Advocacy Solutions http://advocacysolutionsllc.com Fri, 18 May 2012 14:32:35 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 AS Daily News Roundup: Friday, May 18, 2012 http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/18/as-daily-news-roundup-friday-may-18-2012/ http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/18/as-daily-news-roundup-friday-may-18-2012/#comments Fri, 18 May 2012 14:32:35 +0000 Advocacy Solutions http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/?p=1057 Continue reading →]]> Table of Contents
Business, Economy and Finance
WRNI: Unemployment up again for April
ProJo: Loan-guarantee fallout costs EDC chief his job
ProJo: Too little cash to cover the check
ProJo: Plan raises tax rate by 45 cents
ProJo: R.I. recovery ‘nonexistent’
ProJo: Chafee presents proposals for surplus funding
ProJo: How much are company assets worth?
ProJo: Bringing 38 Studios to Rhode Island
Education
WRNI: Busy weekend for Rhode Island graduations
ProJo: After checking complaints, regents renew Compass charter
ProJo: Faculty asked to wear protest on sleeve
ProJo: 22 Decathlon scholarships
ProJo: State: City can’t fund schools
ProJo: Stokes leaves behind many fans
Politics and Government
ProJo: Chafee gets an earful at forum
ProJo: Three will face off in council primary
ProJo: At the start, forum on city charter draws objections
ProJo: Assembly Briefs
Opinion
ProJo: Bob Kerr: The gamer, the gamed and the gamble
ProJo: Editorial: A game for dunces
GoLocalProv: Who’s hot and who’s not in RI politics?
GoLocalProv: Providence needs an elected school board

Business, Economy and Finance

WRNI: Unemployment up again for April
By Flo Jonic
Rhode Island’s unemployment rate – already the second highest in the country – has risen again.

ProJo: Loan-guarantee fallout costs EDC chief his job (A1)
By Kate Bramson and Katherine Gregg
PROVIDENCE –– Governor Chafee could name a new leader for the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation as early as today, after accepting the resignation late Wednesday of Executive Director Keith W. Stokes.

ProJo: Too little cash to cover the check (A1)
By Kate Bramson and Paul Grimaldi
PROVIDENCE –– 38 Studios tried and failed Thursday to pay the state $1.1 million it owes as part of the loan program that brought the company to Rhode Island.

ProJo: Plan raises tax rate by 45 cents (A1)
By Barbara Polichetti
WARWICK — Mayor Scott Avedisian is proposing a 45-cent tax-rate increase in the budget he submitted Thursday to the City Council.

ProJo: R.I. recovery ‘nonexistent’ (A1)
By Andy Smith
Job figures released Friday by the state Department of Labor and Training show a stagnant Rhode Island economy.

ProJo: Chafee presents proposals for surplus funding (A10)
By Philip Marcelo
PROVIDENCE –– With Bank of America set to vacate by April 2013, the landmark downtown skyscraper often referred to as the “Superman building” could have a new tenant: the State of Rhode Island.

ProJo: How much are company assets worth? (A12)
By Paul Grimaldi
PROVIDENCE –– The financial struggle of fledgling video-game developer 38 Studios raises the questions of what the Providence company is worth and exactly on what that value is based.

ProJo: Bringing 38 Studios to Rhode Island (A13)
[Timeline]
February: Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios begins talks with state officials.
March 6: Schilling and former Gov. Donald L. Carcieri meet at a charity fundraising event at Schilling’s home in Medfield, Mass.

Education

WRNI: Busy weekend for Rhode Island graduations 
By Flo Jonic
It’s going to be a big graduation weekend in Rhode Island. Seven of the state’s eleven colleges and universities are holding commencement exercises.

ProJo: After checking complaints, regents renew Compass charter (A4)
By Jennifer D. Jordan
PROVIDENCE — The Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education voted unanimously Thursday to renew the charter of the Compass School in South Kingstown for five years despite questions about the school’s compliance with state laws.

ProJo: Faculty asked to wear protest on sleeve (A7)
By Gina Macris
SOUTH KINGSTOWN — The faculty union at the University of Rhode Island is handing out white armbands printed in red with the words “Ratify Our Contract” for professors to wear over their academic robes at two commencement exercises over the weekend — one for graduate students on Saturday and another for undergraduates on Sun-day.

ProJo: 22 Decathlon scholarships (A10)
By Randal Edgar
PROVIDENCE — Twenty-two high school students each received $500 scholarships Thursday in a State House ceremony that honored “gold medal” performances in the latest Rhode Island Academic Decathlon.

ProJo: State: City can’t fund schools (A10)
By Jennifer D. Jordan
PROVIDENCE –– Central Falls taxpayers would not have to contribute anything to their public schools for the next school year and Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist’s authority over the district would be clarified if lawmakers approve proposed changes by Governor Chafee.

ProJo: Stokes leaves behind many fans (A12)
By Richard Salit
Most public officials can only envy the popularity Keith Stokes has enjoyed for nearly 25 years.

Politics and Government

ProJo: Chafee gets an earful at forum (A1)
By Barbara Polichetti
WEST WARWICK — There was more anger and blame than answers Thursday night as residents voiced their concerns to Governor Chafee days after state officials told the town that its failure to sufficiently fund its pension system and fix other financial problems have put it in peril of going bankrupt.

ProJo: Three will face off in council primary (A2)
By W. Zachary Malinowski
CENTRAL FALLS — The deadline has passed for candidates to declare and return their signed nomination papers for the special election for the Ward 2 council seat vacated earlier this month after Richard Aubin Jr. resigned just before he pleaded guilty to criminal charges in Providence Superior Court.

ProJo: At the start, forum on city charter draws objections (A11)
By W. Zachary Malinowski
CENTRAL FALLS — The first public forum for the newly formed Charter Review Commission quickly turned chaotic on Thursday night and nearly devolved into a scrum in the cafeteria at Central Falls High School.

ProJo: Assembly Briefs (A11)
Antismoke patrol / More ‘free plays’ / Suspect tug-of-war / Honor for elder guard

Opinion

ProJo: Editorial: A game for dunces (B6)
As a candidate in 2010, Lincoln Chafee, to his credit, tried to stop Rhode Island from guaranteeing $75 million in loans to 38 Studios, founded by former Red Sox star Curt Schilling. The ex-pitcher’s business of video-game development is very risky, and the guarantees, irresponsibly pushed by Governor Carcieri and the state Economic Development Corporation, were perilous, especially in a state with severe financial problems.

GoLocalProv: Who’s hot and who’s not in RI politics?
By Dan McGowan
Every Friday, Dan McGowan breaks down who’s rising and who’s falling in the world of Rhode Island politics. 

GoLocalProv: Providence needs an elected school board 
By Aaron Regunberg
Earlier this week the Providence Journal reported that only three of nine Providence School Board members showed up at the last board meeting, meaning there was no quorum and the board could not vote on any business matters. This was just a week after the board’s vote on a new superintendent, a meeting at which only five of nine members were present.
]]> http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/18/as-daily-news-roundup-friday-may-18-2012/feed/ 0 AS Daily News Roundup: Thursday, May 17, 2012 http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/17/as-daily-news-roundup-thursday-may-17-2012/ http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/17/as-daily-news-roundup-thursday-may-17-2012/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 13:28:16 +0000 Advocacy Solutions http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/?p=1054 Continue reading →]]> Table of Contents
Economy and Finance
ProJo: Situation still murky
ProJo: Surplus becomes factor in budget
ProJo: A failure could leave taxpayers on the hook
ProJo: Mayor’s budget would triple tax exempt vehicles
ProJo: Governor not shy about shuffling the deck at EDC
ProJo: New zoning aims to spur growth
ProJo: State residents living in poverty rising
ProJo: Council passes 5 resolutions to right city’s finances
Education
WRNI: The financial challenges of staying in school
ProJo: Renewals postponed for two charter schools
Health and Wellness
ProJo: Paralyzed pair prove power of thought
Politics and Government
WRNI: Cicilline and Gemma in close competition, a new poll finds
ProJo: Vote clears path for dispensaries
ProJo: 3 representatives voice support for bill to boost tax
ProJo: Vote urged for green-card holders
Opinion
ProJo: Wait before judging R.I. tax reform
ProJo: Ed Fitzpatrick: Minister favoring same-sex unions eyes Senate seat
ProJo: Providence in bankruptcy? Bring it on

Economy and Finance

ProJo: Situation still murky (A1)
By Kate Bramson and Katherine Gregg
PROVIDENCE –– Curt Schilling pleaded his case for financial help for his struggling videogame company, 38 Studios, during a two-hour emergency meeting Wednesday with Governor Chafee and the state’s Economic Development Corporation.

