Patrick Laverty

Personal Accountability

By Patrick Laverty | February 11, 2012 |

Earlier in the week, Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, a former major league pitcher, began his press tour to promote a book that he wrote. A couple curious quotes came from one of the interviews, with Nick Cafardo, first [he] admitted he was under the influence of cocaine two-thirds of the time he was on the…

You Can Tell A Lot About David Cicilline By His Press Releases

By Patrick Laverty | February 9, 2012 |

Thanks to Ian Donnis over at the RI Public Radio Blog for posting a press release from Congressman David Cicilline with regard to his probable Republican opponent in November, Brendan Doherty. The most interesting parts are those that seem either untrue or blatantly hypocritical. The central theme to the release is Cicilline is trying to…

Presidential Man of Principle

By Patrick Laverty | February 8, 2012 |

It’s refreshing to see that President Obama is a man of principle. When he takes a stand on something that he believes in, he sticks to it. It doesn’t matter how it makes him look, he sticks to his word. Well, I guess except in the case of Super-PACs: Mr. ‍Obama belatedly decided to give…

A Week of Thoughts

By Patrick Laverty | February 5, 2012 |

This week, Governor Chafee proposed a 1-2 point increase on the tax paid at restaurants. He said this increase will go to help the schools in the state. Really? Wasn’t the purpose of bringing a lottery to the state to help the schools? Wasn’t the gas tax supposed to be for the roads and bridges?…

Does the Mayor of Central Falls Live in Lincoln?

By Patrick Laverty | February 4, 2012 |

I guess he’s just following the leader. Remember before the election two years ago, GoLocalProv.com broke the story about then-candidate Lincoln Chafee being accused of having car registrations in East Greenwich, taking a homestead exemption in Providence and being a registered voter in Warwick? For those unaware, property owners can only get a homestead exemption…

General Assembly Trying to Further Mess Up the Pension System

By Patrick Laverty | February 3, 2012 |

House Bill #7201 submitted by State Reps Savage, San Bento, Ajello, Blazejewski and DaSilva is an attempt to force the teachers at the Rhode Island Mayoral Academies (RIMA) into the state pension system. Currently, the staff at RIMA are in a defined contribution plan, or more specifically a 401k plan. They pay into the system,…

The Problem that Doesn’t Exist

By Patrick Laverty | February 3, 2012 |

We’ve heard State Rep Charlene Lima liken Rhode Island’s new voter ID law to “Jim Crow”. We’ve heard from people like Dr. Pablo Rodriguez that it is “a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.” And Providence immigration lawyer, Roberto Gonzalez said in reference to the law “They based their support on some perceived fraud…

Is Providence Cooking the Books Now?

By Patrick Laverty | January 31, 2012 |

Back in October, Rhode Island’s pension system also got national notice due to a union official, Paul Valletta accusing General Treasurer Raimondo of manufacturing a crisis: Paul Valletta of the State Association of Firefighters said Raimondo “cooked the books” with actuarial assumptions and conservative market projections that exaggerate the pension system’s problems. He accused her…

Tom Sgouros Spins for Cicilline

By Patrick Laverty | January 30, 2012 |

In today’s GoLocalProv, columnist and former consultant to David Cicilline, tries to re-paint Cicilline’s time as Providence mayor as a positive for the city. He goes over a few “Yeah, but he…” examples, like: Why was there $22 million in the rainy day fund in 2008? Here’s a hint: It wasn’t because Buddy Cianci had…

A Week of Thoughts

By Patrick Laverty | January 28, 2012 |

Oh, what to lead off with? This week, Bishop Tobin agreed to open a daytime homeless shelter in South Providence, as a condition of the Providence Occupiers leaving Burnside Park. So how do they thank the clergy? A day later, they crash a Right to Life rally at the State House and shout down a…