The Rhode Island Sierra Club strongly praises the bold climate leadership of the nine Providence legislators who publicly expressed their opposition to National Grid’s proposal for a $180 million fracked gas liquefaction facility at Fields Point in the Port of Providence.
Last week, Providence State Representatives Aaron Regunberg, Joe Almeida, Grace Diaz, John Lombardi, Chris Blazejewski and Edie Ajello, along with Providence State Senators Juan Pichardo, Gayle Goldin and Harold Metts submitted a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) describing their deep concerns with National Grid’s proposal. We wholeheartedly agree with their statement that this project represents a boondoggle for ratepayers, an unjustifiable safety risk for the local community, and the kind of unacceptable doubling down on fossil fuel infrastructure that will guarantee we blow past our legally mandated emission reduction goals. And we are proud to see so many legislative leaders refusing to condemn our beautiful state to a future of climate catastrophe.
Unfortunately, the same can not be said of Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza. Rather than making any effort to live up to his rhetoric on climate change, Mayor Elorza has chosen to partner with National Grid and help them advance their proposal with tacit support and active negotiations for a Tax Stabilization Agreement to smooth out the utility’s tax payments over time.
Stopping climate change is the moral crisis of our time – and it will only be possible if we end these vast investments in new fossil fuel infrastructure that guarantee our addiction to fossil fuels continues past our planet’s point of no return. We all need to join in this fight. Rhode Island Sierra Club pledges our support for elected officials who take this moral imperative seriously, like the nine Providence legislators who came out in opposition to the LNG proposal last week. And we condemn in the strongest possible terms the cowardice of self-proclaimed climate leaders who choose to give in to the fossil fuel industry. Mayor Elorza, your actions speak much louder than your words – please, do the right thing and join your legislative delegation in standing up for Providence’s current and future citizens.
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A group of Providence elected officials announced their strong opposition to a proposal by National Grid to develop a new fracked gas liquefaction facility at Fields Point in South Providence. Citing concerns ranging from costs to ratepayers, safety risks and climate impact, the legislators — including Representatives Joseph S. Almeida (D-Dist. 12, Providence), Grace Diaz (D-Dist. 11, Providence), Aaron Regunberg (D-Dist. 4, Providence), Chris Blazejewski (D-Dist. 2, Providence), Edith H. Ajello (D-Dist. 1, Providence) and John J. Lombardi (D-Dist. 8, Providence) and Senators Juan Pichardo (D-Dist. 2, Providence), Gayle Goldin (D-Dist. 3, Providence) and Sen. Harold M. Metts (D-Dist. 6, Providence) — called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reject National Grid’s application, and warned the City of Providence against signing a tax stabilization agreement with the utility to facilitate the project.
Last summer, National Grid submitted a proposal to FERC to develop a $180 million facility to produce Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) directly from a Spectra Energy pipeline that delivers fracked gas from Marcellus Shale to Providence. LNG is produced by cooling natural gas to -260°F, which reduces its volume by 600 times and puts it into liquid form. As described in its application, National Grid would then utilize tanker trucks to export the LNG produced in Providence, primarily to locations in Massachusetts.
“No matter how you look at it, this project is a money-maker for the utility at the expense of our community and our state,” said Representative Almeida. “National Grid is asking us, the ratepayers, to foot the $180 million bill for this project, for what? So they can increase their own profits by exporting LNG out of the state! This does nothing to benefit our constituents, and it does nothing to benefit my neighbors on the South Side. All this proposal will do is transfer money from ratepayers’ pockets to National Grid’s coffers, and we’re not going to accept it.”
Legislators also expressed concerns about the safety risks of the proposed project.
“LNG is a dangerous substance,” said Representative Diaz. “Just two years ago, an LNG facility in Washington state exploded, causing an evacuation of everyone within a two-mile area. If that were to happen at this site, all of my constituents would be in danger. Why is it always our community that must shoulder the collateral damage and safety risks from these toxic projects?”
LNG is stable in liquid form, and without air it is not flammable. However, at any temperature over -260°F it converts to methane gas and expands by 600 times, rapidly pressurizing any sealed container. If LNG spills and mixes with airs, it becomes highly flammable and potentially explosive.
“I remember when Keyspan, which has since been bought by National Grid, applied to FERC with a similar proposal to build an LNG import facility at Fields Point in 2005,” said Senator Pichardo. “That application was denied due to the very real safety concerns of this kind of development. In fact, FERC Commissioner Nora Brownell cited the risks of accidents and explosions when turning down the proposal, stating that the project would not meet current federal safety standards. If doubling down on this dangerous fuel was unsafe ten years ago, it is unsafe for our neighborhood today, and I urge FERC to once again listen to the community’s opposition to this harmful development.”
