Liveblogging the Governor's Debate

[7:52] I'm skipping closing statements, because the candidates are talking faster than I can type.

[7:51] Chafee: We had a surplus when I entered the Senate and I voted against the Iraq war. Stimulus increased deficit too much.

[7:50] Caprio: Stimulus was not successful.

[7:50] Block: RI didn't use money to do things that would really help new businesses.

[7:49] White: Was the stimulus a success? Robitaille: Too many strings, especially maintenance of effort provisions. More should have gone to small business.

[7:48] Fitz to Robitaille: Haven't named any specific mistakes by Don Carcieri: Robitaille: Carcieri erred in endorsing Linc Chafee over Steve Laffey.

[7:47] Block: Sales tax impacts necessities.

[7:46] Fitz to Chafee: Isn't the sales tax regressive? Chafee: You have control over how much you spend, therefore how much sales tax you pay, unlike property tax.

[7:45] Fitzpatick to Caprio: Did Caprio talk to anyone about running as a Republican. Caprio: I just had lunch with Ken McKay.

[7:44] Block: D, but will stay after school to help them out. Passing massive amounts of legislation is bad practice.

[7:43] Robitaille: F, grown government, raised taxes, failed to fund pensions, driven business out of the state.

[7:43] Chafee: No preconceived notions on past performance. Achorn pushes. Chafee refuses to answer, because he has to work with them.

[7:42] Caprio: C, pension reform and held the line on taxes. Could do better.

[7:41] Achorn: Grade the General Aseembly

[7:40] Caprio: We need to listen to rank-and-file membership, instead of leadership that has its own agenda.

[7:39] Block: We need smart union policy, treat them as a partner and not an adversary.

[7:38] Chafee: My record in Warwick proves I wan't too close to the unions.

[7:37] Question to Chafee: Projo editorial suggests you are too close to the state's unions.

[7:36] Robitaille: Would cut social service programs first.

[7:34] Chafee: Cutting aid to cities and towns forces property tax to increase. Says he would raise sales tax. He would manage the state better.

[7:34] Caprio: Will straighten out the state operations budget.

[7:33] Block: Cost savings in social service spending. Waste and fraud may be enough to close the budget gap.

[7:32] Fitzpatick: Would major state budget area would you cut first?

[7:31] Caprio: 1) Implement small business fund 2) fix the DMV.

[7:31] Block: Give the state's IT dept. 30 days to get dead people off welfare rolls. (I missed the 2nd one).

[7:30] Robitialle: First one is cut spending. Second one is cut spending. Require state dept. heads to submit 3 plans, a 15% cut, a 10% cut, and a 5% cut.

[7:29] Chafee: 1) Repeal E-verify 2) Tackle the budget

[7:29] Achorn: What are first 2 things you would do as governor?

[7:28] Robitaille: Behavior of other candidates will scare other businesses from coming to RI.

[7:28] Caprio: If the deal is not closed soon after he is elected, he will have it reviewed.

[7:26] Block: Outrageous to sue a volunteer board.

[7:25] Chafee: Yes, he will fight to get the $75 million back.

[7:24] Tim White to Chafee: Do you continue to support suing the EDC over the 38 studios deal?

[7:23] Caprio back to Block: I have plans to help businesses of different sizes, that have been praised by many respectable sources.

[7:22] Block: Describes the experience of the risk starting a small business. Tells Chafee it can't be done passively. Tells Caprio his plan is flawed beacuse of some its business-size requirements.

[7:21] Robitaille: Government doesn't creat job, the private sector does. We need to create a business friendly environment in RI, and we're not. Streamline permitting and regulations.

[7:20] Caprio: Get access to capital out there for small businesses.

[7:19] Chafee: Invest in infrastructure and education.

[7:19] Good question from Edward Fitzpatrick to the candidates: How do you actually create a job? From the dawn of time

[7:18] Caprio: The pension mess is a 60-year legacy. Goes into detail about his fiscal management.

[7:17] Robitaille: Caprio voted for multiple tax increases, failed to adequately manage the pension fund for state employees.

[7:16] Chafee doesn't answer question "specifically", says he has more experience than the other 3.

[7:16] Chafee rebuts: The people of Warwick showed their approval by reelecting me.

[7:15] Caprio criticizes Chafee's property tax increases and school spending levels in Warwick

[7:14] Caprio makes a point of saying he likes Block, and is not

[7:14] Block cricizes Caprio's record as Treasurer.

[7:14] Ed Achorn asks a goofy question about is there any specific thing about one of your opponents that troubles you.

[7:13] Block: "Absolute knucklehead". This is a distraction from really fixing our problems.

[7:12] Caprio: I'll behave like I want to behave.

[7:11] Robitaille: "Shove it" was inappropriate, shows Caprio lacks the appropriate temperament.

[7:10] Chafee empahasizes "there's been no endorsement" in response to a question about the President's popularity.

[7:09] Chafee: Caprio had seemed excited about the endorsement, before the non-endorsement occurred.

[7:09] White asks Chafee for a reaction.

[7:09] Caprio: I reacted in a human way, after learning about the non-endoresment through the news.

[7:08] White: Was it calculated?

[7:08] Caprio: It was a political answer to a political situation.

[7:07] Tim White asks Caprio if "shove it" was appropriate...

[7:03] Interesting contrast. Robitaille and Caprio do biographical intros. Chafee goes right to discussing infrastructure spending that has recenly occurred. Block goes right after the other candidates.

[7:00] Yes, it is on Channel 12. Mike Montecalvo is doing the intro.

[6:59] Of course, I haven't actually checked tonight's TV listings, so I'm really hoping the debate comes up next on Channel 12, after having typed that first line.

[6:57] If there's an RI Gubernatorial debate that's worth liveblogging in this election cycle, this will be the one...