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Reading the op-ed pagesofacertainlocalnewspaper,one might gain the impres-sionthattheconstitutional-ityofthecontestedpensionreformlawisallbutassured–thatastatelegislaturehasthefreedom to undo what it isdone,evenwhenitcomestoretirement benefits for stateemployees.

Buttheconstitutionalityofthelawisfarfromcer-tain,saysaprofessorattheRogerWilliamsUniversitySchoolofLaw. “Mybiggestpoint is thatnobodyseemstobe tak-ingtheseargumentsseriously.Theseblanketassertionsoflegislativeauthorityglossover…someseriousandrealissues,”saidMichaelYelnosky,theDistinguishedServiceProfessorofLawatRogerWilliams,inanex-clusiveinterviewwithCommonGround. At issue is whether state retirement benefits are a

contract,andthereforesubjecttoconstitutionallimitsonhowmuchchange,ifany,canbemadetotheorigi-nalbenefitsthatwerepromisedtotensofthousandsofpast andpresent retirees–orwhether thebenefits ap-provedbythelegislaturearejustlikeanotherlegislativeactthatcanbeundoneasquicklyasitwaspassed.A real test of legislative authority That question gains added weight given the ap-proachtheGeneralAssemblytook–stoppingnotonlyatmodifications tobenefits for existingworkers,butgoingtheextrastepofreducingbenefitsforthosewhoarealreadyretired.ThattookOceanStatelawmakersintowhatisstillrelativelyunchartedlegalwaters,ac-cordingtoYelnosky. “Thisisarealtestofthelegislature’sauthority,”Yel-noskysaid. “Adjustingpensions forpeoplewhoare still in thesystem is one thing,” he added. “Taking money outof people’s pockets that was promised to them afterthey’vealreadyhelduptheirendof thebargainmay

legallybeanotherthing.” Asaresult,hesaystherewasa“realelementofrisk”indecidingtogoasfarastheGeneralAssemblydid. In fact, a Superior Court judge has already ruledthat current workers and retirees have a contractualrighttotheirpensions.Thedecisionaffectsapreviouslawsuit unions brought against pension changes thatwerepassedin2009and2010–changesthatwerefarless sweeping than those in the most recent pensionreformlaw. Thelegalreasoningbehindthatrulingisbeingbol-steredbyothercourtsaroundthecountry.LastNovem-ber,aColoradostatecourtruledthatcostoflivingad-justments(COLAs),couldbeconsideredpartofastate’scontractwithitsemployees,accordingtoYelnosky. Even last month’s Florida Supreme Court rulinglends some weight to the pro-contract position. Al-thoughthecourtruledthatbenefitscanbealteredforemployees,Yelnoskynotesthatitwasanarrowsplitde-cision,withthreedissentersagainsttherulingmajority See Pension cont. on page 3

Constitutionality of pension law in questionBy Common Ground staff

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Common Ground FEBRUARY 2013

CommonGround, Inc.

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Another year has passed, andmanyofuslamenthowquicklytheyear seemed to fly by.That’s whyit’sagoodideatogetinformednowabout what lies ahead when keypartsofthefederalhealthcarelawtakeeffectinourstate–andaroundthe country–in 2014. Most im-portantly, therewillbe anewwayfor individuals, families,andsmallbusinesses to get health insurancefrom an online marketplace, orwhat’sbeingcalleda“HealthBen-efitsExchange.” Whileourstateisaheadofmuchofthecountryinbuildingitsmar-ketplace,therearestepsthatRhodeIslandersshouldtakeintheimpor-tantcountdown,firsttoOctober1,2013,andthentoJanuary1,2014.October 1 is the date when openenrollment begins, and Rhode Is-landerswill be able tobrowse op-tions,compareandpurchasehealthinsurance–and receivefinancial as-sistancetomakecoveragemoreaf-fordable–iftheyareeligible.OntoJanuary 1, health insurance cover-agebecomeseffectiveforthoseen-rolledandbeginsanewchapterinourstateofexpandedaccesstocov-erage for Rhode Islanders. Thosewho could not previously affordcoverage, who lost their insuranceduetounemployment,orwhohadbeenpricedoutofthemarketplacebecauseofapre-existingconditionwillnowhaveaccessundertheAf-fordableCareAct.

there are 7 things you can do to get ready now.

1. Learnabouttheoptionsavail-able to you. There are dif-ferent types of insurance forjob-based, public, and private

coverage. These options havealready expanded under theAffordable Care Act, and willcontinuetogrowin2014andbeyond.Intheonlinemarket-place,you’llbeabletochoosea plan that offers the rightbalanceofcostsandcoverage.

2. Make a list of questions youhavebeforeit’stimetochooseyour health plan. For ex-ample, “Can I stay with mycurrent doctor?” If you don’thave a primary doctor, nowis the time to shop aroundby getting a referral from afamily member or friend.

3. Inform yourself of how insur-ance works, including deduct-ibles,out-of-pocketmaximums,copayments, etc. You’ll wantto consider these details whencomparing plans. Visit Insur-anceBasicstolearnmoreabouthow insurance works: www.healthcare.gov/using-insurance.

4. Start gathering basic infor-mation about your house-hold income. Many peoplewill qualify to get a breakon costs, and you’ll need in-come information tofindouthow much you’re eligible for.

5. Set your budget. There willbe different types of healthplans to meet a variety ofneedsandbudgets,andbreak-ing them down by cost canhelp narrow your choices.

6. Findout fromyour employerwhether they plan to offerhealth insurance, especially ifyouworkforasmallbusiness.

7. Explore current options. Youmay be able to get help withinsurance now, through exist-ing programs or changes thatare in effect already from thenewhealthcarelaw.Usetheseresources to get informationabout health insurance foradultsuptoage26,childreninfamilies with limited incomes(CHIP), and Medicare forpeoplewhoareover65orhavedisabilities: www.healthcare.gov/law/information-for-you

8. If you’re a small business, theonlinemarketplaceisdesignedtohelpyoufindhealth insur-ancethatfitsyoursmallbusi-nessandisrightforyourem-ployees. Find a checklist forsmall businesses here: www.healthcare.gov/marketplace.

Seewww.healthcare.govformorein-depth answers to the pointsabove. You can learn more aboutthe RI Health Benefits Exchangeon the Governor’s Web site here:www.governor.ri.gov/healthcare.

Affordable health coverage: Countdown to 2014 By Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts

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Pensions cont. from page 1offourjustices.“Itwouldn’ttakeacrazyjudge to say these [benefits]have somecontractualstatus,”hesaid.

Severity of reductions has legal conse-quences Asecondkeyquestionrevolvesaroundthe severity of the reduction containedinthepensionlaw–somethingthecourtwill have to consider, if it determinesthat the benefits were contractual. Yel-noskyhimselfroughlyestimatesthatthereductionamountstoatotal25percentlossinretirementcompensation. Hequestionstheprincipleof fairnessadvocated by General Treasurer GinaRaimondo, who justified some of thecutsonanallegedneedtomakesurethefiscalpainwassharedbyall. Theproblemisherapproachmaynotbe a “perfectly legal way” of thinkingabout fairness, according to Yelnosky.SuspendingCOLAs, he said,maypose

moreofalegalproblemthanraisingthenumberofyearsofserviceneededforre-tirementormovingtoadefinedcontri-butionplanforcurrentworkers.

Was it all necessary? Foropponentsof thepension reformlaw, there is one last legal hurdle theymustclear inordertowintheircase incourt.First,theyhavetoprovethattheretirement benefits were contractual.Next,theymustsecurearulingfromthecourt that the benefit reductions wereindeed severe. After that, they need toshow that the state had no legitimatebasis–asoutlinedincaselaw–fortakingsuchdramaticaction. Thestate,foritspart,mustshowthatthecutswerejustified,accordingtoYel-nosky. Atthatpoint,thestatewouldn’thaveterribly too much room to maneuver,given the constitutional restrictions onchanges to contracts. “The Contract

Clause does have some bite,” Yelnoskysaid, referring specifically to provisionsintheU.S.Constitution. Thestatemustthendemonstratethatthereductionswerereasonableandnec-essarytocarryoutapublicpurpose.Spe-cifically,itmustarguethatamoremod-eratereductionwouldn’thaveservedthatsamepurpose,accordingtoYelnosky. The U.S. Supreme Court set the barprettyhighonthisissueina1978case.Inthatinstance,thestatesofNewYorkand New Jersey were attempting to re-vokestatutoryprotectionstobondhold-ersbecausetheywantedtodirectmoneyto alternative forms of transportation.Thehighcourtendeduprulingagainstthe states, noting that states could bemotivatedtocutcontractualbenefitssotheywouldhave extramoney to spendwithoutraisingtaxes.(Thecaseinques-tionis:UnitedStatesTrustCompanyofNewYorkv.NewJersey.” (The above three legal tests–were the

benefits contractual? was the reductionsubstantial?and,wasitnecessarytocar-ry out public purpose?–are spelled outin various case law. A local example is:RetiredAdjustProfessorsoftheStateofRhodeIslandv.LincolnC.Almond.”

the case for negotiation Inhis interview,Yelnoskywascarefultosayhedidnothaveadefinitiveopin-iononwhetherthepensionreformlawis, in fact, unconstitutional. His mainpointisthatitcouldbe–andthereinliestherub:isitworthitforthestatetopressits case in court, knowing the risks, orwoulditbebettertonegotiate,asaSu-perior Court judge has already orderedthestatetodo? “Ifthere’snoexposure–ifthestaterunszerorisk in litigating this,byallmeanslitigate,”Yelnoskysaid.


