Rhode Island Politics

Beacon Mutual: Where We Are and How We Got Here, Part 3

By Carroll Andrew Morse | April 26, 2006 | Comments Off on Beacon Mutual: Where We Are and How We Got Here, Part 3

The first two parts (part 1, part 2) focused on the how-we-got-here part of the Beacon Mutual story. This part will focus on the where-we-are and the what-we-should-do. 1. Without unnecessarily disparaging Beacon Mutual�s initial generation of leadership, it must be understood that the creation of Beacon Mutual was not the most important part of…

Beacon Mutual: Where We Are and How We Got Here, Part 2

By Carroll Andrew Morse | April 25, 2006 |

The key event in the transformation of Beacon Mutual from the Rhode Island’s workers’ compensation insurer of last resort to a virtual monopoly occurred in 1996. That year, the state legislature acted to block private workers’ compensation insurers from returning to Rhode Island. (For part 1 of the story, click here.) In the early 1990s,…

Beacon Mutual: Where We Are and How We Got Here, Part 1

By Carroll Andrew Morse | April 24, 2006 |

The story of how Beacon Mutual began is a familiar one — Rhode Island paying too much into a broken, unsustainable system, in this case, the workers’ compensation system. At the start of the 1990s, there were about eight private insurers providing workers’ compensation insurance to Rhode Island, the largest being Liberty Mutual with about…

Spending Caps Won’t Solve the Unfunded Public Sector Liability Problems Caused by the Tax-Eaters

By | April 19, 2006 |

Ed Achorn’s latest editorial A cap won’t solve R.I.’s tax troubles states: It is encouraging that Rhode Island politicians — in an election year, anyway — are awakening to the public’s agonized cries over sky-high property taxes. Senate President Joseph Montalbano (D.-North Providence), Majority Leader Teresa Paiva-Weed (D.-Newport), and Minority Leader Dennis Algiere (R.-Westerly) last…

Dave Talan for Mayor of Providence

By Carroll Andrew Morse | April 19, 2006 |

Republican Dave Talan kicks off his campaign for Mayor of Providence tonight. Here are the issues motivating Mr. Talan to run as described in his official campaign announcement…On education, Talan wants every child to be able to attend a good school, close to home, of their parents’ choosing. If that choice is a private or…

RI Democrats Promise Spending Cuts….but where?

By Marc Comtois | April 13, 2006 | Comments Off on RI Democrats Promise Spending Cuts….but where?

RI Democrats have been promising some tax relief recently, and now they’ve apparently realized that spending reductions are a good idea, too: Senate leaders yesterday offered what they hailed as a “property-tax reduction plan.” . . . Senate Democrats — led by Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano and Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed…

Governor Was Right, Says Beacon’s Own Auditors

By Marc Comtois | April 13, 2006 | Comments Off on Governor Was Right, Says Beacon’s Own Auditors

Here is the meat and potatoes of what the Giuliani group found in their audit of Beacon Mutual [the whole report is here (PDF)]. First, we have the in house problems: Beacon executives maintained a VIP list of about a dozen companies, some of which received favorable treatment resulting in lower workers’ comp rates. Solomon…

Old-Money Populists and the Working-Class/New-Money Elite

By Justin Katz | April 12, 2006 |

I’ve been meaning to comment on RI Populist’s apparent satisfaction over Sheldon Whitehouse’s receipt of the carpenters union endorsement. As a non-union carpenter whose job site has recently been within sight of Whitehouse’s Newport summer home castle — nestled between, I’m informed, his brother’s mansion and his mother’s chateau and a short drive from his…

Background on Prof. Dennis Michaud

By Marc Comtois | April 7, 2006 |

Here’s some more background on the new apparent GOP candidate for governor, Dennis Michaud. (And here’s the audio link of Dan Yorke breaking of the story). First is an academic article he co-wrote with Kaitlyn A. Murphy about the Quonset Development Corporation. (The article is available for a fee). Michaud made reference to his work…

Yorke: GOP Primary Opponent for Carcieri?

By Marc Comtois | April 6, 2006 |

Dan Yorke is reporting that Brown Adjunct Professor Dennis Michaud–who has testified on behalf of Beacon Mutual and has been on their payroll–has put forth the idea that he will run for Governor on the GOP ticket against incumbent Donald Carcieri. Michaud purportedly gives three main reasons for such a run: 1) Lack of economic…