Side of the Rhode: Who’s hot and who’s not in RI Politics

Friday, July 30, 2010

by Matthew Jerzyk

 

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Read Side of the Rhode - Who's Hot and Who's Not in RI Politics - every Friday only at GoLocalProv.com!

WHO'S HOT

David "Doc" St. Germain (1967-2010)  ->  On a haunting Wednesday night on the mall-side of the State House, hundreds of Rhode Islanders gathered to pay tribute Doc St. Germain who recently killed himself by jumping from the mall's parking garage.  Doc's decision to end his life followed a terrible car accident that left him permanently in pain, without proper medication or health care and facing a life of increasing and terrifying pain. Speaker after speaker took the microphone and paid tribute to the community activist who never failed to be on the side of the silent, the poor, the oppressed.  Both RIFuture and Doc's facebook page have stirring tributes.  And, no, paper of record.  He was not "a homeless man."

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Lincoln Chafee  ->  Our first person to make both the Hot AND the Not list in the same week!  Chafee's scalding hot for holding a small but substantial 7 point lead in the latest Rasmussen poll (the first post-Lynch drop out poll) and for speaking the truth about wasteful state spending on leases.

Emmanuel Falck  ->  Congrats to this longtime health care activist for becoming the newest executive director of SEIU's State Council. SEIU is considered one of the most progressive unions in Rhode Island and represents a diverse collection of workers from nurses at Women and Infants to nursing home workers to group home workers to state workers to police officers.  E-man will surely flourish at his new gig.  Congrats!

Betsy Dennigan & David Segal  ->  Kudos to these two longshot Congressional candidates for having the courage and the fortitude to say loud and clear that they would not vote for additional war funding unless it involved bringing the troops home.  After all, it's not like occupation and nation building in Afghanistan has brought another super power to its knees...   Segal is also hot for the winning of key endorsements from the RI Federation of Teachers, the US Action PAC and the Blue America PAC.

Judge Susan Bolton  ->  This federal court judge enjoined parts of Arizona's terrible immigration law on the eve of its implementation.  Bolton's actions infuriated those on the left who wanted the whole law struck down and those on the right who wanted the whole law upheld. 

Bob Healey  ->  This Cool Mooser has emerged from his cave yet again as another election is upon us.  Now, in addition to running for Lt. Governor in order to eliminate the budget of the office, he has brought suit in federal court to end the 'master lever' option on the general election ballot that allows a voter to vote for all of the Democratic, Republican or other parties on the ballot.  Judge Smith has scheduled a August 6th hearing and presumably will issue a decision before the ballots get printed.

Bill Clinton  -> Bubba's back.  I recently asked the question of which RI pol would have the chutzpah to bring Big Bill to Rhode Island after his successful run of winning races - most recently for Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas.  Well, the answer is Frank Caprio.  And Clinton brought his magic to the Convention Center on Thursday and endorsed Caprio's bid for Governor.  Will that solidify Caprio's standing among the older, conservative Roman Catholic Democrats in Rhode Island?  We will know soon enough.

Peter Baptista  ->  This sports agent has become a rising star in Rhode Island politics for his role in the fundraising and Internet operations of the Frank Caprio campaign.  Most recently, he directed a tremendous 2nd quarter of fundraising for the Caprio campaign.  Keep an eye on him!

Sheldon Whitehouse  ->  Rhode Island's junior senator had a huge clam bake in Middletown this past weekend.  His event brought together a 'who's who' of the Rhode Island Democratic Party including all of the diverse campaigns competing in a competitive primary season.   Whitehouse continues to impress the Democratic base and it would be shocking to see him in a close re-election campaign in 2012.

WHO'S NOT

The EDC  -> The "economic development" corporation of Rhode Island has spun another "only in Rhode Island" sweetheart deal where the loser is the taxpayer.  Expounding on my previous satire, the EDC's vote this week to give 60% of the state's government guaranteed jobs money to Curt Schilling's company is a risky bet that ignores the tens of thousands of hard working small business owners who are already the backbone of the state's economy and could use a little government guaranteed cash as well.  Sounds like RI is getting good at a game called Boondoggle.

City Councilman John Lombardi  -> I didn't know whether to scream or cry for our Capital City after reading Councilman Lombardi's stated intent to 'reform the pension system' once he is Mayor.  Here is a man who has had 26 years as a City Councilman to make these changes.  26 years to vote against union contracts with compounded COLAs.  26 years to stop the avalanche of disability pensions.  Could it be that Lombardi has a vested interest in the status quo since he has, count 'em, THREE separate pensions: an 'elected officials' pension, a city pension and a Laborers Union pension.  I really wish this was a joke, folks.  And this mayoral candidate's slogan is that he will "fix" a Providence that he helped to break.  Isn't that like trusting BP to clean up the Gulf?

Steve Kass  ->  Can you believe that taxpayers have to pay for this guy's salary and benefits to the tune of $100k per year?!  What does he do, exactly?  Would talk show host Kass put up with patronage job-holding Kass?  Me thinks not. 

Lincoln Chafee  ->  What was Linc thinking when he came out of nowhere and said that Kevin Millar claimed that Curt Schilling's bloody sock was a fake and that Schilling was not liked by his teammates.  His point was to criticize a sweetheart deal between EDC and Schilling's company.  Instead, he inserted his foot swiftly into his mouth with some made-up-stuff criticizing the Red Sox.  There's a way to win over middle class voters -- criticize the Red Sox!  What's next?  Chafee tweeting a congratulations message to A-Rod for hitting home run number 600?

ABC 6  ->  This Rhode Island TV station went into receivership this past week. This news isn't wholly unexpected as Channel 6 has had the lowest ratings year after year.  Their recent turn to sensationalist journalism only made things worse.   Perhaps a better station, vigilant to reporting real news, will rise from its ashes.

Providence City Government  ->  What to make of the recent back and forth between the Mayor and the City Council on the budget?  Taxes are going up.  Taxes are going down.  The Council passes 8-7.  The Mayor does not veto because of requirement to have tax rates in place by July 31.  Is anybody happy?  Not me.  It must be... wait for it.... an Election Year! 

Send me your HOT and NOT tips to mjerzyk at gmail dot com.

 

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