Progress Report: Pension Politics; Transparency’s Liberal Bias; ProJo for Sheldon; Meatloaf for Mitt; Microwaves

The Atlantic may think Gina Raimondo is a brave thinker for slashing the retirement security of state workers, but it seems to me the political popularity of pension reform is waning  … consider this page A1 quote  in today’s Projo on Cranston Mayor Allan Fung’s attempts to cut local pension benefits: “This problem was created by the city, not by the retirees.”

And consider also that both David Cicilline AND Brendan Doherty both said the state would have done well to negotiate pension reform rather than act unilaterally … but then again Doherty is a pension recipient, reports RIPR. The state pays him $97,859.44 annually to be a retired cop.

On Smith Hill, it turns out, transparency and open government tend to have a liberal bias. I’m not surprised.

Speaking of government secrecy, Bob Kerr offers some sage words for any public official who wants to keep something on the quiet: “…as long as the details are kept under wraps, questions will remain. And those questions will be answered at the bar and on the radio and in all kinds of places where people have nothing to go on but their belief of how things work in Rhode Island.”

Again, the typically conservative ProJo editorial board endorses a progressive for U.S. Senate; today it’s Rhode Island’s own Sheldon Whitehouse.

FYI: the bear seen in Cranston probably wasn’t the same one that was seen in the EG/NK area. For one thing, there is virtually no way for wildlife to commute between the two areas in question. For another, it’s not like we are talking about a singular Sasquatch here folks. It’s a bear, they live here and look for food this time of year. Secure your garbage cans, be prepared to take their picture from a safe distance and get on with life…

Things are looking pretty good for Democrats’ chances of taking control of the Senate, says the NYTimes … but native Rhode Islander Jennifer Duffy is quoted as saying not to count out the GOP yet…

I have to disagree with the Romney logic that microwave ownership is a sign of wealth … to the contrary, I’d argue that microwave ownership is a sign of poverty.

And here’s an indicator in the presidential campaign: Bruce Springsteen endorsed Obama in Ohio this week while Mitt Romney won the coveted endorsement of Meatloaf. In case you’re keeping score at home, Springsteen is famous for singing about the plight of the working class … Meatloaf, on the other hand, is best remembered for signing about indiscretion and regret.

Today in 2001, George W. Bush signs the Patriot Act into law.