As a current Providence College Friar and a native Rhode Islander, I am passionate about our state and capital city. As a millennial, I want to ensure that future generations have the building blocks necessary to thrive and make a living right here in the Ocean State. That is why the ProJo Editorial board’s piece, “Smart decision on bridges” is short sighted. The idea of turning the decrepit 6/10 Connector into a surface boulevard is about much more than safety.

College students and millennials rely heavily on alternative modes of transportation such as biking, walking, ride-hailing (Uber, Lyft), and public transportation. This is not to say that I, or my millennial counterparts, want to get rid of the automobile entirely, but we are drawn to places that offer a unique sense of community. We thrive in cities  that have an array of transportation options, ample amounts of interconnected green space, retailers, and restaurants for social interaction and the exchange of ideas. These places provide people with a genuine emotional connection to the community, one that the car simply cannot replicate.

I attended three public forums on the future of the 6/10, and the general consensus does not want to reconstruct the 1950s style limited-access highway. At the last forum my group envisioned the 6/10 as a tree-lined boulevard, equipped with bike lanes, walking trails, and bus rapid transit running through Providence’s newest mixed-use neighborhood. If Rhode Island is serious about making the state more conducive to millennials and attracting talented individuals and companies, our state leaders should reconsider their position on the 6/10 Connector and recognize the immense value and countless upsides the boulevard concept has for the city and state as a whole.

San Francisco, New York, and Milwaukee deconstructed their highways in favor of boulevards. These cities have proved that replacing a highway with a boulevard has the potential to create a focal point for civic pride while increasing nearby property values and promoting a higher quality of life.

At another forum, Peter Park, a city planning expert, stated that, “The 6/10 boulevard idea is not a technical issue, but a political one.” There are urban planners and transportation engineers who have successfully rolled out projects of similar complexity. The public should not worry about the technical details because these professionals possess the knowledge and skills to get jobs like this done all the time.

We, as Rhode Islanders, have two options: 1) we can continue to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results or 2) we can facilitate strategic action among private, civic, and public sectors to reverse the dismal public policy decisions of the 1950s by replacing the limited-access highway with an intermodal boulevard.

Let’s choose to reconnect the strangulated neighborhood of Olneyville to the city’s urban fabric, provide opportunities for disenfranchised residents, lower our infrastructure’s annual maintenance costs, and add properties to the city’s tax rolls. But most importantly, let’s choose to build a civic point of pride, one that makes us proud to be from Rhode Island because we are no longer bound by antiquated thinking.

Let’s build on Providence’s commitment to being the Creative Capital and showcase that the smallest state in the Union is looking for innovative ways to grow its economy and sense of community. Let’s build a boulevard.

The people of our community deserve representation that makes them proud. Partisan sniping and a stubborn refusal to collaborate with those who don’t share the same ideology are reasons we so often fail to meet the challenges facing our state. I am running for office because I know we can do better.

As a former senator, from 2012-2014, I successfully brought divergent interests together to address the serious issues impeding Rhode Island. I utilized my business management experience to focus on priorities and solutions needed to ensure state departments and agencies provide better accountability to taxpayers. I put forward real solutions to rebuild our economy, support families, and protect the environment.

I co-chaired the Behavioral Health and Firearms Safety Task Force, which is a great example of how people with different perspectives can come together, listen respectfully to the concerns of others, and find common ground to solve an issue. The Task Force was made up of law enforcement members, Second Amendment supporters, mental health advocates and concerned citizens. We worked together and came to consensus on legislation that made sense for our state. The legislation is now law.

If we can find common ground around an issue as polarizing as firearms, we certainly can work together to meet our other challenges. Making snap judgements or parroting the party line does nothing to solve our problems. It is not what is best for our district; it only sets us back.

My record shows I took the job of state senator very seriously. I worked hard for the benefit of all the citizens of our district. Not only was it an honor and privilege to represent our community in the Senate, I enjoyed rolling up my sleeves and diving into the issues, working together to find solutions. Numerous successes were achieved through this collaborative approach. Among the bills I sponsored or co-sponsored were:

• Legislation to better equip Rhode Islanders with the skills needed to succeed in a modern economy through the “Rhode to Work” action plan;
• Legislation to help low-wage parents seeking long-term employment through job training and work readiness programs with child care assistance while completing their training; and
• A landmark health care cost control law to curb rate hikes, ensure quality, and improve access to care.

Unfortunately, there aren’t many “quick fixes” for the issues facing our state. However, I know that while the challenges may be difficult to solve, they are solvable. I firmly believe that, working together, we can and will put our state on a better path.

I would be honored to return to the senate to work hard for the people of District 34. I respectfully ask for your support in November, because we can do better.

On Tuesday, Congressmen David Cicilline and  John Larson of Connecticut are celebrating social security’s 81st birthday in East Providence, in the community room of Rumford Towers, 95 Newman Ave.

