October 16, 2014 – RI Future

North Kingstown is the center of Rhode Island’s political universe. Or, at the very least, by far the highest number of statewide candidates hail from this suburban town of 26,000 in the West Bay.

Five of the 15 candidates seeking a statewide office this year live in North Kingstown, as do two of the six candidates running for congress. Providence has three residents running for a statewide seat and one seeking reelection to congress. Warwick has a resident running for governor and congress. Jamestown, Newport, Warwick, Barrington, Cranston, Cumberland, West Greenwich, Pawtucket and Scituate each have a resident on this year’s ballot.

The five candidates from North Kingstown, including the office they seek and their party affiliation, are:

Nellie Gorbea, secretary of state, Democrat
Dawson Hodgson, attorney general, Republican
Kate Fletcher, governor, unaffiliated
Bill Gilbert, lt governor, Moderate
Tony Jones, lt governor, unaffiliated

North Kingstown has candidates from all three recognized political parties, with one candidate from each. There are two unaffiliated candidates from North Kingstown and the treasurer’s race is the only statewide contest not to include a North Kingstown resident. Two of the four candidates for lt. governor are from North Kingstown.

But that’s not to be confused with a 50 percent chance that the next lt. governor will be from North Kingstown. According to the latest WPRI/ProJo poll, only one North Kingstown resident is a favorite to win: Gorbea has a 41 percent to 27 percent advantage over her West Greenwich rival John Carlevale. Hodgson was the only other NK resident to win double digit support in the poll, trailing incumbent Peter Kilmartin 46 percent to 32 percent.

Similarly, 33 percent of the candidates in the three congressional races this year are from North Kingstown, or two of the six. Republicans Mark Zaccaria and Rhue Reis, both from NK, are running against incumbents from Jamestown and Warwick in Senator Jack Reed and Congressman Jim Langevin. Congressman David Cicilline is from Providence and Cormack Lynch is from Newport.

Forget the razzle-dazzle of Buddy Cianci incanting the good old days and the paranoia around Achievement First. Consider the character of the man – read Emma Sloan’s harrowing piece – and look at Cianci’s most recent term in office (1999-2002). His record simply doesn’t justify another term.

Despite a larger police force, the capital city had more murders during Buddy Cianci’s last four years in office than the most recent four under Taveras.

From 1999 to 2002, the statistics are stark: 26 murders in 1999, 30 in 2000, 23 in 2001, 23 in 2002. During his 1995-1998 term the numbers of annual murders ranged from 25 to 12. There were 22 murders in 1993 and 21 in 1994.

Buddy Cianci’s Providence: Better for whom? – Dan Lawlor
Should Buddy Cianci pick the next police chief – Dan Lawlor
Why one rape victim won’t support Cianci – Emma Sloan

From 2011 to now, under Mayor Taveras, the homicide rate has varied from 12 in 2011, 17 in 2012, to 14 in 2013. There have been 13 murders this year.

Think about this -even though jobless rates are worse in the city now, even with a smaller force, more transparent, honest police leadership and partnerships have kept murders down.

According to the San Diego Reporter, just prior to his last term, upon arriving on the scene after a 1998 double-homicide, potentially tied to drug trafficking, Cianci remarked, “Seen one you’ve seen them all.”

Can you imagine Angel Taveras saying that upon arriving at a homicide scene?

Buddy Cianci’s Providence: Better for whom? – Dan Lawlor
Should Buddy Cianci pick the next police chief – Dan Lawlor
Why one rape victim won’t support Cianci – Emma Sloan

Day: October 16, 2014

North Kingstown is the center of RI political universe

More murders in PVD when Buddy Cianci was mayor