gov14 – Page 2 – RI Future

October 29, 2013October 29, 2013

What will be the big issues in 2014 governor’s race?

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It’s all well and good to know who the characters in the 2014 campaign for governor are, but we still need to know the major themes before we can know what the plot might look like.

Here’s a list of some of the public policies I hope get a good vetting during the next 12 months.

Wall Street vs. Main Street: Hedge funds, the real estate bubble, municipal bankruptcies and retirement investments … they all speak to what role high finance should play in economic development. Good, bad or indifferent – and I think it is a very good thing – because someone from Head Start and someone from venture capital are running against each other in a Democratic primary, RI will get to see this popular talking point play out in the form of a political campaign.
Tests vs. teachers: High stakes tests will and should be a part of this conversation, but the bigger issue is the achievement gap between affluent suburbs and impoverished urban areas. If NECAP scores demonstrate anything, they show that rich kids are getting a decent public education and poor kids, by and large, are not.
Cuts vs. expenditures: Conservatives will claim we need the lowest tax rates in the region to improve our economy while it remains to be seen if progressives will campaign on making the rich and powerful pay their fair share. Note that these goals aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive of each other. RI could, for example, the lower the small business tax rate and eliminate corporate tax expenditures (read: giveaways). And here’s hoping Clay Pell runs on a “tax me” platform!
Legal vs. criminal: There are a host of issues before the General Assembly that will likely spill over into the governor’s campaign because of their national implications – think voter ID and pot prohibition. Payday loans will be a particularly interesting one, as both Angel Taveras and Gina Raimondo have worked together on this issue.

What am I forgetting? Let us know in the comments what issues matter most to you this campaign season…

October 28, 2013October 28, 2013

Block eliminates own relevance, Moderate Party in one fell swoop

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Break out the dirges, Ken Block put the nails in his own political coffin with the announcement he would become a Republican and run in that party’s primary for governor.

Block has been saying for months that he would only seek the office of governor if he saw a clear path to victory. That path for victory did not lie in the political party he’d spent the last half-decade building and advocating for. This does two things. First, for everyone who ever accused Block of being a Republican in sheep’s clothing, it confirms that their suspicions were reality. Second, it makes it appear that Block is less dedicated to his causes and more dedicated to himself. Switching affiliations from Moderate to Republican doesn’t further the causes Block has championed. It only furthers his own career.

Republicans should no doubt be both happy and annoyed about this latest shapeshifter in Rhode Island’s political landscape. They should be happy because it removes Block as their personal gadfly; GOP partisans have long suggested Block’s candidacy is what prevented a Gov. John Robitaille from being inaugurated in 2011. Now, come September 2014, Block will either be their standard-bearer or defeated. The smart money is on the latter.

But therein lies the problem. Until now, it seemed as though Cranston Mayor Allan Fung was going to have a easy waltz to the nomination, leaving him free to beat up on the Democratic candidates. Now he has a contested nomination. Resources that otherwise could’ve gone toward tamping down the Democratic nominee’s inherent advantage are now going to have to go to fending off Block’s challenge.

For the Moderate Party, this appears to be its death knell. It never existed much outside the persona of Ken Block. This is exactly what I wrote about in March of last year; that the Moderate Party has an issue of a lack of identity. Block has been very successful at garnering media attention. But that attention has never translated into much support for the Moderate Party. It’s not even clear if there are other Moderates beyond Block. It seems likely the Moderate Party will end its existence as a second most successful third party in modern Rhode Island politics; right behind the Cool Moose Party.

Whether Block will become the new Robert Healey is anyone’s guess.

October 28, 2013October 29, 2013

Both party primaries for governor come into focus

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The calendar may still say 2013, but the 2014 election year kicked into high gear this weekend. Providence Mayor Angel Taveras said he will announce his candidacy today at 10 am at Meeting Street School in Providence; General Treasurer Gina Raimondo told WPRI Newsmakers if she does run for governor, she will do so as a Democrat; and “moderate” Ken Block finally admitted he’s really a Republican.

Progressives have reason to celebrate all three announcements.

Angel Taveras is the most obvious, as many local liberals are hoping he becomes the first Democrat elected governor since Bruce Sundlun was 18 years ago. He’s won praise for winning concessions from a wide swath of special interests and more recently he’s been panned for not cow-towing to neighborhood interests (and astroturfing Republicans) who want their public sector pool re-opened. More than anything, I think, progressives hope Angel can usher in a new era of working across the aisle without giving in to influential and often discreet out-of-town corporate forces.

