Jonathan Jacobs

Call A Christmas Tree A Christmas Tree, A Menorah A Menorah And Move On Already!

In honor of the season of giving, I have been asked to write the progressive point of view of the second annual showdown between the Holiday Tree and the Christmas Tree. Before delving into the extremely high-stakes debate over what label is given to the conifer in question, let me first say how preposterous I […]

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Right To Work Means Left Behind

Will fair practice be jeopardized if  RI adopts Right to Work? Right-to-work laws are a deliberate means by which to limit workers’ and employers’ freedom of contract negotiation. Furthermore, and contrary to propaganda, they do not belong in a free society. The enactment of a right-to-work law is an attack against the labor movement and against common […]

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Solve For X: Progressive Musings on Education Reform

The recent trend in education reform has been essentially a war on teachers and, by proxy, teachers unions. Certain factions want to place the full responsibility for declining student test scores on “overpaid” and “lazy” teachers. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of speaking with West Warwick Senator Adam Satchell, who is a […]

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Democratic Progress Trumps Republican Arguments and Rhode Island Joins in Popular Presidential Election Movement

Rhode Island recently joined a national movement to abandon the Electoral College system for presidential elections in spite of focused opposition by Minority Leadership within the Rhode Island General Assembly. House and Senate bills proposing a national popular election for president/vice president passed both chambers and have been signed into law by Governor Chafee. It’s […]

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Switching Parties Again: A No Lose Proposition for Chaffee

At the beginning of June, Governor Lincoln Chafee announced a change in party affiliation … again. The once Republican Senator turned Independent Governor has now changed uniforms once again to that of a Democrat. In a Guest Mindsetter® opinion piece with GoLocal Providence, Chafee wrote, “This isn’t about politics, it’s about principles. For nearly three […]

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Debunking the Republican Myths on Immigration Reform

There is no doubt that the sheer complexity of comprehensive immigration reform makes it a daunting topic to tackle. The now famous group formed within the U.S Senate to tackle the long overdue legislative reform, which adopted the title “the Gang of Eight,” created a bill called the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization […]

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Rhode Islanders for Tax Equity Defies the Fallacy of the Flight of the Lords

Rhode Islanders for Tax Equity held a recent press conference at the Rhode Island State House and brought attention to legislation that could mean $66 million in much needed revenue for the state. The March 12th presser was organized by a number of labor organizations and social action groups and included the sponsors of both […]

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