October 22, 2014

Can atheists be trusted in public office?

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“I should emphasize that being an atheist would neither recommend nor disqualify [Jorge Elorza] from being Mayor of Providence,” said Bishop Thomas Tobin in a surprising, recent Facebook post, but before celebrating Tobin’s tolerance and openness, we should read on, “But I wonder if an atheist mayor would be in a position to respect the sincere convictions of believers (of all faiths) and to encourage and support the many contributions the faith community makes in our city and state.”

Thus, Tobin slyly implies that atheists are intolerant.

Put aside, for a moment, the idea that atheists may be more or less intolerant than a conservative, Republican, Catholic Bishop and ponder a moment what Tobin’s words would sound like if he were talking about group of people other than atheists.

“But I wonder if a Jewish mayor would be in a position to respect the sincere convictions of Christians (of all denominations) and to encourage and support the many contributions the Christian community makes in our city and state.”

“But I wonder if an Asian mayor would be in a position to respect the sincere convictions of citizens (of all races) and to encourage and support the many contributions non-Asian communities make in our city and state.”

“But I wonder if a woman mayor would be in a position to respect the sincere convictions of men and to encourage and support the many contributions men make in our city and state.”

“But I wonder if a Catholic mayor would be in a position to respect the sincere convictions of Protestants and to encourage and support the many contributions Protestants make in our city and state.”

A candidate’s religious convictions (or lack thereof) are not relevant to their fitness for office, unless those beliefs run contrary to the Constitution of the United States. Article VI, paragraph 3 of the Constitution reads, “The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

If your religious beliefs run counter to the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, and you attempt to act on those beliefs in your official capacity as an elected official or judge, then you are unfit for office. Unless one has good reason to suspect that a candidate will not uphold the Constitution, questioning their fitness for office on the basis of religious belief or unbelief is bigotry, pure and simple.

October 22, 2014October 23, 2014

Bill and Hillary love Little Rhody: A history of their trips to RI

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When former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton campaigns for Democratic candidate for governor Gina Raimondo at an event billed as “Rebuilding the Middle Class” she will be stumping from the same stage she stood on in 2008, when she rallied support for her presidential bid.

When the Clintons comes to the town, Rhode Islanders listen. In the last 23 years the former first couple has made more than a dozen visits to Little Rhody. No doubt that Hillary Clinton will stimulate more support for what could be the first female governor elected in Rhode Island.

Below is just a clip of visits from the last 23 years.

1991 Fundraiser at Providence University Club – Bill Clinton: When he was still governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton would attend a fundraiser at the Providence University Club. In attendance, former Providence Mayor Joseph Paolino, and Suzanne Magaziner, mother of the candidate for General Treasurer Seth Magaziner.

Oct 11, 1993: Brown University – Hillary Clinton: First Lady Hillary Clinton appeared on a televised health care forum at Brown University. As First Lady health care reform was a critical part of her platform.

1994 Blackstone Valley Tourism Council – Bill & Hillary Clinton: Both former President Bill Clinton and former First Lady Hillary Clinton made a trip to the Blackston Valley Tourism Center to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of Slater Mill. This might be one of the few times the couple traveled to Rhode Island together.

August 1997 – Block Island – Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton: President Clinton arrived at the tiny Block Island airport with his family and Senator Reed to a large group of residents. He told the crowd “…this is the first opportunity I have had to thank the people of Rhode Island for giving the vice president and me the enormous vote of confidence we got here last November. And I’m very grateful to you. Thank you so much.” Shortly after the visit to the home where the family stayed was renamed the “Clinton Cottage.”

1998 North Providence High School – Hillary Clinton: First Lady Hillary Clinton spoke to an auditorium full of students about the importance of education at North Providence High School. She met then North Providence Mayor Ralph Mollis. As Secretary of State, Mollis endorsed Clinton in 2007. “As a senator from New York, Clinton knows the challenges that northeastern states face. She understands and is ready to address the needs of Rhode Islanders,” he said.

December 14, 1999 – Hillary Clinton: Democratic lawyer Jack McConnell headed a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser at his home for Hillary Clinton’s New York Senate campaign. Friend and Democratic fundraiser Mark Weiner coordinated the pricey event. Jack McConnell went on to become a federal court judge in Rhode Island.

April 8, 2006 – Brown University – Hillary Clinton: Sen. Hillary Clinton delivered the inaugural address for the Doherty-Granoff Forum on Women Leader at Brown University. Clinton has strong ties to Brown University as a result of her relationship with Ira Magaziner, a former aid the Clinton administration.

June 27 2006 Fundraiser – Bill Clinton: During a fundraiser for Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse, former President Clinton report joked that he had been to “Rhode Island so many times he thought he ought to register to vote here.” Tickets for the event, which was healed at the University of Rhode Island, were $1,000 per-person. Sheldon Whitehouse went on to win the Senate seat from then Republican Lincoln Chafee.

