For those who don’t already know, Matt Jerzyk, owner and head blogger at RI Future, has sold the site and is going to be surrendering the liberal throne of the RI blogosphere. He hasn’t announced yet who will be taking over the reins, but here’s a hint: it’s not me! Yes, I had been in contention at one time for the glorious post, but as it turns out, there was another contender who pulled off a deal before I was able to get up the gumption or the long-term plan to make a strong offer.
I probably would not have started my blog in its current incarnation if it weren’t for the leadership and the inspiration of the RI Future blog. While I had started a blog in 2002 and 2003 in HTML format, after watching what Matt and his technical wizard, Alex Moore, were doing, I chose to create another, much more versatile and powerful blog with WordPress.
Matt’s political savvy, his willingness to get out there and fight for the issues he believes in, and his skills at building relationships with progressives, Democrats, and even some Republicans, made the RI Future blog a serious force to be contended within the state. When he exposed the slandering emails coming from the Chafee camp in the Senate race with Sheldon Whitehouse, when he led the movement to sanction one of the board members of Roger Williams Law School for his racist comments, and as he has constantly communicated to the public about hundreds of activist movements in the state, he has shown that one voice and one blog, as it leads the charge and draws others into dialogue and action, can make a huge difference in the political landscape. Matt is truly an influential orchestrator of change and a deeply valued member of the Rhode Island progressive community.
So there is much cause for celebration as Matt moves on in his legal career, his personal life, and as a leader for so many in the state. On Tuesday, December 23, 2008, the community will celebrate Matt’s dedication and talent, and the identity of the new owner of the RI Future Blog will be announced. The location and time for this event is The Wild Colonial (250 South Water Street in Providence) from 6 pm to 9 pm. There is a $25 suggested donation for the event, but guests can pay what they are able.
If you are on Facebook, you can see who else attending and RSVP to this event here. I will be there and I hope you will be too.
Kmareka.com 
I will admit something-I like to contribute to blogs,yet I have no idea what HTML is,nor WordPress,or why one is more versatile than the other.I can’t even “cut and paste”.My wife says I should never press the right half of the mouse because “something bad”could happen.She knows computers though.
I suggested to Matt on RIF that he set up “Malpractice Express”booths outside some of the state’s more miserable hospitals.
It wouldn’t be any more tacky than the James Sokolove ads.
Thanks a lot for your kind words & keep up the great work at Kmareka!
Certainly a major loss for RI’s blog community. I hope, for everyone’s sake, that the new owner is as independent-minded as Matt — and preferably a private citizen/entrepreneur instead of, I don’t know, a growing media conglomerate calling itself “the alternative media.”