Big truths emerge on data politics
Rhode Island is now a “majority minority” state, with political consequences being driven by economic urgency
A sign of safer times: A sign erected in 2026 marks a new memorial square which honors Miya Brophy-Baermann, a young woman tragically slain in a 2021 drive-by shooting on Olney Street in Providence.
The memorial square bears witness to the diligence of R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha and the stellar work done by his legal team, in collaboration with the Providence police force, in fighting back against gun violence and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
It’s been 44 years since I cast my first vote in 1972 when, for the first time, those 18 years of age and older were allowed to vote. I covered the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach and sold a subsequent report to Seventeen Magazine. On the night that Richard Nixon was re-elected President in 1972, the self-proclaimed mascot of the Republican Party, dressed up in an elephant costume, literally had me pinned to the wall at Nixon headquarters, threatening to kill me, until I was rescued by radio reporter Bill Vitka. In 1976 I covered the presidential debate in Philadelphia where the sound system did not work. In 1977 I covered the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter in Washington, D.C.
The list of my reporting adventures attempting to cover Presidential politics is much like a winding road that goes on and on and on. This year, which is not a presidential year, I feel compelled to stay alive and vote in an attempt to preserve American democracy.
• Since the establishment of modern-day Rhode Island, immigrants have been integral to the state's economic success.
Many mainstream political reporters, such as WPRI’s Ted Nesi, claimed that as a result of the Morales victory, “Democratic socialism is likely coming to Providence.” Nesi did so in the opening paragraph of his Sept. 19 “Nesi’s Notes” column. But his analysis seemed to be blind to the important demographic shifts that are occurring in the Ocean State.
Nicolato continued: “The median family income here in Rhode Island is $86,000. What they need is $111,000 a year to survive. The big challenge is that (costs and incomes) aren't matching. Wages that we've seen over the last few years have stayed relatively flat, but costs have risen dramatically. And the ALICE calculation contains and includes things like cell phones (and) energy costs — all those things that have risen over the last few years. With regards to ranking against other states, there's 41 states who are participating in this ALICE (data). The national average of ALICE is about 39 percent and we're at 43 percent, to give some context.”
Nicolato also addressed the racial imbalance in the ALICE data — the reason why Black and Hispanic residents are especially afflicted by rising costs.
“The unfortunate reality is marginalized communities are often affected the worst,” Nicolato told Tasca. “The data here show that many of our Black and Hispanic communities are in the industries that are affected by ALICE households. They may hold entry-level positions; they may (work) in the service industry, amongst others. And so the unfortunate reality is that we continue to see an equity gap between our communities of color and our white community across the country, but specifically here in Rhode Island.”
Access to political power
A discerning reader of Nesi’s political column will no doubt pay attention to the well-placed advertisements by the Rhode Island Foundation. “For us, a thriving Rhode Island means access to health care,” read a recent ad placed in “Nesi’s Notes.”
Indeed, the victory by Morales and his pending ascendency to become Providence Mayor means that access to health care will redefine how Morales’ base flexes its political muscle. One of the missing if not misunderstood data engines in Rhode Island is the dynamic between aging Baby Boomers and increasing diversity of caregivers in long-term care facilities, a relationship that appears to be mostly absent from political data calculations.
The latest skirmish to emerge from Centurion’s buyout of the two safety net hospitals, Our Lady of Fatima and Roger Williams Medical Center, focuses on the economic viability of the home nursing programs for patients. Independent Governor’s candidate Ken Block has already attempted to make noise around this issue, blaming the problem on the state rather than directing criticism at the former private equity owners who attempted to loot the cash from the two hospitals.
The likely next Attorney General, Kim Ahern, who won the Democratic primary, will have her hands full when it comes to health care in Rhode Island, if and when outgoing AG Peter Neronha releases his plans for a public health option in the next few weeks.
Candidates and reporters would do well to engage in a conversation with John Gage, the leader of the Rhode Island Health Care Association, which hosted a symposium last week focused on long-term care. Stay tuned.
