We're not invited

by: Pat Crowley

Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 19:26:29 PM EST

At the State house today I was informed that there will be a special press briefing on the Governor's supplemental budget speech at 2PM.  And no, RIFUTURE.org was not invited.

If this keeps up pretty soon I am going to take it personally. 

I Spy for You and Me

by: Russ Conway

Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 17:30:00 PM EST

So what's wrong with a little surveillance if you have nothing to hide, right? Problem is, these types of excesses seem to follow (h/t Progressive Review):

The Maryland State Police surveillance of advocacy groups was far more extensive than previously acknowledged, with records showing that troopers monitored -- and labeled as terrorists -- activists devoted to such wide-ranging causes as promoting human rights and establishing bike lanes.

Intelligence officers created a voluminous file on Norfolk-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, calling the group a "security threat" because of concerns that members would disrupt the circus. Angry consumers fighting a 72 percent electricity rate increase in 2006 were targeted. The DC Anti-War Network, which opposes the Iraq war, was designated a white supremacist group, without explanation.

One of the possible "crimes" in the file police opened on Amnesty International, a world-renowned human rights group: "civil rights."

According to hundreds of pages of newly obtained police documents, the groups were swept into a broad surveillance operation that started in 2005 with routine preparations for the scheduled executions of two men on death row.

The operation has been called a "waste of resources" by the current police superintendent and "undemocratic" by the governor.

Police have acknowledged that the monitoring, which took place during the administration of then-Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), spiraled out of control, with an undercover trooper spending 14 months infiltrating peaceful protest groups. Troopers have said they inappropriately labeled 53 individuals as terrorists in their database, information that was shared with federal authorities. But the new documents reveal a far more expansive set of police targets and indicate that police did not close some files until late 2007.

The surveillance ended with no arrests and no evidence of violent sedition. Instead, troopers are preparing to purge files and say they are expecting lawsuits.

No Surprises So Far at Statehouse

by: Pat Crowley

Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 17:12:35 PM EST

Here at the State House there have been no surprises so far.  William Murphy was re-elected Speaker of the House and Teresa Paiva-Weed was elected President of the Senate. Congratulations.

 One lighter moment in the House: Rep. Joe Trillo, in seconding the nomination for Republican leader Bob Watson as Speaker thanked the Democratic Majority for adopting so many of the positions of the minority.  And he's right!  But does that mean he can't keep slamming the majority for their votes?

In the Senate, newly elected "independent" Senator Ed O'Neil abstained from voting for anyone for President.  Way to start off strong and take a stand Senator.  

Statement from East Providence Teachers

by: Pat Crowley

Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 16:03:33 PM EST

Whitehouse to support Holder nomination

by: Pat Crowley

Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 15:01:07 PM EST

Congrats to the New General Assembly

by: Matt Jerzyk

Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 07:00:00 AM EST

I would like to extendy my congratulations to the following newly-elected Representatives and Senators who are being sworn in today at the General Assembly and who received help and assistance from progressives.

• Scott Guthrie (D-Dist. 28, Coventry)
• Michael Rice (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown
• Rod Driver (D-Dist. 39, Richmond, Charlestown, Exeter)
• Mary Ann Shallcross Smith (D-Dist. 46, Lincoln, Pawtucket)
• Chris Fierro (D-Dist. 51, Woonsocket)
• Karen MacBeth (D-Dist. 52, Cumberland)
• Deb Ruggiero (D-Dist. 74, Jamestown, Middletown)
• Peter Martin (D-Dist. 75, Newport)
• Erin Lynch (D-Dist. 31, Warwick)

In particular, I would like to congratulate blogger Chris Fierro for his tremendous accomplishment in winning his House District 51 race. 

Additionally, kudos are in order for new Senate President Teresa Paiva-Weed, new Senate Majority Leader Dan Connors and new Senate Finance Chair Dan DaPonte. 

Hopefully, 2009 will be remembered as the year when the legislature stopped giving handouts to the wealthiest Rhode Islanders and started focusing on growing our economy by helping entreprenuers, small business owners and the nascent green collar economy.

A discussion of business taxes in Rhode Island

by: Moderate

Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 11:23:06 AM EST

For starters, let's separate business types into 'S'-corps and 'C'-corps.  The difference between these types of corporations is defined by how they are treated by the IRS, along with their profits (if any).  By and large, large companies or companies with many shareholders are organized as 'C'-corps, and most others are organized as 'S'-corps.

