Friday: party with state’s top progressive Democrats
Sheldon Whitehouse, Angel Taveras, Rhoda Perry, Josh Miller, Maria Cimini, Edith Ajello, Paula Hodges and … Rudy Cheeks, together under one roof? It’s an all-star lineup of local progressive Democrats, and for good reason … it’s the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats Movers and Shakers fundraiser this Friday at Waterplace Restaurant from 7 to 9 pm. [...]
Terror as we celebrate asymmetrical warfare
The bombs in Boston blew up while we were celebrating the shot heard ’round the world. An act of terrorism marred the annual marking of the world’s most famous response to asymmetrical warfare in history. There’s more than irony here, there’s a lesson to be learned. For those who don’t know, the Boston Marathon is [...]
Providence Is Recovering
Governor, Mr. President, honorable members of the Providence City Council, distinguished guests, and my fellow residents of our great Capital City – One year ago I stood before you in this Chamber with an urgent message for our City and the entire State of Rhode Island. Providence was in peril. Despite many difficult decisions and [...]
Fundraising vs. Good Govt: Which Matters More?
Note the irony that while one prospective 2014 Democratic candidate for governor was making headlines for raising an almost unfair amount of money from corporate interests from outside of Rhode Island, the other prospective candidate was busy not making headlines for being honored by good government group Common Cause RI with its 2012 Excellence in [...]
Dems Unite Around GOP Smear Campaigns
I’m glad the Rhode Island Democratic party is finally coming together to renounce the incredibly negative campaigning the Republicans have been resorting to. Let’s hope the media picks up on this story. In my biased opinion, it’s the biggest meta-narrative of the local campaign this year, but I think it has a lot of merit [...]
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 [...]
Stark Contrast Between City, State Pension Efforts
It’s striking the difference in how efforts to cut public sector pension benefits are playing out in Providence compared to the state level – as municipal retirees are agreeing to a compromise in the Capital City, state retirees are gearing up for a legal fight in court. About 80 percent of Providence retirees voted in [...]
Chafee Helped Brown, Providence Behind Scenes
It’s a huge day for Providence which, among other bits of good news, announced today that Brown University will pay the city $31 million over the next 11 years. While Mayor Angel Taveras and Brown President Ruth Simmons both deserve much credit for getting the deal done. So does another local leader who rarely wins [...]
RI Progress Report: Taveras, Homelessness, Class Warfare
Happy May Day. Find out what’s happening locally here and across the country here. Learn about the history of the holiday here. Providence Mayor Angel Taveras will announce a deal with Brown today for more in lieu of tax money and last night his office announced that Lifespan would be giving the city $800,000 a [...]
RI Progress Report: Taveras Budget, DD Cuts, Welcome Wickford Junction
Providence Mayor Angel Taveras announces his proposed budget tonight … it’ll be interesting to see how he plugs that $22 million hole in the city’s operating expenses. We’ll learn tonight if any more of the local non-profits decided to pony up and help out the Capital City. A great editorial from the Projo about the [...]
Most Rhode Islanders Want Payday Loans Reformed
More than 3/4 of Rhode Island wants the General Assembly to reform payday lending, according to a Public Policy Polling survey. And, according to Rep. Frank Ferri, sponsor of a bill that would reign in interest rates on such loans from 260 percent down to 36, so does a vast majority of the legislators. “Now [...]
State Cuts Also Cause for City’s Fiscal Woes
It’s certainly fashionable to blame retirees and their generous post-employment benefits for Providence’s fiscal problems. But for other causal factors, look to the state of Rhode Island and former Governor Don Carcieri. Tom Sgouros, in his ongoing series dissecting the state budget, reports this morning that in 2008 the capital city was expecting $65 million [...]
Promise Breakers: Taveras, Raimondo and Flanders
Providence Mayor Angel Taveras now joins General Treasurer Gina Raimondo and Central Falls receiver Bob Flanders in a very exclusive group of Rhode Islanders. You’ve heard of the Promise Keepers, right? Well, these three are the promise breakers. All three have asked retirees, in no uncertain terms, to give up a portion of the post-employment [...]
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 [...]
State of the City: Employees, retirees give first
As expected, Mayor Angel Taveras said the state of the city is not so good. “Providence is in peril,” said the mayor of the capital city to lead into the annual State of the City speech. And, as he reiterated throughout his 20 minute address, it’s up to retirees and tax-exempt landowners to save it. [...]
Brown Students Call on University to Pay Fair Share
A group of students attending Brown University are publicly calling on the Brown Corporation to increase its monetary contributions to the City of Providence. Tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., students will speak in front of the University’s historic Van Wickle Gates, announcing the beginning of their campaign to convince Brown to reconsider its current fiscal [...]
Three Providence Leaders to be Inducted into the 9th Annual MLK Hall of Fame
Mayor Angel Taveras will induct three leaders whose actions have had a significant impact on the lives of Providence residents into the 2012 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall of Fame on Wednesday, February 1 at 7 pm in the City Council Chambers at Providence City Hall. Leo DiMaio, founder of the College Readiness [...]
What Can’t Brown Do for You?
Was with Occupy Providence to the City Council meeting on Thursday night and the City Council distributed the following flier about how the wealthy Brown University refuses to pay their fair share in Providence — even after teachers, firefighters, police officers and city workers did their fair share, the taxpayers did theirs and even after [...]
Fighting for Our Future
This is bound to be an exciting year for our state, and I know I speak for many when I say that the return of RI Future to the Ocean State’s blogosphere is a welcome one. From Netroots Nation coming to Providence – something Mayor Taveras and I worked particularly hard to ensure – to [...]
Dr. King’s Legacy: RIPTA Called Out by Community to Re-hire Fired Workers
Next Thursday, on January 19th, at 6:30pm, members of the RIPTA board will be at Direct Actions for Rights & Equality (DARE), answering calls to reinstate two employees who were unjustly fired last month. The fundamental question is: are people with criminal histories are sentenced to a life of unemployment? Even the New York Times [...]
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