ProJo: Surplus becomes factor in budget (A1)
By Philip Marcelo
PROVIDENCE –– Rhode Island is on track to post a $102.7 million surplus in the budget year that ends June 30, confirming what analysts have been saying recently about the state’s improving revenues, its projected declines in big ticket government spending items, and the gradually improving prospects for the state’s economy.

ProJo: A failure could leave taxpayers on the hook (A1)
By Andy Smith
If 38 Studios, Curt Schilling’s videogame company, does not make the payments on its bond obligations, Rhode Island taxpayers could be forced to come up with as much as $102 million over the next eight years.

ProJo: Mayor’s budget would triple tax exempt vehicles (A1)
By Barbara Polichetti
WARWICK –– Residents would get a break on their automobile taxes next year under the budget proposal Mayor Scott Avedisian will submit to the City Council Thursday.

ProJo: Governor not shy about shuffling the deck at EDC (A2)
By Andy Smith
The board of directors of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, which met Wednesday to consider the state’s financial agreement with 38 Studios, Curt Schilling’s videogame company, is not the same body that approved the plan in 2010.

ProJo: New zoning aims to spur growth (A4)
By Paul Grimaldi
PROVIDENCE –– Mayor Angel Taveras signed new, streamlined zoning regulations Wednesday for downtown and the Knowledge District, including the land made available by the relocation of Route 195.

ProJo: State residents living in poverty rising (A4)
By Lynn Arditi
PROVIDENCE — The solution to poverty is not as simple as suggested by the Chinese proverb about feeding a man by teaching him to fish, a minister who serves on President Obama’s faith-based advisory council said Wednesday to a group of about 190 people at Rhode Island College.

ProJo: Council passes 5 resolutions to right city’s finances (A6)
By Bryan Rourke
EAST PROVIDENCE — The City Council passed five resolutions Tuesday night aimed at returning East Providence to solvency.

Education

WRNI: The financial challenges of staying in school
By Elisabeth Harrison
Around the country, students and recent graduates are ringing alarm bells about the growing burden of student loans. And in Rhode Island, state colleges have come under fire recently over an employee pay raise at a time when tuition continues to rise.

ProJo: Renewals postponed for two charter schools (A7)
By Jennifer D. Jordan
PROVIDENCE –– The renewals for two of three charter schools scheduled for this spring have been postponed after concerns were raised about how these alternative public schools operate and whether they are in compliance with state laws.

Health and Wellness

ProJo: Paralyzed pair prove power of thought (A1)
By Felice J. Freyer
Two paralyzed people have operated robotic arms, reaching for and grasping objects by simply thinking about the task.

Politics and Government

WRNI: Cicilline and Gemma in close competition, a new poll finds
By Ian Donnis
A new Channel 12 poll finds that First District Congressman David Cicilline and his Democratic primary challenger, Anthony Gemma, are in a statistical dead heat. Cicilline has faced months of negative publicity related to Providence’s fiscal problems.


ProJo: Vote clears path for dispensaries (A1)
By W. Zachary Malinowski
PROVIDENCE — The long-awaited opening of three medical-marijuana dispensaries in the state now appears inevitable as the House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved legislation that should allow the scaled-down businesses to open for state-licensed patients sometime this fall.

ProJo: 3 representatives voice support for bill to boost tax (A6)
By John Hill
PROVIDENCE — When the State House Finance Committee put off a vote on Woonsocket’s request for a 13-percent supplemental tax bill, one of the reasons was a perceived lack of support from the local delegation, but on Wednesday all three of the city’s state representatives said they favored the bill.

ProJo: Vote urged for green-card holders (A10)
By Karen Lee Ziner
PROVIDENCE –– Legal permanent residents, or green-card holders, should be allowed to vote because to deny that constitutes “taxation without representation,” said state Rep. Anastasia Williams, D-Providence, at a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday.

Opinion

ProJo: Ed Fitzpatrick: Minister favoring same-sex unions eyes Senate seat (A4)
By Edward Fitzpatrick
The Rev. Eugene T. Dyszlewski’s state Senate campaign stands out among the upcoming General Assembly races for two reasons.

ProJo: Wait before judging R.I. tax reform (B6)
By R. Kelly Sheridan
Even under the best of circumstances, it can be challenging to fully understand all the implications of proposed changes to Rhode Island’s tax code. Seemingly innocuous or straightforward changes in our tax policy can have unforeseen implications for private-sector investment, economic development, consumer spending and cross-border sales.

ProJo: Providence in bankruptcy? Bring it on (B7)
By David Brussat
In its search for money to put off the day of reckoning, Providence has proposed a deal with Brown University that would net the city $31.5 million over 11 years in exchange for the ownership, in perpetuity, of three sections of city streets, two of which are of great value to the city’s future.
]]> http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/17/as-daily-news-roundup-thursday-may-17-2012/feed/ 0 AS Daily News Roundup: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/16/as-daily-news-roundup-wednesday-may-16-2012/ http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/16/as-daily-news-roundup-wednesday-may-16-2012/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 13:24:09 +0000 Advocacy Solutions http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/?p=1051 Continue reading →]]> Table of Contents
Education
WRNI: How the state spend $335,500 in Race to the Top funds
ProJo: They’re a vision of success
Health and Wellness
WRNI: Physicians push back on fee increase
ProJo: R.I. forging ahead with overhaul
ProJo: Brown researchers refute common bed sore treatment
Politics and Government
ProJo: Meeting called over Schilling deal
ProJo: Mayor goes after cost of pensions
ProJo: Chafee nominates Matos for Superior Court
ProJo: Communities seek OK to use forfeiture
PolitiFact: Chafee’s actions demonstrate support for same-sex marriage
ProJo: Chafee proposing a range of changes to his spending plan
ProJo: Senate panel backs repeal of sightseeing tax
ProJo: Plan for medical school passes House
ProJo: Assembly Briefs
ProJo: House panel delays action on supplemental tax bill
ProJo: Legislators push plan to roll back R.I. seat-belt law
ProJo: Council backs bills aiding communities
Opinion
ProJo: Another Greek tragedy is their smoking
GoLocalProv: Payday lenders provide valuable service to Rhode Islanders

Education

WRNI: How the state spend $335,500 in Race to the Top funds
By Elisabeth Harrison
Here’s the Rhode Island Department of Education’s newly minted tool for comparing school performance.

ProJo: They’re a vision of success (A1)
By Jennifer D. Jordan
Providence - Tadeisha Jones and Robinson Adames knew that more than anything else, they wanted to go to college.

Health and Wellness

WRNI: Physicians push back on fee increase
By Lydia Rogers
The Rhode Island Medical Society is coming out against a proposed hike in the fees paid by physicians to renew their licenses every other year. Steven DeToy is the Director of Government and Public Affairs for the Medical Society. He claims the increase is not justified by any corresponding costs to the state in administering physician licenses. The proposed cost to doctors would be $1090 every other year.

ProJo: R.I. forging ahead with overhaul (A1)
By Felice J. Freyer
Rhode Island is moving ahead with plans for a state-based health-care overhaul, undeterred by neither the uncertainties in Washington nor the failure of the state legislature to act.

