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Thursday, May 15, 2008
Kudos + congrats to my friend Matt, an occasional Phoenix contributor, who graduates this week from Roger Williams Law School.
The RI Populist was today among the winners of the Metcalf Diversity in Media Award (named for former ProJo publisher Michael Metcalf), which are presented for public-interest reporting by Rhode Island for Community and Justice:
Matt Jerzyk and the Rhode Island's Future blog for "Papitto Whistleblowers Punished"
Demonstrating the power of the internet in advocacy, Matt used his blog to influence change at Roger Williams University. The Rhode Island's Future website consistently addresses human rights issues and advocacy in a medium for the new millennium.
Ardent Democrat Matt has also been selected to go to the DNC in Denver:
PAWTUCKET - Rhode Island Democratic Party Chairman Bill Lynch congratulated RIFuture.org founder Matt Jerzyk [yesterday] on being named to the Democratic National Convention's "State Blogging Corps." One blogger was selected by the DNC from every state to accompany the local delegation to the August nominating convention and offer their unique perspective to online audiences that will be closely reading and watching from home.
"Matt's done a great job helping to bring new people and new ideas into our party. His site has become a must-read for people who follow politics in Rhode Island, and his sincere passion for social justice and equal rights is truly representative of what the Democratic Party has always stood for," Lynch said.
Monique, at Anchor (via the Valley Breeze) has RI GOP chair Gio Cicione's insurrectionary clarion call to the local populace:
It is said that every man and every woman - somewhere over the course of their life - must have their moment.
It is a moment of recognition that something larger than the day to day details of our own family life is beckoning and we must answer to it. I would propose to you that such a moment has arrived for Rhode Islanders.
The checklist of unfavorable economic conditions in which our state now exists should be by now frighteningly familiar:
* A structural deficit at more than half a billion dollars and growing.
* Seventh highest property tax burden
* Overall fourth highest tax burden
* Worst business climate - including small business climate - in the nation
* Among most generous states in pay and benefits to state workers
* Eighth most highly paid teachers/school results in bottom fifth of nation
Haven't you had enough? If you have, I ask you to take action.
The Rhode Island Republican Party asks you to make a run for the General Assembly to show you are not going to abandon our state. This is your moment that the citizens take back the state from the special interests.
The Rhode Island Republican Party does not owe anything to the grip of greed of the public employee unions and their contracts - and many who do their bidding in our legislature - which have driven this state to its present condition of bankruptcy.
The Rhode Island Republican Party firmly believes the smallest state in the nation has no business being among the most free spending in the nation to those employees in nearly every measurable benefit, especially for the size of their retirement pensions which we cannot afford.
A bankrupted state cannot adequately finance its schools or public universities. It will leave all of our school age children with inferior educations when compared to other states and diminished prospects for college and beyond.
A bankrupted state does not attract businesses that provide jobs, careers and financial stability to college graduates and young people hoping to start families. It drives your own college-educated son or daughter far away from home to more prosperous states where they take their future earning power with them.
A bankrupted state will not nourish the stable, safe, small business-thriving, friendly communities many of us grew up in. Rhode Island is headed toward deteriorating into a state of rundown, boarded-up, forgotten neighborhoods offering far less prosperity, stability and safety to families here. If this is not the future state you want for your children, it's time to say "Enough."
Come join us. We will help you launch your campaign if you will help us fight back.
It doesn't take lots of money or any sacrifice greater than the ones you would make for your family on any given day. Like all things worth doing in life, it just takes desire and hard work.
When you win, we will together pursue a plan to drastically cut our out of control spending, immediately reduce your property and income taxes, put education dollars back into classrooms not just contracts, protect our environment, and to bring companies and good jobs back to Rhode Island. Oh yes, we can!
Contact our office at 401-732-8282. Contact me personally at 401-289-2380.
Giovanni Cicione
R.I. GOP chairman
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
While immigration gets a lot more attention these days, it's worth remembering the civic organizing of Latinos in Rhode Island.
Tomas Avila was kind enough to copy me on an e-mail noting this important date in local history:
"Haciendo Historia" RILPAC
Thursday May 14, 1998
Back on Thursda May 14, 1998 after months of meeting and planning and Seinfeld finale episode was taking place, the founders of the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee (RILPAC) held the official organizing meeting at La Cabaña Night Club, holding election of officers and board of Directors with the following outcome.