Finally, the elected officials demanded that the climate consequences of the expanded fossil fuel infrastructure be taken into account.
“The science on climate change is clear. If my generation is to have any chance of inheriting an Ocean State with any state left in it, we need to transition to a clean energy economy as quickly as possible. This proposal would sink millions of ratepayer dollars into unnecessary new fossil fuel infrastructure that would be used for decades past our climate’s point of no return, and that is a betrayal of our children,” said Representative Regunberg. “Mayor Jorge Elorza and the Providence City Council have taken credit for being leaders on climate and environmental issues. But if the city awards a tax stabilization agreement to National Grid to support this project, then it is our belief that the mayor and council can no longer claim this kind of climate leadership. We hope they will do the right thing and tell National Grid that Providence will not facilitate this wasteful, ratepayer-funded, environmentally catastrophic scheme.”
The Providence legislators reported that they are submitting letters detailing their concerns to FERC, joining a growing list of community members and neighborhood organizations opposing National Grid’s application.
[From a press release]
Last year, the General Assembly and the governor took an important first step to help thousands of working families make ends meet by increasing the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) — a tax benefit for workers earning $50,000 or less — to 12.5 percent of the federal credit.
As the Ocean State strives to become a place where all families can enjoy our natural beauty while maintaining affordable housing, nutritious food, and a quality education, a further increase to the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit is a common-sense tax policy we should all rally behind. An increased state EITC means 83,000 Rhode Island taxpayers are rewarded for working hard to keep their families afloat.
That is why, for the second consecutive year, we have introduced legislation in the House and Senate to further increase the state EITC to 20 percent of the federal credit. With our legislation, a family qualifying for the maximum EITC will receive a tax credit worth up to $1,248—a significant amount for our struggling working families.
Massachusetts and Connecticut have adopted the refundable state EITC as smart policy to support working families, with refundable credits of 23 percent and 27.5 percent, respectively.
The paychecks of too many Rhode Island workers have fallen behind and our current tax structure does not provide adequate relief. Of the 50 occupations expected to produce the most job openings by 2022, nearly one in four jobs will pay less than $11 an hour, the amount the Economic Progress Institute (EPI) finds a single adult needs to earn to meet his or her most basic needs and less than half of what a single parent of two children requires.
We all benefit from living in a state where hard work is rewarded. An increased EITC helps our workforce but it also helps our local economies. More money in the pockets of working Rhode Islanders means more money in the cash registers of supermarkets, retailers, and other local businesses. The return on investment is large. The Economic Progress Institute estimates that increasing the EITC to 20 percent would not only put $12 million in pockets of working families, but add approximately $15 million to the economy through the multiplier effect. Raising the EITC to 15 percent, as proposed by the governor, would put $4 million in the pockets of working families, and add around $5 million to the economy through the multiplier effect.
With last year’s EITC increase, the General Assembly and the governor took an important step to reduce income inequality in the Ocean State and reward our workers who are doing their best to make it in Rhode Island.
We strongly believe that if you are working, you should not be poor. Raising the minimum wage and expanding EITC is helping those who work for lower wages to get ahead. The very least we can do is increase a common-sense tax credit that helps our hardest workers make ends meet. If we do not, it saps the belief that our state is a place where hard work and persistence can lead to a better life. A state EITC increased to 20 percent of the federal credit is the smartest investment we can make. We can all profit from living in a state where hard work is rewarded, taxes are fairer, and our local businesses thrive.
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Following a wave of successful efforts to raise the minimum wage in California and New York, and with news that nursing home workers in Pennsylvania won a $15 starting wage, SEIU 1199 held a “Fight for $15” rally at the State House Wednesday afternoon.
“I shouldn’t have to rely on food stamps if I’m working 40 hours a week taking care of people. But I do! Honestly, I could be making more at Dunkin’ Donts and that’s ridiculous,” said Nichole Ward, a CNA at Greenville Skilled Nursing and Rehab in a statement.
Of special interest was legislation submitted by Rep Scott Slater (H7547) and Senator Gayle Goldin (S2521) that directs funds in the nursing home budget to raise wages for nursing home workers. Similar legislation was passed in Massachusetts last year. Both Goldin and Slater promised to fight for this legislation, with Slater calling it his top priority.
Shirley Lomba, a CNA/CMT for 14 years warned that talented nurses will soon be leaving our state for the better paying jobs in Massachusetts, saying, “many of us will drive 15-20 minutes… where we can earn more money.”
