R-ISLANDER

Rhode Island Children Thrown to the Wolves

Today it is reported that the state budget built by Gov. Don Carcieri, tweaked by Rep. Steve Costantino, and passed by a so-called Democratic legislature has thrown RI Children to the wolves...the first to feel the cuts in state services are over a thousand poor, needy children.  They chose to kill medical services so that they could preserve the tax cuts for RI's richest citizens.  SHAME....

Here's how today's story reads:

Some, in fact, are very sick children. Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, the HMO that cares for about 60 percent of RIte Care enrollees, including 50,000 children, has tallied the number of its patients who were affected by the RIte Care change. Among those dropped from RIte Care are 54 children with asthma, 50 with attention deficit disorder and eight with diabetes. One is in the midst of treatment for bone cancer and has already lost a leg. One needs a ventilator to breathe and is currently living at the state-run Tavares Center. Several have cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, depression or sickle cell anemia.

What will happen to them? “I don’t know,” said Dr. Mack Johnston, the plan’s chief medical officer. “We are kidding ourselves if we think there’s somebody out there, some charitable pots of money, that’s going to pick up the responsibility. … The bottom line is that many will get sicker.”

And over 500 corporations don't pay any RI tax or less than $400.  Where is the compassion in that?  Where is the social justice?  Were are Catholic values?  Fight abortion and then when the poor children get sick...IGNORE them...cut their medical support...shame, shame, shame....

WHERE IS JACK REED? ALL RI WANTS TO KNOW

All the other RI super delegates have made their choice.  RI went overwhelmingly for Hillary...NOT OBAMA...why isn't Jack Reed backing the citizens of RI and endorsing Hillary Clinton?  Come on Jack...Obama may get the nomination, but it is not over yet....ENDORSE HILLARY....

DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATURE BACKS CARCIERI CUTS OF HUMAN SERVICES

The RI Legislature closed the budget deficit.  How did they do it?  As reported in the Projo, ..."cutting health-care and welfare benefits for thousands of children, and reducing retirement benefits for all state workers who retire after Sept. 30, not to mention cutting benefits in other human services programs. 

How cowardly is it for the Assembly to balance the budget on the backs of children and state workers?  CHILDREN...no health insurance for children.  A major cut in health insurance for the working class on a variety of fronts.

They cut needed benefits of poor children and save dollars...and then give it away with tax cuts for the rich and coporate entities.  I can understand the Republican Carcieri making such unconscionable choices, but a D_E_M_O_C_R_A_T_I_C legislature?  I thought Democrats supported those at the margins of our society.  What the hell happened?  When did they become Republican who gleefully cut programs for the poor and working classes?

SHAME, SHAME....time to check voting records and to "reward" those democrats who are so in name only!

OBAMA NAMES HIS OWN "BAD JUDGMENT"

Barack is quick to say he has better judgment than Hillary.  Does he?

"The land sale occurred after it had been reported that Mr. Rezko was under federal investigation. That awkward fact prompted Mr. Obama, who has cast himself as largely free from the normal influences of politics, to express regret over what he called his own bad judgment."  MORE>>>>>>

Santorum: Obama Easier to Beat in General Election

Here is a video of former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum on Fox News discussing Barack Obama and the presidential campaign.  Santorum says Obama is a far-left idealogue (I like that, LOL) who he believes would be actually easier to beat in the general election than Hillary Clinton.

Thousands At Rally for Clinton

While Patrick Kennedy, a Barack Obama supporter, spoke to a few people in Pawtucket (most of the people were from Massachusetts btw--NOT Rhode Islanders--canvassers for Barack) THOUSANDS, at least two thousand people were in the RIC Auditorium today to hear the next president, Hillary Rodham Clinton.  The size of the crowd though lively and huge, could have been better, but it was great to see people of all ages, all colors, all genders, and all cultural backgrounds as excited as they were for Hillary.

She won thunderous applause for her emergency economic plan and--unlike Obama--her UNIVERSAL healthcare plan.

She faces an uphill battle against Obama and his forces from Massachusetts, LOL, but we hope for the best.  President Bill Clinton, the rock star of the democratic party will be here on Thursday.

It was great to see Sheldon Whitehouse and all those other democratic leaders at the rally.  Mayor Cicilline was disinvited because Hillary did not want the Firefighters with whom he is fighting to picket.  She is solidly union.  I was thinking about donating and voting for Cicilline for Governor, but unless he comes out in support of Hillary as he promised, or so I thought, I will rethink that....if he can't see that she is THE candidate who can accomplish more for us, I'm not impressed with his judgement.  He'll come around and BEFORE the primary on the 4th I hope.

Patrick said they are working on bringing in his father, Ted Kennedy, before the primary.  Nice, but Rhode Island wants Hillary and Patrick should be with us and let's hope that Ted, who I love, will be as effective for Obama in Rhode Island as he was in Massachusetts.  ;-) 

"It takes a woman to end this war" as one of the signs at today's great rally stated, and that woman is Hillary!