Board of Directors
President: Pablo Rodriguez, MD
Executive Vice President: Alina Ocasio
Vice President: Juan M. Pichardo
Secretary: Michelle Torres
Assistant Secretary: Margarita Guedes
Treasurer: Tomás Alberto Avila
Assistant Treasurer: Betty Bernal
Alido Baldera
Gladys Corvera-Baker, ACSW
Victor F. Capellán
Francisco Cruz
José González, Ed.D.
Ricardo Patiño
Vidal Perez
Tomás Ramirez
Manuel Suarez, Esq
Angel Taveras, Esq
I've reported on some of the subsequent progress, as with Ready to rumba, in 2003:
The growing appreciation for the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Fund (the fundraising arm of the civic fund) could be seen when almost every statewide candidate of note — and hundreds of other people from a variety of backgrounds — came out for RILPAC’s festive spring 2002 tribute to Dr. Pablo Rodriguez at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. Rodriguez, one of the state’s most veteran Latino activists, deliciously delivered on the palpable sense of a political coming-out; bringing the ballroom to a hush by saying he was about to make a very important announcement — triggering visions of an incipient campaign — he then vowed to be the best husband and father he could be.
All this marks a dramatic change from the time 15 years ago, when the since-deceased Juanita Sanchez and just a few other individuals advocated politically on behalf of Latinos. "It was very difficult in those days," recalls Rodriguez. "Now, there are a number of people who are working on issues, some together, some completely separately. I think that’s a sign of a healthy community. Some people feel there should be a single group or a single representative, and I think that’s inaccurate."
Indeed, the growing vibrancy of Rhode Island’s Latino community is evident in any number of ways. Flourishing small businesses — bakeries, groceries, travel agencies, hair stylists, and the like — fill formerly vacant storefronts on Broad Street and Elmwood Avenue in Providence. Activists like Nellie Gorbea, Gonzalo Cuervo, and Patricia Martinez have landed prominent posts, respectively, in the Brown, Cicilline, and Carcieri administrations. And the predominant Anglo culture is paying a growing amount of attention — as seen by the copious selection of Hispanic foods at the new Shaw’s Supermarket in Eagle Square, for example, or the issuance last week by Attorney General Patrick Lynch’s office of a Spanish-language version of Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care.
The seriousness with which some members of the extended community view their civic responsibility can be seen in how Victor Cuenca, a 37-year-old Bolivian native, has abstemiously avoiding making political endorsements since starting his Spanish-language newspaper, Providence En Espanol, about four years ago. Other Spanish papers have tended to be irregular or fiercely partisan, so Cuenca’s faced a struggle for credibility when he launched it with his wife from their North Providence home. Now, though, Providence En Espanol boasts a payroll of 12, free weekly circulation of 25,000 copies at hundreds of locations, an office at a Seekonk, Massachusetts, industrial park, and after attracting a raft of campaign ads last fall, it’s flush with news content and ads from Nordstrom, Ocean State Job Lot, and Showcase Cinemas. Cuenca now feels his paper has gained enough authority that he plans to start making endorsements after its fifth anniversary. Similarly, the Spanish-language radio station, Poder 1110, was a vital channel of political debate last year, arguably offering the most robust flowering of community-based radio in the Providence market.
Monday, May 12, 2008
So says Anchor Rising's Andrew about Wednesday's Reagan-Lincoln Day fundraiser at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet:
We don't generally promote specific political fundraising events here at Anchor Rising, but will point out that this Wednesday's Reagan-Lincoln Day Fundraiser at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet is a little different from the kind of event that RI Republicans usually sponsor. Though this year's Reagan-Lincoln Day Dinner has been planned and advertised as a statewide gala, the money raised will not go to the state party account. Instead, 75% of the value of each ticket purchased will go to the local city or town Republican committee it was purchased from (the other 25% going to Rhodes to cover the expenses of the event).
It is worth noting that this event represents a movement within the Rhode Island Republican party amongst those who believe that the top-down strategies favored by party leadership in the recent past, i.e. focus on a few statewide offices and hope for coattails, have hit the wall, and that the party can only become competitive again by rebuilding its grass-roots strength in the cities and towns.
While it would be nice to believe that we have arrived at a color-blind society, this is obviously not the case, particularly as it pertains to the criminal justice system. Two examples from last week, via the NYT.
No. 1:
More than two decades after President Ronald Reagan escalated the war on drugs, arrests for drug sales or, more often, drug possession are still rising. And despite public debate and limited efforts to reduce them, large disparities persist in the rate at which blacks and whites are arrested and imprisoned for drug offenses, even though the two races use illegal drugs at roughly equal rates.