“An estimated 165 million workers are covered by Social Security, with nine out of ten individuals age 65 and older receiving these benefits,” according to a news release from Cicilline’s office. “A recent study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that Social Security keeps at least 22 million Americans out of poverty.”

But celebrating FDR’s achievement isn’t enough.

“Cicilline and Larson have introduced the Social Security 2100 Act (H.R. 1391) to expand benefits, cut taxes for millions of seniors, and ensure Social Security remains solvent through the end of the century,” said the news release. “Expanding benefits for current and future seniors will provide greater economic security and dignity at a time when millions of Americans are increasingly concerned about their retirement.”

The event is open to the public. It will be held at 3:30 in the Community Room at Rumford Towers, 95 Newman Avenue, in East Providence.

[Comments and responses are welcome.]

Accepting Syrian refugees into the United States is an emotional issue. People are suffering and dying in Syria and throughout the broader Middle East. The grotesque nature of the situation is very real. Innocent Christians, Jews, women, homosexuals and children are being killed, sold as sex slaves and brutalized. Nobody in America wants that. Nor, however,…

“I tried to pick books that were both thought provoking and a good read,” states Jennifer Siciliano, the City Coordinator of the Warwick Progressive Democrats. Ms. Siciliano hopes that people will be motivated to not only read more, but broaden their understanding of diverse groups. “I tried to pick a variety of books that include economic, gender and racial justice. I’m particularly looking to add good books on LBGTA justice for the schedule.”

The next book for discussion on March 24, 2016 will be The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. The next books scheduled will be the Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein on April 28, 2016, A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power by Jimmy Carter on May 26, 2016 and Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates on June 23, 2016. Anyone in the group has the opportunity to suggest new books to read.

If someone is interested in participating in these book discussions, they can pick up the current read for check-out at the reference desk of the Warwick Public Library. Then they can show up at the given time and discuss. The event is also posted on the Warwick Progressive Democrats Facebook page.

[From a press release]

After successfully getting the most signatures of any presidential primary candidate, Bernie Sanders’ Rhode Island campaign will now focus on getting a  slate of delegates on the ballot for Bernie.

Sanders supporters gathered 3451 official signatures, Hillary Clinton supporters, backed by the RI Democratic Party, gathered only 1802. On the Republican side Trump supporters gathered 3110 signatures, followed by 2902 for Jeb Bush, who has already dropped out of the race.

There will be events throughout the state where people can go to sign nomination papers for those seeking to be delegates. Our Kickoff event will be from 7:00pm-9:00pm on Thursday, February 25th at the Wild Colonial in Providence on South Water Street.

For a listing of all the signature signing events or to volunteer for Bernie 2016 campaign go to www.Berniesanders.com or to this Facebook page.

Or contact
Lauren Niedel
RI State Contact
401-710-7600
lniedel@gmail.com

This is positive news for Rhode Island and we should be proud of ourselves as a state.

You can see the full episode at Democracy Now! and see the full coverage of the rally at RI Future here.

Governor Gina Raimondo‘s 2016 Budget proposes a tax on medical marijuana, effectively taxing a legal prescription medication. It might behoove our state to tax and regulate recreational marijuana, and reap millions in taxes instead.

Here the press release:

Colorado’s regulated marijuana system generated more than $135 million in revenue for the state in 2015, including more than $35 million for school construction projects, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue.

There were just under $588 million in adult-use marijuana sales in Colorado from January-December 2015, producing approximately $109.1 million in tax revenue in addition to $4.7 million in license and application fees. The state’s regulated medical marijuana system produced more than $11.4 million in tax revenue and $9.8 million in license and application fees.

In 2014, the state’s regulated marijuana system raised just over $76.1 million in total revenue, including about $56.2 million from adult-use marijuana tax revenue and fees and $19.9 million in medical marijuana tax revenue and fees.

“There are hundreds of millions of dollars in marijuana sales taking place in every state,” said Mason Tvert, the Denver-based director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Colorado is one of the few where those sales are being conducted by licensed, taxpaying businesses.”

Adult-use marijuana sales in Colorado are subject to the state’s standard 2.9% sales tax, plus a 10% special state sales tax. Additionally, wholesale transfers of adult-use marijuana are subject to a 15% state excise tax. The first $40 million raised annually by the 15% excise tax is earmarked for public school construction projects. The excise tax raised just over $35 million in 2015, up from about $13.3 million in 2014.

“These tax revenue figures are truly impressive,” Tvert said. “Just six years ago, Colorado received zero dollars in tax revenue from the sale of marijuana in the state. Now it’s raising more than $100 million annually with tens of millions of dollars directed toward public school improvements.

“The additional tax revenue far exceeds the cost of regulating the system,” Tvert said. “Regulating and taxing marijuana has been incredibly successful in Colorado, and it represents a model for other states to follow. These numbers should put to rest the claims we keep hearing from opponents that marijuana tax revenue has fallen short of expectations in Colorado.”

