PawSox Target Mattiello with Mailer and Meeting in Speaker’s District: UPDATED

Sunday, January 21, 2018

GoLocalProv News Team

(L) Lucchino of the PawSox (R) Mattiello

First, organized labor boycotted Speaker Nick Mattiello’s fundraiser this week because Mattiello would not support the proposed $82 million stadium deal -- backstopped by Rhode Islanders.

Now, the PawSox have taken the battle to new heights. The PawSox dropped a mailer in Mattiello’s district and have scheduled a public meeting for Tuesday night -- a strategy fairly unheard of in Rhode Island politics.

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The “Cranston Community Night” event in political circles is seen as a slap to Mattiello.

The event is scheduled for Tuesday night at The Grange in western Cranston — the site of Mattiello’s election night rally in 2016.

Mattiello won by less than 100 votes over Steve Frias — a Republican Party leader in Rhode Island and Boston-based energy and utility attorney.

Frias has gone door-to-door in opposite to the proposed $40 million in proposed public financing for the stadium.

Reached on Saturday, Mattiello told GoLocal, "I appreciate that the PawSox are coming into my district to listen to the people and address the concerns I am hearing from my constituents. I encourage the team to have meaningful communication with all Rhode Islanders and have meetings in different regions throughout the state."

Union Pressure

One of the top union leaders in RI told GoLocal why the Unions were boycotting Mattiello's fundraiser.

"You can look at when I've come on [GoLocal LIVE] to see what I've said. The timing is one thing, another is that public bond votes are usually extremely complex are complex and large -- schools and roads -- and there are a bunch coming out this year," said Michael Sabitoni of the RI Building and Construction Trades Council..

"If start doing things of this nature -- putting the PawSox on the ballot -- where does it end?" said Sabitoni. "If you start to line up who's in favor and not in favor of, there's just one guy opposed [to a General Assembly vote]. Everyone from the Governor, Lt. Governor, Treasurer, Secretary, and Mayors -- who's not it favor? If Mattiello doesn't like it he should go down and vote like everyone."

"I expect it to come out of Senate tomorrow, and I think there'll be a lot of attention put on House and Speaker -- and he'll get it from Blackstone Valley caucus, who I was told he promised an up or down vote if it came over," said Sabitoni.

Little Public Support

According to a poll conducted by Harvard pollster John Della Volpe, the PawSox funding scheme has little public support. No region of the state and no demographic group supports the deal.

Overall, the deal is opposed by Rhode Islanders two-to-one.

Recently, a proposal has been made to permit the issuance of $81 million in bonds by the State to build a new stadium for the Pawtucket Red Sox. If there was an election today on this issue, would you vote to approve or reject issuing $81 million in financing supported moral obligation bonds to build the stadium?

Net: Approve: 28%

Definitely approve: 15%

Probably approve: 14%

Net: Reject: 67%

Probably reject: 19%

Definitely reject: 48%

Don't know: 4%

This story was first reported: 1/20/18 2:36 PM

PawSox Target Mattiello with Mailer and Meeting in Speaker’s District: UPDATED

Related Slideshow: GoLocal: Benchmark Poll, October 2017

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