I contend that at least some of that angst is the result of talking heads, operatives, politicians and – yes, Donald Trump – misleading the American people about the issues.

News, Weather and Classifieds for Southern New England

News, Weather and Classifieds for Southern New England

News, Weather and Classifieds for Southern New England

More on Gordon Fox’s arrest here.

2012 saw two such Democrats who identified with the party for strategic rather than ideological reasons and did considerable damage to the brand with their reckless and/or regressive ways: former Woonsocket state Rep. Jon Brien and former congressional candidate Anthony Gemma.

Gemma, perhaps the most disingenuous actor I have ever come across in politics and truly a tragic character in Rhode Island’s political narrative, was a Carcieri supporter until he decided to run for Congress. That’s when he became a Democrat. At one point this year he even ridiculously claimed to be more progressive than David Cicilline, even though there was zero evidence to back up this assertion.

He’d already proven himself to be liar, but it was then that I realized Gemma would say or do just about anything to curry electoral favor. Little did I expect that it would get worse. Much worse.

Gemma went on to accuse his competition, David Cicilline, of a crime – voter fraud, to be exact – with no actual evidence to back it up. It was a text book trap for ‘did-you-beat-your-wife journalism’ and the local right-wing propaganda machine – the ProJo editorial page, John DePetro, Dan Yorke, et al – used him and his lies like a tool to bash David Cicilline and by extension the liberal cause. It was one an low moment for honesty in Rhode Island as well as a vexing conundrum for Democrats – with friends like Gemma, who needed enemies like Brendan Doherty…

Jon Brien was a DINO of a different caliber. Disingenuous he was not, but neither was there anything ideological that endeared him to the Democratic Party. In fact, he was far more conservative than most of his Republican colleagues at the State House. He championed voter ID legislation, despised public sector labor unions, loved education deform efforts. Most notably, he was a staunch supporter and board member of the right-wing, corporate-backed bill mill ALEC. None-the-less, the local media was happy to refer to him as a “Woonsocket Democrat,” which was both true and misleading at the same time!!

Brien, like Gemma, was rejected by the voters.

Maybe these two electoral victories indicate that the era of the DINO is ending in Rhode Island? That would be nice, from a progressive point of view, because then we wouldn’t need to be constantly explaining that the stuff that is negatively affecting Rhode Island are actually conservative notions – think tax breaks for the affluent, starving struggling cities into bankruptcy court, marriage inequality and more.

Here’s hoping that 2013 is the year of the DINPID: Democrat In Name, Progressive In Deed.

Soon-to-be-ex-Representative Jon Brien from Woonsocket was on the board of directors, and it turned out that quite a number of state representatives and senators were members – one out of every five. ALEC’s policy agenda is pretty much the standard-issue corporate pabulum: lower taxes, cut spending so we can all live in a capitalist paradise.  That sort of thing.  If you’re reading here, you probably know the drill.

So imagine my delight when some smart researcher in Iowa realized that ALEC has been around long enough to have a track record.  And if there’s a track record, you can measure it and see how good it is.  So how do they do?

Not so great, it turns out.  In fact, ALEC issues a ranking of how well states conform to its vision of all that is great and good, and it turns out that the states who do best in ALEC’s rankings have seen lower economic growth, more poverty, and lower state revenues over the years 2007-2011.

So the lesson is clear: ALEC’s advice is pretty much the opposite of good advice.  Following their suggestions for economic growth seems to be an ideal way to lower median family income, lose jobs, and increase the poverty rate.

In other words, the policies that make up the Economic Outlook Ranking are not a recipe for growth and prosperity. If anything, they are quite the opposite: They are a recipe for economic inequality, low wages, and stagnant incomes that at the same time deprive state and local governments of the revenue needed to maintain the public infrastructure and education systems that are the underpinnings of long term economic growth

Lots of the figures from the report are here.

So where does Rhode Island fall on the ALEC scale?  According to the “Rich State, Poor State” report, we’re 43d in ALEC’s rankings.  So how do we make our economy better?  Probably not by trying to move up in their ranking.  ALEC’s advice is bad advice.

Brendan Doherty, Mark Binder and even, to some extent, Mitt Romney, all made Rhode Island progressives nervous throughout the 2012 campaign season. But once the campaign was over and the votes were counted, it turned out to be a great election day to be a local liberal.