Two new reports, issued Monday by the Sentencing Project in Washington and by Human Rights Watch in New York, both say the racial disparities reflect, in large part, an overwhelming focus of law enforcement on drug use in low-income urban areas, with arrests and incarceration the main weapon.
No. 2:
WASHINGTON — Secret Service supervisors shared crude sexual jokes and engaged in racially derogatory banter about blacks, and passed around an anecdote about a possible assassination of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, according to internal e-mail disclosed in a federal court filing on Friday by lawyers for black Secret Service agents.
The filing includes 10 e-mail messages that were among documents the agency recently turned over to lawyers for the black agents as part of an increasingly bitter discrimination lawsuit. The messages were written mainly from 2003 through 2005, and were sent to and from e-mail accounts of at least 20 Secret Service supervisors.
On a related note, Ariel has a piece in the current Phoenix about Justice or Just Us?, a festival that offers a critical look this week at criminal justice in America:
“Justice or Just Us?,” which Reilly describes as a “series of events designed to make us question the state of justice in our society” marks the realization of many of [Bruce Reilly's] dreams. Taking place from May 12 to 18 at Perishable Theatre and AS220 (95 and 115 Empire St., Providence), the festival offers 26 events, ranging from music, comedy, and slam poetry to film, theater, and a free discussion series sponsored by the RI Coun-cil for the Humanities.
Over the past several years, a complex debate on criminal-justice reform has been pushed to the surface by community-based organizations (the Family Life Center and Direct Action for Rights & Equality); legisla-tors (Providence Democratic Representatives David Segal and Joseph Almeida, and Senator Harold Metts), and activists such as Reilly. “Justice or Just Us?” offers an opportunity for Rhode Islanders to take part in advancing this dialogue.
The featured activists and speakers will include former prisoner and current Drug Policy Alliance fellow Tony Papa; former narcotics officer John Tommasi of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP); Brown University Professor Glenn Loury, Department of Corrections Director A.T. Wall; Segal, Almeida, and Metts; and filmmakers Dylan Avery and Korey Rowe, who will present their film Loose Change: Final Cut, a critique of the official narrative of the War on Terror.
Poets Jimmy Baca (Albuquerque) and Lemon (Def Poetry, NYC) will perform, as will the sketch comics of In House Freestyle. On the mic will be local artists Who Dem?, Fedd Hill, Chachi, the Low Anthem, and the What Cheer? Brigade, as well as the nationally celebrated Saigon (as seen on HBO’s hit show Entourage) and Immortal Technique. Theret will also be performances of the off-Broadway sensation The Exonerated, directed by Reilly and 1000 lbs Guerilla.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Leadership Rhode Island is offering a series, starting next week on Women + Politics:
Networking Receptions with Roundtable Discussions
Focusing on Women in Politics
Thursdays, May 15th, 22nd and 29th
from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
at Leadership Rhode Island
Four Richmond Square, Providence
A nonpartisan series for women considering running for office now or in the future, who want to work on a campaign, or who want to understand how political campaigns work.
Meet and talk with other women who share your commitment to serving your community.
Get practical knowledge and advice from individuals who are involved in the political process.
_____________________________________
REGISTRATION
Dues-paying LRI Alumni:
Each session is $15 or attend the entire series for $30
General Public:
Each session is $20 or attend the entire series for $50
Registration due one week before each session; seating is limited.
To register, contact Diane Dolphin, Director of Programs
401-273-1574 ext. 102 or ddolphin@leadershipri.org.
_____________________________________
Attend One, Two or All Three Sessions:
MAY 15 - What Women Need to Know About Running for Office
The Honorable Elizabeth H. Roberts
Lieutenant Governor of the State of Rhode Island
Representative Carol A. Mumford
Senior Deputy Minority Leader
MAY 22 - Campaign Laws, Ethics and Potential Pitfalls
Katherine D’Arezzo
Senior Staff Attorney, Rhode Island Ethics Commission
Richard Thornton
Supervision Accountant, Rhode Island Board of Elections
MAY 29 - Political Campaigns and the Media
Jennifer Lawless, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Brown University and author of
It Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office
Lisa Pelosi, LRI '05
Director of Communications and Media Relations at
Johnson & Wales Universit and Political Analyst
Monday, May 05, 2008
There are legislative fundraisers, and then there are legislative fundraisers. Those of Representative David Segal, which have a bit of Mardi Gras, fall into the latter category, and he's got one this week.
Please Join Rep Segal for a night of music, fun and progressive politics this Thursday, May 8th, at Nick-a-Nee's in Providence's Jewelry District.
