Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
Friday, August 19, 2011
Who’s Hot
Jack McConnell -> The newly minted federal judge is already making his presence known in Rhode Island. Kudos to McConnell for looking out for the little guy in his decision to put dozens of foreclosure cases on hold and force banks to negotiate with homeowners. It’s just too bad so many of those who have lost their homes in recent years couldn’t benefit from this ruling.
Brian Kennedy -> This State Rep. is spot-on to question the Department of Transportation for suddenly proposing tolls near the Connecticut border. How about actually finishing a project or two before beginning a new one that will completely screw Rhode Islanders? And the fact that the state didn’t even bother to contact elected officials from the area before moving forward is shameful.
Paul Fogarty -> It’s time to find a more reliable way to fund RIPTA, not cut services according to this State Senator. He’s right. RIPTA is a lifeline to some of the state’s neediest residents; getting rid of more bus routes will only negatively impact the state.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTRob Cote -> The community organizing award of the month goes to Cote, who managed to bring hundreds of taxpayers together despite the rain to protest car tax hikes in Warwick. Hopefully Cote can keep up the fight and actually convince the Council what a poor decision it made.
Jim Bennett -> As GoLocalProv reported last Friday, Bennett has been named the Economic Development Director and if nothing else, he adds a little spark to a city that needs it. Bennett is equal parts charismatic and energetic. Here’s hoping he can help turn the downtown area around.
Donna Ottaviano -> Congrats to the head of North Providence schools on being named the Rhode Island School Superintendent of the Year. With so much negative attention paid to education lately, it’s wonderful to see a successful educator earn the respect she so clearly deserves.
Nick Hemond -> The former Caprio aide was named to the Providence School Board on one condition: He won’t tell Mayor Taveras to shove it when he gets frustrated. In all seriousness, the School Committee needed a young person to inject a little life into the process and Hemond, a guy who balances law school with coaching youth baseball and working about a dozen jobs, was an excellent choice. He not only survived Providence public schools, he thrived in them and he should serve as an excellent role model to all current students.
Rick Perry -> The latest Republican to enter to Presidential race could very well be the one who goes on to face President Obama in the general election. It’s unclear how well he’ll play in the northeast, but for the first time, Mitt Romney must be sweating.
Miguel Luna -> Thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Providence Councilman Miguel Luna, who died Thursday afternoon. Luna was a kind man who was committed to doing what was right for the residents of Providence. He will truly be missed.
Who’s Not
Steve Laffey -> The former Cranston Mayor is a smart guy, but at this point, he’s taken only slightly more seriously than Chris Young (maybe they’ll both run for President!). It’s one thing to tour the country trying to make a few bucks, but does anyone really care about his thoughts on Gina Raimondo?
Governor Chafee -> The problem with the Governor’s thoughtful pause on charter schools is that it hasn’t included any thought. Everyone agrees that charter schools aren’t the only answer to solving the state’s education problems, but they can at least be part of the solution. Achievement First is a school with a proven track record in Connecticut and New York; it would be a shame to see the Board of Regents turn down its application on account of Chafee.
North Providence Town Council -> By voting to wipe its hands of around $600k in delinquent tax bills, the Council is sending only one message to storeowners: If you run away and hide long enough, we’ll just forget about what you owe and allow you to screw the city.
Doug Gablinske -> The former State Rep. took to the airwaves this week to suggest that Rep. Jon Brien had to weigh his political future when trying to decide whether to file a complaint against the NEA. Really Doug? A Secretary of State run in 2014 is really what should stop him from making a complaint?
Ocean State Libraries -> The organization that oversees the sharing of services between libraries in the state has stopped allowing many Central Falls residents to borrow books because the city didn’t pay its dues. There has to be a better way to go about this. Central Falls has already been completely gutted, but this is a new low.
Anchor Rising -> The state’s top conservative blog (and at this point, arguably the state’s best blog) is going to scale back thanks to a lack of financial support. This is sad. Sites like Anchor Rising and RI Future only add to the discussion in this state and heading into an election year, they should be more important than ever.
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- Side of the Rhode: Who’s HOT and Who’s NOT in RI Politics
- Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics
- Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics
- Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics
