RHODE ISLAND'S LEGACY

Has the Lively Experiment Failed

2014-10-24T10:52:00.001-07:00

Monetary chairs is the Rhode Island solution to its economic problems. Who will be the last standing? Casinos are not the economic development machines they are portrayed to be, they are re-distributional mechanism dependent on Massachusetts players leaving more money here than the owners and operators take out of the State.

Pay to play schemes are an invisable tax that benefits the politician at the expense of tax payers. Before we lower taxes and cut programs, maybe we should stop the pay to play taxes extorted by our politician and their Zombies.

A good place to start would be the sweet heart deals with Union Leaders that help to insure both the leaders and politicians re-election while condemning the next generation of tax payers and union members on pensions to poverty from underfunded pension programs.

Prison would be a good place to send those who use alleged ballot interference tactics to influence the Providence election process. True or not it, such publicity only helps to reenforce that the public's perception that the Good Old Buddy Days are back. And frighten off prospective investors.

Moral obligation bonds are a contradiction in terms. They are fiction approved by a legislature that has no morals and which feel their only obligation is toward themselves not the tax payers. This is no way to build an economy. I guess that they feel because when the Heritage Bank failed they got all their money back at tax payer expense that the tax payers will be willing bail out any private company they approve, regardless where they are from or how the deal was made.

The Bishop, who thinks he is Pope of Rhode Island, forgets that Roger Williams founded this state on the principle of separation of church and state. The Bishop seems to feel that this entitles him to declare his church's dogma should rule over all matters of personal conscious for everyone in the state to the exclusion of all points of view. He and his Tea Party allies would love to see a Constitutional Convention be given the opportunity to overturn the principle established in the Charter and the Federal Constitution.

Rather than hold a Constitutional Convention to change things in the state, we might be better off just trying to play by the rules we have. The first step for such change to elect honest representatives who represent the best of the state and throw out the insiders who lie and cheat to get your vote by promising everything and leaving you and us with nothing..

Has the lively experiment failed? Maybe we will see in this election.

Back to the Future with Buddy Cianci????

2014-09-26T15:15:00.001-07:00

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Can Buddy do it again and then are we that stupid and masochistic to be fooled a third time?

I have just read where Buddy Cianci, the independent candidate for mayor of Providence and two time convicted felon, has 38% of the public supporting his candidacy for a third round of fooling the public. I will admit up front that I do not live or vote in Providence, so maybe I should not be critical of the Providence electorate. The voters of Providence certainly have the right to elect their own mayor. The rest of us Rhode Islanders should respect that right. However, when the mayor of Providence engages in actions that harm the welfare of all the citizens of Rhode Island, then I feel we have a right to express our opinion and to advocate for what is in the interest of the whole state.

Buddy, The Prince of Providence, did many things for and to Providence during his tenures as Mayor, but these all followed one rule. That rule was if it was good for Buddy then it must be good for Providence. A corollary to that rule was, if it was good for Providence, then Buddy should be paid first. Corruption, the charge that eventually landed the mayor in prison and forced him out of office for the second time, is a TAX on the people.It is a tax just like the City's official taxes, except that the money goes to one individual who, in turn, buys the votes, loyalty and services of a gang of co-conspirators. The divert funds slip away from the public interest and into the pockets of those who privately benefit from the conspiracy. It means that we pay more for less and lower quality for the public services that our tax dollars were supposed to support. Do we need this again?

I recently had the opportunity to read Mike Stanton's book," The Prince of Providence: The True Story of Buddy Cianci, America's Most Notorious Mayor, Some Wiseguys, and the Feds." I was truly surprised by the depth of corruption upon which the Providence Renaissance was build and the price the citizens had and have to pay to correct the problems created.

The Providence Journal as recently conducted a Providence Journal./WPRO political poll which shows Cianci, at this time, 9 - 24 - 2014, leading his opponents with a 38% preference of those polled while the Democratic candidate, Jorge Elorza is polling 32.4% and the Republican,Harrop at 6%. But as the Projo pointed out in an editorial on 9 - 26 - 2014 that name recognition is still a major factor in the results. More significant, I feel, is that 41% felt that Buddy;s corruption conviction would have little or no impact on their view of the candidate.

I would strongly suggest any objective voter in Providence take the time to read Stanton's book to gain an understanding of the Buddy, the man, and Buddy, the MAYOR. If ever there was a case of Breaking Bad this is a classic one. Has anyone ever wondered what happened to Pfizer's plan to locate a major plant at Fields Point? Why and how we, as a State, lost all those jobs and tax revenue that that deal would have produced? How the ego of one local politician to get ahead of the Governor for credit for the deal, scotched it? Read the book!

We don't need to go back to the Buddy future. The world has changed and Rhode Island has changed. Rhode Island needs to go into a NEW future with a new outlook and new image. Providence plays an important role in that effort.

Buddy is filled with ideas, some pipe dreams, some outlandish, and some very sound and practical. Let him use the bully pulpit of his radio show to expound on these. But let's have a new voice, more in tune with the times, and who is willing to work with and for the community take charge of Providence;s future, rather than working for himself and his cronies.

Ken Block: Visionary Leader or Just Another RI Political Narcissist?

2013-07-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

On July 23, 2013 an article appeared in the Providence Journal by Katherine Gregg, the Journal's State House reporter entitled, "Moderate Party’s Block hires experienced political operative Jeff Britt."

As a Centrist or Liberal Republican, I was impressed by Mr. Ken Block's efforts to create a vision for Rhode Island. He presented that vision through the creation of the Moderate Party. The old Republican party, locally, has been effectively neutralized. It is a failure as much because of the local Democrat lock on the General Assembly as it is due to the right-wing extremism the national Republican Party. As a result those of us who are centrists or independents here in Rhode Island have made divided government (Democrat General Assembly vs Republican Governor) a standard solution to an otherwise dysfunctional state government.

Mr. Block and the Moderate Party appeared on the scene to offer an alternative for the vast majority of us who feel disenfranchised by the current Rhode Island political jungle.

So it was with great surprise and disappointment when I read yesterday's Projo story that Mr. Block is considering a run for the Governorship under the Republican banner. Mr. Block stated his reason as

“I am not running because I want 5 percent … to keep a party alive on principle,” said Block, who is running a second time for governor. “I am running to win this race.”

I had to ask myself, "Where is the idealism, the vision, and commitment he expressed in his message to the public about the mission of the Moderate Party?" Where is the commitment when he says on the Moderate Party website "Rhode Island does not need career politicians. We need dedicated volunteers who are problem solvers and who are willing to serve the public for a limited time."

For those who have supported the Moderate Party and those of us who have thought to join the Moderate Party now we are left with questions

Is Mr.Ken Block the public spirited idealist, visionary who formed the Moderate Party and volunteer his talents and corporation to help "to root out social service waste and fraud"
.
Or is Mr. Ken Block just another RI Narcissist who wants to gratify his own ego like other narcissists, e.g. Governor Donald Carcieri, Mayor Buddy Cianci, etc.

