Jimmy Pimentel

YouTube video by Maya Kelly Bus Cuts

The cuts made to RIPTA go beyond a line item in the budget. Behind every cut & reduction in service is an affected community member.

Their stories matter. We encourage you to watch Bus Cuts. Special thanks to @pvdstreets.bsky.social for sharing this short film.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgsH...

"Often funding cuts, are justified by low ridership. Using this argument to slash funding for essential public services creates a cyclical problem in our society, where less funding creates less frequency of service, which creates lower ridership, & lower ridership leads to less funding."

Hearing that daily ridership decreased by 10% is pretty much what I predicted. Shame on our elected officials.

As the RIPTA driver said in the short film, I don't see where the light at the end of the tunnel is, either. Especially now that we have this cyclical problem w/lower ridership.

The person on the left wears a black beanie and glasses, holding a sign with colorful block letters that reads: "FREEDOM of SPEECH? FREEDOM MEANS NOTHING WHEN YOU CAN SHOOT ME DOWN WITH A PUSH of a BUTTON." The person on the right wears a red patterned beanie and holds a sign featuring a black-and-white comic-style illustration of a girl (Nancy) pointing to a notice that says "NO ICE."

Was happy to be out in defense of our Constitution and immigrant neighbors. It was lovely to meet other kind folks while we were out, who share the same love for everyone in our community.

A single-panel Nancy comic by Ernie Bushmiller. Nancy stands in front of a sign that originally said "NOTICE," but she has used a pencil to completely fill in the letter "T," making the sign now read "NO ICE." She stands with a smirk, holding her pencil and a briefcase, while a frozen body of water is visible in the background.

Made these two calls in just a few minutes. Call our Senators and let them know we do not stand for a police state that targets our immigrant neighbors and hampers our freedom of movement as citizens. They must hold the line.

EPiC members attended the City Council meeting tonight to learn more about the proposed Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. We’re feeling inspired by the mix of practical short-term recommendations and long-term goals that will make our streets safer for all road users. (1/3)

Well done Providence General Assembly for getting this to Mayor Smiley!

We would love to see East Providence take a similar step to protect residents on city property.

🚨HOLY CRAP. An ICE whistleblower just revealed a secret memo authorizing ICE officers to break into homes without a judicial warrant, which DHS's own legal training materials say is unconstitutional!

ICE then hid the memo from the public, passing it along by word of mouth and private conversation.

Our city is filled with these unregulated surveillance cameras! We strongly encourage our members to join @riaclu.bsky.social for this important webinar.

"To build a strong city, we need to massacre the red tape, starting with ending mandatory parking minimums. It’s time to prioritize homes over subsidized asphalt. ✂️📜"
— @jimpimentel.bsky.social

We’ve regulated ourselves into a corner. To build a strong city, we need to massacre the red tape, starting with ending mandatory parking minimums. It’s time to prioritize homes over subsidized asphalt. ✂️📜 #Urbanism #ZoningReform 3/3

Inefficient land use is a slow-motion budget crisis. Surface lots are expensive to maintain and waste the finite land we have left. By forcing developers to build "parking first," we’re creating a massive web of tax liabilities and driving up the cost of living. 2/3

South Broadway apartment building approved in East Providence - EastBayRI.com The East Providence Planning Board voted 4-0 to approve a plan to develop a long-vacant parcel of land located at the corner of South Broadway and Laura Street into a 17-unit apartment building.

We need more housing, but this project is a perfect example of why our zoning codes are broken. To play by the current rules without seeking a variance, the majority of this valuable land has to be used for a parking lot instead of people. 🚗🏘️ 1/3

www.eastbayri.com/east-provide...

Wordle 1674 6/6

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People often ask what EPiC does. Today showed the answer: we show up.

