Spicer claims Cohen doesn’t have info against Trump during sparse book-signing
I had time to ask Sean Spicer, the former press secretary under President Trump for six months last year, exactly one question during his book signing at a Middletown Barnes and Noble on Friday. I asked: “This week, reports were released saying that Michael Cohen testifies that Donald Trump knew about a meeting of campaign […]
Flanders spams public sector employees seeking campaign cash
When Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Flanders was the state-appointed receiver for cash-strapped Central Falls in 2012, the affluent East Greenwich resident infamously offered municipal employees a haircut or a beheading in balancing the city’s budget. As such, public sector workers probably won’t prove to be a major source of support for Flanders, a small […]
Liana Cassar is running for Joy Hearn’s seat in state legislature
Liana Cassar, the co-chair of the Barrington Democratic Town Committee, is running for House District 66, which represents most of Barrington and a portion of southern East Providence. The seat is currently held by Joy Hearn, who announced earlier this year she isn’t running for reelection. “I am running for State Representative of District 66 […]
Annual Kids Count Factbook on child poverty, in 19 tweets
The annual Kids Count Factbook on child well-being in Rhode Island, now in its 23rd year, is a local rite of spring – but it’s nothing like the first tulips or tufted titmouse. Instead it’s an annual reminder of just how segregated – economically and otherwise – the Ocean State is. The massive 194-page report […]
In case of lockdown, Burrillville police follow FANG activists to Barrington
Upon learning of the FANG protest in the otherwise staid suburbia, Barrington Police Chief John LaCross didn’t want to take any chances.
“We had a specialized unit from Burrillville if anyone was going to chain themselves to the outside or the inside of the bank,” LaCross said.
Ed Fitzpatrick, Center for Freedom & Prosperity, RI Future agree on library funding
RI Future, the Center for Freedom and Prosperity and now the Providence Journal’s Ed Fitzpatrick all agree on this one: Rhode Island’s library funding formula is way too regressive. This odd trio represents a fairly decent cross-section of the local punditry, and another great reason why the General Assembly should pass Rep. Shelby Maldonado’s and […]
Legislation would boost state aid to urban libraries
Two Central Falls lawmakers authored a bill that would direct more state funding to libraries in the seven distressed urban cities in Rhode Island. The legislation, which will be heard by a Senate committee today, follows an RI Future investigation last year that showed affluent suburban libraries receive more state library aid per resident than […]
RhodeMapRI and preventing future Fergusons
Undoing the damage of decades of racist housing policy and preventing future Fergusons requires a plan. RhodeMap RI isn’t quite that plan, it’s more a collection of guidelines to help communities develop a plan, but it’s a good step in the right direction.
Racial injustice vs. property rights: Ferguson, RhodeMapRI and the American Dream
There are two political gatherings today in Rhode Island that may have more in common with each other than it seems on the surface. In Providence, there is a “march against police violence” in solidarity with the on-going Ferguson protests at Burnside Park, 7pm. In North Kingstown, there is an “informational meeting” about the ongoing […]
State library funding rewards Barrington, punishes Central Falls
There are several differences between the public library in Barrington and the one in Central Falls. The Barrington library has more than 129,000 print items on its shelves and lent out 384,257 materials last year. The Central Falls library has about 34,000 print items on the shelves and lent out 14,994 materials last year. Barrington’s […]
Is equal equitable on state education funding?
Is equal equitable with regard to state education funding? As it happens, even a progressive state funding formula isn’t equitable when it comes to helping Rhode Island’s economically diverse cities and towns provide an adequate education to all. That’s what Pawtucket and Woonsocket are arguing before the state Supreme Court in a case that claims […]
ProJo fails to identify marijuana special interest
The Providence Journal op/ed page ran two opposing letters to the editor this morning regarding marijuana legalization but only identified one writer as an advocate with a special interest – even though the unidentified writer is paid through a federal grant to advocate specifically against marijuana. In one letter, Jim Vincent was well labeled as […]
Ken Block didn’t vote until 2000
Ken Block, the Barrington millionaire who recently switched from the Moderate Party to the Republican Party to run for governor, didn’t registered to vote until October of 1999, according to state and Barrington Board of Elections. He was eligible to vote on Nov. 8 of that year – one day after the nation-changing, SCOTUS-decided election […]
Barrington affordable housing project lives
Good for the Barrington Planning Board for unanimously approving a controversial affording housing project. I think. “Multiple conditions” were placed on the project, according to the Providence Journal, including that at least 10 of the 40 units only have one bedroom. This condition would effectively limit the number of families with children that could live […]
More fake reasons for fighting affordable housing
Jim Hummel, an independent journalist who lives in Barrington, took a very different tack than me on the issue of affordable housing in Rhode Island’s favorite suburban utopia. Last fall, he reported Barrington actually has a lot of housing that meets the state’s definition of affordable housing, but that not much of it fits what […]
Why Barrington doesn’t want affordable housing
When it comes to community, Barrington is by many measures Rhode Island’s standard for success. It boasts the best schools and the highest household median income. Crime is low, taxes are reasonable, real estate is valuable and amenities abound. Then how is it that this upper middle class suburban utopia epitomizes the state’s biggest economic […]
Don’t Be Afraid Of Diversity, Barrington
Dear affordable housing-hating Barrington, This is some friendly advice for you from your cross-Bay rival for best public education community in the state, East Greenwich. You might have higher NECAP scores but we have something you don’t: diversity. A lot of people know us as a snobby suburb where affluent executives sleep and send their […]
Community Inequality Is Biggest Economic Obstacle in RI
The biggest problem affecting Rhode Island’s economy is not high taxes, pension benefits or special interests. Not even close. It’s the income inequality that exists between the affluent suburbs and the depressed urban areas. An extremely important post in Pacific Standard today highlights this, in part, by pointing out that while Providence is closing schools […]
Progress Report: Plastic Bags in Barrington; Offshore Wind Farm off Block Island, Cub Scouts in Cranston; Patch, SRIN
Congratulations to Barrington for becoming the first town in Rhode Island to ban plastic grocery bags, and here’s hoping many more municipalities follow suit; such restrictions serve as a great aid in cleaning up Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island’s greatest natural asset. Speaking of firsts, the first offshore wind farm in the United States, which should […]
Progress Report: McCaffrey vs. Pisaturo; Good Times, Bad Times; Recycling Rising; Happy Birthday HP Lovecraft
The WPRI General Assembly debates have been fantastic, and Sunday’s between Sen. Michael McCaffrey and challenger Laura Pisaturo was no exception. The two candidates offer a stark choice for Warwick, especially on marriage equality. McCaffrey is against gay marriage and Pisaturo is in a committed gay relationship and is a vehement supporter of marriage equality. […]
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