My definition for the Moderate Party = mediocrity that's seeking another route since they're closed off from climbing the party ladder. (Arlene Violet, Linc Chafee etc)
Ms. Hunsinger proves the point. Her verbalized lack of a acumen on the issues is simply a parroting of her former boss, the highly incompetent state Rep who's running against Jim Langevin, Democrat Betsy Dennigan. Listen to Betsy attempt to talk issues sometime. She's the female John Tassoni.
Moderate = mediocre
As a right leaning unaffiliated voter I have little interest in what they're about. You nailed it Justin. The MP presents itself as nothing more than political hacks and has-beens looking for something to do.

""Governor Carcieri's performance — if we're grading it — I'm going to flunk him," Hunsinger said. "This thing with unions is a shell game. Whatever deal he strikes will bind the hands of the next governor. I think it's smoke and mirrors. They're just playing around and it's bad policy.""

Oh, no.

Some brushing up on the most rudimentary concept of Rhode Island government is clearly in order; namely, which branch possesses the lion's share of power (hint: it's neither the Executive nor the Judicial) and who, therefore, has placed us in our current economic jam.

But here's an excellent opportunity. Keeping in mind the limited powers of the Governor's office, how would either Ms. Hunsinger or the Moderate Party, if she is speaking for them, handle differently the situation that she refers to?

Deep thoughts by the Executive director of the Mediocre Party......
"This thing with unions is a shell game....."I think it's smoke and mirrors."....."They're just playing around and it's bad policy."

It is laughable isn't it?? This is a governor who has reduced the state workforce by 3,000 and his own staff by 25% during his term. Shell games!
This is a governor that must deal with a hole in the budget left to him by the Executive director of the Mediocre party's Democrat friends in the General Assembly. One of the few mechanisms at his disposal to deal with this hole is in personnel costs. Just smoke and mirrors!!
While trying to save jobs (already eliminated 3,000) while saving money in a bad economy the governor plans more smoke and mirror stunts like furlough/shutdown days.
The unions have also been "just playing around" by making concessions here and in prior contracts. The governor has changed their healthcare insurer, their pensions have changed, they have deferred raises etc.
Yup, the governor and union are just playing shell games here. Unreal!!!
Ms. Hunsinger is the Executive Director of the Mediocre Party.
How fitting!

Much more context is needed for Christine's comment than a 300 word article in the Projo can provide.

Our position is that ALL of our politicians are acting in a manner that is simply reactive. "Let's deal with last year's deficit and not even attempt to deal with next year's problems, let alone future deficits."

If Gov. Carcieri does in fact bargain away his ability to modify staffing levels to close last year's deficit he is sweeping away a large part of his ability to address 2010's deficit.

Most of the solutions that I have read about simply involve moving chunks of payments now to some later date - none of them address the serious issue of our continuing structural deficits.

Can Gov. Carcieri actually negotiate a deal that binds his successor in Jan. of 2011? One of our problems is that a contract should be binding. If a contract needs to be opened for re-negotiations - it is incumbent on all sides to try to get it right once, and not go back year after year after year.

It is unfair to all stakeholders to perpetuate unsustainable contracts - or to offer up modifications to existing contracts that all but ensure that these same contracts will need to re-re-negotiated at a later date.

To me - these current negotiations are a sham. I personally believe that these negotations are setting the state up for a really nasty problem this time next year.

Ken

oh yeah...

It goes without saying that the General Assembly bears huge responsibility for the fiscal mess that Rhode Island is in now. We are already on record as stating that the root cause of the vast majority of Rhode Island's problems can be traced back to the RI Legislature.

The primary mission of the Moderate Party is to bring balance back to the RI Legislature.

Thanks Ken. Ok, you and Elizabeth have stated what's wrong with what the governor wants to do. What would a Moderate Party governor do differently to fix this? Is there a candidate ready to announce yet? Or two? How about rather than telling us what's wrong, tell us how you'd fix it with real answers. Now that'd be productive.

I don't find too much about the Moderate party to get excited about. I think of it as a new home for the most liberal of Republicans, like Avedisian, and as someone already said, Chafee and Violet. I don't see "moderation" as a solution to the state's problems.