Governor Chafee’s proposed $8.2 billion statebudgetfornextyearincludeskeyinvestmentsinedu-cation, transportation infrastructure, and workforcedevelopmentwithoutraisingtaxesandfeesormakinganycutsinlocalaid. “We have avoided tax increases and are loweringthe corporate rate throughbothgoodfiscalmanage-ment and a strengthening economy,” Chafee said inhis budget address before the General Assembly lastmonth.“Aswemoveforward,itisimportanttokeepinvesting inthebuildingblocksof thisprogress–thatis, investing in education, infrastructure, and work-forcedevelopment.”

union leaders respond to budget Chafee’s budget plan–submitted earlier than anyother Governor’s in recent memory–has largely re-ceivedpositivereviewsfromstatelaborleaders. “It’sagoodstartingpoint,”saidBobWalsh,execu-tive director of the Rhode Island NEA. He said theunionisinagreementwiththeGovernoronhisthreekeypriorities:education,infrastructure,andworkforcedevelopment. “There are issues we will continue toworkon,”headded,pointingtofundingforthedevel-opmentallydisabled. “Ithinkit’sfair,”saidJoeBairos,thesecretaryandtreasurerforTeamstersLocal251.“Idon’tthinkit’sabadproposalatallconsideringwhatwe’vefacedoverthelastcoupleofyears.Ithinkhe’sdoingaprettygoodjob.”

the budget in a nutshell Chafee’s budget plan included the following key pieces:

• Funding the education formula: Chafee prom-ised to continue to fully fund the local educa-tion aid formula the state adopted in 2010.

For this year, that comes out to $30.3 mil-lion in added state aid to schools. In addi-tion, his budget contains more than $14 mil-lion for repairs to the state vocational schools.

• Higher education: The Governor called for notuition increases in fall 2013 at CCRI, RhodeIsland College, and the University of Rhode Is-land.Tohelpinthateffort,hepledgeda$6mil-lion increase in state spendingonhigher educa-tion.Butthataddedfundingcameonaconditionand with a challenge: “However, the leadershipof these institutions must meet me halfway,”Chafee said. “If they can achieve $6 million intotal savings and efficiencies, coupled with my$6 million in additional funding, we can guar-antee the students of these schools no tuitionincrease next year.” In all, his budget makes a$115millioninvestmentineducationoverthreeyears, fromkindergartentocollege,Chafeesaid.

• transportation infrastructure: Chafee tout-ed the state’s transition towards pay-as-you-gofunding for transportation maintenance, re-pairs, and upgrades–a change that he says ismore financially sustainable and ensures tax-payer funds go directly to road work, ratherthanpayingoffolddebts.Inhisbudget,Chafeepromisedto“advance”over$11millioninfund-ing for shovel-ready transportation projects.

• Workforcedevelopment:UnderChafee’splanthestate would bump up its support for workforcedevelopment initiatives by $3 million. Whilethe state is certainly still battling a high unem-ployment rate, Chafee took a forward-lookingapproach to the issue, saying workforce devel-

opment programs are needed to help Rhode Is-landers prepare for the economy of the future.

• Nonewtaxes:Inadeparturefromhispastbud-gets,Chafeeabandonedanyeffortstohiketaxes,declaringthathisbudget“containsnoincreaseintaxes,fees,orchargesofanykind.”Notonlyaretherenonewtaxes,butChafeealsoproposedare-ductionofthestatecorporatetax,from9percentto7percent.Thereductionwouldbephasedinoverathree-yearperiodandbringRhodeIslandbelowits neighbors, according to Chafee–a move thattaxpayerandbusinessadvocateshavesaidwillhelpthestatebecomemoreeconomicallycompetitive.

• Property tax relief: This budget boosts localaid to the tune of $30 million, which Chafeesaidwason topof the$41million in local aidinhis twopreviousbudgets.TheGovernorsaidtheaddedfundingismeantforpropertytaxre-lief.The money breaks down into $20 millionforstatewidemunicipalaid,particularlytargetedtowards fiscally stressed cities and towns, and$10millioninRICAPfundsforlocalstreetsand“streetscapes.”

no quick fixes to economic development Chafee’s budget would advance two key areas ofeconomicdevelopment,theso-calledKnowledgeDis-trict in downtown Providence and the state tourismindustry. InProvidence,hewantstoallocate$500,000moretowards the Interstate 195 Redevelopment Commis-sion.“Youhaveheardmetalkbeforeabouttheimpor-tanceof themedical, research, and educationfields–the‘medsandeds,’”Chafeesaid.“Wemustcontinue See Budget cont. on page 5

Chafee budget plan makes key investmentsBy Common Ground staff


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Budget cont. from page 4 to focus on these assets to grow oureconomyandcreatejobs.” The Governor also is eyeing assis-tancetothestatetourismandhospital-ityindustry,withanadded$600,000inhisbudget for the state’s tourismmar-ketingoperations. Chafee also warned against quickfixesfortheeconomy,inanobliqueref-erence to the38Studiosdisaster:“Myhope is that you all will be skepticalandwaryofdeviatingfromthesteady,methodicalconstructionofaRhodeIs-land economy built for today and forthefuture.Wetriedthe‘getrichquick’approach by giving $75 million to aretired baseball player with zero busi-nessexperience.Wecannotmakesuchpanic-drivendecisionsagain.”

An optimistic outlook Repeatedly throughout his address,Chafeestruckanoptimistictoneashereflectedonhistimeinhisofficesofarandtheoutlookforthestate’sfuture. Henotedthatwhenhetookoffice,a number of cities and towns, led byCentralFalls,wereteeteringtowardsfi-nancialcollapse, the statedeficit stoodatnearly$300million,andtheunem-ploymentratehadhit11.4percent. Twoyearslater,hesaidCentralFallshas become a national model for howto recover from bankruptcy and thestate has actually seen surpluses. Asfor the unemployment, progress therehas been grudgingly slower–but it hasbeen progress nonetheless, accordingtoChafee.“Ittakestimeforthesuntobreakthrough,butitis.Twoyearslater,

unemployment isheading in the rightdirection–still unacceptably high, butimproving,”hesaid. He also took aim at the seeminglynever-ending stream of national stud-ies showing Rhode Island ranking atthebottominvariousbusinessandeco-nomiccategories.“Iamgenerallyskep-ticalofthemyriadrankingsandreportsthatplaceRhodeIslandatthebottomofthebarrelintermsofbusinessclimate.Manyofthemfailtotakeintoaccountimportant factors, and many compareapplestooranges,”Chafeesaid. HecitedaDepartmentofRevenuereport that he said put Rhode Island26thinthenationintermsofitsstatetaxburdenonbusinesses.“We’reinthemiddlenationallywithoursalesandin-cometaxes,”Chafee said. (But,by the

sametoken,hesaidthestateis41stintermsofitslocalpropertytaxburdenonbusinesses, which is why he increasedlocalaidinhisbudget.) ChafeealsoexpressedhopethattheMayrevenuenumberswouldallowtheGeneral Assembly to “undo” some ofthe difficult decisions it has made onpast cuts: “Eachbudget bringswith itdifficultdecisions,”Chafeesaid.“Thathasbeenthecaseonceagain thisyear,as we worked to close the deficit. Butit is my hope, as in years past, that iftheMaynumbersuponwhichyou,theGeneralAssembly,willbaseyourbud-get,comeinstrongerthanthenumbersonwhichIbasemine,youwillbeabletoundosomeofthesetoughchoices.”


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This year promises tobebetterthanthelastonefor the construction andbuilding trades, a state la-borleadersays.MichaelSabitoni,presi-dent of the Rhode IslandBuildingandConstructionTrades Council, says theoutlook is optimistic for

thenext three tofive years. “Every yearwill bebetterthan theprioraswe start topullourselvesoutof thisthing,”Sabitonisaid. That optimism has something to do with the factthatvotersapprovedallbondreferendalastNovember,including half a dozen questions that will directly af-fecttheconstructionindustry.Inall,$208.1millionindirect project costs–not counting interest and relatedcosts–passedasvotersendorsedplansforhighereduca-tionconstruction,anewveteranshome,andaffordablehousing. It’snotclearhowmuchofthatworkwillmaterializebytheendof2013. “Iknowtheintentionistorollthemout,quickly,”Sabitonisaid.

But, even without the bond referenda, 2013 is al-readyofftoagoodstart,withseveralprojectsexpectedtobreakgroundthisspring.Theyincludethefollowing:

• Airport: A $25 million treatment plant forthe chemicals used to de-ice planes will breakground this spring. The project is but one partof the broader expansion and upgrade at T.F.Green that has been approved by the FAA.