Tim Appleton, campaign manager at Compassion and Choices, was talking to a full room about “medical aid-in-dying.” This would take the form of legislation that would allow a terminally ill, mentally capable person with a medical prognosis of six months or less to obtain and, if their suffering becomes unbearable, self-administer medication that brings about a peaceful death.
This is presently the law in five states: Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont and California. One in seven Americans currently have this option available. In Rhode Island, if a person wanted this option, their best bet would be to establish legal residency in Vermont. Obviously, this is not something that everyone can do.
Last year, the Lila Manfield Sapinsley Compassionate Care Act, introduced in the State Senate by Gayle Goldin and in the House by Edith Ajello, died in committees. Whether or not the legislation will be reintroduced this year is an open question. What the legislation needs is a group of passionate supporters ready for a multiyear effort at the State House to make this happen.
Last year the Catholic Church and some members of the disabled community spoke out against the bill. The opposition from the Catholic Church is to be expected. Across the country the Church has spent millions of dollars defeating similar legislation in other states, mostly by telling stories about people being coerced into taking their lives. For the disabled community these stories of misuse and coercion are serious concerns, but Appleton is clear that in the United States, where this idea has been law for nearly two decades, there has “not been a single case of abuse, misuse or coercion.”
Opponents present a false choice between hospice care and aid in dying, but in reality the two ideas are complimentary. Hospice works to manage pain through the process of dying, while this legislation allows the option of ending one’s life in the event the suffering becomes unbearable. This brings a sense of comfort and control to a terrible situation.
The simple fact is that any one of us may one day be in the position of wanting to end our life in the event of a terminal, painful illness, or we may be the caretaker of a loved one suffering through the process. Each of us confronts the end of our lives differently, and this option is not for everyone.
As Governor Jerry Brown said, when he signed California’s act into law, “I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain. I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill. And I wouldn’t deny that right to others.”
Though the big news was that Governor Gina Raimondo announced that she would be calling of an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the minimum wage when she presents her budget during the State of the State address Tuesday evening, the press conference where this was announced was to call attention to VITA, a program to help low and modest-income Rhode Islanders file their taxes and apply for tax credits like the EITC. Raimondo said that if the budget permits, she will push that rate higher.
Even people who have paid no taxes are eligible for EITC rebates, meaning families can receive hundreds or thousands of dollars from the government. But to do so, families must file their taxes. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is a program to help people file. “Appointments are highly recommended,” says the webpage on VITA at the You must also bring picture identification for both the applicant and spouse and social security cards for everyone listed on the return.” A list of VITA sites and contact info can be found here.
At the now annual press conference to advertise VITA and the EITC, Governor Raimondo announced her intention to ask that the EITC be raised to 15 percent when she presents her budget. This year the EITC was raised from 10 to 12.5 percent. Connecticut’s program is currently at 30 percent while Massachusetts has just raised their EITC to 23 percent.
The EITC “provides a tax credit and/or refund to people who earn low to moderate wages. The payment is received as part of the end-of-year tax filing period,” says the Economic Progress Institute on their website.
Representative Scott Slater and State Senator Gayle Goldin both praised the announcement that the budget will call for a 15 percent EITC, but both also noted that they have introduced bills and intend to fight to raise the tax credit to 20 percent.
The Governor also announced that she will once again be asking the legislature to raise the state’s minimum wage, which rose to $9.60 this month. Last year the legislature balked at Raimondo’s suggestion for a $10.10 and raised the wage just 60 cents, but also agreed to raise the tipped minimum wage to $3.39 this year and $3.89 next year.
Given that the General Assembly only granted slightly more than half of the minimum wage increase Raimondo included in her budget last year, perhaps the Governor should ask for more than $10.10 this year.
You can watch the relevant parts of the press conference below. The final speaker in the video speaks about the positive effects of the EITC in helping to bring her family out of poverty.
Senators John Miller and Gayle Goldin are hosting a State House rally on Thursday at 1:30 “to demonstrate support and compassion for refugees fleeing the crisis in Syria,” according to a State House press release.
Miller said the rally tomorrow is to dispel any misconceptions that Senator Elaine Morgan’s comments are representative of the Senate as a whole. Morgan sent an email that brought national attention to Rhode Island because it said Muslim refugees should be kept in a camp, and, she wrote, “The Muslim religion and philosophy is to murder, rape, and decapitate anyone who is a non Muslim.” She later said she meant to include the word fanatical in this description.
“I’m embarrassed if people think that is a feeling that is prevalent in the Senate and this is an opportunity to show that there are other strong opinions,” Miller said. “I’ve heard from other senators who want to separate themselves from the comments made by Senator Morgan.”
