Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?

Friday, October 07, 2011

Dan McGowan, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

 

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Who’s Hot

Angel Taveras -> Congrats to the Providence Mayor on being one of only four Mayors nationwide to earn a prestigious fellowship with the Urban Land Institute. It’s the perfect fit for a guy that has a lot of work to do when it comes to making decisions regarding land-use issues in the city. Hopefully he’ll be able to apply what he learns when it comes time to battle the state on the I- 195 property.

Occupy Providence -> It was only a matter of time before the Wall Street spinoff started in Providence, where there are more rallies than jobs. So far the group has done an excellent job organizing and getting the word out; now the question is exactly what are they trying to accomplish?

Barry Hinckley -> He needs to do a little less Whitehouse bashing and little more work on raising his own profile, but the Republican Senate candidate might be the only hope for unifying a divided GOP in Rhode Island. Hinckley, sources say, is staying clear of endorsing anyone in that ugly Congressional race, but there’s no reason for the entire party not to throw their support behind him.

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Jack Reed & Sheldon Whitehouse -> Kudos to Rhode Island’s Senators for jumping on board the anti-Chinese Currency Manipulation train. Providence workers have been hurt by China more than almost every city in the country and the legislation Reed and Whitehouse are pushing for could level the playing field for manufacturers all over the country.

Charles Lombardi -> The guy can’t catch a break. He had a corrupt City Council, a stripper-loving Police Chief and most recently, Moody’s downgraded his city’s credit rating despite all of the work he has done to improve the city’s finances. And he has improved its finances. His town is a bit goofy, but Charles Lombardi is a good Mayor.

John Marion -> Kudos to the Common Cause Executive Director for pushing for an open process when it comes to pension reform on Smith Hill. Too many deals are made behind closed doors and making sure the entire debate is as accessible to public as possible is something the General Assembly must consider during the special session.

City Year -> One of the best education-related programs in all of Rhode Island celebrates another year in Providence today. There isn’t an organization doing more to address the dropout crisis for communities across the nation than City Year, which puts its teams of corps members in the worst schools to serve as tutors, mentors and role models. Providence ought to be thankful for the work this organization does.

Who’s Not

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Rhode Island GOP -> Republicans considered the last General Assembly session a success, but as the 2012 elections grow closer, the party is facing a lot of problems. And if the bomb-throwing doesn’t stop, it’s going to be awfully difficult to defeat any Democrats next November.

Governor Carcieri -> He’s used to the Democrats blaming him for everything under the sun, but it’s not every day Governor Carcieri has Republicans turning on him as well. It will be interesting to see what role (if any) he plays in the 2012 elections.

Warwick City Council -> This group is making a foolish move for even considering banning signs at Council meetings and kudos to the ACLU for calling them out. The real shame is that taxpayers only turn out at these Council meetings a handful of times per year rather than staying engaged through the whole process.

Dan Gordon -> Lying about military records is among the most shameful things a person can do and that’s what the embattled State Rep. continues to be accused of. Here’s hoping this is all a huge mistake, but that seems difficult to believe.

John Edwards -> Even if Rep. Gordon is lying about his record, it’s a tasteless move for another Rep. to call for him to be expelled from the General Assembly. Especially when you consider the backgrounds of other lawmakers on Smith Hill.

Guatemalan-American Alliance & Immigrants in Action Committee -> Be happy you won and move on. It was a foolish move to march children to the State House to thank Governor Chafee on the same day hundreds of people turned out to protest. These groups are lucky no one was harmed on Wednesday.

Friendly’s -> Want a way out of bankruptcy, Friendly’s? Serve beer.


 

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