Our budgets reflect our values, and future generations will judge us harshly if during a pandemic we drop the hammer on our most distressed communities. And yet Governor Raimondo is moving right along with budget cuts she first proposed last January. (She felt they were justified because the economy was doing so well.) But those …
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha reminds Rhode Islanders that some individuals will receive their one-time federal stimulus payment in the mail on a prepaid debit card. His office has received several inquiries from Rhode Islanders questioning the legitimacy of these cards. Neronha advises: “We have heard from individuals who were skeptical about receiving a prepaid …
JP Morgan looks close to settling with the Justice Department, says the New York Times. JPM would pay $13 billion in penalties that follow from the bank’s shady mortgage lending, which helped to precipitate the financial crisis and make the lives of tens of millions of people completely miserable. It would be the largest fine …
Former governor Donald Carcieri has finally broken his silence, agreeing to speak to someone worthy of his time, Matt Bai of The New York Times. Once again Rhode Island makes the national news for all the wrong reasons. Bai found few people willing to speak on the record for “Thrown for a curve in Rhode …
By all accounts Netroots Nation 2012 was a big success. The conference wrapped up Saturday with a roster of progressive speakers, concluding with ‘Rebuild the Dream’ cofounder and former aide to President Obama, Van Jones, delivering the keynote speech. Brooklyn-based comedian, writer, and creator of the award-winning web series This Week in Blackness, Elon James White, …
The next time someone suggests that a man will make a great governor (or president) because of his business background, just remind them of the “Reckoning” that Governor Donald Carcieri (Republican) has left behind for the taxpayers of Rhode Island. The news that Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios has missed a payment on the $75-million loan, …
The unpaid internship has become a modern form of slave labor and is completely warping the economy. The idea that it will help you “get your foot in the door” rarely pans out, and the slot that was once called an entry level job, is now held permanently by unpaid interns who cycle in and …
Mayor Angel Taveras will deliver his first ‘State of the City’ address Monday at 7pm in the Council Chambers. The event will be streamed live here. Click for ‘City News.’ ‘State of the City’ address, 7pm, Monday, February 13, Providence City Hall, 25 Dorrance Street
Late last month, the Marijuana Policy Project commissioned Public Policy Polling to survey Rhode Island voter attitudes toward marijuana policy. The results are in, and the numbers indicate that Rhode Islanders from both sides of the aisle are ready for change with an overwhelming 65% supporting a decrease in the penalties for simple possession of …
Mayor Taveras calls for urgent action. Providence Mayor Angel Taveras addressed the residents of Providence, lawmakers and members of the press during a media conference in his office earlier today on the difficult fiscal situation Providence faces. During his remarks, Mayor Taveras warned that without additional sacrifice from the City’s large tax-exempt institutions and retirees, …
The Rhode Island Foundation recently announced $300,000 in supplemental year-end grants to help organizations providing emergency assistance to Rhode Island families and individuals and inspire others to give. This is the fourth year the Foundation has awarded emergency grants to assist people who are struggling with basic needs such as food, heating assistance, and housing …
Happy New Year direct payers, some of you can look forward to double-digit rate hikes in 2012. Once again Blue Cross Blue Shield direct payers (who have no other choice in Rhode Island) are being asked to supplement the benefits afforded to the groups with bargaining power and clout. According to an article on A-2 …
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If you can stand to even think about these guys and what they’ve done to the world “Margin Call”, written and directed by J.C. Chandor, is supposed to be a pretty great movie. A.O. Scott describes it in the New York Times as, . . . an extraordinary feat of filmmaking. It is hard to …
(11.17) From Occupy Providence, On Thursday, join Occupy Providence to show that City Hall belongs to the 99%. We will meet in the lobby at 6pm for a brief General Assembly before entering the City Council meeting at 7pm to show our support for a pro-Occupy Resolution, as well as for an ordinance that will …
The tents are coming down in Burnside Park, for one day anyway. Providence Journal staff writer Gregory Smith reports in today’s paper that the Occupy Providence protesters have agreed to strike the camp and get out of the way so that city workers can purge and winterize the Bajnotti Fountain on Thursday. (Normally I would …
Join Rhode Island Jobs with Justice for a Solidarity Day in support of Occupy Providence. From the FB event page, RI Jobs with Justice is a coalition of over 45 community, labor, faith-based, and student groups that take action together to level the playing field by building power for poor and working class people. We …