Many Brown students only bother with Providence politics when it concerns the University. Last spring, the negotiations between former President Ruth Simmons and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras about the University's contributions to the city were the subject of widespread campus discussion.
If we were only paying attention to those negotiations, we would have a bleak picture of the state as one with a mismanaged government and suffering economy. But while Rhode Island - and Providence in particular - are indeed going through hard times, there are many initiatives in place to address the situation. These projects, which include new gambling legislation and the introduction of crime watch groups, have the potential to help the state and its capital city in a big way and should thus be brought to the attention of the Brown community.
In light of the recent wave of assaults and robberies, Brown students should pay attention to Taveras' recent efforts to reduce the city's crime rate. In the past month, there have been more than 900 violent crimes reported in Providence, and the mayor's response has been swift and multi-faceted. His efforts include creating more jobs for the city's youth population in an effort to keep them busy and off the streets, increasing the number of law enforcement officers in dangerous areas and instituting a gun tip line.
Above all, he is trying to engage Providence residents in promoting their own safety by calling for more neighborhood crime watches. Taveras' economic and crime-prevention policies reflect an over-arching philosophy that top-down policies are not the only solution to the city's problems. Rather, the people affected - namely, the citizens themselves - should have a role in fixing them. This "we're all in this together" mentality, when combined with innovative policies, has the potential to improve social and economic conditions in Providence.
Though more than 80 percent of participants in a recent Providence study believe the city is going through hard economic times, Taveras' approval rating has still risen 13 percent in the last year. This puts him at a 60 percent approval rating, which is frankly amazing both in absolute terms and relative to the more pessimistic national public opinion of the economy. Though the city is obviously still suffering, Taveras' concrete efforts and public transparency have distinguished him from other Providence politicians. His approval rating demonstrates that good communication and determined effort are what Providence wants and needs in its leadership.
Of course, the biggest problem Rhode Island faces is its economy - but even this is being addressed through new measures regarding the state's casinos. This election day, Rhode Islanders will vote on new measures to expand and improve operations in two casinos, one in Lincoln and the other in Newport. Regardless of your individual opinion on gambling, this legislation will not only ensure these casinos are competitive with nearby casinos in Massachusetts but will also create new jobs and increase state tax revenues. Though casino reform may not be the first policy that comes to mind when we think about ways to improve the state's economy, maybe unconventional policies are exactly what we need.
While Rhode Island is a tiny state that rarely appears on the national radar and the vast majority of Brown students come from out of state, the issues surrounding state and local politics should still be relevant to the Brown community. It is time that we broke a little more out of the "College Hill bubble" and actually started paying attention to what is going on around us - if not because these policies will affect us directly, then because they are affecting thousands of people in our state. The University is playing its part by contributing millions of dollars to help improve the local economy. As Brown students, it is our job to contribute awareness.
Editorials are written by The Herald's editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