For more info, or to donate online, please visit www.VoteSegal.com
Thursday, May 8th
6-10PM
Nick-a-Nees
75 South Street, Jewelry District
Featuring:
The What Cheer? Brigade
The Low Anthem
The Trolleys
Pay-what-you-can
Here's part of my report from a previous event:
Interesting crowd last night for state Representative David Segal's (D-Providence) fundraiser at Nick-a-Nee's. Aside from assorted advocates (Matt Auten, Peter Asen), neighborhood activists (David Riley), artists (Bert Crenca, Mimo Riley) and scribes (Scott MacKay, yours truly), there was a strong showing from the Green-turned-Democrat's House colleagues, including good sports Republican Minority Leader Bob Watson and Minority Whip Nick Gorham. The Dems in the House included Speaker Bill Murphy, Majority Leader Gordon Fox, Tim Williamson, Art Handy, and Gus Silva (N4N arrived on the late side, so my apology for any omissions).
It was an inspired choice to have music provided by the excellent What Cheer Brigade
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Local peace activist Mark Stahl is apparently experiencing a little pushback for some critical remarks he made about the Brown pie-tossers. He relayed these comments to me via e-mail this past week, and I thought it was important to include his gist in the related story by Ariel Werner:
“I totally reject this action as an absurd and unwelcome attack on freedom of speech. I wonder how we would react if a speaker at one of our peace events was peppered by a pie. If we don’t support the principles of free speech and civil discourse, then we might as well shut down our organizations.”
Stahl believes that stunts such as those performed by the pie-tossers are “particularly counter-productive when the increasing inroads against civil liberties in this country make it all the more important for us to take a principled stand in support of freedom of speech.”
The pie-tossers view the situation differently:
From Brown students to conservative columnist Michelle Malkin (who deemed the pie-throwers “enviro-nitwits”), commentators have portrayed the incident as the latest example of liberal intolerance at Brown. But Little says that she and the Colonel aimed to provoke that very notion.
“What we were trying to draw attention to is the subtle hegemony of free speech on a campus where certain speakers — mainstream and right-wing speakers — get brought to campus and other voices aren’t heard or are silenced."
I'm with Stahl in this one. Where does one draw the line, for instance, between throwing pies and rocks, or otherwise interfering with what people have to say in a public forum? Anyway, Mark copied me on a followup e-mail he sent, and publishing it here seems in keeping with the spirit of the related discussion:
Dear friends,
A question has been asked as to why I sent a copy of my statement about the pie-throwing incident to the Providence Phoenix. I guess the answer is simple enough, I was hoping they would publish it! In the immortal words of Cicero, Cum tacent, probant! ("When they are silent, they approve.")
This incident has been widely covered by the national media, and the clip on YouTube has been viewed over 76,000 times. I intended my comments to be a public response to a very public incident. This is what democracy is all about, people being free to express their opinions without fear of retribution.
I appreciate the lively debate on this issue, as I know Molly does. One thing I would like to comment on is the idea that this was a "non-violent" action. Having viewed the clip on YouTube I do not regard it as non-violent. The protesters knew the missiles were harmless custard, but Mr. Friedman did not.
He instantly recoiled from the assault, with an instinctive reaction of fear. He could have easily lost his balance and slipped on the custard that was splattered on the floor, and injured or broken his leg. People have been seriously injured during what were intended as pranks or harmless actions.
Perhaps more important, this incident represented an assault on his dignity. Some may believe that he deserved it, as is their right. But in my opinion as a pacifist, assaults on human dignity are never justified, and never contribute to the creation of a more just and peaceful society.
Mark Stahl
Providence, RI
Friday, May 02, 2008
Renaissance Man Robert Healey, the leader of the Cool Moose Party in Rhode Island, knows just how tough it is to build an alt-party. In 2002, I wrote about the challenges facing alternative parties.
Healey, 45, who is still hailed by strangers on the street as "Cool Moose" and "the Moose Guy," is currently running for lieutenant governor on a platform of abolishing the office. Regardless of the outcome, this will mark the last campaign of the Cool Moose Party since state law requires that a party must receive five percent of the presidential or gubernatorial vote, or a petition with the signatures of five percent of those who voted in the last gubernatorial election, to remain on the ballot.
Without a dramatic shift in the fabric of American politics, Healey doesn't expect third-party candidates to make significant inroads in his lifetime, "but that doesn't mean you should stop trying."
So while voters, at least according to a RIC poll released this week, have caught up with his idea of abolishing the LG's office, it's not particularly surprising that Healey sees Ken Block's Moderate Party as facing less than a highly impactful future.
