Carroll Andrew Morse

Re: Taking Over Municipalities: The Governor’s New Toy

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 22, 2011 |

Rhode Island’s Director of Revenue provided a simple explanation to Projo reporters John Hill and Bryan Rourke about why the state has suspended municipal democracy in East Providence: It was necessary to make a “statement to Wall Street” to help East Providence get loans…The appointment of a state budget commission with complete financial control of…

UPDATE: Zaccaria New RI GOP Chairman; Liveblogging the Election of Rhode Island’s New Republican Chair, Part 2

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 21, 2011 |

[8:07] We’re up to “Providence” in the voting. [8:14] Woonsocket was just called. We should be getting close to the finish of voting. [8:17] Balloting closed. Votes being counted. Results expected in 15 mins or so. [8:34] Results of a raffle being announced. I don’t think one of the prizes is the chairmanship. [8:41] Votes…

Open Thread: Traditional Politicking vs. Occupy Wall Street

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 21, 2011 |

Open thread question, especially to those who have been impressed by at least the energy of the Occupy Wall Street movement: As several hundred people assemble in Pawtuxet this evening, on the shortest day of the year and just a few days before Christmas to make an important decision regarding their future political direction, how…

Liveblogging the Election of Rhode Island’s New Republican Chair

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 21, 2011 |

Good evening, from Pawtuxet Village in Cranston, where the Rhode Island Republican party will elect a new chairman (or chairwoman) tonight… [7:00] 3 candidates tonight. As I understand it, the party by-laws say the winner must recieve a majority of the votes of the members present, not just a plurality. Could make for an interesting…

Congressional Redistricting: Why Plan F instead of Plan C?

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 16, 2011 |

An interesting tactical question regarding the current state of Rhode Island’s Congressional redistricting process is why “Plan F” instead of “Plan C”. At the municipal scale of resolution, Plan C and Plan F (unveiled last night by the Rhode Island Redistricting Commission) are based on the same concept: Move Burrillville from CD1 to CD2 and…

It All Makes Sense if you Understand They’re Planning to Sell Their Rights to the Gold Mines Under Kennedy Plaza

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 15, 2011 |

Ted Nesi of WPRI (CBS 12) notes two developments in the the collapse of ProCAP, an organization that is supposed to address poverty issues that, while outside of the government-proper, receives “96% of its…revenue from taxpayers”…Superior Court Judge Michael Silverstein granted ProCAP’s request and named Thomas Hemmendinger as the agency’s temporary court-appointed receiver during a…

The Des Moines ABC/Yahoo GOP Presidential Debate, Part 3

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 11, 2011 |

Here are the traditional liveblogging notes, formatted for readability, that I kept during the latter-half of Saturday night’s ABC News/Yahoo News debate co-sponsored by WOI-TV, The Des Moines Register and Drake University[9:48] George S asks Perry about his describing marital fidelity as an important issue to the Presidential campaign. [9:48] Marriage is a vow to…

The Des Moines ABC/Yahoo GOP Presidential Debate, Part 2

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 11, 2011 |

The second question in Saturday night’s ABC News/Yahoo News debate co-sponsored by WOI-TV, The Des Moines Register and Drake University opened the most substantive section of the debate. George Stephanopoulos asked about which candidate was the best combination of consistent conservative and most electable. (The question itself was milquetoast. It’s the answers that were good.)…

The Des Moines ABC/Yahoo GOP Presidential Debate, Part 1

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 11, 2011 |

The first question from last night’s ABC News/Yahoo News debate co-sponsored by WOI-TV, The Des Moines Register and Drake University. (Most of this I was able to upload to Twitter, up until the last two lines, when I succumbed to my technical difficulties). Diane Sawyer salutes all of the candidates’ commitment to Presidential race and…

Appropriate or Not, One Watcher’s Final Score on the Republican Debate

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 10, 2011 |

I think Newt Gingrich came out ahead, and Ron Paul may have pulled a few people in his direction. People concerned that Mitt Romney and Rick Perry are lacking in something needed to successfully challenge President Obama probably were not terribly reassured, and Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum had some solid base-hits when they needed…