“There is great potential within the emerging green industries,” she told me in an extended interview one day after introducing a report that lays out her policy recommendations. “If we as a state position ourselves to maximize all available opportunities it will in fact move us forward and secure for us national recognition.”
The initiative already enjoys broad support in the private sector – from the chamber of commerce to organized labor, she pointed out. And she expects legislators from both chambers will champion the bills as protecting the environment is a bi-partisan cause in the Ocean State. “House, Senate, Democrat, Republican and I guess each of us have an independent,” she said. “It’s really a shared value.”
Carbon pricing bill
Paiva Weed is reserving judgment on the carbon pricing bill introduced yesterday in the House by Rep. Aaron Regunberg. “There is obviously not the same kind of agreement among business and environmentalists on that issue as many are concerned about Rhode Island being an outlier,” she told me. “I absolutely support the goal of the legislation without question. The question is from a business point of view how do we as a region, as a country, internationally, remain competitive and address our concerns regarding carbon.”
Tolls
Representing Newport and Jamestown, Paiva Weed serves the only two communities in Rhode Island that already have toll gantries. She said local bridges managed by the Turnpike and Bridge Authority, funded by tolls, are in demonstrably better condition than those maintained by the DOT, funded through the state budget.
“We have safe, well maintained bridges in Newport, in Jamestown and in the Mt. Hope bridge for one reason: because the individuals who use those bridges pay tolls,” she said. “Every other overpass in the state that I can think of if you drive under is a danger. They are falling down, they are decrepit, they are a danger both to the people over and under them.”
Education
A staunch advocate of progressive education funding, Paiva Weed said Rhode Island needs to continue its recent tradition of increasing state education funding. She added that it’s important to fix the funding formula so that it stops punishing traditional school districts for sending a high number of students to charter schools.
“As charter schools have developed the structure of the funding formula failed to recognize that there would be a tipping point at which the diversion of funds from the traditional public education system would negatively impact the traditional public school system,” she said. “If we as a state supported school choice, which we said we did when we passed the legislation years ago creating charter schools, then we would need to recognize that tipping point and provide additional funds for communities that have more of a draw on their base from charters.”
Listen to the full 23 minute interview here:
]]>“I sought out the Sierra Club’s endorsement because I have great respect for them as an organization,” she told me. “Anyone who crosses the Newport Bridge as often as I do can’t help but take in the beauty of Narragansett Bay and realize how important of an asset it is to our state.”
Paiva Weed has a mixed record on progressive issues – she was a holdout on same sex marriage but has pushed hard to fight poverty. She’s never been wavering on her commitment to environmental causes though, including habitat restoration efforts and growing green jobs. This past year she was an early and ardent supporter of the recently-enacted Resilient RI climate change bill that will help the state prepare for rising sea levels, super storms and other climate change impacts.
Rober Malin, political chair of the Sierra Club said she obviously knows her stuff.
“The endorsement committee was impressed that Teresa Paiva-Weed displayed a depth of knowledge about environmental issues when answering our questions and has been outspoken in her views on the importance of dealing with climate change,” he said. “In the interview it was clear that she is someone who understands that prioritizing this problem is essential to Rhode Island’s economic future.”
Paiva Weed said she thinks coastal communities like the ones she represents have shown a stronger commitment to addressing climate change and a clean environment. “Often it’s more of a priority for those of us from coastal communities than those from urban districts,” she said.
]]>Since I happened to find myself in southern Rhode Island this morning, I decided to watch the new day come into being at one of my favorite spots in the Ocean State. Here are some of the pictures I tweeted out while I was there.
Here’s some more examples of the coastal photojournalism I’ve done on Rhode Island using my iPhone, Twitter and Storify over the last year or so.
Here’s my Fourth of July bike trip around Block Island.
A few weeks later, I took a kayak trip to Dutch Island.
Here’s a look at Greenwich Cove in June.
And this one is from a bike trek around Jamestown from September of 2011.
]]>Sorry, loyal RI Future readers, who were no doubt hoping to catch up on the latest news concerning progressive politics in Rhode Island … instead of spending the day in front of my laptop blogging about all that, I feel compelled to be out cleaning up some the mess that Hurricane Sandy left for us.
I’m going to work for my old boss Matt Largess, an ex-Oregon logger who now now preserves heritage trees in Jamestown, Newport and sometimes Maine and Central Falls, too! We’ll be removing downed trees and taking care of snags such as the one seen in the this picture.
By the way, I stacked that firewood in the picture and, in a way, I’m pretty glad the power lines stopped that second smaller snag from crushing it … I’m guessing the rest of the neighborhood doesn’t agree!!
