Rhode Island Politics
Ian Donnis of the Providence Phoenix has kindly e-mailed me the link on his blog to his conversation with Speaker William Murphy regarding the A. Duie Pyle tax legislation. “Conversation”, which connotes a certain back and forth, is perhaps too strong a word, which Ian indicates up front. House Speaker William J. Murphy just returned…
Last month, Mike Stanton at the Providence Journal broke the story that the FBI was investigating allegations that Senator Stephen Alves (D-West Warwick) killed a tax break for trucking company A. Duie Pyle for personal financial reasons – or lack thereof. At the time, Speaker of the House William Murphy (D-West Warwick) denied any knowledge…
Ken Block is trying to build a party of moderates that can become a force within Rhode Island’s political system. Literally…Rhode Island’s politicians and political processes are failing the citizens of this state, and Rhode Island deserves better. A longstanding Democratic super-majority in the General Assembly has led to unchecked power, which has left the…
Ian Donnis weighs in with a bit more on the RI Foundation and how it funnels money–donated anonymously–to help fund Providence Mayor Cicilline’s administration: Cianci had departing Rhode Island Foundation chieftain Ron Gallo on his show yesterday. Just a few moments ago, Cianci pointed to how conflicts could arise from the foundation’s funding arrangement for…
Dan Yorke has been asking for some media outlet to look into the links between The Rhode Island Foundation and Providence Mayor David Cicilline’s administration. According to a 2003 press release, the Rhode Island Foundation set up a contribution structure to the Mayor’s Administration via The Fund for Providence: The Fund was established at The…
First, the ProJo tried to make hay over the Governor’s failed attempt to get the first raises for his cabinet in 5 years and fed us the unfiltered talking points of Democratic LegisIators to boot. Now, in an “if it’s good for the goose, it’s good for the gander” move, Governor Carcieri has asked (Via…
The ProJo gleefully reports (gotcha guv!) that Governor Carcieri asked for raises for his cabinet officers. Two weeks before he first wielded his now-famous vow to eliminate 1,000 state jobs to head off a looming deficit, Governor Carcieri quietly sought four years of cumulative raises — ranging as high as $24,884 — for members of…
Yesterday on the Helen Glover Show, discussing the $100,000,000 workforce reduction, Governor Donald Carcieri had the following exchange with a caller: Asked by a caller why the state needs interpreters in the courts and other state agencies, Carcieri said: “Amen to you, buddy.” In the hunt for expendable jobs, Carcieri said he found one department…
Whatever the merits of its claims, this argument from the attorney general’s office (concerning why it won’t answer the governor’s call to trim its workforce) is a head-shaker: The attorney general’s office employs 234 workers, barely enough staff to fill the current need, according to Christopher Cotta, director of administration and finance for the attorney…
From the Warwick Beacon: In a unanimous vote last week, the city council approved an ordinance to outlaw healthcare buyback provisions as of January 1, 2008. The measure needs a second passage before becoming law. The ordinance was the first of a series of proposals set forth by Councilman Robert Cushman (D-Ward 1), which he…