RIIHEA

FOR A TOPIC that is usually downright depressing, the city mayors and administrators who gathered over bagels and eggs to talk about vacant and abandoned properties sounded remarkably upbeat.

Providence, R.I.–Providence College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ‘80 told a group of business leaders that he continues to strenuously oppose two bills before the Rhode Island General Assembly that would allow the City of Providence to implement a student impact fee and collect taxes on up to 25 percent of large, tax-exempt nonprofits’ assessed property values.

The Knowledge Economy Grants were chosen by The Innovation Providence Implementation Council (IPIC) based on each proposed project’s ability to fit within defined “targets of opportunity,” as well as to show collaboration and measurable outcomes.

Winning awards focused on growing the Knowledge Economy in the City, State and led by AICU Rhode Island membership included:

Rhode Island continues to sink deeper into recession.

But there have been several encouraging developments in the last few weeks that give state leaders a base on which to start a recovery that can be built into a new economy.

At the behest of Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, the General Assembly is soon to consider two bills that, if approved, would do significant, if not irreparable, damage to the state’s nonprofit institutions.

BRIAN J. SHANLEY

I AGREE with Mayor David Cicilline when he says that he has a fiscal and moral obligation to find creative solutions for Providence’s budget deficit that do not further burden those who already contribute significantly to the city’s financial well-being. Unfortunately, the mayor does not consider private colleges and their students among those who already bear their fair share of the fiscal burden. On this point we deeply disagree.