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

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

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400k seems like a relatively minor investment in a 125M project. If it passes it is money well spent.
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Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

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Looks like the bond will hold steady at about 63% wire-to-wire, which is really exciting for what it says about the people of RI's willingness to at least listen and consider giving their flagship state university the support it deserves. I don't like the idea of having to have a ballot referendum every time we need something, but if the electorate clearly doesn't consider supporting URI to be "wasteful spending" then it gives elected officials political cover to be fair to the school.
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Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

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Keep us informed, TP. Here in CT. it's like being in Alaska when it comes to getting prompt updates.
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Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

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I'm actually in Farmington for work, so I'm in the same boat. Thankful for the ol' interweb.
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Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

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wpri calls it as approve!
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Re: Vote YES on 4, $125 million bond for College of Engineer

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Big win for URI. Good news for once!
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by Obadiah »

Great News!

Rhode Island is one of a few states that use voter approval for bond referendums devoted to higher education. I believe Maine and West Virginia also use this approach, but I have lived in 8 different states and none of those used that approach. University capital investment budget/plans are approved in those cases by legislatures and special committees composed of people who know about such subjects. How can the average person in any state be knowledgeable enough to evaluate whether a new academic building is needed or not?

In the URI engineering promotion, they used jobs as the lure for approval. What happens when URI needs a building for languages or a library?? Also, in other states the capital budget covers 5 years which allows their Universities to plan accordingly. In RI, URI is a the mercy of a two year election cycle and the needs of RIC, CCRI and other state agencies. Is this anyway to run University?

BTW, I hear that in 2016 the next URI project for voter approval will be a request for $65 million for a new/renovated Fine Arts Center.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by ramster »

Obadiah wrote:Great News!

Rhode Island is one of a few states that use voter approval for bond referendums devoted to higher education. I believe Maine and West Virginia also use this approach, but I have lived in 8 different states and none of those used that approach. University capital investment budget/plans are approved in those cases by legislatures and special committees composed of people who know about such subjects. How can the average person in any state be knowledgeable enough to evaluate whether a new academic building is needed or not?

In the URI engineering promotion, they used jobs as the lure for approval. What happens when URI needs a building for languages or a library?? Also, in other states the capital budget covers 5 years which allows their Universities to plan accordingly. In RI, URI is a the mercy of a two year election cycle and the needs of RIC, CCRI and other state agencies. Is this anyway to run University?

BTW, I hear that in 2016 the next URI project for voter approval will be a request for $65 million for a new/renovated Fine Arts Center.
Obadiah, this certainly is great news, and to win by 63% t0 37% was convincing. I know the Engineering Department at URI is ecstatic about this victory, as of course will be the entire school and alumni.
Amazing to me how little has changed with the Engineering Buildings.
On the other hand, if the ballot methodology was not in place in RI do you think that the State Legislature would have ever approved a project like this? Maybe the electorate concept was the ultimate enabler? I think the Electorate may be better than leaving it to our PC/Suffolk Law School General Assembly.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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When in doubt; blame everything on PC. Easier than looking in the mirror. Is the partying situation at Bonnet bc of Smith Hill too? How about the struggling football team?
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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This question struggled for approval in the towns that don't usually support higher education bonds. In most of these towns, Question 5 for Creative and Cultural Economy Bonds fared better.


Barely passed (less than 5%) in:
Woonsocket
Burrillville
North Smithfield
Glocester
Coventry
Tiverton

Lost
Foster



http://www.providencejournal.com/politi ... tion/2014/
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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Based on the results of last night's bond question for URI and the results around the country, I continue to be confounded and mortified by rural America. I have been aware of the political differences between urban and suburban communities and rural ones since I first started studying election politics while I was at URI, but I still don't understand it. I know a big part of it has to do with education (or lack thereof) and, relatedly, a sense of disconnect with a growing segment of their fellow citizens because of the...ahem....homogenized world in which they live.

But I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the psychology of voting only out of anger for other angry people whose sole mission is to make sure they take away as much of what other people want as possible. I see a vote against the URI engineering bond to be similarly mean spirited, not to mention equally short-sighted and ultimately not in their own self-interest whether they have any hint of that or not.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by ATPTourFan »

Yep. Agree, TP. Thank goodness this passed.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by Taylor Swift »

I have some "Yes On 4" stickers in my car that someone gave me a few weeks ago. Glad that it passed. At least the voters got something right last night.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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Obadiah wrote:Great News!

