Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
Friday, November 15, 2013
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.
HOT
Allan Fung and Ken Block - The GOP rivals are off to a training meeting sponsored by Republican Governor's Association (which is chaired by Brown alum Bobby Jindal), to plan and prep for the 2014 cycle. Jindal has made national news calling on the GOP to move away from "offensive and bizarre comments" and "to get busy winning the argument…and then, after that…winning the next election."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTJobs with Justice - Fast Food workers have been demanding decent pay and decent wages across the country- and the movement just came to Wendy's in Warwick. JwJ argues, "The fast food industry makes millions in profits every year, but pays their workers poverty wages. The pay is so bad that companies have been telling their workers they should rely on government aid programs like food stamps and Medicaid. That’s outrageous." Thursday afternoon saw a rally for higher pay and unionization.
Keith Oliviera and the School Board - Kudos to the current school board for being much more responsive to families and student voices than in the past- and for calling Central Office to account. Parent activists, City Councilors and students from Young Voices and the Providence Student Union led the charge for more accountability and transparency in district decisions on school closings this past Tuesday. Speaking of which, didn't the Mayor make a campaign promise for a student representative on the board?
Michael Integlia Jr./Integlia and Co. - Right near the airport, there is a symbol of Warwick's industrial past: the Elizabeth Mill. Kudos to the Intelgia firm for embracing "adaptive reuse" to preserve the site and turn it into a mixed use facility . As Mayor Scott Avedesian told Providence Business News, the mill is "a reminder of the individuals who worked here and helped to shape our community. I thank Mike for recognizing this and being willing to preserve the building.
Jason Yoon - The education director of the Queens Museum of Art, formerly ED of Providence's own New Urban Arts (NUA), is prominently giving props to Providence in a new Wallace Foundation Report . Speaking on the philosophy of NUA, “There is a dignity when an adult whom you admire, whom you look up to, who is an artist you probably want to be like, asks you what you are interested in, what you are trying to make, what are the questions you are asking in your life.” Awesome.
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of RI - Kudos to the local insurance powerhouse for doing the decent thing and not slithering with the national trend of canceling people's policies due to changes caused by the Affordable Care Act. We'll see what happens next year.
Andrew Gobiel - The former ABC 6 and WPRO reporter is crowd-sourcing to support a new book project asking: How did local television news reporters cover and respond to the Civil Rights Movement? As he writes, "broadcast journalists faced a difficult fight, as the owners of the stations they worked for were part of the power structure that wanted no part of integration." Check out Gobiel's new beat.
NOT
Angel Taveras - Taveras doesn't need his last year as Mayor to be an going job fair for the families of well-connected people. First, City Councilor John Igliozzi's brother, David, became a municipal judge. Next, former House Majority leader George Caruolo's son, Andrew, was hired to be a $3000 month lobbyist for the city. Any Democratic State Committee relatives need a job?
Susan Lusi - The transportation policy for the district is leaving hundreds of students tardy every day. At Tuesday's school board, well into the night, representatives from PPSD admitted they did not faithfully implement transit recommendations. Why pay a consultant if you're not going to listen?
David Cicilline - As a general aside to the whole Alvarez High School issue, it is ridiculous that the former Mayor - and current Congressman- allowed the school to be constructed on a known toxic waste site, once home of Gorham Manufacturing. Despite community opposition, Alvarez was built in 2007, and must utilize an expensive air filtration system to prevent harmful "Volatile Organic Compounds" from impacting the students and faculty while in the building.
SNAP snapped - 17% of Rhode Islanders are affected by the recent cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (what used to be the Food Stamp program). For far too many retired, underemployed and unemployed Rhode Islanders, tight food budgets became even tighter. Has the catering budget at the Congress been trimmed?
Declining Diversity? - As Go Local reported, with the departure of Connie Howes (Women and Infants) and Merill Sherman (Bank RI), the status of high ranking women CEOs in the state is in flux. As Dr. Nancy Carriulo, President of Rhode Island College, argues, "The real question is whether or not Rhode Island will encourage and support women in the pipeline."
Superman Building - The Industrial Trust tower is vacant, and the world knows it. In recent weeks, two stories ran in the New York Times highlighting the " soaring hollowness " in the center of our city. Dan Barry mused, "Like a chastened Ozymandias," the tower "whispers: Now what?"
Related Slideshow: Check Out The Grades: Rhode Island Hospitals Report Card
A recent survey released by The Leapfrog Group assigns a Hospital Safety Score, using the report card system of A to F to each of the hospitals in Rhode Island. These grades are based on expert analysis of injuries, infections and errors that cause harm or death during a hospital stay.
Let's see how each of Rhode Island's hospitals were graded from highest to lowest:
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- Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
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- Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
- Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
- Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
- Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
- Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
- Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
- Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
- Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