Is the Moderate Party Chairman's ego too big that he now feels politically constrained by the grand vision he once professed and sold to the public?

Or maybe, his initial vision and commitment is too weak and tentative to lead challenges that the process of building of a new political structure for Rhode Island would require?

Then too, maybe the Tea Party allure is just too much for his narcissistic ambition?

We are left today with question, "Who is Ken Block?

SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY AND Rhode Island

2013-01-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

On December 14, 11 days before Christmas in the year 2012 one of the most hateful and viscous partisan political years in my personal memory,

“Adam Lanza, age 20, fatally shot twenty children and six adult staff members and wounded two at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the village of Sandy Hook in the town of Newtown, Connecticut. Before driving to the school, Lanza had shot and killed his mother, Nancy Lanza, at their Newtown home. After killing students and staff members, Lanza committed suicide by shooting himself in the head as first responders arrived.” From Wikipedia

Since that date a tremendous amount of public outrage has been vented against guns, gun ownership, gun laws, gun rights from both the general public and the radical extremist on both ends of the political spectrum.

That we should see such an outpouring of concern and emotion is good and healthy, especially after such a painful confrontation with our own failings as a human beings and as a society. It is venting the sick and misguided venom of a partisanship that is blinding us to the common interest we share for the safety of one another and our future, our children.

Here in Rhode Island there has been concern for our neighbors to the west and reflections that there but for an act of God that could be us. Over the past week (since January 1.) there have appeared Op-Ed pieces in the Providence Journal from the Jewish and Catholic community, a personal observation by Congressman Langivan (a survivor of a gun accident), and today by Allen Hassenfeld focusing on priorities. Letters and comments also appear in the local letter to the editor and the web-based versions. Many good points are being made, many simplistic solutions proposed, and many self serving offers or promotions served up. All of this, points to complexity of our motives and feelings toward the GUN as physical objects and their use generates.

The central issue, I feel, is how does a civilized society based on the principle of individuality, freedom of choice and self expression survive when the power of life and death is granted to every citizen without any control or constraint from the community in which the individual lives? What happens when the social controls we, as citizens, agree to live under through our system of laws and collective decision making are surrendered to super-rich plutocrats with private armies and the mentally deranged psycho- and sociopathic, isolated, and alienated individual with an assault rifle? What is the proper role of government and the citizenry?

Roger Williams founded Rhode Island based on the principle that the answer to question the rights of diversity and the majority was not civil war of the majority against the minority. The answer he proposed is a civil debate based on the “tolerance” of the other’s views and interests.

Over the years I have heard many complaints about the word “tolerance.” It is too weak, too insincere, too “liberal,” too “conservative.” What I believe I am hearing when people reject or question the word, is a demand for ideological purity of principle, rather than a pragmatic acceptance that there will always be different points of view. Each of these has legitimate perspectives and claims. These are claims that arise as much from experience and they do from any “purity” the adherent might claim.

Tolerance is a term used in physics and engineering to describe just how much room there is between the ideal stress that can be applied to a material and the amount of actual stress that can be applied to the material before it fails.

Rhode Island’s lively experiment, envisioned by Roger Williams, has been and is a social experiment in the tolerance of something called civil society. Since civil society is made up of imperfect material, humans and their self interests, the question is when it comes to the GUN, what are we willing to tolerate? Sandy Hook is a test of our resolve.

Can we tolerate the murder of 22 children as price we are willing to pay for the right of some people to own a GUN with minimum supervision and regulation by the community into which they bring their GUN? Or do we insist that to own a GUN, because of its power to kill and maim, carries with it a higher standard responsibility and a lower tolerance than applies to other objects in our society. What is our tolerance for GUN ownership and GUN rights?

Here in Rhode Island we are beginning the debate. Here in Rhode Island we must exercise our rights under the 1st Amendment to determine our own course within the very broad and vague provisions of the 2^nd Amendment.

There are consequences for every action. There will be consequences from whatever we decide. Let us take seriously the potential costs of unintended consequence. Let us learn from Sandy Hook and tighten up our legal standards to the right GUN ownership and lower our personal tolerance for personal misuse of GUNS here in Rhode Island.

Also check out: Americans for Responsible Solutions Gabby Gifford initiative

A Rhode Island Treasure

2012-10-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

COGGESHALL FARM MUSEUM is a working late 18th Century farm located Bristol, Rhode Island next to Colt State Park.

38 Studio - The Blame game begins

2012-05-25T09:57:00.002-07:00

I find it interesting but again not unpredictable that the blame game has begun. Having been in the position of being an interim director of several organizations in my life time -- the present situation seems all to familiar.

Gov. Chafee, like President Obama, will get the blame for the sins of their predecessor. The public and the press (media) operating on a short term memory basis will blame the individual who is closest to the victim when they (the media) arrive on the scene. That is, we were and are facing an economic crisis both here in Rhode Island and nationally. It is a crisis brought on by our own actions in the current culture of greed. Our elected leaders are showing their true courage and in some other cases their lack there of.

To be the Governor of ALL the people or President of ALL the people, is like a being a the first Trauma Doctor at the scene on 9/11. You have to jump in do your job the best you can and make choices about which victims to treat and which can wait. Regardless of what you do, somebody will blame you for those you did not treat.

Chafee was constrained in his role with the EDC and by the crony capitalist deal by the baseball player, the former Big Audit Governor (does anyone remember that campaign pledge) and the incompetent Leadership in the State House who love to pass those sweetheart deals. While Chafee opposed the deal before he was elected, he was saddled with it and the personnel who oversaw it. The Executive Director of EDC was in on the deal in the beginning with the former Governor. One would expect he would be most knowledgeable about the details and immediately responsible for monitoring and managing the loan guarantees on a day to day basis.

Governor Chafee came into office inheriting the credit rating cut, the pension problem, state and local revenue short falls, a Republican, --WHOOOPS!! I got the Congress and the State Legislature mixed up here -- a Democrat Legislature, and a Press fueled by the Tea Party mentality that would neven consider the revenue side of fixing these problems, etc. We all concentrated on the BIG issues and expected that those in-charge of the specific programs would do their job as PUBLIC SERVANTS in the tax payer's and citizens' interests.

I know from experience that when you find yourself in this situation you set priorities. Then you move ahead putting trust in the people you have inherited as well as those you hire. Some of the people you inherit turn out to be either incompetent and/or part of the problem. They will bale out the moment things get uncomfortable, leaving behind their own failures as well as the failure of those over whom you entrusted them to oversee or regulate. But haven't we seen this before in reference to Wall Street?

The point here is simple, Chafee's job from today forward is to try to solve the problem as best as he can and with the sincere help and support of those who care about the present and future interest of the State, the taxpayers, and the former employees of 38 Studios

38 Studio is a local case of the larger problem we face. It brings to mind Socrates' age old question, "Who will guard the Guardians?"

38 Studios - Crony Capitalism is alive and well in Rhode Island

2012-05-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

The crisis at EDC and 38 Studio reflect the problem of crony capitalism at its best. Having written about this while the deal was being negotiated, I can't say that this comes as surprise.

