Who's Running Central Falls?

I ask, because it's really hard to tell from the way the issue of the overnight parking ban played out.

In December, Central Falls Receiver Robert Flanders "approved" an ordinance imposing a fine for overnight parking in Central Falls scheduled to take effect this month (though Senator Agostinho Silva's press releases on the matter have continually referred to the receiver having "endorsed" the ordinance).

After a lively public comment session on Monday with the receiver's chief-of-staff in attendance (AP reporter Erika Niedowski's report via WJAR-TV available here), the receiver announced the next day that the ordinance was being "suspended" (WJAR-TV's report available here)...

"I'm going to suspend the enforcement of the ordinance until we can get more information about what alternatives might be possible," he said

Whatever you think of parking policy, it's not a great day for the rule of law when the one man who is empowered to both make and enforce the laws for a community decides not to enforce the laws he has made.

Or maybe Receiver Flanders didn't reach his decision on his own.

On Wednesday, Senator Silva put out a a press release thanking Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee for "his decision to rescind the controversial on-street parking ban", with several General Assembly members praising the Governor for his "swift intervention".

Were the "rescinding" and the "suspension" the same act? And were General Assembly members Agostinho Silva, James McLaughlin, and Elizabeth Crowley thanking Governor Chafee for directly rescinding the ordinance, for ordering receiver Robert Flanders to rescind the ordinance, or just for having the foresight to appoint a receiver willing to not enforce his own ordinances?