Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?

Friday, August 29, 2014

Russell J. Moore, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

 

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Angel Taveras

Every Friday, GoLocalProv breaks down who's rising and who's falling in the world of Rhode Island politics. This week we welcome Russ Moore who follows previous columnists Dan Lawlor, Dan McGowan, and Matt Jerzyk. Check out who made the lists this week.

Hot

Angel Taveras: The Providence Mayor and Gubernatorial candidate went on the attack and clearly got the upper hand in Tuesday night's WPRI debate, pointing out that State Treasurer Gina Raimondo drastically increased the amount of money the Rhode Island pension fund pays Wall Street (by tens of millions) and that rival Clay Pell had 9 jobs in 8 years. Will it resonate enough to buoy him to victory on September 9? 

Michael Solomon: The Providence City Council President and Mayoral candidate regained the momentum in the race after releasing a poll last week showing him with a better chance to best Vincent "Buddy" Cianci than Jorge Elorza. That cuts into the argument that it's Elorza with the best chance to beat the formidable former Mayor.

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Rhythm and Roots Festival: The Charlestown music festival that includes 92 sets of music from a diverse group of 33 artists on 5 different stages begins today. One of Rhode Island's marquee music events, the festival is a great way to spend the weekend.

Ralph Mollis: The Lieutenant Governor's race has flown under radar thanks to the high profile race for Governor and Providence Mayor. Meanwhile, Mollis has done his thing--racking up endorsements and showing a lead in the polls. 

YWCA Rhode Island: The organization announced that it will be holding its awards ceremony on September 30 at Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln, which will highlight the public service and leadership women in our community. The group will highlight several leaders who all Rhode Islanders can look up to.

Stan Tran: The District-1 Republican Congressional candidate, a Brown Medical student, who is locked in a primary with rival Cormick Lynch, has elevated the race's discourse by bringing health care to the forefront. It's nice to see candidates focused and sticking to the issues.

NOT

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Jorge Elorza

Jorge Elorza: So Jorge Elorza plagiarized (stole) a letter in which he issued an apology about...stealing as a young adult. This, have you, from the candidate who is going around the city telling voters that he's the ethical alternative to his opponents! Written into a fictional novel, this would be dismissed as unrealistic. 

Richard Licht: The ultimate state government insider's insider was sworn in as a Superior Court judge on Thursday and he used the opportunity to slam his critics in the media, calling us "faceless bloggers," among other things. It sure doesn't sound like Licht is in favor of free speech. That, combined with his lobbying ties to the insurance industry, makes him unfit to be a judge. 

Providence School Department: A Providence special needs student will be forced to sit on a bus for roughly 2.5 hours a day according to a golocalprov.com report. This is unacceptable as no student should be forced to spend that much time on a bus on a daily basis. This must be rectified immediately.

3rd worst online education: A study conducted by Online College Students, a website that ranks states based on their online educational opportunities, based on course and cost, post-graduation earning, and employment potential, found Rhode Island to be 3rd word in the nation. With the cost of traditional education continuing to balloon, the state must address alternative education paths.

Brett Smiley: For months, Brett Smiley constantly told anyone who would listen that he alone was the candidate in the Providence race for mayor that 1) had reasonable plans, and 2) could beat Buddy Cianci. Yet when he mismanaged his campaign and went broke, he went and cut an insider's deal with Elorza to try and preserve his influence.

Sandra Cano: The Pawtucket Breeze reported this week that Sandra Cano, a City Council Candidate in Pawtucket, who has garnered a lot of attention, voted to award a food service contract to a company that bid roughly $170,000 more than the low bidder. The blatant disregard for taxpayer dollars has jeopardized almost $4 million in state reimbursement money to Pawtucket.

 

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