The public's money should never be invested in a start-up in a mature market. All one is doing is buying out the original investors (the capitalist who are cashing in their investment) and replacing it with public money. This is what an IPO, such a Facebook, is supposed to do.

From an economic development perspective public investment should go to infrastructure improvements that will have a longer term value and benefit for the taxpayers and improve the environment into which private investors might decide to locate.

If anyone has been watching the market for video games, it has been shifting. As a start-up, it would make more sense if 38studio had been creating Game APPS for smart phones to reach a wider audience, quicker, at lower risk and cost and used the experience to work out the problems that come to all start-ups. Instead they went for the Big Hit with its high risk, high cost and, untested team.

The video game business is not a new business. It is a variation on the movie business as 38 Studios has claimed as the rationale for applying for the movie tax credits. The movie business isolates the product from the company by creating a corporation for the movie placing the risk in that company and still controlling the upside.

In 38 Studios we had a company with no product at the time of the deal. Today it seems that we may have a product without a company. Is the state considering putting a lien on the box game, to guarantee our investment?

Arlene Violet has her take on the situation She points out that “As reported by Ted Nesi of Nest’s Notes on WPRI’s website, 38 Studios was removed from the list of companies scheduled to present at next month’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, a sort of World Series of offerings in the electronic game industry.” Such cut back in marketing effort is another sure sign that things are not right.

As for the tax credits if granted, they can be sold to raise cash, as the Projo’s story pointed out. But for the tax payers, those credits mean less tax revenue from whom ever buys and uses them. In turn, it means an additional RI tax payer contribution to 38 Studios on top the $ 75M loan guarantee.

Another problem is the potential loss of the human capital that we, as tax payers, have invested in to staff and provide the talent for 38Studios. Now that the wounded animal has left blood in the water, the sharks have gathered to bite off the prime cuts (top talent). Will there be enough talent left if the funding situation can be resolved to have a company? And if not, can we still keep that talent here or will we be exporting it to Massachusetts?

38Studios is NOT GM. Its success or failure is NOT going to destroy the economy. One hopes that some investors will be found to refinance and restructure the company so that it is a success. Governor Chafee is to be commended for getting on top of the problem as quickly as he has in an attempt to protect tax payer interests and by being an active participant in the effort to find a solution to the problems.

But one also hopes that the blind, star struck, politicians in this state have learned something from this. And that lesson is that we, the tax payer, are paying them do their due diligence before throwing tax payer money at deals that no self respecting or even greedy bank would turn down.

Crony Capitalism and Sweetheart Union deals are the cause of our economic problems. I, for one, am happy to see that something is now being done to move us in a sane direction.

Is Rhode Island TOO SMALL TO SUCCEED?

2012-03-27T05:37:00.000-07:00

Once Rhode Island lead the Today it follows.

"Another credit agency drops Providence's rating closer to junk-bond status"

This is the heading appeared on the Providence Journal Website today 3/27/2012. It is just one more in a long series of stories that appear in the local press chronicling the economic decline of Rhode Island. The question is, "Has the economic conditions of a global economy made Rhode Island's political structure of cities and towns TOO SMALL TO SUCCEED?"

The Independent Man

For years, those in power first the Republican establishment mill owners and later the Democrat controlled labor unions have feed off of the fractured political structure of independently incorporated towns and villages that have made up the state and representation in the state legislature.In the process they created a system of fractured government that first gave power to the Mill Owners and later to the unions to create an inefficient public finance and service system. A sense of entitlement has created a system of waste and duplication of public services. Nepotism have been ingrained into the body politic.

The small scale of government that this structure creates has been pointed to as an asset. "Where else," I have heard it said, "can one go directly to your representative and talk to them about your concerns and problems and get results?"

Rhode Island's national image has become a laughing stock and a liability in efforts to attract industry and investment. The image is one of a mismanaged mess. At the center of the problem is the small scale of local

Public pension programs are the big problem facing tax payers, municipalities, and the very quality of life here in the Ocean State

Rhode Island preparating for Bankruptcy? The New Legislative District Maps

2012-02-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

Today's Providence Journal online carries a map of the proposed redistricting maps for the Rhode Island U.S Congressional districts based on the 2010 census. There is something very interesting in these maps. Click on the above link. What do you see?

Given the threat of more city and town bankruptcies and the narrow minded greed of the special interests who can't see the bigger picture, here are some thoughts about the maps and what they might mean for the Lively Experiment.

Can you see the potential if Rhode Island goes bankrupt?

The current (2/2012) district lines

Proposals F & E both, would move the district line to the east and make for a division that more closely aligns with the natural boundaries created by the Blackstone River and Narragansett Bay

Proposal F

Proposal E

What would it mean, if Rhode Island were to be the first state to go bankrupt? Because the population balance is fairly even, just think how easy it would be to use Proposal E to simply divide the Districts equally between Massachusetts (District 1) and Connecticut (District 2).

The boundaries are almost perfectly aligned with the natural boundaries created by the river and the bay. Woonsocket and Pawtucket might have to become the twin cities, Woon, CT and Socket, MA and Paw, CT and Tucket, MA, for example. Or maybe West Woonsocket (CT) and East Woonsocket (MA) and East Pawtucker (MA) and West Pawtucket (CT).

In the case of State Bankruptcy, this would make sense. Just like a failed bank, the Federal government might have to step in and force a merger. There might be a contest between CT and MA over the assets. Just think of the potential!

First of all, there would be two seats in Congress (a major asset) at stake. What would happen to them?

For Connecticut, the South County beaches would certainly benefit its tourism business as well as the privately held Twin River Gambling facilities in Lincoln. Meanwhile, Massachusetts would gain Newport's attraction as a tourist center, and the gambling facilities at Newport Grand.

The economic value of Narragansett Bay would benefit for both states.

CT would get the west shore with Quonset Point thus bringing in the whole of Electric Boat's Sub operation under the state's tax system (maybe they could do a better job than Rhode Island has with this gem). In addition they would get the Port of Providence and a second Ivy League university, as well as RISD, J&W, PC, and most of the Rhode Island University system.

MA would get control of the east passage in the Bay. It would get Roger Williams University and Salve Regina and the Naval War College. It would also gain Raytheon and its subcontractors The merger would bring the eastern side of Narragansett Bay (Aquidnick Island and Bristol Co, RI) under the same state jurisdiction and unite it with Mount Hope Bay (Fall River, MA) and the Taunton River watershed (Taunton, MA). This would have the potential of creating a single, integrated economic development district in southeastern MA with direct access to the sea.

By the way, it would also lead to County government!!!

Such mergers might create something that might be TOO BIG TO FAIL. And if they did fail in the future, it would set the stage for another merger -- the Super State of Southern New England. In any case, Rhode Island's bankruptcy would mark the end of the Lively Experiment.You can see all there in the maps.

Providence Mayor Discusses Occupy and the Plutocracy of America

2012-01-29T16:10:00.000-08:00

An interview from November 2011 which appeared in Channel 12

A plutocracy is any form of government in which the wealthy exercise the preponderance of political power, whether directly or indirectly.