Want social security left alone, vote for Hillary.  Want healthcare, vote for Hillary.  Want to save your house, vote for Hillary.  She has solutions not just verbiage.

CLINTON RALLIES IN RI ON FEBRUARY 24 at RIC

At RIC on Sunday, February 24, 11:30 to 2:30, Hillary Clinton will hold a rally for all her Providence Plantation fans.  It should be huge.  As a pretty much working-class state, like Ohio, let's hope that Rhode Island holds strong for Hillary even if Patrick Kennedy is supporting Barack Obama.  (There's a reason for supporting Hillary if I've ever seen one!)

Detailed message sustains working-class Clinton fans

For Tom Buffenbarger, the choice in the Democratic primary is simple: a man with a dream and a woman with a plan. And to him, Barack Obama's lofty vision doesn't answer the nuts-and-bolts questions working-class America has for its next president. (By Susan Milligan, Boston Globe)

BISHOP TOBIN ON QUEERS...AND THEIR RIGHTS

I just wish I had the energy to respond to "his excellency"...there is an email address for the good bishop on this page.  m.

Without a Doubt -- Nov. 1 2007:

Why You Should Worry About “Gay Marriage”

Bishop Thomas J. Tobin

"Charlie Bakst has written yet another column in favor of gay marriage. It seems to have become somewhat of an obsession for him. If he’s not on the payroll of GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) or Marriage Equality Rhode Island, he should be. MORE...."

LOL...an obsessin for Charlie?  Excuse me "excellency" but the obsession seems to be yours and in defiance of all scientific evidence, you know, like the scientific evidence you and OUR Church denied for hundreds of year in the case of Galileo.  Finally the Church admits it was wrong on the issue of the sun revolving around the Earth...and the Church finally comes around to TRUTH agreeing the Earth is not flat!   

URI Moves Into the Future

The University of Rhode Island is most important to the success of the state of Rhode Island.  The state now pays only 14% of what it costs to run this great state university, yet URI is the largest employer in the southern part of the state and one of the largest employers in the state.

Its research in all sorts of areas, especially biotechnology, education, etc. is the fuel that runs our economic engine.  Needless to say the University is also important in moving our adolescents into the workforce with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in our techno society.

This week, the search for the second most important officer in the University, the Provost, continues.  We have seen three candidates, and will see another.  They are all outsiders.  They all have their special characteristics that make them possibly attractive to fill this vitally important position, but the real choice we should be making is an internal candidate.  Her name is Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Lynn Pasquerella.  Lynn has held the positions of professor in philosophy, chair of her dept., Graduate School Dean, Dean of Research, and finally Vice Provost.  She has Ph.D. from Brown, Phi Beta Kappa, research books and numerous articles, but most importantly that mix of being able to attract research $$$ (10M to date) and teaching experience (She has won the Teaching Excellence Award.)  She's not on the top of the search list, but she should be.  URI needs someone like Lynn and I hope President Carothers sees fit to bring her in and appoint her as the new Provost.

Those interested in good RI government should also be interested in their University and should let President Carothers, the Board of Governors, that they have a chance to move URI into the future with the best at the helm:  Lynn Pasquerella for Provost at URI!

Republicans and Carcieri Want Big Raises

BUT NOT TO YOU...only his buddies.

 

Tell me this ok:  Carcieri cuts hundreds of working class positions and then suggests cumulative raises for his cabinet officers.  Again, Carcieri, and the Republicans:  Give to the rich and Steal from the Poor.

 

Two weeks before he first wielded his now-famous vow to eliminate 1,000 state jobs to head off a looming deficit, Governor Carcieri quietly sought four years of cumulative raises — ranging as high as $24,884 — for members of his cabinet.

In a previously undisclosed May 24, 2007, memorandum to the chairmen of the House and Senate finance committees, Carcieri’s Budget Director Rosemary Booth Gallogly recommended page after page of “final adjustments required to address the projected deficit.”

At the same time, the memo proposed the inclusion in this year’s big spending bill of a new law requiring the Department of Administration to automatically “provide cabinet directors cost of living increases that are comparable to those accorded other non-union state employees in the executive branch.”  PROJO

THE CURRENT SALARIES:  Administration Director Beverly Najarian, $110,321; Adjutant Gen. Robert T. Bray, $94,769; Business Regulation Director A. Michael Marques, $101,598; Children, Youth & Families Director Patricia Martinez, $127,501; Corrections Director A.T. Wall, $142,609; DOT Director Williams, $143,000; Elderly Affairs Director Russo, $95,387; DEM Director Sullivan, $130,152; Health Director David Gifford, $134,975; Human Services Director Gary Alexander, $115,837; Labor Director Adelita Orefice, $113,883; and Mental Health, Retardation & Hospitals Director Ellen Nelson, $126,582.