Senator Goodwin, Leader Fox Join Mayor to Introduce "Fair Share" Legislation for Large Institutions
Legislation would enable cities and towns to ensure local property taxpayers aren’t shouldering an unfair burden for local services

Watch the press conference at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHfZpDM63mE 

 

Mayor David N. Cicilline was joined in his office yesterday by Senator Maryellen Goodwin, House Majority Leader Gordon Fox and Providence residents to introduce legislation that enables increased local contributions from large, tax-exempt institutions. It allows the institutions to do their fair share and protects local property taxpayers from shouldering more of the burden. Officials cited the enormous contributions made to cities and towns by private colleges and universities and non-profit hospitals, but added that the imbalance between their municipal contributions and the burden on local property taxpayers has become too great.

 

The “Fair Share Assessment Fee” would enable Rhode Island cities and towns to assess to private colleges and universities a fee equivalent to $150.00 per student per semester, except for those students who are Rhode Island residents. It is designed to help offset the costs of providing police, fire, rescue, road maintenance, parking enforcement, and other municipal services to students.

 

The “Fair Share Impact Fee” would enable municipalities to assess to all large not-for-profit institutions a payment not to exceed 25% of the applicable commercial tax rate. The legislation would affect only institutions with assessed property values of $20 million or greater.

 

“The playing field has become too tilted against local property taxpayers with Rhode Island’s over-reliance on property tax to pay for schools, the loss of revenue sharing, and the recession,” said Mayor Cicilline. “Every stakeholder must come forward to bring balance back to the equation, including the city’s unions and also the large not-for-profit institutions.”

 

“While acknowledging the many contributions of the colleges, everyone will have to contribute their share in order to meet these challenges,” said Leader Fox. “Having these institutions share some of the burden will lessen the impact on homeowners and businesses that already pay their fair share of taxes.”

 

"These bills are designed to give host cities and towns the ability to accept fair and appropriate contributions from large non-profits at a time when property taxpayers are stretched to the limit, "  said Senator Goodwin.

 

In his remarks, the Mayor emphasized the unique value these institutions have on our city and state and the importance of the special exemptions they have been given for this reason. However, he said the current system is simply too punitive to local property taxpayers and that change is needed now. Currently, not-for-profits make up 40% of the assessed value in Providence but contribute less than 1% to the City’s budget. 

 

Mayor Cicilline also stated that his administration must continue its fiscal vigilance. Already, Providence has shed 445 jobs since 2003. Additionally, Providence is 37th out of 39 cities and towns for municipal budget growth since fiscal year 2004.

 

The legislation is pending posting by the State Office of Legislative Counsel with hearing dates to be scheduled afterward.

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Mayor Cicilline Urges RI Senate to Pass Prostitution Legislation

Praises House for taking an important step towards banning indoor prostitution and suggests ways to strengthen legislation in the Senate

Mayor David N. Cicilline this Monday urged lawmakers in the Rhode Island Senate to act quickly and pass legislation banning indoor prostitution.  Mayor Cicilline, who has been fighting to reform Rhode Island’s archaic prostitution laws for years, praised Representative Joanne M. Giannini for her “great passion” in leading this effort in the House. 

 

“I want to thank Representative Giannini for her hard work and perseverance in pushing this important issue through the House and making sure that her fellow legislators understood the negative consequences of indoor prostitution on our neighborhoods and the victims of human trafficking,” said the Mayor.

 

In a letter to the Senate leadership, the Mayor discussed the negative impact indoor prostitution – disguised as so-called “spas” in various locations – has on the quality of life in neighborhoods, as well as the damaging impact on the state’s reputation.  When Mayor Cicilline took on the fight to rid the City of these establishments in 2006, in light of the current law, he directed the full use of the regulatory powers of the city, the fire and building codes, to close these establishments.

 

“I personally went to court to testify about the city’s refusal to allow the opening of a ‘spa’ across the street from a school, public library and recreation center,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “We won and this establishment was not allowed to open.”

 

Recognizing the victimization of women in brothels, the Cicilline administration, in partnership with police and local social service agencies, created an investigation team in Providence that included a female translator and sexual assault counselors.  In 2007, Mayor Cicilline’s staff created model legislation criminalizing prostitution in any area and calling for harsher penalties on pimps, traffickers, and johns.  The proposed legislation gained the praise of a nationally recognized expert on human trafficking, University of Rhode Island Professor Donna Hughes.

 

“The bills before the General Assembly point the way to a better future for our state and I am pleased that this issue is finally getting the attention it deserves,” said the Mayor.  “I believe it is possible to reform our laws and offer protection to those who are victims of human traffickers and forced into prostitution while, at the same time, penalizing the profiteers and customers.”