Feb 25, 2008 Rhode Island College – Hillary Clinton: On a brisk February morning candidate for President, Hillary Clinton spoke to a packed gym at Rhode Island College. “I’m asking you to consider hiring me for the hardest job in the world,” she said. On stage behind her sat Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, LG. Elizabeth Roberts, Congressman James Langevin, Treasurer Frank Caprio and Secretary of State Ralph Mollis. Clinton went on to win the Rhode Island Democratic primary on March 4th.

2010 – Candidate Rally (Caprio) – Bill Clinton: In 2010, Former President Bill Clinton stumped twice for Democratic Nominee and Candidate for Governor Frank Caprio. The first rally at the Rhode Island Convention Center, Clinton called Caprio a “Realist and a reformer,”a line that would used in a campaign commercial. The second rally, Clinton would tell a crowd of supporters at Veterans Memorial Auditorium: “I love this state, you’ve been good to me, and I’ve tried to be good for you.” Caprio lost his bid for Governor. Weeks after the election headlines revealed that Caprio sneaked his opponents, Ken Block, behind the stage to meet and take photos with the former President.

2014: Candidate Rally (Magaziner) – Bill Clinton Twenty-three years after first coming to Rhode Island, former President Bill Clinton was back to stump for a candidate for treasurer Seth Magaziner. Cheers from the crowd at the Rhode Island Convention Center after Clinton proclaimed “I want to urge you not to be against anybody, but for Seth Magaziner. Seth is the son of former Clinton aid, Ira Magaziner. Magaziner is the V.P. and CEO of one of the Clinton many charitable foundations.

October 22, 2014

Former ConCon delegates agree: It doesn’t work

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Delegates from the 1986 Constitutional Convention recalled their experiences and urged against convening another convention in 2016 from the steps of Garrahy Judicial Complex where several ConCon meetings were held in the 1980s. The three speakers were united in their opinion that the ConCon is not the tool for tackling issues of governmental reform, and in fact does pose a threat to civil liberties. Further, a new ConCon will almost certainly be captured by special interests, in much the same way the last one was.

Lila Sapinsley, former delegate to the 1986 Constitutional Convention and former Senate Republican Minority Leader, said:

“In 1986 when a Constitutional Convention was approved I eagerly ran for delegate. I naively thought that if delegates ran without party labels the convention would be free of politics. However, my hopes were dashed when I saw that since candidates ran from House districts, the convention was a mirror image of the House of Representatives. Delegates, if not directly connected to party leaders, were family or friends. The Speaker of the House controlled the convention. If delegates to the 2015 convention are elected by existing electoral districts we will again have a duplicate of the legislature. Let’s concentrate on electing better representatives and forget about an expensive duplicate of the General Assembly.”

East Providence resident Roberto Gonzalez, also a former delegate, stated:

“The 1986 convention was hijacked from the citizens of Rhode Island. While some delegates deliberated in good faith, the outcome of the convention had been predetermined by the then-powerful House Speaker, who was in turn controlled by the same special interests that have controlled House leaders in recent history. Many, if not most of the delegates, were family or friends of those in power. It was never a convention of the people to improve government, but rather a convention of special interests. I am sure that if the good citizens of this state choose to have another convention, the exact thing will happen. Instead of debating good government amendments, the convention will become bogged down with a plethora of polarizing social issues such as gun control, abortion, voter ID, and immigration. There is nothing to stop the delegates from putting measures on the ballot that will reverse or dilute the civil rights gains that have been so difficult to obtain.”

Tom Izzo, another former delegate, said:

“The process of electing delegates alone impacts the potential for a ‘purer, freer and more open deliberation’ – a process where, while non-partisan, does not allow for a real vetting of the candidates’ qualifications. In most instances–though not running–sitting representatives hold inordinate sway, and special interests can leverage their greatest influence. These special elections, as in most primaries, have a very low voter turnout, and candidates must depend on these special interests to get elected. While there were a few positive outcomes from the last convention, I do not believe the time, the financial cost, the potential negative impact on civil rights, and most importantly the virtually unlimited impact of special interests, especially in light of recent rulings regarding campaign spending, warrants or justifies the calling of another convention.”

There is no reason to think that a Constitutional Convention held today will be any different from the 1986 experience, and a number of reasons to think that the results of a new convention will be worse. Since 1986, the influence of money on politics has exploded. The present Speaker of the House is no less powerful than his 1986 predecessor, and is potentially more powerful. No changes have been made to the selection process of delegates that might prevent a convention from being hijacked again.