Rhode Island is one of a few states that use voter approval for bond referendums devoted to higher education. I believe Maine and West Virginia also use this approach, but I have lived in 8 different states and none of those used that approach. University capital investment budget/plans are approved in those cases by legislatures and special committees composed of people who know about such subjects. How can the average person in any state be knowledgeable enough to evaluate whether a new academic building is needed or not?

In the URI engineering promotion, they used jobs as the lure for approval. What happens when URI needs a building for languages or a library?? Also, in other states the capital budget covers 5 years which allows their Universities to plan accordingly. In RI, URI is a the mercy of a two year election cycle and the needs of RIC, CCRI and other state agencies. Is this anyway to run University?

BTW, I hear that in 2016 the next URI project for voter approval will be a request for $65 million for a new/renovated Fine Arts Center.

I predict right now that a bond for a new Fine Arts Center at URI is doomed. I do not think RI voters will approve paying for bonds for atheltics or arts at URI. The URI administration would be better served trying to do these things on their own.

Inexplicably, RI voters apparently have no problem paying for creative and cultural bonds for entities outside of URI as evidenced by the Question 5 results and the fact that the legislature's spending 100+ million to buy and renovate the DDC didn't seem to get many people worked up.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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The bond issues were about the only good news in RI last night.
Let the path to illegals becoming the newest voting block for
Gina and her buddies, begin.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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Question 4

This bond provides $125 million for URI’s engineering school. Supporters of the referendum highlighted the College of Engineering’s antiquated facilities and rising enrollment and touted the project as key to producing the skilled workers Rhode Island needs to expand manufacturing.

The project involves building a new center for the engineering school with teaching and research facilities as well as renovating existing structures. Several buildings will be razed.

Construction is slated to begin in February 2015 and be completed by July 2019.

Additional bonds are expected to be put before voters — $25.5 million in 2016 and $38.9 million in 2018 — to finance future phases.
http://www.providencejournal.com/politi ... e?click=RB
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by TruePoint »

RF1, based on a fair reading of last night's results, it would seem a ballot question to fund a new fine arts facility at URI would have a puncher's chance. I totally get your cynicism when it comes to the Rhode Island electorate based on the history there, especially with matters concerning URI, but if a FA bond was on the ballot last night it would have cruised to victory based on the results on the other question.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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Obadiah wrote:BTW, I hear that in 2016 the next URI project for voter approval will be a request for $65 million for a new/renovated Fine Arts Center.
Can you please confirm that it's 65 and not 6.5? Honestly $65 million for a fine arts building, especially if we're looking at primarily a renovation seems astronomical. To put that into perspective that's $11 million more than the Ryan Center and just over half of the recently passed engineering bond which is replacing five buildings and would seem to have more technology built into the price that should drive expenses up.

Obviously a lot would depend on the details of the project, but I would even have to take a hard look at that myself, and I can't imagine the average RIer passing that if it's 65. If it's 6.5 I think it's got a solid chance.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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rodfromcranston wrote:The bond issues were about the only good news in RI last night.
Let the path to illegals becoming the newest voting block for
Gina and her buddies, begin.
I know this will sound crazy, but I honestly think we would be better off with another term of Gov'na Gump. I thought his term was the darkness before dawn. This will be the end of any minor resurgence our local businesses have made as our new Gov'na is extremely interested in big business and watching the money move in the wrong direction. Weird commentary considering I'm speaking of a Dumbacrap, it truly is bizarro world, Dumbacraps with Repukelican ideologies. I hope I'm terribly wrong here and things get better, but I don't see it in my Eightball.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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OK, if you give drivers licenses to illegals, are they going to enforce the
insurance requirement and car inspections, as the drive around RI
in their junkers?
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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I don't want to get into a full-fledged political royal rumble here, but can anyone give me the bullet points of what the issue is with the new RI governor? It seems everyone hates her, so I don't get how she got elected. I admit that I didn't follow the Rhode Island election closely at all other than Q4, so I'm mostly in the dark, but I am aware of her efforts to reform the pension system for state employees in RI (which I admittedly lean towards favoring without knowing all the details - my stance on public sector unions and state employee compensation are admittedly out of step with my generally liberal views). Could anyone give me a bullet-point summary of why people are so against this woman without using childish language ("dumbocrats"?) and at least trying to be objective
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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TruePoint wrote:I don't want to get into a full-fledged political royal rumble here, but can anyone give me the bullet points of what the issue is with the new RI governor? It seems everyone hates her, so I don't get how she got elected. I admit that I didn't follow the Rhode Island election closely at all other than Q4, so I'm mostly in the dark, but I am aware of her efforts to reform the pension system for state employees in RI (which I admittedly lean towards favoring without knowing all the details - my stance on public sector unions and state employee compensation are admittedly out of step with my generally liberal views). Could anyone give me a bullet-point summary of why people are so against this woman without using childish language ("dumbocrats"?) and at least trying to be objective

