Rhode Islands Future: Politics & Culture - Front Page

SKHS STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE

Pat Crowley — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:32:40 GMT

I am glad to see students organizing like this against the war. Great work.

Take Back Public Space! /// Celebrate Resistance! /// No More Oil Wars! CRITICAL MASS

Saturday May 17th at 1 pm local students, activists and families will meet at Curtis Corner Middle School in Wakefield, RI for a community bike parade/ Critical Mass demonstration. Bike riders of all sorts will eventually take to the streets, negotiating the traffic directly as a mass. Participants will be representing a number of causes and ideas. The group will end it's ride at the Village Green in Peace Dale for a picnic, all are welcome!

Tax Free Yachts OK with some. 'course, we'll need to cut education and health care to pay for them

Pat Crowley — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:21:53 GMT

(H/t Firedoglake)

And you can also thank the Providence Chamber of Commerce and Too Many Democrats in Rhode Island for creating the same thing here in Rhode Island.

Now compare the video with what House Finance Committee Chairperson Steve Constantino said in the Journal today:

“This is not a matter of rich versus poor versus middle class. There’s a lot of suffering going on right now,” said House Finance Committee chairman Steven M. Costantino, D-Providence. “I’m not going to add a tax increase. I think it’s an awful message. The poor are suffering; the middle class is suffering. To go to a tax increase at this point without trying to find as many alternatives as possible to make up this deficit, I think is irresponsible.”

The Obamicans

Matt Jerzyk — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:53:07 GMT

MoveOn.org promises to spend $200,000 airing the winner of its user-generated ad contest in Ohio, Colorado, and Wisconsin. The contest drew 1,100 submissions and over 5 million votes.

I Call Your Nader and Raise a Barr

Matt Jerzyk — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:36:06 GMT

The AP is reporting that former Republican Rep. Bob Barr is expected to announce that he's running for president as a Libertarian.

His candidacy would be a wild card in the White House race that many believe would hurt Republican Sen. John McCain.
Barr had scheduled a news conference Monday. He first must win the Libertarian nomination at the party's national convention that begins May 22. Party officials consider him a front-runner thanks to the national profile he developed as a Georgia congressman from 1995 to 2003.
Barr, 59, helped lead Bill Clinton's impeachment. He quit the Republican Party two years ago, saying he had grown disillusioned with its failure to shrink government and its willingness to scale back civil liberties in fighting terrorism.

This is probably good news for Democrats. In case you haven't noticed, John McCain is still not getting 20% - 25% of the diehard Republican primary voters in the most recent elections. These conservatives could mean tough times ahead for McCain in swing states such as PA, OH and VA.

Dominican Elections Rock Providence

Matt Jerzyk — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:10:17 GMT

In anticipation of Friday's presidential election in the Dominican Republic, Providence's Broad St. was alive yesterday with parades, beeping cars, and hundreds of people wearing their political party's colors and urging on their favored candidate. Nearly 6 million Dominicans are registered to vote in Friday's contest - including many living in Providence.

This election will be the first re-election bid for incumbent president Leonel Fernandez (pictured here) of the party known as the PLD (he was president from '96-'00 but couldn't run for re-election). He is being opposed by Miguel Vargas of the PRD (who has lost significant power in the last 4 years) and Amable Aristy of the PRSC (the party of the famed successor to the Trujillo dictatorship, Joaquin Balaguer). Additionally, there are 4 other presidential candidates who are not currently getting more than 3% of the vote in polls.

Fernandez is expected to easily win the 50% of the vote that he needs to avoid a runoff election. A recent April 8th poll showed Fernandez with a commanding lead with 54% of the vote compared to 30% for Vargas and 8% for Aristy.

Fernandez, a lawyer and an academic, has been applauded for his handling of the Dominican economy. Critics have pointed to his inability to solve the country's formidable energy problems and his spending as much on one subway in the capital of Santo Domingo as he spends on education and health care combined: $700 million. To assuage their concerns, Fernandez has promised a "social pact" upon his re-election that will expand social programs and address poverty. This pact might become vitally important since the country's economy is intricately linked to American imports and the sagging American economy.

Back in Providence, Sunday's political celebrations up and down Broad St. were only the culmination of months of efforts by supporters of each candidate. Indeed, many local Democratic Party leaders like the president of the RI Young Democrats, Andy Andujar (a youth PLD leader), have been active in opening local offices, recruiting volunteers, raising money and turning out the vote of expatriate Dominican citizens living all over the world.