Promises from proponents that this Constitutional Convention will be different are meaningless. They have no more control over the proceedings and outcomes of a ConCon than I do. Across the country, no state has held a ConCon since the one held in Rhode Island in 1986, for all the reasons the former delegates outlined above.

Why should Rhode Island be the only state not to learn from its mistake?

October 22, 2014October 22, 2014

Gov. Chafee supports Newport casino question

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Governor Linc Chafee supports table games at a casino in Newport, he said Tuesday while in the City-by-the-Sea.

But the law that put the question on this year’s ballot violates Rhode Island’s Constitution by granting regulatory power to the General Assembly, .

“…the Act contains an unconstitutional intrusion into the power of the executive to which I must object,” . “Requiring the Division of Lotteries to obtain regulation approval from a committee made up entirely of legislators is a violation of the separation of powers doctrine.”

The intrusion, said Chafee’s legal counsel Claire Richards, amounts to one sentence on page 13 of a 17 page bill. Here’s the bill and here’s the offending sentence:

“The amended master contract shall also provide that, following completion of the investment requirement, NGJA or its successor shall maintain Newport Grand in a first class manner pursuant to regulations adopted by the division and approved by the permanent joint committee on state lottery.”

Richards said she’s confident the legislature will remove the offending language next session. “We have plenty of time to fix this. If not the next governor will have to decide if they think that section is void. We would give it no legal weight. In other words, we would not do it.”

No comment from House and Senate spokesmen.

But John Marion, of Common Cause RI, agrees it’s a separation of powers problem.

“The casino legislation clearly violates the Separation of Powers that we fought so hard to put into the Rhode Island Constitution,” he said in an email. “The legislature clearly does not accept the new order ten years after voters amended the Constitution. On top of violating SOP the legislation creates a rather contorted referendum process that has been the subject of a lawsuit. It is too bad that Governor Chafee didn’t see fit to veto the defective legislation.”

October 22, 2014October 23, 2014

Buddy Cianci’s Providence: better for whom?

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Cianci’s record from the 1990s raises many questions about for whom the city was better for when he was mayor.

“Every few years,” Ian Donnis wrote in the Providence Phoenix at the time, “an incident involving Providence police has provoked outrage and prompted calls for a greater degree of public accountability. In 1992, it was the police beating of a student at Mount Pleasant High School. In 1995, a controversy erupted after an officer was videotaped kicking a man [Corey West] on the ground outside the former Strand club on Washington Street.”

Cianci criticized the violence in both instances. However, the follow-up raises eyebrows.

In the 1995 case, the rookie officer involved kept his position following protests from the union. The chief involved, who faced heavy criticism from the union for moving too quickly to suspend the officer, resigned shortly after. Despite positive words, little was done to change the culture or procedures of the force.

A 1998 Human Rights Watch report reviewed complaints of police abuse in Providence, noting, “During a ride-along with a Providence police sergeant, he … repeatedly mentioned that officers only fear a federal inquiry, not investigations by IAB [Internal Affairs].”

Should Buddy Cianci pick the next police chief – Dan Lawlor
More murders when Buddy Cianci was mayor – Dan Lawlor
Why one rape victim won’t support Cianci – Emma Sloan

In 2000, community protests and organizing followed the shooting death of Sgt Cornel Young,Jr, a black Providence police officer who was shot dead by two white colleagues who thought he was a suspect and a threat, not a fellow officer off duty trying to help at the scene of a crime.

Ten years ago, Marion Davis wrote a piece in the Phoenix, “Did Cornel Young die in vain?” examining the Providence police early in Cicilline’s first term. Many neighborhood leaders saw halting changes, some saw no difference (as was sadly echoed in this police- run drug ring found during Cicilline’s last term), but some experienced a culture shift. As Jose Brito, a Southside business owner, saw it:

“We’re not afraid to talk to the police now…we don’t feel they’re the kind of people we have to hate anymore — and believe me, we used to hate them…Now they talk to us as humans, even they have coffee with us, and they’re willing to sit down and spend time talking, and we can tell them complaints that we have. That’s important. Things change when you listen to somebody.”

Times change. Under Taveras, Providence won a regional award for its Community Policing practices, and just graduated its most diverse new officer class ever (even as two new rookies will potentially be dismissed for larceny). That in itself is a change- now, a rookie involved with theft is dismissed. Under Cianci, a rookie involved with beating a member of the public stayed on the force.

The methods and leadership of the police department now, under Taveras, are better than Cianci’s last term in office, when their were more officers, a better job market, and more homicides.

Cianci tells a great story- but who was his Providence really better for?

Should Buddy Cianci pick the next police chief – Dan Lawlor
More murders when Buddy Cianci was mayor – Dan Lawlor
Why one rape victim won’t support Cianci – Emma Sloan