Providence ranks 5th

2011-11-29T18:23:00.000-08:00

Thought you might like to know according to Yahoo

The 10 Healthiest Cities for Families in the USA

5. Providence, Rhode Island
This small, tight-knit community thinks big. Providence has as many playgrounds and ball fields as cities two to three times its size, plus its own top-notch children's hospital. The food scene is superb, with lots of mom-and-pop cafés in town, many serving up local seafood. "It's not unusual to see 3- Rhode IslanRhode Island; Providenced; Providenceand 4-year-olds digging into clams or shrimp here," says local restaurant owner Ellen Gracylyny, a mom of two. A recent perk: Farm Fresh Rhode Island, a group of 40 local family farms, has set up a "local food guide," which lists all the nearby farmers' markets, farm stands, pick-your-own farms, and community-supported agriculture programs. It also highlights restaurants and private schools that buy locally grown food.

Pet Lovers Unit - Maggie's Pantry Official Opens

2011-10-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

Maggie's Pantry was officially opened this past Saturday in Richmond, RI. . We reported on Maggie's Pantry back in April. Today Pet Owners who find themselves out of work, financial stressed, and facing the choice of going without or giving up their pet have an alternative -- Maggie's Pantry. Thanks to Carol Terranova, her friends and sponsors.

In tough times, just a little help can make all the difference in the world. Often the presence of a cat or dog and its ability to give unconditional love may be all that stands between a life worth living and a life to be lived.

I know. Years ago after losing my job, my wife, my parents and facing the default on my mortgage, all inside of three months, the only reason I felt for living was my responsibility for my pet Old English Shepard/Irish Wolf Hound mix dog, Alpha.

One day when I was scheduled for a job interview I discovered that I had nearly run out of gas for my car and I was also out of food for Alpha. When I went to the ATM, I discover that I had only just enough for a tank of gas and a small bag of dog food. I didn't know what I was going to do once the bag of dog food ran out. Gas was definitely my most important expense if I hoped to get a job. Yet, Alpha was the only friend I felt I really had. The only alternative that I could see, was to take her to the pound. That would have been a death sentence for my 11 year old friend and companion.

Fortunately, I was offered a job a few days later. I was able to buy a very large bag of food for Alpha with my first pay check . Afterwards, I thought, "If only there were a community resource that provided a temporary hand to tide the pet owner over -- like the Community Food Bank -- only for pets, I could have used it".

Many people and families today are facing similar crises and the question, "With all our expenses, how do we afford to feed our pet dog or cat?". They may be forced to take their closest of companion to the pound. They also know full well that this may be a death sentence for their pet. Now today, if you are seeking food for your companion animals, you can visit Maggie's Pet Pantry during its regular hours of operation: Monday 2 to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to noon. The pantry is located at the Richmond Public Works Department, 51 Buttonwoods Road, near Wyoming, Richmond, RI 02898

Maggie's Pantry is just the solution for this problem. . A non-profit organization dedicated to helping pet owners, it is a Community Food Bank for Pets. It is an opportunity for those who love their pets and are friends of animals, to help each other out. Maggie's Pantry can use your assistance and donation..If you would like to donate pet food and/or supplies to Maggie’s Pet Pantry, please call Carol Terranova at 401-539-3122 (home) or 401-741-1596 (cell phone). You can also email Terranova

2011-07-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

Could Rhode Island benefit from any of these companies moving here?

The research and development activities for these corporations and industries is located in Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina. Located in the heart of North Carolina between Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh, Research Triangle Park is the home of innovation and the engine which drives North Carolina's innovation economy. The companies located in RTP have been issued 3,496 patents and 1,849 trademarks. The strength of the area is based on the economic and educational climate to be found there. There is a lesson here for Rhode Island.

But even more so, is there an opportunity here?

Today the Republican dominated NC state legislature has gotten on the budget cutting kick. This could impact the very research base that is the driver of their economy. And it could open an opportunity for other states to lure away some of these firms, an opportunity that Rhode Island should explore.

Are we exploring the opportunities?

Has the RI Economic Development Corporation considered this? Can the RI Legislature open its eyes to the fact that, despite the pension crisis, investing in the state university and educational system is critical to our competitive position attracting new business to the state? Can they see that the long term solution to the pension problem is increasing the tax base through creating jobs and economic opportunities?

Economic Development means investment

The solution to the pension problem is, in part, increasing the jobs and the State's and the local tax base. This is done by bringing business that can serve as magnets to attract entrepreneurs to develop businesses that can service or feed off of the them. For example, over the years the Navy's Underwater Research Center has been major economic engine for Newport and Middletown. We need more of these engines.

Rhode Island needs jobs and companies to produce those jobs. Rhode Island is planning to develop a research & development center in Providence based on our centers of excellence at Brown, RISD, URI and our Hospitals.This is a good idea. But, after years of indecision, Quonset point is still an under-developed asset and URI is just down the road.. Roger Williams University and Salve Regina University are nearby and yet Middletown's Industrial Park has vacancies. So do many of the state's industrial parks There are many potential locations for a company moving into RI to partner with the local educational institutions. In addition, Rhode Island is strategically located between the educational resources of Boston and southeastern MA, and financial resources of New York city and western Connecticut.

Rhode Island lent Nathaniel Green to lead the Continental troops during the American Revolution which helped to set North Carolina free from colonial rule. When I was growing up here in Rhode Island, the south including North Carolina wanted more, they stole our textile businesses with their offers of cheap labor and low taxes. As a result, many mills were closed and many workers lost their jobs. Turn about is fair play and maybe it is time for Rhode Island to raid the south. Maybe it is time to bring Nathaniel Green back home.

Why doesn't the State of Rhode Island, through the Legislature, the Governor's Office, and the Economic Development Corporation look to the impact of the NC budget cuts as a way for luring away, or stealing, one or two from the Research Triangle Park. It is time to start thinking outside of the box.

Let's get Kool and appreciate what we have here in RI

2011-07-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

Driving to my favorite coffee shop this morning, I was listening to WRNI. Scott McKay was giving his Monday Morning commentary.

I got to thinking that with all the economic uncertainty we face here in RI and the nation which we ordinary citizens have little or no chance of changing in the immediate future, maybe Scott has a point. It is summer and time to kick back and appreciate what we do have

Click on the links above and listen to the GOOD NEWS for a Change. Meanwhile like Jonathan Livingston here, enjoy the Beach, the Sand and the Sea.

And watch where you step

The Positive and the Negative -- Angus Davis vs Ed Achorn

2011-05-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

The Barrington Times carries a very timely and positive message in this week's edition. It is especially refreshing in these times of cynicism about the Rhode Island economy and politics. The Times introduces us to Angus Davis, a successful serial technology entrepreneur, who left the state fourteen years ago, to make his fortune by designing a voice recognition system which he eventually sold to Microsoft.. Mr. Davis has quietly moved back to Rhode Island and started a new venture in 2009 in the Jewelry District in Providence. Today, his venture, is described in the article, His latest startup rewards loyal customers with every ‘Swipe’.

from the Barrington Times 5/4/2011:

Stuart Kiely (left), Swipely’s marketing director, goes over some figures with company founder Angus Davis at the Providence office last week.