The vast majority of businesses in this state are small businesses organized as S-Corps. These companies are subject to a $500 (or more) annual incorporation tax.  The size of this tax is based on how many shares of stock are issued for the company, as well as the declared par value for the stock that is issued.  That is the only function of this tax, and any incorporated company must pay this tax, regardless of earnings.

The real tax bite that adversely effects small business 'S'-corp owners in RI is the 'S'-corp flowdown.  When an 'S'-corp is profitable, those profits are reported on the 'S'-corp owners personal tax returns.  This tax is the killer for RI as compared to our immediate neighbors, resulting in what for me personally is an over 20% tax penalty as compared to MA.

It is highly misleading to discuss the incorporation tax and make the assertion that this tax is the main tax burden for business owners in Rhode Island.

Ken Block
Chairman, Moderate Party of RI

New Year, New Transportation Choices

by: Wilhite

Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 08:55:18 AM EST

Only 6 days into the New Year and the engines are all revved up. It's hard to know what direction we're all racing in though. I do feel confident with the new President and the new Congress (and definitely the new RI Senate leadership) that we're off to a good start for smart transportation choices.

First off, yesterday the New York Times editorialized a pitch for mass transit in the new administration's transportation policy. Specifically they write:

Unlike President Bush, Barack Obama is going to enter office with a clear appreciation of the urgent problems of climate change and America’s growing dependency on foreign oil — and a strong commitment to address both.

One way he can do this is to give mass transit — trains, buses, commuter rails — the priority it deserves and the full financial and technological help it needs and has long been denied.

The People Support East Providence Teachers

by: Pat Crowley

Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 09:11:17 AM EST

Do you think the school board should roll-back teachers' pay and have them pay more for health care to save money?

The answer, as of 9:10 AM:

As you can see in the graphic above, 79% of the people say NO!  So despite the hyperbole of the East Providence School Committee, the public is not on their side.

Around the Progressive Blogosphere

by: Pat Crowley

Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 09:00:00 AM EST

New England

• Blue Mass Group:  Patrick to Obama - Don't repeat out mistakes
• Green Mountain Daily:  Racine Running for Governor
• My Left Nutmeg:  What Passes for Journalism at Greenwich Times
• Blue Hampshire:   Home Ownership Society Finally Comes To New Hampshire
• Turn Maine Blue: Rebuilding America's Infrastructure: Krugman Gets It
  

Outer Realms of the Empire

• Calitics:  Memo to Genest - Judge not....
• Michigan Messenger:    Future Shock: Michigan’s uncertain prospects in solar energy
• FLA Politics:  “Lapdogs”
• Burnt Orange Report:   “Guys Sitting Around in their Underwear”
• SquareState.net:  The Unknown Aristocrat
• Buckeye State Blog:    Blackwell Compares Bush to Hoover
• The Albany Report:  The New York State Budget Crisis

Tuesdays With Eddie

by: Pat Crowley

Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 08:30:00 AM EST

(This will be a regular feature of the blog, an analysis of Journal "editorialist" Ed Achorn's oft errored opinion pieces)

Tuesdays With Eddie

Maybe Eddie was already working on his piece about census numbers before Tom Sgouros posted them on RIFUTURE over the weekend.  If so, then it’s another win for the blogosphere.  If not, then once again, he is just sounding off against the community here at RIFUTURE – another win for the blogosphere.  Now of course, he puts his spin on things, using charge words like “fled” and “flight” to describe our estimated (emphasis on estimated) population loss.  And he most know all of them because he describes them as “middle class taxpayers” Not sure how he would know a “middle class” person by looking at a spreadsheet
(nr, dare I say, a working class person), but let’s try.   

According to real numbers supplied by the State revenue department, the between 2005 and 2006, the latest number available, the only group to lose population was people earning less than $30,000 a year:

• Under 30k – (2356)
• 30k – 50k – 387
• 50k-75k – 157
• 75k-100k – 1700
• 100k – 200k – 4666
• 200k+ - 987

Sooooooo, maybe if we are worried about losing population in a particular class of people (and I thought we don’t have classes in this society) maybe what we need to do is put more emphasis on keeping people here who earn at the bottom rung of the economic ladder?  Maybe, just maybe, we are loosing population because we have a cash and carry tax structure that benefits the elite at the expense of the poor, not the other way around as Eddie wants us to believe.

