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Yay! T he Projo has a front page picture of RIFUTURE's own Kim Ahern. Hey, where did she get that huge OBAMA sign? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There was a special visitor at OTC today. Jim Harney, a former priest and long time artist and activist, visited the service to describe his latest mission. About 6 months ago Jim, 68, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Told that he only had 6 months or so to live, he decided to take a walk. So for the last two months he has been walking, every day, to complete a journey from Maine to Connecticut, hoping to highlight the plight of undocumented workers in North America. He recently made it to New Bedford. Here is a section from the area newspaper: Jim Harney, a 68-year-old who is battling terminal cancer, has traveled for decades around the Americas documenting the lives of poor peasants and migrant workers through photography and story-telling. He is an artist-in-residence for Posibilidad, a nonprofit organization in Bangor, Maine, that aims to engage the public in discussion about marginalized groups in society. During his journey from Boston to New Haven, which began on Aug. 4, Mr. Harney has stopped at town churches and schools to speak about the global economy and its impact on migrant workers. Jim is going to make it to the Rhode Island border sometime this week, probably Friday. The cancer has really set in so hi journey is getting slower and slower. But he still had the strength to go to the Wyatt Detention facility after the service this morning to make a statement about this holding pen in our back yard. There will be a call to join Jim as he crosses the border into Rhode Island. Stay tuned for details. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is absolutely amazing the amount of disinformation that is put out about our state retirement plan for teachers and state workers. Once again on the editorial page of today’s Journal a contributor tries to make the connection between the pension plan and the state’s fiscal crisis. He then blames….wait for it…..the UNIONS for the fact that Rhode Island’s pension system is under funded while the plan in his state, North Carolina, is over funded. Reading between the lines, he is saying that these union members have such great benefits and they need to be reigned in. But it doesn’t take too long to figure out that maybe it isn’t the benefits that are dragging down the state pension system. After all, a quick examination of the North Carolina plan shows that it may not be the benefits that drag down a plan, but political meddling. For example, p ublic employees in Rhode Island make the highest contributions of any public employees in the country. T eachers contribute 9.5% of their pay to the pension plan. State workers contribute 8.75%. What do they contribute in North Carolina? 6% . That’s right, they contribute less. So they must get less, right? Nope. Take a worker who earns $50,000 when they retire. In Rhode Island, under schedule A (the old system), a worker could retire at any age after 28 years of service and collect a monthly pension benefit of $2541 per month. But, under schedule B (the new system) that worker must work at least until age 59 and have 29 years of service to accrue a monthly benefit of $2,208. In North Carolina? Any age, 30 years, the person gets $2,275. Not quite as good as schedule A, but remember, in they are contributing nearly 4% less of their salary. And it is still better than Schedule B. North Carolina pensioners also get a cola, tied to the CPI, just like Rhode Island. The handbook wasn’t exactly clear about when the cola takes affect… in other words, it isn’t clear if they have the Rhode Island delay factor. Nor does it seem like they have a cola cap as in Rhode Island. Which plan is better? It is hard to compare every detail of one plan for another, but this much is clear: the plans are at least comparable in the benefits paid at the maximum. And when you factor in that North Carolina still let’s people retire at any age after 30 years with and unreduced benefit AND that the workers their contribute nearly 30% less than peers in Rhode Island it becomes clear that using North Carolina isn’t the comparison the editorialist may have really wanted to make. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Lincoln Chafee had some very positive things to say about the choice of Joe Biden for VP: [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Given the recent flap about the number of houses John McCain owns it seems like a fair question to ask at a more local level: How many houses does Governor Carcieri own? I placed a call into press secretary Amy Kempe’s office a short time ago and she was going to check and get back to me. Stay tuned. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One of the most moving things from the Labor History Society awards last night was the tribute to Wilma Schesler. Wilma was killed by a scab on an AFSCME picket line in 1974 @ Eleanor Slate Hospital. Council 94 Executive Director Dennis Grili gave a moving speech in accepting the award on her behalf. But what most folks didn’t know was that the woman who killed Wilma served only 20 days in jail. 20 days. As the AFSCME newsletter at the time wrote “Life in RI in some cases is very, very cheap, especially if you are a public employee.” [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Join the effort to put the Labor back in Labor Day by attending the Labor and Ethnic Festival on Sunday, September 7th, Noon-5PM @ Slater Mill in Downtown Pawtucket. There will be music, food, craft work, traditional dance, a petting zoo (and no, there is no truth to the rumor that Gov. Carcieri will be in the petting zoo). The event is free and all are invited. Click on the picture to down load a flyer and post it in your work place.From the event webpage:The Festival will include great music, featuring headliners, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger (featuring Pete Seeger’s grandson, Tao), Santo Mamba and the music of Joyce Katzberg on the Working Rhode IslandAll Children's Theatre's Mill Girls, Keith Munslow, French Toast, Rancho Folklorica and Rhodeshow on the Stone Soup Stage, as well as activities for all ages, the Simmons Farm petting zoo for children, vendors, exhibits and cultural demonstrations which include the AS220 Print Shop, the Steelyard, Otto D'Ambrosio & Friends, Ladies of the Rolling Pin, Sonny Roelle and Jan Doyle. Social action groups, fine craftspeople and area labor unions will also be represented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