ProJo: Brown researchers refute common bed sore treatment (A6)
By Felice J. Freyer
Doctors caring for elderly patients with severe dementia have long believed that they can prevent bed sores by inserting a feeding tube to improve nutrition.

Politics and Government

ProJo: Meeting called over Schilling deal (A1)
By Kate Bramson, Paul Grimaldi and Katherine Gregg
PROVIDENCE –– Governor Chafee has called the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation to an emergency meeting Wednesday morning to discuss financial problems at Curt Schilling’s videogame company and to consider whether to restructure the deal between 38 Studios and the state.

ProJo: Mayor goes after cost of pensions (A1)
By Mark Reynolds
JOHNSTON — Mayor Joseph M. Polisena is considering proposals to suspend cost-of-living adjustments and cap pension earnings to slash the cost of employees’ retirement benefits.

ProJo: Chafee nominates Matos for Superior Court (A1)
By Gregory Smith
PROVIDENCE — Governor Chafee made his first judicial nomination Tuesday, naming a veteran federal prosecutor and native of Portugal for a vacancy on the Superior Court.

ProJo: Communities seek OK to use forfeiture (A4)
By Mark Reynolds
PROVIDENCE — The U.S. Department of Justice will consider waiving guidelines that restrain North Providence and East Providence officials from using a windfall in forfeiture money to bolster underfunded police pension programs in both communities, according to a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha.

PolitiFact: Chafee’s actions demonstrate support for same-sex marriage (A8)
By C. Eugene Emery Jr.
Lincoln Chafee has been a supporter of gay marriage. When he ran for governor, he promised, for example, that he would not only sign marriage equality legislation, but champion it.

ProJo: Chafee proposing a range of changes to his spending plan (A10)
By Philip Marcelo
PROVIDENCE –– Since submitting his $7.9-billion proposed state budget to lawmakers in late January, Governor Chafee has proposed a handful of amendments, including ones authorizing the state Department of Health to add up to 74 new federally financed workers, providing money for a new visitors’ center at the State House and changing his proposed tax on vacation rentals.

ProJo: Senate panel backs repeal of sightseeing tax (A10)
By Randal Edgar
PROVIDENCE — Choosing tourism over tax revenue, the Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend passage of a bill that would repeal the 7-percent sales tax the state imposed last year on sightseeing tours.

ProJo: Plan for medical school passes House (A10)
By Gina Macris
PROVIDENCE — The House voted 65 to 6 Tuesday to permit a for-profit osteopathic medical school to open in Rhode Island, provided it meets applicable academic standards.

ProJo: Assembly Briefs (10)
Tall Ship to receive state designation / Super PAC resolution goes to Chafee / Senate passes stray-voltage measure

ProJo: House panel delays action on supplemental tax bill (A11)
By John Hill
PROVIDENCE — The House Finance Committee heard testimony Tuesday for and against allowing Woonsocket to levy a 13-percent supplemental tax bill but voted to hold the bill for further study.

ProJo: Legislators push plan to roll back R.I. seat-belt law (A11)
By Bruce Landis
PROVIDENCE — Aggressive enforcement of a new, tougher seat belt law has brought calls for its repeal after state safety officials struggled for years to convince the General Assembly to pass it.

ProJo: Council backs bills aiding communities (A11)
By Barbara Polichetti
WARWICK — The City Council Monday night endorsed Governor Chafee’s legislative proposal to help financially stressed communities, even though most of the options he is suggesting will not apply to Warwick.

Opinion

ProJo: Another Greek tragedy is their smoking (B6)
By Peter Orszag
Among all the trials and tribulations that define Greece these days, one that has received relatively little attention is its sky-high smoking rate. Greece’s is the highest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Greece is an outlier also in that its smoking rate has risen over the past decade, while falling18 percent, on average, in the OECD.

GoLocalProv: Payday lenders provide valuable service to Rhode Islanders
By Jamie Fulmer
Many Rhode Island residents face financial shortfalls every day – a child needs to see a doctor or a bill comes due before payday. They worry about covering urgent expenses and their regular monthly bills. Their savings and credit options are limited. For many, a payday loan is the most affordable and reliable option to get through these rough patches.
]]> http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/16/as-daily-news-roundup-wednesday-may-16-2012/feed/ 0 AS Daily News Roundup: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/15/as-daily-news-roundup-tuesday-may-15-2012/ http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/15/as-daily-news-roundup-tuesday-may-15-2012/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 13:29:38 +0000 Advocacy Solutions http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/?p=1049 Continue reading →]]> Table of Contents
Business and Finance
ProJo: 38 Studios, Chafee meet on loan plan

Education
ProJo: R.I. unveils online too to track schools
ProJo: Voters mull $75.3-million budget
ProJo: Upward Bound at RIC gets funds for 5 more years
ProJo: ACLU: Tuition plan discriminates
Politics and Government
WRNI: Fontaine urges approval of supplemental tax
ProJo: R.I. recognizes gay marriages
ProJo: Chafee seeks council backing for legislation
ProJo: Mayor wants to hire 50 firefighters
ProJo: Ex-R.I. auditor says he’s running for governor
Opinion
ProJo: Ed Fitzpatrick: If there are no strings, why not report free trips
ProJo: Wishing away R.I.’s mounting problems won’t fix them
GoLocalProv: Patrick Crowley: The trouble with ranking high schools

Business and Finance

ProJo: 38 Studios, Chafee meet on loan plan (A1)
By Kate Bramson
PROVIDENCE –– Governor Chafee has met with 38 Studios executives and officials from the state Economic Development Corporation in recent days, and said they are working at “protecting the taxpayer dollars.”

Education

ProJo: R.I. unveils online too to track schools (A1)
By Jennifer D. Jordan
PROVIDENCE –– It’s common knowledge that Matunuck Elementary School and Compass charter school, both in South Kingstown, are two of the highest-performing schools in the state based on standardized-test scores in math and reading.

ProJo: Upward Bound at RIC gets funds for 5 more years (A3)
By Gina Macris
PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island College’s Upward Bound, a federal mentoring program for disadvantaged high school youth — actress Viola Davis being an illustrious alumna — has won federal funding for the next five years, with $622,000 assured for the next academic term.

ProJo: ACLU: Tuition plan discriminates (A3)
By Linda Borg
BARRINGTON –– The Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union says Barrington should rethink its proposal to allow a limited number of nonresident students to attend the town’s schools next year.

Politics and Government

WRNI: Fontaine urges approval of supplemental tax
By Ian Donnis
Woonsocket Mayor Leo Fontaine says he’s hopeful the House Finance Committee will approve a supplemental tax hike Tuesday to bolster the city’s finances.

ProJo: R.I. recognizes gay marriages (A1)
By Philip Marcelo and Randal Edgar
Renewing his push for Rhode Island to grant gay couples the right to marry, Governor Chafee signed an executive order on Monday declaring that the state will recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

ProJo: Voters mull $75.3-million budget (A2)
By Mark Reynolds
LINCOLN — Town Meeting voters had made no changes to a proposed $75.3-million budget Monday night, but residents were still considering several objections to the suggested spending plan late Monday night.

ProJo: Chafee seeks council backing for legislation (A2)
By Barbara Polichetti
WARWICK — Saying that the state cannot afford to have its financially struggling communities file for bankruptcy, Governor Chafee Monday asked the City Council to support sweeping legislation he has proposed to help some municipalities cut costs — mostly in the form of reduced pension benefits.

ProJo: Mayor wants to hire 50 firefighters (A4)
By Alisha A. Pina
PROVIDENCE — The city’s more than 400 firefighters are projected to collect $8.83 million in overtime before this fiscal year ends June 30.

ProJo: Ex-R.I. auditor says he’s running for governor (A4)
By Randal Edgar 
PROVIDENCE — Saying he wants to create an “infrastructure of opportunity” that leads to jobs and an expanding economy, former state Auditor General Ernest A. Almonte announced Monday that he is embarking on his first-ever run for elected office.

