David Cicilline and the anti-poverty agenda
I seem to remember a time when people actually cared about poverty, when poverty was something that society actually wanted to alleviate, when poverty was the social ill and not poor people. That unfortunately was a long time ago. Almost 15% of Rhode Islanders live in poverty, close to 155,000 of our mothers and fathers, [...]
Payday Loans, Poverty on Tap Today at State House
Payday loan reform legislation has one of the most interesting coalitions at the State House; it includes the progressive community, the faith community and General Treasurer Gina Raimondo. This is because payday loans are bad for the state in general, poor people in particular and a net drain on our economy. Today on Smith Hill, [...]
RI Progress Report: Why Do Businesses Move to RI
Happy Easter! Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who has become one of the hottest politicians in the country as Congress begins to debate income inequality and corporate control, was on Newsmakers this morning. Forget about why people leave Rhode Island for a moment and consider why they come here. The Providence Journal reports this morning that even [...]
Commodification of Suffering: An Ethics of Charity
While shopping at Whole Foods last week (yeah, I do that often #smirking) I came across a new Whole Foods brand coffee. It was arranged in a pyramid styled display, and the store rep., having just completed the task of assembling it, stood nearby staring on with a look so proud it bordered on the supercilious. [...]
Your Tax Dollars At Work
Check this out. This is a really cool map of the US, showing where federal tax dollars are going. That is, to which parts of the country. It has a number of different categories, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Income Support, Unemployment, plus an overall picture. Guess which parts of the country are hoovering [...]
TOMORROW: 5th Annual Budget Rhode Map Conference
Register now for The Poverty Institute‘s 5th Annual Budget Rhode Map Conference ”From Poverty to Progress“ to hear from leading experts about the economic vitality of Rhode Island and its residents. Thursday, February 16, 2012 8:30 am: Registration and Continental Breakfast 9:00 am – 12:30 pm: Conference Rhodes on the Pawtuxet 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston, RI 02905 $35 per [...]
State Senator Nicholas Kettle has Learned What, Exactly?
Yesterdays’s Projo ran a piece on freshman Senator Nicholas Kettle. Kettle also happens to be the youngest Senator at age 20. You might remember Kettle, who rode into office as a Republican Tea Party candidate with no experience whatsoever. He very soon established his Tea Party bona fides by insulting the homeless community in RI [...]
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