Russ Conway
Rowley on Madison
A common rhetorical technique within the Tea Party right is to wrap their personal opinions in those of the Founders, lending an air of gravitas and implying that those revolutionaries would, in modern days, hold opinions identical to their own. There’s certainly much there to choose from. The Founders were nearly entirely of a class [...]
Population Decline and Progressive Witchcraft
There’s an oft repeated falsehood told in Rhode Island that is repeated enough that those parroting it no longer feel the need to justify the logic of it. This factoid goes something like this, people are leaving the Rhode Island, which proves something is dreadfully wrong (and certainly the fault of Democrats, progressives, unions, fisher [...]
Anchor Sinking: The Dismal Science of the Right
For a site with such an optimistic name, it’s funny how you can always count on Anchor Rising to pounce on anything that can be spun to reflect poorly on the state of Rhode Island. No, the glass is not half full according to that other blog; it’s defective, leaking, and surely the fault of [...]
Blame Gina Raimondo? Not So Fast, Progressives
Regular readers of the blog know that Treasurer Raimondo has become a lightening-rod for criticism of the state’s recent changes to the public employee pension system. As a tactic, I’ll admit it’s a good one, simultaneously riling up the base and drawing media attention to the union and retiree’s position. It’s also the first salvo [...]
Democrats, Don’t Throw My House Off the Fiscal Cliff
With the election over, across the country progressives are wondering, will the 2nd Obama administration be more progressive than the first? I’m not holding my breath on that one. Of particular concern for me and for you if you’re a home owner, is the potential for a disastrous change in the home mortgage deduction. We’re [...]
The Tax Stat the Right Wing Doesn’t Want You to See
You’ve seen it so many times before it’s almost a cliché: An anti-tax, corporate front group produces a report on taxes, and Rhode Island ranks unfavorably. Invariably next, the fringe-right echoes the findings as confirmation of the correctness of their own solution to every problem, tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy paid for by [...]
ALEC’s Parent Trigger Laws
After reading about how ALEC could enter the education debate in Rhode Island, I read this headline with particular interest: “U.S. mayors back parents seizing control of schools.” Hundreds of mayors from across the United States this weekend called for new laws letting parents seize control of low-performing public schools and fire the teachers, oust [...]
Why We Swim Across Narragansett Bay
Next weekend marks the 36th Annual Save The Bay Swim where some 500 swimmers attempt the 1.7 mile swim from Newport to Jamestown in support of Save the Bay. This will be my 4th year participating (please consider making a donation). The swim this year is taking place on my birthday! I can’t think of [...]
Iran: the Progressive War?
Iran 2012: Iraq 2003 All Over Again? presented the neoliberal case for the imposition of economic sanctions on Iran. The panel was moderated by Karen Finney and consisted of Democratic strategist Bob Creamer, Alireza Nader from the Rand Corporation, National Security Network executive director Heather Hurlburt, and Rhode Island’s own Senator Jack Reed. Reed was [...]
Environmental Justice on the Polluting Waterfront
Question: What do junkyards, hazardous waste processors, hospitals, and Environmental Justice areas have in common? Answer: They’re all located adjacent one another in Providence. Projo reports that the DEM has ordered waterfront junkyards, Sims Metal Management and Rhode Island Recycled Metals, to cease operations for “[failing] to obtain the necessary approval for their scrap metal [...]
GoLocal’s Creative Use of Statistics in Ed. Rankings
Here’s a math question for you. What’s wrong with this statement from GoLocal’s latest (exclusive!) attack on public education? Rhode Island spends more per student than most other states, ranking in the top ten nationally, but it’s 32nd in the country for student achievement, according to a GoLocalProv analysis of data for all 50 states… [...]
Providence’s Five Million Dollar Man
What do Providence schools need? The school board apparently thinks it’s high priced consultants. The Providence School Board is taking some heat after they unanimously voted to give a $5 million contract to a consultant to help turn around three low performing schools in Providence. Jeffrey Hernandez, the CEO of National Academic Education Partners Inc., [...]
Minority Students as Pawns in War on Public Schools
Earlier this year, the “nonpartisan” (*cough*) Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity (RICFP) released a report, “Closing the Gap: How Hispanic Students in Florida Closed the Gap with All Rhode Island Students,” which purported to explain “in some detail why Florida’s reforms, while benefiting all students, have been especially beneficial to disadvantaged students.” I [...]
Conley’s Pier Sold
PBN reported last week on the sale of Conley’s Pier along Allens Avenue. Under Cicilline, the city had sought to rezone the hospital adjacent section of Allens Avenue to mixed-use, to allow developments like the one pictured with plans for a hotel, office building, private marina, cruise ship terminal, retail, a floating restaurant, and public [...]
High Stakes Testing: Not So Hot
Last week friend of the blog, Dan McGowan at GoLocal, asked: Everyone agree that “teaching to the test” is a bad idea, but it makes no sense to get rid of standardized tests that could determine whether a student is eligible to graduate… Why not continue to test, but also offer the right interventions that [...]
Occupy Providence and the Right’s Selective Support of the 1st Amendment
Occupy Providence has the fringe-right all in a tizzy over an incident in which condoms were dropped on a anti-choice rally at the State House, spawning not one but two diaries calling for criminal charges to protect the religious right from the inconvenience of being confronted with opposing views. Here’s Justin nearly hyperventilating over a [...]
Restore Roger Williams Park Ponds
One of the first things I did in Providence, even before the boxes were unpacked, was fish Roger Williams Park. People are sometimes surprised to hear how many fish there are in the ponds… largemouth bass, bluegill, crappy, white perch, and carp (considered invasive but real fun to catch). The ponds are truly a treasure [...]
Roger Williams Park Zoo Cuteness Index Up 20%
Good news for local bunnies: The Roger Williams Park Zoo has teamed up with biologists from around the state to help save the New England Cottontail Rabbit. Back in September [WPRI] reported that the bunny was bordering on extinction . Researchers could only find one in the entire state. Here’s the problem. Why would a [...]
Providence Geeks with StudyEgg – Tonight!
Wednesday, January 18th, 2011, 5:30 – 8pm AS220, 115 Empire Street, Providence, RI FREE (buy your own food and drink – it’s cheap) RSVP at Facebook Tonight, Providence based StudyEgg… With educational costs soaring and performance…ummm…not, e-learning is heating up to become what many believe will be a trillion (yes, with a T) dollar worldwide [...]
Save the Bay: “Grave Concerns” Over Polluting Waterfront Junkyard
EcoRI reported while we were gone that Save The Bay has delivered a letter to the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) about “persistent violations of the federal Clean Water Act by Rhode Island Recycled Metals.” “The scrap metals recycling industry is growing rapidly along the Providence waterfront — [...]
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