Dan Lawlor: Too Many Left Out of RI’s ‘Growth’
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
"Now, I've been looking for a job, but its hard to find, Down here its winners and losers, Don't get caught on the wrong side of the line" - "Atlantic City", Bruce Springsteen
I've spoken with a few neighbors, friends, and strangers lately about the city, the state, and its future.
Over, and over, and over again I hear a dramatic refrain - "You can't trust any of them, all of these politicians are corrupt, connected, they take care of each other." "We deserve better." "It's not right ..." "They're all crooks..." "The bankers ruined everything." "Something's got to give - it can't keep up like this." "If they're going to be corrupt, at least do something for the people in the city." "They don't know what's going on, these politicians are so isolated, they just take care of their families." "Rich people control everything... what can you do?" "What has Obama done for me?" "I don't know who can fix this - I thought Obama would, but it's bigger than him." "I did everything right, I worked, and its still hard." "It's been so much worse in the last five years." "What the banks and the Republicans have done to this country is horrible. How could they not want people to have healthcare?" "Obama, Romney, I don' think either one of them can fix this." "We have so many empty buildings around, and think about the homeless. We should do something with these buildings, such a waste." "Ignorance is bliss, the more I learn, the angrier I get."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTYears after the crimes of the investment banks began, after Bush's wars and tax cuts, after Obama's Recovery Package and rise of the Tea Party, months after the election of Chafee and Occupy encampments, the fabric is still frayed.
I tend to be an optimist, and I like pointing to organizations that are working. Consider the plethora of wonderful community groups - from RiverzEdge in Woonsocket to Community Music Works in Providence. Consider businesses like Providence En Espanol and the Cornish investments. That said, only a certain of group of people can access those community programs at a given time (both have waitlists), or work with those businesses. Furthermore, what about the lack of programs and groups for the elderly, (particularly in high rises), for job training for the middle class (unless you're a state worker), and for debt relief for homeowners and college graduates?
I believe deeply in quality, monitored, accountable programs to help people gain opportunities and grow. I also believe in second chances. Opportunities should be available to all people - not just the connected, locally or nationally.
The large Occupy march in Providence last year tapped into some of the frustrations people are feeling with the status quo. While coming at it from very different angles, the Tea Party and Ron Paul supporters also tapped into this sense of anger. People are complex, and so is their anger and hope. The Occupy march, of hundreds if not thousands, encapsulated some of the rage and frustration and hope that people have. Like the woman said, "I did everything right, I worked, and its still hard."
I truly fear that the leadership class in this state, and this country, does not care or understand what is happening for many people. Life is not easy. Bills add up. School buildings in the West End and South Side (and South County) are dilapidated. Wages stagnate or decline. Despite the overall decent economy in the Boston-area, jobs are not increasing around here. Our unemployment levels echo the post-industrial cities of Massachusett's long ignored South Coast (Fall River and New Bedford) and the post-industrial cities of Eastern Massachusetts (Holyoke and Springfield). To be fair to Holyoke, its unemployment rates have dropped to around 9%.
I'm excited to see more construction and rehabilitation projects in downcity Providence, particularly on Dorrance. I'd love to see more construction and rehabiltation projects beyond the downcity core. What about downtown Pawtucket, Pascoag, Manville, Centerdale, the Valley neighborhood, Olneyville, the Phenix and Artic Villages in West Warwick, and at the massive abandoned Pontiac Mill complex next to the NYLO Hotel in Warwick. We need to give property owners incentives to fill spaces, and we need to encourage small business owners, community libraries and non-profits as they fill them. Our focus should be more on income and corporate taxes, and less on property taxes and sales tax. Regressive taxes that diminish the purchasing power of large numbers of working people don't help the economy.
I'll always remember talking with an immigrant store owner in the West End who slept overnight in his shop to protect it from robberies, because the response time from the police was slow. People should not pay for services that don't work.
There is an undercurrent of anger and disappointment in this state - homelessness rises, joblessness is steady, churches and private schools close, the Providence Journal lays off staff, property idles, and museums and community centers lay off staff and cut hours. It is not all bad - this state is much more tolerant than it once was, there are not race riots at high schools, there are more opportunities for children to learn skills, we're more LGBT accepting (except for marriage equality), downcity has much more happening than it did a few years ago, community gardens grow, entrepreneurs are trying to reuse some of the remaining mills - either as condos or office space.
Many of Rhode Island's 99% aren't connected to the growth. Many people are left out. Many condos and offices are empty. We've been in a post- factory phase for twenty years. The housing construction bubble hid that. Now the bubble's over, jobs are scarce, and people are hurting. "It's not right..."
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Governor, Madame President, heads of Chamber of Commerce and business, leaders of charities, community groups, and non-profits, what are we not doing right? Help this state.
