Pam Gencarella: Don’t Touch That Dial
Thursday, September 18, 2014
It's easy to say that you don't like politics so you just stay out of the fray. But the reality is that politics hits your wallet in a big way and generally speaking, it's to remove your hard earned cash from your possession. The governor's race is typically one that most people can get excited enough to care about. But those 'other' offices like Secretary of State and Attorney General, well, they can be a bit of a sleeper for many.
Whose Job Is It Anyway?
The office of Secretary of State is responsible for providing transparency when it comes to who is lobbying your elected officials. In theory, that helps prevent political corruption.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBut take a good look at what has happened with the unassuming office of Secretary of State. Among other things, the role of that office, as defined by Ralph Mollis, is making government more open and accessible. Apparently, he is a man of his word when it comes to ignoring the fact that a lobbyist, who was paid $300,000 'to interact with government,’ has open access to all elected officials and never has to file the required paperwork to do so. Reducing red tape for businesses to succeed is impossible in this state, but reducing the red tape for connected lobbyists to do their thing, well that's another story.
In RI, it seems it's the media's job to identify lobbyists breaking the rules. You have seen the reports of Target 12 investigators who thought to themselves, hmm, 38 Studios was a big deal, in the end, investors will receive a significant amount of money from our General Assembly, and yet there was no one registered to lobby on their behalf. Seems odd. Of course, some digging provided a document that indicated Mr. Corso, associate of former Speaker of the House Gordon Fox, was paid handsomely to lobby. Where was the office of Secretary of State? It appears, asleep at the switch. Then when confronted with the actual contract, what has been the response? Haven't heard much about it. That deal cost you and me over $100 million.
Then there is the issue of the Secretary of State subsequently hiring Mr. DeSimone, cousin of the House Majority Leader, John DeSimone, as the hearing officer investigating possible lobbying violations by Mr. Corso. Connect the dots - the Rhode Island way.
And what about the issue of voter fraud? Many claim that there is no evidence of voter fraud at the polls (except for Providence Representative Anastasia Williams and Providence Senator Harold Metts, both of whom who recounted stories supporting the claim of voter fraud at the polls). But some have alleged that there are few controls over mail in ballots and that is where the potential for fraud lies. While the allegation is just that - an allegation - have you heard anything from the Secretary of State's office about addressing the potential for fraud with mail in ballots? The only thing we have seen is the General Assembly loosen the restrictions on mail in ballots.
Next let's turn to the office of Attorney General. The AG's office has within its realm the ability to investigate the 38 Studios deal. Have you heard much about the subject from the AG? Another 'too little, too late' response from our trusted elected officials.
Of course, you can't forget about the legislators and their reaction to 38 Studios. While they all claim that the wool was pulled over their eyes, when Representative Morgan proposed an independent investigative body with subpoena power, most of your representatives voted against it, generally voting with the Speaker of the House (however, there were exceptions so you should know how your representative voted).
And by the way, the decision on whether to hold a Constitutional Convention or not will be on the ballot in November. Again, this may be a snoozer for you but keep in mind that this is the forum where things like providing the Ethics Commission with jurisdiction over the General Assembly has a possibility of becoming part of RI's Constitution. It may not sound like much, but just think how it might have impacted the 38 Studios deal and the nearly non-existent subsequent investigation. Stay tuned for more information on a Constitutional Convention.
One Hundred Million Reasons to Care
If you had not cared much about these offices in past elections, you will probably pay closer attention this November. While the 38 Studios debacle may not have been avoided had Corso filed the appropriate paperwork, the media may have picked up on the connection between Corso and Fox and 38 Studios and you would have been alerted to the potential for insider dealings. But, more importantly, your legislators may have been better informed that night when they went to vote on the last-minute Jobs Guaranty bill that they now claim they had no idea was to benefit the likes of 38 Studios.
So, when the Secretary of State candidates debate, don't change the channel. And if the debates aren't televised, seek them out on Youtube. Candidates Nellie Gorbea and John Carlevale have already stated their position on Voter ID: Gorbea wants to 'look into it' and Carlevale fully supports Voter ID. But where do they stand on the issue of improving the lobbying process or mail in ballot controls?
And when the Attorney General candidates debate, don't change the channel. While incumbent Peter Kilmartin may not be strong on investigating 38 Studios, former prosecutor and current Senator Dawson Hodgson has it as a top priority.
And although your representatives and senators will most likely not be debating, make sure you know how they voted on the 38 Studios independent investigative body and how they voted on the Voter ID bill. These issues aren't just politics, they affect your life directly and they hit your wallet hard.
Pam Gencarella is a member of OSTPA, a taxpayer advocacy organization in Rhode Island.
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