Rhode Island grapples with triple crises: Health care, housing, and higher ed
The announced closure of Anchor Medical leaves 25,000 Rhode Island patients
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Then comes housing.
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House Speaker Joe Shekarchi has helped the state make progress on this front by
And now for higher education.
It's easy to bang on Brown University for not having to pay taxes on many of its properties, but our only Ivy League university could face a funding crunch that threatens jobs and development. My colleague Alexa Gagosz reports that Brown has joined several universities around the country
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The bigger picture:
There are no easy answers, and things just get more complicated heading into an election year. Governor Dan McKee already questions the loyalty of anyone who isn't fully on board with his reelection, Shekarchi and Attorney General Peter Neronha are still privately flirting with running for governor, and the only news Helena Foulkes ever seems to make is about the money she is raising for her campaign.
Down the ticket, it's even worse. There are lots of folks who view Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos
as vulnerable, but no one has stepped up to actually announce a run. While the LG has limited powers, this would be an ideal moment for a candidate for that office to pledge to be the point person for at least one of the 3 Hs – and then stick to it.
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