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I'm starting a new thread about a peculiar and strange phenomenon that I haven't found in any other state I've lived in .
I'd like to address this to native Rhode Islanders, particularly to the ones who delight in posting negative comments and attacking non-natives who have any positive views as "wearing rose colored glasses" and being naive.
1. As a native, you should be cheering your state on- so why do you lack pride?
2. Why haven't you done more to improve your state? What is preventing you from becoming an activist or running for office?
3.Do RIers inherit an inferior negativity gene?
Is a negative outlook about the state an easy excuse for personal failure?
i.e. I can't get a good job because: Oh I know- because I don't KNOW Anybody????
Aren't the natives the best connected and the highest paid around!!! I thought the natives all had union jobs and cousins in the legislature?
unfortunately I think Rhode Islanders have been dumbed down over the years. For example wages; they have been considerably less in Rhode Island than those paid to our neighboring states. Whether they are professional or manufacturing, wages have been 10-25% less in Rhode island. It also has to do with the lack of jobs. An increase of jobs would necessitate higher wages for companies to hire the better workers.
Then it is as simple as the lack of visual upkeep of the state. Roads are not cleaned. An abundance of overgrowth along highways and curbing. The lack of upkeep, litter and landscaping, along our interstates and major roads, rampways, etc. We have been dumbed down into thinking weeds that are 3 feet high along a roadway is normal, but in any other state it is not.
Pride in our state should be starting at the top and I don't see it at the state level. Our Washington delegates seem to have more home pride than our state level politicians. Please don't take this as me agreeing wth all that our Washington delagates do or not do.
These are just my impressions when it comes to the negative genes you feel are inherited. In fact, these genes have been earned over the years and seem to be our continued legacy.
I'm starting a new thread about a peculiar and strange phenomenon that I haven't found in any other state I've lived in .
I'd like to address this to native Rhode Islanders, particularly to the ones who delight in posting negative comments and attacking non-natives who have any positive views as "wearing rose colored glasses" and being naive.
1. As a native, you should be cheering your state on- so why do you lack pride?
2. Why haven't you done more to improve your state? What is preventing you from becoming an activist or running for office?
3.Do RIers inherit an inferior negativity gene?
Is a negative outlook about the state an easy excuse for personal failure?
i.e. I can't get a good job because: Oh I know- because I don't KNOW Anybody????
Aren't the natives the best connected and the highest paid around!!! I thought the natives all had union jobs and cousins in the legislature?
Hearing nothing but crickets from the natives, I'm going to duck into your thread with just a comment or two:
1. Xenophobia is strong in this state. Unless you're born here one shouldn't, apparently, have the balls or temerity to state an opinion.
2. The Natives Know Best. I guess that's why the state is in the condition it's in. And how DARE we suggest alternate ways?
unfortunately I think Rhode Islanders have been dumbed down over the years. For example wages; they have been considerably less in Rhode Island than those paid to our neighboring states. Whether they are professional or manufacturing, wages have been 10-25% less in Rhode island. It also has to do with the lack of jobs. An increase of jobs would necessitate higher wages for companies to hire the better workers.
Then it is as simple as the lack of visual upkeep of the state. Roads are not cleaned. An abundance of overgrowth along highways and curbing. The lack of upkeep, litter and landscaping, along our interstates and major roads, rampways, etc. We have been dumbed down into thinking weeds that are 3 feet high along a roadway is normal, but in any other state it is not.
Pride in our state should be starting at the top and I don't see it at the state level. Our Washington delegates seem to have more home pride than our state level politicians. Please don't take this as me agreeing wth all that our Washington delagates do or not do.
These are just my impressions when it comes to the negative genes you feel are inherited. In fact, these genes have been earned over the years and seem to be our continued legacy.
As far as jobs go, I thought the refrain was too many highly paid public servants? RI pays higher wages- in general- than many other states in the union. Both public & private.
Lack of upkeep of roads- yes- for sure it is so. Why don't RIers demand better- I don't buy the "dumbed down" idea- I surely don't want to pose the idea that RI natives are simply stupid!
Why should pride start at the top? It should start with people not littering and not spreading graffiti, etc and demanding less corruption etc etc
The RI Foundation has recently started a state pride campaign- perhaps this will do some good. People do respond to commercials. All other states have commercials. Michigan has commercials.... Texas has a great brainwashing program when it comes to state pride- they believe they're better than all the rest of us.
Lack of upkeep of roads- yes- for sure it is so. Why don't RIers demand better- I don't buy the "dumbed down" idea- I surely don't want to pose the idea that RI natives are simply stupid!
I'm starting a new thread about a peculiar and strange phenomenon that I haven't found in any other state I've lived in .
I'd like to address this to native Rhode Islanders, particularly to the ones who delight in posting negative comments and attacking non-natives who have any positive views as "wearing rose colored glasses" and being naive.
1. As a native, you should be cheering your state on- so why do you lack pride?
2. Why haven't you done more to improve your state? What is preventing you from becoming an activist or running for office?