Elizabeth Roberts Hosts Meetings in Pawtucket, Warwick

Matt Jerzyk — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:15:57 GMT

In her ninth and tenth community meetings on her affordable health care plan, Mission: Healthy Rhode Island, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts will be visiting Pawtucket and Warwick:

Monday, May 12th at 630pm at the Pawtucket Public Library: 13 Summer Street, Pawtucket More Information
Thursday, May 15th at 630pm at the Warwick Public Library - Central Branch: 600 Sandy Lane, Warwick More Information

Pawtucket and Warwick residents are urged to come out, learn about the efforts to create a universal health care system and ask questions to better understand the challenges ahead.

Republican Governor Stands Tall on Climate Change

Matt Jerzyk — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:24:55 GMT

At least one Republican Governor is tackling the climate change crisis and holding the automakers' feet to the fire.

Today Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following statement after meeting with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers’ Board of Directors:
“The automakers need to have a long-range vision and develop the technology that will make them competitive in the world arena. California and 13 other states want cleaner, more efficient cars... Nearly half of the nation's drivers want automakers to make cleaner cars, which means there's a huge market for these cars. Automakers should get on board and tap into this great market. Today, I made it clear to the automakers that California will not back down in the fight to protect our own environment by regulating pollution that causes global warming. We will continue to press the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to grant our request for a waiver, and we will use legal remedies if they fail to do so. Hiding behind the federal government's proposed CAFE standards won't work, and it won't effectively reduce the pollution that causes global warming. In fact, I believe the federal government should adopt California's model; with 13 other states on board, we are heading in the right direction.”

Paging Don Carcieri ...

Oh wait, he must be swamped with work in dealing with that foreclosure crisis. No?

Then, it must be that he's bringing experts and advocates together to solve the health care crisis. No?

Gas prices? Public Schools? Budget woes? Property taxes?

What exactly IS the Governor doing?

Interested in the Immigration Issue? See The Visitor

joeouellette — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:17:27 GMT

Anyone interested in the immigration issue should go see The Visitor. RI's own Richard Jenkins turns in an absolute masterful performance. Now playing in Seekonk Rt6;Tuesday is cheap night--5 bucks

Click here to see for yourself.

The Boston Globe: To the rest of America, Richard Jenkins is a talented character actor with everyman versatility, imperfect skin, and a long, vaguely familiar resume. Probably best known as the wryly haunting patriarch on HBO's "Six Feet Under," and with more than 70 films and television shows to his credit, he's suddenly getting media attention for making his big-screen leading-man debut in "The Visitor," writer-director Tom McCarthy's follow-up to the critically acclaimed "The Station Agent."

“Oscar, take note.”
Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE

“Best movie I’ve seen all year? Hands down.”
Lou Lumenick, NY POST

“…manages to surprise you along the way...”
AO Scott, NY TIMES

“…heartfelt and heartening drama…”
Joe Morgenstern, WALL STREET JOURNAL

“See The Visitor.”
Andrew Sarris, NY OBSERVER

“You can't help but be uplifted.”
Claudia Puig, USA TODAY

“In ‘Visitor’, friendship inspires liberty and a quest for justice.”
Carina Chocano, LA TIMES

“A marvelous film! The Visitor will make you think, and feel, and care about the world you live in.”
Rex Reed, NY Observer

A Study in Contrasts

Matt Jerzyk — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:55:30 GMT

Political Scene examines the diversity of the RI Democratic Party and the extraordinary ability of Rep. David Segal to bring young people, Republicans, artists, Independents, Democratic activists and social justice advocates together:

It was a tale of two Democratic parties Thursday night.

At Providence Prime restaurant, on Federal Hill, a group of party elite fundraisers and elected officials met for a private dinner with Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean. Huddling with Dean were Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, state General Treasurer Frank Caprio, fundraising activist Susan Weiner, former Providence Mayor Joseph R. Paolino Jr., state AFL-CIO president Frank Montanaro, AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer George Nee, Edna O’Neill Mattson, the party’s national committeewoman, business leader Alan Hassenfeld and Richard Licht, the former lieutenant governor.

Dean, a former Vermont governor, exchanged greetings with old Rhode Island friends and then quickly retreated to the private dinner in the back of Prime, the restaurant favored by Bill Clinton when he is in town. The group was brought together by Mark Weiner, Clinton confidant and top party fundraiser. Dean was in town prospecting for campaign money for the fall campaign against Republicans.

