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 Islanders somewhere after that. We’re talking about a governor who gave more interviews to WPRO shock jocks than the rest of the local media combined!
But, like Scott MacKay of RIPR, we were surprised that Carcieri had the gall to be offering an economics lecture to President Obama. Here’s how MacKay put it:
Well, governor, what say you about a purported conservative Republican Rhode Island governor who gambled with the taxpayers money, made the most reckless crony capitalism economic development loan in the state’s history (38Studios, which is now bankrupt) and left the taxpayers hanging for $100 million in loan guarantees. Then this very same governor leaves office, goes into virtual hiding, refuses to answer to anybody to justify his actions and finally turns up in Tampa at the Republican National Convention to lecture the president on business.
The reality is many of Rhode Island’s economic sore spots are Carcieri’s fault. 38 Studios is only the most obvious example. Another is the state’s epidemic of failing cities. When Carcieri cut off state aid to the state’s poorest communities he virtually guaranteed at least some of them would have no other option than to go through an expensive reorganization.
As governor, he also focused his energies on cutting the state payroll instead of growing the state economy. And he fought really hard against obvious economic development winners like a casino and a port at Quonset.
One missed opportunity that few people recall is when Carcieri had the old Jamestown Bridge demolished instead of turning it into what would have been one of the most beautiful – and probably well-visited – bike paths in the world. Environmentalists and transportation advocates fought hard for the idea at the time, though the local media largely ignored the idea. Imagine how many additional people who visit and vacation in the Ocean State if they could ride their bikes from the South County beaches, through scenic Saunderstown over Narragansett Bay and right out to Beavertail and Fort Wetherill.
It’s well worth noting that Carcieri had a beach house in Saunderstown – it’s his legal address these days, though we get the feeling he spends more time at his place in Florida than in Rhode Island – and many of the uber-affluent residents on both sides of the bridge deplored the idea of sharing their slice of Rhode Island with the masses.
The best thing Carcieri probably did for Rhode Island is give us proof positive that business acumen doesn’t translate to political acumen.
And now here is campaigning for a businessman for president.
That should be all the evidence Rhode Island and the nation needs to know that Mitt Romney is the wrong guy to be president. After all, Carcieri has proven no more effective at picking winners in politics than he has in the video game business.
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The GOP convention is supposed to start today and good luck thinking up a situation any more awkward for . No truth to the rumor that former FEMA director Michael Heck-of-a-job Brownie will be giving the keynote address of the convention…
Patch, we hear, is launching at least four new hyperlocal news websites in Rhode Island. The new lucky communities are: Cumberland, Smithfield, West Warwick and Westerly.
Is all this attention being focused on RIPTA just because a camera was covered up? We’ll see. Also, in a way it’s good news for public transportation if the financial success of buses seems artificially low due to corruption. Bruce Landis tells a good story this morning about how it could have happened.
In an item about EngageRI now spending money to campaign against candidates who voted against the pension cuts of 2011, the Projo writes, “the mailings were financed by the 501c4 arm of EngageRI, which exists to educate Rhode Island citizens about the need for responsible state pension reform.” Now that EngageRI spending on straight politics, we should get to know where their money comes from.
Everyone is concerned about violent crime increasing in Providence … it should come as little surprise that it is coupled with a decrease in the number of police officers the city has. Just as in the private sector, in the public sector you get what you pay for.
Also in GoLocal this morning: a great piece by Dan Lawlor on why our income tax system is failing our economy.
Old friend Sam Paterson, the harbormaster in Jamestown, saved a man’s life this weekend who had jumped off the Jamestown Bridge. Nice work, Sam.
Today in 1770, German philosopher Hegel is born, who once said, “When liberty is mentioned, we must always be careful to observe whether it is not really the assertion of private interests which is thereby designated.”
He also said, “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.”
And today in 1952, movie star (and fan!) Paul Reubens aka Pee-wee Herman was born.
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