Davis' project and his past success are a sign that things are not all bad here and that there is a base for the high tech web-oriented research and development firms such a Swipe and even, 34 Studio, here in Rhode Island. But as Davis points out in companion piece in the Barrington Times, that "Goal: closing the achievement gap" in the State's educational system is a critical and pressing issue. While others are complaining about the current system Davis has been an activist promoting change and asking hard questions.

On the other hand, the Projo Columnist Ed Achorn appears to be out with a personal vendetta against Lincoln Chafee. In his latest column, May 4th, Edward Achorn: Chafee’s anti-jobs agenda would speed R.I.’s decline, he starts off with a straight forward observation about the level of the state's debt and what it means for the average Rhode Islander. Up to that point Achorn is adding to our knowledge and information. He is helping, as he should be as a columnist, to educate the public about a problem albeit from a particular a point of view.

However, not all that far into the article he unleashes his personal attack on the Governor as the cause for all of the problems facing the state. This is not the first time Achorn has done this. In the process, he paints a sick view of the state and he certainly has nothing positive to contribute to debate that is now going on as ways to solve the state's long term financial and fiscal problems. He fails to recognize that 1. Rhode Island has a weak Governorship with most of the political power concentrated in the State Assembly. 2. The Governor only proposes the budget, it is the Assembly that disposes the budget.

Achorn's blame game is misplaced. It should be directed toward the Assembly and not as all blame - but with positive options - to the Governor's proposals. Instead he is being lazy and grabbed onto all the suggests of the opponents to the Governor's plan which he uses as his ammunition against Lincoln Chafee as a person.

He does so without subjecting these opinions to any critical analysis. For example, he suggests that the Governor accept the offer to"employ Ken Block and his computer technology to track down fraud." On the surface this sounds good, a free service to the people of Rhode Island. But it would be more honest to point out that Mr. Block was a candidate for Governor who lost the election to Mr. Chafee, and that. Mr. Block did not offer the service at the time he was running. If the offer were accepted today, how could his conclusion be trusted now that he is a declared partisan in the political debate and has much to gain from how he writes his conclusions. This is a point Mr Achorn fails to mention.

Mr. Davis offers positive hope and commitment to changing Rhode Island for the future both in terms of the personal invest of his entrepreneurial expertise and resources in a new company but also in his activism to bring about change in educational system. Mr. Davis is focusing on the future and even challenges the Barrington school system by pointing out the charter school serving minority community are showing progress that may out strip Barrington's status as one of the State's top performing school systems.

Achorn sees the lose of "Rhode Island’s non-Hispanic white population plummeted by 54,748, or 6.4 percent, between 2000 and 2010, says the U.S. Census Bureau" as proof of the State's decline.

Mr. Davis see something else a problem as bigger than Rhode Island. If only we re-frame the questions, he sees it as two issues:

“One is an international problem. We think of communities in Rhode Island like Bristol or Barrington or East Greenwich as being tops in school systems. But if you take our most advantaged kids and stack them up against other countries, we’re at a real disadvantage,” he said. “Other countries are out-educating us and that will ultimately threaten our way of life in America, which is driven by our competitive advantage of our economy.”

"Secondly, he said, the current public schools system is not designed to allow underprivileged, impoverished students to prosper, which Mr. Davis sees at nothing less than a civil rights issue".

.On the other hand, Mr. Achorn has given us a negative image of the future. His solution is committed to rolling back the clock to the Republican past.when the special privileges and patronage all went to the rich white Yankee mill owners instead of the workers. . It is interesting that given this Republican bias, when Achorn says ....

"But here, we have a governor, elected by only 36 percent of the voters, who seems to be wrapped in a cocoon of wealth and indifference. Impervious to the bitter realities that most Rhode Islanders confront, he is eager to do only what the government unions that got him elected tell him to do."

that he is essentially accusing Chafee as being an out of touch Yankee who does not care for his class interests.

Certainly since the Democrats overthrew of the Yankee establishment, the pendulum has swung too far in favor of labor; and the patronage has gone to the Democrats and the Unions. See the following self-serving justification for Democrat patronage, Dominick J. Ruggerio: Stephen Iannazzi is good news for R.I. taxpayers.

This imbalance needs to be corrected but not by a return to a long gone past. It needs innovative ideas that look to a realistic future, a serious and constructive debate and compromise, commitment to a goal and shared vision, a plan committed to the goals, consistency and honesty in the implementation and execution of the plan, an objective and transparent evaluation of the results of the plan, and finally, a realistic factual based modification of the plan as needed to achieve the agreed upon goals. This requires cooperation between all the branches of government and a proactive program to re-establish trust with the public that there is leadership committed to solving the real structural problems we face. Right now there is very little trust in any of the so-called leaders , elected or self appointed..

None of these ideas are evident in Mr. Achorn's solution. His solution is a new Governor. His solution is.to get rid of Lincoln Chafee. Mr. Achorn seems to feel that wasting the next three years obstructing any positive actions to address the State's real problems is the better solution. Reminds me of what we have seen coming out of the Washington Republicans. Maybe he is drinking the same tea.

Mr. Davis may be a model for the type of leaders we need more of in this state. We need visionaries and not quitters. Mister Davis is the future and where I am placing my money for the future. As for Mr. Achorn, I hope he enjoys his retirement in Florida after he decides it is time to take his own advice. "Move out."

The antidote to apathy

2011-04-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

In connection with the battle going on here in Rhode Island, the following advice being given about the same problem of public apathy in Canada might be helpful in understanding how we got to where we are. In a way this is a positive message for the Tea Party and a warning to the traditional power structure on the right and the left.

This is from a recent TEDx conference in Toronto filmed in October 2010.

Hope you enjoy and learn something

Dave Meslin: The antidote to apathy

Let us know what you think! Or go to TED and leave a comment.
http://www.ted.com/talks/dave_meslin_the_antidote_to_apathy.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-04-12

Rhode Island Fiscal Crisis -- When the chickens come home to roost

2011-04-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

There has been quite a lot of shouting, finger pointing, denial and general childishness lately in Rhode Island by special interest groups complaining about the troubles in the Rhode Island economy and state government finances. While deeply felt, I assume, it is very selfish, self centered and wasteful. In today's Providence Journal there is a story about recent meetings (hearings??? or shoutings???) at the Rhode Island State House to discuss Governor Chafee's sale tax reform program. One of our readers has commented on what he/she sees as the real problem.

Here is a guest comment by Ethnographer in response to a story, Lawmakers seek sales-tax alternatives, in the Providence Journal

With the Fox in the hen house, what do you think we can expect? Maybe the same old, same old stop gap squandering of state assets -- the one time sale of the state's gambling license maybe? This is the caged thinking of chickens laying eggs to get fed and denying that they are really McNuggets in waiting.

