Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
Friday, December 20, 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
Arlene Hicks and the Exeter Town Council - Victory on a Saturday! Arlene Hicks, William Monahan, Calvin Ellis, and Bob Johnson survived a recall attempt in rural Exeter, brought about by the Council's proposed changes in gun licensing. One Exeter resident told Time Magazine: “It’s ridiculous. I’m out here at Christmas time because people want to force their agenda. I got more stuff in the mail about this stupid day than about any other election. It’s certainly symbolic of something bigger than our town.”
Helio Melo/House Finance- As Ian Donnis at RI Public Radio notes, "Rhode Island faces an estimated 110 million dollar deficit for the fiscal year starting July first." With that in mind, the House Finance Committee met to discuss with state departments how to prevent overspending and keep agencies within (if not under) budget. Good oversight going into a challenging budget year ahead.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTJonathan Boucher/Democratic Party - The 2009 URI alum and local political field organizer has finished his first month on the job as the new Executive Director of the state Democratic Party. Alongside Party Chairman David Caprio, Boucher shares the goal of "electing the first Democratic Governor in 25 years." We'll see what the GOP says about that.
RI Latino Professionals and Business Leaders Network- The local network of Latino leaders recently hosted Providence School Superintendent Susan Lusi to present the district's strategic plan and discuss education as "the pillar of Latino economic and work force development." The goal throughout the year is to help incubate relationships through events and informal conversations.
Phil Edmonds/Musician - For a quirky Christmas gift, offer the tales of a Providence bard traveling across the country by bus, from New York City to Key West. Edmond, an active local musician, penned "On the Grey Dog in the Sea of Humanity," available in Providence at Books on the Square and Symposium. Happy reading!
Marion Simon - Hats off to the late Marion Simon! As described in the Journal, Simon, 90, was a major power player at Trinity Rep as it developed as a company, moving from Trinity Square on Broad Street to its current location downtown. Simon spearheaded Project Discovery, which allowed tens of thousands of students to experience live theater in the creative capital. Thank you.
Not
J. Patrick O'Shaughnessy /CEO-Advance America - In Rhode Island, pay day lenders like Advance America can charge up to 260% interest. 260%. Every other New England state caps pay day lending interest rates at 36%. Advance America would do well to heed the advice of Fred, Ebenezer Scrooge's nephew: "There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say."
Glass Half Empty - According to Eco RI, "Less than half of the glass collected in Rhode Island is shipped out for reuse or recycling. The rest is mixed with materials that cover the landfill."
Craig Schwalb/WPRO Director of Programming - WPRO does not need to settle for John Depetro. Just walk down Smith Street, and interview the first five people you meet. If any state was full of folks with political opinions, this is it! Start 2014 fresh, and give a new person a chance to shake things up.
Robert A DeRobbio/Urban League - In response to its over $2 million debt, Urban League is lobbying the City Council to amend its deed to allow a sale of the nonprofit's current facility on Prairie Ave. The facility was originally given to the organization by the City for $1, and was promised to revert back to city ownership if Urban League ever vacated. Question: What is the plan to house the dozens of homeless who are currently sheltered by Urban League at the Prairie Ave location?
Job Gaps - As reported in the Providence American, a new study finds, "Native Americans are less likely to be employed than whites nationally and in nearly every state." In Rhode Island, the employment gap between Whites and Native Americans is 16.9%. We fare better than Massachusetts (a 17.3% gap), but worse than Connecticut (a 9.1% gap).
Bill Murphy/Uber-Lobbyist - Murphy, former Rhode Island Speaker of the House, has made quite a business selling his insider knowledge of state government. His lobbying clients include the Second Amendment Coalition (paying him a $15,000 retainer), the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers ($25,000 per session), Twin River ($10,000 monthly), and Advance America ($50,000 per session). The giving spirit!
Related Slideshow: Providence’s Most Dangerous Neighborhoods
Each week, the Providence Police Department releases its "Weekly Crime Comparison Report" on its website. The breakdown covers how many crimes have occured in the past week, past month, and year to date in each Police District and comparing them with the same time interval from the year prior, reflecting changes in crime rates. GoLocal has distilled the key data points from this weeks report to reflect YTD crime data grouped by general category- violent, property, other, and total. We ranked the districts by 2013 violent crimes to date. For the full report as filed by the PPD, click here.
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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?
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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?