“[W]ealth is leaking out of the rusty bucket faster than the government can fill it up,” says Ed. Really? That taxable income for the wealthy, those over $200k+ in this case, saw an increase of more than $700million in that one year time period while the taxable income at the bottom showed a $133million loss. So I ask you, dear reader, if wealth is leaking out of our state, is it because we are driving poor people away or is it because we are picking their pockets to pay for giveaways to the elites?  If we want to base our judgment on what population numbers actually say, well, to me the answer is obvious.

Interfaith Vigil Set to Greet Opening of General Assembly Session

by: Pat Crowley

Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 06:00:00 AM EST

UPDATE: Ed Fitzpatrick had a great story about the prayer vigl scheuled to greet the opening of the General Assembly session. He quotes up and coming northern Rhode Island political leader James Jahnz:

James Jahnz, representing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, said, “We can act as a moral beacon for our elected officials.”

New free clinic project highlighted in PBN

by: peterasen

Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 23:15:32 PM EST

Cheers to friend of the blog Craig O'Connor for his work, and the work of many others, who are trying to get the Clinica Esperanza/Hope Clinic off the ground in Olneyville. (The effort is discussed by O'Connor in an interview posted this week on the Providence Business News website) The clinic will provide free health care to 1,000 people at first and hopes to expand to provide care to a much greater segment of the state's uninsured population.

Yes, it is a sad reflection of the fact that we have a broken health care "non-system" that we even need something like Clinica Esperenza -- but because of the system we've got, the work that free clinics and their dedicated volunteers and employees do is critically important. And even when (not if, but when) we truly gain high-quality, affordable health coverage for everyone in America, we will still need community-based clinics as part of our delivery system.

So hooray for Clinica Esperanza! To learn more about the project or help out, email info (at) aplacetobehealthy (dot) org.

Your Calendar of Events

by: Pat Crowley

Mon Dec 29, 2008 at 10:00:00 AM EST

Tuesday, January 6th - Interfaith Prayer Vigil . Statehouse Rotunda. 3PM.

Thursday, January 8th - Rhode Island Affirmative Action Professionals meeting, 8:30AM, East Providence City Hall, 145 Taunton Ave.

Friday, January 9th – House Finance Committee hearing on proposed Medicaid Global Waiver. Statehouse room 35. 10AM. 

Friday, January 9th - 3rd Annual Rhode Island Economic Summit. Creating a Competitive Rhode Island "Managing in Decline / Preparing for Prosperity. Sponsored by the Rhode  Island Small Business Development Center at Johnson and Wales University.

Friday, January 9th -  Clean Water Action invites friends to join them in wishing both Denise Parrillo and Annie Costner well on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m., at Cuban Revolution, 60 Valley St., Providence. For information, call (401) 331-6972.

Sunday, January 11th - MoveOn.Org Advocacy, Church of the Ascension, 390 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, 2PM - 3:30Pm. Sign up on FACEBOOK.

Thursday, January 15th  – Budget Rhode Map presentation by The Poverty Institute. Registration begins at 8:30 Am at the Rhodes on the Pawtuxet.

Monday, JANUARY 19th – “War is Over” at Providence Black Rep 276 Westminister Street . 7 PM There will be free food and live music. Log on to itzagoodlook.com for more details.

Tuesday, January 20^th – The inauguration of Barack Obama, 44^th President of the United States of America.

Weekend of January 23^rd , “There are a couple of ways this could end” a conflict resolution play produced by the Manton Avenue Project’s Dialogue program. Shows, Friday at 7PM, Saturday at 3PM and 7PM, and Sunday at 3PM. 325 Public Street, Providence. www.mantonavenueproject.org

To add your event, email progress@rifuture.org

Obama, OLC, and Torture

by: ProgressivePilgrim

Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 15:04:16 PM EST

Obama's new head of OLC (Office of Legal Councel), Dawn Johnson, is a strident critic of the Bush Administration's use of torture.  She also views the OLC as independent of the President and his wishes.  This is good news, and hopefully a strong step back toward rule of law and a necessary check on executive power. 

 Ben Smith has a good article in Politico.