Neighbors gathered at Crook Point Brewery to talk shop on everything from housing solutions to protecting our local environment. We’re building a city that works for everyone. (2/3)

One year of EPiC! 🥳

From a handful of neighbors to an award-winning grassroots organization, we’ve spent 2025 fighting for more homes, inclusive schools, and a greener East Providence.

Heading into 2026 with more momentum than ever.

Join us: www.epicri.org/become-a-mem... 🩵✨ (1/3)

Got in three!

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An image promoting a public meeting for the East Providence Bike & Pedestrian Master Plan. The background shows a sunny, outdoor view of a paved bridge with a dedicated bike lane, a metal railing on the left, and a white bus driving on a roadway to the right. At the top, there is a graphic of a green folded map with a yellow location pin, followed by text on a yellow banner that reads, "East Providence Bike & Pedestrian Master Plan." A second yellow banner at the bottom provides the event details: "Jan 27, 6:30 PM, East Providence City Hall."

🚨DATE CHANGED🚨

East Providence is finalizing its Bike & Pedestrian Master Plan!

Join EPiC and @pvdstreets.bsky.social to learn more at the next City Council meeting.

🗓️ Tuesday, Jan 27
⏰ 6:30 PM
📍 East Providence City Hall

Let’s build safer, more connected streets together! 🚲🚶‍♀️

It's working! Policies making it easier to build new homes in Rhode Island are starting to get results. After the state expanded residents’ right to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), the number of permits issued statewide jumped from 11 in 2021 to 163 in 2024.

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” ― Rev. Desmond Tutu

A screenshot of a Facebook post by Matt Jerzyk. The text of the post reads: "As an attorney with many years examining law-enforcement practices and excessive-force analysis, here are my thoughts, based on available video and what we know now on the Shooting Death of Minnesota Mom Renee Good. Please note that I work with (1) well-trained police officers who (2) do not wear masks and who (3) have visible badge numbers. THE BEGINNING * The First Amendment allows bystanders to say whatever they want to law enforcement - even if it is mean, annoying or insulting - so long as there are no threats or physical interference. Insults are constitutionally protected speech and do not justify detention, commands, or force. Escalation based on perceived disrespect, called 'contempt-of-cop' enforcement, is widely rejected by courts and professional standards. * Immigration officers do NOT possess blanket authority to detain or command compliance absent reasonable suspicion, probable cause, or a valid judicial warrant. * Ordering a driver out of a vehicle requires a lawful stop; an unlawful command cannot later be justified through escalation. The Minnesota Mom was not a target or a suspect. She was not in the middle of a law enforcement operation. She was in a car. Professional policing standards emphasize de-escalation, distance, and tactical patience, particularly when an individual is attempting to leave the scene."

Here's an important & timely analysis by @mjerzyk.bsky.social, "an attorney with many years examining law‑enforcement practices and excessive‑force analysis" who provides his thoughts on the shooting death of Renee Good.

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It is time for us to abolish the doctrine of qualified immunity and restore a uniform standard of accountability for all. 5/5

Yet, when the state deals death upon its citizens, those same standards of responsibility vanish behind a shield of special protections.

We must ensure those entrusted with the power of the state are held to the same standard of liability as any other person wielding a firearm. 4/5

As someone who has shot firearms and someone who respects them, I am acutely aware that wielding a weapon comes with an uncompromising burden of liability. If a civilian fails to meet that standard, they face immediate legal consequences. 3/5

Watching another life taken by the very institutions trusted by taxpayers to wield firearms responsibly is one life too many.

There is a stark contrast in how we treat state-sanctioned violence and how we treat the responsibilities of a private citizen. 2/5

It took me a while to write this. Seeing the videos of Renee Good, a mother, a poet, & a beloved community member, have her life taken away by someone that taxpayers are supposed to trust with a gun, evokes the haunting memory of Daniel Shaver, who was killed by a Mesa cop 9 years ago. 1/5

Democrats cannot vote for a DHS budget that doesn’t restrain the growing lawlessness of this agency.