It is mainly the public service sector unions that hate her, especially the teachers. Her main accomplishment was the reform of the state pension system and many had their benefits reduced. She had support from private sector unions. She was seen by many as pro business as she came from a venture capital background at Pt Judith Capital. Some people also had issue with some of her investments as state treasurer as the associated fees seemed high. Many normally hardcore Democrats would not support her. Some went to Republican Fung even though his stances on many issues was even further to the right (right to work anti union laws). I suspect in the end many of those that did not like her went with Healey.

The election in the last 2 weeks went very negative. Shadowy outside groups on both the left and right threw mud at both major party candidates. I think this turned off many and that resulted in the surprise (according to polls) surge toward 3rd party candidate Healey.

The biggest losers in RI last night were the unions. Their very self centered endorsements (or lack of) totally backfired on them. They went against both Raimondo and McKee (cardinal sin of supporting charter schools) and supported Cianci. The Providence police force and city teachers should especially be ashamed of themselves for suporting a twice convicted felon. What type of message does this send?
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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RhowdyRam02 wrote:
Obadiah wrote:BTW, I hear that in 2016 the next URI project for voter approval will be a request for $65 million for a new/renovated Fine Arts Center.
Can you please confirm that it's 65 and not 6.5? Honestly $65 million for a fine arts building, especially if we're looking at primarily a renovation seems astronomical. To put that into perspective that's $11 million more than the Ryan Center and just over half of the recently passed engineering bond which is replacing five buildings and would seem to have more technology built into the price that should drive expenses up.

Obviously a lot would depend on the details of the project, but I would even have to take a hard look at that myself, and I can't imagine the average RIer passing that if it's 65. If it's 6.5 I think it's got a solid chance.
have you seen the fine arts building?
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by rodfromcranston »

OK, TP, here's a few points of Raimondo's:

1. lost $375,000,000 in stock market investments as Treasurer.
2. claimed she "solved the pension crisis. Except it's in litigation, with no ruling,
as of now. So how is anything "solved".
3. said she was for partial birth abortion, which is the killing of a full term baby.
4. wants driver's licenses for illegals.
5. wants in state tuition for illegals.
6. claimed she saved Narrgansett Beer, and made a 1,000 jobs. Only problem is, the beer is
made in New York, not RI.
7. closed her Pt. Judith Capital in RI and moved it to MA.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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RhowdyRam02 wrote:
Obadiah wrote:BTW, I hear that in 2016 the next URI project for voter approval will be a request for $65 million for a new/renovated Fine Arts Center.
Can you please confirm that it's 65 and not 6.5? Honestly $65 million for a fine arts building, especially if we're looking at primarily a renovation seems astronomical. To put that into perspective that's $11 million more than the Ryan Center and just over half of the recently passed engineering bond which is replacing five buildings and would seem to have more technology built into the price that should drive expenses up.

Obviously a lot would depend on the details of the project, but I would even have to take a hard look at that myself, and I can't imagine the average RIer passing that if it's 65. If it's 6.5 I think it's got a solid chance.
The existing Fine Arts Center was new when I was in school and was always effed up in one way or another. While I generally support URI bonds, including this year's, I'd be hesitant throwing money at that building.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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Appreciate the responses from RF1 and Rod. I admit I don't know all the facts, but on the surface a pension-reforming, public sector-union fighting lawyer with a VC background and borderline-extreme left social positions would be the candidate I would design if I had a candidate design factory. Partial birth abortion is really extreme but I also haven't seen anyone come out in support of that in mainstream politics in quite some time, so I'd have to see more evidence on that. Still, one crazy position doesn't ruin a candidate for me.