That said, I'd have to agree with Ms. Hunsinger that the Governor is not getting it done. What the Governor is addressing is all smoke and mirrors compared to the reality of the BIG problem. RI does not have a $17 million or $30 million problem. It has a BILLION dollar problem! The people look to the highest elected official for leadership and courage. He's just not getting it done.

If the RIGOP is going to come back from the dead in 2010 IT WILL NOT HAPPEN by defending the Governor!

Good question Patrick.

It seems at times that almost everyone complains about the Governor. He is certainly the most visible individual at the state level even if he is not responsible for the state’s budget problems and is largely restrained in his powers by the lopsided democrat majority in the legislature. Yet he is roundly criticized for not solving the state’s budget problems. Few dare to declare what workable plan they would implement if they were in his place. It’s easy to pile on when the ship has nearly sunk; hopefully the moderate party has something to offer besides more empty criticism.

Mr. Block, for whom do you speak when you say "we"? How many people are part of the Moderate party? Has the group created a platform of positions? With all due respect, when I think of moderate party, I think of Ken Block. Is there more?

Has the Moderate Party replaced unions as the bogeyman here?
These guys speak to those of us who look at state government and say "pox on both your houses." They make the case the Republican Party should've been making all these years.
This state is screaming for a third way, between the too-long-entrenched Democratic good 'ol boys and the Carcieri mentality. Maybe the Mods are a bigger nightmare for social conservatives than the Dems (whose leadership has just rolled over for The Don in that regard.

Ken sez,
"Much more context is needed for Christine's comment than a 300 word article in the Projo can provide."

Somehow methinks Steve Peoples captured the essence of fellow Democrat Ms. Hunsinger quite nicely.

"Our position is that ALL of our politicians are acting in a manner that is simply reactive. "Let's deal with last year's deficit and not even attempt to deal with next year's problems, let alone future deficits."
If Gov. Carcieri does in fact bargain away his ability to modify staffing levels to close last year's deficit he is sweeping away a large part of his ability to address 2010's deficit."

No he's not and that's the point. The governor of this state has very little capability to address budgetary deficits because he doesn't control the budget or the mandates in that budget.
This governor has been downsizing the state workforce all along. That's hardly reactive Ken. Just imagine the budgetary nightmare we'd be seeing if the governor hadn't been pro-active in reducing the size of this workforce by 3,000.

"Most of the solutions that I have read about simply involve moving chunks of payments now to some later date - none of them address the serious issue of our continuing structural deficits."

The governor is negotiating with the unions in an attempt to fix a hole in the current budget which was left to him by the General Assembly.
Ken, for continuing structural deficits please take your case to the source of the problem and the only place it can be fixed - the RI General Assembly.

"Can Gov. Carcieri actually negotiate a deal that binds his successor in Jan. of 2011? One of our problems is that a contract should be binding. If a contract needs to be opened for re-negotiations - it is incumbent on all sides to try to get it right once, and not go back year after year after year."

Why is you think there is a need to go back year after year Ken? And I love your line about "try to get it right once". I'm guessing you haven't done a lot of negotiating with the unions around here huh Ken? lol

"It is unfair to all stakeholders to perpetuate unsustainable contracts - or to offer up modifications to existing contracts that all but ensure that these same contracts will need to re-re-negotiated at a later date."

It's simply a fact of life in a bad economy that state contracts need to be tweaked.

"To me - these current negotiations are a sham. I personally believe that these negotations are setting the state up for a really nasty problem this time next year."

Ken please explain what the purpose of the sham is and why the governor would be participating in it.

I have to agree with the "sham" theory. The Governor is not addressing the structural problems behind the ONE BILLION DOLLAR problem. The sham is that he's pretending that these negotiations will result in a solution, when they are, in reality, just another band-aid. Even if he acheived the 12 furlough days he wanted in the beginning, it would have done very little to address the real underlying problems that threaten to destroy the state. I know, I know "the general assembly has 'all the power'" - that's just an excuse and, quite frankly, part of the whole scam. But the Governor is the highest elected official in the state. The people look to the Governor for leadership. He's not even talking about the REAL PROBLEM. "Sham", "shell game", "smoke and mirrors", call it what you will. It's all a fraud and the Governor is NOT being the leader we need!

