Just by way of a quick update, I think that we expected to see the House Finance Committee’s budget this week. The process would have been a caucus on Thursday and a hearing on the actual budget today. This hasn’t happened, and as far as anyone can tell, it is supposed to happen next week.
I’ll make a video update when the budget document is revealed. Until then, have a nice weekend!
Here are a few random things that I thought were worth sharing:
1. Pass Fair Funding Formulas for the State- Don’t lose federal stimulus money because we do not have a formula-2. Request waivers and extensions to S3050 mandating changes to the tax class gaps now!
Providence has a waiver, why shouldn’t Woonsocket??3. General and massive cuts to spending to close budget gaps- stop supporting the Lobbyists..
Support the taxpayers!4. Restore state aid to cities and towns like Woonsocket that desperately need it and that are educating inner city children.
Well, that seems like a sensible agenda to me, bearing in mind that massive cuts per #3 are easier said than done. We seem to be getting to the point where the next cuts will likely hurt the areas of community hospitals and MRDD services, neither of which will really help Woonsocket taxpayers in the long run. Striking a balance in the cuts has got to be a priority as well.
Sorry for the delay–I have been meaning to update my video blog for over two weeks! I have been very busy with my day job, and answering a lot of constituent questions about the pension, the budget, and cuts to services for the developmentally disabled. Lots going on, so check out the video update.
As promised, here is the link to this Monday’s important City Council meeting. Hope to see you there!
I apologize for not updating in a while, particularly with a video blog. My intent is to move the video blog day away from Fridays, which can be very hectic as I try to catch up the workweek at my day job. (Also, I get to dress down on Fridays, and I’d like to be able to do so without worrying about how I look on camera…)
So, enjoy the long weekend, and please accept my apologies for not updating.
I’ll post a new video blog on Tuesday and hopefully continue to do so regularly.
Yesterday, I voted against the e-verify bill. I did not take an ideological stance against the bill so much as a technical one. The two major factors that I see are:
I also received many emails like this one from concerned citizens and small business owners:
· COST to SMALL BUSINESSES – This will adversely affect ALL businesses in RI and imposes just one more obstacle to doing business here. Implementation and training, as well as time spent paying staff people while they appeal inaccurate information, will be costly to businesses both small and large. One small business in MD refused to implement the program saying that it would cost an additional $27k per year in administrative costs.
· ERROR RATE – To operate E-Verify, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will rely on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) database, which has been identified as a source filled with over 17.8 million errors, many related to name, date of birth or citizenship status.
· DISCRIMINATION – The system has major faults, as it often inaccurately identifies immigrants and U.S. citizens as not being “employment-eligible.” This will, in some cases, prevent qualified, documented immigrants and U.S. citizens from getting jobs and will unfortunately encourage discrimination among employers.
· MARRIED/DIVORCED WOMEN – Potential and current employees are likely to be faced with erroneous results of the E-Verify system, especially those who have immigrated here or changed names after a marriage or divorce. This means it is another piece of legislation that will affect everyone, but unfairly target the immigrant population.
I did not speak out against this measure on the house floor out of respect for its sponsor, my colleague from Woonsocket. But I want to go on record with you, my constituents, about why I voted the way that I did…
My weekly video update–a short but important one. I’m itching to get outside on this 70 degree Spring day, so that is it for now!
I can’t help but feel terrible for Mayor Menard, who lost her daughter yesterday. As a parent, I can imagine that she is devastated–but I can’t even fathom it. As I look at my little kids, my stomach turns just thinking of it. The Mayor, and her family, particularly her two and four-year old grand kids, will certainly be in my thoughts.
From today’s Woonsocket Call:
In a devastating personal blow to Mayor Susan D. Menard and her family, the mayor’s 31-year-old daughter was found deceased at her residence in Massachusetts yesterday.
Last night, Senator Roger Picard graciously opened his house for a joint open-house / constituent night. We had about a dozen people show up, which I was pleased with. The concerns that were voiced last night are the same that I hear through the district—fixing our state’s economic mess, bringing jobs to RI, and ensuring that the pension reforms that everyone sees as inevitable aren’t too draconian.
The best question of the night though, was “what else are you working on?” A fair question to say the least. Here is a link to the section of the General Assembly’s website that lists bills by sponsor. You can click on my name and see all of the bills on which I appear as a sponsor.
While we’ve made progress with online disclosure, I’d like to see this general listing of bills include a more generic and “user friendly” description of what the bills intend to do. Additionally, that description should be on the main page, rather than buried at the end of a PDF file for each bill.
That’s great, now you know what bills I’ve put my name on as a sponsor. But how have I voted on a given issue? Unfortunately, that is not available from the general assembly. I am proud to have co-sponsored Rep. Ed Pacheco’s bill to publish individual votes on the assembly web site. Hopefully that will be just a step on the voyage to better disclosure.
In the meantime, you can look at the Rhode Island Votes website to see how I, or any other member of the General Assembly, have voted on a given issue. (It is not entirely up-to date, which is a good argument for automatically linking the voting machines to the GA website and self-disclosing.)
You can search by legislator’s name or by bill. It will also tell you how many votes a given legislator has missed. Go ahead, take a peek.
Just a quick reminder, tomorrow, Monday, is the joint open house with Senator Picard and me.
Sen. Roger A. Picard and Rep. Chris Fierro will host a joint open house for their constituents Monday, April 13, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 pm. at Senator Picard’s home, 764 Mendon Road, Woonsocket.
All constituents in their districts – House District 51 in Woonsocket and Senate District 20 in Cumberland and Woonsocket – are invited, along with anyone else who would like to speak with them. To find your House or Senate district, visit http://www.sec.state.ri.us/vic/
The event will be an opportunity for local residents to talk face-to-face in an informal setting to their legislators about any issue or concern, question or idea. In a year when the state is facing a massive budget deficit as well as determining the use of federal stimulus funds, both legislators said they are eager to hear what’s on their constituents’ minds.