• narragansett Bay sewer: At $342 million, theconstruction of a three-mile underground tun-neltosiphonsewageawayfromNarragansettBaycontinues to pay dividends for the constructionindustry,adecadeafteritgotunderway.Thelat-estphasewillpumpanother$40millionofspend-ing into the construction industry early this year.

• university of rhode island: A new chemis-try lab at URI is among the bigger items onthis spring’s docket, at least in terms of dol-lars. The project is expected to net $60 mil-lion to $70 million in construction costs.

• State landfill:Groundwillbreakthisspringona

newtreatmentfacilityatthestatelandfillinJohn-ston.Estimatedcost:$25millionto$30million.

• providence bond: In the City of Providence,voters approved a $40 million bond for roadrepairs and maintenance. That work will be-gin late spring and last well into the summer.

• providence College:Constructiononanewhuman-itiescenterthatisalreadyunderwaywillpressforwardthisspring.Thetotalcost:anestimated$45million.

• Johnson and Wales:Anewgaragealreadyunderconstruction will swing into full gear this spring,accordingtoSabitoni.Projectcost:$25million.

Inall,thatamountsto$562millioninconstructionspending–allkickingofforkickingintohighgearthisspring.

Unemployment among the construction andbuild-ing trades remains at a stratospheric 40 percent. But,withallthenewconstructioncomingonline,Sabitoniexpectstheratewilldropbytheendoftheyear–possiblybyhalf.

2013 will be better, says Building Trades leader By Common Ground staff

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review of where we are TheU.S.HousevotedonJanuary1ontheSenatebilltoavertthefiscalcliff.TheHousepassedthebillbyavoteof257to167(172Democratsand85Republi-cans). Thislegislationrepresentsthefirsttimein20yearsthattherehasbeenataxincrease,whichmanyprogres-sivesandDemocratsarehailingasavictory. Despitethisresolutiononthefiscalcliff,wecanex-pectthewaronspendingandrevenuetorageonandwe can expectMedicaid,Medicare, andSocial Secu-ritytoberightinthemiddleofitaslawmakersdebatewhattodoaboutsequestrationbeforetheendofFeb-ruary,howtomanagetheexpirationofthedebtceilingandthen,ofcourse,theexpirationofthecontinuingresolutiononthefederalbudgetinlateMarch.Presi-dentObamahasmadeseveralcommentsintheBelt-waypresslatelyabouttheneedtoreturntoMedicarereform.

Where we go from here Thisisashort-termfixandweshouldplanfromafieldperspectiveforthisdebatetocontinueinto2013

because we’ll have the sequester (two-month delay)andthedebtceilingcominginFebruary;thecontinu-ing resolution, which funds government, expiring inlate March, and then we’ll have the President’s FY2014 budget debate. All of these components alongthetimelineallowforopportunitiestoinsertMedicare,ACA,Medicaid,andSocialSecuritypolicychanges.

understanding key pieces of the Fiscal Cliff dealincome taxes: Increases taxes from 35 percentto 39.6 percent for people making more than$400,000 a year and families making more than$450,000.Thisisgoodinsofarasitisanincreasefor upper-income earners, though it doesn’t raiseasmuchrevenueas raising taxeson folksmaking$250,000ormorewhichwehaveallbeenadvocat-ingforoverthepastfewmonths.Themorelimitedrevenuewillcontinuetocreatepressureforentitle-ment“reform”—basically,spendingcutstoMedi-care,Medicaid,andSocialSecurityinthecomingmonths. In addition, households making $450Kormorewouldalsopayhigherratesoninvestmentprofits, with rates on dividends and capital gains

risingfrom15percentto20percent. payroll tax:The 2–percent cut to the Social Se-curitytaxforallearnerswillexpireandnotbere-placed.Thatactuallymeansanincreaseintaxesformanymiddle-class families even though theywillnotseeariseinincometaxes.Thisisgoingtobeastickingpointthatwillmakemanyfolksviewthis“deal”unfavorably.Underthisdeal,taxesgoupona percentage basis more for middle-class peoplewithincomesunder$250kthanforthosewithin-comes between $250k and $450k because of thecombination of concessions on top rates and theexpirationofthepayrolltaxholiday.

AMt (Alternative Minimum tax): In the dealthere’sapermanentfixthatstopsmoremiddle-classAmericans frompayingthe increasedAMT.Eachyear, more and more taxpayers get hit with thisalmostflattaxwhichisnot indexedfor inflation.In2013,30milliontaxpayerswouldhavebeenaf-fectedwithoutthisfix.

See Fiscal Cliff cont. on page 8

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Fiscal Cliff cont. from page 7tax Credits for low-income Families & Businesses: The dealwouldextendtaxcreditsforcollegetuitionandtheworkingpoor,which were enacted as part of Obama’s 2009 economic stimuluspackageandbenefit25millionlow-incomefamiliesforthenextfiveyears.Italsoextendsavarietyofpopulartaxbreaksforbusinessesincludinghigh-techcompaniesthatreceivecreditsforresearch.

unemployment insurance Extension:Emergencybenefitsforthelong-termunemployedwillbeextendedforanotheryear.

Doc Fix:Thedeal stopsa27-percentcut inMedicare reimburse-mentstodoctorswhichissettotakeeffectinJanuary;someofthecostof thefix isoffsetby spendingcuts inotherhealthcarepro-grams.Hospitalsarenotsuperhappyaboutthisone.TheprovisionguaranteesseniorshavecontinuedaccesstotheirdoctorsbyfixingtheSustainableGrowthRate(SGR)throughtheendof2013.Medi-carephysicianpaymentrateswerescheduledtobereducedby26.5percentonDec.31,2012.Thisprovisionwouldavoidthatreduc-tionandextendcurrentMedicarepaymentratesthroughDec.31,2013.

ClASS ACt (remember that?): Thedealformallyrepealsthelong-terminsuranceplanforseniorswhichwasintheAffordableCareActbuthasnotbeenimplementedbecauseoffunding.

Sequestration: The deal would delay sequestration cuts for twomonthstogivelawmakersmoretimetofigureoutamorecompre-hensiveplantoaverttheacross-the-boardspendingcuts.Theendofthosetwomonthswillcoincidewiththedebateonthedebtceiling,whichisrightaroundthecornerandwilllikelyrevivemuchofthisdebateonspendingcutsandrevenue.

What’s next TheFiscalCliffbillwasjustthefirstbattleinthewar.The99percentmayhavewonthisbattle;however,itwasasmallvictoryinthescopeofthebigpicture.WecannotandwillnotstandforcutstoSocialSecurity,Medicare,andMedicaid. By lateFebruaryorearlyMarch, theTreasuryDepartmentwill runoutofoptionstocoverthenation’sdebtsandcouldbegindefaultingongovernment loansunlessCongress raises the legalborrowing limit,ordebtceiling.Economistswarnthatadefaultcouldtriggeraglobalreces-sion.SocialSecurity,Medicare,andMedicaidwillsurelybepartofthediscussion. Wealsomust reject thechained-CPI.Aworker retiring in2011atage65wouldloseover$6,000over15years.Notonlyisthisaterriblyharmfulpolicy choice,but ithasnoplace in thebudget talks.SocialSecurityhasnotaddedonepennytoourbudgetdeficit.Wecannotaskworkersandretireestopaythepriceforaproblemtheydidnotcreate. TheARAalongwiththeRIARAwill,asinthepast,continuetofightforourmembers.Wecan’tfightthisfightalone.Itwilltakeeveryone’sinvolvementtogetthemessageoutandcontinuetotellourCongres-sionalDelegationthatwecan’tafford—asseniorcitizens,retirees,andworkers—cutstotheseprograms. John A. Pernorio is the President of the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans, Inc. www.ri-ara.org


Brett LaPlanteOrganizer/Agent

John McMullenBusiness Agent

Paul AlvarezBusiness Agent

Asidefromthebroadbenefitsofpub-lic transit—reducing climate–changingemissions, improving air quality, andproviding transport to and from workorschool,publictransit is increasinglyrecognized as vital to economic devel-opmentandjobgrowth. In the United States each year, ap-proximately 36,000 jobs are createdper billion dollars of public transpor-tation spending (i.e., 36 jobs per mil-lion dollars of spending). This figureincludesthedirecteffectofspendingintransportation-related manufacturing,construction and operations as well asorderstosuppliersorbyre-spendingofworkerincomeonconsumerpurchases. Astableandsecuresourceof fund-ing for the RIDOT without burden-ing Rhode Island taxpayers with huge

debt-serviceobligationswaspassedtwoyearsago.BrianDaniels,fromthestateOffice of Management and Budget(OMB)describesitsimpact,thusly:

The shift from borrowing to dedi-cated funding sources will lead tosubstantial savings in debt servicecosts. The Rhode Island High-way Maintenance Trust Fund willcompletely replace debt financing,reduce RIDOT’s debt service andalleviate the systemic deficits cre-ated by rising debt payments anddeclininggastaxyields.Byshiftingthe20%statematchfrombondstomore sustainable sources, the statewillbeabletodedicatemoregastaxrevenuestoRIDOToperationsandmaintenance insteadof spending itondebtservice.