My editor seemed to want to have a little fun with this weeks edition of Motif. Our subject: Breastfeeding. This is an easy idea to latch onto but believe it or not Rhode Island had to strengthen its law allowing women to breastfeed in public. Of course talk radio tough guys had a field day talking about unnecessary laws, calling the General Assembly sponsors Senator Rhoda Perry and Representative Eileen Naughton the typical things they call people they like to disagree with. But in attacking this law they expose how warped the right wing mind is. The law, (2008 - S2283Aaa), (2008 - H7467B) , will take effect on March 1, 2009, apparently to give those offended by the practice of breastfeeding time to polish up their blindfolds or get out of the State. Prior to this law it was legal for a woman to breastfeed in public but the protection was weakly worded. And, there was a problem with the law — there was no penalty for violating it. So, what the sponsors did was create the opportunity for people who have their rights violated to pursue the matter in court and seek compensatory damages. Who could be against that? Well, the usual suspects, of course. See, in the conservative world view, it is bad enough that certain “other” people have rights — but when they get uppity about actually being able to enforce those rights, well, they have gone to far. By actually being able to enforce the rights of people in protected categories, in this case mothers and children, we go beyond the tokenism of some of laws, customs, and practices that allow us to say “ we don't discriminate,” while we go right on discriminating. Giving laws some teeth actually ends discrimination — and conservatives hate it when they have to really not discriminate instead of just talking about it. But the other thing the law does, according to the right wing “thinking” is impede on their right NOT to have to view exposed mammary glands. These “special” rights that we keep giving people in this state and country are not fair because they infringe upon other peoples rights. This is the same argument used to fight against any movement forward on issues like marriage equality, affirmative action, heck, even unionization. By giving one group of people the right to be free from discrimination you are actually infringing on my right to discriminate. That is the conservative viewpoint and it has bullied us for long enough. Once the conversation goes this direction we never seem to get to talk about the underlying reasons for encouraging a more expansive set of rights. In this case, what we should be talking about are the benefits associated with breastfeeding. As Rep. Naughton said about the law “Keeping babies and mothers healthier means lower health care costs and fewer lost days of work. There are many great reasons to encourage breastfeeding, and I'm proud that the Assembly is protecting the women's right to do it.” But in the right wing world if we fix those problems we won't be able to blame other people for society's problems anymore. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

I know certain groups have mentioned that the Journal seems a little different this week, since it appears Ed Achorn is on vacation. But the whole tone seems different, does it not? I mean, first of all, you get the above the fold banner headline about the demise of the Education Partnership that includes this gem: Valerie Forti, the former executive director of the Education Partnership, did not respond to a call seeking comment. Her lawyer has advised her not to talk. Forti is married to Providence Journal deputy editorial page editor Edward Achorn. But more importantly, all week there has been a series of great letters to the editor, fighting back against the anti-union, anti-liberal bias in the most of the Journal. Heck, even Rod Driver had a great LTE that was published, along with at least 1 , 2 , 3, others. I think my favorite section comes from the letter today by Richard Forbes : Since the Reagan era, economic policies, not unions, have threatened our standard of living. Jobs have gone overseas. We confront national debt, deregulation, illegal wars, CEOs getting multimillion-dollar bonuses as they fire workers, tax breaks for the rich, corporate welfare and an increased burden on the middle class to sustain this. Has any one else noticed a shift in tone? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