3.Do RIers inherit an inferior negativity gene?
Is a negative outlook about the state an easy excuse for personal failure?
i.e. I can't get a good job because: Oh I know- because I don't KNOW Anybody????
Aren't the natives the best connected and the highest paid around!!! I thought the natives all had union jobs and cousins in the legislature?
1. It's one thing to cheer on the state but quite another to try to portray it as a utopia where no criticism is warranted. Of course, we all know the truth is that no place is perfect and everywhere has positive and negative aspects, but for some reason anytime a less than stellar point about RI is addressed on this forum, there is a real danger of the comment being taken as a personal attack and/or the poster is otherwise accused of being negative or "lacking pride."
As a native, I actually do have pride in the state and love many aspects of it, and I've stated this in the past. But that doesn't mean that I can't point out legitimate flaws when applicable. I try to look at this way: If I was a newcomer to this forum and searching for real information about Rhode Island if I'd never been to the state and was looking to visit or move there, I would want real advice about both its good AND bad aspects. I wouldn't want to simply be told that everything is fantastic and there are no issues. If you were visiting another state to which you'd never been or were thinking of moving, would you want to just be told everything is great, or would you like to know some of the real issues that you might face? Again, one can have pride in a place but should still be able to offer criticism when warranted without being personally attacked or accused of being a "negative nelly." Every area has its good and bad aspects, and to suggest otherwise is to promote a disservice to those who legitimately search for "real" information when visiting this forum.
2. I can't assist with this as I live out of state, but I'd love to get one of my lazy relatives in Providence to do this to look to improve RI rather than continue with his "laissez-faire" attitude.
3. No, I don't think natives have a "negative" gene. Please see my answer to number 1 as it applies here.
That's all I've been calling for- moderate balanced views. I don't think any reasonable person who visits this forum is pushing for only good comments or only bad comments. And anyone who accuses moi of wearing rose colored glasses just hasn't been following my posts.
Bottom line: The people here who tend to disparage the state only do that. The people who say good things about the state have said many things they don't like about the state also. Me personally? I love Rhode Island, but the drivers are crap, the BBQ is crap, and the property taxes are a lot of crap!
See? I can say not so nice things. But on balance, I love it here - and it's the people who only say negative things that then accuse us "cheerleaders" of wearing rose colored glasses.
I am not a native but have lived in the state since 97 and i'll throw my 2 cents. In my personal experience i see two distinct attitudes in the state.
The first is the distinctly negative viewpoint that tends to harbor an inherent viewpoint that RI is not a good place to live, raise a family, work, etc... There are many reasons that are given but people who i know who hold this basic view of RI always take whatever info and look at the negative of it.
The second is more the rose-colored glasses viewpoint. In full disclosure i fall into this bucket. In my opinion this is the viewpoint that believes that there are issues with the state whether they be economic, political, cultural, or whatever... but that every place on earth has it's own issues to work through and RI is not inherently different or an outlier. While there are issues there are also far greater positives about our state.
Who is right? Well probably both to some degree i guess since it's looking at two sides of the same coin.
Now take this with a grain of salt but in my experience people who live in Providence, Middletown/Newport, and South County tend to be very happy living in RI and have a positive view of the state. People who live/are from northern RI, and surrounding suburbs of Providence tend to have a negative view of the state. Again, this is just a general trend i've seen.
Why is that? I don't know, maybe the households in the other areas get to enjoy the assets of the state more than the other areas or value different things in a lifestyle or maybe it's economic? It would probably be an interesting case study. I have noticed that trend though.
My personal view of the state..i love it here. I am from Chicago, which i consider a premier city and top place to live, and have lived in Providence for 13 years. Providence is smaller but offers premier dining in the country, a great place to live, raise a family, enjoy the old fashioned sense of a close knit urban community, and have it be affordable. This is a rare combination. Also, we have access to great beaches, sea food, and cultural activities (theater, museums, galleries, etc...). Personally, those things are all assets that i value in a place to live so it's a perfect fit for me and my family. Now is it all peaches and cream here...no. I get the taxes on my car/property, some streets are not in great shape, and i encounter many of the same issues that come with living in any city. It's all worth it though for me personally. Like i said, for what my wife and i value in a place to live, Providence and RI are ideally suited.
I do understand though that all those aspects that i love and take advantage of in the state others do not so the area may not make the same sense for someone else. Different formulas for happiness = different results. What makes RI great for me may make no sense to someone else.
I've also been employed my entire time here. I've very fortunate since the economic downturn did not impact my family like i saw others impacted. Has that fortune changed my view....probably. If i were impacted like so many others in the state i could see a negative view of the situation influence. It would be easy for me to say something along the lines of "it's how one responds to hardship that defines them" as a challenge for people to tighten the bootstraps and chug ahead. In reality though a lot of people were/are in hardship with the last economy and I'm sure that has had an impact on a lot of viewpoints.
ok, that's my rambling and how i've seen things in Lil Rhody.
Last edited by Pvdjames; 08-05-2013 at 08:00 AM..
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