Deputy Dan Rides Again!

Watch out for Dan Slattery’s new posse

By Will Collette

Based on his conduct throughout 2011, I am betting that CCA-sponsored Town Council Vice-President “Deputy Dan” Slattery has launched – or will do so shortly – an investigation into Charlestown residents who receive tax breaks under current town tax exemptions and who may be delinquent on their taxes. This, despite his failure to gain Town Council approval for the probe.

I don’t think he can help himself.

At the January 9 Town Council meeting, Deputy Dan argued strenuously that the town set up a select task force that he would head to look into who gets town tax breaks – and whether they deserve them. They would also investigate who has fallen behind on their taxes, and why. Of course, Deputy Dan would lead that posse.

Belated video for National Squirrel Appreciation Day

I see this sort of thing on my deck every day

By Will Collette

Some great video follows in our continuing appreciation of squirrels....

I'm even going to try to come up with a headline for this one

Bed Bug Man

By Tom Tomorrow


For the entire cartoon, click here.

New information on Rep. Watson's drug arrest in South Kingstown

Connecticut reviewed Watson arrest to decide if he violated bail terms - decide not to add new charges



Watson's new mug shot

By Will Collette

LATE, LATE UPDATE: now the ProJo reports that Connecticut won't pile on and add new charges against Watson for violating the terms of his bail. For now.

LATE UPDATE: The Providence Journal reports that the Connecticut State's Attorney's Office is reviewing Watson arrest yesterday on drug charges. Watson is free on a $500 bond from his arrest last spring in East Haven, CT. This new arrest may violate the terms and conditions of his CT release. Connecticut authorities could increase his bond, order weekly drug tests or take other steps, according to Watson's attorney.

UPDATED: GoLocalProv reports that in addition to a bag of weed and a pipe, Watson also had an open beer. WJAR reports that Watson has checked himself into rehab.

WPRO reports that when police stopped Watson, he offered this articulate explanation:
“Do you know who I am? I’m the E.G. Rep....F*** You, whatever, whatever, whatever, whatever, whatever, F*** you....”and, as he was being arrested, " “Shut up. You got your guy!”

Several sources report that the state Republican leadership are standing by Watson and NOT calling for his resignation. Of course, after his arrest last year on drug charges in the Connecticut, the initial public reaction from his GOP colleagues was their full support. The next day, they kicked him to the curb, removing him as Minority Leader.

* * * *

The Providence Journal just reported that former Republican Minority Leader State Representative Robert Watson was arrested early this morning in South Kingstown. A snow plow driver called police just before midnight to report an erratic driver.

Planning Commission documents missing key pages - RESTORED

Many Pages referenced in "Eleven Reasons" omitted from PC on-line document - now restored

By Will Collette

UPDATE: Mary Goff in our Town Planner's Office responded quickly to my call and got Clerkbase to restore the missing pages. You can now see the complete documents by clicking here.

Good job, Mary!

In my article, "Now there are ELEVEN reasons why the YMCA camp is a bad deal....," I make a number of references to the actual RIDEM grant application written by Planning Commissar Ruth Platner and submitted by the Charlestown Land Trust. That application is supposed to be accessible on-line here.

However, that version is was missing every other page, and this includes quite a few essential details. You'll see what I mean at the end of this article.

I have contacted Town Hall and they are trying to figure out how to correct this problem. In the meantime, you will have trouble finding the full document.

One of the most important  pages that had been missing is page two. This page summarized for RIDEM how the financing for the purchase of the YMCA Camp will be accomplished.

NEW: Now there are ELEVEN reasons why the YMCA Camp is a bad deal for Charlestown Taxpayers.

Conservation Commission gives the YMCA Camp an “F” for flunking as open space

By Will Collette

READ: Ten reasons why the Y Camp Deal is a BAD deal for Charlestown taxpayers

The Charlestown Conservation Commission met in a special session on January 8 and voted to give the Town Council a negative Advisory Opinion on the proposed taxpayer purchase of the busted out YMCA Camp on Watchaug Pond. As readers will recall, this land purchase is currently being railroaded through the Town Council with Planning Commissar Ruth Platner at the engineer’s switch.

Using ten standard scoring criteria to evaluate whether a property is desirable open space, the Conservation Commission gave the proposal only 11 points out of a potential 30. That’s a score of 37% or “F.”

Conservation Commission members walked the site and examined it carefully. They found the site to be very different from the way it is portrayed in the Charlestown Land Trust literature as well as in the proposal to RIDEM that set up the potential for a $367,000 grant from the state. And they determined that the Y Camp is a very bad investment for town taxpayer dollars.

Just in time for the Super Bowl

Japanese video game developer SEGA has created a video game console called the “Toylet,” in which the strength and accuracy of a man's urine stream are used to control the game, Reuters reported on Thursday. The Toylet comes with a pressure sensor and an LCD screen, which is mounted on the wall just above the urinal so that players can choose their games and check their scores.

I'm not making this up. I couldn't if I tried. Only in Japan.

