Rhode Island Politics
I noted that Warwick Mayor Avedisian was offering up a pragmatic, if typical, pension reform plan in that it dealt with reforms for future pensions. Avedisian took to the pages of the Providence Journal to explain his plan, but, as Ted Nesi notes, Avedisian tries to get away with shoving the past pension problems aside.…
Out of necessity (ya think?) they’re reforming pensions in Johnston. Stephen Beale reports on why: One of the biggest problems is with disability pensions. Out of 71 retired firefighters, 34 of them are on a disability pension, earning two thirds of their salary tax free. During the tenure of former Fire Chief Victor Cipriano, 15…
“Former majority leader now a lobbyist” blares the ProJo Political Scene headline. Meh says us. What else is new, right? Little more than a month after leaving the General Assembly, former Senate Majority Leader Daniel Connors is back at the State House as a lobbyist. Asked what he was doing as he exited the office…
Steve Malanga at RealClearMarkets gives us the national perspective of what’s going on in Rhode Island (h/t Jim Hackett via Facebook): Tucked in between Massachusetts and Connecticut and overshadowed in Northeastern political discussions by states like New Jersey and New York, Rhode Island is barely noticed these days. Still, the Ocean State bears watching. Its…
Nothing will ever match the depth of Patrick Lynch’s monumentally selfish and depraved disdain for justice. But he’s sure giving it the ol’ college try in a different realm; namely, the use, abuse and disrespect of campaign contributions during the last months of his tenure as AG. During the final three months of 2010, former…
… his candidacy for the chairmanship of the RIGOP via this press release dispatched just after noon today. Republicans are faced with an incredible opportunity to win elections in Rhode Island. We have great incumbents and candidates. We have incredibly hard working activists. Respectfully, I hope to earn your support and vote to become Chairman…
WPRI’s Ted Nesi had the first tip clued me in (WRNI’s Ian Donnis had it first on his Tip Sheet~apologies Ian!) that former Moderate Gubernatorial Campaign runner Christine Hunsinger (who was a Dem before that as press secretary for Democratic Congressional hopeful Elizabeth Dennigan) will now be an independent as Governor Chafee’s Legislative Director. Nesi…
Could this be the kind of thing that has brought the SEC to Rhode Island? (H/T WPRO’s John Depetro.) More than two months have gone by since a pension study commission appointed by House Speaker William J. Murphy took a series of votes aimed at creating a new – and for taxpayers, significantly less expensive…
Really, what could we say about RI House Speaker Gordon Fox’s appointment of Rep. Edith Ajello as Chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee that would surprise anybody or that would have any effect on anybody’s opinion? The state’s political leadership is zagging when it needs to zig, and she’s a strong indication of it. The labels…
… though even it may have been too optimistic. In her interview yesterday with Kathy Gregg, General Treasurer Raimondo points out that the assumed rate of return on the state’s pension fund is almost certainly not realistic. She goes on to ask the logical question. Over 10 years, she said the state has averaged 4.4…