John DePetro and I discussed this a few weeks ago, but the topic is worth a short, written note, too, because the vignette presents too perfect a lesson:

While tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders were stuck in traffic for upwards of three to four hours, Governor Dan McKee was attending a political fundraiser for Rhode Island Department of Transportation Chief of Staff John Igliozzi on Tuesday night. …

The fundraiser was held at “The Social” at 1449 Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence. Igliozzi is expected to run for Rhode Island Attorney General in 2026.

Igliozzi, who is following family tradition in his involvement in Rhode Island government, was a long-time member of the Providence City Council and became its president when Sabina Matos took the appointment to fill Dan McKee’s lieutenant governor position, when he took the appointment to fill Gina Raimondo’s gubernatorial seat, when she took the appointment to work in the Biden White House.

Our state government is filled with such people.  There is nothing wrong with building such a life; indeed, from some perspectives, it could be seen as a life of dedication to the city and state.  However, when that culture becomes too entrenched, and when there is no opposing set of insiders in another party to throw randomness and cooperation into the system, it’s a problem.

Thus, during a time of infrastructure calamity resulting from poor government services, the governor is at a fundraiser for a guy who notched up the insider ladder along with him a few years ago, who is a leader in the department that had just experienced such a massive failure, and who is preparing to take another horse in the state government merry-go-round… and there’s nobody in a political position to give Rhode Islanders a way to have an electoral say on the matter.