Opinion

ProJo: Ed Fitzpatrick: If there are no strings, why not report free trips (A4)
By Edward Fitzpatrick
You don’t have to be former South Carolina Gov. Mark San-ford to appreciate the value of a trip to Argentina. And you don’t have to be Dan Doyle to appreciate the value of a little getaway to North Carolina.

ProJo: Wishing away R.I.’s mounting problems won’t fix them (B7)
By Edward Achorn
It’s hard not to feel that Rhode Islanders are too darn negative about themselves. I mean, look at this place: lovely inlets festooned with boats; great colleges; loads of culture; the PawSox; James-town; Newport; Bristol; Wick-ford; historic sites galore; pleasant beaches; lots of bike paths; big ships sailing majestically up Narragansett Bay; a beautiful, easily-accessible capital city.

GoLocalProv: Patrick Crowley: The trouble with ranking high schools
By Patrick Crowley
School rankings stories always arouse consternation and intrigue among a certain circle of commentators and would be education experts. In reality they are of little real value. Rankings stories simply reinforce misunderstandings about the state of our education in general and tend to validate already shaped opinions. Said another way, the place where “we” rank and where “you” rank is more relevant than “why” you rank where on the list.
]]> http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/15/as-daily-news-roundup-tuesday-may-15-2012/feed/ 0 AS Daily News Roundup: Monday, May 14, 2012 http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/14/as-daily-news-roundup-monday-may-14-2012/ http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/14/as-daily-news-roundup-monday-may-14-2012/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 13:25:43 +0000 Advocacy Solutions http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/?p=1047 Continue reading →]]> Table of Contents
Education
ProJo: At URI, ancient history before it begins?
ProJo: Prospects brighter for this crop of college graduates
ProJo: Geography bee winner feels lucky
ProJo: Program lets kids click into books
GoLocalProv: The top high schools in Rhode Island 2012
Energy
WRNI: National Grid helicopters checking power lines
Health and Wellness
PBN: Children’s health programs awarded more than $7M
PBN: R.I. honored for its work to prevent obesity
PBN: Biomedical Structures announces breakthrough
PBN: Five Questions With: Dr. Kim Chapin
Politics and Government
ProJo: Pursuing Google’s forfeiture
ProJo: Doherty TV ad signals a new funding mode
ProJo: Political Scene: Financial filings tell who, how, how much
Opinion

ProJo: My master plan for a new Providence
PBN: Letter to the Editor: Health-benefits exchange must be lean to be good investment

Education

ProJo: At URI, ancient history before it begins? (A1)
By Tom Mooney
SOUTH KINGSTOWN ––Like all groundbreakings, the one for a Greek cultural center on the University of Rhode Island campus in 2009 brimmed with optimistic visions of the future.

ProJo: Prospects brighter for this crop of college graduates (A1)
By Scott Mayerowitz, Associated Press
NEW YORK — The Class of 2012 is leaving college with something that many graduates since the start of the Great Recession have lacked: jobs.

ProJo: Geography bee winner feels lucky (A5)
By Bryan Rourke
PROVIDENCE — Max Levine couldn’t believe his luck. A 13-year-old sixth-grader at the Wheeler School in Providence, Max stood on stage in March at Rhode Island College, site of the state geography bee. The moderator asked him a final question: “In what country is the city of Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty?”

ProJo: Program lets kids click into books (A5)
By Mark Reynolds
NORTH PROVIDENCE — The schools department will spend $64,000 to tap into a program that provides the town’s schoolchildren with access to 2,500 online books.

GoLocalProv: The top high schools in Rhode Island 2012
By Tracey Minkin
GoLocalProv’s Third Annual Top High Schools 2012 ranking crunches hundreds of pieces of data from 51 public, charter and technical schools statewide to reveal how our communities’ schools provide for their students. With school quality a cornerstone of real estate values and a crucial element of civic pride, this quantitative analysis of each school provides the only comprehensive view of the secondary school educational landscape in Rhode Island.

Energy

WRNI: National Grid helicopters checking power lines
By Flo Jonic
Weather permitting, National Grid crews will take to the skies this week to patrol some key overhead power lines in Rhode Island. Inspections will be conducted Monday in Providence, Johnston, Scituate, North Providence, Cranston and Smithfield. National Grid spokesman David Graves says the flights are part of an ongoing maintenance effort.

Health and Wellness

PBN: Children’s health programs awarded more than $7M
By Richard Asinof
PROVIDENCE – Two innovative children’s health care initiatives in Rhode Island, one focused on helping at-risk, pre-term infants transition from the hospital to their homes, a second seeking to achieve better outcomes for children with persistent asthma, were awarded multimillion innovation grants from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on May 9.

PBN: R.I. honored for its work to prevent obesity
By Richard Asinof
PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island was recognized by first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” children’s initiative for its exceptional work in promoting young children’s health and preventing childhood obesity.

PBN: Biomedical Structures announces breakthrough
By Richard Asinof
WARWICK – Biomedical Structures LLC, a developer of biomedical textiles for medical devices and other advanced clinical applications, announced on May 7 its advanced new tapered medical textile solution for tendons, ligaments and other orthopedic applications.

PBN: Five Questions With: Dr. Kim Chapin
By Richard Asinof
Dr. Kim Chapin, the director of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Molecular Diagnostics at Lifespan’s Rhode Island Hospital, runs a very busy laboratory. She directs about 57 clinical laboratory professionals, conducting about 1,400 tests per day, every day. Her laboratory serves the four hospitals within the Lifespan system as well as more than 40 group practices in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Politics and Government

ProJo: Pursuing Google’s forfeiture (A1)
By Mark Reynolds
To North Providence Mayor Charles A. Lombardi, the logic is quite simple. First of all, his town needs $14 million to rescue its police pension system.

ProJo: Doherty TV ad signals a new funding mode (A1)
By John E. Mulligan
WASHINGTON — The 30-second TV ad is in most ways unremarkable. It describes a familiar economic problem, “Rhode Island is hurting,” over the image of a man with a pained expression. And it suggests a solution over a picture of the smiling Republican candidate for Congress: “Brendan Doherty wants to get Rhode Island back on track.”

ProJo: Political Scene: Financial filings tell who, how, how much (A3)
By Katherine Gregg and Philip
They own real estate in far-flung places. They collect pensions. They own stock in the state’s largest newspaper. And they are the highest ranking politicians in Rhode Island. 

Opinion

ProJo: My master plan for a new Providence (B6)
By Dominique Gregoire
The first time I came to Providence from Paris, in 1971, the downtown was dilapidated. Railroad tracks and surface parking lots made much of it an abandoned wasteland. The next 40 years saw tremendous progress. Yet on a daily basis, downtown is not the vibrant place that it could be.

PBN: Letter to the Editor: Health-benefits exchange must be lean to be good investment
By Michael Byrnes
After reading Jim Borah’s Op-Ed (“Care needed in establishing state’s benefit exchange,” April 16, 2012), I wanted to add my thoughts to this discussion. The Rhode Island economy needs a lot of things, but another bloated government program is not one of them. We have a real opportunity to set a new precedent with the federal dollars we have received to set up Rhode Island’s Health Benefit Exchange. 
]]> http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/14/as-daily-news-roundup-monday-may-14-2012/feed/ 0 AS Daily News Roundup: Friday, May 11, 2012 http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/11/as-daily-news-roundup-friday-may-11-2012/ http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/11/as-daily-news-roundup-friday-may-11-2012/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 13:29:06 +0000 Advocacy Solutions http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/?p=1045 Continue reading →]]> Table of Contents
Business, Economy and Finance
ProJo: Extra help in revenue forecast
ProJo: Cleared for takeoff
ProJo: Commerce Digest: Proposals sought for former school site
ProJo: News Digest: McCauley expanding business

Education
ProJo: Chafee seeks audit of tuition waiver program
ProJo: Eighth graders improve scores in science test
ProJo: A new showcase for innovators
Politics and Government
WRNI: U.S. Chamber of Commerce commercial backs Congressional candidate Brendan Doherty
WPRI: Some city pensions can outlive retiree
ProJo: A cautious optimism
ProJo: Two more enter race for vacant City Council seat
ProJo: Council approves $246.7 million budget
ProJo: Strong differences aired on legislation
ProJo: Carcieri’s welfare reform comes under fire
Opinion
ProJo: Editorial: ‘Free’ college tuition?
ProJo: Letter to the Editor: New hope for teaching
GoLocalProv: Who’s hot and who’s not in RI politics?
GoLocalProv: Political diversity can save Rhode Island

Business, Economy and Finance

ProJo: Extra help in revenue forecast (A1)
By Randal Edgar
PROVIDENCE — The people who are paid to crunch the numbers that drive the state budget emerged from a six-hour meeting Thursday with welcome news: Revenues for the fiscal year that ends June 30 are expected to exceed projections by $62 million.

