Congratulations-- Bristol, RI One of the Best

A great, hot, sunny July 4th/5th celebration in Bristol RI topped off a wonderful, extended Independence Day weekend. Fireworks and concerts on Sunday, the 4th, was followed by the traditional Independence Day parade. This year marked the 225th 4th of July Celebration's Fourth of July Parade.

Here from You Tube is a kaleidoscopic view of the parade uploaded by  sdlombardi

 But there is more to be proud about in Bristol. Family Circle magazine has named Bristol, RI as one of the10 best towns in America for families.

These communities took top honors in our yearly roundup of perfect places to raise kids.

Another perspective: Teacher and Public Employee Pensions

A major debate has been and continues to go on about the role of public service workers (government employee) pensions and the rebellion by taxpayers exemplified by the position taken by such groups as the Tea Party and RISC (Rhode Island Statewide Coalition). The underfunding (or legislative stealing) of the state and local pension funds by legislative and community governing bodies and poor (or blatant) mismanagement of such funds by the trustees of these funds  (such as West Warwick) has certainly added to the current and future fiscal problems facing the citizens of Rhode Island at all levels. These issues have been discussed here over the past year and more.

At times, the blame game become more the focus for debate, than any substantive discussion of solutions. Ideological battles between Unions verses taxpayers, legislatures vs taxpayers, citizens verses public employees, reactionary conservatives (know nothings) verses reactionary liberals (progressives) generate a lot of entertainment and media noise. But just as the BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico continues to waste millions of gallons of crude oil and natural gas and pollute the environment, the public treasury is still leaking and the state's fiscal future and public trust is being polluted by incompetent and greedy management.

Despite the debate and rancor at the State and community levels, we need to step back a little. The misbehavior which lead to the problem can be traced back to its source. That source is the general public, you and me, that is US, who through our uncritical support of our local elected officials have created a calcified legislature incapable of making the hard choices the times demand. We condemn the General Assembly but keep our own representatives who, when "they go along to get along," are not acting in our or the state's best interest.

Instead we elect representatives who can only make the easy choices, such as fireworks, cashing in the future earning from the tobacco settlement, approving budgets based on speculation about a federal bailout. The General Assemble has made short sighted and short term decisions over the past two decades that are today having real negative consequences, often unintended self inflicted ones.  Even those who promote such short sighted and selfish behavior are feeling the consequences today.

What are these consequences?

Every once in a while you run across an article, or posting, on the web that is worth sharing, especially in light of the issues confronting Rhode Islanders these days.  An article appearing on the Money and Market Website, entitled  State Pension Woes Only Worsening  by Nilus Mattive describes the significance of the public pension situation on the individual public employee who is, or has been "planning," for his or her retirement and expecting that the government will be able to keep its promise. After describing the sad state of affairs facing this public employee, he concludes with this warning.

I’ll Say It Again: Do NOT Count on Any
Government to Pay for Your Retirement!

As we go into this election year, it will be important that each citizen, each of us, consider the promises we made to state and local public employees through the actions of the legislators, council persons, and board members we elected to represent us. And especially those of you who are public employees, consider what the real consequences of your actions as a union member and as a taxpaying citizen have been. Consider where does your true enlightened self interest  rest. Consider what you have done to plan for your future and what you will do now. Consider what your chances are to retire with those rich pension deals negotiated at another time when we were all in a better place. 

The secret to life is change. The secret to success in life is the ability to change in response to a changing environment. Today, is the first day of the rest of your life, are you prepared to change?

Students Win: Follow up on the Central Falls High School story

Earlier this spring the Central Falls High School situation dominated local news as the CF School Board sought to implement  the RI Protocol for Intervention, part of the requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind guidelines. The initial impact was the firing of all the teachers in the high school.

Now months later, the heat has gone out the issue. It is off the front pages and out of the local and national media. There has been progress. The teachers, all of who had been fired, will be rehired if they desire this fall. The union has accepted the conditions initially proposed by the Superintendent and School Board.

        In a recent article, Making Decisions Together: The Rebirth of Central Falls High School,,  appearing in EdWeek , Dr. Deborah A. Gist outlines the current situation and the conditions that have been agreed upon by the union and the school district. It is fair to say today that the STUDENTS are going to be the winners. Those of you who have been following this debate,  I strongly  recommend the article.

         Students are winners again as a result of the State coming up with a new funding formula for local schools which places the student ahead of the bureaucracy. State money will follow the students.

         The Rhode Island General Assembly, which is frequently the target of my criticism, deserves credit for their recent passage of a new state funding formula for the state schools districts and charter schools. According to the Providence Journal.

"The new formula links state aid to the current number of students enrolled and adds money for low-income students, many of whom have additional educational needs that the additional aid is intended to address."

         Now if only the GA would recognize that these students will need a place to go after graduation. Technical training for jobs and a more effectively and efficiently funding the State's higher education institutions might help provide them with the options they and we taxpayers deserve.

         From the economic development and employment perspective, this would generate the trained and educated labor force which  will attract industry to the state. And from tax payer perspective it might help to retain the intellectual capital and investment we are making in our schools. More jobs means more opportunity for student. More jobs mean more tax paying citizens. More tax paying citizens should means a lower burdens for everyone while increasing the State's ability to solve its fiscal crisis.