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PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineering

Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 4:36 pm
by RhowdyRam02
Election Day, November 4th will be a critical day for URI, as a bond issue will go up before voters to approve a $125 million bond that will create a new 195,000 square foot College of Engineering building and renovate existing facilities. It's going to be critical for us, as friends URI, to be passionate and informative when it comes to this issue to make sure it's passed.

http://engineering4ri.com/

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 6:05 pm
by ATPTourFan
OMG, if this has any problem passing, Rhode Islanders truly are some of the dumbest in the nation when it comes to appreciating the positive effect a strong university can have on local economy. Look at all the local companies who endorse this. No Brainer!

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 6:10 pm
by Puck Frovidence
YES ON 4!

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 10:39 pm
by TruePoint
Has to be yes.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2014 2:44 pm
by Taylor Swift
We win for having misinformed and uneducated voters in this state. These people put Governor Moonbeam in office.

Having this pass will be crucial for the state's economy. I just hope the folks in the northern part of the state get it.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 11:01 am
by RF1

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 1:26 pm
by RhowdyRam02
I think this is going to be much closer than it should be. I posted something about this on Facebook today and one of my friends who graduated from URI and lives in Newport absolutely trashed the idea. "URI doesn't need another $125 million. Another waste." "Don't dump MORE money into that sinkhole called URI."

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 2:49 pm
by TruePoint
RhowdyRam02 wrote:I think this is going to be much closer than it should be. I posted something about this on Facebook today and one of my friends who graduated from URI and lives in Newport absolutely trashed the idea. "URI doesn't need another $125 million. Another waste." "Don't dump MORE money into that sinkhole called URI."
We have, by far, the most ignorant residents of any state in the country. When people think ignorance, most of think Mississippi or Arkansas. But nope, Little Rhody sets the standard for American ignorance.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 3:13 pm
by BFC
Taylor Swift wrote:We win for having misinformed and uneducated voters in this state. These people put Governor Moonbeam in office.

Having this pass will be crucial for the state's economy. I just hope the folks in the northern part of the state get it.
It isn't really a region thing, both the Chemistry and Pharmacy building bonds had much higher approval percentages in Providence than South Kingstown. I think the suburban and rural communities have more voters concerned with the state's debt (and rightly so) but unfortunately many of those voters look at Higher Ed bonds as just more wasteful spending.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 3:24 pm
by TruePoint
BFC wrote:
Taylor Swift wrote:We win for having misinformed and uneducated voters in this state. These people put Governor Moonbeam in office.

Having this pass will be crucial for the state's economy. I just hope the folks in the northern part of the state get it.
It isn't really a region thing, both the Chemistry and Pharmacy building bonds had much higher approval percentages in Providence than South Kingstown. I think the suburban and rural communities have more voters concerned with the state's debt (and rightly so) but unfortunately many of those voters look at Higher Ed bonds as just more wasteful spending.
Voters should be concerned about the state's debt, but investing in education - particularly higher education - is a longterm solution to the state's fiscal woes. There are a lot of things Rhode Island wastes money on, but higher ed isn't one of them. We drastically underspend. It is simply shortsightedness; the same shortsightedness that creates an unwelcoming environment for business.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 3:37 pm
by ATPTourFan
Frightening ignorance in the Projo comments for that piece. No surprise.

Mother in law was questioning whether we should have $125/150M but she has NO idea that the existing facilities are from the 50s and 60s, before she was even old enough to attend college!

"And they want to have a privately run hotel too?!? All the pimps and drug dealers will operate from there!!" :roll:

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 4:42 pm
by RF1
It wasn't necessarily a northern vs southern split nor Democrat vs Republican or even rural/suburban vs urban. To me it seemed that the educational level of the resident played a big part. The last big bond for URI in 2010 for the chem building passed in most communities (won statewide with 55%). The exceptions were towns such as Woonsocket, North Smithfield, Burrillville, Glocester, Foster, West Warwick, Coventry, Hopkinton, West Greenwich, and Tiverton.
Link:
http://www.ri.gov/election/results/2010 ... s/502.html

November 9, 2006 — Thirty-eight of Rhode Island’s 39 cities and towns approved the higher education bond issue that will provide $65 million for a new College of Pharmacy building at the University of Rhode Island.
Link:
http://web.uri.edu/pharmacy/2006/11/09/ ... -building/


Fiascos like 38 Studios may unfortunately make voters very wary of anything put forth by the politicians.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 5:12 pm
by OBRAM
Amazing, URI needs a bond issue for any of these project, but the Dunk, which was owned by the corrupt City of Providence gets bought and fixed over by the state and there is no bond issue for about the same as the new Engineering Bond 4. Well, hopefully this will win, but I think the 6 digit price tag might turn people away. But voters would have not reluctance approving the same money for Bike Paths. Why have engineering jobs, when you can get a job selling hot dogs at the Dunk?

