
With climate change our new reality, it's time to invest in a more resilient Rhody
Get Rhode Map
A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State.
Enter Email
Sign Up
Thanks to the Rhode Island
Using funding from recent voter-approved
Advertisement
These are all excellent investments, but the reality is the demand for limited resilience grant funding has greatly exceeded available resources. Indeed, the Infrastructure Bank typically receives funding requests from our cities and towns that are double and triple what is available through Municipal Resilience Program Action Grants.
That is why we have introduced legislation at the General Assembly to create the
The fund would work by creating a revolving source of low-interest loan financing for municipal resilience projects, similar to Rhode Island's
Not only are resilient infrastructure improvements important to the basic functioning of our communities, they are also an excellent investment. According to a
The time has come to move beyond planning for extreme weather events and to dedicate resources toward solutions. Our state has made real progress upgrading infrastructure to make it more resilient to the impacts of climate change, and now is the time to create a reliable, long-term source of funding so our cities and towns can build a Resilient Rhody.
Advertisement
James Diossa is Rhode Island's General Treasurer, Vahid Ownjazayeri is chair of the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank's Board of Directors, and William Fazioli is the executive director of the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
Timothy J. Cavanagh: Illinois toxic tort law would prevent out-of-state companies from evading accountability
Every Illinoisan deserves to live and work in a safe environment free from hazardous, life-threatening conditions. Yet when our residents travel to other states, they may face repeated exposure to asbestos or other highly toxic substances and be vulnerable to serious illness if they were not provided proper protective clothing and breathing equipment. Out-of-state companies too often escape accountability for exposing individuals to dangerous materials, leaving them to suffer devastating health consequences with little legal recourse short of the expensive, time-consuming and impractical option of pursuing lawsuits in those other states. A bill, SB328, recently passed by the General Assembly and now under Gov. JB Pritzker's consideration, solves that dilemma by permitting a person filing a case in an Illinois court to include out-of-state companies as defendants. By strengthening the ability of Illinois residents to seek justice against all responsible parties, this legislation would help promote healthier, safer working conditions by putting businesses, regardless of where they are headquartered, on notice that they are responsible for protecting Illinoisans from preventable harms. To be clear, this legislation applies in relatively limited circumstances. SB328 does not expose Illinois-based businesses to litigation to which they are not already subject under current law. To involve companies not located in the state, but doing business here, a plaintiff must first file a case in Illinois against at least one defendant that would be subject to the specific jurisdiction of an Illinois court. Only then, contingent upon a judge's approval, could other relevant out-of-state businesses be added to the case. Additionally, this legislation pertains only to toxic substances as defined by the Illinois Uniform Hazardous Substances Act. One such example familiar to most people would be asbestos, because of its sad and long history in our country of sickening hundreds of thousands of people and condemning them to prolonged and painful deaths. If you've seen the suffering caused by the careless use of asbestos up close, you would understand why it is important to send a strong message that companies using toxic substances need to take sufficient care to protect people from being harmed by them. And, if they fail to do so, they deserve significant financial punishment to deter them and others from persisting in unsafe practices. The fearmongering from Illinois business organizations about the bill borders on hysteria. Despite what they say, prescription drugs, baby formula, beverages and food products are not a part of the bill for the simple reason they aren't made with highly toxic ingredients. Opponents also say New York rejected the same bill. Not true. New York's was far more expansive and, beyond businesses, included nonprofits and governmental entities. Finally, those against the bill argue it would make Illinois an outlier. But, in reality, other states have laws that say anyone transacting business in them consents to the jurisdiction of their courts. Pennsylvania already has a far broader toxic tort law than what is proposed in Illinois, and I have yet to see any news coverage about the cessation of business in the Steel City, the City of Brotherly Love or all the many towns between the two. Opposition from Illinois corporate associations to this legislation is puzzling, since it actually levels the playing field for Illinois companies by holding those from out of state to the same standard as applies to those that are based here. The bill's merits are attested to by the diversity of its supporters, which include dozens of trade and service unions represented by the Illinois AFL-CIO; the multitude of local and national environmental organizations that work collaboratively through the Illinois Environmental Council; and Citizen Action, the state's largest public interest organization that advocates for policies to protect the health and well-being of all Illinoisans. By reinforcing corporate accountability, this bill complements Illinois' ongoing efforts to strengthen environmental protections and public health safeguards. It sends a clear message and commonsense message: Companies that profit from doing business here must accept the responsibility of protecting the people and environment they impact. With the Donald Trump administration choosing to stop enforcing various environmental protections and, shockingly, reconsidering the ban on cancer-causing asbestos put in place by the previous administration, it is vital that states step into the breach. Pritzker's signature on SB328 will send a clear message that Illinois is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to protecting the public's health. Timothy J. Cavanagh is founder of Cavanagh Sorich Law Group in Chicago and president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.


CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
SEPTA warns 'doomsday' service cuts could disrupt Philadelphia student's back-to-school commute
SEPTA is urging families in the Philadelphia region to start planning now for how their children will be getting to and from school next month. All 55,000 students who ride SEPTA's buses and trains will be affected by the agency's self-described "doomsday" service cuts, according to Andrew Busch, SEPTA's communications director. He said students will have to wake up even earlier to get to class on-time. "It's going to be much more difficult to get those kids to school," Busch said. "[What] students and parents will probably need to prepare for is having students take more transfers than they normally do and certainly allowing for time to get to and from school." Agency leaders said the cuts were necessary to plug a $213 million budget hole. The first wave of cuts, which includes removing 36 bus routes, eliminating 3,000 bus stops and slashing service systemwide by 20%, are scheduled to take effect on Aug. 24, exactly one day before the start of school. Busch warned students living in the city's northeast and northwest neighborhoods will be most affected. "In those areas where there's not as much density, the impact is going to be a little more just because things are spaced out a little more," Busch said. "There's not as much service in those areas, so when you take away some service, it can have a bigger impact in those areas where we're not running as much service to begin with." Both politicians and SEPTA leaders are lobbying members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to allocate more money to the agency, but Busch warned even if state money comes in at the last minute, SEPTA wouldn't be able to quickly reverse the cuts. "The closer we get to the 24th [of August], the more difficult it's going to be," Busch said. "We need about two or three weeks to either make a decision to go or not go with these cuts, so if we got into the 20th and funding hadn't been approved, then we'd already be too late." A spokeswoman with The School District of Philadelphia said the district's working with its transportation department to gather information and communicate options to families. Starting Monday, SEPTA will begin posing signs about the cuts at every affected bus route and stop. It's also urging parents to visit its website for more details on the service cuts.


Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Willie Wilson: Is Illinois' state procurement being used effectively to stabilize communities of color?
Government contracting with local businesses is a widely used tool to help stabilize communities. The effective use of procurement — sourcing, purchasing and managing goods and services a state agency needs to operate — can aid in job and wealth creation and lower crime. The state of Illinois spends billions of dollars annually on procurement. In 2013, African Americans, who represented 9.5% of the ownership of businesses, received less than 1% of the total contracts awarded by the state of Illinois. In 2015, the General Assembly and then-Gov. Bruce Rauner authorized creating the Fair Practices in Contracting Task Force. I served as chairman of the task force, and our final report in 2018 offered recommendations to make contracting more equitable. Our extensive work involved examining the contracting of every state agency. Our goal was to ensure parity in state contracting and boost businesses that have been left out. Gov. JB Pritzker in 2021 authorized creating the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion. The same year, in signing legislation to expand economic opportunity, Pritzker noted that 'these four bills mark significant progress in our efforts to close the racial gaps and eliminate barriers that have for too long unfairly held Black and Brown Illinoisans back.' Illinois House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch said it was 'a monumental step toward our mission of addressing systemic racism by expanding economic access and opportunity.' The Commission on Equity and Inclusion was created in part to expand access to state contracts for minorities, women, people with disabilities and veterans. Clearly, the commission followed the work of the contracting task force. The governor could have collaborated with the task force since the goals were aligned. It is fair to ask: How has the commission improved state contracting with minority-owned firms? According to the commission's fiscal year 2024 expenditure report, much work remains to be done. A few highlights from the report: There are other examples of Illinois agencies that could do more by way of procurement with Black-owned businesses. But the most egregious example is the Department of Corrections. Consider that African Americans represent 54.5% of the total prison population in Illinois. Black people make up the majority of prisoners in Illinois, and Black businesses receive less than 0.5% of state contracts with the IDOC. Black businesses could supply clothing, food, water, cleaning supplies and other items necessary to run the prison system. An inclusive state requires accountability and removal of systemic barriers for Black businesses. In spite of affirmative action and diversity, equity and inclusion policies, disparities persist in access by Black people to capital, markets and other resources. Consequences of these disparities are high crime, inflation, poverty and double-digit unemployment in the Black community. Black-owned businesses and state governments face existential threats from the current political and legal landscape and uncertain tariff policies. However, elected leaders must not be deterred in correcting past wrongs and ensuring that all communities benefit from the use of public tax dollars through government contracting. The following are recommendations to help sustain and grow the number of Black-owned businesses: Contracting officers and elected leaders must be held accountable for their failure to improve procurement numbers for Black-owned businesses. I will convene 2,000 faith leaders and minority business owners around the state to provide recommendations regarding parity in contracting to elected leaders. Government contracting done right can have an enormous benefit to minority-owned businesses and marginalized communities. As a business owner, I reinvest my profits from contracts back into the community. Small businesses can help provide community stability. I write this commentary to make those comfortable with allowing barriers to limit state procurement contracts for Black-owned businesses uncomfortable. Willie Wilson is a business owner, philanthropist and former mayoral candidate.