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February 8, 2011
The Gamblin' Regent
The news is that Twin River is lobbying to be a full-fledged casino again (which really just means making the virtual table games real). But what caught my attention is who is helping to lead the charge: George Caruolo, Governor Chafee's nominee to be the Chair of the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education.
Caruolo, a one-time advisor to the Mashantucket Pequots, registered to lobby for the holding corporation that owns Twin River on Jan. 26. A week later, he surfaced as Governor Chafee’s choice to chair the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education.Well, I see a problem. Are we so jaded, so anything-goes as long as its "legal" that we can't see the problem with the guy in charge of educating our kids also actively lobbying for a gambling operation? This is what happens when our political leaders keep going into the same shallow pool of insider "talent" whenever a leadership position comes up (see Hunsinger, Christine). Yeah, no cronyism here.After his lobbyist filing came to light on Monday, Chafee spokesman Michael Trainor said Caruolo, a former adviser to the tribe that owns Foxwoods casino in Connecticut, disclosed his relationship with the owners of the Lincoln slot parlor “when the governor first approached him” about chairing the board that sets education policy for the state.
“The governor sees no problem with George taking on lobbying assignments,” including this one, said Trainor...
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" that we can't see the problem with the guy in charge of educating our kids also actively lobbying for a gambling operation?"
Yo, right here, I have a problem with this.
Twin River has already telegraphed that they will be looking to reduce the state's take from 61% to something in the region of 12%. So when the new lobbyist for Twin River - aka, the new Chairman-designate of the Board of Regents - succeeds in reducing the state's take and the state's school aid to cities and towns has to be reduced accordingly, will this lobbying effort by the Chairman of the Board of Regents have been undertaken "for the chiii-hilll-dren"?
Posted by: Monique at February 8, 2011 12:27 PMThere is probably nothing illegal or technically unethical about Caruolo wearing both hats,but this being RI and him being a consummate insider,it stinks like a glop of Limburger on a radiator in the winter.
Posted by: joe bernstein at February 8, 2011 1:30 PMthis is the same Caruolo,who while Majority Leader was a sugar daddy to the utilities and then went on to a big job with Narrangansett Electric-just move along-nothing to see there.