Miller “absolutely” supports Rhode Island taking in Syrian refugees. “Not only is it the essence of Americanism it’s also the essence of Rhode Island.”
So far, the three state legislators to speak out for accepting Syrian refugees are all Jewish – sens. Miller and Goldin and Rep. Aaron Regunberg. Regunberg wrote a high profile letter to Gov. Gina Raimondo after reps. Bobby Nardolillo and Doreen Costa said they thought Rhode Island should not welcome refugees fleeing war and oppression in the Middle East because it poses a domestic security threat.
“I think the context for a lot of people is whatever their heritage is,” said Miller. “Our recent history shows how horribly wrong it can go when you start to identify the few.”
The senators will be joined by former Gambian refugee-turned-Rhode Island Omar Bah, whom Steve Ahlquist profiled in 2014. They will also be joined by Father Bernard Healey, a Catholic priest and State House lobbyist for the church, Rabbi Sarah Mack, a progressive rabbi from Providence and Iman Farid Ansari, a local leader of the Islamic faith, among others.
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On the same day that Republicans in Congress were embarrassing themselves with a woefully ill-prepared and ill-considered interrogation of Planned Parenthood’s President Cecile Richards, supporters all over the country gathered in groups large and small to show their support for the women’s health organization. In Rhode Island, about 30 supporters gathered at the State House to express solidarity for both Planned Parenthood and a woman’s right to choose.
The rally was organized by Jessan Dunn Otis, who spoke about how important Planned Parenthood has been in her life. RI State Senator Gayle Goldin briefly attended.
Below you will find video of women speaking about the importance of Planned Parenthood in their lives and for women’s health, followed by some comments by James Rhodes, director of public policy & government relations at Planned Parenthood Southern New England. Lastly, I included the men who spoke at that rally.
Restaurant workers, joined by faith leaders and and other supporters, marched in the drizzling rain from the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church to the State House to demand an increase in the tipped minimum wage, the first such increase in 20 years. The tipped minimum wage in Rhode Island is $2.89, as opposed to the regular minimum wage of $9. It is expected that the General Assembly will raise the regular minimum wage to $9.60 in this session, though even $9.60 is a far cry from a living wage, estimated to be about $12 per hour.
The effort to raise the tipped minimum wage has been led by Restaurant Opportunities Center RI. A bill introduced by Representative Aaron Regunberg in the House and Senator Gayle Goldin in the Senate seeks to raise the tipped minimum wage every year until it reaches parity with the regular minimum wage. That bill is not expected to pass this year, though Regunberg is hopeful that a $1.00 increase in the tipped minimum wage can be negotiated.
U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez came out in strong support for both raising the minimum wage and for eliminating the tipped minimum wage during a press Q&A at the end of his visit to Gold International Machinery with state Senator Gayle Goldin and US Representative David Cicilline on Friday afternoon. The Secretary was enthusiastic about the economic benefits of raising the minimum wage for both workers and the economy.
“I was recently in Seattle on the first day of the effective date of the new minimum wage in Seattle,” said Perez, “the person who stood right next to me, in addition to the mayor that day, was the head of the Seattle Restaurant Association.”
According to Perez, Seattle “has had the highest minimum wage in the country over the last twelve years, and they have no tipped credit.” He added, “If the opponents were correct, then every time you fly to Seattle, you ought to bring a bagged lunch, because all the restaurants should be going out of business.”
Perez also talked about raising the regular minimum wage, saying that while he and President Obama, “don’t pretend to know what the best wage is for the city of Seattle or the state of Rhode Island… we applaud efforts to go as high as possible.”
The secretary added that “as a result of the low minimum wages across the country we’ve seen a consumption deprived recovery in many circles.”
“When you raise the minimum wage, guess what happens?” asked Perez, “If you’re a restaurant, people have more money to spend. When you raise wages, guess what happens? The economy gets better. We consume more things from manufacturers so places like Gold [International Machinery], they see their business go up.”
Here in Rhode Island there are General Assembly bills currently before the Senate and the House to gradually eliminate the tipped minimum wage. There are also bills to raise the regular minimum wage from $9 to $10.10. At hearings held to discuss the bills, representatives from the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, including Chairman Bob Bacon, have opposed any increases in the minimum wage with questionable economics and threats of robots.
Governor Gina Raimondo, who Labor Secretary Perez seemed to like quite a bit based on comments he made earlier in the day, has called on the General Assembly to raise the minimum wage to $10.10. She has yet to publicly support the elimination of the tipped minimum wage.