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Noise Project Endorses Rep. Morales in PVD Mayoral Primary
Yes, you read that right — the Noise Project has endorsed RI Rep. David Morales in the Democratic mayoral primary in Providence, and in doing so, not renewed its 2022 endorsement of Brett Smiley. The full endorsement can be seen here, and the survey results that guided it are discussed here.
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In short, it was a mixture of profound disappointment with Mayor Smiley’s record on noise reduction over the past four years, coupled with a comparison of his wary and tepid responses to our mayoral candidate survey to Rep. Morales’ far more incisive and forthcoming answers.
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We don’t fully agree with everything Morales wrote, especlally in regard to police enforcement, but we think on the whole his perspective and open-mindedness are what Providence needs right now. Four more years of Smiley’s mostly unpublicized half-measures and tactical tweaks won’t bring about the significant reduction in noise levels that city residents and visitors so desperately need.
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Our endorsements for City Council and state offices will be forthcoming soon. If you have any questions about endorsements, our candidate surveys, or Noise Project programs, contact us.
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We appreciate the PVD Eye’s recent coverage of noise issues in Providence, and particularly the city’s mixed messages on excessive sound levels at events on public property — including parks, schools, and streets. Similar issues arise on private areas (e.g., alleys downtown and parking lots).
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We have posted a response to the article that seeks to add context and details to some of the sources and quotes cited in it. We think the word “equity” in the headline goes both ways — i.e., areas with relatively more excessive noise deserve relatively more attention / action from the city.
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Interestingly, in his response to our survey, Rep. David Morales seemed to agree with that idea, saying that “naming noise as a public-health issue is the right frame, and ... lets us direct resources and attention where the burden is heaviest.” Mayor Smiley has never been willing to say that.
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The Rhode Island Supreme Court recently ruled that the General Assembly cannot carve out special licensing exemptions for entertainment venues such as bars, clubs, and restaurants that face public opposition — potentially due to noise and other disruption in the areas around them.
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If you’ve had a nuisance venue foisted on your neighborhood over the objections of residents there, especially in the name of some sort of vague “economic development” — which the mayor has touted in his seemingly pre-determined and unconvincing “Life at Night” initiative — please contact us, and if possible include links to any media coverage of the venues or issues involved.
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We want to better understand how and where this has played out in Providence, especially with regard to the city’s “fox guarding the hen house” Board of Licenses under former chair Dylan Conley — a holdover Elorza appointee who was re-appointed twice by Mayor Smiley. Life at night, indeed.
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Thank you for your interest in the Providence Noise Project, and for supporting a
quieter, healthier, and more enjoyable Providence for all of its residents and visitors
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