When oh when are we going to stopped being surprised that poverty has an impact on education? From today’s Journal : [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Missing from l ast week's story on the successful contract negotiations between the local teachers' union and the school committee in my home town of Lincoln was a crucial fact. The school committee outsmarted the republican town administrator and the budget board and organized folks to add an additional $517,000 to the school budget, enabling the contract to be settled. Projo reporter John Hill has a great piece about it in an unrelated piece about a move to eliminate the financial town meeting. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hey, if you around this Saturday, why not try some bowling? Having recently taken the kids to the Town Hall Lanes I can report first hand that the place rocks. And, supporting a great cause at the same time? Priceless. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

(h/t DailyKos) Really, why is this race even close? McCain actualy says here that "in the 21st century, nations don't invade other nations." Tell that to the 4141 dead Americans and the ~90,000 Iraqi civilians who are dead because of our invasion of another nation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The anticipation is almost too much to bear; so I ask you, dear readers, how do you think John Kostrzewa will justify the cash-n-carry capitalism of Rhode Island tax policy in Sunday’s Journal? The weekly column has turned into a regular defense of the discredited trickle-down theory of “economics.” And of course, the facts don’t need to have any role in the argument when what you are talking about is giving tax breaks to the wealthy, like the flat tax or the cuts in the capital gains taxes. Since we have enacted those laws, the 12,000 riches families in Rhode Island have had their breaks, but nothing has trickled down yet except foreclosures, lay offs, and cuts to health care programs. Hey, maybe we’ll get a defense of the global waiver , pointing out the obvious appeal of “if you don’t spend money, you spend less money.” Oh wait, I know, an economic forecast by a certain URI professor? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This is my piece published in this week's edition of Motif Magazine, available on news stands now. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Is there a chance that John Depetro is going down the Val Forti route? From today: Bill George, WHJJ’s program director, said he asked Arbitron to investigate after noticing an unusual jump in the ratings for WPRO, specifically in listeners 25 to 34 during the 6-to-10-a.m. slot, when WPRO’s John DePetro is on the air. George said his station noticed WPRO’s rating for women in that age group went from 0 percent in the fall to 12.1 percent in the spring. The ratings for men in that age group jumped from 1.7 percent to 14.1 percent. The figures are percentages of all the people in that age group who are estimated to be listening to any radio station during that time period. DePetro’s ratings rose from 11th place to 4th place overall in Rhode Island, George said. In a letter he is sending to Clear Channel’s advertisers, George said: “The Arbitron crediting department identified six diaries in East Greenwich, RI, in the same household, from six people [three women and three men, ages 27-34], representing over 109 hours of listening during one week to WPRO between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.” Hey, I know. It must’ve been the “illegal” aliens… [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cue up the “I told you so” soundtrack. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Word is there will be a special meeting of the General Assembly Joint Finance Committee tomorrow at the State House @ 1PM to review the Governor’s plan for a global waiver from Medicaid requirements. From the Health Care Organizing Project: [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Projo Business reporter John Kostrzewa keeps missing something big while beating the drums for Rhode Island’s elite. In his story today about the tax policy group looking at taxes, Mr. K emphasizes the findings on a June report from the Department of Revenue (can anyone find this on line?) that ranks Rhode Island 11 th nationally in tax burden per $1000 of personal income while Connecticut and Massachusetts are20th and 37 th nationally. But of course what his misses is this point from the report: Regarding state and local individual income tax burdens, Rhode Island ranked 24th nationally in FY 2006 with Rhode Islanders paying $26.10 per $1,000 of personal income. Both Connecticut and Massachusetts ranked higher than Rhode Island with each state ranking in the top 15 nationally in state and local individual income tax burden. For Connecticut, which ranked 11th nationally in FY 2006, taxpayers paid $33.42 per $1,000 of state personal income while for Massachusetts, which ranked 7th nationally, taxpayers paid $36.17 per $1,000 of state personal income. And also, with the report basing its analysis on taxes as a percentage of personal income per $1000, it totally glosses over the point, which the quoted section above confirms, that our tax burden is regressive to the point of absurdity. See, by lumping in everyone, and then calculating the burden, the report assumes that we all pay the same rate on our taxes and that we all pay taxes on the same things. No, by relying more heavily on things like property tax, the distribution of the taxes is weighted more heavily on the bottom. Even the Chief of Revenue Analysis admits this when he writes : “Each of these measures has its own limitations and merits. For example, this analysis shows Rhode Island state and local tax collections per $1,000 of personal income but it does not assess the distributional consequences of how these state and local taxes were collected,” Dion continued. Mr. K must not have found that important. In fact, it is the most important feature of the report. By the way, the Economic Growth and Fairness Act would have fixed these problems, but NOOOOOO……. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