SEGA has developed four games so far. “Graffiti Eraser” allows players to remove paint by pointing a virtual hose in different directions. In “The Northern Wind, The Sun and Me,” the player is the wind trying to blow a girl’s skirt up; the stronger the urine stream, the harder the wind will blow.

On completion of each game, players can download their scores to a memory stick to compare them with their friends. The console also calculates the total urine volume, so if you ever wanted to be able to have bragging rights among your friends, this is your chance. The Toylet is currently only available in Japan, but SEGA plans to launch it worldwide later this year.

See the video after the jump.

Deepwater Wind moving

Deepwater Wind Farm Slowly Pushes Ahead

By TIM FAULKNER/ ecoRI.org News staff

The Deepwater Wind project cleared some major hurdles in 2011. The offshore wind farmer had its controversial electricity purchase deal with National Grid upheld in state Supreme Court. The state Public Utilities Commission also brushed aside an appeal of the price agreement in November.

This year, Deepwater Wind has dozens more permits and approvals to secure before beginning construction on the five-turbine, 30-megawatt wind farm off Block Island. If completed by 2013 or 2014, it would likely be the first water-based wind project in the United States.

Ohio Earthquakes Underscore Fracking Dangers

Unless the industry finds some way to safely dispose of the waste caused by fracking, the entire method is a non-starter.

By Andrew Korfhage

Add yet another new concern to the growing list of reasons to oppose hyraudlic fracturing, the natural-gas extraction process known as "fracking": Earthquakes.

That's right, following a New Year's Eve earthquake in Youngstown, Ohio — the town's eleventh since D&L Energy began injecting drilling waste underground in December 2010 — state leaders put a hold on proposals for new natural-gas extraction wells within a five-mile radius.

To get you psyched up for the Patriots-Ravens game

Big Woof!


How 'bout them INCREDIBLY lucky Pats!


See video....

What I'm Giving Up in 2012

Big money makes writing about climate change action and gun control a lost cause.

By Donald Kaul

I generally make New Year's resolutions in hopes of becoming a better person — more disciplined, healthier, or, at the very least, less pathetic. Some of these resolutions last until nightfall. Some don't. None ever sees February.

This year, I'm taking a different approach. I'm going to concentrate on giving up things. Not things like smoking — been there, done that. I mean giving up on ideas I have pursued through the years into one blind alley after another.

We're No. 27!

Being at the bottom of the heap in terms of social justice confirms the reality of both economic and political inequality that the Occupy movement is protesting.

By Jim Hightower

"USA: We're No. 1!"

Oh, wait — Iceland is No. 1. But we did beat out Poland and Slovakia, right? Uh...no. But go on down the rankings and there we are! No. 27, fifth from the bottom. So our new national chant is, "USA: At Least We're Not Last!"

A foundation in Germany has analyzed the social justice records of all 31 members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), ranking each nation in such categories as health care, income inequality, pre-school education, and child poverty. 

Charlestown makes the Top Ten

But it’s a dubious distinction

By Will Collette

One possible explanation for RI-CAN’s spike in people seeking help could be found in the latest unemployment figures. As previously reported, Charlestown’s principle food aid agency has been overwhelmed with demand from needy families.

Charlestown is now in the Top Ten among RI’s 39 cities and towns for unemployment. At 10.3%, Charlestown ranks behind, in order, Central Falls, Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, West Warwick, East Providence, Newport, Cranston and Johnston. 

CCA-anointed Town Council Vice-President Dan Slattery may think that Charlestown is one of the state’s wealthiest communities (at #20 out of 39, it’s not), so I suppose the news that Charlestown’s jobless ranks right up there with Johnston and Cranston will probably come as a shock.

Legislators start filing bills

This Week at the General Assembly

By Brian Hull on January 20, 2012 http://www.rifuture.org/this-week-at-the-general-assembly.html

A highlight and discussion of some of the notable pieces of legislation going through the General Assembly this week.

Education aid advance bill passes Assembly, becomes law - The General Assembly approved and the governor signed legislation requested by the East Providence Budget Commission to allow the city to receive its state education aid early to prevent it from running out of cash this week. The legislation (2012-H 7052, 2012-S 2016) was sponsored by the chairmen of the House and Senate Finance Committees, Rep. Helio Melo (D-Dist. 64, East Providence) and Sen. Daniel Da Ponte (D-Dist. 14, East Providence, Pawtucket).  Strange how the state is required to pass emergency legislation releasing education funds early to the city of East Providence after cutting education funding and aid to cities and towns by about $200 million over the past 5 years.

Uncle Sam Is Sheltering the SWAG Economy

Silver, wine, art, and gold are scarce, transportable, and long-lasting physical assets that make handy tax shelters.

By Sam Pizzigati

The wealthiest Americans — and deep pockets everywhere else — are spending epic sums on artwork.

Christie's and Sotheby's, the two big fine art auction houses, are reporting a 35-percent increase in the prices paid for Picassos and other blue-chippers over the past 12 months. The Artprice Global Index, a broader tally of the prices works of fine art are fetching, has art values up 120 percent over the last decade.

What's driving the new uber-rich passion for fine art?