Many people confuse spending for Higher Ed in RI, which ranks almost the lowest in the country, with spending on Primary and Secondary Ed, which is among the highest.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 10:32 am
by RF1
OBRAM wrote:Amazing, URI needs a bond issue for any of these project, but the Dunk, which was owned by the corrupt City of Providence gets bought and fixed over by the state and there is no bond issue for about the same as the new Engineering Bond 4. Well, hopefully this will win, but I think the 6 digit price tag might turn people away. But voters would have not reluctance approving the same money for Bike Paths. Why have engineering jobs, when you can get a job selling hot dogs at the Dunk?

Many people confuse spending for Higher Ed in RI, which ranks almost the lowest in the country, with spending on Primary and Secondary Ed, which is among the highest.

I don't get the whole bond issue for URI. The Ryan Center was not built with a voter approved bond question. The pharmacy and chem buildings were. The SADC and improvements to Meade was put to a vote and rejected. As you alluded to, the DDC project was purchased and renovated without a bond. Why is it that bonds seem to be needed for most every project at URI while it isn't for other things in RI. I don't think UConn and UMass-Amherst projects have to go the voters in their states. Can someone please explain the rationale in RI.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 11:01 am
by BFC
I believe Gereral Obligation Bonds have to be voted on by the public, General Obligation Bonds are guaranteed to be paid back with tax revenue. The other bonds are revenue bonds, which are supposed to be paid back with the revenue generated by the particular state agency (ex.: Transportation Authority, Water Authority, Conv. Center Authority, EDC, etc.)

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:15 pm
by Taylor Swift
TruePoint wrote:
RhowdyRam02 wrote:I think this is going to be much closer than it should be. I posted something about this on Facebook today and one of my friends who graduated from URI and lives in Newport absolutely trashed the idea. "URI doesn't need another $125 million. Another waste." "Don't dump MORE money into that sinkhole called URI."
We have, by far, the most ignorant residents of any state in the country. When people think ignorance, most of think Mississippi or Arkansas. But nope, Little Rhody sets the standard for American ignorance.

Totally. It's disgusting. We have enough pizza places, nail salons, barber shops, and ice cream places per capita. I guess engineering and education aren't important.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:56 pm
by RF1

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 9:43 am
by Maineiac66
Taylor Swift:

I must respectively disagree with your comment about Rhode Island having the most misinformed and uneducated voters. Most corrupt, maybe but the voters of Maine would give Rhode Island a good run for the money in the those two catagories. Maine citizens are generally honest but have a high stupidity factor.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 10:13 am
by TruePoint
Maine may have less formal education than Rhode Island (stress may; I don't know that to be true), but there is no way Maine is as backwards and self-loathing and dead set on doing every possible thing to make sure they stay that way as Rhode Islanders are. I am sure Mainers, if given the opportunity, would see the value in investing in higher education and their state's economy whether they are themselves college graduates or not. Rhode Islanders are so logic defyingly stupid on just about every matter that they ever get to vote on you'd almost think they were doing it on purpose to prove a point. (Which point? Nobody knows.....)

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 1:46 pm
by rodfromcranston
Fortunately, most higher ed bond issues pass. I hope this one does.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 1:50 pm
by TruePoint
Wow, I was angry this morning!

I hope you're right, Rod. I asked my father which way he felt the wind was blowing on it, and he expects it to pass. It just shouldn't even be a question. It definitely aggravates me.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 2:07 pm
by RhowdyRam02
The deadline to register to vote passed already. Today at 4 pm is the deadline to apply for a mail ballot. Here is the link to follow for the application:

http://sos.ri.gov/documents/elections/E-1.pdf

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2014 6:10 am
by RF1

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 5:32 pm
by RF1
Heard a radio commercial today in support on 103.7.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 6:43 pm
by SGreenwell
The South County Independent's editorial this week was in favor of the bond, and pretty much all of the candidates running for election down here are supporting it as well. I'm not sure if Brown or another polling place has done anything on it, but it seems like it'll be approved.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 6:30 am
by RF1
The General Assembly leaders came out today in support of the bond via an editorial piece in the Projo:

http://www.providencejournal.com/opinio ... conomy.ece

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 9:03 am
by ATPTourFan
Oh man... anyone see the typical ignorant comment at the bottom of the Projo story above? I had to set them straight.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 9:59 am
by RF1
ATPTourFan wrote:Oh man... anyone see the typical ignorant comment at the bottom of the Projo story above? I had to set them straight.

It sure would be news to the basketball and football coaches that they get paid MILLIONS.

Besides, as mentioned many times before, the state contributes only about 9% of the operating budget at URI. Very little taxpayer money goes to operating expenses. URI funds over 90%.

