RhodeMap Supporters Address Foes’ ‘Nonsense’
November 14, 2014
PROVIDENCE — The new statewide economic development plan moved a step closer to adoption as a review committee recently approved the RhodeMap RI effort, and shot back at critics.
“This is absolute nonsense,” said Robert Azar, chairman of the RhodeMap RI Technical Review Committee during its Nov. 13 meeting. Azar was referring to negative letters and the groundswell of detractors at recent public meetings who suggested that adopting the new economic plan would cede control of the state to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Others have suggested the plan is an extension of the United Nation’s Agenda 21 conspiracy.
A $1.9 million HUD grant funded much of the three-year effort to replace the state plan.
“There are people that believe that what HUD does is come in and take over your government at all levels,” said Kevin Flynn, associate director of the state Division of Planning, the organization overseeing the RhodeMap RI process. He noted that every Rhode Island city and town already accepts money from HUD annually. All remain autonomous, he said.
About half of the 150 attendees at public hearings Oct. 27 and Oct. 28 spoke against the plan. Several opponents took offense at the plan’s “smart-growth” principals that focus on multi-use, village centers and enhanced preservation of open space. There were accusations of government land taking to achieve these objectives.
“(RhodeMap RI) does not change anyone’s property rights, or change eminent domain,” said Jeff Davis, a planner with the Statewide Planning Program.
Others have protested that the government shouldn’t attempt to promote social equity or focus on improving urban areas.
At a Nov. 12 meeting, the influential business group the Rhode Island Public Expenditures Council (RIPEC) called for a delay on the plan’s final vote until January, when Gov.-elect Gina Raimondo takes office. Several members of the review committee noted that the plan was designed to be in place before the new administration is in place.
“RIPEC’s position doesn’t hold a lot of water, and their timing seems political,” said Ames Colt, a member of the technical committee and head of the Department of Environmental Management’s Bay, Rivers and Watershed Coordination Team.
Flynn added that RIPEC called for the new economic plan and has been involved in the planning and community outreach since the project launched in February 2012. “(RIPEC) has been at the table throughout the process,” he said.
Flynn said Raimondo is aware of the plan’s content and expressed support for the initiative during her campaign. He and other members of the committee stress that plan is nonbinding and that the General Assembly will choose which parts to enact.
“This is not legislation or law,” committee member Patrick Malone said. “We are not regulating anything.”
The process involved numerous public workshops to share ideas and build community consensus on issues such as education, the environment, energy, housing and tourism. The plan and the process for focused economic developing were modeled on a similar effort done in Massachusetts.
“That’s how Massachusetts has done it. They have a much more successful economy than we do, “Flynn said, “and that’s what we are going to do.”
As for paying for those parts of the plan that are implemented, “That’s the role of the budget office, Legislature and the governor,” Flynn said.
The Technical Review Committee voted unanimously to send the plan to the 35-member State Planning Council for an expected vote on Nov. 20.
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I participated in the entire Rhode Map process as a volunteer. The right wing attack on it is a bunch of hogwash, driven by anti science mania and the same PR firms that told us tobacco does not cause cancer. That said, the analysis presented by the RhodeMap documents is pathetically bad. It is based on the assumption of rapid growth without understanding the economy of a past industrial place like RI in the modern world economy. RI is not ever going to see rapid growth and needs an economy based on ecological healing and economic justice. A much more equitable economy will allow us to shrink smartly rahter than see poverty increase. A fuller explanation is in the written comments I submitted to the RI Divison of Planning. You can read them at http://prosperityforri.com/comments-on-the-september-2014-ri-economic-development-draft-plan/
While I recommend all interested to read Greg's interesting, thorough, inciteful, and provocative comments, perhaps he is taking Rhode Map too seriously too, as the plan has no funding for anythng so may have little impact. I've seen a lot of planning ideas adopted but never implemented.
That said, its disappointing that right-wing anti-conservation madness has spread into RI, the State Republican Party has signed on to the crazed opposition, I suppose to rally their base. That is sad, the GOP was more the party of conservation in RI when I came to the state in the 1960s. Reversing this should be addressed by the environment community as its almost impossible to make progress in the US with a major party so hostile to environmental protection.
I too participated in some of the public workshops and am sad to see that the democratic process, in which all citizens of RI had an opportunity to participate, is now being criticized for trying to bring social justice and equanimity into communities that deserve it! There were many public announcements and opportunities to give input into the process. It is no wonder RI falls behind in economic development. There are those who need to learn to get out of their own way and let RI move forward while maintaining clean water, open space, walkable communities, and affordable housing for all.