Buttransportationismorethanjustroadsandbridges.Thisyearweneedtocontinuedowntheroadtosustainabletransportationfundingandprovidesta-blefundingforpublictransitasgastaxyieldssystematicallydecline. ThisyearmembersoftheCoalitionforTransportationChoices[CTC]willcontinue towork to improveour eco-nomicclimateby supportingH5073,the “Transportation Investment andDebt Reduction Act of 2013,” spon-sored by Representatives O’Grady,Tanzi, Handy, Tomasso, and Keable.Thisbilltakesthebiennialautomobileregistrationfeesoutofthegeneralfundandtransfersthemintothetransporta-tion trust fund. Out of that fund, 65percent would be directed towards tothe Department of Transportation to

beusedforhighwaymaintenance,com-muter railoperations, and forupkeep,maintenance, and repairof local roadsand streets. And 35 percent would gotoRIPTAformaintaining,enhancing,and/orexpandingexistingservices. WhenanidenticalbillwasheardlastyearintheHouseFinanceCommittee,dozensofgroups spoke in favorof it–fromtheChamberofCommercetotheRIAFL-CIO, from the Sierra Club totheAmalgamatedTransitUnion, fromAARPtoGrowSmartRI.(Forupdatesandtoseehowyoutoocansupportthelegislation,seewww.rictc.org.) James Celenza is the Executive Direc-tor of the Rhode Island Committee on Oc-cupational Safety and Health (RICOSH).

Key to economic development and job growth: Improved public transitBy James Celenza


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Activists last month rallied in frontoftheBeaconStreetDunkin’DonutsinBostontobuildsupportforabillinthestatelegislaturethatwouldrequireem-ployers to give earned sick leave hourstotheiremployees.Thebillissponsoredby stateSen.DanWolf and stateRep.KayKhanandwouldensurethatwork-ersgetonehourofsicktimeforeach30hourstheywork,uptoamaximumofatleast40hoursayear,dependingonthesizeofthecompany(smallercompanieshavesomeexemptions). TheMassachusettsPaidLeaveCoali-tion organized the rally. Dunkin’ Do-nutswaschosenfortherallybecausethecompanymakes$500millioninannualprofits but does not provide paid sick

leaveforitsworkers.Atatimewhenthestatehasdeclaredapublichealthemer-gencybecauseofafluepidemic,manyworkersarefacedwithlosingpayorjobsbecausetheygetsickortheyriskendan-geringco-workersandcustomersbygo-ingtowork. The coalition is made up of morethan 80 community organizations.Many businesses have expressed theirsupportforthelegislationaswell,sign-ingthecoalition’sletter:

Nooneshouldhavetochoosebe-tween theirheathandaday’spay,oreven their job.That’swhy,as abusiness owner, I believe earnedsicktimeistherightthingformycompany, my employees, and our

community.Everyoneneedsaccesstoahealthyworkplace.

Thestoriesoftheestimatedonemil-lion Massachusetts workers withoutpaidsickleaveareoftendevastating,re-portsthecoalition:

Manuel Acevedo lost his job as adriver inaprogramthathelps thedisabledandelderlygetaroundthegreater Boston area. Manuel losthis job because he did not haveenough sick days. Manuel suffersfrom heart problems and was in-structedbyhisdoctornottodrivewhen he has heart palpitations.After each non-paid sick day hewas issued a written warning andsuspended from work for addi-

tionaldays.Manuelmisseshisjob,“I loved my job because I helpedpeople move who couldn’t other-wise move.” After losing his job,Manuelcouldnotpayhisrentandwas evicted.Hewas forced to sellhiscarand furnitureandtomovetoasmallerapartment.

Working families rally for paid sick leave at Boston Dunkin’ DonutsBy Kenneth Quinnell, AFL-CIO


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The Occupational and EnvironmentalHealthCenterofRhodeIsland(OEHCRI)was recently established to provide clinicalevaluations for individuals or groups withmedicalconditionssuspectedtobeofoccu-pationalandenvironmentalorigin. ThepurposeoftheCenteristorespondtounionandemployerhealthrequirementsand initiatives to create an occupationalhealth collaboration that meets the uniqueneedsofworkersandunionmembers,unionstakeholders, health-care providers, and in-surersbyimprovingworkerhealth,reducingthelevelofillnessandinjury,anddecreasingtheburdenofdisability. OECHRI serves all employees withoutregardtosex,race,creed,residence,nationalorigin,sexualorientation,orabilitytopay. SomeoftheservicesthatOEHCRIpro-videsareMedicalExaminations,Audiomet-ric Examinations and Hepatitis C Screen-

ings,andCPRandFirstAidClasses. TheMedicalDirectorisLeeOkurowski,MD, MPH, MBA Medical Director. He isalsoBoardCertifiedinOccupationalMedi-cine. Dr. Okurowski graduated from Dart-mouthMedicalSchoolandwentontoearnaMasterofPublicHealth,HealthPolicyandManagement/Occupational Medicine fromHarvardSchoolofBusinessAdministration. Dr.Okurowskicurrentlyprovidesserviceforavarietyofcompanies.Heservesasare-searchconsultantforvariouscompaniesandalso serves as the Medical and Clinical Di-rectorofLandmarkOccupationalHealthinRhodeIsland. The Occupational and EnvironmentalHealthCenterofRhodeIslandislocatedat410 South Main Street in Providence. Formore information or questions, call 401-621-2228.

New to RI – the Occupation and Environmental Health Center Submitted by OEHCRI


RI Senate Member List for 2013 District City or Town Member Name Party

1. Providence ..........................................................................................Maryellen Goodwin (Dem) 2. Providence ............................................................................................. Juan M. Pichardo (Dem) 3. Providence .................................................................................................Gayle L. Goldin (Dem) 4. Providence, North Providence ...........................................................Dominick J. Ruggerio (Dem) 5. Providence ................................................................................................... Paul V. Jabour (Dem) 6. Providence ...............................................................................................Harold M. Metts (Dem) 7. Providence, North Providence ..............................................................Frank A. Ciccone III (Dem) 8. Pawtucket ............................................................................................... James E. Doyle II (Dem) 9. West Warwick ..........................................................................................Adam J. Satchell (Dem) 10. Bristol, Tiverton, Warren ......................................................................... Walter S. Felag Jr. (Dem) 11. Bristol, Portsmouth .....................................................................Christopher Scott Ottiano (Rep) 12. Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Tiverton ...................................... Louis P. DiPalma (Dem) 13. Newport, Jamestown .......................................................................M. Teresa Paiva Weed (Dem) 14. East Providence........................................................................................ Daniel Da Ponte (Dem) 15. Pawtucket, North Providence .......................................................... Donna M. Nesselbush (Dem) 16. Central Falls, Pawtucket .................................................................... Elizabeth A. Crowley (Dem) 17. Lincoln, North Providence, North Smithfield ............................................. Edward J. O’Neill (Ind) 18. East Providence, Pawtucket .................................................................William J. Conley Jr. (Dem) 19. Cumberland, Lincoln ................................................................................Ryan W. Pearson (Dem) 20. Cumberland, Woonsocket ..........................................................................Roger A. Picard (Dem) 21. Coventry, Foster, Scituate, West Greenwich ............................................. Nicholas D. Kettle (Rep) 22. Smithfield, North Providence, Johnston ........................................Stephen R. Archambault (Dem) 23. Burrillville, Glocester, North Smithfield ...................................................... Paul W. Fogarty (Dem) 24. North Smithfield, Woonsocket ....................................................................... Marc A. Cote (Dem) 25. Johnston .............................................................................................. Frank Lombardo III (Dem) 26. Cranston ................................................................................................Frank S. Lombardi (Dem) 27. Cranston, West Warwick ...........................................................................Hanna M. Gallo (Dem) 28. Cranston, Providence ....................................................................................Joshua Miller (Dem) 29. Warwick ............................................................................................Michael J. McCaffrey (Dem) 30. Warwick ...............................................................................................William A. Walaska (Dem) 31. Warwick ......................................................................................................... Erin P. Lynch (Dem) 32. Barrington, Bristol, East Providence ............................................................. David E. Bates (Rep) 33. Coventry, East Greenwich, West Greenwich .......................................Leonidas P. Raptakis (Dem) 34. Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond,West Greenwich .........................................Catherine Cool Rumsey (Dem) 35. East Greenwich, Narragansett, North Kingstown, South Kingstown ............................................. Dawson Tucker Hodgson (Rep) 36. Narragansett, North Kingstown ............................................................ James C. Sheehan (Dem) 37. New Shoreham, South Kingstown .......................................................V. Susan Sosnowski (Dem) 38. Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown ..................................................Dennis L. Algiere (Rep)

