普罗维登斯第7号议案引争议：退休联邦法官警告或引发诉讼潮
罗得岛州普罗维登斯县普罗维登斯市（Providence），退休联邦法官 William Smith 10月31日就该市选票上的第7号议案发出警告，称该议案若通过可能引发“诉讼狂潮”，相关信件由 WPRI 获得、《普罗维登斯日报》10月31日刊出。
第7号议案条文并未提及以色列，而是要求该市从犯有种族灭绝、种族隔离、种族清洗与长期军事占领的国家撤资；但推动该议案的普罗维登斯争取巴勒斯坦联盟征集了逾5,000个签名，并表示以色列就是目标。
Smith 在信中写道，该拟议条例问题很大、很可能无法执行，若获通过将给该市投资委员会带来混乱与干扰，并可能损害该市的养老金投资。此前，市长 Brett Smiley 与该市养老基金管理人已警告该议案可能扰乱养老金管理；该基金资产7亿美元、缺口高达18.5亿美元，已是该市最大的财政危机之一。
支持方则回应称，议案条文经过精心起草，以保留该市对居民与养老金领取者的受托责任，并指责市长一方是在散布恐惧。
Retired Federal Judge Warns Providence's Question 7 Could Spark a 'Litigation Frenzy'
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Retired federal judge William Smith warned on October 31 that the city's ballot Question 7 could set off a "litigation frenzy" if approved, in a letter obtained by WPRI and published by the Providence Journal.
The measure's text does not mention Israel; it would require the city to divest from nations engaged in genocide, apartheid, ethnic cleansing and prolonged military occupation. But the Providence Coalition for Palestine, which gathered more than 5,000 signatures to place it on the ballot, has said Israel is the target.
Smith wrote that the proposed ordinance is deeply flawed and likely unenforceable, and that passage would bring chaos and disruption to the city's investment commission and could harm its pension investments. Mayor Brett Smiley and the city's pension fund managers have likewise warned the measure could disrupt management of the fund, which holds $700 million in assets against a $1.85 billion shortfall — one of the city's largest fiscal crises.
Supporters respond that the language was carefully drafted to preserve the city's fiduciary duties to residents and pensioners, and accuse the mayor's side of fearmongering.
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：图：Providence Rhode Island skyline 2017。Kenneth C. Zirkel 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Providence Rhode Island skyline 2017. By Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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