Rhode Island Politics

Hassett Calls for Utility Rate Cuts

By Marc Comtois | October 22, 2008 |

Providence City Council member Terry Hassett wants the Public Utilities Commission to revisit this summer’s rate increase (h/t): “If the rationale was to boost the rate for electricity here in Rhode Island because it is directly related to the cost of oil, then the PUC is obligated to summon National Grid before them to reconsider…

Ethical Motivations

By Marc Comtois | October 22, 2008 |

From the ProJo: [Rhode Island] Ethics Commission members said yesterday that they suspect that if a Rhode Island official (Governor Carcieri, for example) did what an investigation in Alaska found that [Alaska Governor Sarah] Palin did — used her office to advance a personal, although not financial, cause — it would probably not violate the…

Putting up Roadblocks to More Spending

By Justin Katz | October 20, 2008 |

Whether or not Rhode Island voters pay so little attention to what they’re doing that they’d confuse political ads from Massachusetts as applying to ballot questions in Rhode Island, I don’t know. But as always, my recommendation is to vote “no” to transportation bonds — our Question 1: Although it’s described as an $87-million bond…

Detrimental Effects and the Responsible Party

By Monique Chartier | October 19, 2008 |

Under Donald’s post “Multiple choice options regarding Obama’s “spread the wealth” comment”, commenter Phil remarks I cannot ignore the presence in R.I. of Republican conservatives and the detrimental effect it has on the place I live. Yes, let’s talk about some detrimental effects inflicted on the state by a particular political party and ideology. –…

Hatch Act Violations? Here?

By Monique Chartier | October 19, 2008 |

The RIGOP has filed a formal request to investigate possible Hatch Act violations by the following candidates for the General Assembly. Elaine Coderre, House District 50 (incumbent) Grace Diaz, House District 11 (incumbent) Arthur Handy, House District 18 (incumbent) Beatrice Lanzi, Senate District 26 MaryAnn Shallcross, House District 46 Anastasia Williams, House District 9 (incumbent)…

Fighting the RI Machine

By Justin Katz | October 18, 2008 |

My return to the Providence Journal editorial pages today offers a synopsis of recent establishment v. reform events in Tiverton, with the suggestion that, since the powers who be are interconnected across the state, so should the reformers be aware of and cooperate with each other: There seems to be little reason for residents of…

Explanations on the Other Side of the Coin

By Justin Katz | October 15, 2008 |

I caught a snippet of U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on WPRO this morning remarking on the great mystery of Rhode Island’s horrible economy. Paraphrasing: “I don’t think anybody knows why it’s so bad. We should be in the middle of the pack.” Well, perhaps such outcomes are puzzling when the actual explanation is ruled out…

The Rhode Island State Police and the West Warwick Primary

By Carroll Andrew Morse | October 14, 2008 |

The Projo‘s Talia Buford has details on the Rhode Island State Police’s explanation of why there is an investigation into the Michael Pinga/Stephen Alves Democratic primary, but not into the Erin Lynch/David Bennett result…The complaint filed by Democratic Party Chairman William Lynch asked the State Police to investigate “voter irregularities” in both the Warwick and…

R.I. Democrat Party: Champion of the Powerful

By Monique Chartier | October 12, 2008 |

Aren’t Democrats supposed to represent the common man? The work-a-day joe? Sure, here we go – from the official website of the Democrat National Committee: an abiding faith in the judgment of hardworking American families, and a commitment to helping the excluded, the disenfranchised and the poor strengthen our nation by earning themselves a piece…

A Consequence of Pulled Strings

By Justin Katz | October 12, 2008 |

If, after all of the technicalities are applied, Stephen Alves returns to his seat in the Rhode Island Senate, Rhode Islanders ought to take it as a final straw: Yesterday, the court gave some insight into its decision. According to Craig Berke, spokesman for the state judiciary, the court withheld its decision on the Alves…