I still don't have a great grasp of what her agenda will be as governor and don't know a ton about Fung, so I can't say I'm happy or upset about the election results. I know a lot of people I like are disappointed Fung didn't win. (Lots of my friends voted for Healey, too, so I credit them for bucking the two party system but the price of that is not getting to decide the election).
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by rodfromcranston »

Fung's problem is, he came across as scripted and bloodless.
He's not really smooth or glib.
Healey was funny and candid, as he could be. He was the one
who really had nothing to lose.
The stunner is that Fung only won Warwick and East Greenwich by 2%. The Republican formula is to win big south of
Providence. Raimondo's 15K lead in Providence was a back breaker for Fung.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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rodfromcranston wrote:OK, TP, here's a few points of Raimondo's:

1. lost $375,000,000 in stock market investments as Treasurer.
2. claimed she "solved the pension crisis. Except it's in litigation, with no ruling,
as of now. So how is anything "solved".
3. said she was for partial birth abortion, which is the killing of a full term baby.
4. wants driver's licenses for illegals.
5. wants in state tuition for illegals.
6. claimed she saved Narrgansett Beer, and made a 1,000 jobs. Only problem is, the beer is
made in New York, not RI.
7. closed her Pt. Judith Capital in RI and moved it to MA.

Rod number 1 is not true at all...those were investment fees, even once deducting the fees she made over a billion in the market as treasurer
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by RhowdyRam02 »

RF1 wrote:This question struggled for approval in the towns that don't usually support higher education bonds. In most of these towns, Question 5 for Creative and Cultural Economy Bonds fared better.


Barely passed (less than 5%) in:
Woonsocket
Burrillville
North Smithfield
Glocester
Coventry
Tiverton

Lost
Foster
I'm not sure how predictive Question 5 will be when the Fine Arts Center is on the ballot in 2016. Providence got 9.9 million for 3 projects, Newport got 4.2 million, Westerly got 3.4 million for two projects, East Providence got 2.4 million, Woonsocket got 2.1 million, and Warren got 1 million. It's a lot easier to get people to approve $35 million for fine arts centers in every corner of the state than it is to get them to approve $70 million for one fine arts center.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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twisted3829 wrote:
RhowdyRam02 wrote:Can you please confirm that it's 65 and not 6.5? Honestly $65 million for a fine arts building, especially if we're looking at primarily a renovation seems astronomical. To put that into perspective that's $11 million more than the Ryan Center and just over half of the recently passed engineering bond which is replacing five buildings and would seem to have more technology built into the price that should drive expenses up.

Obviously a lot would depend on the details of the project, but I would even have to take a hard look at that myself, and I can't imagine the average RIer passing that if it's 65. If it's 6.5 I think it's got a solid chance.
have you seen the fine arts building?
Yes, I drive by there every time I get to campus and I even took a couple of classes in the building, though I haven't been inside in almost 15 years. Just because I'd need to seriously think about spending $70 million on renovating and expanding it before I've seen details of the project doesn't mean I haven't seen it and it doesn't mean I don't think the building needs to be improved. It might just be the worst remaining building on campus at this point, though Swan and Burnside Hall I'd imagine would have something to say about that. It just means that the price tag doesn't seem to match what we've spent on other recent buildings at this point. And we know that 37% of the voting population isn't going to support this project from the word go. I think the average voter is going to hesitate when they're looking at 25.5 for a second phase of engineering and then 70.2 for the Fine Arts Center.

In trying to find out if the 65 or 6.5 was the accurate number I came across the 2015 Fiscal Year Capital Budget and 2015-19 Capital Improvement Plan. Some pretty interesting plans for URI. You can access it at http://web.uri.edu/cpd/files/FY15-Capital-Budget.pdf The relevant portions to URI can be found starting at page 56 of the document or page 81 of the PDF.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by RhowdyRam02 »

So now that this is passed, say goodbye to Wales, Crawford, Gilbreth, and Kelly Hall and the Kelly Annex.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by twisted3829 »

Swan is pretty much new, it was finished in like 2006 or around that time. The upper classman dorms (Burnside, Aldrich, Coddington, Dorr and Ellery, maybe Hopkins) need to be torn down and rebuilt, they were built in the 1970s, the are awful inside and don't house that many students (between 175 and 300 each)
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by RhowdyRam02 »

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but isn't Swan the old Independence Hall on Upper College Road? Again, another building I haven't been in in quite a while so I can't speak to renovations inside, but the outside still looks poor.