RI House of RepresentativesMember List for 2013

District City or Town Member Name Party 1. Providence .................................................................................................. Edith H. Ajello (Dem) 2. Providence ...............................................................................Christopher R. Blazejewski (Dem) 3. Providence ..........................................................................................Thomas A. Palangio (Dem) 4. Providence .................................................................................................. Gordon D. Fox (Dem) 5. Providence ............................................................................................. John J. DeSimone (Dem) 6. North Providence, Providence ................................................................. Raymond A. Hull (Dem) 7. Providence ................................................................................................ Maria E. Cimini (Dem) 8. Providence .............................................................................................. John J. Lombardi (Dem) 9. Providence ........................................................................................Anastasia P. Williams (Dem) 10. Providence ...................................................................................................Scott A. Slater (Dem) 11. Providence ........................................................................................................Grace Diaz (Dem)

12. Providence .............................................................................................Joseph S. Almeida (Dem) 13. Johnston, Providence ........................................................................... John M. Carnevale (Dem) 14. Cranston, Providence .............................................................................Charlene M. Lima (Dem) 15. Cranston ...........................................................................................Nicholas A. Mattiello (Dem) 16. Cranston .................................................................................................Peter G. Palumbo (Dem) 17. Cranston .............................................................................................. Robert B. Jacquard (Dem) 18. Cranston ...................................................................................................... Arthur Handy (Dem) 19. Cranston, Warwick .......................................................................... Joseph M. McNamara (Dem) 20. Cranston, Warwick .................................................................................. David A. Bennett (Dem) 21. Warwick ...............................................................................................Eileen S. Naughton (Dem) 22. Warwick ........................................................................................................Frank G. Ferri (Dem) 23. Warwick ..............................................................................................K. Joseph Shekarchi (Dem) 24. Warwick .......................................................................................................Joseph A. Trillo (Rep) 25. Coventry, West Warwick ............................................................................. Jared R. Nunes (Dem) 26. West Warwick, Coventry, Warwick ......................................................... Patricia L. Morgan (Rep) 27. West Warwick, Coventry, Warwick ........................................................... Patricia A. Serpa (Dem) 28. Coventry ....................................................................................................Scott J. Guthrie (Dem) 29. Coventry, West Greenwich .........................................................................Lisa P. Tomasso (Dem) 30. East Greenwich, West Greenwich........................................................... Antonio Giarrusso (Rep) 31. Exeter, North Kingstown ..................................................................... Doreen Marie Costa (Rep) 32. North Kingstown ..................................................................................... Robert E. Craven (Dem) 33. Narragansett,South Kingstown ............................................................... Donald J. Lally Jr. (Dem) 34. Narragansett, South Kingstown ......................................................................Teresa Tanzi (Dem) 35. South Kingstown ............................................................................... Spencer E. Dickinson (Dem) 36. Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown, Westerly.......................Donna M. Walsh (Dem) 37. Westerly .............................................................................................. Samuel A. Azzinaro (Dem) 38. Hopkinton, Westerly ........................................................................ Brian Patrick Kennedy (Dem) 39. Hopkinton, Exeter, Richmond .......................................................................Larry Valencia (Dem) 40. Coventry, Foster, Glocester ............................................................Michael W. Chippendale (Rep) 41. Cranston, Scituate ............................................................................... Michael J. Marcello (Dem) 42. Cranston, Johnston ................................................................................... Stephen R. Ucci (Dem) 43. Johnston ............................................................................................... Deborah A. Fellela (Dem) 44. Johnston, Lincoln, Smithfield............................................................Gregory J. Costantino (Dem) 45. Cumberland, Lincoln ...............................................................................Mia A. Ackerman (Dem) 46. Lincoln, Pawtucket ............................................................................. Jeremiah T. O’Grady (Dem) 47. Burrillville, Glocester ....................................................................................Cale P. Keable (Dem) 48. Burrillville, North Smithfield ................................................................... Brian C. Newberry (Rep) 49. Woonsocket ........................................................................................... Lisa Baldelli Hunt (Dem) 50. Woonsocket .......................................................................................... Stephen M. Casey (Dem) 51. Woonsocket, Cumberland .......................................................................Robert D. Phillips (Dem) 52. Cumberland ...........................................................................................Karen L. MacBeth (Dem) 53. Glocester, Smithfield ............................................................................... Thomas Winfield (Dem) 54. North Providence ................................................................................. William W. O’Brien (Dem) 55. North Providence ....................................................................................Arthur J. Corvese (Dem) 56. Central Falls ...........................................................................................Agostinho F. Silva (Dem) 57. Central Falls, Cumberland ................................................................ James N. McLaughlin (Dem) 58. Pawtucket .........................................................................................William San Bento Jr. (Dem) 59. Pawtucket ................................................................................................ J. Patrick O’Neill (Dem) 60. Pawtucket ...............................................................................................Elaine A. Coderre (Dem) 61. Pawtucket ................................................................................... Raymond H. Johnston Jr. (Dem) 62. Pawtucket ...........................................................................................Mary Duffy Messier (Dem) 63. East Providence................................................................................ Katherine S. Kazarian (Dem) 64. East Providence................................................................................................ Helio Melo (Dem) 65. East Providence.............................................................................................Gregg Amore (Dem) 66. Barrington, East Providence ............................................................................... Joy Hearn (Dem) 67. Barrington, Warren .......................................................................................... Jan P. Malik (Dem) 68. Bristol, Warren ...................................................................................Kenneth A. Marshall (Dem) 69. Bristol, Portsmouth ....................................................................... Raymond E. Gallison Jr. (Dem) 70. Portsmouth, Tiverton ................................................................................John G. Edwards (Dem) 71. Little Compton, Portsmouth, Tiverton ................................................... Dennis M. Canario (Dem) 72. Middletown, Portsmouth .................................................................................. Linda Finn (Dem) 73. Middletown, Newport .............................................................................. Marvin L. Abney (Dem) 74. Jamestown, Middletown .......................................................................Deborah Ruggiero (Dem) 75. Newport .........................................................................................................Peter Martin (Dem)

State HousereportCommon Ground News & Radio


SENATESenate President , Sen. M. Teresa Paiva WeedMajority Leader, Sen. Dominick J. RuggerioPresident Pro Tem, Sen. William A. WalaskaDeputy Pres. Pro Tem, Sen. Harold M. MettsMajority Whip, Sen. Maryellen GoodwinDeputy Majority Whip, Sen. Frank Lombardo Minority Leader, Sen. Dennis L. AlgiereMinority Whip, Sen. David E. Bates

Deputy Majority LeaDersSen. Marc A. CoteSen. James E. Doyle IISen. Juan M. Pichardo

CoMMitteesCorporations

Sen. Roger A. Picard, ChairSen. William A. Walaska, Vice ChairSen. Marc A. Cote, SecretarySen. David E. BatesSen. Hanna M. GalloSen. Paul V. JabourSen. Frank Lombardo III

EducationSen. Hanna M. Gallo, ChairSen. Harold M. Metts, Vice ChairSen. Louis P. DiPalma, SecretarySen. Elizabeth A. CrowleySen. Daniel Da PonteSen. Nicholas D. KettleSen. Joshua MillerSen. Edward J. O’NeillSen. Adam J. SatchellSen. James C. Sheehan

FinanceSen. Daniel Da Ponte, ChairSen. Louis P. DiPalma, 1st Vice ChairSen. Walter S. Felag Jr., 2nd Vice ChairSen. James E. Doyle II, SecretarySen. David E. BatesSen. Maryellen GoodwinSen. Edward J. O’NeillSen. Ryan W. PearsonSen. Juan M. PichardoSen. V. Susan Sosnowski

Environment and AgricultureSen. V. Susan Sosnowski, ChairSen. William A. Walaska, Vice ChairSen. Nicholas D. Kettle, SecretarySen. Stephen R. ArchambaultSen. David E. BatesSen. William J. Conley Jr.Sen. Catherine Cool RumseySen. Gayle L. GoldinSen. Maryellen Goodwin

Government OversightSen. James C. Sheehan, ChairSen. Paul V. Jabour, Vice ChairSen. Edward J. O’Neill, SecretarySen. Stephen R. ArchambaultSen. Dawson T. HodgsonSen. Erin P. LynchSen. Donna M. NesselbushSen. Ryan W. Pearson

Health and Human Services Sen. Joshua Miller, ChairSen. Donna M. Nesselbush, Vice ChairSen. James C. Sheehan, SecretarySen. Catherine Cool RumseySen. Gayle L. GoldinSen. Christopher S. OttianoSen. Adam J. SatchellSen. V. Susan Sosnowski

Housing and Municipal GovernmentSen. Juan M. Pichardo, ChairSen. Elizabeth A. Crowley, Vice ChairSen. Frank A. Ciccone III, SecretarySen. Paul W. FogartySen. Nicholas D. KettleSen. Maryellen GoodwinSen. Donna M. Nesselbush

JudiciarySen. Michael J. McCaffrey, ChairSen. Paul V. Jabour, Vice ChairSen. Erin P. Lynch, SecretarySen. Stephen R. ArchambaultSen. William J. Conley Jr.Sen. Dawson T. HodgsonSen. Frank S. LombardiSen. Harold M. MettsSen. Donna M. NesselbushSen. Leonidas P. Raptakis

LaborSen. Paul W. Fogarty, ChairSen. Frank A. Ciccone III, Vice ChairSen. Frank Lombardo III, SecretarySen. James E. Doyle IISen. Maryellen GoodwinSen. Dawson T. HodgsonSen. Frank S. LombardiSen. Michael J. McCaffreySen. Roger A. Picard