Asked about this during a taping this morning of WPRI/WNAC-TV's Newsmakers, Healey praised Block for getting involved in the civic process, but when pressed, he acknowledged that alt-parties are whistling in the wind.
House Minority Leader Bob Watson and Terry Gorman of RIILE also appear on the show, which will be broadcast Sunday, at 5:30 am on Channel 12 and at 10 am on Fox 64. (Ramon Martinez from Progreso Latino was invited to appear, but couldn't make it.)
Thursday, May 01, 2008
In a story about how one person can make a big difference, the Phoenix reported last year on how Caitie Whelan, a senior at Brown, has been aiding the Merasi, a community of lower-caste musicians in India.
Under the Hindu caste system, the 15,000 Merasi in Jaisalmer District, Rajasthan, are members of the lowest strata within the untouchable caste, “the lowest of the low,” according to Whelan. In Rajasthan, one of India’s most conservative states, this means that they have little access to education, political representation, and steady employment.
These problems are compounded by India’s rapid modernization, which is stripping the Merasi of their sole means of income and social value: music. “They are the gatekeepers of a 37-generation musical legacy,” says Whelan, with traditions that describe “local folk history and the genealogy of the region.” As modern capitalism replaces traditional forms of exchange, the Merasi can no longer support themselves through their music. Children go to work instead of learning the musical traditions of their elders, Whelan says; as a result, those traditions are “on the brink of eradication.”
In 2006, Whelan traveled to Jaisalmer with Folk Arts Rajasthan to record Merasi music and create an archive of their folk legacy. But the community indicated that it needs more to preserve their singular cultural identity — its members need the opportunity to improve their lot through education.
Now, as Whelan writes to tell N4N, a group of the Merasi are set to perform tomorrow at Brown:
The Merasi, a community of marginalized Untouchable musicians from the deserts of northwestern India, will be performing an explosive medley of haunting music and intoxicating dance from their 800 year old artistic legacy right here at Brown University!
The Finer Points:
When: Friday, May 2nd, 6-8pm
Where: Salomon 101, Brown University
Tickets: Free! Reservations highly recommended; RSVP to this email or pamela@brown.edu
Suggested Donation: $5, all proceeds benefit Folk Arts Rajasthan (www.folkartsrajasthan.org, FAR) and FAR's educational programming, The Merasi School (http://merasischool.org), launched by Brown Grad Caitie Whelan.
Hear the songs, see the dances, and contribute to the creation of a more equitable Merasi future!
. . . Also, feel free to check us out on Facebook and invite ALL your friends!
[Above: Anchor Rising's Justin Katz, Marc Comtois, and Andrew Morse]
Thanks in good measure to the pioneering efforts of Rhode Island's Future and Anchor Rising, the Rhode Island blogosphere continues to grow in variety and sophistication. I look at this trend in this week's Phoenix:
There are, to name a few, locally based blogs for tech geeks and entrepreneurs, the legal community, same-sex marriage proponents, industrial designers, the young and irreverent, Democrats, and Republicans, and those concerned with intellectual property.
For communities sometimes overlooked by the Providence-centric media, the presence of sites such as Hard Deadlines, which focuses on Portsmouth, or RI’s Twelfth, which emphasizes that state Senate district, enrich the information landscape. ....
Picking up on a recent New York Times' story about the unexpected death, in one week, of two middle-aged bloggers, Lee Drutman, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California-Berkeley, used an April 15 op-ed in the ProJo to contend that the constant appetite of the blogosphere is bad for the body politic. ....
To be sure, there are shortcomings to be found on local blogs, particularly a periodic excess of personal attacks and a mix of bitchy and moronic comments, the short observations made by readers, that can be variously tasty or enervating.
Ultimately, though, Rhode Island bloggers rise or fall on their ability to present compelling information and trenchant points of view.
Marc Comtois, a regular contributor to Anchor Rising, sums this up well: “For me, writing a blog post helps me to strengthen my own thought process with regards to what I believe. If I’m going to pre-sent an argument for or against something, I had better be clear why I’m taking the stance I am."
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Labor activist Patrick Crowley, who's been on the warpath lately against Governor Carcieri (Pat, we suspect, would say it's the other way around), sends word of this rally:
Community Activists, Organized Labor and Religious Leaders Will Join In Calling On State Leaders To Promote Economic Justice For All Rhode Islanders
What:Thousands of people – including community activists, organized labor, religious leaders and hard-working Rhode Islanders – will march through Providence to the State House to attend a rally promoting economic justice for all Rhode Islanders.
