Move RI Beyond the Box: Stop Job Discrimination
This past week, the House Labor committee heard from “Ban the Box” supporters, including a short film to illustrate the challenge of finding employment, and a new life, with a criminal past. The film (available here) makes the case for House Bill H5507, known as “Ban the Box.” This piece of legislation removes that question, [...]
Quiet Conservatives by Banning Master Lever
Moderate Party chairman and possible gubernatorial candidate Ken Block is out with a new website, masterlever.org, which petitions the Governor and the General Assembly to eliminate the ability to vote solely based on party line (a.k.a., the “master lever”). As a case study for why it should be banned, Mr. Block offers up the 9000+ [...]
Privatization of Higher Ed Violates State Constitution
As reported here and here, the University of Rhode Island has spent close to $500,000 on repairs of its president’s tuition-funded home, which is among the fringe benefits that come with the president’s job, such as a car, an expense account, and club dues. Excessive administrative spending is but one of many results of nationwide privatization of [...]
Is A Marriage Equality Referendum Legal, or Necessary?
The word from RIPR’s Ian Donnis is that Senate President Teresa Paiva-Weed expects a committee vote on same-sex marriage in the Senate Judiciary Committee. But it’s never just that simple. The pressure on Senate Judiciary members will be enormous, but most of the members are reasonably solid in their positions on the issue. Mr. Donnis [...]
RI – What Went Wrong, In Seven Installments
Sam Bell did such a good job putting together this series on what went wrong with Rhode Island’s economy over the past several years, I thought the least I could do is make it really easy for everyone to access.
RI – What Went Wrong: Have We Learned Lessons?
What is so sad about the mess Rhode Island has fallen into is that it was completely avoidable. Governor Carcieri did not have to launch a jihad against public sector employment. Nor was it necessary to hand massive tax breaks to the wealthy. Had we avoided those tax breaks, we wouldn’t have had to slash [...]
Rhode Island Republican Party On Life-Support
On Election Day 2012, there were 786 candidates for all offices across Rhode Island, from U.S. Senator to Town Sergeant. According to a list provided by the Secretary of State’s office, the make-up was such: 301 Democrats 209 Republicans 116 Independents 4 Moderates 1 Libertarian (Independent) 1 Vigilant Fox (Independent) 154 candidates for nonpartisan offices [...]
Speaking to the Speaker
Winners in political races have it easy. They thank everyone and move forward. The Silver Medalists analyze what went wrong and fade into the shadows. Is it possible to write a post-election column as the loser and not sound self-serving, shrill or sour? I’m going to do my best. From the beginning, this race was about [...]
Reforming the Legislature
Ask 100 people about Rhode Island’s government and 105 will say it’s broken, and probably not fixable. Phase 1: Attack the Assumptions From day one, my campaign for House District 4 has been about challenging that truism. It was clear to me at the start that the Speaker of the House used his power to [...]
Eight Arguments in Mark Binder vs. Gordon Fox
The more you know, the more complicated things get. Since I’m of two minds in this, let me run through a few arguments and counterarguments I have in the battle between Gordon Fox and Mark Binder. Removing Speaker Fox sends a message to state lawmakers that they can be held accountable for actions like 38 [...]
New Ideas? No Thank You
Earlier this month, the Rhode Island Foundation held a big conference that said it was intended to generate ideas for moving the state’s economy forward. Yesterday, I received a note about the “New Leaders,” a group purportedly about bringing new ideas to the management of our state. (This is apparently a different group from the [...]
I Learned It By Watching You, Jon!
State Rep. Jon Brien blames his recent defeat on “outside influences” – my union among them – who were “spending a lot of money” against him. Here’s why he is partly right, partly wrong, and partly to blame.
Projo Botches Facts in Editorial on Legislative Races
How can we trust their opinions if they can’t even get the basic facts right? The Projo editorial board was so overzealous in its attempt to slam organized labor and the candidates that support them in an editorial on General Assembly campaigns today, it botched several facts. Here’s the list I could come up with, [...]
In Search of the Cleaner Campaign Contribution
Several years ago, when I ran my first political campaign against Patrick Kennedy, the first thing the reporter from the Providence Journal asked was, “How much money have you raised?” I asked him why he wanted to know, and he told me the truth: You can measure fundraising. You can count the dollars. It dates [...]
As Legislature Spends Money, Cities Feel Pinch
I see from the Providence Journal that the new state-appointed budget commission has decided that the city council and Mayor Fontaine were exactly right to request permission from the state to impose a supplemental tax increase on their citizens. Last week, after an impassioned speech by Rep. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt, the House rejected Woonsocket’s request. This [...]
Budgeting for Disaster: Like What We’ve Got? Good
As has been amply reported by other writers here and in other places, the state budget has emerged from the mists of the Finance Committee, and will likely be voted on and passed this week. It contains no broad-based tax changes, though there are small increases in cigarette taxes, and small expansions of the sales [...]
RI Needs to Learn from Mistakes of 38 Studios Deal
To the 379 people who just lost their jobs, I want to say something that no one responsible for this turn of events is going to say: I’m sorry. I doubt that will make you feel better, but I think it needs to be said, by someone. You moved yourself and your families down here, [...]
Tax Debate: Back to Future for Business Community
Back in June 2009, there was a strong push for the state to make changes to the tax structure. Organizing from the grassroots was highlighting the inequity of what was then called the “flat tax.” Boring you with all the details now isn’t the point, but reminding you of the rhetoric from the business community [...]
Valencia Bill Shows Momentum for Tax Equity
Long before the Occupy movement and Warren Buffett made the idea of taxing the rich politically popular, Rep Larry Valencia, a progressive Democrat from Charlestown, introduced just such a bill in the previous legislative session. This year, although it hasn’t received the media attention the Miller-Cimini proposal has, he introduced the same bill again. And, [...]
Organize for Equality
UPDATE: This training has been postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date. More information to come… It’s getting close to crunch time in the General Assembly and we’re about to turn up the heat. In order to continue being as effective as we can be, we need your help. And so I’m inviting [...]
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