RI – What Went Wrong: The Carcieri Effect
It may be hard to remember now, but ten years ago, Rhode Island’s unemployment rate was below the national average. Today, of course, it’s the second highest in America. Only Nevada has a worse jobs picture. Clearly, something went very badly wrong. The question is what. In a multi-part series that will be published throughout [...]
Progress Report: Tax Capacity and Our Failing Cities; Chafee Speculation; Ucci and Blazejewski; Stripped Bass; Burnside
Regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum, most agree that Rhode Island’s biggest concern should be the failing finances of our urban communities. GoLocal reports this morning in a piece on which local communities have the highest tax rates: “Some of the most dramatic increases are in urban communities facing financial distress. They [...]
Carcieri on Negative Campaigns, Casinos and Clean Water
Of all the journalists former Governor Don Carcieri didn’t want to see at the polls today, I’m sure I was high on that list given all the grief I’ve given him over 38 Studios. But to his credit, he answered my questions (after, I should add, I pleaded with him that it would mean a [...]
Don Carcieri: Short on Apology, Long on Advice
Give Don Carcieri, the unequivocal architect of the 38 Studios deal, credit for at least two things. One is that the former governor finally came forward and faced the public. He should have done so four months ago, but we panned him when he didn’t so we’ll recognize that he did. The other is that [...]
Don Carcieri’s 38 Studios Silence: Selfish and Foolish
It turns out even Republicans are miffed at Don Carcieri for hiding from the media when one of his signature decisions as governor blew up in the face of Rhode Island. “Former Gov. Donald L. Carcieri’s long silence on the 38 Studios bankruptcy wound up putting fellow Rhode Island Republicans on the spot this week [...]
Carcieri Always Represented Conservatives, Not RI
It should come as no surprise to see former Governor Don Carcieri, the architect of the 38 Studios fiasco, yucking it up at the Republican Convention even though he has yet to answer questions about his role in state’s biggest economic blunder in a generation. After all, Carcieri always represented conservatives first and then Rhode [...]
Progress Report: RI Is Most Democratic But Not So Liberal; RISC Dumps Don Carcieri; Gamblers Need New Casino
We may be the most bluest state, according to a new study done by Gallup, but keep in mind that distinction doesn’t mean any more than the D after Jon Brien or Doc Corvese’s name on the ballot. Especially in the northern parts of the state, Rhode Islanders will instinctively vote for Democrats, even if [...]
RI Needs to Learn from Mistakes of 38 Studios Deal
To the 379 people who just lost their jobs, I want to say something that no one responsible for this turn of events is going to say: I’m sorry. I doubt that will make you feel better, but I think it needs to be said, by someone. You moved yourself and your families down here, [...]
President Obama and the Imaginary Spending Binge
Recently, I did something I shouldn’t have done, and I’d like to confess here. Someone I don’t know wrote me a nice note about some things I have written and some banking issues I’m working on (more on this someday). In the process of the note, he described himself as moderate Republican, “fiscally conservative and [...]
Stokes, Schilling Take Hits but Carcieri Is to Blame
While Keith Stokes might be the one to have lost his job and Curt Schilling might lose his business, the person most responsible for the 38 Studios financial fiasco is former Governor Don Carcieri. The CEO governor billed himself as having the business background necessary to boost the economy and create new jobs. But as [...]
38 Studios and the ‘Job Creator’ Logic
Word started buzzing around the State House just prior to Gov. Chafee making his historic executive order recognizing same sex marriages from other states – but the rumors weren’t about marriage equality, they were about 38 Studios. By the end of the day, Bill Rappleye of Channel 10 broke what very well could become the [...]
RI Progress Report: Property Taxes, Jason Pleau, URI Contracts, Gemma, the Mob and Occupy Providence
Here’s a list of the 19 cities and towns that are considering raising taxes in next year’s budget, according to a great article by Dan McGowan, of GoLocal: Bristol, Charlestown, Cumberland, East Greenwich, Hopkinton, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Narragansett, New Shoreham, Newport, North Kingstown, North Smithfield, Portsmouth, Richmond, Smithfield, Tiverton, Westerly and Woonsocket. He quotes [...]
Budgeting for Disaster VI: DMV Manages for Success
One part of the Department of Administration that gets a lot of press is the Department of Motor Vehicles, which is actually a unit of the Department of Revenue. DMV, of course, gets press because people don’t like it, and the lines are long, and it’s in an inconvenient place, and so on and on. [...]
Chafee: State Aid Cuts Put Poor Towns in Peril
Governor Chafee said former Governor Don Carcieri and the General Assembly put struggling communities in peril when they cut some $195 million in state aid to cities and towns. “It’s no wonder Providence is in trouble, it’s no wonder Pawtucket is having a trouble making payroll, it’s no wonder Central Falls went into bankruptcy,” he [...]
State Cuts Also Cause for City’s Fiscal Woes
It’s certainly fashionable to blame retirees and their generous post-employment benefits for Providence’s fiscal problems. But for other causal factors, look to the state of Rhode Island and former Governor Don Carcieri. Tom Sgouros, in his ongoing series dissecting the state budget, reports this morning that in 2008 the capital city was expecting $65 million [...]
Sound Fair to You?
Cities and towns across Rhode Island have faced financial hardship over the last several years. Cities have been devastated by the economic crisis, which itself was caused by a complete lack of oversight on Wall Street, oversight that even today Republicans are fighting tooth and nail. They even oppose the idea of having an agency [...]
Carcieri Failed to Pay Property Tax on Florida Condo
UPDATE: So much for the “it went to the wrong address” defense. From the Projo: However, the litigation and collections manager for Martin County said yesterday that the office sent the bill to the correct address last December after a clerk did a little research and found Carcieri’s current address on Kenyon Avenue. It is also [...]
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