 

The Mayor called the bills currently pending before the General Assembly an “excellent first step.”  He urged the Senate to consider broadening the scope of the legislation in order to strengthen it in the following ways:

• Greater penalties for the customers which would increase for subsequent offenses by customers
• The ability for an individual to avoid criminal prosecution when he or she has been compelled into commercial sex
• Require the creation of an interview protocol to be used by police in cross-examinations to help identify victims of human trafficking and better identify and prosecute the profiteers
• Penalties for landlords who knowingly rent to brothel operators
• Using assets seized in prosecution of this crime, create a diversion program where those arrested for selling sex can avoid penalties by participating in a program of comprehensive services that will allow them to escape the conditions that compelled them into prostitution
• Use seized assets to provide training to local police departments and to fund partnerships that can assist victims of sexual trauma, provide translation services and more.

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Feature: My School

Local Grads Reflect on their Past and Future Visions of College

  

Graduation season is underway! For some, this means college is done; for others, the journey begins.  Providence students like Gaby Mollinedo, a Hope High School alum, who'll be receiving her diploma in graphic design from RISD next week; and Dioni Cruz, a senior at Cooley High School, who'll be entering his freshman year at the College of Holy Cross in nearby Worcester this fall, may be marching towards different paths in their young lives but they have a few things in common.  Both came from immigrant families and will be the first in their household to either graduate from an American college or get accepted into one.  And both have been mentored by some of our city's best college advisors.

 

Five years ago, Mollinedo became part of the first class of 10 high school graduates in Providence to receive individualized college advising from the local nonprofit, College Visions.  Today, Cruz is one of 73 high school students who will be entering college, thanks to College Visions advisors.  In just four years, the nonprofit has already steered a little over 200 low-income, first-generation, college-bound youth to enroll in some of the top colleges and universities, and have armed their young advisees with the skills to make sound decisions about issues like financial aid. 

 

City News caught up with these two soon-to-be grads to reflect on their own visions - past and future - of college life.

 

What's on your mind these days as you prepare to graduate?

Dioni: A bunch of stuff altogether - moving on, leaving home.  Providence is basically all I've known so moving to another state is something new.  I want to meet new people and I'm a shy person so that makes it kinda' hard but people move on and I'll work it out, do whatever I have to do.  Finals week is next week so hopefully that will go well and I pass all my exams!

 

Gaby: I guess like every other college graduate, on my mind is getting a job, although maybe not so much as some of my friends.  I'm thinking a little bit more about staying home and helping my mom out for a little while before I go find a real job.  So that's what's on my mind but I'm also feeling really grateful and thankful that I've made it this far.  I'll be the first one in my family to graduate from college.  My mom did in Guatemala, my father finished high school here, and my brother dropped out. 

 

Tell us about your experience with College Visions. What are some of the things you learned from them that you didn't know about applying for college?

Dioni: They taught me everything.  I didn't know anything. I came in blind.  I was encouraged by a friend to join the program and I will be thankful to him forever.  At first I thought I was going to have a rigid schedule and not be able to make the meetings here but he forced me to join the program and College Visions worked with me.  They showed me the whole process from beginning to end - from FAFSA to financial aid, and how different colleges compare to each other in terms of the different opportunities they provide.  They helped me do whatever I needed to do and move on with my life.  They taught me basically everything about college. 

 

Gaby: College Visions is awesome - from Simon to Deborah - they're all amazing people.  From day one to this moment, they've been there for me even if it's just to ask me how I'm doing.  It's really nice to know that aside from my mom, there are people who cared about me while I was in school.  I have a great support system behind me and I owe them everything. 

 

My mom, being from another country, really didn't know how to help me out.  My college advisor was really nice but she had to take care of 600 kids.  I just needed a place where I could get support and ask questions. I went and talked to Simon and it turned out to be one of the best things that I ever did! Everything that I learned from College Visions, and all the schools I was accepted into, I honestly don't think would've really happened unless I had met Simon at New Urban Arts and signed up for the program.  I definitely give all the credit to College Visions for getting me this far.  They are amazing.  I'm totally indebted to them and love them.  Anything I could do for them, I definitely will.

 

Gaby, five years ago, as a high school junior, you became part of the first class of College Visions advisees. Was college anything like you expected it to be four years ago?

Gaby: No, not at all.  I thought of college as what you see on TV.  I didn't really have anything to compare it to.  All my friends are the same age as me and I didn't really have any friends back then who had gone to college, and especially to a school like RISD.  College was definitely a pleasant surprise. 

 

But I guess the thing I love about RISD is that, especially within your major or your department, there's such a community there.  Freshman year was really, really hard and looking back on it I kinda' wonder how I managed to do it.  It's 8 hours of studio, going home, and doing 13 hours of homework.  There really isn't much sleep involved - but I think you can say that over the last 4 years, there hasn't been that much sleep involved!

 

Also, being able to go to class and do work like making a book, or laying out a poster - as opposed to doing math or writing a 13-page essay - that's something that I didn't think I'd be able to do. 

 

What inspired you to pursue higher learning?

