The South Kingstown Town Council, in a session often resembling a scene from a junior high lunch table, passed the Town budget for fiscal year 2012 – 2013 in total. In a 4-0 vote, with one recusal, the budget was adopted – inclusive of a contentious $7000 line item allowance to the South County Chamber of Commerce.
Refereeing council members and town residents, Council Chair Ella Whaley urged all to stay on task in getting issues resolved and the budget passed.
From the outset, the meeting was heated as Council member Polly Eddy was asked to recuse herself from the vote, due to her position on the Executive Committee of Thundermist Health Center. Eddy who presently sits on the Executive Committee of the private non-profit organization, has held the position of President of the organization in past years, as well as sitting as a senior member of the South Kingstown Town Council.
In anticipation of the budget adoption, which in accordance with the Town Charter has to be completed by May 1, town resident and democratic committee member, Deborah Bergner submitted a letter requesting the removal of $7000 from the preliminary budget, slated for the South Kingstown Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to the petition she garnered, already an agenda item, Bergner’s letter received just prior to the meeting, repeated her ongoing contention that the South Kingstown Chamber of Commerce was acting in dual capacities, as a chamber and a political PAC.
“I feel that no taxpayer money should be given to a political organization. By forming a pack with little or no separation from the chamber itself, and becoming actively involved in local politics, they forfeited their right to receive money from the taxpayers,” Bergner corresponded.
Rebutting the contents of the letter on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce was Richard Pike, Chair of the South Kingstown Political Action Committee, explaining that the PAC operates separately from the chamber, was adamant that any funds appropriation from the Town would not be seen by the PAC.
“The $7000 – I can assure you, not one penny would go toward the political action committee.” Pike went on to add. “Anybody that thinks it’s not a good idea really needs to wake up and listen to some of the [things] that are going on. Businesses are hurting. They need help.”
In a tete-a-tete battle between council members and residents alike, the sometimes pathetic posturing of a political battle to come was revealed.
Supporting Bergner’s position was Maureen Martin, also a town resident, admonishing the council’s bantering in deciding the fate of Bergner’s petition and the Town’s budget before them for passage. Referencing councilman, James O’Neill’s comments with regards to the petition, Martin spoke.
“As I sit here as a citizen, I feel totally disrespected already. To refer to the petition that several South Kingstown residents signed as pathetic, is in and of itself, pathetic.” In addressing the petition before the Council in opposition to the Chamber expenditure, Martin expressed her belief that the funds were not appropriate for an organization not deemed non-profit.
“I do not think that the taxpayers of South Kingstown should be footing the bill for administrative costs of an organization that does not provide services to the needy, but instead participates in lobbying activities.”
Challenged by Carol Hagen McEntee, Council Vice President, Martin was asked to answer why the expenditure had never been questioned in the past. “Last year at this time we gave the $7000 unanimously. By your own admission, you have been a resident for [many] years. This has been going on for 21 years and you have never come forward and felt that this appropriation should be challenged. Why this year?”
“A couple of things – one is I didn’t know,” responded Martin. “I admittedly have not been actively involved in local politics. Had I known, it may have been different.”
After 2 hours, two motions were presented to the Council. The first, a motion to deny the resident petition in opposition to the Chamber appropriation, passed in a 4-1 vote, with member Polly Eddy the sole nay. Council member, Kathleen Fogarty, in a surprising turn of events, voted in support of the line item for the Chamber.
The second motion, the Town’s annual budget adoption, passed in a unanimous action, with Mrs. Eddy’s recusal on record.
At the end of it all, Town Manager, Steven Alfred was pleased with the outcome. “We have adopted a budget that supports our ability to provide for the Town and residents based on the financial situation before us. We are providing residents with the maximum benefit we can.”
If councilwoman Eddy had to recuse herself from the budget vote because of an association with Thundermist, why weren’t Chamber of Commerce members Hagan-McEntee and O’Neill not required to recuse themselves from the vote on the $7000 handout to the Chamber?
Thom,
Have you watched the tape? There was much discussion and the Town Solicitor had been consulted prior to the meeting regarding Ms. Eddy’s unique situation. Ms. Eddy stated from the table that she was more comfortable recusing herself.
Are you questioning whether business owner’s who serve their local communities should be allowed to belong to the local Chamber of Commerce? This isn’t a unique situation is it?
It would be detrimental to the business community, the political process and COC’s in general if this were a prohibition. Business owner’s would refrain from entering the political arena if forced to forgo Chamber membership. Local Chambers of Commerce are a crucial support group, especially in harsh economic times, with many members belonging to several chambers. Right?
I don’t understand this. I understand that the union representatives in the general assembly don’t recuse themselves when voting on labor issues but then again, I don’t think the general assembly appropriates money to the various unions around the state. Why is South Kingstown contributing to the Chamber of Commerce? The fact that this has gone on for 21 years only raises more questions.
According to the Southern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce(that’s what I come up with when I do a Google search for “South County Chamber of Commerce):
“The South Kingstown Chamber of Commerce partners with . . . U.S.Chamber of Commerce to provide our members with valuable programs and a long list of comprehensive services.”
It is very well known that the U S Chamber of Commerce spent 86 million dollars to oppose health care reform and, according to Sourcewatch:
“The U.S. Chamber played a major role in the Republican victories in the 2010 midterm Congressional elections, promising to spend $75 million (and reporting only $32 million), and helping to organize and coordinate spending by other “outside interest groups” like American Crossroads and American Action Network [17] In a blog post the night before the election, the Chamber stated it “had been a game-changing political force in these midterms. We’ve engaged in tight, competitive races; and we’ve altered them.”[18]”
What gives? The Chamber of Commerce seems to be a highly partisan organization. The South Kingstown town officer page does not give party affiliations. In this state the word Democrat doesn’t count for much so I would have to stand by my perception that the Chambers of Commerce that are affiliated with the national organization are very partisan even if the make up of this particular town council is composed entirely of Democrats.
I am grateful for your account. I just can’t understand why you would characterize any group affiliated with the U S Chamber of Commerce as “a crucial support group”. Support for whom? To whose detriment?
I looked for the video you mention in your reply to the person who commented above. I think I followed all the links you provided. I couldn’t find any video. What am I missing? I went back to that Sourcewatch article. How could anyone defend this? :
” “U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a powerful business lobbying group in the United States that “has become a fully functional part of the partisan Republican machine” since CEO and president Thomas J. Donohue took office in 1997. Prior to Donohue’s tenure, the Chamber “used to be a trade association that advocated in a bipartisan manner for narrowly tailored policies to benefit its members.” [1] The Chamber’s 2010 budget is approximately $200 million, but as a trade organization, its donors can remain anonymous. [2]“Despite these claims, the New York Times reported in October 2010 that half of the Chamber’s $140 million in contributions in 2008 came from just 45 big-money donors, many of whom enlisted the Chamber’s help to fight political and public opinion battles on their behalf (such as opposing financial or healthcare reforms, or other regulations). [2] The Chamber is “dominated by oil companies, pharmaceutical giants, automakers and other polluting industries,” ”
Again, what am I missing?