Poli-ticks

Some good news and some not so good news

By Arlene Violet
Posted 11/20/19

With the din of negativity accompanying the impeachment hearings, I thought it would be a good idea to herald something good that was being done right here in our community. The Alan Shaun Feinstein …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Poli-ticks

Some good news and some not so good news

Posted

With the din of negativity accompanying the impeachment hearings, I thought it would be a good idea to herald something good that was being done right here in our community. The Alan Shaun Feinstein Foundation has launched a social media campaign on its Facebook page to encourage and feature local children’s good deeds.  The acts of kindness/good deeds done by a student(s) can be submitted to the website where the students will receive recognition and be featured with their stories. Each time a story is featured, and a school notifies the Foundation that it is one of their students the Foundation will send a $200 check to the student’s classroom for the teacher to use as he/she sees fit for the benefit of the class. The mission quite simply is to spotlight the many good acts of local children, encourage more of them, and benefit the schools at the same time.

For years Mr. Feinstein has put his money where his mouth is in promoting the practice of kind acts by children. At present over 176 Feinstein schools exist in the public and catholic school systems. These schools have had their students pledge to practice kindness. Now, that’s a great education! To date the Foundation has had over 250,000 Junior Scholars committed to making a positive difference in their respective communities. Bravo to the teachers who encourage these practices.

The Foundation is always open  to more schools becoming Feinstein schools and folks can find out how, or follow the kindnesses children perform on a daily basis by connecting to the above site. Children who should be recognized can be nominated. With such negative press accompanying some children today it is a welcome respite to remember that many youngsters are fine citizens!

I have known Mr. Feinstein for many years and he is one of my heroes. His financial contributions to Universities like Roger Williams, where I am a trustee, and URI, for preference and scholarship funds for Feinstein kids is a model of citizen involvement in and of itself. I have also worked with his wife, Doctor Patricia Feinstein, a fine psychiatrist, who would donate her services in helping me and my colleagues at the Rhode Island Protection and Advocacy System (RIPAS) to secure appropriate treatment and class placement for children with behavioral disorders. Philanthropy runs in this family!

In the not so good news department is the very need for sixteen cities and towns to file litigation against the governor and legislative leaders who pandered again to special interests by requiring “evergreen “ contracts, i.e. the extension of  existing contracts until a new one is negotiated. This change handcuffs the bargaining power of cities and towns and virtually guarantees that local property owners will continue to outpace other states in increased property taxes. It is discouraging to see the lapdogs on Smith Hill capitulate again to unions.

It will be interesting to see what the court system does with the case. My concern is that the bench is generally populated with past politicians or allies of the very leaders who are being sued. The municipalities have raised viable legal grounds. Hopefully,  the judiciary  will act truly independently with a sound analysis of the legal grounds.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.

Arlene Violet

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
Mike Rego

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.