ProJo: Cleared for takeoff (A1)
By Barbara Polichetti
WARWICK — T.F. Green Airport is beginning to appraise nearby properties that it will buy to make room for its $165-million improvement and expansion, which now has cleared legal impediments.

ProJo: Commerce Digest: Proposals sought for former school site (A8)
By Paul Grimaldi
Dollar: In trading against major currencies Thursday in New York, the dollar ended at 79.91 Japanese yen, up from Wednesday’s close of 79.68 yen. The euro closed at 3:30 p.m. at $1.2951, upfrom $1.2945.

ProJo: News Digest: McCauley expanding business (A10)
By Gregory Smith
Rep. John J. McCauley Jr., D-Providence, deputy speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives and a lead sponsor of the law that opened the way for a profusion of payday lenders in the state, is expanding his check-cashing business in the Smith Hill neighborhood.

Education

ProJo: Chafee seeks audit of tuition waiver program (A1)
By Katherine Gregg
PROVIDENCE — Governor Chafee says he wants an audit of the $10.6-million tuition waiver program that allowed employees of the two state colleges and the University of Rhode Island, their spouses and children — and select groups of non-employees — to go to college tuition-free last year.    

ProJo: Eighth graders improve scores in science test (A2)
By Jennifer D. Jordan
Rhode Island’s eighth graders improved on a national science test administered every few years, although the overall state average trails the national average and continues to be the lowest in the region.

ProJo: A new showcase for innovators (A2)
By Linda Borg
PROVIDENCE –– A self-professed “start-up junkie,” Scott Case, one of the founders of Priceline, told a group of budding entrepreneurs that they are the future heroes of America

Politics and Government

WRNI: U.S. Chamber of Commerce commercial backs Congressional candidate Brendan Doherty
By Ian Donnis
A pro-business group has launched the first commercial of what’s expected to be a hard-fought race in the First Congressional District. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce spot comes after the group endorsed Republican Brendan Doherty.

WPRI: Some city pensions can outlive retiree
By Tim White
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Former Providence Fire Chief Gilbert McLaughlin’s pension has ballooned to $197,000 a year tax-free thanks to a generous cost-of-living-increase, and a city ordinance means the largest pension in Providence may just outlive the retiree.

ProJo: A cautious optimism (A1)
By Lynn Arditi
Supporters of allowing same-sex couples to marry are applauding President Obama’s declaration this week of support for gay marriage, and some say it is emboldening them to press for legalization of gay marriage in Rhode Island.

ProJo: Two more enter race for vacant City Council seat (A5)
By W. Zachary Malinowski
CENTRAL FALLS — There will be a primary next month, the first step in deciding who fills the City Council seat that was abruptly vacated last week by Richard Au-bin Jr., who pleaded guilty to two felony charges in Superior Court.

ProJo: Council approves $246.7 million budget (A6)
By Paul Davis
CRANSTON — The City Council on Wednesday approved a tweaked $246.7-million budget for next year.

ProJo: Strong differences aired on legislation (A10)
By Karen Lee Ziner
PROVIDENCE –– Passing an existing racial profiling bill would be “counterproductive to relationship-building” between law enforcement and the community, “and will only create division,” said state police Col. Steven G. O’Donnell in a letter he sent Thursday to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

ProJo: Carcieri’s welfare reform comes under fire (A10)
By Philip Marcelo
PROVIDENCE –– The Rhode Island Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved legislation allowing welfare recipients to claim up to four years’ worth of uninterrupted benefits, a proposal that would reverse a significant provision of the welfare overhaul passed by lawmakers under the tenure of Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri in 2008.

Opinion

ProJo: Editorial: ‘Free’ college tuition? (B6)
As many families struggle to pay for the rising costs of public higher education, free tuition for favored groups in Massachusetts and Rhode Island has come under scrutiny. 

ProJo: Letter to the Editor: New hope for teaching (B7)
By Brenda Bedrick
The final paragraphs of the April 29 news story “Teachers evaluation system is not ready” highlighted Marilyn Hostler, a music teacher in Jamestown, and her principal, Kathleen Almanzor, who are using the new evaluation system to make school better for their students. 

GoLocalProv: Who’s hot and who’s not in RI politics?
By Dan McGowan
Every Friday, Dan McGowan breaks down who’s rising and who’s falling in the world of Rhode Island politics.

GoLocalProv: Political diversity can save Rhode Island 
By Daniel Lawlor
Four Parties: Republican, Cool Moose, Green, and Moderate. For the last 30 years or so, the frustrations produced by recessions have brought new political parties into Rhode Island. In the 1980s, corruption and economic challenges lead to Republican congressional and state office victories- the dynamic trio of Claudine Schneider, Arlene Violet, and Susan Farmer. 
]]> http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/11/as-daily-news-roundup-friday-may-11-2012/feed/ 0 AS Daily News Roundup: Thursday, May 10, 2012 http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/10/as-daily-news-roundup-thursday-may-10-2012/ http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/10/as-daily-news-roundup-thursday-may-10-2012/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 13:14:04 +0000 Advocacy Solutions http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/?p=1042 Continue reading →]]> Table of Contents
Economy and Finance
WRNI: A liberal view on how Rhode Island should approach budgeting
ProJo: Recession could take another dip, report says
ProJo: E. Providence financial state slightly better, Moody’s says
ProJo: R.I. sees revenue gains from state income tax
Education
ProJo: School leaders, parents told what takeover means
ProJo: School board split on budget cuts
ProJo: Schools welcome out-of-towners who can pay the price
ProJo: Nero’s retirement comes at time when others doing likewise
Health and Wellness
ProJo: Two R.I. programs among first to win innovation awards
ProJo: Analysts predicting $62.5-million savings
Politics and Government
WRNI: U.S. Senator Reed endorses same-sex marriage
ProJo: Marijuana limits for dispensaries pass in Senate
ProJo: Bill targets smoking with child in car
ProJo: RIPTA financing gains supporters
Opinion
RI Future: Chafee and political principles, paying for public education, Gemma on marriage equality
ProJo: Ed Fitzpatrick: Gemma confident that he will be Doherty opponent
ProJo Editorial: Calling on the leaders

Economy and Finance

WRNI: A liberal view on how Rhode Island should approach budgeting
By Ted Nesi
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank in Washington that makes sweet charts, is out with a recent report advising states on how they should approach budgeting in this age of austerity.

ProJo: Recession could take another dip, report says (A4)
By Kate Bramson
Rhode Island’s economy expanded less than 1 percent in the first quarter of the year and is forecast to expand at an even smaller rate over the next two quarters, according to an economic report by Bryant University and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council.

ProJo: E. Providence financial state slightly better, Moody’s says (A4)
By Bryan Rourke
East Providence’s financial situation is improving, according to Moody’s Investors Service.