Edit: So they apparently did about $9 million in renovations since I was a student. I guess you can't judge a book by it's cover.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by twisted3829 »

RhowdyRam02 wrote:Perhaps I'm mistaken, but isn't Swan the old Independence Hall on Upper College Road? Again, another building I haven't been in in quite a while so I can't speak to renovations inside, but the outside still looks poor.
Image

that is swan, it underwent a $9 million renovation that was completed in 2006
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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I edited my previous post as you were posting this. I was unaware of the renovations, good information.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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twisted3829 wrote:Swan is pretty much new, it was finished in like 2006 or around that time. The upper classman dorms (Burnside, Aldrich, Coddington, Dorr and Ellery, maybe Hopkins) need to be torn down and rebuilt, they were built in the 1970s, the are awful inside and don't house that many students (between 175 and 300 each)
Actually, those dorms were built in the '60s. I was a freshman when Fayerweather and Gorham first opened in 1970, and those others had already been in use for several years.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by SGreenwell »

RhowdyRam02 wrote:Perhaps I'm mistaken, but isn't Swan the old Independence Hall on Upper College Road? Again, another building I haven't been in in quite a while so I can't speak to renovations inside, but the outside still looks poor.

Edit: So they apparently did about $9 million in renovations since I was a student. I guess you can't judge a book by it's cover.
I was a speaker for a journalism class a couple days ago, and I can attest that Swan - formerly Independence - is really almost a new building. Like right when you walk in, there's a very nice little lounge and study area, and I was in a second floor classroom that looked completely new. It was impressive, and didn't really look cheap. I'm not sure if they considered other options, but if the price tag was $9M, I'm more in favor of that and full-scale renovations as opposed to the piecemeal stuff that was done in the past.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by adam914 »

twisted3829 wrote:Swan is pretty much new, it was finished in like 2006 or around that time. The upper classman dorms (Burnside, Aldrich, Coddington, Dorr and Ellery, maybe Hopkins) need to be torn down and rebuilt, they were built in the 1970s, the are awful inside and don't house that many students (between 175 and 300 each)
I lived in Coddington in 2000, man what a dump. I was shocked when I was on campus this past summer and that building was still standing. Feel bad for anybody that still has to live there.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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RF1 wrote:This question struggled for approval in the towns that don't usually support higher education bonds. In most of these towns, Question 5 for Creative and Cultural Economy Bonds fared better.


Barely passed (less than 5%) in:
Woonsocket
Burrillville
North Smithfield
Glocester
Coventry
Tiverton

Lost
Foster

http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ ... w=ZW50aXR5


The 2010 Bond for the URI Chem Building only passed with 55% of the statewide vote. It failed in the follwoing towns:

Woonsocket
Burrillville
North Smithfield
Glocester
Foster
West Warwick
Coventry
Hopkinton
West Greenwich
Tiverton

It seems that bond measures for URI always have a tough time in these towns.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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Sorry you don't like my childish language TP, my objectivity is displayed via the fact that I give both parties equal childlike attention and your measured responses won't shame me into not calling a spade by name, both shitbag parties the Dumb-a-craps and the Re-puke-lickins have little to no interest in representing you or anyone else. Thanks for Tommy Touchdown though!

All one ever needs to know about a candidate is who funded their campaign.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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@TP

Some of the voter frustration with both candidates can be seen in the numbers for perennial "Cool Moose" turned "Moderate" Bob Healey. He actually got 22% as a third party candidate (that's huge, only 14 pts back from Fung) Union vote hated Gina because they think she gutted the pensions but they couldn't go for Fung because he's hardly pro-labor (wants to make RI right-to-work state). So basically nearly a quarter of the electorate voted for a protest candidate. With just over a third also going to her opponent from Cranston, the remaining 40-someodd percent who voted for Raimondo doesn't make for much of a mandate. Think that might be partly what you're seeing in the lack of *ahem* ...enthusiasm... for Gina.