So the Governor issue an executive order this afternoon unilaterally implementing the terms and conditions of a contract on the workers that had rejected them. This should be an interesting few months, to say the least. You can download Council 94’s response and the executive order HERE. What does it say about our government that it seems to be being run by decree? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Jonny5 from the Flobots along with “Fight with Tools Street Team” will be making a special appearance the day after their show at Lupo’s next week . The event, which will feature a live solo performance, tools and tips on how to be active in making positive social change in your community will take place at the Open Table of Christ Church, 1520 Broad Street, Providence, starting at 3PM, Saturday, August 9 th . Click on the image to get your copy of the flyer and distribute it far and wide! SIGN UP on FACEBOOK HERE . Invite your friends! [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

UPDATE: Hummel tells Not For Nothing that he left in part because of the way ABC 6 was starting to sensationalize the news! Jim, consider this an open invitation to post a story here on RIFUTURE, uneditied, saying anything and everything you would like to say. Asked why he left, Hummel said, "I've really become disturbed by the direction the station has been taking." Asked to elaborate, he cited "increasing pressure to sensationalize and to distort the news to boost the ratings . . . I'm not going to get into chapter and verse . . . We used words like 'thug,' 'lowlife,' and 'scumbag.' Those are direct quotes," that were "condoned and encouraged. I just think we're crossing the line as journalists that I don't think we should be crossing." [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In an RIFUTURE first, we will host and broadcast a live interview with Socialist Presidential candidate Brian Moore right here on the blog, starting at 10AM. Here is your chance to hear directly about what it is like running as Presidential candidate that it totally shut out of the mainstream media. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

If one of the ideas that Barack Obama is trying to put forward in his campaign is that people at the most grassroots level should have a real voice in our country, then he is already winning. Yesterday, in a small back yard in Northern Rhode Island, a dozen folks, most of whom had never met before, got together to suggest ideas that the Democratic Party should put in its 2008 platform. Like meetings took place around the country. In no particular order, the issues discussed by folks were: Stem Cell Research A Two-State Solution Homelessness Roe V. Wade Public Service Alternative Energy Depoliticizing the Justice Department The right to organize a Union Illegal Immigration Restoring Citizen Participation in Government Restoring Constitutional Rights Public Education Ending the War in Iraq Reducing Military bases around the world Campaign Finance Reform That is quite a list for people to take on but they did. Things were running along very smoothly, with people having open and honest discussions about issues normally not spoken about with strangers. That is at least until two Lyndon LaRouchites showed up (2 hours late) and tried to get us to endorse “cross border infrastructure projects” which I took to mean the mythological “NAFTA superhighway.” They were politiely asked to leave after trying to hijack the discussions on all of the issues. Anyway, if civic participation is going to be for real, it is going to be like what happened in a small back yard on a Sunny Saturday afternoon. We didn't finish our list of topics but it was a great way to enjoy some time with new friends. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Scratch Farm , the CSA ( Community Supported Agriculture) farm that I belong too is in need of a new truck. Can anyone help out? Email HERE. Our farm truck is on its very very last legs. After much hesitation and a whole lot of elbow grease, Katie and I feel that it is high time we started looking for a new one. I thought I'd put the word out in case any of y'all have any leads. We are looking for: Toyota, 2WD, small truck '95 or later... something a little more reliable to get all your veggies into town. A CSA is a great way to buy local. Even if you can’t help with the truck, consider buying a share. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There are abominations, and then there are outrages. THIS is the later. I saw this commercial when I took the kids to the movies last weekend and almost gagged on my popcorn (with a spoon?). Heck, maybe I am just getting old… but damn, talk about taking even the dull edge off a knife. Hey Ian, BOYCOTT JC PENNY! This is the real thing: [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