Easily the biggest victory was Congressman David Cicilline handily disposing of Doherty. I must admit, I was nervous yesterday … but in the end, the inexperienced Republican was probably done in by two things: he ran a confusing campaign – the two prevailing themes of it were integrity and negativity – and Rhode Islanders don’t like his politics. And even if he’s half as moderate as he claimed to be on the stump, which me and Don Carcieri don’t buy for one second, he failed to convince voters of this.

Ironically enough, the CD1 race was a trust election, and voters didn’t trust Doherty.

Cicilline and his staff deserve a lot of credit for running a great campaign – especially given that it often seemed as if he was running against the local media as well as the entire Republican party. He kicked Doherty’s ass in progressive Providence, and won handily in Newport and Woonsocket. Cicilline sticks up for the working class, and in return the urban areas of his district stuck by him.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse capturing more than 64 percent of the statewide vote and Abel Collins getting almost 10 percent in CD2 are important wins too. Whitehouse, the unofficial leader of the local progressive community now has a clear mandate. And Collins’ strong performance shows that his progressive message resonated with Rhode Islanders. I’m certain Jim Langevin, already a solid liberal, will take note.

The second biggest victory of the 2012 election cycle for local progressives belongs not to a candidate but an issue. With big victories for Ryan Pearson, Cathy Cool Rumsey and Stephen Archambault, there’s a new landscape for marriage equality in the state Senate. Given that House Speaker Gordon Fox promised to pass the bill (that I’m guessing will bare his name) through the House early, there’s going to be tons of pressure on Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed. I believe this is an issue whose time has come.

Fox’s victory is another big win for progressives. Besides marriage equality, he also said he’ll reconsider the state’s voter ID bill and even indicated he’ll go into the session with an open mind on tax increases for the rich. (I literally have no idea what Ted Nesi is talking about when he writes Fox stumped for tax and pension cuts.) The challenge for progressives will be to convince Fox to govern like he campaigned. His district will want him to do so, but now that the election is over, the pressure will be coming from elsewhere…

Perhaps the biggest local loss of the night belongs to American Legislative Exchange Council, the ultra-right wing bill mill that had gained a toe hold in the General Assembly. Both state chairs – Jon Brien and Frank Maher – lost. Unless others step up – and they will – one of the most conservative outside influences on the legislature has been all but eliminated. Good riddance!!

Brien’s defeat also means the legislature’s DINO caucus is on notice.

We’ve also got another four years of Obama, as opposed to Mitt Romney, and both chambers of Congress moved left.

Across the board, local progressives have reason to celebrate.

And it damn well should be.

Stephen Casey deserves this seat on merit alone. The twelve-year Woonsocket resident is a firefighter and the son of a current town politician. He and his wife, Debra, own a home on Park Ave. where he mows his own lawn and pays taxes on his house and two older cars. In Woonsocket, his taxes are higher than he would like, but necessary to avoid desperate measures for Woonsocket, such as the city being handed to a receiver to be taken into bankruptcy. Casey is willing to accept this current sacrifice as a necessary reality, but hopes that, as a representative, he can provide a strong voice to bring Woonsocket back to economic, middle class stability.

Casey holds a degree in communications from Boston College and, before becoming a firefighter, he worked in the financial industry in both customer service and supervisory roles. He supports serious reconsideration of the state tax codes, instituted in 2006 and re-instituted in 2010. The regressive tax policies were initially designed to attract job creators by “simplifying” the tax codes. In reality, the policies gave tax breaks to the wealthiest Rhode Islanders and left working families to make up the difference. Apparently, seeing as the state boasts the second highest levels of unemployment in the nation, (and, according to the RI DLT’s LMI, Woonsocket’s are higher than state average) the current tax system has not served its purpose. Casey supports tax equity, where millionaires and working families all pay their fair share of taxes. Furthermore, Casey believes in a long term approach to attracting business to Woonsocket, starting with straightening out the city’s school system, thereby making it a desirable place to raise a family. He emphasizes Woonsocket as being a well located community, but businesses are moving out rather than moving in. Casey aims to change that.

Stephen Casey believes in a hands on approach to everything he does. He has personally marched the streets of the city, knocking on doors and offering a winning smile and an open mind. He listens and offers main street solutions to problems created by wall street and its supporters. He attends School Committee and Council meetings to find out what the people say about Woonsocket’s strengths and weaknesses.

At a fundraiser event held at a local Woonsocket tavern, one found, not only suits and ties but jeans and Patriots jerseys as well. This reflects Casey’s attitude toward making change his highest priority. “I never fancied myself a politician.” he said in an interview. Rather, he saw a problem and decided to take a level headed approach to helping to solve that problem. He discussed it with his wife and the two agreed to tackle the problem from the middle class out and the bottom up.