To that end, with Raimondo almost certainly commanding the most out-of-state super PAC support in 2014, the left will be lucky if it has to face those influential and often-discreet corporate forces in a primary rather than the general election. Perhaps. At least there will be something refreshing about seeing the Citizens United approach to campaigning square off with real grassroots, boots-on-the-ground organizers.

Raimondo probably has the best shot of winning a general election, but because she has a wider appeal among all Rhode Island voters than she does among Democrats. But since she will need party support if she ever wants to run for national office, she’ll remain a Democrat.

While Raimondo’s career aspirations keep her in one mainstream political party, Ken Block’s has him joining the other. Now, instead of siphoning off votes from Republican Allan Fung in a general election, he’ll compete against him for the nomination. That, too, will likely be a bruising primary – if for no other reason than both Fung and Block are hot-headed and argumentative politicians. I think Fung will prove victorious and the more moderate of the two. More importantly, a contested GOP primary will be an interesting look at the right wing in Rhode Island.

Then there is Clay Pell, the grandson of former Senator Claiborne Pell who is flirting with the idea of making his foray into politics by injecting himself into an already divisive Democratic field. His family fortune and connections make him an instant contender, and he sent shivers down the spine of some Taveras supporters when he showed up at an NEARI event last week. While political operatives might not like the prospect of a three-way primary, political philosophers can ask for a lot worse than to get to see a Latino from South Providence take on a Wall Street Democrat and a registered member of the 1 percent.

October 25, 2013

Angel is in!

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Providence Mayor Angel Taveras makes it official on Monday as the Providence Journal reports he’ll announce he’s running for governor next week. WPRI also reported the news last night.

Taveras, the “Head Start to Harvard” first Latino mayor of Providence is a champion of progressive values and local liberals are inspired by his candidacy in the same way we were with Barack Obama in 2008. A key difference is Taveras has executive political experience as mayor of the Capital City. He averted a financial crisis in Providence by negotiating compromises with organized labor and local tax-exempt nonprofits.

Taveras will likely square off against General Treasurer Gina Raimondo, who has come under fire lately for cutting public sector pensions and then reinvesting those savings in volatile alternative investments with high fees for money managers. Pundits anticipate a bruising primary, with Taveras receiving grassroots support from local labor unions and other Providence political activists while Raimondo will benefit from anonymous super PAC donations from wealthy Wall Street special interests.

Yesterday, Taveras personally asked Raimondo if she would sign a People’s Pledge and disavow anonymous out-of-state donations. Her campaign has yet to respond to the overture though it did distance itself from the idea on Wednesday.

Clay Pell is also considering running for governor as a Democrat. The wealthy grandson of Senator Claiborne Pell, it’s unclear how his candidacy could affect the Taveras-Raimondo race.

October 24, 2013October 24, 2013

The making of a Wall Street Democrat

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Raimondomania has turned into Raimondomageddon.

The quarterback of pension politics was revered by the right in 2012, winning praise from the Manhattan Institute, ALEC and the Wall Street Journal among others. But 2013 has been a political lynching from the left – with Ted Siedle, Matt Taibbi, David Sirota and more all calling her signature accomplishment a wealth transfer to Wall Street.

To help keep track of all the out-of-town media attention, I made this timeline. It’s still a work in progress, so let me know if I’ve omitted any in the comments below and I’ll update as warranted. The tool on the right controls the view of the timeline.

October 23, 2013October 24, 2013

Taveras calls for People’s Pledge in governor’s race

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In an effort to keep out of state interests from buying up the governor’s race, Providence Mayor Angel Taveras is asking Democrats to sign a People’s Pledge the disavows SuperPAC donations and other anonymous contributions.

“We shouldn’t allow outside special interests – whether it is deep-pocketed contributors or Wall Street entities – to spend freely through Super PACs or other Independent Expenditures,” Taveras said in a prepared statement. “We can’t allow Wall Street or special interests to use Super PACs as a backdoor to buy their own Rhode Island government. These are often shadowy groups who aren’t subject to public scrutiny. Voters deserve free and fair elections with the greatest transparency as possible.”

His campaign has been working on the pledge for several months, and it is based on two Massachusetts campaigns that took similar pleges: Congressman Ed Markey and Senator Elizabeth Warren. “I think Elizabeth Warren set a terrific example for Democrats by calling for an end to outside spending in campaigns,” Taveras said in a statement.