From Politico : [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

(h/t FIREDOGLAKE) [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Here is a great new tool to confirm for the right wing that teachers are part of a secret undercover plot to ensure peace, justice, and liberty for all people. After all, the downfall of democracy starts when we recognize the history of our country and how people have had to fight for every right we have. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

(H/T PolitickerMA.com ) [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Thomas Frank , author of What’s the Matter with Kansas , has a great essay in this Months Harper’s magazine. Titled The Wrecking Crew , Frank takes a look at how conservatism isn’t so much as an ideology but a marketing idea – a product to be traded and sold like a penny stock. He shows how Jack Abramhoff, and key allies like Ralph Reed and Grover Norquist, took the College Republicans on a hard right turn. And it worked. And we are living with the damage today. One line in the essay jumped right out at me. He writes about how the right wing has a true ability for doublespeak – naming organizations aimed at limiting individual freedoms as defenders of freedom. In the section he writes: “Markets do not determine the objective merit of things, only their price…..” Well duh. What a simple way of capturing the essential flaw with conservatism. Especially when he goes on the finish the sentence by writing “…which is to say, their merit in the eyes of large corporations and the very wealthy.” By any objective, conservatism has failed. We are not safer. We are not richer, our country is not freer, and its people are not more secure. They claimed they would stop abortions and haven't. They said they would uphold family values and haven't, they said they would make things easier for "average" Americans and haven't. But they really didn't try to do these things. they had a product, and they sold it on the market. They were looking for the best price, not the best idea. You know what the response is going to be "well if it wasn’t for the liberals/Kennedys/ unions/gays/welfare queens/immigrant/insert your favorite scapegoat here/ then conservatism would work. But hey, aren’t they the party of "personal responsibility?” Too bad they can’t take any of their own…. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In an RIFUTURE first, we will host and broadcast a live interview with Socialist Presidential candidate Brian Moore right here on the blog, starting at 10AM. Here is your chance to here directly about what it is like running as Presidential candidate that it totally shut out of the mainstream media. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In an RIFUTURE first, we will host and broadcast a live interview with Socialist Presidential candidate Brian Moore right here on the blog, starting at 10AM. Here is your chance to here directly about what it is like running as Presidential candidate that it totally shut out of the mainstream media. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A father’s no shield For his child. We are like a lot of wild Spiders crying together, But without tears. - Robert Lowell, Fall 1961 I was really surprised today to read in Charlie Bakst’s editorial how both Lisa Pelosi, former spokesperson for Gov. Lincoln Almond, and Larry Berman, spokesperson for Speaker Murphy, criticized Scott McClellan for writing his tell-all book What Happened . I don’t know either person (though Lisa was briefly at Leadership RI when I was in the class); so I have no reason to suspect that they are scoundrels. I presume they are not. But their comments in the paper today, criticizing McClellan for telling the truth about how the Bush administration deceived us into the war in Iraq is telling about how politics work in Rhode Island. I call it Boss Culture, but the pull of deference to authority if one of the symptoms of our sick society and can go by many different names. McClellan’s agonizing reappraisal of his term in office is, without a doubt, a cowardly act. But to think that there are folks lining up to criticize him not for allowing our constitution and our country to be sacrificed for partisan political purposes, but rather for violating some kind of Inner Ring loyalty oath should scare us about the way the levers of power are pushed. Power, at all levels, should be checked. If we continue to have a permanent class of protectors, key masters, if you will, for the guardians at the gate then when is it that the people, busy working harder for less, raising families with less support than generations before, distracted by a MSM who care nothing for truth and everything for profits, when will WE have a chance? The idea that just because a person has a position of authority means they are in a protected or separate class is an idea derived more from the tradition of royalty, born out of serfdom. If we are going to reassert our democratic heritage, our rights, not just as Americans but as people of the earth, then we need to start by challenging the very idea that because the Boss said so makes it true. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