Stephen Casey is a newcomer to politics and he believes in taking the high road. When asked about his message he says, “I’ve never been into name calling … people are tired of hearing it.” He wants people to get out and vote. That is their right as Americans and he emphasizes the sacrifices Americans have made throughout history for that right. And if they are tired of politics as usual and desire change, vote for Stephen Casey.

In this author’s opinion, they already have and that is why Casey took the primary. The people of district 50 made their decision once and now, in spite of the obstacles that have been placed before him in what should be a clear road to the House of Representatives seat for Woonsocket, the people will vote again. If they want an honest, hard working, hands-on candidate determined to do whatever is in his power to change Woonsocket and Rhode Island for the better, they will vote Stephen Casey.

For these reasons, my endorsement for House of Representatives: District 50 – Woonsocket goes to Stephen Casey.

At a press conference to announce the egotistical continuation of his campaign on September 20, Brien was surrounded by owners of local business including Pepin Lumber, The Burrito Company, and American Beauty Signworks. This is pretty ironic, given his involvement in the ultra-conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

ALEC is an organization that promulgates legislation written by, and to the benefit of, giant corporations, like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and hundreds of others, the vast majority of which make no bones about the fact that the expansion of their operations inherently drives small, local businesses out-of-business.

Why these business owners would choose to support a candidate that is involved in an organization that is actively trying to decrease their market share is beyond comprehension.

Brien is much more than just a member of ALEC, he serves on its board of directors. He and Republican state Senator Francis Maher, Jr. serve as ALEC’s co-chairs in Rhode Island.

The majority of business owners and citizens in Woonsocket — whether they support Brien or the winner of the primary, Stephen Casey — would agree that our taxes are too high, but that statement invariably has an unspoken addendum, which is, “Our taxes are too high in relation to the services provided in return.”

Brien can rail against the tax rate all he wants, but where and when has he ever demanded a proportionate increase in city and state services in return for those high rates? He hasn’t, and that’s because he is a small-government neo-conservative masquerading as a Democrat.

I would urge all small business owners in Rhode Island to be wary of supporting candidates that are in any way associated with ALEC. The last thing this state needs is an influx of big-box stores and corporations — or legislation that favors them over the small businesses that contribute to the character, richness, and the local economy of our great state. They may set up shop here, but the jobs they create are usually low-paying, providing few or no benefits to their employees, and their corporate profits often wind up out-of-state, and in many cases, overseas.

Rep. Jon Brien thinks he can retain his House seat without winning the election. His path to victory: eliminating the man who beat him in a primary. Brien thinks the federal Hatch Act might prohibit fire fighter Stephen Casey from serving in the state legislature because the Woonsocket Fire Department got a $300,000 grant from the U.S. government.

Like RIPEC’s report itself, the Providence Journal’s editorial on it is light on specifics and heavy on platitudes. It strikes me as patently false when politicians, activists or the news media assert that Rhode Island doesn’t have a governmental position to serve the business sector of the state’s economy. You don’t have to like the EDC, but intellectual honesty requires its existence at least be acknowledged!

The New Leaders Project, a local political action committee that endorses State House candidates, is confounding some for its unconventional endorsements. The PAC says it advocates a “pro-jobs” agenda but what does that really mean? Well, its president, East Greenwich School Committee member Jack Sommers, was fined by the Department of Labor Training in 2010 for not paying an employee nearly $2,000 in wages. Pro jobs but anti pay check, I guess…

One year after closing five schools, Providence education officials are anticipating student enrollment to “surge” by some 2,000 students, says the ProJo. The so-called ed reform movement seems to work far better at shrinking public education than it does at serving it.

So here’s pretty much all you need to know about what America values in its workforce: NFL refs should get pensions, but public school teachers on the other hand, not so much…

You know things are getting bad in Rhode Island when the state is suing its orphans. Miss Hannigan would be proud.

Seems like the debate over a mega-port at Quonset is heating up again. For those who don’t remember, the idea for a deep water port at Quonset pitted quality of life in North Kingstown against economic development for Rhode Island.

No one wants the Cranston father-daughter dance controversy to continue … except of course local Republicans and national conservative groups who are using the situation as an opportunity to beat up on the ACLU.

Here’s what the mayor of Phoenix said after trying to live on food stamps for one week: “I’m tired and it’s hard to focus.”

Back in 1967, it was Republicans accusing Democrats of being “brainwashed” by the “military industrial complex.”