unemployed and under-employed population are preparing themselves to receive fewer and less effective services from the State of Rhode Island. The unprecedented reduction in workforce does not correspond with the extremely high workload created by the second highest levels of unemployment in the nation, and stagnant [...]
Layoffs Could Cause Crisis for Unemployed Rhode Islanders
Recently, the DLT has been informed of an unprecedented reduction in workforce. Up to sixty-nine employees are scheduled to lose their jobs on July 28th, 70 percent of these are to come from the Unemployment Insurance sector. The irony of going from working to serve unemployed citizens in their time of need, to being one [...]
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