Monday, May 14, 2012
New legislation to create the quasi-public East Bay Energy Consortium needs some clarification, including an explanation of proposed eminent domain power and issuing of bonds.
The East Bay Energy Consortium (EBEC), made up of the nine East Bay communities, has submitted a bill to the Legislature to enable the creation of a quasi-public agency. New legislation creates a need to clarify issues and to inform the public. Background: EBEC was formed in late 2009 to use renewable energy and energy efficiencies to save taxpayer money by reducing the amount of energy our municipalities pay for. (Schools, streetlights, water treatment, and municipal buildings require a lot of energy.) Each city and town joined through council resolution and a cash contribution or in-kind payment, and each city and town council appointed one representative and alternates to attend meetings and report back to the municipality. Entity: …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
In an interview with ABC News, the president says gay couples should have the right to marry.
President Obama made headlines Wednesday during an ABC News interview when he said he supports same-sex couples ability to marry. The president, who in the past had supported civil union parternships for gay couples, said that his stance on the subject has "evolved" since he took office in 2008. Obama said while he supports same-sex marriage, he believes it is within a state's right to regulate such unions. Vice President Joe Biden and Education Secretary Arne Duncun in recent days both expressed support for gay marriage. From Obama's ABC interview: "I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed …
Saturday, May 5, 2012
State Rep. Stephen Ucci (D-Johnston, Cranston) has proposed a bill to give holders of EZ-Pass accounts a tax credit — what do you think?
- GOVERNMENT
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Saturday, May 5
A Johnston legislator has proposed a tax credit to EZ-Pass account holders who use the electronic payment system to cross the Newport Bridge. Rep. Stephen R. Ucci (D-Johnston, Cranston) said in a press release that the bill is meant to help drivers recover some of the cost of using the Newport Bridge. "It’s an added expense to have to travel across a toll bridge constantly," Ucci explained. "Some of these folks have to use their EZ-Pass five days per week just to get to and from work. In this economy, everyone needs a little extra assistance and this specific population of people is getting hammered with fees." According to the Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority website, Rhode Island residents pay $25 to activate an account and up …
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
In a declining economy and time when libraries are closing their doors, is it acceptable to charge patrons to read books?
When I stopped in the Newport Public Library Monday afternoon to pick up a book I ordered online, I was surprised when the librarian told me they had the book — for a small fee. The Newport and Middletown libraries, as well as a number of other libraries throughout the state, have been charging patrons a small fee for newly-released "popular" books. (It is unknown if the Portsmouth Free Public Library charges for books.) The book I ordered, Stephen King's "The Wind Through The Keyhole," would cost me 25 cents per day I rented the book. I could add my name to the waiting list, but there were already 34 holds on it. I agreed to pay the costs, but it made think about public services and libraries. In a time when more and more libraries are…
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Rep. Dan Reilly writes about why he opposes tolls on the island.
The following is a letter to the editor submitted by Rep. Dan Reilly. Of all of the controversial proposals in the governor’s budget request, the one by far most dangerous to the economy of the Aquidneck Island community is to place tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge when the new span opens. This proposal is not only unfair, but also puts unnecessary pressure on our local economy and residents, while doing nothing to change the structural funding imbalance inherent in our state transportation budget. The Department of Transportation wants to create the “East Bay Infrastructure Fund,” with all revenue from the bridge tolls deposited into after the debt service and expenses from the bridge are covered. This would be a discretionary funding …
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Robert Bailey submitted this letter to the Editor about state taxation.