When: Friday, May 2nd 4
4:00 pm: Photo Opportunity: Westin Ballroom, March to State House
5:00 pm Rally
Where: RI State House Lawn
82 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02903
Who: Master of Ceremony:
George Nee
Secretary/Treasurer, Rhode Island AFL-CIO
Speaking Program:
Paul Booth
AFSCME National Organizing Director
Sarita Gupta
Executive Director, National Jobs with Justice
Bob Walsh
Executive Director, NEA RI
Secretary-Treasurer, Working RI
Roxana Rivera
SEIU Local 615 Commercial Division Director
Why: The country is on the brink of recession and Rhode Island is in the midst of an economic crisis. How we move forward together out of this crisis will impact every Rhode Islander and will impact how communities across the country move forward.
On May 2nd, we will unite around a vision of Rhode Island that will protect and promote the dignity of every Rhode Islander. We will unite around a vision of a state that honors and respects hard work. We will fight for economic justice for all Rhode Islanders.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Robert Manning, RI's GOP National Committeeman, says the varying alliances of himself (with Steve Laffey) and Scott Avedisian (with Linc Chafee) are unrelated to Avedisian's challenge to his position.
Last week, N4N reported that Avedisian and Joe Trillo are challenging Manning for the National Committeman post. The election for the position will be held in June.
Asked what this about, Manning told me a short time ago, "They're interested in extending their service to the party." Asked if it has any relation to maneuvering for the 2010 gubernatorial race, he said, "No."
Manning defeated former LG Bernie Jackvony for the Committeeman slot four years ago, after it was discovered by Laffey allies that the previous holder of the post, Mike Traficante, had disaffiliated in Cranston and was therefore ineligible.
Manning confirmed that he intends to fight for the National Committeeman post. He claims credit for helping to put Rhode Island on the path to be included in Super Tuesday voting in the next presidential election cycle -- a move that would have to be approved at the Republican National Convention. Manning says he has also worked to get funding from the Republican National Committee for the state party, in part through a coalition of smaller states.
Calling the RNC "basically a seniority-based organization," Manning says that if someone were to replace him, "we're going to [have to] start all over again."
Friday, April 25, 2008
Perhaps she should be sentenced to a solitary section of a vegan collaborative household.
BeloBlog reports:
PROVIDENCE -- New York Times columnist and author Thomas L. Friedman says he'll leave it for Brown to decide what to do with a student who threw a green whipped cream pie at him during a speech earlier this week.
Friedman says he isn't pressing charges against Margaree Little, a 22-year-old English literature major.
Little says she's undergoing disciplinary action by the dean's office and expulsion is ``not off the table.''
Little and an unidentified man threw pies at Friedman as he opened an Earth Day speech Tuesday at Brown.
She says they were protesting Friedman's support of biofuels, although Friedman has written about taking a careful approach to biofuels to ensure biodiversity. She also says they were hoping to open up a dialogue about what it really means to have free speech on an elite college campus.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
UPDATE II: AVEDISIAN, TRILLO COMMENT (I've left a message for Manning).
Avedisian, Trillo, and the RI GOP's Donna Perry all downplay the significance of the three-way Republican National Committeeman race in relation to particular candidates and the 2010 gubernatorial race. They might be playing it straight. "Basically, it's a figurehead position," says one Smith Hill Democrat. If someone's running for governor, says the source, it could be a waste of their time and effort.
As Perry explains it, the National Committeeman post carries with it membership in the Republican National Committee and the role as chief liaison to the RNC. "It's an important post," she says. "[The Committeeman is] our person to attend informational meetings with the [national] party. We rely on the national party for institutional support." In terms of 2010, and a possible Chafee-Laffey matchup, Perry says, "I don't think it's relevant to focus on who's been aligned with who." It's more about who's going to work hard for the party, she says.
The matter is slated to be decided June 12 by the RI GOP's state Central Committee. Perry says that party chairman Gio Cicione will remain publicly neutral, but that the RI Republicans' nominating committee, chaired by Mia Caetano Johnson, will make a recommendation.
Avedisian tells me that his Committeeman run "does not change anything" in terms of making a 2010 gubernatorial campaign any more or less likely. "It has no bearing on [2010] whatsoever."
After 28 years of involvement in the RI GOP, 25 of them on the state Central Committee, "I decided this was the next thing that I wanted to do," says Avedisian.
