Projo Ridicules Legislator as “No Show” While He is at Military Service
Monday, May 23, 2016
A state legislator who was serving at required training in the U.S. Coast Guard was one of the members of a General Assembly House Finance subcommittee who were publicly chastised en masse by the Providence Journal for missing a hearing on legislative grants on Thursday.
Representative Carlos Tobon, who has served in the U.S. Coast Guard since 2012, said he was shocked to see his picture alongside the headline "R.I lawmakers are a no-show" on Friday; the Projo then ran an unprecedented front-page editorial on Sunday calling out Tobon and four other lawmakers, saying sarcastically that they "must have had something better to do with their time."
"I said, 'Oh, I'm in the paper,' when I saw my photo on Friday. Then I read it," said Tobon, who was serving his annual two-week required service at Pt. Judith, which is in addition to one weekend a month of required training. "I get it, you want accountability. But if you're doing an investigative piece, you should investigate. No one [from the Journal] asked me why I wasn't there."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe Providence Journal's Tom Mooney wrote of the "no-shows" at Thursday's subcommittee hearing to discuss reforms to the highly controversial legislative grant program:
After the hearing, Naughton, deputy chairperson of the House Finance Committee, was asked where her subcommittee members were. “You would have to ask them,” she said. “I would like [them here] but I am not in the military. I cannot order them to be here.”
Service Omitted, More Oversights
Tobon told GoLocal that May 9 through May 20 marked his mandated two-week training period in 2016, which the Speaker's office confirmed.
"Rep. Carlos Tobon serves as a Reserve Petty Officer in the United States Coast Guard. He is required to serve at the Point Judith Station for two weeks per year, as well as one weekend per month, and was unable to attend legislative sessions or committee hearings on Wednesday and Thursday of last week because of his military obligation," said Larry Berman, spokesperson for Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello. "The reason for [Tobon's] absence was reflected in the House Journal on both Wednesday and Thursday."
That didn't stop the Journal from failing to ask legislators about their absence -- piling on for the front-page editorial on Sunday -- or to realize another of the committee members called out no longer serves on the subcommittee.
"Subcommittee members Marvin Abney, D-Newport; Anthony Giarrusso, R-East Greenwich; Robert Jaquard, D-Cranston; Scott Slater, D-Providence; and Carlos Tobon, D-Pawtucket; all had more important things to do with their time," wrote the Projo's editorial staff, writing the hearings "insulted Rhode Islanders' intelligence."
Berman added Abney was no longer a member of the subcommittee.
"[It was] incorrectly reported that Marvin Abney is a member of the subcommittee. After being named Chairman of the Finance Committee two weeks ago, he no longer was a member of any subcommittee," said Berman. "Chairpersons never serve on the subcommittees because they chair the full committee hearings and they have many other responsibilities."
Tobon on Serving Country
Tobon said it was another Rhode Islander -- and Coast Guard officer -- that prompted him to enlist to serve his country.
"It was Clay Pell who was influential in my decision," said Tobon, of the grandson of former U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell and 2014 gubernatorial candidate, who is a U.S. Coast Guard Officer.
"I've been on search and rescues, but luckily, it's been nothing catastrophic," said Tobon. "It's basically an insurance policy. The reason why we do all the training is that we're prepared should something happen. I'm qualifying to be a certified crew member -- I'm currently a Boatswain's Mate, Petty Officer 3rd Class. It's a privilege to be in the armed services."
Tobon was first elected to the General Assembly in 2014 to District 58 in Pawtucket and is employed by Cross Insurance.
Responding to Critique
Berman responded further to the coverage of the hearing on Sunday.
"It also wasn't reported that two members of the Finance Committee – Deborah Ruggiero and Joy Hearn -- who are not members of the Human Services Subcommittee, attended the hearing as well," said Berman. "[It was written] to appear that Chairwoman Naughton was alone at the hearing."
"The House Finance Committee is by far the busiest of all legislative committees, holding several hearings per week in reviewing every budget article and every department and agency budget, as well as holding public hearings on hundreds of legislative proposals. The committee meets three nights per week after each legislative session and often holds subcommittee meetings in the afternoon," said Berman. "Members sometimes have work commitments in the afternoon and try to make as many meetings as possible, but this is a part-time legislature and most members have full-time jobs that can preclude them from attending every afternoon subcommittee hearing. Thursday’s hearing began at 1 p.m. and most members have day jobs they are required to fulfill in order to support their families."
Members of the part-time General Assembly currently make $15,414 a year.
“The Journal editorial board last June continually urged Speaker Mattiello to immediately approve the RhodeWorks legislation. Instead, he took his time and studied the issue, and in the end, came up with a much improved proposal to better serve the citizens of the state. He is not going to rush because [someone] wants him to," said Berman.
Speaker Mattiello told GoLocal what he intends to be the next steps on legislative and community service grant reforms.
“I will be taking action on community service grants, but not before the hearings are completed and we have the fourth and final one scheduled for Tuesday. When the hearings are finished, I will review the testimony and then make a determination on how to move forward," said Mattiello. "In determining public policy, you have to be thoughtful, deliberate and consider all options. It is not my nature to act hastily.”
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