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

Friday, July 22, 2011

Dan McGowan, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

 

Who’s Hot

Bruce Sundlun -> A true jack of all trades. Governor Sundlun was a war hero and an incredibly successful businessman before ever stepping into the political arena. As his friend Mayor Joe Paolino told GoLocalProv Thursday evening, he was the type of guy that was willing to make the tough decisions, something Rhode Island needs more than ever these days.

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Allan Fung -> There will come a time when Mayor Fung wants to stretch his wings and run for higher office and by working to be the sounding board for the pending pension crisis in Rhode Island, he is setting himself up as the Republican version of General Treasurer Gina Raimondo. Might those two make runs at Governor Chafee in 2014? Only time will tell.

Mitt Romney -> You want your Presidential candidates, Rhode Island? Forget the National Popular Vote or moving the Primary. Fork over the cash. That’s why the frontrunner to be the GOP nominee in 2012 will be in Newport next Tuesday evening. Of course, Governor Romney is probably going to need Brendan Doherty to invite all of his Democratic supporters if he expects to actually make a few bucks.

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Michael Tarro -> The first-term successor to Steven Costantino (who has a lot of people that want to run against him next fall) was relatively quiet during his first session in the General Assembly. But he wrapped up with a homerun of a bill sure to make the seniors on Federal Hill quite happy. Tarro’s bill will require more notification for senior citizens before they lose their home due to tax liens, something he claims will allow folks to get the help they need before losing everything.

Jonathan Boucher -> Congrats to the newest staffer for the Rhode Island Democratic Party. Boucher’s main goal (whether he likes it or not) in 2012: Convince enough Democrats not just to donate, but also to campaign hard for Congressman Cicilline as he faces formidable challenges both from within the Party as well as from the GOP.

Sam Zurier -> Although it might be too little, too late, kudos to the Providence Councilman for going to bat for the Providence School Board. Too often decisions about education are made based more on the financial climate than the best interests of students, which is what the School Board is supposed to have in mind.

Pawtucket -> Nice to see Mayor Grebien and the city doing its share to help Central Falls in its time of need. Allowing Central Falls residents to use Pawtucket libraries may not seem like a big deal, but it might be the first in a long line of services that will be shared in the coming years.

Who’s Not

Providence Residents -> One could spend more time in the drive through line at Burger King than the Providenc e City Council took to vote in favor of a plan to raise property taxes and broaden the car tax. But where was all the outrage? Since when did every tax payer suddenly become so willing to fork over extra cash to help solve problems they didn’t create?

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Ralph Mollis -> Chalk this one up in the “he just doesn’t get it” category. Why in the world would you hire a relative with a fairly sketchy background knowing full well the public is scrutinizing every single move made by public officials these days? It’s either arrogance or foolishness. You be the judge about which is worse.

Ocean State Policy Research Institute -> Just when it appears the Rhode Island right is rising, one of the leading conservative groups in the state dissolves. It might have occasionally made some questionable statements, but groups that add a different perspective to the discussion are a good thing for Rhode Island. The state needs more of that, not less.

Rhode Island Young Republicans -> As pleasant as it is to get your often entertaining e-mails, it’s time to start attracting new candidates and building the Party rather than just making fun of Democrats constantly. Because as mistake-ridden as the majority is, they’re still the overwhelming majority. And until the Republicans get serious about challenging them, nothing will change.

Congress -> The vote-them-all-out mentality seems to be getting popular on both sides of aisle at this point. It’s a shame our elected officials would rather talk loudly on cable news than actually come to an agreement on how to prevent the country from defaulting on its debt.

Borders -> It’s never a good thing when a major business closes, but Borders will be especially missed. This is truly a sad time for both consumers and more importantly, the workers that now add to the unemployment rate in this state.
 

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