Progress Report: GOP Meets Isaac; RIPTA Controversy; EngageRI Engages in Politics; Not Enough Cops in PVD

The GOP convention is supposed to start today and good luck thinking up a situation any more awkward for . No truth to the rumor that former FEMA director Michael Heck-of-a-job Brownie will be giving the keynote address of the convention…

Patch, we hear, is launching at least four new hyperlocal news websites in Rhode Island. The new lucky communities are: Cumberland, Smithfield, West Warwick and Westerly.

Is all this attention being focused on RIPTA just because a camera was covered up? We’ll see. Also, in a way it’s good news for public transportation if the financial success of buses seems artificially low due to corruption. Bruce Landis tells a good story this morning about how it could have happened.

In an item about EngageRI now spending money to campaign against candidates who voted against the pension cuts of 2011, the Projo writes, “the mailings were financed by the 501c4 arm of EngageRI, which exists to educate Rhode Island citizens about the need for responsible state pension reform.” Now that EngageRI spending on straight politics, we should get to know where their money comes from.

Everyone is concerned about violent crime increasing in Providence … it should come as little surprise that it is coupled with a decrease in the number of police officers the city has. Just as in the private sector, in the public sector you get what you pay for.

Also in GoLocal this morning: a great piece by Dan Lawlor on why our income tax system is failing our economy.

Old friend Sam Paterson, the harbormaster in Jamestown, saved a man’s life this weekend who had jumped off the Jamestown Bridge. Nice work, Sam.

Today in 1770, German philosopher Hegel is born, who once said, “When liberty is mentioned, we must always be careful to observe whether it is not really the assertion of private interests which is thereby designated.”

He also said, “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.”

And today in 1952, movie star (and fan!) Paul Reubens aka Pee-wee Herman was born.