To the Editor:
I was not impressed by The Herald's article on the Providence mayoral race ("Mayoral race heats up before Sept. 14 primary," Sept. 7), which showed in its description of each candidate an extremely flimsy understanding of this election and what Providence has at stake.
For example, the article touted Steven Costantino's role in Rhode Island's recent adoption of an education funding formula. What it failed to mention was that Costantino has been Chair of the House Finance Committee for close to a decade now. When the Chair of the House Committee on Finance wants something to happen, it happens. A funding formula bill has been proposed by progressive representatives like Edie Ajello every single year going back to the mid-90s, yet time and time again it has been shot down by none other than Steven Costantino. But suddenly, the year Costantino decides to run for mayor of Providence, what do you know, we get a funding formula.
Providence deserves better.
Providence deserves a mayor like Angel Taveras, who knows — in a way that few political leaders in our country can ever claim to know — exactly what so many of Providence's citizens are going through. Growing up in the infamous Lockwood Plaza projects, working his way through the public school system and returning to Providence after getting his law degree to continue community empowerment work has given Angel a profound understanding of how badly we need to remold city government into the tool for social justice that Providence needs.
But Angel can't do it alone. This is an election where your vote really matters. To win this low-turnout, three-way primary, Angel needs only 10,000 votes. There are at least 500 registered Brown students. In an election this close — Providence elections have been known to come down to double-digit margins — a strong Brown student turnout could be the difference between victory and defeat.
We have the opportunity to be a part of something truly historic here. We can change this city. We really can.
Aaron Regunberg '12
Sept. 9