ProJo: R.I. sees revenue gains from state income tax (A11)
By Philip Marcelo
PROVIDENCE — In its first official year under a new tax system, Rhode Island is seeing more revenue coming in from the personal income tax, even though it is on track to issue a greater number of refunds and for a greater total cost to the state than it did under the previous system.

Education

ProJo: School leaders, parents told what takeover means (A2)
By Jennifer D. Jordan
CENTRAL FALLS –– Nearly a month after Governor Chafee ordered a state takeover of the city’s beleaguered school system, school leaders and parents got a clearer picture this week of what that actually means. But the most urgent information they are seeking — firm budget numbers — remains elusive.

ProJo: School board split on budget cuts (A2)
By Andy Smith
NORTH KINGS-TOWN — A deadlocked School Committee failed to act Tuesday night on cuts required to bring the budget into compliance with the $57.2 million appropriated by the Town Council on May 1.

ProJo: Schools welcome out-of-towners who can pay the price (A3)
By Linda Borg
BARRINGTON — Now you can buy a Barrington education. Starting this fall, the school district will accept 10 students from out of town. The tuition will cost $12,800, which is less than independent schools such as St. Mary Academy Bay View, at $13,500, The Lincoln School, at $28,000, and Moses Brown, at $28,385, but more than St. Raphael Academy, which charges $10,400.

ProJo: Nero’s retirement comes at time when others doing likewise (A7)
By Lynn Arditi
CRANSTON — School Supt. Peter L. Nero’s announcement that he is retiring from the district to seek a new post as superintendent of schools in North Stonington, Conn., comes as the number of retirements from the Cranston school district has grown.

Health and Wellness

ProJo: Two R.I. programs among first to win innovation awards (A6)
By Felice J. Freyer
Two Rhode Island programs — one for families with premature babies and one for children with asthma — are among 26 projects around the country selected for the first batch of federal Health Care Innovation awards.

ProJo: Analysts predicting $62.5-million savings (A8)
By Randal Edgar
PROVIDENCE — State budget analysts are predicting a $62.5-million savings in Medicaid and cash-assistance programs for the fiscal year ending June 30, and that next year’s costs will also be lower than previously thought, by about $69 million.

Politics and Government

WRNI: U.S. Senator Reed endorses same-sex marriage
By Elisabeth Harrison
U.S. Senator Jack Reed says he stands with President Barack Obama in support of same-sex marriage. Reed voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, which blocked federal recognition of same-sex marriage. More recently, he has been considering whether he would support a repeal of the law. Now Rhode Island’s senior senator says he believes all committed couples deserve equal protection.

ProJo: Marijuana limits for dispensaries pass in Senate (A1)
By W. Zachary Malinowski
PROVIDENCE — The possibility of three medical marijuana dispensaries opening in Rhode Island inched one step closer to reality on Wednesday night as the Senate approved legislation designed to appease federal authorities and allow dispensary operators to sell the drug to patients in the state-licensed program without fear of prosecution.

ProJo: Bill targets smoking with child in car (A1)
By Randal Edgar
PROVIDENCE — The state has already banned smoking in the workplace, in restaurants and bars, in sports arenas and “all enclosed public places” — all in the name of promoting good health.

ProJo: RIPTA financing gains supporters (A8)
By Bruce Landis
PROVIDENCE — Supporters of legislation to increase financing for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority turned out in force Wednesday, urging the House Finance Committee to back a bill that would change the way buses are paid for.

Opinion

RI Future: Chafee and political principles, paying for public education, Gemma on marriage equality
By Bob Plain
In a surprising move that really shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows him, Gov Chafee has decided to take the Jason Pleau case all the way to the US Supreme Court, if they will hear it. While talk radio, and even the Pleau family, may not agree with this decision, taking a case to the SCOTUS is not about either politics or individuals – it’s about interpreting the law, and in this case the relationship between states and the federal government. 

ProJo: Ed Fitzpatrick: Gemma confident that he will be Doherty opponent (A4)
By Edward Fitzpatrick
In the pantheon of great Democrats, you’ve got FDR, JFK … and APG? Truth be told, Anthony P. Gemma’s monogram might never reach that exalted status. But the Lincoln businessman was clearly trying to place himself in the company of Democratic giants when he announced another run for the 1st Congressional District seat held by DNC (Democratic Rep. David N. Cicilline).

ProJo Editorial: Calling on the leaders (B6)
We assume that Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox is under great pressure from public-employee unions not to support a legislative package from Governor Chafee to give municipal leaders more tools to stabilize their communities’ fiscal houses and avoid devastating property-tax hikes.
]]> http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/10/as-daily-news-roundup-thursday-may-10-2012/feed/ 0 AS Daily News Roundup: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/09/as-daily-news-roundup-wednesday-may-9-2012/ http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/09/as-daily-news-roundup-wednesday-may-9-2012/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 13:32:26 +0000 Advocacy Solutions http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/?p=1040 Continue reading →]]> Table of Contents
Economy and Finance
WRNI: Moody’s calls Providence a key bellwether for RI communities
WPRI: W. Warwick pensions may run out by 2017
PBN: Providence and SBA join forces for job creation
ProJo: State law provides tuition for 91 on disability
ProJo: Red flag raised on pensions
ProJo: Bank ready to loan city $3.2 million
ProJo: Union files unfair labor charge over pension shifts
ProJo: Lawsuit challenging Providence’s pension overhaul continued to Sept.
Education
PBN: Met School center for entrepreneurship celebrates
PBN: Five Questions With: Shawn Rubin
ProJo: Nero to retire, considers new job
ProJo: Town ordered to pay $1.6M to schools
ProJo: URI union files unfair labor practice charge
Health and Wellness
ProJo: Health services panel backs Landmark sale
Politics and Government
WRNI: RI Senate to vote on compassion center compromise
WRNI: Common Cause urges expanded gift disclosure
ProJo: Lawmaker: Tax breaks bear scrutiny
ProJo: Assembly Digest
ProJo: Slots parlors seek to expand ‘free play’
Opinion
ProJo Letter to the Editor: Belting in the revenue

Economy and Finance

WRNI: Moody’s calls Providence a key bellwether for RI communities
By Ian Donnis
While offering kind words for Providence’s recently passed pension overhaul (“a credit positive”), Moody’s also calls the city a key indicator for other struggling Rhode Island communities.

WPRI: W. Warwick pensions may run out by 2017
By Ted Nesi
WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) – Is this town the next Central Falls? The bankruptcy on the Blackstone hung over West Warwick High School’s auditorium Tuesday as town leaders got a dire warning from state officials: their pension fund for 654 active and retired police officers, firefighters and town workers is on track to run out of cash within five years.

PBN: Providence and SBA join forces for job creation
By Michael Souza
PROVIDENCE – The city of Providence and the U.S. Small Business Administration have signed a two year memorandum of understanding with the purpose of growing jobs and businesses.

ProJo: State law provides tuition for 91 on disability (A1)
By Katherine Gregg
PROVIDENCE — State college and university lawyers say they are barred by state and federal law from identifying the 3,428 students who attended their schools tuition-free last year, but another branch of Rhode Island government has made public the names of several dozen former police officers and firefighters whose sons and daughters got a tuition break.

ProJo: Red flag raised on pensions (A1)
By Tom Mooney
WEST WARWICK — State officials delivered a stern message to town leaders Tuesday: Stop squabbling among yourselves and start exploring ways to resolve your municipal pension crisis or West Warwick will go bankrupt and its run dry in five years. 


ProJo: Bank ready to loan city $3.2 million (A3)
By John Hill
WOONSOCKET — Citizens Bank has agreed to loan the city $3.2 million if the General Assembly approves a13-percent supplemental property tax, city officials announced Tuesday.

ProJo: Union files unfair labor charge over pension shifts (A4)
By Barbara Polichetti
WARWICK — The union representing local municipal workers is challenging pension changes the City Council made last year as the council and Mayor Scott Avedisian looked to save money in the future.

