Two new types of help for Rhode Islanders in need

Replacing food lost during Nemo, helping the unemployed start their own businesses

By Will Collette

Charlestown’s unemployment rate remains high at 9.7%, which translates into 451 Charlestown workers who are out of work and actively seeking work.

Charlestown also has several hundred families who receive Supplemental Nutritional Assistance (formerly known as Food Stamps). 217 of them are children.

There are a couple of new developments that can help.

Charter Chatter

A world where everyone is “special”

By Will Collette

NOTE: there's a second Council meeting this month - Monday, Feb 25th. Charter schools will be one of the main topics.

At the February 12 Town Council meeting, the Chariho School District appeared on the agenda several times in various forms. At the beginning of the meeting, Town Council Boss Tom Gentz (CCA) announced that because Chariho Superintendent Barry Ricci couldn’t attend that night’s meeting, the Chariho agenda items would be postponed to the second half of the Council’s February meeting which will be held on February 25^th[1].

One of the postponed Chariho items was a continuation of last month’s surreal discussion of the relationship of Chariho to Charter Schools. That item was also “continued” to the February 25^th meeting so that Superintendent Ricci could be part of it, as well as a representative of the state charter school association.

But despite the early decision to “continue” these issues to the February 25^th meeting, Gentz – ever the nimble and competent meeting chair – allowed extended discussion on these subjects anyway. I guess Gentz subscribes to the philosophy that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.

It's the message

Our Moral

By Tim Eagan

Once upon a time, click here.

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Infrared Orion from WISE 

From NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day

The Great Nebula in Orion is a intriguing place. Visible to the unaided eye, it appears as a small fuzzy patch in the constellation of Orion.

But this image, an illusory-color composite of four colors of infrared light taken with the Earth orbiting WISE observatory, shows the Orion Nebula to be a bustling neighborhood or recently formed stars, hot gas, and dark dust.

The power behind much of the Orion Nebula (M42) is the stars of the Trapezium star cluster, seen near the center of the above wide field image. The eerie green glow surrounding the bright stars pictured here is their own starlight reflected by intricate dust filaments that cover much of the region.

The current Orion Nebula cloud complex, which includes the Horsehead Nebula, will slowly disperse over the next 100,000 years.

Bulwark of Ignorance

Republicans are calling for a "compromise" as they gear up for another knock-down-drag-out fight.

By Donald Kaul

The other day, House Speaker John Boehner accused Barack Obama of being mean to the Republican Party. Our president, he said, was trying to “annihilate” the party and “shove us into the dustbin of history.”

Would that it were so. If ever a political party needed annihilation, it’s the current Republican model.

Having lost the November presidential election handily — by some five million votes — the GOP suffered a moment of self-doubt. At a meeting of Republicans later that month, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, one of the rising stars of the party, called for Republicans to “stop being the stupid party.”

Retail Injustice

Most big retail chains treat their employees as nothing but a drain on profits.

By Jim Hightower

One of the few retailers that treats workers right

The Powers That Be say the bulk of America’s middle-class manufacturing jobs are gone and aren’t coming back. High-tech jobs are being outsourced, as is an increasing share of the work historically handled by our accountants, lawyers, and some other professionals.

Retail jobs at brick-and-mortar shops, however, can’t be exported.

But wait, those aren’t jobs, they’re “jobettes.” They’re part-time, pay poverty wages, offer no benefits, feature lousy schedules, come with little training, and boast few advancement opportunities.

Most big retail chains treat their employees as nothing but a drain on profits rather than an asset worth investing in. Sales people are typically paid only $10 an hour, clerks get only $9.70, and cashiers just $9. 

Once again, what really motivates people to move

New York Times Calls Foul On ‘Flight Of Earls’ Myth

By Bob Plain in RIFuture.org

Can we finally put to rest the false idea that the rich will leave Rhode Island if the state raises taxes? The Earls aren’t fleeing the Ocean State, they flock here. We’ve got the best beaches and we treat our rich like they are royalty.

And even if we only had the best beaches, the New York Times this weekend threw more cold water on the tired old talking point that there will be a wealth exodus if we make the affluent pay their fair share.