Trillo says the party needs fresh blood in the Committeeman post. "I think I have done a lot to help this party, and I would like to do more," he says. "In the past, I just haven't seen the job done at the level that I think it could be done. The place we have continually run short is in raising money. I think the National Committeeman is in a better position to get money out of the RNC. Our current people haven't been able to get any money of any significance. I don't know what they're doing."
Trillo says a small state such as Rhode Island could be "a prime experiment" of whether the national GOP can takeover a blue state.
Asked about implications for 2010, the Rep. says, "[For] either one of them" -- Avedisian or Manning -- "it could be, but I don't see it necessarily for the upcoming gubernatorial race. I'm more concerned with working on the party on legislative races."
---
UPDATE: State Representative Joseph A. Trillo of Warwick will also be competing for the RI GOP National Committeeman post. "He's definitely in," says Donna Perry, executive director of the Rhode Island Republican Party . . . More to follow.
-----
Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian is challenging Robert Manning of Charlestown for the RI GOP National Committeeman post, N4N has learned.
This is an interesting development, considering how Avedisian is pals with Linc Chafee, and Manning is a Steve Laffey guy. The vote for the position is in June. As we know, Chafee is a possible gubernatorial rival for Laffey in 2010.
On the female side of the equation, longtime GOP National Committeewoman Eileen Slocum is not seeking reelection, and a number of contenders, including former RI GOP chair Patricia Morgan, are in the hunt.
I have a call in to Avedisian, and will report back if I get more on this today.
This about nails it.
From the BDH:
To the Editor:
I was disappointed, but not surprised, when a law school classmate forwarded me the Providence Journal blurb about the silly pie-throwing stunt at the Thomas Friedman lecture the other night. People should not be too quick to dismiss the antics as the work of a couple overzealous individuals. Such incidents are only the symptom of a culture of intolerance for dissimilar views at Brown among many of the more active advocacy groups. In my time at Brown I witnessed in many of the politically-active circles an unwillingness to show basic respect for other's viewpoints, to the point that many of these Brown students think some viewpoints do not deserve the right to be voiced. Vocal students at Brown should ask themselves - if I'm not even willing to let those I disagree with speak, why in the world do I expect anybody to listen to me?
Matt Lawrence '06
April 23
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The quote of the day comes from New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, who was targeted with two mostly errant green-colored pies during his address yesterday at Brown University (h/t RI's Future):
Mr. Friedman quipped, "Ten years in Beruit and Jerusalem, who thought I'd meet my end in Providence, Rhode Island."
According to Natalie Garcia's report in the ProJo:
Not everyone agrees with Friedman’s vision that innovation is the path to climate and energy salvation. Just seconds into his speech, he was interrupted by two environmental activists, who stormed the stage shortly after Friedman stepped up to the microphone, tossing two paper plates loaded with shamrock-colored whipped cream at him.
Friedman ducked, and was left with only minor streams of the sugary green goo on his black pants and turtleneck.
He stood in bewilderment and mild disgust as the young man and woman bolted from the stage and out the side door, throwing a handful of fliers into the air to relay the message they apparently were not going to deliver personally.
“Thomas Friedman deserves a pie in the face…,” the flier said, “because of his sickeningly cheery applaud for free market capitalism’s conquest of the planet, for telling the world that the free market and techno fixes can save us from climate change. From carbon trading to biofuels, these distractions are dangerous in and of themselves, while encouraging inaction with respect to the true problems at hand…”
After five minutes, Friedman returned to the stage undeterred, with only faint traces of the green cream on his clothing.
You know the drill: Celebrate the WC's latest selection as RI's best bar while engaging in banter with witty progressives.
DL Providence vs The Cruelest Month!
The next meeting of the *new* Providence chapter of Drinking Liberally is TOMORROW, April 23rd at 8pm at The Wild Colonial in Providence.
Invite your friends to get into the democratic spirit[s]!
Drinking Liberally -- Providence
Wednesday, April 23rd at 8pm (and every month on the 4th Wednesday)
The Wild Colonial
250 S. Water St.
Providence, RI
Hosts: Chris Blazejewski, Kim Ahern, Matt Jerzyk, Aggie Wein, and Julian Dash
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
What better time than Earth Day?
When: April 22 2008, from 3-4:30 PM. (Speaking portion begins at 3:30 PM.)
Where: State House. Smith Street, Providence, RI.
What: A lobby training session and tour of the State House will start at 3 pm in the Bell Room, in preparation for talking with legislators about ECRI’s legislative priorities. Next, speakers will discuss environmental initiatives. Then, citizens will lobby elected officials about bills introduced to protect human health and the environment.