Enjoy the cleanup, and if you need a tree or a branch cleared out call us: 849-9191 or 533-2722.I’ll try to tweet pictures of some of the storm damage we see/clean up … Short of that, I’ll be back online later this afternoon with more progressive political news.
]]>The best, and worst, place in Rhode Island to weather a hurricane is on Jamestown and seasoned wave watchers know well there is no better place to see the surf during a storm than from Beavertail.
From the southern terminus of Conanicut Island one can see whitecaps crashing into both Newport and Narragansett. And that the spit of land named after an animal’s ass points directly toward the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, so the waves hit the rocks here with an incredible force.
Thus, that’s where I went to see high tide this morning and shot a short video for those of you who either couldn’t or wouldn’t go to the coast during times of high seas. Looking southeasterly, it shows what the surf was like at around 8 this morning:
]]>Here’s what we know about what will happen: The Projo reports that Gemma has indeed hired private investigators to look into voter fraud. John DePetro tells us there is video that it makes him “nauseous.” (who knows what it is that makes John DePetro sick to his stomach; it could be something honorable!) And Dan McGowan claims Gemma will call on Cicilline to resign. He also reminds us that he called on Cicilline to resign in 2010 too. WPRO will broadcast the presser live.
My guess is Gemma has some dirt on David Cicilline that won’t even come close to living up to the hype he has created about his announcement. My fear is that we have witnessing Anthony Gemma’s mental breakdown.
Narragansett Chief Sachem Mathew Thomas met with Gov. Chafee yesterday to talk about the possibility of a native American casino in Rhode Island. According to the Projo: “Chafee said he had nothing to announce, but continued to view the gambling discussion as a jigsaw puzzle in which ‘fairness to the tribe was one piece,’ and ‘protection of revenue’ was another.”
Meanwhile, Ted Nesi reports that Twin River has spent some $700,000 to make sure they get to run a casino.
We wish Deborah Gist a speedy recovery. The state education commissioner has a small brain tumor that she is expected to recover fully from. All best, Deborah Gist.
Good for Jamestown Town Councilor Bob Bowen for casting the lone vote to locate a wind turbine on Conanicut Island. I’m really sorry this council didn’t approve the plan.
Mark Bittman: “We need real farmers who grow real food, and the will to reform a broken food system.”
Happy birthday, Yaz!
]]>Saturday, July 28th
Start – 8:15 AM, Naval Station Newport
Finish – Potters Cove, Jamestown
The event raises hundreds of thousands of dollars and supports an organization important to all Rhode Islanders.
Today, a Bay without Save The Bay could be defined by: a nuclear power plant at Rome Point; a failing municipal sewage treatment plant at Fields Point, dumping millions of gallons of raw sewage into the upper Bay; a 60-ton-per-day sewage sludge incinerator at Fields Point; shores unprotected from oil spills; a large-load container port at Quonset built, in part, by filling 144 acres of the Bay; no marine science in Providence’s public elementary schools; lost salt marshes and historic herring runs; a reputation for being a place where development rules — even when wetlands, shorelines and public access are compromised; eelgrass extinction.
I’ve written on this blog about many of Save The Bay’s important efforts, including the Roger Williams Park ponds restoration and oversight of the polluting special interests along the waterfront.
The photo to the right is of last year’s start (I’m in there somewhere). Swimmers affectionately call these starts the “washing machine” where you contend with the flying hands, arms, legs, feet, and bodies of other swimmers. I just call that good fun! My goal again this year is to swim my age in minutes as part of the Jim Mullen Challenge. This challenge honors the memory of Jim Mullen, who participated in the swim for nine years. Jim set a goal each year to complete the swim in the number of minutes that equaled his age or less. Last year I finished in just over 51 minutes so I need to get a little faster, a little older, or both (and hope for flat calm).
For me the swim is both a personal challenge to motivate me in the long winter months in the pool and a way to demonstrate the importance of the Bay for the state and for the health of all Rhode Islanders.
WE SWIM because we treasure Narragansett Bay and its watershed as a natural resource.
WE SWIM because we believe environmentally sound management of the Bay is important to our way of life and the economy that supports it.
WE SWIM because it is one thing to say you are “for the environment” but quite another to get involved and dramatically demonstrate that clean water is a public health issue.
Since 1977, the Swim has been a tangible reminder that when Save The Bay speaks, it speaks on behalf of people who care about the Bay in extraordinary ways.
Again, please consider making a donation to support this worthy cause!
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