RulesSen. Erin P. Lynch, ChairSen. Michael J. McCaffrey, Vice ChairSen. David E. BatesSen. Daniel Da PonteSen. Maryellen GoodwinSen. Frank Lombardo III

Special Legislation and Veterans’ AffairsSen. Walter S. Felag Jr., ChairSen. Erin P. Lynch, Vice ChairSen. David E. Bates, SecretarySen. Marc A. CoteSen. Paul V. JabourSen. Christopher S. OttianoSen. Ryan W. PearsonSen. Juan M. PichardoSen. Leonidas P. Raptakis

House oF represeNtatiVesHouse Speaker, Rep. Gordon D. FoxMajority Leader, Rep. Nicholas A. MattielloSpeaker Pro Temp, Rep. Elaine A. CoderreDeputy Speaker, Rep. Donald A. Lally Jr.Majority Whip, Rep. Stephen R. UcciDeputy Majority Whip,Rep. Christopher R. BlazejewskiMinority Leader, Rep. Brian C. NewberryMinority Whip, Rep. Joseph A. Trillo

Deputy Majority LeaDersRep. John G. Edwards, Senior Dep. Maj. LeaderRep. Samuel A. AzzinaroRep. Arthur J. CorveseRep. Deborah A. FellelaRep. Frank G. FerriRep. Joy HearnRep. Charlene M. LimaRep. Deborah RuggieroRep. William San BentoRep. Agostinho F. SilvaRep. Scott A. Slater

CoMMitteesCorporations

Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy, ChairRep. Cale P. Keable, Vice ChairRep. Peter G. Palumbo, SecretaryRep. Gregory J. CostantinoRep. Linda FinnRep. Raymond H. Johnston Jr.Rep. Katherine S. KazarianRep. Kenneth A. MarshallRep. Mary MessierRep. Jared R. NunesRep. Jeremiah T. O’GradyRep. Robert D. PhillipsRep. Joseph A. Trillo

Environment and Natural ResourcesRep. Arthur Handy, ChairRep. Donna M. Walsh, Vice ChairRep. Scott J. Guthrie, SecretaryRep. Michael W. ChippendaleRep. Maria E. CiminiRep. John J. LombardiRep. Joseph M. McNamaraRep. Eileen S. NaughtonRep. William W. O’BrienRep. Teresa TanziRep. Larry Valencia

FinanceRep. Helio Melo, ChairRep. Eileen S. Naughton, Deputy ChairRep. Raymond E. Gallison Jr., Co-Vice ChairRep. Agostinho F. Silva, Co-Vice ChairRep. William San Bento, SecretaryRep. John M. CarnevaleRep. Grace DiazRep. Frank G. FerriRep. Joy HearnRep. Robert B. JacquardRep. Jan P. MalikRep. Patricia L. MorganRep. Deborah RuggieroRep. Scott A. SlaterRep. Larry Valencia

Health, Education and WelfareRep. Joseph M. McNamara, ChairRep. Samuel A. Azzinaro, Vice ChairRep. Maria E. Cimini, SecretaryRep. Marvin L. AbneyRep. Mia A. AckermanRep. Gregg AmoreRep. David A. BennettRep. Dennis M. CanarioRep. Elaine A. CoderreRep. Arthur J. CorveseRep. Arthur HandyRep. James N. McLaughlinRep. Brian C. Newberry

JudiciaryRep. Edith H. Ajello, ChairRep. John J. DeSimone, Vice ChairRep. Peter F. Martin, SecretaryRep. Joseph S. AlmeidaRep. Christopher R. BlazejewskiRep. Robert E. Craven Sr.Rep. Doreen Marie CostaRep. Donald J. Lally Jr.Rep. Charlene M. LimaRep. Michael J. MarcelloRep. J. Patrick O’NeillRep. K. Joseph ShekarchiRep. Donna M. Walsh

LaborRep. Anastasia P. Williams, ChairRep. Thomas Winfield, Vice ChairRep. Deborah A. Fellela, SecretaryRep. Stephen M. CaseyRep. Gregory J. CostantinoRep. John G. EdwardsRep. Antonio GiarrussoRep. Scott J. GuthrieRep. Raymond A. HullRep. Cale P. KeableRep. Thomas A. PalangioRep. Lisa P. TomassoRep. Stephen R. Ucci

Municipal GovernmentRep. John J. DeSimone, ChairRep. Jeremiah T. O’Grady, Vice ChairRep. Raymond H. Johnston Jr., SecretaryRep. Mia A. AckermanRep. Gregg AmoreRep. David A. BennettRep. Joy HearnRep. Katherine S. KazarianRep. Charlene M. LimaRep. Kenneth A. MarshallRep. Brian C. NewberryRep. Deborah RuggieroRep. K. Joseph Shekarchi

OversightRep. Michael J. Marcello, ChairRep. Arthur J. Corvese, Co-Vice ChairRep. Teresa Tanzi, Co-Vice ChairRep. Karen L. MacBeth, SecretaryRep. Michael W. ChippendaleRep. Lisa Baldelli HuntRep. Raymond A. HullRep. Jeremiah T. O’GradyRep. Thomas A. Palangio

Rep. Patricia A. SerpaRep. Lisa P. TomassoRep. Donna M. WalshRep. Thomas Winfield

Veterans’ AffairsRep. Raymond J. Gallison Jr., ChairRep. Deborah A. Fellela, Vice ChairRep. Mary Messier, SecretaryRep. Marvin L. AbneyRep. Samuel A. AzzinaroRep. Stephen M. CaseyRep. Doreen Marie CostaRep. Robert B. JacquardRep. Karen L. MacBethRep. Peter F. MartinRep. James N. McLaughlinRep. Peter G. PalumboRep. Scott A. Slater

Small BusinessRep. Patricia A. Serpa, ChairRep. Jared R. Nunes, Vice ChairRep. Robert D. Phillips, SecretaryRep. Lisa Baldelli HuntRep. Dennis M. CanarioRep. Robert E. Craven Sr.Rep Spencer E. DickinsonRep. John G. EdwardsRep. Frank G. FerriRep. Linda FinnRep. Antonio GiarrussoRep. Jan P. Malik

RulesRep. Arthur J. Corvese, ChairRep. Christopher R. Blazejewski,Vice ChairRep. Grace Diaz, SecretaryRep. Joseph S. AlmeidaRep. Elaine A. CoderreRep. Donald J. Lally Jr.Rep. Michael J. MarcelloRep. Patricia A. MorganRep. Agostinho F. SilvaRep. Teresa TanziRep. Stephen R. Ucci

GeNeraL asseMBLy LeaDers aND CoMMittees


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As Superstorm Sandy swept alongtheAtlanticcoast,itdeliveredgreatde-structionand,intheprocess,highlight-edtheagingandfragilestateofAmeri-ca’sinfrastructure.Newspaperaccountswere replete with examples: subwayflooding, extensive loss of power, gen-erators located without forethoughtin basements likely to flood, nursinghomes and group homes difficult toevacuate, gas stations without electricpower or just plain-out-of-supply ofgasoline–allinamajormetropolitanre-gionoftheUnitedStates.

post 9-11 preparedness and 21st cen-tury competitiveness It’shardtobelievethatdisaster-reliefeffortswerehamperedbylackofavail-ablesuppliesordifficultyindeployingassistance. The nation also witnessedshortages of shelter for the displacedandgovernmentagencieshamperedbythelackofemergencyplanningforjustsuchamajordisaster.Asifthatwasn’t

enough, a national legislative battledeveloped on funding recovery effortsfor the storm-damaged area. TheNewYorkTimesrecentlyreportedthatstorm-damagedhomesstillhadnoheat,in the dead of winter, as homeownersstruggledtorebuildtheirproperties. Surprisingly,manyyearsafter9/11,America still seems unprepared for anational emergency of any magnitudeandalsoseemedequallyill-preparedtodealwiththerelatedissueofrebuildingthenation’sinfrastructurefortheglobaleconomyand theeconomicchallengesofthe21stcentury.

progressive legislation and the rhode island congressional delegation In response to the issue of agingand neglected infrastructure, PresidentObamahaspromotedactionby intro-ducinglegislationtoprovidepermanentandcontinuousfundingforinfrastruc-ture projects around the country–namely,anInfrastructureBank.

Progressive legislators from variousparts of the country have long sup-ported such efforts. In Rhode Island,forexample,SenatorJackReed(D-RI),amemberoftheSenateAppropriationsCommittee,repeatedlyfoughtforfund-ingtostrengthenthenation’sinfrastruc-ture.SenatorSheldonWhitehouse(D-RI),likewise,hasbeenanadvocateforextensiveinfrastructurefundingandhasfrequentlyspokenoutabouttransporta-tionprojectsthatheexamined,incon-junctionwithDOTOfficialsthatclear-lydisplayed severedamage. Inmanycases,thedamagetoroadsandbridgesexamined was clearly visible–withoutthe need of any special engineeringtools or equipment. In the House ofRepresentatives, Rep. James Langevin(D-RI) has also introduced numerouslegislativeproposals on storm recoveryandinfrastructurefunding.Yet,despiteall of the many national and regionalefforts,rebuildingAmerica’sinfrastruc-tureseemstobecomeaconcernonlyaf-

ter anationaldisaster–likeSuperstormSandy.