ProJo: Lawsuit challenging Providence’s pension overhaul continued to Sept. (A7)
By Alisha A. Pina
PROVIDENCE — Retired police officer Edwin T. Scallon’s lawsuit challenging the city’s decision to unilaterally reduce pensions has been continued to Sept 6, said Craig Berke, spokesman for the state’s judiciary.

Education

PBN: Met School center for entrepreneurship celebrates
By Rebecca Keister
PROVIDENCE – The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical School’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will celebrate a ribbon-cutting and open house on May 10 to commemorate its opening last January as the nation’s first stand-alone entrepreneurship center for high school students.

PBN: Five Questions With: Shawn Rubin
By Emily Greenhalgh
Shawn Rubin is the CEO of Metryx, a startup mobile software company that is building flexible assessment tools for teachers to use on tablets and smartphones, and serves as the Director of Technology Integration at the Highlander Institute.

ProJo: Nero to retire, considers new job (A3)
By Richard C. Dujardin
CRANSTON –– School Supt. Peter L. Nero has decided to retire and is applying for a new post as superintendent of schools in North Stonington, Conn.

ProJo: Town ordered to pay $1.6M to schools (A4)
By Barbara Polichetti
WEST WARWICK –– A Superior Court judge Tuesday ordered the town to pay the School Department an additional $1.6 million for the 2009 fiscal year, addressing a financing battle that has been going on for about four years.

ProJo: URI union files unfair labor practice charge (A7)
By Gina Macris
SOUTH KINGSTOWN — The faculty union of the University of Rhode Island filed an unfair labor practice charge against the Board of Governors for Higher Education Tuesday, a day after the board rejected a three-year contract with compounded 3-percent raises.

Health and Wellness

ProJo: Health services panel backs Landmark sale (A5)
By Felice J. Freyer
First, there were questions about the finances of Steward Health Care System. Then, a brief debate ensued about whether it makes sense to save Landmark Medical Center at a time when hospital use is declining statewide.

Politics and Government

WRNI: RI Senate to vote on compassion center compromise
By Ian Donnis
Legislation meant to pave the way for the opening of medical marijuana dispensaries is set for vote in the Senate and a hearing in a House committee Wednesday. It remains unclear how federal prosecutors will react if the bill becomes law.

WRNI: Common Cause urges expanded gift disclosure
By Ian Donnis
A non-partisan good government group says the public has a right to know if outside groups are paying for state lawmakers to travel to out of town conferences. Legislators don’t have to disclose travel gifts unless they’re provided by groups with direct business before the General Assembly.

ProJo: Lawmaker: Tax breaks bear scrutiny (A1)
By Randal Edgar
PROVIDENCE — The tax breaks that Rhode Island grants to residents, consumers and businesses add up to some $1.6 billion a year. But with little information available to show whether the breaks are helping the economy or producing jobs, a freshman state lawmaker urged her colleagues Tuesday to try a new approach.

ProJo: Assembly Digest (A4)
Bill setting livery fee returned to committee / Tall ship nears official status / House seeks limits on ‘super PACs’

ProJo: Slots parlors seek to expand ‘free play’ (A6)
By Philip Marcelo
PROVIDENCE — As they push for voter permission to become full-fledged casinos this November, Rhode Island’s two slots parlors are also simultaneously seeking the state legislature’s authority to give away more promotional “free plays” to customers this year.
Opinion

ProJo Letter to the Editor: Belting in the revenue (B7)
By Gabriel Read
Steve Jobs, innovator par excellence, is gone, but innovation doesn’t end with the death of one man. The City of Providence and the State of Rhode Island are now trying their own hands at “innovating” with the new law that makes not wearing a seat belt a “primary offense.” (“Waging the seat-belt battle,” news, March 20).
]]> http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/09/as-daily-news-roundup-wednesday-may-9-2012/feed/ 0 AS Daily News Roundup: Tuesday, May 8, 2012 http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/08/as-daily-news-roundup-tuesday-may-8-2012/ http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/08/as-daily-news-roundup-tuesday-may-8-2012/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 13:24:18 +0000 Advocacy Solutions http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/?p=1038 Continue reading →]]> Table of Contents
Education
ProJo: Board votes to deny pay hike at URI
ProJo: Lusi chosen as full chief of city schools
ProJo: Presenting a better Providence
ProJo: Grants to change school’s learning mode
ProJo: Commerce Digest: Providence College names new School of Business dean
Health and Wellness
WRNI: RI lands more than $2.3M in Abbott drug settlement
WPRI: Cancer and the darker side of tanning
ProJo: Blue Cross plan reduces deductible
ProJo: Memorial Hospital president bows out
ProJo blog: Study says less access to health care in RI
Politics and Government
WRNI: Providence City Council to keep Finance chairman
WPRI: Retiring senators propose more generous RI pension benefits
ProJo: Goes declares for vacant council seat
ProJo: Lombardi says he’ll seek Senate seat
ProJo: GOP organizes ‘strike force’ for Assembly races
ProJo: Hearing set for lawsuit on pension reductions
Opinion
ProJo: Ed Fitzpatrick: R.I. court officials target the ‘I know a guy’ system
ProJo: Public-employee unions act as if they still don’t get it
GoLocalProv: More collaboration needed in city schools

Education

ProJo: Board votes to deny pay hike at URI (A1)
By Gina Macris
WARWICK — A sharply divided Board of Governors for Higher Education rejected four contracts that would have given compounded 3-percent raises to faculty at the University of Rhode Island and to members of three other unions.

ProJo: Lusi chosen as full chief of city schools (A1)
By Linda Borg
PROVIDENCE –– The School Board appointed Susan F. Lusi as the city’s new superintendent Monday night, ending weeks of speculation that a top administrator from the Philadelphia school system was the frontrunner.

ProJo: Presenting a better Providence (A4)
By Tatiana Pina
Stephanie Pimentel, of the Paul Cuffee School, sat on the steps at the end of a corridor in the State House Monday looking at her notes and practicing what she would say.

ProJo: Grants to change school’s learning mode (A4)
By Jennifer D. Jordan
PROVIDENCE –– Nearly a half-million dollars in grants will be used to transform Pleasant View Elementary School into a laboratory that blends traditional classroom instruction with online learning.

ProJo: Commerce Digest: Providence College names new School of Business dean (A6)
By Journal Staff
Sylvia Maxfield has been named dean of the School of Business at Providence College. She will begin her official duties on Aug. 1.

Health and Wellness

WRNI: RI lands more than $2.3M in Abbott drug settlement
By Catherine Welch
Rhode Island will receive a piece of a $1.5 billion multi-state settlement with drug maker Abbott Laboratories. The settlement is over allegations the company marketed an anti-seizure drug for off-label uses.

WPRI: Cancer and the darker side of tanning
By Walt Buteau
BARNSTABLE, Mass. (WPRI) – Salve Regina graduate Glenna Kohl died at 26 years old from melanoma but her ‘voice’ is now part of a push for sun safety and stricter age regulations for tanning salons.

ProJo: Blue Cross plan reduces deductible (A6)
By Felice J. Freyer
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is offering a new plan that rewards people who don’t exhaust their deductible.

ProJo: Memorial Hospital president bows out  (A6)
By Felice J. Freyer
Six months after taking the helm of Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, Martin Tursky has announced that he plans to leave to tend to family obligations in his home state of Ohio.

ProJo blog: Study says less access to health care in RI
By Associated Press
A national study on health care access says fewer Rhode Islanders are getting the care they need. A report released Tuesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that in 2010, 16 percent of Rhode Island adults had unmet medical needs and cited the cost of care as the reason. That’s up nearly 7 percentage points since 2000.

Politics and Government

WRNI: Providence City Council to keep Finance chairman
By Ian Donnis
The Providence City Council has decided to keep its current chairman of the Finance Committee. The move comes after Finance chairman John Igliozzi agreed to leave in place the pension overhaul passed by the council last week.