Reinvestment in the FAC might be a tough sell for the voters, but it's long overdue and will likely have support in the surrounding communities among the music loving/theatre loving crowd. Also, for as humiliating as it is to have to ask the voters directly the electorate seems to get the value of URI. In recent memory these measures seem to usually pass.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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Running Ram wrote:Sorry you don't like my childish language TP, my objectivity is displayed via the fact that I give both parties equal childlike attention and your measured responses won't shame me into not calling a spade by name, both shitbag parties the Dumb-a-craps and the Re-puke-lickins have little to no interest in representing you or anyone else. Thanks for Tommy Touchdown though!

All one ever needs to know about a candidate is who funded their campaign.
I'm not apologizing for either side, I just think doing the name-calling thing cheapens the dialogue, and you can easily make a good argument against either party without it. It isn't my style. You do you, though. Not going to tell you how to speak.

Puck, thanks for the insight.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

Unread post by Running Ram »

TP, sometimes my hand goes right to my forehead with a slap when I read your holier than thou commentary. The name calling cheapening the dialog is the point my Tom trading friend. Neither the Dumbs nor the Re-pukes deserve the respectful dialog of the intelligent and rational. Name one affiliated politician on the state level or higher that is not a crook or at the very least money grub beholden to some outside interest. When these "parties" deserve my respect they might get it, until then I treat them like my oldest friends, by pointing out their inadequacies and publicly shaming them. :D
TruePoint wrote: You do you, though. Not going to tell you how to speak.
no, you are going to question my objectivity though. I didn't come on here (until now that is) and point out how your post election, bullet-point fact gathering seems totally irresponsible, making you out to look like yet another uninformed voting yutz. Thankfully I'm objective enough to realize that you are not a yutz, heck I don't even know if you actually voted or voted for anything other than question four, but if voting on a whim is your style well then, you do you.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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In defense of True Point, he stated right in this thread that he lives out of state.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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RR, I have to say that one who comes to mind as not being a crook
is Jack Reed.
I've known him for decades and he's one of the few Dems I vote for.
Why? He's real. He's been the world's biggest overachiever all his life.
He's come very far from when we were standing next to each other
many years ago, watching JFK drive by our school.
As an aside....we were born on the same day in the same place. So, if you believe in horoscopes,
the end results are baffling! Slightly different fates.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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Rod, I agree with you big time about Reed. Always voted for him when I lived in RI.

Where I live in southeastern CT, I feel the same about Joe Courtney. He should run for the Senate. Not too many are honest like him, he actually represents his constituency well. Without him, the area might have lost the navy base, which would have been a disaster.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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I did vote, I just followed the election and voted where I live. I don't live in Rhode Island so I was asking about the candidates out of curiosity. Not sure what is objectionable about that. Like I said, the nickname think isn't my style, just like I'm not a huge fan of "Pee-Cee" either. You can speak however you want, I just can't take anyone who talks like that seriously, which is why I asked for responses without that stuff. That is my right to make that request.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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I did a summer internship for Senator Reed was I was in college. He truly is an outstanding public servant and he's extremely intelligent. It's fascinating to me to see people who share Rod's political demographic still like and respect one of the most liberal members of the U.S. Senate. I have always been a huge fan of Reed and America is lucky to have him serve.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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I liked Reed, I voted for him twice, that is until the bubble burst and he turned up on the list of senators whose campaigns received multiple millions from big banking. I still respect Reed and I'll give you the debate over his achievements, I get that politicians have to raise money for campaigning and I won't call Reed a crook, but at this point in my life I refuse to vote for anyone who takes money from the people that take money from us. Its to easy for them and it screws us. All the money coming from banks going to candidates is our money, Banks don't sweat and work and earn, they swindle and rely on folks getting into and remaining in debt, then they take that money we earned through actual work and give it back to the candidates to keep the legal books tipped in their favor. No more sending our money to be processed by world banks.
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Re: PASSED: Question 4, $125M bond for College of Engineerin

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The thing about Reed that is remarkable is that he is probably the most successful politician in the country that is just about 100% substance. Almost all politicians are more sizzle than steak. If all of our elected officials were as serious, intelligent and honest as Senator Reed, regardless of their ideology, we would be in fantastic shape.
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