Russell Moore: Elorza Lacks Accountability
Monday, September 22, 2014
Democratic Mayoral candidate Jorge Elorza just can’t be pinned down on anything. In this year’s election cycle, Elorza has the distinction of being the least accountable candidate for anything he’s ever said or done.
Whenever something is revealed that he wishes he’s never said or done, he simply blames someone else or changes the subject. That might be fine for his friends and supporters who stand to benefit from all the city work and jobs he’ll be doling out if he is able to skate by the general election—but it’s bad for the residents of the city without connections to the regime that’s been running the city since 2002.
Accountability Matters
For instance, when it was reported by GoLocalProv that Elorza was arrested for shoplifting as an 18-year-old, the campaign and its allies argued that the revelation was a non-issue considering that he was a youngster back then and that he had sent out a heartfelt, genuine apology letter to 7,000 voters. It didn't matter that even the most stalwart followers of Rhode Island politics had no clue this man had been arrested for stealing—the fact that he allegedly told 7,000 people meant it was disclosure enough to these folks.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBut that all changed when GoLocalProv later revealed that portions of the letter were plagiarized, word for word, from a letter that Central Falls Mayor James Diossa sent to his constituents prior to his mayoral election a couple years ago.
The story changed. Then, according to the Elorza campaign, the letter was no longer some heartfelt mea cupla, but instead was drafted by someone else that worked for Elorza. Oh, and just who was it? Elorza ain't saying. How convenient!
So here's Elorza's idea of leadership for anyone paying attention: get caught doing something wrong, blame someone else, but refuse to say who. And he's gotten away with it.
Municipal Income Tax
That's far from Elorza's only example of getting cute with reality. This guy dances more than John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.
Elorza has literally been caught on tape saying that he is “very much in support of a municipal income tax,” and that it’s a much fairer system than the current system that’s in place. Yet when the video was exposed by GoLocalProv, Elorza claimed that he’s actually not proposing a municipal income tax, but that he merely likes it. Why wouldn’t he propose it if he supports it? If you’re confused, you’re not alone.
And then God came into the fray. Elorza reportedly wrote a law review article in which he argued that “science has disconfirmed the claim that the theist God has the power to violate the laws of physics”, and that “teaching that the theist God does not exist would not violate any of the underlying values” of the constitution.
God enters the fray
In this instance, a standup guy would admit that he’s an atheist and let the chips fall how and wherever they may. But that’s not Elorza. Instead, Elorza reverted to his rhetorical gymnastics yet again. Elorza claimed that he was referring to the definition of God in a narrow sense and that he believes there is still room for belief in some other definitions of God.
In light of Elorza rhetorical gymnastics, there’s no wonder why the general public has become so apathetic to politics. For this reason, the Rhode Islanders I speak with increasingly feel like politicians will say anything to get elected, care more about the power that's associated with political office than the good of the people, and are financed by well-heeled special interest groups that they'll be forced to answer to as opposed to the people they're supposed to represent.
It’s well past time for the voters to demand more from politicians. If we did Elorza might find, come November, that getting cute with rhetoric and taking evasive actions when confronted with issues he’s rather not discuss is not the way to earn the trust of Rhode Islanders.
As Providence goes, so does Rhode Island. That's why this mayoral election is the most important race in the state right now, even more than the race for Governor. Given that fact, it's important that voters give Elorza a closer look. They might not like what they see.
A native Rhode Islander, Russell J. Moore is a graduate of Providence College and St. Raphael Academy. He worked as a news reporter for 7 years (2004-2010), 5 of which with The Warwick Beacon, focusing on government. He continues to keep a close eye on the inner workings of Rhode Islands state and local governments. Find Russell J. Moore Twitter @russmoore713.
Related Slideshow: Questions Jorge Elorza Must Answer to be Providence’s Next Mayor
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