WPRI: Retiring senators propose more generous RI pension benefits
By Ted Nesi
Just months after the new pension law passed, two lame-duck senators want to boost some retirees’ benefits.

ProJo: Goes declares for vacant council seat (A2)
By W. Zachary Malinowski
CENTRAL FALLS — The groundwork for a special election to fill a vacant seat on the City Council was kicked off on Monday in City Hall.

ProJo: Lombardi says he’ll seek Senate seat (A2)
By Lynn Arditi
CRANSTON — Frank S. Lombardi, a lawyer and vice chairman of the Cranston School Committee, said he plans to run for the state Senate seat currently held by Beatrice A. Lanzi, who has said she will not seek reelection.

ProJo: GOP organizes ‘strike force’ for Assembly races (A3)
By Philip Marcelo
EAST PROVIDENCE — The state Republican Party, long marginalized in Democratic Party-dominated Rhode Island, launched its first salvo of the 2012 election campaign with a Monday night rally highlighting its latest efforts to capture more seats in the state legislature.

ProJo: Hearing set for lawsuit on pension reductions (A3)
By Alisha A. Pina
PROVIDENCE — Retired police officer Edwin T. Scallon’s lawsuit challenging the city’s decision to unilaterally reduce pensions is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday at 2 p.m. before Superior Court Judge Sarah Taft-Carter.

Opinion

ProJo: Ed Fitzpatrick: R.I. court officials target the ‘I know a guy’ system (A4)
By Edward Fitzpatrick
It might not make the nightly news or mark a seismic shift in policy. But it represents one step toward curtailing the “I know a guy” system of finding a government job in a small state where connections can mean more than qualifications.

ProJo: Public-employee unions act as if they still don’t get it (B7)
By Edward Achorn
For months, this newspaper has been reporting about Mayor Taveras’s warning that Providence faces bankruptcy, and could run out of money by the end of June.

GoLocalProv: More collaboration needed in city schools
By Dan Lawlor
San Miguel School is an independent school in the North End of Providence. Off Branch Ave, San Miguel is down the street from the Wanskuck Branch of the Boys and Girls Club, and is housed in the former Parochial St. Ann’s Elementary School. San Miguel is one of several independent schools in the city anchored on the idea that “education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.”
]]> http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/08/as-daily-news-roundup-tuesday-may-8-2012/feed/ 0 AS Daily News Roundup: Monday, May 7, 2012 http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/07/as-daily-news-roundup-monday-may-7-2012/ http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/2012/05/07/as-daily-news-roundup-monday-may-7-2012/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 12:51:13 +0000 Advocacy Solutions http://advocacysolutionsllc.com/?p=1035 Continue reading →]]> Table of Contents
Education
ProJo: Sheen tells NE Tech grads: Find something to fight for
ProJo: Renewed sense of unity at city school
ProJo: Another court title for Duke
Health and Wellness
PBN: Koller issues rate-review guidelines
PBN: Thundermist secures $5.2M to renovate facilities
PBN: UnitedHealthcare introduces cost estimator
PBN: Lange named Childhood Immunization Champion
PBN: Five Questions With: Dr. Yow-Pin Lim
Politics and Government
WPRI: Police union blasts ‘underhanded, despicable’ Taveras, Council
ProJo: Giving artists a break
ProJo: Discord stalls money in D.C.
ProJo: Political Scene: House still contemplating national popular vote
ProJo: Welfare fraud search extended
GoLocalProv: City Council Civil War: Attempt to overthrow Majority Leader thwarted
Opinion
PBN: Editorial: Taveras deserves credit for path so far
PBN: Slowing birthrates likely to alter global power structure


Education

ProJo: Sheen tells NE Tech grads: Find something to fight for (A1)
By Alex Kuffner
PROVIDENCE — In a speech that was at times humorous, sentimental and passionate, actor Martin Sheen on Sunday urged the 1,254 graduates of the New England Institute of Technology to “find something in your life worth fighting for.

ProJo: Renewed sense of unity at city school (A1)
By Linda Borg
PROVIDENCE –– Mount Pleasant High School, that sprawling castle-like edifice near the Rhode Island College campus, has long been the poor stepchild of the Providence school system.

ProJo: Another court title for Duke (A6)
By Donita Naylor
“Three college students go into a bar…” begins Michael D’Ippolito, a 2008 Wheeler School graduate who is about to graduate from Duke.

Health and Wellness

PBN: Koller issues rate-review guidelines
By Richard Asinof
PROVIDENCE – R.I. Health Insurance Commissioner Christopher F. Koller issued guidelines for commercial health insurers to follow in the upcoming 2012 rate review process for small and large employer groups.

PBN: Thundermist secures $5.2M to renovate facilities
By Richard Asinof
WOONSOCKET – While Steward Health Care still awaits approval for its purchase of Landmark Medical Center, Thundermist Health Center has captured two new federal grants – one for $5 million, a second for $228,812 – to improve and renovate facilities in Wakefield and West Warwick, respectively.

PBN: UnitedHealthcare introduces cost estimator
By Richard Asinof
PROVIDENCE – UnitedHealthcare introduced a new online cost estimator for its members in Rhode Island, myHealthcare Cost Estimator, which provides consumers with the information to compare costs for specific care and services from Rhode Island providers and hospitals.

PBN: Lange named Childhood Immunization Champion
By Richard Asinof
PROVIDENCE – Dr. Elizabeth Lange has been chosen as Rhode Island’s first Childhood Immunization Champion by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new annual award honors immunization champions in each of the 50 states.

PBN: Five Questions With: Dr. Yow-Pin Lim
By Richard Asinof
The path from the bench in an academic research laboratory at Rhode Island Hospital to partnership with a biopharm firm in the production of therapeutic agent to protect against the threat of anthrax contamination has been a long, arduous process, according to Dr. Yow-Pin Lim, president of ProThera Biologics. Perseverance is the key.

Politics and Government

WPRI: Police union blasts ‘underhanded, despicable’ Taveras, Council
By Ted Nesi
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – The Providence police union is threatening all-out war on Mayor Angel Taveras and the City Council for freezing retired officers’ pensions, labeling the elected officials “underhanded, despicable and heartless” for holding a crucial vote the night of a fallen officer’s wake.

ProJo: Giving artists a break (A1)
By Michael P. McKinney
The customer from Taiwan wanted his billiards table made of high-tech carbon fiber that was to be painted in “1998 Porsche metallic blue.” Across the planet in Pawtucket, the company, Mars Made, one of many inside a converted mill in the city’s arts community, got the ball rolling.

ProJo: Discord stalls money in D.C. (A1)
By Bruce Landis
PROVIDENCE — The ripples of a political collision in Washington are washing up in Rhode Island, making it unclear what money will be available for maintaining the state’s roads and bridges and operating its buses.

ProJo: Political Scene: House still contemplating national popular vote
By Philip Marcelo and Randal Edgar
Supporters and opponents of a proposal to have Rhode Island elect the president by a “national popular vote” are calling for their day to fully debate and vote on the measure, coming off last week’s decision by Democratic leaders of the state House of Representatives to postpone a floor vote on the bill until at least May 22.

ProJo: Welfare fraud search extended (A4)
By Randal Edgar
PROVIDENCE — The Chafee administration is granting an extension to a former rival who has been working free of charge since November to find waste and fraud in state welfare programs.

GoLocalProv: City Council Civil War: Attempt to overthrow Majority Leader thwarted
By Dan McGowan
Providence City Council Majority Leader Seth Yurdin (Ward 1) survived an attempt to oust him from his leadership position this weekend, GoLocalProv has confirmed.

Opinion

PBN: Editorial: Taveras deserves credit for path so far 
It is time to take a moment and give Providence Mayor Angel Taveras a hearty slap on the back.

PBN: Slowing birthrates likely to alter global power structure
By Ramesh Ponnuru
It isn’t quite true that demography is destiny. But if Nicholas Eberstadt is right, our destiny is going to be shaped by demography in ways we may not expect.
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