Adventures in Town Government
By way of an update on the local situation, here’s a press release from Tiverton Citizens for Change (TCC) President David Nelson: Citing the important free speech issues involved in the case, the ACLU of Rhode Island today announced it has agreed to represent Tiverton resident David Nelson, the president of a local tax reform…
Justin’s post announcing Arruda and Durfee’s despicable lawsuit against Dave Nelson here. The following press release from the defendant was in my in-box this morning. Note well the second paragraph describing a demand that Dave rat out his fellow concerned citizens, apparently for the crime of behaving like … concerned citizens. A principle of democracy…
This intra-conservative debate in East Providence points to one of those issues that tends to slide under residents’ awareness: [Mayor Joseph] Larisa is now trying to solidify tax limits by putting language into the city’s Home Rule Charter. Charter amendments have to be approved by voters in a referendum, while ordinances are approved — and…
It’s always notably plausible that there’s a larger truth in the mix when I agree with Bob Kerr, but while his column lamenting the possibly fatal restrictions that the Tiverton Town Council has placed on an annual charity event, this year, counts in that regard, I’d suggest that he should think on the larger lessons…
Government reform is, ought to be, and may have to be a coherent movement from the municipality to the federal government. Here in Rhode Island, it’s easy to see how a broad set of principles and tactics applied across government tiers have corrupted (and expanded) government and hobbled our society, and mutual support and encouragement…
It looks like the General Assembly actually did get around to passing a state aid formula for Rhode Island’s schools. As we’ve been pointing out all along, folks at the local level have seemed to assume that a “fair funding formula” would be one that gives them, specifically, more money, and this legislation does acknowledge…
As is common among advocates of regionalization in Rhode Island, Joseph Paolino proclaims savings as if they should be obvious: There is much to be gained from consolidation; unity and taxpayer savings go hand-in-hand. Why should the trucks plowing snow in Pawtucket stop at the boundary with Central Falls? Why should six purchasing agents be…
I’ve got an op-ed in today’s Providence Journal placing Tiverton’s budget battles in the context of community and different notions thereof. In one version of “community,” it’s a good thing to be a slob, thereby creating a need for other residents to pay somebody to clean up, and it’s a bad thing to take an…
I just got home from Tiverton’s financial town meeting and a lunch decompression session. I’ll attempt a more thorough report for the TCC Web site once my disorientation dissipates. I’ll say this, for now: I really did not imagine how far — how dirty — the Democratic Town Committee/union coalition was going to be willing…
According to the Newport Daily News, some elected officials in Middletown are willing to acknowledge the economy in which constituents are having to struggle: Councilman Edward J. Silveira said he submitted a docket item to discuss the issue [of a zero percent increase] after hearing from residents and businesses about the increased hardships they’re facing.…