The problem is systemic and long term. What we need is leadership and strategic thinking. We need leadership with vision. We need a system-wide review and change in the tax structure. We need a long term plan to get us down to a sustainable debt level. One area that can be corrected is the sales tax which the Governor has proposed. But that is just the beginning.

Unfunded mandates need to be addressed. The chickens in the GA are happy to pay their owners with promises in the form of mandates (eggs) but lack the will to pay for (hatch) them, preferring to pass that responsibility on to the local governments. Maybe that's what we are smelling.

Let's do a complete review of these mandates -- Why do we have them? Who benefits? Do we really need them? and Can we really afford them?

The income tax structure needs to be reviewed. If RI is to be the low wage, low cost state in New England, then the wealthy who benefit from that will have to pay more of their share of costs to government for supporting this low wage environment. You can't have low wages and expect the income tax breaks to the wealthy to make up the difference, can you?

Public worker compensation definitely needs to be reviewed and reformed. But cutting for the sake of cutting is STUPID. What we need is a system that recruits talent and rewards productivity and quality. Instead, we have seniority, cronyism, and the kind of influence we are witnessing in the GA staff raises.

User fees and registration fees should at least recover the full cost of administering the services that the fee is designed to provide. For example, how much does it really cost to register and maintain a real estate deed, or to record and maintain the record of ownership title for a new or used car? Who should pay for these?

The relationships between state and federal matching funds should be looked at more closely. Are we running after short term federal funds but committing local tax payers to long term maintenance and carrying costs?

It is time for the chickens in the hen house to stick their heads out of their cages, and take a look at the real world in which the rest of us live. They need to start thinking outside of the cage, start thinking outside of the box.

What one person and a dog can do for their neighbors

2011-04-06T17:19:00.000-07:00

From the South County Patch

Maggie's Pet Pantry - A Food Bank For Pets

Since January Maggie's Pet Pantry has welcomed dozens of South County residents who need assistance feeding their cats, dogs, and other companion animals.

By Cynthia E. FIeld | Email the author | 2:06pm

The list keeps growing and growing….

2011-04-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

From WPRI: News about the major Internet hack of online costumer databases at major US retailers and warning messages from these companies being sent to their customers.

The list keeps growing and growing….

Now is the time for the press to check out why we have exemptions in the sales tax

2011-04-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

Governor Chafee has proposed a "tax increase" in the way the sales tax is applied to attack the growing budget crisis facing Rhode Island and its 39 cities and towns. This has, as we might expect, drawn out all of the special interests in the State, as well as many of their Zoombies. These special interests are attacking the plan in order to defend their own special tax status and privileges they enjoy under the status quo. Of course that privilege, their exemption, is part of the problem. But they and the press won't admit it. It allows them to NOT pay for their fair share of the cost of government overhead services that they now enjoy for free.

A Typical Example??

In a lead article of the Providence Journal, "Chafee's proposed tax hikes add up for this Cranston family" for example, we are given a list of added costs that a "typical" (whatever that means) middle class family these tax might mean. It assumes that they family did not have, and will not make choices about how they spend their money after the tax become applicable.

For example: Newspaper Subscriptions $312 taxes $18.72. The costs of the papers have been going up while the quality has been going down for quite some time. The outlets for public information have expanded significantly since the days when the newspaper was the only source of public information. So why do we still have an exemption for them today?

The imbalance of reporting in all media or "Why are newspapers excluded from the sales tax today anyway"

The article does not explain why these items were excluded in the first place. If we were to research each of these we might find that special interests lobbied the General Assembly at one time or another to get this special privilege. Once these privileges became law, everyone assumed it was a RIGHT. Nobody is going to question the right and the conditions that may have made it reasonable at the time it was passed into law.

Those hidden exemption are subsidies

The general public is paying a hidden exemption to the sellers of those products and services and to the buyers of those products and services .

The sales tax is called regressive by Liberals because it taxes the poor on the goods they buy while excluding the wealth for the services they buy. It is also made even more regressive by the special exemptions which, while intended to relieve some of the pain on the poor actually provide a higher dollar value relief to the wealth who purchase higher priced good in the same class. Take food for example:

A sales tax on a pound of bologna for example on sale for $1.50/lb would yield at a 2% sales tax an addition cost of $.03 cents for a pound that a poorer family might buy, while a pound of roast beef on sale at $5.00/lb would yield $.10 pound that a wealthier family might buy.

The sales tax is called unfair by those small business sellers who have to charge a sales tax on the products and services they sell and by the buyers who buy those products. It imposes an administrative burden on the seller and gives an unfair advantage to their larger competitors who can spread the overhead cost over their pricing of larger volume and breath of their products. It also encourages those who can afford to drive to shop out of state for goods that are taxed at lower rate. This is seen every summer in the business from RI that goes to Massachusetts during Massachusetts' tax holiday sales.

Leveling the Playing Field

If all goods and services are taxed at a rate arrived at fairly AND removes the waste in the current tax system, then the tax payers would be better served.

First, because the tax cheats would be prosecuted or sued for their waste to the system ( lost revenue from the under the table deals), and the tax avoiders would have a more difficult time finding true advantages in going out of state for minimal savings (price competition).

Second, removing the incentive to seek special exemption would remove it as a political strategy (anti-competitive business practices) and the politicians in the General Assemble would have to publicly explain and justify why they are seeking such legislation and supporting such exemption (waste of public corruption).

Third, and Most important, is that spreading the total state debt and tax burden over the whole retail economy should result in a higher dollar return to the government for its services (distributing of government costs more fairly) and a lower competitive tax position for the state's tax payers relative to the two major competitors, Massachusetts and Connecticut (improving RI's competitive position in the region).

The Yes/BUT Media favors the Status-quo

While the newspapers are supposed to be balanced in their reporting, we can see in the discussion in the editorial pages and in the stories on the front pages that they are not. The full story is not being total, nor analyzed. Since the local TV media basically follows the newspaper story lines "how it is all unfair". This makes the story line more believable to the public, even though its is incomplete and biased. Meanwhile, the other story line that the alleged cause for crisis blames the public worker and teacher unions and puts forth attacking these special interests is the solution to the problem.

Highlighting the Problem Does work

Don't get me wrong, the public workers and teachers union deserve the heat they are getting. They are being unfair to defend contracts that are unsustainable and unrealistic in the 21st century global economy. They are .being unfair to their members and the public who support them. Today's Projo also carried this story
Providence union agrees to concessions. This shows that some union leaders are beginning to see their responsibilities for the problem and are willing to take responsibility to become part of the solution.

But they are only one part of the special interests in the the General Assembly. The politician in the General Assemble are catering to many others as well. The Press should be looking at these special interests as well
The press should look into these special interests today as well as into the broader context of public tax policy.

As it is the Press is cutting the amount of hard news, rather than promoting their Yes/BUT PR propaganda.on limited space of the editorial pages and in the news sections. Instead, lets see some hard news about how these special interest tax exemption can about and why they should be continued.

