Phillipe and Jorge have used the case of Abel Collins, independent Congressional candidate, to highlight Rhode Island's decidedly undemocratic process for electing politicians.
He has already been excluded by the clowns at WPRI-TV from a Congressional debate. The know-nothings there said it was an "editorial decision."
Sitting Congressman Jim Langevin, who should know better, and his Republican opponent, Mike "Who he?" Riley, both showed a total lack of guts in participating in the debate, rather than putting the Channel 12 execs to the sword and demanding full inclusion of all the candidates.
But then again, they are simply slaves to the American two-party system — a system bereft of ethics and guts. Profiles in courage, indeed.
Anyhow, Collins is now launching a homestretch drive through his social network — tapping a world of instant communication that P&J still find baffling to a degree, though we've gotten quite good at purchasing generic Viagra from Canada.
Visit Abel's website at electabel2012.com or go to facebook.com/ElectAbel if you want to learn about a candidate who has built his campaign outside the orbit of local TV networks that favor "if it bleeds it leads" car crashes and news of any of any young, white girl who has gone missing anywhere in the continental US.
"The truth," Collins says, "is that we have the ability to communicate and be heard as we never have before, and social media are the tools that make it possible. We have seen the power of Facebook and Twitter in Egypt and around the world. Now, we can see what is possible in this great country."
P&J sure hope so.
DO THE RIGHT THING
P&J rarely grovel. But we are on bended knee imploring you to support two environmental bonds on this year's ballot — Questions 5 and 6 — that will fund future investment in clean water and open space.
Your superior correspondents have great faith in the electorate, as all clean water and open space bonds since the state's first in 1985 have passed with an average 67 percent of the vote — a figure that any politician would consider a mandate to rule the universe.
The success of these measures is unsurprising, actually, since Little Rhody's support for environmental causes is matched only by its enthusiasm for the arts.
Approval of Question 5 will ensure that the water you and your kids drink out of the tap is of the highest quality. It will also guarantee that the advancements made over the past three decades in cleaning up Little Rhody's most valuable economic and environmental resource, Narragansett Bay, will continue. As the man once said, there would not be a Rhode Island without Narragansett Bay, driven like a spike through the heart of the region.
Approval of Question 6, essentially a sister measure to the Clean Water bond, will help purchase more open space (once it's gone, it's gone, boys and girls); help our working farmers continue to grow the local produce that supplies our burgeoning farmers' markets and powers the state's school lunch programs; and save state parks and playgrounds
Open space is, of course, important to the enjoyment of our rural areas. But parks are just as important to our quality of life in urban areas. And they give kids the chance to throw around baseballs and basketballs instead of rocks.