State Rep. Frank Ferri and the Board of Directors of Marriage Equality Rhode Island send word of a party celebrating the great work of Executive Director Jenn Steinfeld as she moves on to new adventures. Come congratulate Jenn on her nearly five years of leadership with MERI and wish her well in her future endeavors. Also come to celebrate MERI's next steps in winning marriage equality and meet MERI's new and long-term Board members. Location: Trinity Brewhouse 186 Fountain St., Downcity Providence Date: Thursday, July 31, 2008 Time: 5pm - 7pm Admission: Free, but donations encouraged Jenn's work, as Board Co-Chair and then Executive Director, helped to shepherd MERI from a small group of concerned individuals into a powerful grass-roots, community-led advocacy group and to where we are today: a recognized organization with a full Board of Directors and staff. We pause to thank Jenn for her tireless service. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Flobots are coming to town. The Flobots are coming to town! Get your tickets before they are gone! August 8th, Lupo's. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

(h/t Calitics ) Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to sign an executive order next week that will reduce pay for more than 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 per hour to preserve cash in the midst of a month-long budget standoff, according to a draft copy of the order obtained by The Bee. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

(h/t Calitics ) Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to sign an executive order next week that will reduce pay for more than 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 per hour to preserve cash in the midst of a month-long budget standoff, according to a draft copy of the order obtained by The Bee. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

First, he gets run over by the McCain campaign when they plant the story with him that McCain is going to announce his VEEP this week, then they pull back leaving him with his fly open. Then HE runs someone over today on the way to K Street. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As 99% of the members have authorized a strike, and with a contract deadline approaching, IBEW Local 2323 representing workers at Verizon (NYSE:VZC) (NYSE:VZ) will be having a solidarity rally early tomorrow morning. The rally will be at the 288 Allens Ave garage located in Providence R.I on July 24th beginning at 6:30 am. Please show your solidarity and come to the rally. The contract for the workers expires August 2nd. AS of today, issues remaining on the table are healthcare, wages, and jobs. The race to the bottom in the telecom industry is a disgusting example of corporate greed at the expense of communities and workers. Luckily, Local 2323 is taking the lead on trying to expand the rights of workers across the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

What is your favorite line in House Finance Committee Chairman Steve Constantino’s op-ed today ? There are some real doozies. Here is mine: We must also get our state’s institutions of higher learning — private and public — into the job-growth game. Knowledge-based jobs are good jobs, and knowledge-based economies are job growers. Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design are world leaders in biomedical technology and design. The University of Rhode Island graduates top-class engineers each year. Connecting higher education with industry is a proven model for success, and that connection needs to happen well before graduation day. Our universities should forge the institutional connections that give more students the opportunity to join, start or grow a business in Rhode Island. This is going to be pretty hard to do when the State defunded the public higher education system by $17.8 million. (And by the way RIC, CCRI, you don’t count I guess). And, I hear there is an additional $3-4 million in cuts already being panned for before school opens. Students are going to see a steep tax increases of Rhode Island College: 9.8% Community College of Rhode Island: 8.6% University of Rhode Island: 6% Which makes the chairman’s claim that they balanced the budget without making any tax increases about as realistic as the speakers claim that this is a working class budget . But you can already see the set up happening. When the budget they passed goes under, it will be the managers of the various agencies to blame. He asks: Wouldn’t it be amazing if department heads didn’t ask for a supplemental budget?” Yes it would. It would also be amazing if the General Assembly crafted a budget that ranked human well being first and everything else second, not the other way around. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The next Drinking Liberall y event, celebrating the near end of the end of the Bush Presidency and the re-confirmation of an America based on the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, will take place tomorrow night at the Wild Colonial. 8PM. Be there or be Right Wing! Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you fight with your neighbor. It makes you shoot at your landlord and it makes you miss him. Sláinte chuig na fir, agus go mairfidh na mná go deo. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Maybe it is because it is summertime and he is writing about more leisurely things, or maybe it is because he is looking to avoid a touchy subject, but the Projo’s Right Wing Voice, Ed Achorn , has shifted from attacking the unpowerful to writing about his cat. Most of us know the feeling of loving a pet. The gentle, reassuring spirit of these wonderful animals is one of those little miracles that lend life its sweetness. But it hurts when they go. Wherever your spirit has flown, my friend, I’m glad I got the chance to know you. Hey, I love pets and am always saddened when someone loses a cherished friend. If fact, I am happy to spring for a bowl of goldfish so the Projo can fill up their sheets with obits about animal friends passing weekly [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