Ignorant poster on Projo. There is something he doesn't like so his inclination is to be against a totally unrelated issue which would help spur the local economy. Classic cutting off the nose to spite the face syndrome. Rhode Islanders are a strange breed. They don't seem to want to take action to make things better or in many cases want things better. They seem to be a defeatist pessismistic self loathing bunch that is generally accepting of low standards.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:22 am
by RhowdyRam02
It seems to have support on the right from business owners and chambers of commerce and now support on the left from the members of the General Assembly. It also seems to be universally approved by editorial boards on papers throughout the state. You'd like to think that's enough to push it through, but I won't feel good about it until late Election night.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:32 am
by Rhody74
Unfortunately, many voters just give a knee-jerk reaction such as the Projo posters. Let's hope the near universal support from business, political and media leaders outnumbers the knowledge-impaired.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 11:24 am
by Taylor Swift
ATPTourFan wrote:Oh man... anyone see the typical ignorant comment at the bottom of the Projo story above? I had to set them straight.
I am so sick of the uneducated and misinformed idiots who make stupid comments like that. Obviously this guy doesn't know ANYTHING. I can just imagine the idiots showing up to vote that day and selecting "no". I guess they'd rather have RI filled with people who work as Walmart cashiers.

I really hope that #4 passes.

I "liked" your comment, ATP. haha

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 11:35 am
by RhowdyRam02
ATP, I don't see your reply, I only see the one from clownshoes and one from a Gladys Dixon

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 3:07 pm
by theblueram
So when is the spaghetti and meatball dinner for this? In Rhode Island, we only vote for whoever has the best free meal.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 4:29 pm
by rodfromcranston
Grrr....typical ignorant comments.
I nailed them, and so did ATP and Scott Breault.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 4:31 pm
by twisted3829
rod, I am Scott

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 4:33 pm
by rodfromcranston
I know. I've met you a few times.
Didn't want to give away someone's identity, unless
I knew it was OK.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 4:40 pm
by twisted3829
I don't mind

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 4:56 pm
by TruePoint
I appreciate the general assembly's support here, but many of the points they make about why URI needs a new engineering building could be made about everything at URI. It's time the state's flagship university is treated as such.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:16 pm
by ATPTourFan

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 12:04 pm
by RF1
Tomorrow is election day.

Remember to get out to vote and make certain you check YES on 4 on your ballot. Do not skip the referendum questions as many do.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 8:33 pm
by TruePoint
I live out of state but have tried to do my part by calling friends and family reminding them to vote. I also posted a plea on Facebook for people to do their part and support their state university and the economic future of Rhode Island. If you have a few minutes to do the same it can't hurt.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 6:16 am
by RF1
The sick part of putting this to a vote is that I read over 400k was spent to promote passage. That is 400k that could have actually been better spent on the building itself. The way RI operates is just wrong. The state is its own worst enemy.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 7:37 am
by ATPTourFan
Yep... it should have just been "naturally" passed via the General Assembly. Obnoxious to even put something as obviously necessary to a referendum vote. As if it's even an option?!?!?

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 8:55 am
by BFC
I think general obligation bonds should have to get voter approval.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 10:04 am
by RF1
BFC wrote:I think general obligation bonds should have to get voter approval.

So you are perfectly ok with 400K being thrown away (paid to printers and media outlets) to promote passage?

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 10:21 am
by BFC
RF1 wrote:
BFC wrote:I think general obligation bonds should have to get voter approval.

So you are perfectly ok with 400K being thrown away (paid to printers and media outlets) to promote passage?
Obviously I wish Dooley and the supporters didn't feel the need to spend that money because public support for this item was a given, but they didn't feel confident and chose to spend it. I don't think giving the General Assembly the power to borrow money against future tax revenue anytime they want is a better option and I don't think the Office of Higher Ed. having to issue a revenue bond which would have to be paid back with future URI revenue is a better option either. Yes it would be nice if URI was so flush with cash that they could take care of these things themselves without it significantly impacting future budgets but that's not happening in any of our lifetimes. Given the current state of things, a general obigation bond is the best option.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 11:03 am
by RF1
There has to be a better way. I don't believe this process is used in neighboring MA and CT for new buildings at UMass and UConn.

I find it absolutely ridiculous that hundreds of thousands of dollars is used for ballot promotion rather than bricks and mortar. This is an ass backwards way of operating.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 12:15 pm
by BFC
RF1 wrote:There has to be a better way. I don't believe this process is used in neighboring MA and CT for new buildings at UMass and UConn.

I find it absolutely ridiculous that hundreds of thousands of dollars is used for ballot promotion rather than bricks and mortar. This is an ass backwards way of operating.
Both use revenue bonds. I think Conn. then allocates money to the university system to make the bond payments or something like that. UMass has to pay their own bonds or the majority of it anyway. RI isn't the only state that issues general obligation bonds for university construction but it does seem to be becoming less common. I think URI is better off keeping the debt out of their budget until the public university support mindset in this state changes but that's just my opinion.

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 4:47 pm
by Ramulous
My guess is that the cost of the campaign to push passage may have been built into the total amount to be bonded.....

Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 5:12 pm
by RF1
Ramulous wrote:My guess is that the cost of the campaign to push passage may have been built into the total amount to be bonded.....

I would not think that is the case. What would happen if it went down to defeat?

My thinking is that this money was raised by friends of URI (alumni foundation, business, etc..). It likely would have gone directly to construction costs had it not been for this foolish process. This money has to be spent because it is no sure bet that this bond will pass. It is the first state election since the 38 Studios fiasco and voters trust RI politicians even less these days.