- OPINION
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Saturday, February 25
A single marshmallow is placed before the child. He is told, " I need to leave the room. If you don't eat this marshmallow, I will give you another one, and you can eat them both." Can the child hold out? This famous psychological test, designed by Stanford Prof. Walter Mischel, tests one's ability to defer gratification for the greater reward. The governor, his tax staff, and the Legislature would, likely, eat the single marshmallow. Most Newporters would do better. Mr. Chafee opened offering the legislature one percent taxes on currently untaxed items; they balked. During the campaign he told me that he questioned whether Curt Schilling's loan guarantee wasn't actually a loan. Once in office, the governor embraced it, regardless. …
Thursday, February 16, 2012
State lawmakers are looking at banning smoking at the beach and other outdoor places. Do you agree with this?
It may still be winter, but local lawmakers are already taking a closer look at the health of beach-goers. Lawmakers are reviewing a proposal by state Rep. Richard Morrison to extend the state's smoking ban outdoors, reports The Providence Journal. If approved, the ban would prevent smoking at beaches, parks, playgrounds and other outdoor, recreational locations. A vote on Morrison's proposal has not been scheduled at this time. We wanted to know what you thought about this state proposal. On Newport Patch's Facebook page Thursday, we asked users if smoking should be banned on beaches. Comments on Facebook were short, but loud and clear: YES... No more nasty butts on the beach - Erica Wood Absolutely - Keri Beth LeClair YES - Kim …
Monday, February 13, 2012
We've rounded up some of the best tweets about people's reactions to the Powerball winner announcement.
The rumor mill has been buzzing about the latest Powerball jackpot. First, everyone was trying to guess which store sold the winning numbers. Now, they're trying to figure out who holds the golden ticket. The winner still remains a mystery while Newport, Rhode Island and the rest of the country continues to speculate. Here’s how the Twitterverse reacted to the news of the winning ticket coming out of Newport. @ksnetz The powerball winner is from Newport, because the people there really need the money. @CptXtreme @NewportStorm should offer the Powerball winner a case of beer. I could deliver it! #missingasixpack @BeckssHill The one time I don't buy powerball at stop and shop @MikeWiseguy Did Adele win Powerball too? @dtcarter17 The fact …
41.481556
-71.308509
Stop & Shop
250 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI
/articles/twitter-reacts-to-powerball-winner-announcement
227478
/locations/6371984
What would you have done with the prize money?
Okay, so it's a little anti-climactic when you hear that a Rhode Island ticket took home the big prize and you realize it wasn't you. But what if it was? According to a tweet from @RILottery, the $336.4 million winning ticket was purchased from the Stop & Shop located at 250 Bellevue Ave. Officials say the ticket holder has yet to come forward. With the winning ticket so close to home, it has made many fantasize about what they might have done with the money had they won. One of our Facebook users said this: I would make sure I took care of my family 1st, then charitable donations and some very special friends..Then I'd take a year long vacation and do everything on my "bucket list" - Linda Petrone So tell us, what would you have done with…
41.481556
-71.308509
Stop & Shop
250 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI
/articles/what-if-you-won-the-336-4-million-powerball-jackpot-b860023c
227478
/locations/6370057
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Michael Roy, of Environment Rhode Island, urges banning plastic shopping bags.
- OPINION
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Wednesday, February 8
Dear Editor, According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 100 billion plastic grocery bags are used in the US each year, wasting millions of barrels of oil and clogging our landfills. And because these bags are so ubiquitous and so light, far too many of them wind up as litter in our waterways, parks, yards, and roadsides. In the marine environment, they can choke wildlife like sea turtles and whales, and as the plastic breaks down into tiny toxic bits, it gets ingested by fish and clams. Nothing we use for just five minutes should litter our treasured places and threaten our essential wildlife. Luckily, there is a simple solution: we can eliminate the problem by banning disposable plastic bags so that people switch to …
Robert E
11:17 pm on Saturday, May 12, 2012
Equal Marriage rights have been guaranteed by the US Constitution since 1868. The 14th amendment provides equal access to legal rights for all citizens. This is a nonissue, every state law that bars any individual from access to the legal rights granted to others is unconstitutional just as all of the laws barring women from voting previous to 1920 were unconstitutional, same goes for southern … more ›