(h/t Blue Hampshire ) [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

(h/t Blue Mass Group ) Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen has a gutsy piece in the paper today. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There was another hearing today on the collapse of the Education Partnership in the courtroom of Judge Silverstein. So this is the good news : Finkle said an auction is being planned for mid-August to sell the Education Partnership's furniture and fixtures. She said the auction is expected to gross $10,500. But here is the bad news : the audit is going to cost a ton of money... Sullivan proposes charging $125 to $275 an hour for its services, which must be authorized by the judge. Shine said on Friday that the accountants had just received records from the Education Partnership, and needed a few more days to assess the scope of their assignment. Is there any doubt that we tax payers will end up footing the bill for the accounting mess left behind by the Ed Partnership? How are the 36 kids who were expecting $2,000 scholarships going to get their money when the office furniture is only worth 10K and the auditors are going to get paid $125-$250 and hour? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

If you were looking for a reason why the State Republican Party can’t seem to get any traction, maybe they should look at the top. It seems like that is where the money is flowing. Earlier this evening, Governor Carcieri filed his quarterly campaign finance report . He had a pretty good quarter, raising almost $38,000 for a fund balance of $84, 154.14. The question is, will the Governor spend that money on electing Republican candidates? Or will he use it to repay the $1,392,550 in loans made to his campaign? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The idea that the left wing runs the Democratic Party is about as credible as the idea that we are overly generous with our welfare system. This is especially true in Rhode Island. Poster tekpfd makes a number of suggestions about how Democrats can remedy the belief that they are giving the store away. Mind you, he believes we are giving the store away and should stop. But are we? Well, the State version of “welfare” is called FIP, the Family Independence Program. Of 10,755 total cases on FIP in December 2006, (last year stats are currently available for) 4,232 (39%) are Child-Only cases meaning adults do not qualify for FIP payment. Of the remaining case load which were not child only cases, 31 % were required to be in the work program. Unlike the 20 hour program tekpfd suggests, the state already has a 30 hour requirement. The participation is broken down in this way: 1,427 were Employed (earnings still qualified them for reduced FIP cash benefit) 735 were in Education/Training (active in GED/ESL/skills training/post secondary education) 840 were in Assessment/Transition (parents who have completed one activity in their employment plan but have not yet entered the next activity, or parents who are in process of assessment and plan development) 244 were in Partial Sanction (parents on a reduced grant are sanctioned for not complying with their employment plan for up to 6 months, after which they close due to full family sanction). So if you are thinking to yourself, “Hey, only 31% are working. What about the other 69%. Here is why: 4,232 (39%) were Child Only Cases (parent or caretaker relative does not qualify for FIP cash assistance or the parent of the child(ren) have exhausted their 60-month time limit – NOTE this is now much lower - PC)). 3,277 (30%) were exempt from requirements (due to illness, pregnancy, child under 1 in family, over 60 years of age, or are victims of domestic violence) So in other words, those that can, are working. Those that don’t have a good reason get sanctioned and have their benefits cut. Now, what does someone make while working in the 30 plan with FIP? Believe me, they aren’t getting ready (OTCBB:GTRY) for trips to Aruba: Hourly Wage: $ 7.40 Hours Per Week: 30 Number of weeks: 52 Gross Annual Earnings: $11,535 Supplemental FIP Grant for Year: + 1,900 Food Stamps for Year (using Max. Shelter Deduction) +4,056 Federal EITC: +4,536 Child Tax Credit: + 37 State EITC + 170 ______ _ TOTAL FAMILY INCOME : $22,036 Less Social Security - 716 Less Medicare - 167 Less TDI - 150 TOTAL ANNUAL DEDUCT. -1,033 Child Care Co-Payment 0 RIte Care Co-payment 0 NET INCOME FOR YEAR: $21,003 A whole $21,003 for a family. Not exactly luxurious. No, it is still poverty. And what about the person who is not working (the mostly children): Child Support could increase income by $2,964/year FIP Grant Only: $554/month Number of months/year $6,648 Food Stamps for Year (using Maximum shelter deduction: $4,716 TOTAL FAMILY INCOME: $11,364 Again, paltry. We give that money away in tax breaks to our most wealthy. Most importantly for tekpfd and folks who want to be proud Democrats but think we are being “too generous” with poor people, this chart below shows how over the last ten year both state and federal dollars going into the cash assistance program have dropped dramatically. But what really needs to be asked are questions like these: Has the cut is assistance ended or reduced poverty? Has the job requirement worked to get people back into the work force? Has the reduction of aid put the economy in a stronger or weaker position? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