“The United Nations has condemned the use of solitary confinement, saying it can amount to torture,” said Representative Regunberg (D-Dist. 4, Providence). “And the research is very clear that prolonged solitary confinement causes psychological problems that can damage inmates’ chances of rehabilitation. It’s a vicious cycle that is destructive rather than corrective, and it particularly impacts already vulnerable populations, including the very high proportion of our prison population affected by mental illness. Add this to the fact that segregation units are by far the most expensive facilities to operate, and it should be clear that we need to put responsible limits on, and devise humane alternatives to, the use of solitary confinement in the prison system.”

Said Senator Metts (D-Dist. 6, Providence), “We cannot in good conscience call our prison a ‘corrections’ institute when the system relies on a punishment that is essentially designed to cause mental breakdown, particularly when so many of those subjected to it are already mentally ill. We have a moral imperative, as well as a constitutional mandate, to ensure we are not employing cruel or unusual punishment, and it is time we recognized that solitary confinement, in many cases, is cruel. Its use must be limited, and our prison system must stop using it on people who are particularly susceptible to the lasting effects it can have. We have to strive to find a better balance between rehabilitation and punishment.”

Many studies have found that long-term solitary confinement can produce psychological damage with symptoms such as hallucinations, hypersensitivity to noise or touch, paranoia, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), increased suicide risk and uncontrollable rage or fear. The risks are higher for juveniles, whose brains are still developing, and for those with mental illness.

Those effects can result in inmates having more difficulty complying with prison rules, defeating the purpose of solitary confinement. Even those who aren’t mentally ill when they enter solitary confinement can be left with lasting psychological effects that they take with them when they are released from prison into the community.

“Solitary confinement is cruel and unusual punishment,” said S, a current inmate at the ACI who has asked to remain unidentified for fear of retribution. “I have seen people get years in segregation, and get locked in solitary for non-problematic reasons, like identifying as LGBTQ, filing lawsuits, or sharing political views. I have witnessed people in solitary confinement break down, start talking to themselves, become paranoid, play with their own feces, and worse. When you go to High Security [the solitary confinement facility] for causing a problem, they don’t help you, they don’t give you any mental health services, they just lock you in a cell for 23 hours a day. So when you go back to the normal facilities, you’re worse off.”

The legislation would prohibit the use of solitary confinement — also called “segregated confinement” — for specific vulnerable populations, ensure that conditions in segregation are humane, and limit the use of solitary confinement for all inmates to 15 consecutive days, and no more than 20 days within any 60 day period.

The bill (2016-H 7481) has support from a wide array of inmates’ rights activists, mental health advocates, civil rights groups and families of incarcerated individuals.

“Solitary is a very dehumanizing experience that leaves a person broken and unable to function,” said John Prince, a member of Direct Action for Rights and Equality with first-hand experience of solitary confinement in the ACI. “You hear nothing, see nothing, have nothing to think about almost 24 hours a day. You lose all perspective of time. Human beings are not meant to live like that for weeks or months on end. My experiences in solitary were extremely painful, and I have many friends who were left unable to relate to people, even their families, after prolonged segregation. There have to be limits that keep this from being used for long periods or on people who are likely to suffer lasting damage from it.”

“Even mentally healthy people lose their faculties in solitary confinement, but for people with mental illness, it is a particularly unhealthy situation that impairs an individual’s ability to maintain healthy relationships,” said Michael Cerullo, a psychotherapist with extensive clinical experience in the juvenile and adult criminal justice system. “Without positive relationships in the community and with oneself, meaningful rehabilitation is significantly compromised. People with mental illness suffer serious trauma that cannot be undone when they are released either back into the prison population or back into the community, and that damage has ill effects on them and the people around them. We have to stop using this counterproductive approach with human beings challenged by mental illness for their sake and for the sake of the whole community.”

“Across the country, states are reducing their reliance on solitary confinement,” said Steven Brown, Executive Director of the Rhode Island ACLU. “Long-term isolation costs too much, does nothing to rehabilitate prisoners, and exacerbates mental illness — even in those who were healthy when they entered solitary. More than a century ago, the U.S. Supreme Court noted not only the extreme toll solitary confinement takes on those subjected to it, but that those who are affected may never recover well enough to reintegrate well into the community. Yet, the use of solitary confinement persists. States that once relied heavily on solitary confinement are now instead focusing on policies that promote safe communities and fair treatment — at the same time saving their states millions and reducing violence in the prisons. It’s time for us to do the same here in Rhode Island.”

The House bill has 38 cosponsors, including Representatives Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence), Jean Philippe Barros (D-Dist. 59, Pawtucket), Raymond A. Hull (D-Dist. 6, Providence, North Providence) and David A. Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston).

[From the press release]