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GoGatorsMashedTaters t1_j61lyqw wrote

Reply to comment by GoGatorsMashedTaters in Do you like living in Providence? by movingtori

If you really care about something, you want to improve it. I think a lot of criticism comes from people who see room for improvement, which is great. There’s just a few too many people who talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. Get involved with your community people.

Then there’s also a group of trolls and conservatives who sow discord and act like the sky is falling every day. That’s where I see the worst of the negativity.

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GoGatorsMashedTaters t1_j61moci wrote

I didn’t realize people view this sub as being that negative. It’s a very active subreddit compared to the overall population of the city, and was a huge reason why I came to visit the city when I was looking around the country in 2021.

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Mountain_Bill5743 t1_j65tity wrote

There absolutely are too few people involved. That being said, a lot of people who do advocate are also the most demoralized when they continue to see glacial change.

For a recent example, let's take the school closures (moving kids out of buildings and redistributing them to other schools throughout the city). The response has been universally negative from the community. Meetings have been nearly shut down from outcry and hours of public comments heard from concerned families who want the normal procedural protocol from the city (the state can avoid this because of the mandate it has over the city right now). Most likely, things will be business is usual so for those people it feels like the status quo is pretty fixed, but hopefully those people continue to be involved and advocate.

Another recent example would be the rate hikes many people took off work to speak against. They were pretty much rubber stamped and while we could argue it was necessary in this economic climate, for those people it felt like there was never a debate to be had.

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GoGatorsMashedTaters t1_j662ogu wrote

We absolutely need more involvement in non-election years and throughout primaries. Most of my neighbors would never show up to a community event that involves raising awareness for a problem or issue.

Politics have shifted so far to the right in this country, that we are electing conservatives to office and expecting them to enact progressive policies just because they aren’t far-right. Capitalism and greed are the root cause of our problems, but all peoples talk about is the R or the D.

I understand that feeling of despair after watching nothing change for years. That’s why I moved from my hometown. I’m a registered RINO who now leans farther to the left than most people who live up here. I couldn’t take the hatred and indifference from the overwhelming majority of people I grew up around anymore.

Anytime I would mention something is wrong, it was all finger-pointing and no accountability. Blaming some nonexistent left-wing menace, while stripping our rights and giving corporate handouts to their friends.

Providence needs someone like Fetterman to unite the community behind blue-collar workers and the working class. I’m still new enough here than I don’t even know anyone who remotely could fit that description.

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Mountain_Bill5743 t1_j6650xu wrote

The most interesting/politically disruptive candidates here are on the lowest levels (state rep, state senate, council). This is because these candidates can represent the views of their small neighborhoods and are often the biggest community presence. Once you go to mayor or state level positions, the leadership gets a lot more milquetoast because all of the vote gets split, it attracts career politicians, low turnout, and the opinionated candidates on both ends don't appeal to enough voting blocks to win majority.

Check out the twitter of some local general assembly members to see some great commentary and ideas. If you watch capitol TV, you'll see some excellent politicians whose hands are just usually tied by decisions made upstream.

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GoGatorsMashedTaters t1_j665ct7 wrote

Thank you. I will start checking them out, and try to go to more local events this year.

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