UPDATE: 5:40 Friday evening I spoke with someone at Col Doherty's office this morning about appearing on the blog for a live interview. They were not familiar with the site so wanted to check it out first and get back to me. I have a feeling I may be waiting a while..... ----- Welcome to the fog of war, Rhode Island style. As Matt and I reported yesterday it appears Col. Doherty of the state police lied to the media when he said that no raids were imminent. (Note: I have a request in to do a live call in interview with Col Doherty that, if he agrees, will be broadcast live here.) Today, Governor Carcieri is quoted thusly in the paper: Governor Carcieri yesterday ordered an “internal” review of the dozens of contracts the state has with two janitorial companies whose workers were arrested in an immigration sweep and said he would not tolerate “this type of illegal activity by unscrupulous employers.” But Governor—the raids didn’t target the employer, it targeted the workers. Anthony DiSimone of Tri-State wasn’t led out of his office in handcuffs. Vincent D’Elia isn’t being held in parts unknown, unable to speak with family and advocates . It was the workers that were targeted, not the employers. Prove me wrong and put an electronic bracelet on them like you did the workers! And so much for the big audit? You remember that, right? The one where Carcieri’s team was going to look over every feature of state government and find cost savings and problems? Whoops. The Greek tragedian Aeschylus wrote “in war, truth is the first casualty.” And my fellow citizens, the State of Rhode Island seems to think they are at war….. with all of us. Why so broadly defined? When the top executive of the state, and the top law enforcement official of the state, can feel free to lie directly to the people, it must be concluded that they have no respect for us as a citizenry. An unintended consequence of this “police action?" You be the judge. What is very clear is that what advocates for workers had been saying all along – that these raids do nothing to solve the immigration problem in our State, they just punish hard working people – is proving true. Across the State contractors are reporting that workers are just not showing up for work. If you have never seen a raid (oh sorry, a “law enforcement action”) go down, good for you…. But it is unpleasant. And if you remember, a lot of these people come from countries that have been ravaged in the past by civil wars (thanks to US involvement). When the police come and put you in a van, you may never be seen again. FEAR among the people is a direct consequence of the Governors Executive Order and these raids. Mistrust of the government is another. Said another way, what the Governor’s executive order, and the statements by the State Police Colonel, have done is draw a very broad line between the people, and the State. The State views everyone on the other side of this line as either untrustworthy enough to be told the truth or someone who must be arrested in order to enforce the edicts of their side of the line. When one side views the other with such utter disdain, and the balance of power is so warped to that side, bad things can happen. Bad things are happenning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]