Sunday’s Providence Journal ran the article “Challenger takes on R.I. Senate president” featuring the race between Senator Teresa Paiva-Weed and Jamestown independent candidate Sav Rebecchi. To her “credit,” Senator Paiva-Weed, in concert with her close, Newport politician friends (Mayor JeanneMarie Napolitano, Newport school committee’s Jo Eva Gaines, Kathy Silvia, and Sandra Flowers) has done a masterful job of keeping both the City of Newport and Newport Public Schools visionless, rudderless, and thoroughly dependent on seasonal tourists.
If you want to see a group of leaders tremble at the thought of 21st Century careers that demand solid, grades K-12 math, science and critical thinking skills, look no further. Holding the District 13 senate seat since 1993, Paiva-Weed is the leader of a cabal committed to the continued expansion of the “Newport Tourism & Social Welfare” enterprise.
The majority of Newporters know that our city is capable of doing so much more, yet our community has been forced to waste precious time and money fighting off repeated assaults from the quick buck, casino promoters who quickly align themselves with the leaders of our tourism and social welfare industry.
If you believe that a Newport North End Innovation Hub is more than just a pipe dream and are tired of watching this senior group of elected leaders practice their “soft bigotry of low expectations” on Newport’s children; I invite voters to join me on Election Day in wishing this group “bon voyage.” It’s time that we give our new candidates the opportunity to help build a far more vibrant Newport economy.
Mike Cullen
This Letter To The Editor was submitted by Mike Cullen, a Newport resident. The views and opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of What’sUpNewp, our writers or advertisers.