Dioni: My parents always taught me that if you wanted a job, if you wanted a life, you had to go to college.  If you want to be happy, you have to go to college.  Happiness comes with sacrifice and going to college is a big sacrifice as well.  They motivated me and I know that they're 200% behind me in everything I do.  They were my motivation. 

 

How did you end up choosing your colleges?

Dioni: To me, it didn't really matter where I went.  I applied to seven schools, got accepted to five, and waitlisted to two.  What I wanted was the education but the main deciding factor for me was financial aid.  Holy Cross gave me a full scholarship! It was a hard decision because I also got accepted to the University of Rochester and I loved it there but they gave me many, many loans that I have to pay back.  I don't want to have loans after I graduate.  I want to graduate and just move on with my life and not have to pay more bills after school.  My family works really hard but not hard enough to be paying thousands and thousands of dollars towards school, so it was great that I got a full scholarship.  But I also liked that the school is very close to Providence.  It's only a 45-minute drive.  This way I can still be close to my family and friends while still living independently out of town.  But I think if I get homesick, I'll probably drive home to Providence!

 

Gaby: I applied to seven schools, all of them art schools, except for RIC.  RIC didn't accept me but all the other schools did and it really came down to financial aid.  RISD and Hope High had a partnership.  A few years earlier a friend of mine had gone to RISD on full scholarship through Hope.  But I hadn't kept in contact with him so I didn't know if that was a one-time thing.  But I applied and got in regularly, but because of my status financially and being a Hope grad, I got in through full tuition scholarship.  I had to pay for on-campus living and my mom thought it would be very important for me to live on campus to get the full experience of college.  So I do have a few loans to pay off but I cannot complain.  I probably have a loan that's equal to a quarter of one year's cost at RISD. 

 

What are you planning to study?

Dioni: I plan to study engineering.  I still don't know whether I want to concentrate on electrical or computer engineering.  Holy Cross is a liberal arts school without an engineering department, but they have a joint program with Columbia University in New York.  You have to do five years of school but I think this will be a good program that will allow me to experience two different schools.  So it will be three years at Holy Cross, and two years at Columbia.  I want to study engineering because I love math.  I think I have a natural knack for numbers.  Numbers are my thing! I like messing around with electronics, like I'll pick a remote control, open it up, d see what's inside.  I fixed my sister's Game Boy the other day - things like that fascinate me, it's like figuring out a code. 

 

I'm also thinking about doing a minor in writing.  All my English teachers have said that I have a knack for describing things and using my imagination and being really detailed about stuff.  So I might look into this later on.  

 

What's next after graduation? Any hopes or expectations for post-college life?

Gaby: Working for a nonprofit is the kind of thing that really interests me, and the kind of thing that a lot of my friends have been telling me not to do, but I'm trying to not let that deter me. I wish there was a Broad Street Studio and AS220 in every state! That way I could do the kind of work I want to do anywhere! I really want to live in New York but the nonprofits there are not like the ones in Providence.  It's such a small city here that when nonprofits like College Vision make an impact, it's felt.  Long term, that's where I want to be - to do design that really benefits people and not just to sell.  Anybody can sell their designs but I feel like I'd be really bored doing that.  I also love music and I'd love to do something in the music business - designing CDs, posters, that kind of thing.  I'm set on staying in Providence for a while.

 

How about some words of wisdom for the underclassmen that are thinking about college now?

Dioni: I'm going to encourage them to join College Visions! I have a cousin who's a junior and I believe College Visions is going to their school and so I'm going to encourage her to sign up.  College Visions was a big help.  But I want to tell the underclassmen not to lose focus in the end.  Many people slack in the end of the senior year.  So keep focused and if you're doing good keep doing good.  You need to improve in order to be at the higher level that you want to be.  If you want to have that bright future that my parents told me about, and I'm sure many parents tell their kids the same thing, then going to college is a really good thing to do.  In the working world, they will take someone with a college degree over someone who doesn't.  So stay focused in school and don't slack. 

 

Gaby: Don't be scared.  Even from working with College Visions this past summer, and in talking to some of the kids applying to college, a lot of them are really scared.  I would say if you have College Visions on your side, honestly, there's nothing to be scared of! It's really stressful when you're doing it on your own.  There's so much to take in, especially if you're applying to multiple schools at once, which you should do.  College Visions will help you every step of the way.  My advice is to apply to College Visions and try to get in. 

 

Also, apply to school with your friends.  It helps because sometimes when you're on your own it's easy to get confused or feel helpless.  Talking with your friends and going through the application process together, or having someone supporting you through it, helps. 

 

Dioni, are there any special items you plan to bring with you to college?

Dioni: I don't really need that much stuff.  A fridge.  TV.  Personal items like toothpaste, my video games.  I'm a very simple guy.  And I'll only be 45 minutes away so I can always drive back and bring stuff later!

 

The College Visions Annual Graduation Ceremony kicks off at 6 p.m. next Tuesday, May 26th at the Beneficent Church downtown.  For more, go to www.collegevisions.org

 
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