The Yes/BUT have begun to raise their heads from their little tax shelters warrens. Now is the time for the press to check out these tax rabbit warrens and see what they are hiding in there.

The Year of 1905 --- Congratulations RI Philharmonic Orchestra

2011-03-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, March 19th, the night of the Great Moon, the halls of Veterans Memorial Auditorium

were blessed with a spectacular production of Shostakovich's Symphony No 11 in G minor, Opus 103 by the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra.. Conductor Larry Rachleff and the entire orchestra put the near capacity audience into a trance taking us on a journey back to the turmoil bumbling up in Russia in that year of 1905. As Rachleff pointed out in his introduction to the piece, there is some prescience, a sort of deja vu, that we are now watching events take place in our time that have happened before. Hopeful dreams of freedom run up against the violent reaction of the status quo.

For almost an hour, Rachleff and the orchestra lead us through Shostakovich's sound portrait of the moods and emotions of the time. Ranging from the sublime to the chaotic, the seductive to the triumphant, the musician were tested and proved worthy of this long and complex piece. Movement to movement without a pause, the audience sat spell bound lulled by the soft tapping of the drum rolls of a procession then were knocked out of their seats by the crashing percussion of the blasts of cannons played by bass and kettle drums.

The brass and woodwinds combined to create a "visual" picture of the moment giving the performance a cinematographic feel. The brass moved from the loud blare of a triumphal entry to a sad lament. The woodwinds added their mellow colors to the phonic palette.

Most of all, the strings demonstrated the pure physicality of Schostakovich's work. The musicians were put to the test as they moved from the slow passages so typical of Russian folk music to a frenetically loud, at times almost discordant, series of passages. The audience could almost see their sweat, and certainly felt, the physical challenge each artist faced.

     Afterward, the audience exploded with an enthusiastic standing ovation. But more than that, the conversation in the lobby and on the street the next day was one of exhilaration and marvel. The Projo headline on Sunday read, Conductor Rachleff shines in Shostakovich. There was an air among those leaving the auditorium that they had witnessed something very special. Rhode Islanders should be proud to have such a fine professional civic orchestra. It is a true symbol of what Rhode Island can be when people marching to a different tune can suddenly and so brilliantly get it together.

      The concert began with the overture from Mozart's Cosi fan tutti, a pleasant way to warm the audience up on a cold night. This was followed by an other Mozart piece, Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major. Featured was Karen Gomyo, violinist who performed brilliantly on the solo parts. Ms. Gomyo displayed a poise and mastery of her instrument and the music that captured the audience. Her performance was strengthen by her complete physical involvement in her performance.

      As if the program itself was not enough, this was the evening of the Great Moon. Walking to the Veterans Memorial Auditorium from the parking lot behind the Department of Administration Building, we watched as the Great Moon rose above the ridge that marks the East Side. A crowd with their cameras were gathered by the RI Credit Union lot taking pictures of this once in 18 year event.

Later we saw the moon hanging over the Independent Man on top of the State House.

Support the Philharmonic and Music School

Before the concert began, Marie Langlois from the Philharmonic Board welcomed the audience and made an appeal for support. The current economic conditions, the cut back in federal and local government funds, and the decline in the stock market have drastically impacted the Orchestra and its Music School. Currently they are expected to close out their fiscal year in the end of May with a $220,000 deficit. We were asked to help by contributing to cover this deficit. "If each person here tonight could just contribute an additional $100.00 to the Philharmonic ..." then the deficit could be covered. Certainly the performance last Saturday night was worth a $100.00.

Compare what you will get for that $100 and what it will do for the community. Compare that to what a $500.00 ticket to see Charlie Sheen's "Violent Torpedo of Truth," will do for Charlie Sheen.

Supporting the RI Philharmonic Orchestra and The Music School is an investment in Rhode Island. Definitely deserving of public support.

It is the Debt Stupid!

2011-03-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

In a recent oped piece entitled, No compassion for you if you’re in R.I.’s private sector, Projo columnist Edward Achorn bemoans the fact that Governor Chafee has asked the General Assembly to enact new taxes on a range of products, and some services, previously exempt. As has been the case in the past Mr. Achorn argues a popular point based on a flawed analysis of the problem.

The problem is not the budget or the taxes -- it is the State's debt.

We have had a party. We have borrowed big time from the future. We have borrowed to pay for the present without regard for the future. As a result, until we repay the future, there will be no future for Rhode Island.

Government's job is to serve the public interest by providing the goods and services that the voters and public determine they need. It does this by generating income from taxes and related fees.

Cutting expenses diminishes the goods and services you can consume. Some of that is waste; some luxuries that we can do without; and some is real belt tightening by forgoing things that are needed such as roads and bridges

and public health and safety.

How are Government finances any different from your finances?

Can you get rid of your debt by lowering your personal income? What happens if you lose your job?

Look at your own credit card behavior, for example. Waste would be buying your Big Mac with your credit card rather with the cash in your pocket or balance in checking/debit card account. A luxury would be to buy that sales item using your credit card rather than cash or debit card just because it was on sale, even through you did not need it. Belt tightening is like paying your mortgage with your credit card, borrowing more at a higher interest rate, to make a payment on a debt at a lower interest rate. In each case, your are increasing your borrowing simple to buy time and hoping to put off your eventual default.

Do tax cuts and budget cutting reduce debt?

Spending cuts do not effect the interest cost on the public debt. What cuts the interest cost is paying down the principle. And this can only be done by shifting the savings from cost cutting to principle payments. That means either no tax cuts, or raising additional income through tax increases (i.e. taking a second job). In either case, the proceeds from savings and/or the new job should be dedicated to pay down the debt.

Those, like Mr. Achorn, who complain about their taxes being too high, or the waste in government, should look to their own credit card debt. How good a job are you doing to manage your debt?

Who pays for drinks?

Rhode Islanders have been having a party. They have become drunk on quick fixes. It seems that those who would have us ignore the debt and focus only on taxes, really want us to look the other way. They want us to pay for the drinks while they can skip out of the state. They would leave the tab for the rest of us and our children to pay, or default on the debt.

Maybe it is time to stopping drinking single malt scotch and switch to beer

Sharing the wealth also means sharing the risk and burden.

Everyone in the state has benefited in some way from the debt. Each of us shares responsibility for letting it happen. This includes the tax payers, the unions, and politicians who have created the debt arising from the unofficial borrowing caused by underfunding or postponing payments into the pension funds.

Everyone in the state should share in the cost of retiring this debt. Tax cuts for the wealthiest without demanding they pay their fair share on the principle first, is like letting them take you to lunch and then allowing them to leave you with the tab. In my experience they often will do this, if you let them.

The Hidden Cost of Debt

The same is true for politicians. Letting politicians postpone paying for current earned pension obligations and deferring them for the future, is like being treated to lunch and then be told that they left their wallet at home. They will promise,

"We can use your credit card to pay the bill. I promise to repay you when we get back to the office." Of course, when you get back to the office, they have disappeared.

What about all those businesses and union members who cash in their chips before paying their share of the debt, and then move to Florida? Aren't they doing the same thing?