The idea of using a People’s Pledge in Rhode Island’s 2014 Democratic primary for governor was floated by Sam Howard in this post in September. In it, he writes:

Maybe we’ll be served well by a bruising Democratic primary…

…Or maybe reason and sense will come to our would-be leaders. And instead of behaving like two Cold War commanders; locked in Mutually Assured Destruction, each attempting to win with a devastating first strike; they’ll have a moment of sanity, as they so often have appealed to us to find within ourselves.

Then they might set aside whatever distaste for one another they might have, and meet, and take a People’s Pledge. And they could tell us that unaccountable money has no place in the Rhode Island of today, and should that vile spending find its way into our small state the benefactor will donate a sum to charity.

WPRI broke the story earlier this morning with this great lede: “He hasn’t formally declared his intention to run for governor, but Providence Mayor Angel Taveras is already trying to set the rules for the race.”

“It is one thing to opt out of the voluntary public financing system,” Taveras said in the press release. “It is another thing to allow Super PAC activity on one’s behalf after so many good Democrats worked hard for campaign finance reform in Rhode Island. Super PACs and Independent Expenditures are extraordinarily unpopular with Rhode Islanders and citizens across the country who are concerned about unchecked outside money in campaigns. As Democrats, we should hold ourselves to a higher standard,”

Here’s the pledge:

Rhode Island People’s Pledge

Because outside third-party organizations – including but not limited to individuals, corporations, 527 organizations, 501(c:) organizations, SuperPACs, national and state party committees – may air and continue to air and/or direct mail Independent Expenditure advertisements and issue advertisements either supporting or attacking (individually the “Candidate” and collectively the “Candidates”); and

Because these groups function as Independent Expenditure organizations that are outside the direct control of any of the Candidates; and

Because similar agreements have been proven to work in statewide campaigns in Massachusetts; and because the candidates agree that they do not approve of such Independent Expenditure advertisements and/or direct mail and want those advertisements and/or direct mail to immediately cease and desist for the 2014 gubernatorial election cycle; and

Because the candidates recognize that in order to provide the citizens of Rhode Island with an election free of third-party Independent Expenditure advertisements and/or direct mail, they must be willing to include an enforcement mechanism that runs not to the third party organizations but instead to the candidates’ own campaigns:

The candidates on behalf of their respective campaigns hereby agree to the following:

1. In the event that a third-party organization airs any Independent Expenditure broadcast including radio, cable, satellite, online advertising and/or direct mail in support of a named, referenced (funded by title) or otherwise identified candidate, that candidate’s campaign shall, within three (3) days of discovery of the advertisement buy’s cost, duration, and source, pay 50% of the cost of that advertising buy to a charity of the opposing candidate’s choice.

2. In the event that a third-party organization airs any Independent Expenditure broadcast including radio, cable or satellite advertising, online advertising and/or direct mail in opposition to a named, referenced (including by title) or otherwise identified candidate, the opposing candidate’s campaign shall, within three (3) days of discovery of the advertisement’s buy’s cost, duration, and source, pay 50% of the cost of that advertising buy to a charity of the opposed candidate’s choice.

3. In the event that a third-party organization airs any broadcast including radio, cable, or satellite online advertising and/or direct mail that promotes or supports a named, referenced (including by title) or otherwise identified candidate, that candidate’s campaign shall, within three (3) days of discovery of the advertisement buy’s cost, duration, and source, pay 50% of the cost of that advertising buy to a charity of the opposing candidate’s choice.

4. In the event that a third-party organization airs any broadcast including radio, cable or satellite, online advertising and/or direct mail that attacks or opposes a named, referenced (including by title) or otherwise identified candidate, the opposing candidate’s campaign shall, within three (3) days of discovery of the advertisement buy’s cost, duration, and source, pay 50% of the cost of that advertising buy to a charity of the opposed candidate’s choice.

5. The candidates and their campaigns agree that neither they nor anyone acting on their behalf shall coordinate with any third party on any paid advertising and/or direct mail for the duration of the 2014 gubernatorial election cycle. In the event that either candidate or their campaign or anyone acting on their behalf coordinates any paid advertisement and/or direct mail with a third-party organization that candidate’s campaign shall pay 50% of the cost of the advertisement buy and/or direct mail cost to a charity of the opposing Candidate’s choice.

Penalties for Breach

In the event that the undersigned candidate fails to make the charitable donation within the three-day time requirement, then the charitable donation shall double the required amount for an additional five (5) days after which if the charitable contribution is not made, then the charitable donation shall increase an additional amount representing an increase of 50% to the immediately preceding required charitable amount.

The candidates and their campaigns agree to continue to work together to limit the influence of third-party advertisements and to close any loopholes (including coverage of sham ads) that arise in this agreement during the course of the campaign.

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