It’s an article of faith among low-tax advocates that income tax increases aimed at the rich simply drive them away … That, at least, is what low-tax advocates want us to think, and on its face, it seems to make sense. But it’s not the case. It turns out that a large majority of people move for far more compelling reasons, like jobs, the cost of housing, family ties or a warmer climate. At least three recent academic studies have demonstrated that the number of people who move for tax reasons is negligible, even among the wealthy.

Carcieri Fix introduced in the House

The new Congress starts over on hot-button issue for Charlestown

Here comes the CCA posse!

By Will Collette

Get ready to hear bugles blasting all over town as the Charlestown Citizens Alliance sounds the alert that the Narragansetts are about to get approval to build a casino in Charlestown.

That’s because, once again, there is new legislation before the US Congress to reverse the negative effects that the 2009 US Supreme Court decision, Carcieri v. Salazar, had on more than 500 Native American nations across the US.

Further, Larry LeBlanc's recent land deal may make the CCA's case of agita even worse.

You can't win if you don't play...

Astronomy Picture of the Day

N11: Star Clouds of the LMC 

From NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day

Massive stars, abrasive winds, mountains of dust, and energetic light sculpt one of the largest and most picturesque regions of star formation in the Local Group of Galaxies.

Known as N11, the region is visible on the upper right of many images of its home galaxy, the Milky Way neighbor known as the Large Magellanic Clouds (LMC).

The image was taken for scientific purposes by the Hubble Space Telescope and reprocessed for artistry by an amateur to win the Hubble's Hidden Treasures competition.

Although the section imaged above is known as NGC 1763, the entire N11 emission nebula is second in LMC size only to 30 Doradus. Studying the stars in N11 has shown that it actually houses three successive generations of star formation.

Compact globules of dark dust housing emerging young stars are also visible around the image.

Meet the fishes

Marine Center Shows You What Swims In Our Water

By FRANK CARINI/ecoRI.org News staff

NORTH KINGSTOWN — Mark Hall could sit for hours in front of the Mangrove Tank that greets visitors when they enter his Biomes Marine Biology Center, except he’s much too busy caring for the 2,500 animals whose popularity keeps the educational center open seven days a week.

The 600-gallon tank filled with northern puffers, winter flounder, pompanos, striped mullets, spider crabs and tautog, among other species listed on a four-page laminated catalog, is the signature exhibit in this tranquil oasis on Post Road. The tank and its entire system were donated to the center by Roger Williams University, which had received the display years ago from the New England Aquarium in Boston.

Red Brain, Blue Brain

Republicans and Democrats Process Risk Differently, Research Finds

ScienceDaily.com

A team of political scientists and neuroscientists has shown that liberals and conservatives use different parts of the brain when they make risky decisions, and these regions can be used to predict which political party a person prefers. 

The new study suggests that while genetics or parental influence may play a significant role, being a Republican or Democrat changes how the brain functions.

Tina Jackson does it again

The “savior” of Charlestown Republicans screws up her own organization – for the second time

Tina Jackson (left) claims to be the fishermen's friend...but keeps
mismanaging their organization

By Will Collette

For the second time, failed Republican candidate for state Representative (District 36) Tina Jackson has had the corporate charter of her lobbying organization revoked by the Secretary of State. Click here.

Jackson was hand-picked by out-going state GOP chair Mark Zacarria to run against incumbent Rep. Donna Walsh (D). Jackson’s campaign blew up after the Westerly Sun revealed Jackson has a long criminal record, arrested multiple times for DUI, passed forged prescriptions for narcotics, assault and battery, passing bad checks, etc. Jackson was beaten two to one by Donna in the general election.

Zero tolerance or ridiculous over-reaction?

Imaginary Violence

By Matt Bors

Get real by clicking here.

Cap trash

Recycling Guide to Caps, Lids and Tops

By KEVIN PROFT/ecoRI.org News staff

For recycling enthusiasts, the recyclability of container caps, lids and tops can offer hours of stimulating conversation. For everyone else, the question of whether to recycle these small items is just plain annoying. Regardless of how you categorize yourself, the information below should boost your recycling IQ.

Plastic caps from plastic containers. Plastic containers usually come with a plastic top. Contrary to popular belief, the plastic cap can be recycled as long as it’s reattached to the plastic container from which it came. Examples: water bottle, peanut butter jar, Dunkin’ Donuts iced-coffee cup and sour cream container.