George, please can you give specifics.

What is the "real problem"?

How is acknowledging that most power vests with the General Assembly "an excuse"? Isn't that simply identifying the responsible party? By calling such an action "an excuse", are you trying to shield the General Assembly from the consequences of their actions?

What exactly is the sham? What could the Governor be doing that you are apparently contending he refuses to do?

Monique,

He could start by telling the truth. By joining the GA chorus in singing the balance budget lullaby he has helped push the state closer to the abyss. We can already see the consequences of the lies. Very soon we'll feel them.

He went over budget by over $300,000. Hardly a good example to set when you're trying to blame the legislature for EVERYTHING.

The clash with council 94 is getting him a lot of news coverage now, but wouldn't taxpayers be much better off now if he had addressed or mitigated these issues in the original contract?

Please don't tell me he didn't know where the state was heading financially at the time.

What could he do? He could lead! He could tell the people the truth! He could have begun to expose the fraud in the GA budgets before he signed the first one in 2003.

Is the state any better off since he became Governor? The GA has remained virtually the same. What sort of defense has he put up for the people of the state when the deficit has continued to worsen over the course of his tenure. Why even have a Governor if he gets a pass on the state's financial viability?

Reagan passed sweeping reform with a Democrat-controlled congress. Mayor Laffey's reforms in Cranston passed unanimously with a majority-democrat council, 6-3 in his first term, 8-1 in his second term.

When the people have a strong leader, legislative bodies follow.

One more example... When George W. Bush led, his legislative agenda was successfull. When he acquiesced (i.e. surrendered leadership) he lost the congress and they walked all over him.

George asks, "Is the state any better off since he became Governor?"

Absolutely!! Without question.
This Governor has reduced the state workforce by 3,000. We're at the lowest number of state employees since they've been tracking such things. Ronald Reagan would be proud. What was Phony Laffey's record in Cranston re: downsizing?
The benefit packages of the state workers (that the gov has control over) have been brought much more into line with the real world through the governor changing their health insurance provider and with pension changes. He's done much to de-fang labor in this state by not backing down to them despite their endless attacks and attempts to smear him and his family over the past 7 years.
He broke up Democratic party criminal enterprises in Blue Cross, Beacon Mutual and RIRRC. He's gone a long way in cleaning up the judiciary through his quality appointments. Brendan Doherty. Need I say more? He's made RI an unattractive place for illegals by the use of E-verify and allowing the RI State police to work closely with the feds and ICE. All of the above have a positive impact on the citizens and taxpayers of Rhode Island. You think any of the above is happening with Charlie Fogarty or Myrth York??
This governor is not perfect. He's made his fair share of mistakes and I wish he were a much nastier guy at times but I tire at the undless and unfair blame that's placed at his doorstep over issues out of his control.
Don Carcieri's job is to govern and I'd say he's done a pretty damn good job given what's he's had to work with.

Let's just cut the crap and have a unicameral legislature elected by proportional representation. This means 3, 4, 5 or more parties. Have several of the parties join together to put in a government by coalition. This seems the best way to throttle "big government".
OldTimeLefty

Our government panders to the 20 to 30 plus (?) illegal immigrants allowing them free subsidies from taxpayers in the US. California--a Sanctuary State has one of the worst records that currently languish under the immense burden of near bankruptcy, instead of --ATTRACTING--ICE to illegal business operations. Our own government is so absorbed in protecting every other countries border? They remain unconcerned to our poor replica border fence that should have been a two-tier periphery, with border patrol surveillance lanes in between, as originally planned by Rep. Duncan Hunter. Every time a good enforcement plan is written, it’s methodically cut to pieces by pro-illegal worker politicians and open border fanatics. Though we spend billions on our armed forces in foreign lands, the rich countries in Europe just forward token troops and little money: while our nation is literary falling apart at the seams--or its rivets?

