News Features

The upside of hope in Rhode Island

Nine individuals who are bullish and optimistic amid the state's current tough times

By IAN DONNIS | January 29, 2009

Everywhere one turns these days, there's seemingly more bad news about Rhode Island: the unemployment rate, one of the highest in the nation, tops 10 percent — and the state's running out of unemployment assistance. Mired in persistent budget deficits, gripped by an entrenched political culture, and weakened by a perennial shortage of good jobs, the Ocean State not uncommonly seems incapable of getting out of its own way.

Yet this grim litany doesn't tell the whole story. Even in the current tough times, any number of Rhode Islanders, mindful of the state motto (Hope), its rich history, and its assets, can envision a better day — and some of them are trying to bring it about.

Pragmatic in their assessment, these individuals recognize that the state must utilize new approaches and overcome significant hurdles, not the least of which is shaking the change-averse status quo. The current moment is vital, since elected officials and other leaders must focus not just on the short-term, but on setting the state on a course for long-term success.

These caveats notwithstanding, here's a look at nine Rhode Islanders who maintain optimism and hope for the state's future.

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An angry electorate? Eh, whatever
Whither the rage? Rhode Island's Great Recession — greater, even, than the national model — was supposed to conjure a once-in-a-generation anti-incumbent fever. But so far, it's looking more like a modest headache.
Indentured servitude and other keys to the Rhode Island recovery
Despite the continual awarding of tax breaks to various upper-income types, we Rhode Islanders are told our business climate is still near bottom. So I make these seven modest suggestions for addressing the problem.
Rhode Island's ticking time bomb
This is a story about the pension crisis that's tearing apart Providence and Central Falls and just might lay waste to the whole goddamn state.
More

An angry electorate? Eh, whatever
Whither the rage? Rhode Island's Great Recession — greater, even, than the national model — was supposed to conjure a once-in-a-generation anti-incumbent fever. But so far, it's looking more like a modest headache.
Indentured servitude and other keys to the Rhode Island recovery
Despite the continual awarding of tax breaks to various upper-income types, we Rhode Islanders are told our business climate is still near bottom. So I make these seven modest suggestions for addressing the problem.
Rhode Island's ticking time bomb
This is a story about the pension crisis that's tearing apart Providence and Central Falls and just might lay waste to the whole goddamn state.
Chafee’s number
This week, we continue with a running feature, the Gubernatorial Scorecard. Every so often, we'll rate Lincoln Chafee from 1 to 10 on both the politics and substance of his most recent maneuverings.
Is Rhode Island a paywall mecca?
Media analysts say Rhode Island could be especially fertile ground for a declining newspaper industry's primary survival strategy — charging readers for access to its heretofore free web sites.
Review: Café Zelda
Café Zelda is one of those places that feels elegant but homey; luxurious but not pretentious.
Rewriting the history of capitalism
Brown University president Ruth Simmons has made it hard to ignore the school's ties to slavery — and by extension, the ties of well-known Providence families.
Etips and the history of Rhode Island graffiti
I meet Etips — at 30, an elder statesman in Rhode Island's graffiti scene — in front of Mill's Tavern on North Main Street in Providence.
Dirty 'work'
When I saw your " Out of Work " article (March 11), with its huge, awesome photograph and a title and subject I could relate to, I immediately picked up the paper.
Review: The Fish Market
The first encouraging sign was that the two men greeting us beaming broadly were the host and, we later learned, the executive chef. These guys were clearly happy. Business must be doing well.
The uncertain future of Rhode Island media
The endless, anguished debate over how to deliver local news in the Age of the Internet has not reached anything like a satisfying conclusion.
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