Saturday, May 11, 2013
State Treasurer Gina Raimondo said the pension changes put in place by the General Assembly have made the system more sustainable.
About 18 months after the Rhode Island General Assembly passed a sweeping set of state pension reforms, the retirement system for state employees is "much healthier" than it was before, Treasurer Gina Raimondo said during a recent interview. Raimondo, who spoke with Patch at Mt. Hope High School, oversees the state's $7.6-billion pension investments. She explained that the fund originally "had less than 50 percent of the funds it needed to cover the liabilities," whereas "today, the system is healthy and well-funded." In order to fix the system, Raimondo and Gov. Lincoln Chafee proposed a number of changes, including suspending Cost of Living Adjustments, of COLAs, for 19 years; raising the state retirement age to match a retiree's …
Friday, May 10, 2013
The route for this year will both begin and end at Potter Cove
After a 37-year tradition was nearly derailed by federal sequestration, Save The Bay has finalized its plans for this year’s annual Swim, one of the longest running and most beautiful open water charitable swims in the country. For decades, The swim began at Naval Station Newport, where 500 swimmers and 250 kayakers plunged and paddled westward across the East Passage of Narragansett Bay to Jamestown. Rather than starting the 1.7 mile swim at the island home of the Naval War College and ending at Potter Cove in Jamestown, the route for this year will both begin and end at Potter Cove. The event, scheduled for Saturday, July 20, celebrates decades of achievement in cleaning up the Bay. Proceeds from The Swim provide critical financial …
Newport City Council approved a small outdoor expansion. At least one 5th Ward resident is not pleased.
Asterisk Restaurant, located at 599 Thames St., gained approval Wednesday from Newport City Council to expand 110 square feet of the restaurant's outdoor area. Attorney Turner Scott said the proposed space would be used solely for a prep area, a lobster tank or to service customers. He stressed there will not be an increase in seating or hours of operation. Resident Chuck Bolduc of Dixon Street said he is disappointed with the decision. “I believe the Council has sent a clear message to our neighborhoods that business is better to have than stable owner-residents, especially in abutting the limited business district,” he said after the vote. Councilor Marco Camacho said he is empathetic to residents who do not want to see the bar …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Results from a recent executive survey ranked Rhode Island 37th for business.
A CEO magazine ranks Rhode Island as one of the worst states in the nation for business. Chief Executive Magazine ranked Rhode Island 37th based on a survey of corporate leaders. Survey respondents rated the Ocean State poorly in the area of taxation and regulations. Massachusetts and Connecticut ranked even worse. Massachusetts was ranked 47th and Connecticut came in at 45th place. The worst three ranked states in the survey were California, New York and Illinois. Texas, Florida and North Carolina, on the other hand, were ranked as the three best states in which to do business. What do you think about Rhode Island’s business climate? Is this a good state in which to do business?
The Newport City Council approved a series of liquor license transfers Wednesday
It is the end of an era for Newport bars. Billy Goode, the original owner of Billy Goode's bar on Marlborough Street, purchased the first Newport liquor license, after he operated his bar as a speakeasy during prohibition. The most recent owner Kevan Campbell sold his liquor license which was officially transferred after Wednesday's Newport City Council meeting. The council unanimously approved the bittersweet transfer that marked the end of the Goode legacy, but new beginnings for Thames Street Kitchen and Jo’s American Bistro, which purchased Puerini’s last December. Billy Goode’s transferred it’s Class BV license to Jo’s American Bistro and Jo’s American Bistro transferred it’s limited beer and wine license to Thames Street Kitchen…
A Newport resident says existing billboards on Van Zandt Avenue are dangerous and violate city ordinances
Newport resident Torrey Jacobsen urged Newport City Council Wednesday night to remove billboards that he said are not only unsightly, but are a saftey hazard and violate city ordinances. "There are two large eight post billboards approximately 20 feet in length, both sitting at an angle to the Van Zandt Avenue so that drivers can better read the signs while passing by," said Jacobsen. He told council he has seen the billboards advertise anything from Dunkin Donuts to cancer foundations. "The billboards should be removed for multiple reasons, including that they are in violation of our city ordinances, they create a potential safety hazard for local residents, their proximity to a federal historical site, money gained through removal of …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Joined by representatives from the U.S. Travel Association, as well as Rhode Island tourism advocates, U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (D-RI) visited tourist sites in Newport Monday morning
Friday, May 3, 2013
Former Newport Mayor Stephen Waluk said it is important for Aquidneck Island to have a voice on the RITBA board
The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority board voted Wednesday to re-elect David Darlington, of North Kingstown, as chairman and Former Newport Mayor Stephen Waluk as vice chairman. Waluk was first appointed to the RITBA board by Governor Carcieri in 2005 and was recently reappointed by Governor Chafee for another four year term. "I am happy to be re-elected as Vice Chair of the RITBA," said Waluk. "It is important that Newport and Aquidneck Island have a voice on this board." Last year, Rhode Island's General Assembly approved to move two additional bridges into RIBTA's jurisdiction and install tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge to fund the maintenance. The law has been met by strong opposition by East Bay lawmakers and …
An email exchange this week between the city manager and the superintendent of schools raised concerns about transparency in the budget process.
Email communications between Newport City Manager Jane Howington and Superintendent Dr. John Ambrogi highlighted growing tensions between the city and the school department, relating to the budget process and what Howington described as the School Committee's “lack of commitment” to work toward shared services. Howington sent a letter Monday stating she felt it was necessary to provide a more detailed analysis of how she made budgetary decisions for the proposed fiscal 2014 budget. “The inability of the school department to develop and maintain well planned budgets is a factor that has created a crisis in confidence for city leadership,” wrote Howington. “In both of the last two years the submitted school budget request came forward with…
Thursday, May 2, 2013
A bill legalizing same-sex marriage passed 56-15.
Sixteen years after legislation was initially introduced in Rhode Island, same-sex marriage is now legal in the Ocean State. On Thursday afternoon, the Rhode Island House of Representatives passed the legislation with a vote of 56-15. "This is a great day in Rhode Island, not just for the many Rhode Island families who will now get the recognition and equality that they so richly deserve, and not only for the thousands who have been fighting for decades for the dignity and rights of all citizens," said House Speaker Gordon Fox, the first openly gay House Speaker in the nation who has cosponsored the legislation every year. "It is also a wonderful day for the generations of future Rhode Islanders who may never know a time when some …
John Q. Public
10:22 pm on Sunday, May 12, 2013
Gina has effectively hijacked the state pension for her hedge fund buddies. more ›