Who: Presented by the Environment Council of Rhode Island (ECRI), a coalition of over 60 organizations and individuals whose mission is to serve as an effective voice for developing and advocating policies and laws that protect and enhance the environment. ...
Why: Elected officials need to hear from their constituents about environmental legislation. Matt Auten, president of the Environment Council, strongly encourages Rhode Islanders to celebrate Earth Day by telling the General Assembly that we need them to pass strong environmental legislation, particularly in order to tackle global warming pollution. “This is a great opportunity for everyone who cares about the environment to take action and tell our elected officials what is important to us,” Auten said.
ECRI Legislative priorities include:
•ECRI supports the Global Warming Solutions Act, legislation to cut global warming pollution 80% by the year 2050. (S2629, H7884) RI needs a mandatory program that will achieve the pollution reductions scientists say we need to avert the worst impacts of global warming. Global warming puts our environment and health at risk through impacts ranging from increased beach erosion and rising temperatures in Narragansett Bay, to more frequent and intense hurricanes, and an increase in the rates of asthma and variety of insect-borne illnesses.
•ECRI Supports the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act. (S2633, H7524) which will protect Rhode Islanders from diesel pollution, which leads to adverse health risks. This year’s legislation calls for the cleanup of trash trucks and state vehicles.
•ECRI Supports the Rhode Island Shared Water Resources Act. (S2637, H7787) Rhode Island’s water use is outgrowing our reserves. Since water is a public good, the public sector must manage supply and demand and protect the land surrounding water sources.
•ECRI Supports the Electronic Waste Producer Responsibility Act. (S2631, H7880) This legislation requires manufacturers to pay for collecting and safely recycling discarded electronic equipment, which contain lead, mercury, and other toxins.
Kim's got the scoop on where local Obama supporters will be tonight:
 After a short meeting tonight, beginning at 8:00PM, the RI Young Democrats will be watching the Pennsylvania Primary returns. Please join us on this exciting night for all Democrats!
The meeting will be held at the Cactus Grille, located at 800 Allens Avenue in Providence, 02905 (Map).
We will be discussing a number of important items and also celebrating the record turnout of Young Democrats across the State of Rhode Island on our March 4th Primary. In fact, approximately 23,541 young Democrats went to the polls that day!
Also, don't forget, today is Earth Day - click here to view all the exciting events taking place across Rhode Island to celebrate.
We hope to see you there tonight at 8:00PM! Tell your friends and invite others! Visit us on the web at: http://www.riyoungdems.org/
Monday, April 21, 2008
From the Young Dems:
We hope you can join us at our next meeting, which will be held . . . on Tuesday, April 22nd at 8:00PM. The meeting will be held at the Cactus Grille, located at 800 Allens Avenue in Providence
We will be discussing a number of important items and also celebrating the record turnout of Young Democrats across the State of Rhode Island on our March 4th Primary. In fact, approximately 23,541 young Democrats went to the polls that day!
We hope to see you there! Tell your friends and invite others!
Visit us on the web at: www.riyoungdems.org
Friday, April 18, 2008
A nascent political force? We know the state GOP needs all the help it can get.
Providence, RI – The College Republican Federation of Rhode Island ends a successful year as the Nation’s Most Improved Federation in the Country this Saturday at its annual convention from 10 AM – 4 PM at the University of Rhode Island Memorial Union Ballroom where Mayors Laffey, Avedisian, National Treasurer Esther Clark and Group Representatives will speak to College Republicans from across the state.
“The College Republican Federation of Rhode Island has spent the year organizing a grassroots organization of unprecedented proportions that will bear fruit this Fall. This Saturday marks the end of our federation’s most successful term ever, and the beginning of the next generation of College Republicans that will continue this momentum,” stated Chairman Ryan Bilodeau
Others slated to speak include Rhode Island Republican Assembly President Ray McKay, candidates for office and more. A hundred or so students from across the state are expected to attend.
Outgoing State Chairman Ryan Bilodeau concluded, “This year we were able to update our constitution in an effort to make the organization more transparent and accountable, to provide websites for our chapters, to create a PAC, to modernize our infrastructure by attaining a P.O. Box, to provided training to chapters in the form of a chapter manual and a training event and launched comprehensive website that takes online donations, has a store, and contains resources for chapters.”
The College Republican Federation of Rhode Island is an umbrella organization serving student-run clubs on campuses throughout Rhode Island. The state organization is composed of a five-member elected executive board and appointed members. For more information about the College Republican Federation of Rhode Island, please visit the statewide organization's website at http://www.crfri.org. | |