Any moment now I expect to hear of yet another collapsing ailing city bridge, deteriorating waterworks, the underground pipes and eroding highway. Our cities are already exhibiting inward decay, but years of neglect by the very people who’s supposed to protect us do nothing? I have reiterated watch "The Crumbling of America" on the History (International) channel in the next few weeks and learn? This is where your tax dollars should be going? We must not allow the Administration as in previous times keep sending our precious tax dollars to other countries. These politicians are deaf, dumb and intentionally blind to the rigors our industrial nation is going through. Not just Democrats, but the Republicans have had their sticky fingers in the bad apple--SPECIAL INTEREST--barrel, where money is plentiful. It's like they are intentionally trying to turn our magnificent country into a third world nation, while making other cheap labor countries, on an even par with our sovereign society as US wages tumble? Then Again the Council of Foreign Relations have been amplifying its agenda of free movement of cheap labor through North America for years?

Most of these other lands have been at each others throats for centuries, so why do we expect any metamorphism into something any different? Only change can come from within, not by our nation expending billions of dollars, American lives? We must build our own borders fences, tall and strong and meant to keep out drug dealers, criminal aliens, terrorists and the never ending tracks of illegal aliens. Our politician’s noses are involved in too much foreign policy, while our aging infrastructure implodes. Trillions of dollars are spirited out the country, while we gain little in return. Washington--MUST--start giving back to the jobless American worker by placing a 5 year moratorium on all immigration, even legal? The next politicians should deliver us from any new sinister path to citizenship or better referred to as BLANKET AMNESTY? Follow the "Rule of Law" and not twist it into something else for their own convenience, as it will come back to haunt them at the voting booth. Unless ACORN steps-in with another fed contract and handles sign-ups for the ballot box? In that case will still see absentee ballots for the deceased people, pets and anybody who has learned that you need no government picture ID to sign on to vote.

The 1986 immigration reform bill dismally failed last time and all we inherited was 5 million illegal immigrants that still keep on coming with their impoverished hands out. Anti-Illegal immigrant forces are growing in numbers to stop another travesty. They acknowledge it could end up costing billions, perhaps even trillions of dollars. Nationwide we have seen the advent of closing hospitals and emergency rooms that have been submerged everyday by swarms by penniless foreigners and their families. Yes! We need health care reform. Americans are dying, going bankrupt , falling under the spell of debt collectors. The special interest lobbyists are causing mass hysteria by lying to the people. Many insurance companies are under this bombardment in television, radio and mass media. Their Status quo wants no change to their profits or high flying CEO's making millions of dollars. on patients backs?

It has become an enigma--THAT THE EMPLOYERS WHO HIRE THEM-LEAVE THE MAJORITY OF SICK PEOPLE ON THE STEPS OF EMERGENCY ROOMS. SO THAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY ENDS THERE? THEY DRIVE AWAY WITH A CLEAR CONSCIOUS? THEN IS LEFT FOR THE TAXPAYERS CHECK BOOK TO PAY THE BILL? THOSE EMPLOYERS SHOULD BE HUNTED DOWN AND HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY CENT. We have already been warned by the census bureau of overpopulation in the not too distant future. WE now have a very unique deterrent called E-Verify, that is a part of the SAVE ACT and our lawmakers should stop procrastinating and make it permanent for every worker? Washington knows their walking on quicksand, if the try to under fund or spirit away E-Verify this time around? The corrupting influences from the special interest lobby, have failed to induce many lawmakers to table E-Verify. In our future it could have many other uses other than extracting unauthorized labor from the workplace. Once fully installed it could check state drivers license applicants, insurance, school and higher education registrations and hospital admittances.

Americans have been unknowingly paying taxes to underwrite subsidies for the illegal population for decades. This is the biggest draw to American jobs, because the employers who hire them are sentient that taxpayers will foot the bills for education, health food stamps, housing and other government benefit consignments that even as citizens are denied. Keep the phone calls coming at 202-224-3121 LOOK FOR ANSWERS AT NUMBERSUSA, JUDICIAL WATCH & OVERPOPULATION AT CAPSWEB? These websites can identity politicians who actually work for the American people and others whose immigration grading level is unsatisfactory to stay in office? Have you heard about any large ICE raids lately? ICE got the order to cease and desist from the motley Democratic leadership. They are also using their influence to either weaken the federal training program 287 G that gives local police federal right to hold for questioning suspicious individual’s immigration status and to rescind the no-match-letter capability in determining a person’s right to work?