Top 11 of 2011: Tough and Tougher

Top 11 of 2011: Tough and Tougher

In a state known for rough and tumble politics--and politicians--this gentle, deferential newcomer may take the cake. And restore Providence in the process.

None other than Angel Taveras has emerged from one of the worst first years in a mayoral term to have dominated the landscape with brutal honesty and decisive action.

The history began in November of 2010, which marked the first election of a Hispanic mayor in Providence. But ethnic politics quickly took second place as the new mayor took office in January of 2011 and faced staggering deficit numbers in the capital city, further crippled by contracts with teachers and other municipal employees.

By February, Taveras made national news for "firing" almost 2,000 Providence's teachers--a move that played as draconian and harsh, but was necessary for the city to gain the power to rehire teachers and manage its budget. And while RI's Treasurer Gina Raimondo pushed strenuously for pension reform statewide, the plan left municipal unions that plague Providence's budget unharnessed--a battle that Taveras will continue to fight in the next year of his term.

Faced with a different confrontation--that of a protest encampment practically on the front steps of City Hall--Taveras played a careful game of negotiations with the Occupy Providence movement, and a recent agreement points to this mayor's ability to navigate waters that have drenched other civic leaders around the country.

Late in 2011, with anti-poverty ProCAP imploding into scandal, Taveras may find himself increasingly on the battlefield again. But it's just another day in the office for this mayor.