The Federal Hill confab was a somewhat buttoned-down affair; across town, a comparatively raucous Democratic event was in full swing: a fundraiser for Rep. David Segal, D-Providence, who represents the Fox Point neighborhood, a slice of the city’s downtown and East Providence. Segal’s time, held at Nick-a-Nees, the celebrated tavern in the city’s Jewelry District, drew hundreds of young Democrats.

Click here to keep reading.

Sen. Whitehouse Community Dinner in Bristol

Matt Jerzyk — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:39:34 GMT

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse continues his outstanding community dinner series this Sunday, May 18th, in Bristol. The event starts at 500pm at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 237 at 850 Hope Street in Bristol. These town hall-style dinners, which are free and open to the public, give Rhode Islanders the opportunity to talk directly with Whitehouse about the issues that matter most to them and their families.

RECAP: Vote for Change, (Providence, RI)

Kim Ahern — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:48:51 GMT

Yesterday's Vote for Change event here in Rhode Island was a huge success! We registered a couple hundred new voters and it was incredible to think this was going on in every state across the country. Sen. Obama had this to say of the event:

"If we're going to push back on the special interests and finally solve the challenges we face, we're going to need everyone to get involved," said Senator Obama. "Over the next six months, Vote for Change is going to bring new participants into the process, adding scores of new voices to this critical dialogue about our future. I started my career as a community organizer, and I worked to register voters in communities where hope was all but lost. I've seen what can happen when Americans re-engage and take ownership in the process."

Below are some pictures I took of the event. It was also great that Congressman Kennedy and Attorney General Lynch joined us and got all the volunteers fired up and ready to go!

SNL Spoofs Clinton/Obama Again

Matt Jerzyk — Sun, 11 May 2008 22:12:08 GMT

Happy Mother's Day!

Matt Jerzyk — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:01:43 GMT

Dear Jim Hagan: Hi! My Name is Pat

Pat Crowley — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:23:12 GMT

Dear Jim:

I understand that you don’t want to say my name on TV, though it seems rather silly if you ask me. But I would appreciate it if you at least quote me correctly. On this Sunday’s Lively Experiment, you referred to a piece I published in the Providence Business News about what people earn and what people pay in tax (“Taxes are income redistribution, pure and simple” 3/24/08). Next time I would appreciate it if you get it correct. What I said was that 48.5% of the folks in Rhode earn only 3% of the income. But I understand why you screwed it up – it doesn’t fit in the world view you have used to convince yourself about the righteousness of protecting wealth at the expense of working and middle class families.

To give you a better sense of what the numbers say, please check this out:

But what about the rest of us? After all, nearly 50% (48.7%) of the returns filed were for incomes BELOW $30,000 a year. And while this group pays 4% of the state’s income tax they actually earn only 3% of the income in the market. The $100,000-$200,000 group earns 24% of the wages but only pay 23% of the income taxes, and the $75,000-$100,000 group earns earn 14% of the wages but only pay 12% of the income taxes. This takes the “progressiveness” out of the “progressive” income tax. And because the other taxes people pay are “regressive” (property tax, sales taxes, etc) the picture becomes more clear – people at the bottom end of the income scale, not the top, are paying more than their fair share.

And it’s ok to say me name… really. It will only hurt a little bit.

Sunday TV News

Matt Jerzyk — Sat, 10 May 2008 23:00:00 GMT

10 News Conference – 6:30am on NBC - RI Housing's Richard Godfrey
Newsmakers – 6:30am on CBS and 10:00am on FOX - DOC director A.T. Wall
On the Record with Jim Hummel – 7:30am on ABC - David Smith of the RI EMA and Christine Lopes from Common Cause
FOX News Sunday - 9:00am on FOX - Obama's Axelrod and Clinton's Wolfson
Jim Vincent Show – 9:00am on UPN - Herbert Underwood from the RI Prince Hall Mason's 150th Celebration and A.T. Wall from the DOC
This Week with George Stephanopoulos – 930am on ABC - Harry Reid and McCain chairwoman Carly Fiorina
Meet the Press – 10:00am on NBC - Chris Dodd & Terry McAuliffe
Face the Nation - 10:30am on CBS - John Edwards, Terry McAuliffe
CNN Late Edition - 11:00am on CNN - Reps. Roy Blunt, Chris Van Hollen, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez (Ret.), Iraqi Ambassador to the U.S. Samir Sumaidaie
A Lively Experiment – 12:00pm on PBS - Another conservative panel with moderator Jim Hagan.
McLaughlin Group – 12:30pm on PBS