Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?

Friday, August 16, 2013

Dan Lawlor, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

 

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In response to the discovery of a kidnapped minor working in a strip club, Michael Solomon is supporting requires BCI checks for performers.

Every Friday, Dan Lawlor breaks down who's rising and who's falling in the world of Rhode Island politics. Check out who made the lists this week.

Who's hot

Michael Solomon: The City Council President is sponsoring a common sense ordinance requiring performers at the numerous strip clubs across the city to undergo a BCI check. As Solomon notes, “Relying only on a driver’s license or a state-issued photo identification card as proof of age has proven to be problematic in a number of cases." Hopefully, this will ensure minors aren't involved in the waterfront business.

Elizabeth Roberts: Her constitutional office is unnecessary, but her personal interest in quality healthcare has given her a good platform to host collaboration across agencies. Rhode Island was ranked #2 nationally for best nursing home and elder care in the country, and folks from Catherine Taylor to Karen Heren praised Roberts and Rhode Island's collaborative approach to elder care, which brings the trade associations and inspectors to the table to improve training, care and monitoring. May we be #2 in every positive national listing!

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Providence Coffee Culture: #4 works too. GoLocal reports that Providence ranks #4, nationally, for the quality of our coffee brews. As Sabina Matos suggested, supporting small business is the key to our growth (and good recognition!)

Sojourner House, Day One, Destiny House: The murders of Evelyn Burgos and Vanessa Perez remind us of the importance of standing for healthy relationships and families, and standing strong against predators. Each of these organizations fights against the day to day fear of domestic violence, and works to build up a community where people are free and empowered. Consider donating to them.

Rod Driver: The former state representative challenged a very polite Congressman Langevin at a community forum in Cranston this week. At one point, Driver asked, "If you're in support of the NSA spying, how do you reconcile that with the Fourth Amendment?" Langevin argued that Edward Snowden's revelations of the secret NSA spy program have "given transparency to our enemies," and spoke of the challenge balancing security and privacy. Driver dryly rebutted, "Why don't you just rescind the Bill of Rights?" 

Marilyn Cepeda Sanchez and Huascar Beato: Kudos to Sanchez, Beato and the whole team at Quisqueya in Action, the organizers of the popular Dominican  festival! Among the dozens of festivities, Yamil Baez, and her daughters Tatiana and Ariana, paid homage to the Mirabal sisters–fearless women who spoke out against the corrupt, violent dictator Rafael Trujillo.  

Film Tax Credits: At a forum at Brown this past Spring, Hollywood Producer David Bartis said bluntly,"We go where the tax credits are." Rhode Island had a string of films and TV shows made in the Ocean State in the 2000s–from Showtime's Brotherhood to Disney's Underdog. Similar to the re-instated historic tax credits, we should bring back regulated film tax credits to attract jobs and production in the creative capital.

Who's not

Jim Langevin: Langevin's support for NSA surveillance is attracting critics from Sam Bell at the Progressive Democrats to 2012 GOP US Senate candidate Barry Hinckley. Hinckley, previously endorsed by Ron Paul's Liberty PAC, writes, "Ben Franklin said it best, 'Any society what would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.'"

Gordon Fox: While most of the brouhaha related to the Board of Education ethics and transparency has rightly been directed at the Governor and Chairperson, it was the General Assembly that helped create this mess by waiting until the last minute to create this new super Board of Education. Late night law making has failed us again.

H. Charles Tapalian, Owner of Cheaters: His strip club had a kidnapped minor dancing in it, and an act of prostitution allegedly occurred in his club. The woman involved in the alleged prostitution was arrested. He wasn't. 

Debt Ratio: The Cato Institute (that DC-based scary in their ideological consistency libertarian outfit) is criticizing the state for our high debt. By their numbers, we have the #2 worst level of debt. If all those bonds meant the buses ran on time, the roads really were smooth, urban schools didn't have orange or brown drinking water, and rural schools didn't have leaks, things would be great. Unfortunately, we appear to have high debt and uneven services to show for it.  

Homelessness: Alongside an increase in robberies, homelessness remains high (nearly 5,000 documented cases statewide). The GA approved a $750,000 investment in affordable housing for the chronically homeless - not the $3 million needed to house every chronic homeless person- but a step in the right direction. Let's hope for some good results.

Lincoln Chafee: During the 2010 campaign, then-Independent Governor Chafee said, "There's no doubt that there's a connection between the cronyism and corruption in Rhode Island, and our inability to grow our economy." Since that promise, Chafee has become a Democrat, Joseph Montalbano has become a Superior Court Judge, Charlie Fogarty directs the Department of Labor and Training, Richard Licht runs the Department of Administration, Steve Costantino is head of Health and Human Services, and the head of the Board of Education violated ethics laws.

 

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