Voices

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the state’s largest health insurer, is launching a policy to curb abuse of prescription painkillers, shepherded by Chief Physician Executive Dr. John Fallon. May 21

Rhode Island lawmakers recently passed legislation designed to attract a broader range of investments in limited-liability companies with nonprofit missions. The measure creates a new corporate structure – the low-profit, limited-liability company, or “L3C” – with the policy goal of making Rhode Island the Silicon Valley of social ventures. May 19

It may be the best-kept secret in home real estate: For a couple of hundred dollars, a potential buyer thinking about writing a contract on an existing house can ask for a formal energy audit along with the standard inspection clause. That audit, in turn, can save the buyer thousands of dollars in future operating costs, and pinpoint the specific features of the house that need correction to improve efficiency. It might also be a tipoff to a sobering reality: This house is an energy guzzler. Either the asking price comes down, the seller fixes the problems, or I walk. May 19

I am sick of the argument that cold calling still has a valuable place in selling. Someone PLEASE show me the value. May 19

Anthony Antosh was recently presented the 2012 Paul W. Crowley Award by the Rhode Island School Superintendents’ Association. The award is given annually to a Rhode Island citizen who has demonstrated a commitment to improving the quality of education in the state. Antosh is a professor of special education and founding director of the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities at Rhode Island College. May 12

To the Editor: After reading Jim Borah’s Op-Ed (“Care needed in establishing state’s benefit exchange,” April 16, 2012), I wanted to add my thoughts to this discussion. May 12

With last week’s announcement, the 2012 edition of the Rhode Island Research Alliance Collaborative Research Grants are proof again that the Ocean State is home to great intellectual capital that can compete in the global marketplace. May 12

To the Editor: The Great Recession led to a quiet crisis of justice in Rhode Island and across our nation. Reduced funding forced courts to cut the hours they were open, lay off essential staff, and even delay civil trials. Making matters worse, crime victims are not getting the restitution they are legally owed because until recently there has not been a mechanism to collect that debt. May 12

“Good warriors … position themselves where they will surely win, prevailing over those who have already lost.” May 12

Have you noticed the shift in human focus and concentration? May 12