Economics and investments in infra-structure Economiststendtoagreethatgov-ernment spending on infrastructureprojects signifies a long-term invest-ment that promotes economic growthand commercial development. Goodairports,roads,bridges,andrail–allen-couragebusinessgrowthandexpansionof commerce. When business leadersmake decisions about where to locateor expand–typically, the condition ofinfrastructure is near the top of theirlist. So, itmakes sense to invest in re-buildingAmericabecause itcan stimu-late economic growth while laying thegroundworkforenhancedbusinesscom-petitivenessforglobalchallengesahead.A previously released report, “ReportCard for America’s Infrastructure,”See Sandy cont. on page 16

Superstorm Sandy and America’s infrastructureRecovery and Rebuilding for the 21st Century Economy By John A. Furia


See Sandy cont. from page 15 issuedbytheAmericanSocietyofCivilEngineers,es-timatedthecostofneededinfrastructurerepairatap-proximately$2.2trilliondollars.

national interstate highways Act and national Emergency response System (nErS) Asanexampleofinfrastructurefundingthatservedasanationaleconomicinvestment,oneshouldlooknofurtherthanNationalInterstateandDefenseHighwaysAct–enactedbyaRepublicanPresidentwiththecoop-eration of Democrats in Congress. President Eisen-howerhadwitnessedtheinadequacyoftheroadsinEu-rope,duringWorldWarII,andbecameconvincedthata national highway system was needed to replace theexistingpatchworkofroadsandturnpikes.Withdedi-catedfundingprovidedbythegasolinetax,thecountryembarkedontheconstructionof41,000milesofroadacrossthenation,whichplayedakeyroleinexpandedgrowth and economic competitiveness. It would behardtoimaginecross-countrytravelandcommerceinAmericatoday,withoutaninterstatehighwaysystem. Further,infrastructureinvestmentscouldalsobeco-ordinatedtoaddressemergencypreparednessefforts.ANationalEmergencyResponse System (NERS)mightbeanideathatwouldaccelerateneededinfrastructureinvestmentsand,atthesametime,advanceemergencyrecovery and preparedness. Think of Interstate high-wayswithwi-fiorfiber-opticcapabilityandgasstations,

hospitals,andpublic-safetybuildingswithback-upsup-plies of fuel andgenerators to assure somebasic levelofpublic-safety andmobility. Theycouldbeutilizedinconjunctionwithhighwayexitsthatwouldbedesig-natedasrefuelingareas–justlikeexistingdieselrefuelinglocations–equipped with public pay phones that had‘old-fashioned’landlinesthatwouldbesecureinemer-gencies.Fragmentsofthistypeofemergencyresponsesystemexist;yet,afull-fledgednationalemergencyre-sponsesystemunmistakablyappearstobewhat’sneed-ed. WaitingforanotherSuperstormshouldneverbeanoption.

public service, the new Deal and the CCC With so much work to be done, now is the timetorenewactivisminourcitizens,especiallytheyoung.NewgenerationsofyoungAmericansseemeagertoper-formsomeformofworkinrebuildingandbeautifyingthenation.Ourcountryshouldnotletthatspiritdissi-pate.Theimpactofpublicactivismcanbestbeillustrat-edbyalookbackattheNewDeal.OneofthelegaciesofFDRwasthecreationoftheCivilianConservationCorps(CCC). HarryBoyte,DirectoroftheCenterforDemocracyandCitizenshipatAugsburgCollegeandSeniorFellowattheHumphreySchoolofPublicAffairs,intheTwinCities, has chronicled its impressive work. He notedthat“nearlythreemillionyoungmenwereemployedin

theCivilianConservationCorps from1933 to1942,livinginworkcamps.Theyplantedmorethantwobil-liontrees,erected3,470firetowers,built97,000milesoftruckroads,logged4,135,500daysfightingfires,andstoppedsoilerosiononmorethan20millionacresofland.Theycreatedparksandrecreationalfacilitiesstillinwideusetoday.” Insimilarfashion,collegestudentscouldbeencour-aged to dedicate school breaks or other interruptionsin the academic calendar to enlist in restoring neigh-borhoodsimpactedbynaturaldisasters.Perhaps,aba-sicstipendfortimespentandsomeforgivenessofcol-legeloanscouldbefashioned.Italsocouldbeaprimeopportunity to engage Unions and affiliated BuildingTradeLocalstoutilizeapprenticeshipprogramsforre-constructioneffortsandjob-trainingactivity. The combination of the Great Recession coupledwiththeoverwhelmingimpactofSuperstormSandyhasbeencalledthe“StormbeforetheStorm.”ThenationneedstobemuchbetterpreparedforthePerfectStormthatclearly liessomewherestillahead, inthenot-too-distantfuture. John A. Furia serves on the Augsburg College faculty. The College is located in the Twin-Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul) and has been ranked as a top Higher Educational in-stitution in the Midwest. He previously served, for over 20 years, as Executive Director of AFSCME District Council 94, New England.

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On Jan. 1, 2013, Rhode Island’sminimum wage increased 35 cents to$7.75 an hour, raising wages for anestimated 29,000 low-wage workersin the state. Rhode Island’s minimumwageincreasemeansanextra$510peryear in wages for the average affectedworker, and the increased consumerspending generated by the minimumwagehikewillboostGDPby$3.9mil-lion, according to an analysis by thenonpartisanEconomicPolicyInstitute.RhodeIslandwasjoinedbyninestates–Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri,Montana,Ohio,Oregon,Vermont,andWashington–thatalsoraisedstatemini-mum wage rates on New Year’s Day,boosting wages for nearly one millionworkersnationwide. Rhode Island’s wage increase is theresult of a law signed by GovernorChafeeinJuneoflastyear.ThelasttimeRhodeIslandraiseditsminimumwage

wasin2007.AccordingtotheEconom-icPolicyInstitute,anestimated11,000workersinRhodeIslandwillbedirectlyimpacted as the new minimum wageratewillexceedtheircurrenthourlypay,and18,000morewillseearaiseaspayscalesareadjustedupwardtoreflectthenewminimumwage.Sixty-fourpercentof these low-wage workers are adultsovertheageoftwenty;69percentwork20hoursperweekormore;40percenthaveatleastsomecollegeeducation. “Rhode Island’s modest minimumwage increase this year will help pro-moteeconomicgrowthbyboostingtheexact kind of consumer spending thatweneedtoacceleratethepost-recessionrecovery,” said George Nee, Presidentof theRhode IslandAFL-CIO.“Con-gressshouldnotonlylearnfromRhodeIsland’s example by raising the mini-mumwage,butitshouldalsoindextheminimum wage to rise automatically

withthecostoflivingsothatlow-paidworkersdonotfallfurtherbehindeachyear.” While weak consumer demand isholding back business expansion, rais-ingtheminimumwageputsmoremon-ey in thepocketsof low-wageworkerswhohavelittlechoicebuttospendthatmoneyimmediatelyonbasicexpenses.In total, the minimum wage increasesthattookeffectinalltenstatesinJanu-arywill generateover$183million innew economic activity and create theequivalentof1,500newfull-timejobs. As of Jan. 1, 2013, nineteen statesplus the District of Columbia haveminimumwageratesabovethefederallevel of $7.25 per hour, which is justover $15,000 per year for a full-timeminimum–wage earner. Ten of thesestatesindextheirminimumwagetoin-creaseautomaticallyeachyearwiththerisingcostofliving:Arizona,Colorado,

Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nevada,Ohio,Oregon,Vermont,andWashing-ton. Nevada has not scheduled a costof livingadjustment to takeeffect thisyear. Like the federal minimum wage,Rhode Island’s minimum wage is notindexed to rise with inflation, and,as a result, its real value erodes everyyear unless the legislature approves anincrease. Without further action, thepurchasing power of Rhode Island’sminimum wage will fall from its cur-rent$7.75perhourto$6.40by2022,accordingtoestimatesprovidedbytheNationalEmploymentLawProject. In real terms, the federalminimumwageis30percentlowertodaythanin1968.TheFairMinimumWageActof2012, introduced in the U.S. Senateand House of Representatives in July,would help recover much of this lostSee Minimum Wage cont. on page 19

Rhode Island’s minimum wage increasesRaise Will Benefit Many Low-Wage Workers and Boost Consumer SpendingBy the Rhode Island AFL-CIO


Minimum Wage cont. from page 18valuebyraisingthefederalmin-imum wage to $9.80 by 2014and adjusting it annually withrisinglivingcoststhereafter.TheFairMinimumWageActwouldalso raise the minimum wagefortippedworkersfromitscur-rentlowrateof$2.13perhour,where it has been frozen since1991, to $6.85 over five years.Thereafter, itwouldbefixedat70percentofthefullminimumwage. A large body of researchshows that raising the mini-mum wage is an effective wayto boost the incomes of low-paid workers without reducingemployment. A groundbreak-ing 1994 study by David CardandAlanKrueger,currentchairof the White House Councilof Economic Advisers, foundthatan increase inNewJersey’sminimumwagedidnot reduce

employment among fast-foodrestaurants.Thesefindingshavebeen confirmed by 15 years ofeconomic research, including a2010studypublishedintheRe-viewofEconomicsandStatisticsthat analyzed data from morethan 500 counties and foundthat minimum wage increasesdid not cost jobs. Another re-cent study published in April2011 in the journal IndustrialRelations found that even dur-ing times of high unemploy-ment,minimumwageincreasesdidnotleadtojobloss. Strengthening the buyingpoweroflow-wageworkersises-peciallycriticalinthiseconomicclimate. A recent study by theNational Employment LawProject reveals that, while 60percent of jobs lost during therecessionhavebeenmiddle-andhigh-wage occupations, low-wageoccupationshaveaccount-

edfor58percentofjobscreatedinthepost-recessionrecovery. The Rhode Island AFL-CIO is the umbrella organization for

more than 250 local unions, which represent over 80,000 working men and women across the state. Nationwide, more than

13 million workers belong to the AFL-CIO. For more information, please visit: www.riaflcio.org.

The following table lists the states with increases, the amount of increase, the new wage on January 1, 2013, the total workers directly and indirectly affected, the increase in annual earnings for the average af-fected workers, and the GDP impact of each minimum wage increase:

states with Minimum Wage

increase

amount of Wage increase

New Wage on

jan. 1, 2013

total affected Workers

increased annual pay for average

affected WorkerGDp impact

arizona $0.15 $7.80 72,000 $320 $13,188,000

Colorado $0.14 $7.78 66,000 $300 $11,170,000

Florida $0.12 $7.79 210,000 $370 $46,428,000

Missouri $0.10 $7.35 79,000 $190 $8,618,000

Montana $0.15 $7.80 22,000 $310 $3,960,000

ohio $0.15 $7.85 215,000 $340 $43,443,000

oregon $0.15 $8.95 127,000 $410 $22,681,000

rhode island $0.35 $7.75 29,000 $510 $3,938,000

Vermont $0.14 $8.60 11,000 $240 $1,461,000

Washington $0.15 $9.19 164,000 $310 $29,009,000

total 995,000 $183,896,000


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A bipartisan group of senators re-leased a blueprint for comprehensiveimmigrationreformlastmonth,includ-ing a pathway to citizenship for some11millionundocumentedimmigrants.The group includes Sens. CharlesSchumer (D-N.Y.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.),RobertMenendez(D-N.J.),DickDurbin (D-Ill.), John McCain (R-Ariz.),MichaelBennett(D-Colo.),JeffFlake (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham(R-S.C.). President Obama was scheduled toannouncehisimmigrationreformplat-formonTuesday,Jan.29.Adelegationfrom the AFL-CIO, including AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, wasexpectedtoattendthiseventtosupportthe push for comprehensive immigra-tion reform and the road map to citi-zenshipforthe11millionaspiringciti-

zens.Thelabormovementrecognizesastrong and vibrant democracy cannotfunctionunlessallmenandwomen,re-gardlessoftheirskincolororwheretheywereborn,canparticipatemeaningfullyin thepolitical processwith full rightsandequalprotectionsintheworkplace. AFL-CIOPresidentRichardTrumkareleasedastatementonthisblueprint:

A bipartisan Senate group begin-ning the process to address ourfailed immigration system is animportant and long overdue firststep toward addressing our coun-try’s broken immigration system.Weareespeciallyencouragedtoseethatatlonglastthereisbipartisanagreementonourtoppriority,thatimmigration reform must includeaviablepath tocitizenship for11millionundocumentedimmigrants

whocallAmericahome.Much remains to be seen on thedetailsofthatpath,andeachdetailcan have significant consequencesfor millions of aspiring citizens.For instance, we are concernedthat making the citizenship pathcontingent on proof of employ-ment at the time enforcementmeasures are deemed completedcould be problematic. Dependingon implementation, theprinciplescould potentially exclude millionsof workers—those who care forourchildrenandourelderly,mowour lawns and repair our homes,drivetaxis—whocannotproveem-ployment because they have beenforcedtoworkofftheclockorhavenoemployerbyvirtueofbeingin-dependent contractors. It would

also exclude immigrants who areemployers themselves. We hopethat this sortofacknowledgementofeconomicrealityinformstheac-tualbilldraftingprocess.

That is why we look forward toworking with members of Con-gress and the president to ensurethat allmenandwomenhere, re-gardlessoftheirskincolororwherethey were born, can participatemeaningfully in the United Statesof America with full rights andequalprotections.America’sunionsare undertaking a national cam-paign to support theaspirationof11 million immigrants to becomecitizensbecauseweunderstandthatamoreequalAmericaisastrongerAmerica.

AFL-CIO president responds to immigration reform plan By Jackie Tortora, AFL-CIO


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Massachusetts AFL-CIO PresidentStevenTolman last month respondedto Governor Deval Patrick’s annualState of the State Address, emphasiz-ingtheneedforpublicinvestmentinapost-recessioneconomy. GovernorPatrickmadehistoryashelaidoutmanyboldandcomprehensivelegislativeprioritiesasheentersthefi-naltwoyearsofhisterm.Hecalledforasensiblereformtoourtaxcodethat

lessenstheburdenonlowerandmid-dleclassfamilieswhileraisingbillionsinnewrevenuewhichwillbeusedtoinvestintransportationandeducation.Massachusetts AFL-CIO PresidentStevenTolmanlaudedtheplaninthefollowingstatement: “After tough times that demandedsharedsacrificeMassachusettsisreadyforaninvestmentinourfuture.Recenthistoryhasforcedustocutinorderto

minimize the impact on our qualityof life.Butwecannotcutourwaytostronger families, stronger communi-ties,orastrongerfutureforourCom-monwealth,”Tolmansaid. Headded:“Theonlywaytoimprovethequalityoflifeforworkingfamiliesandthecommunitiesinwhichweliveistoinvest.Thatinvestmentdemandssubstantial new revenues that will bepaid back in spades, with more jobs

stemming from stronger infrastruc-ture,betterschools,andcommunitiesthatbolsterthehard-workingfamiliesthatmakeourCommonwealthsoex-ceptional. We applaud the Governorfor pursuing these investments andurgethelegislaturetojoinusallinre-storingtheopportunitythatisthelife-bloodofMassachusetts.”

Tolman responds to Mass. Gov’s ‘Bold’ State of State Address By the Massachusetts AFL-CIO


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ASouthCarolinadoctorandhiswife,anurse, are conducting experimental treat-mentforfirefightersandwarvetswhosufferfromPTSDusingMDMA,apureformofthe psychoactive stimulant/party drug Ec-stasy.Yes…ecstasy. AccordingtotheNewYorkDailyNews,the Multidisciplinary Association for Psy-chedelicStudiesisanonprofitthat’sfundingDr.andMrs.Mithoefer’sresearchinathree-yearstudytocommencein2014.Accordingto the couple, ecstasy decreases fear whileincreasingtrust—andhundredsofpotentialpatientshavecontactedthemforhelp. TheU.S.FoodandDrugAdministrationapprovedtheuseofMDMAinsuchstud-

ies.Dr.Mithoefer says thedrug can causeeuphoriaandanxietythroughouttreatment,andsosupervisionandsupportthroughouttheentireprocessiscrucial.

For those who oppose Naturally, many people do not thinkthis method is a good idea. Although theMDMAused in this treatment isdifferentfromEcstasy,thefact it’s inthesamefam-ilyasadrugresponsibleforwidespreadad-diction and overdose simply sounds like abad idea, especially for patients battlingwithsuchafragileandpowerfulillness.RonAcierno,PTSDclinicalteamdirectorattheRalphH.JohnsonVAMedicalCenter,says,

“Idon’tthinkanyVAisgoingtotouchthiswitha10-footpolebecauseof the typeofdrugitis.”

the benefits of MDMA If MDMA is successful in treatment,then it “helps the brain process traumaticmemorieswithoutbecomingoverwhelmedby emotion or fear.” The symptoms ofPTSD, including sudden nightmares and/or flashbacks, depression and isolation,maydecreaseorevenresolve.In2010,Dr.Mithoefer published the first completedstudyofMDMA’seffectontraumapatients.After two months of treatment, he foundmore than80percentof thepatientswho

originallyhadPTSDwereridoftheillness. How does the treatment process work?Qualified patients (who don’t have car-diovascular problems or a psychotic disor-der) receivea seriesofMDMAdoses.TheMithoefersprovidetherapyandsupportforthesessions,whichtakeuptoeighthours.Thepatientsalsoparticipateintherapybe-fore,in-between,andafterthesessions.Theentireprocess takesbetweenfiveandeightmonths. The Multidisciplinary Association forPsychedelicStudiesisinvesting$10millionover 15 years to receive FDA-approval forMDMAasaprescriptionmedicine.

Controversial treatment used in the fight against PTSD By American Addiction Centers


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