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I would hope that Ms. Tattrie's plan for Warren's future includes, as she stated, a full review of the proposed Comprehensive Plan. This draft document is decidedly preservation oriented, and gives short shrift to economic development. Planning is defined as the process of setting goals, developing strategies, and outlining tasks and schedules to accomplish the goals.Open space preservation should most certainly be one goal of town planners, but not the only goal. Such preservation should be balanced with a robust tax base, with new participants where appropriate, or those funding our community will continue to see our tax liabilities rise to new heights. New participants should be welcomed, and there desire to have facilities suited to sustain their specific business operations should be given due consideration. When the need arises to fund projects such as the Water Street sewer line repair, the value of an expanded tax base can be appreciated. As matters are, those types of costs always fall to the same taxpayers.

Those who vote to maintain the status quo often champion the renovation and reuse of older existing buildings. It is true that many vacant structures line Metacom Ave.and Main Street. The reasons for this are varied, but leading them is the fact that we live in one of the most decidedly anti-business states in the nation. Why would someone hoping to build a successful business open in RI? Perhaps the fact that Rhode Island's business climate is ranked 49th out of 50 is of no consequence to some, but it a statistic that does little to improve our unemployment numbers. For our own well being, this position must improve, and that improvement begins at the local level. I trust that our leaders appreciate the benefits of supporting those businesses that might choose to move to our town, in the hope that "the people who define Warren" can continue to afford to live here.

From: DePasquale in, Bolster out in Warren Town Council race

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.