After all, aren't they feeding off of us, just to leave the rest of us with their share of the tab!

Economic Development on the cheap

2011-03-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Rhode Island EDC has committed $75 million of RI Tax payer money to bring 38 Studio, a video game developer, to Rhode Island. In return 38 Studios is supposed to create 400 jobs for RI. The rationale is that the video game industry is the next growth industry. RI needs the jobs and taxes these will generate. The video game industry needs a well educated, highly trained and skilled workforce made up of artists, musicians, artistically oriented engineers and technicians.

Yet, the educational resources we will need to train these worker are being cut back. Congress is cutting federal support for arts education, while Providence, the home of RISD and soon to be 38 Studios, is cutting its arts programs in the school system. So once again our big economic development ideas are in conflict. We are attracting an arts based business with a tax payer investment to a private enterprise while under-investing in the children of the same tax payers and underfunding the education system that is supposed to train a generation of students to staff the graphic arts, musicians positions these companies will need. . Makes sense -- Rhode Island sense that is.

Meanwhile Borders books has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Borders has 3 stores in Rhode Island in Garden City, Providence Place mall and T.F. Green Airport –– were on the list to close. Today, it was announced that the Cranston (Garden City) store will not be closing. The jobs will be saved, the customers will still have access to their bookstore. A small gain in a sea of closures, bankruptcies and job losses. How did this happen? Did EDC jump in? Did Governor Chafee or Speaker Fox intervene?

No, it was done because the owners of Garden City, the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association, was willing to make a deal that satisfied everyone. These seems like a win, win situation. RI keeps the jobs and collects the taxes, Garden City keeps earning money with an occupied building and the L A County Employees Retirement Fund continues to get a return for its members. And Borders gets a break on its lease while continuing to earn money from the store..

Maybe more business to business cooperation is what we need. Note that with all the anti-public union talk from the Tea Party and its allies, it was a county employee retirement fund that help save the day, not a too big to fail Bank.. Maybe when cooler minds get together to solve a problem, small changes are possible. .

Maybe enough small steps can save enough jobs and businesses to compensate for one big gamble. Maybe by sharing the pain, these individual efforts will rebuild a sense of community to solve the problems. Economic development on the cheap -- just maybe it will trump the grand plans, big bets and the "if it wasn't my idea, it ain't worth doing" mentality that seems to dominate economic development thinking in Rhode Island.

One more desparate attempt to sell off RI Assets

2011-03-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

From Projo.com Breaking News 3/9/2011

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rep. Charlene Lima, D-Cranston, is proposing a Nov. 6, 2012, statewide vote on a suggested change to the state Constitution to allow a privately owned and run casino in Rhode Island in exchange for a $100 million one-time licensing fee. Similar to a bill introduced at least once in the past, the bill envisions a competitive bidding process. But it also suggests possible locations for the state's first full-scale casino.

In my opinion:

     The gambling tradition and short sight legislature once again is asking us to sell off a state assets at a bargain rate price. If a casino is a major source of state revenue, why is it being offered as one time license and a fixed price? The license should, if we go in this direction, be subject a periodic renewal date and be awarded on the basis of an open competitive bidding process.

     The licensing authority belongs to the tax payers of RI, and the legislature should be acting as the fiduciary agent of the tax payer. Such a duty requires stewardship and acting in our interests, not some backroom deal.

     And Should the State's Constitution be used as the vehicle for such a decision?
     Is our Constitution that petty that we seal business deals in constitution amendments?

What do you think about it?

R I Taxes -- Taking Responsibility

2010-09-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

As the election season heats up here in Rhode Island and the candidates stake out their positions and false promises, I find it interesting as each competes to become the new Wizard of OZ. They attempt to lull voters into their "vote" trap with the smoke of "political weed." The smoke is the promises designed to cloud the mind of the voting public and to get their vote.

Of course, the average RI voter will take the promised bait and end up on the hook for the cost, one way or another. However, I think there is one candidate, Lincoln Chafee, who is being honest when he proposes how we might pay for those promises of jobs, etc. through a broader application of the sales tax, while at the same time lowernig the rate to 2%. At least, he has the courage to point out that "the king has no cloths." when it come to the annual budget deficit and is proposing a way to resolve the problem.

A recent Projo a story, R.I. governor candidates trade promises at series of public forums, illustrates this point.

I have to agree with the Ethnographer's comment that before you make promises, tell us how you will pay for it. Here is what Ethnographer had to say:

"Caprio will go out and get the money to repair the infrastructure. He is to be praised for focusing on infrastructure. Commerce in Rhode island is made expensive by the lack of good roads and dangerous/closed bridges. Commerce brings jobs. Go Frank.

However, how will he get the money? If there is no tax increase or tax restructuring to provide the money, are we going to borrow more?

Wouldn't the $75 million going to Studio 38 do more good fixing the Route 95 Pawtucket bridge rather than have business reroute their trucks around the bridge? This is a hidden tax on business and a deterrent to business coming into the state.

I'm glad to see Linc Chafee point out that you can't keep making promises and not pay for the promises. Linc is asking Rhode Islanders, all of us, to stop weaning and start thinking about the future of our children. That starts by addressing the problem of paying for our services as we go.

We (adults) made the problem by buying into the Democrat controlled GA mismanagement of the State budget. As responsible adults it is time to take personal responsibility and clean up the mess and not leave it to the next generation.

If taxes are too high, watch them go higher as we let the state's infrastructure rot away on empty promises."

When are Rhode Island voters going to overcome their denial? When are they going to recognize that there is a direct relation between the government services they demand and the taxes they need to pay to get them?

It is time for voters to give serious thought to the basic question: "What is the proper role of government?" To answer this question they must answer three basic questions. "What do we need from government that we can agree upon? What can we afford? and, What are we willing to pay for (and what are we not willing to pay for) ?"

For example, is it fair to use public money to help the unemployed construction worker, who is a fellow citizens, by rebuilding our failing infrastructure; or is it better to invest $75 million in an outside private company with no product, no local employees and which could not convince private investors to fund it without a guarantee by the tax payers of RI?

Right now it seems Rhode Islanders want both, but Rhode Island can't afford both. The question before the local gubernatorial candidates is not "What can I promise you to get your vote?"

Rhode Island needs candidates who have the courage to explain honestly what choices Rhode Islanders face and what they will cost? Rhode Island needs candidates who are leaders with the courage to say "NO!" to ideas and practices that do not promote the common good. Rhode Island needs leaders who can help educate the public about the problems facing the State and explain what their real options are to solve these problems.

It is up to the voters to take responsibility and ask these questions of their candidates. If the voters don't or don't care, and if the media does not press the candidates for specifics, then Rhode Islanders will continue to get high on the political smoke bleaching out of these want-a-be Wizards of Oz. And then the day after the election, the voters will wake up to the same old mismanaged reality they went to bed with..

The Rhode Island Voter should be asking themselves:

If I do not take responsibility or hold my elected representatives responsible for their promises, then WHO will?