Arthur Schaper: Speaker Fox In The Hen House
Friday, October 25, 2013
I cannot believe that Rhode Islanders would reelect a vexing vixen like corrupt politician Speaker Gordon Fox (D-Providence). Now, I know that Fox has a heart, and he is not afraid to wear his feelings on his sleeve. He gave a moving farewell to Rep. Steve Costantino in 2010, but too bad that voters were not moved to remove him from office in the years to come.
In 2011, though, the Rhode Island General Assembly had to get tough on the pension crises hitting the state, and they passed massive reforms.
Big government and shrinking business
In a January 2012 interview, shortly after passing the reforms, Speaker Gordon Fox buffered the Ocean States’ 10.8% unemployment with remarks like “I am so frustrated.” Yet the state continues to frustrate commerce. Even Massachusetts reported better job numbers. It’s unfortunate that Speaker Fox wants to be competitive with Massachusetts. Why not shoot for a higher goal, like Texas? That would mean real reforms, though, something that the anti-Democratic hypermajority in Providence has no real interest in accomplishing. While the Assembly Speaker claims that the state must create a business friendly environment, at the same time resorting to government programs has only grown the government, while shrinking business interests and assistance.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTReporter Tim White questioned the state legislature’s “lack of imagination” to deal with the economic problems in Rhode Island. This lack of imagination is exactly what we need. The less that government tries to do, the more that private interests can thrive once again. People have imagination, not governments, and definitely not Speaker Fox.
A convenient distraction
It’s 2013, and Rhode Island is still going bankrupt, yet Fox decided to bankrupt the state further by moving on gay marriage. The ceremony to celebrate the passage of this law was anything but gay. Why tie the knot when you cannot tie up your debts? The singers were off-key, the presentation was out-of-step, and the state is still out of money. “I now pronounce thee indebted and bankrupt.”
After a few festivities, Fox faced off against the looming pension crises once again.
On September 13, 2013, Fox was defending his uneasy legislative session this past year.
First, he hammered Representative Karen MacBeth from Cumberland, who refused to “eat cake” because her constituents have no bread to eat (because they can’t earn any).
Fox clamored that Cumberland was out of order. Fox has been out of integrity ever since he entered office.
This is a democracy right?
“Will Fox continue to rule the rostrum?” The WPRI announced overhead before the segue to Ted Nesi and associates. I have to ask: since when did Assembly speakers rule in a representative democracy? The people rule, right?
Nesi wanted to avoid recapping 38 Studios, but the issue is intractable and insatiable. Video games that spell “Game Over” for an entire state should end Fox’s tenure, too.
Fox came out swinging, but the reporters only hounded him for more information.
Because Speaker Fox signs off on investigatory subpoenas, one should suspect why Fox would allow anyone to investigate him. Fox’s answer was even better for how bad it was:
“It’s pursuant to the rules.”
Why not recuse yourself, Speaker? “I could”, he responded, sharing that he was only interested the decision-making on the loan.
He then refined (rather distorted) oversight to mean “overlook”, as in he hoped that investigators, both within the judiciary and from the Securities Exchange Commission, will look at what happened and make sure that the financial debacle never happens again.
We want to avoid this rush to “subpoena people,” Fox acquiesced. He compared calling witnesses to theater, and then diminished it as a mere fact-finding tool. He must think that everyone in Rhode Island is a fool to fall for such legislative folly.
He then shared that he was reluctant to go through reams of documents to find out who knew what, but the counters with his desire for robust oversight. He thinks that it’s premature to go through all the documents.
You can’t change facts
Yet the fact remains: Fox had ties to the 38 Studios deal, and he handpicked the chairman of the oversight committee.
Why not set up an independent investigation, just for the sake of perception? Nesi asks.
“Are you ever going to satisfy the perception?,” Fox fired back.
Hmm…
Another representative, J. Patrick O’Neill of Pawtucket, outlined that Fox and Curt Shilling took a lot of time working out the 38 Studios deal.
Fox accused O’Neill of being self-serving, then dressed up the whole revelation as everyone making Fox “the epitome of evil and wickedness”.
Perhaps he’s right.
From the State House to the Big House
So, the Fox will still look over the hen house and make sure that future foxes never steal away the chickens or the eggs before they are hatched ever again.
Perhaps Ocean State residents should be asking the same question that another Speaker, John Boehner of the US House of Representatives, had asked following revelations of partisan attacks by the IRS:
“Who knew what? And who’s going to jail?”
Will someone rue the day that the Fox was let into the GA hen house? Perhaps it’s time for Rhode Islanders to put Fox in another house: the state pen!
Arthur Christopher Schaper is a teacher-turned-writer on topics both timeless and timely; political, cultural, and eternal. A life-long Southern California resident, Arthur currently lives in Torrance. Follow him on Twitter @ArthurCSchaper, reach him at [email protected], and read more at Schaper's Corner and As He Is, So Are We Ministries.
Related Slideshow: Timeline - Rhode Island Pension Reform
GoLocalProv breaks down the sequence of events that have played out during Rhode Island's State Employee Pension Fund reform.
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