On losing

Winners and losers in Tuesday’s primary

By Will Collette

I hate to lose. That’s one reason why, through most of my adult life, I have stayed away from electoral politics and focused instead on classic, Alinsky-style community organizing and strategic campaigns. In electoral politics, you put all your money on a single-roll of the dice and it’s win or lose on election day. In organizing or in strategic campaigns, there’s always a Plan B.

Since I’ve gotten more heavily engaged in electoral politics after returning home to Rhode Island in 2002, I have rediscovered how much I dislike that one-throw-of-the-dice aspect of electoral politics.

When I pick a candidate, I am almost always fully dedicated to what that person believes in. I’ve turned down work this year as in past years for candidates I didn’t know or didn’t like. Before I commit my time, I want to believe in that candidate.

So Tuesday’s primary results were a big disappointment since only one of the four candidates I supported won. I had picked Clay Pell for Governor, Frank Ferri for Lieutenant Governor, Seth Magaziner for General Treasurer and Guillaume DeRamel for Secretary of State. I made each choice based on whether I felt I could trust them and whether their values aligned with my own. Even after Tuesday’s result, I would not change one of my picks.

Come out and vote in Tuesday’s primary

Important choices to be made

By Will Collette

If you don’t vote, you don’t get to complain. On Tuesday, Rhode Islanders will have the opportunity to pick who will go on through to the General Election in November to compete for the positions of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, General Treasurer and Secretary of State. Democrats are embroiled in hot primaries for all four positions.

On the Republican side, the only hot race is the one for Governor that pits two RINOs, Ken Block and Allan Fung, against each other. Lieutenant Governor Catherine Taylor (R) faces only token opposition from perennial candidate and full-time crazy Kara Young.

All of these positions are open seats because the present office holder is either term-limited from running again or has chosen a different future. There is no primary for Attorney General because incumbent Peter Kilmartin faces no Democratic primary opponent and Republican Dawson Hodgson does not have a Republican challenger.

Click here for the sample ballot. Don't forget to bring your photo ID.

There are no local primary races for any Charlestown positions. In neighboring House District 35, incumbent Spencer Dickinson (D) is in a rematch primary battle with Kathy Fogarty.

Polls open in Charlestown at 9 AM.

Looks like voters are again ready to tell Caprio to "shove it"

Seth Magaziner surge in the polls against Frank Caprio hardly a surprise

President Bill Clinton's August 27 visit to Providence to endorse and
support Seth Magaziner gives Frank Caprio the chance to tell a second
US President to take his endorsement and "shove it!"

By Will Collette

The clock is ticking down rapidly to the September 9 primary where Democrats will have to choose between Seth Magaziner and Frank Caprio as the Democratic candidate for General Treasurer. 

Polling shows Seth’s public support has jetted ahead to take a 12 point lead over Frank Caprio in the final days. This is a huge shift from the 18 point lead Caprio held over Magaziner in June – a 30-point swing!

It’s pretty easy to understand why this surge happened. One factor was the decision by the third contender, Ernie Almonte, to run not as a Democrat, but rather as an independent with the Republican Party’s tacit endorsement. That was probably a wise move for Almonte, after video emerged showing him promoting right-wing views on issues like Social Security, Medicare and tax cuts for the rich.

It looks like Magaziner picked up all of Almonte’s supporters and then some. Frank Caprio is stuck with his core constituency of very conservative Democrats and party regulars loyal to his father, Judge Frank Caprio.

It also didn’t help Caprio for his brother David, a former South Kingstown state Representative, to be revealed as a player and partner with Rep. Peter Palumbo in a sleazy deal to get the state’s big beach concession contract. In what looks like blatant bid-rigging, David Caprio filed the second best bid behind Rep. Palumbo to run the concessions at state beaches.

Magaziner rockets up in the polls to take lead for Treasurer over Caprio

Magaziner campaign: RI is ‘excited’ about Seth

Seth on a recent visit to Charlestown (photo by Will Collette)

By Bob Plain in Rhode Island’s Future

Seth Magaziner, Democrat for general treasurer, is the big winner as WPRI and the Providence Journal trickle out the results of its long-sought new polling data.

Magaziner leaped 20 points to 43 percent while his rival Frank Caprio went from 29 percent to 31 percent.

The ProJo called it a “a striking turn of events.” for Magaziner.

Charlestown Tapas

Congratulations, Sgt. Phillip Gingerella!...and lots more news bites

By Will Collette

Screen shot from CPD's Facebook page

Charlestown Police Sergeant Phillip Gingerella deserves high praise for his rescue of a vacationing New Yorker who decided to ignore warning signs of rip currents and went out into the rough 8 to 12 feet high surf at Blue Shutters Beach. Sure enough, 55-year old Michael Novak of South Salem, NY was overwhelmed and stuck 400 feet offshore clinging to a boogie board. His wife called 911.

Sgt. Gingerella, a former lifeguard, was first on the scene, followed shortly by Parks & Recreation Director Jay Primiano. Gingerella stripped down, grabbed a life vest and dove in. Jay Primiano grabbed a life guard torpedo float plus rope and a reel. 

By the time Gingerella reached him, Novak was too exhausted to swim out to a rescue boat so the sergeant brought him in instead, aided by additional rescuers from Charlestown Ambulance & Rescue and Dunn’s Corner Fire District.

Sgt. Gingerella told the Providence Journal the surf was “pretty wicked.”

Novak, a suburban NY liquor store owner vacationing in Charlestown, declined further treatment or hospital transport after his rescue. Though this brave rescue got well-deserved local and even national coverage, what you don’t see in any of the coverage is Novak or any of his family members saying “thank you,” or any mention of consequences for Novak, whose stupidity put others’ lives at risk. But I guess being a New Yorker on vacation means never having to say “I’m sorry.”

Charlestown unemployment climbs again

One month ago in Progressive Charlestown, I celebrated the dramatic drop in Charlestown’s unemployment rate for June to only 5.7%, a rate we had not seen since before the Great Recession. Unfortunately, it didn’t last.

Even though Rhode Island’s overall unemployment rate continues to drop, our town unemployment rate went back up to 7.2% for July, a one month increase of almost 30%. The jump in Charlestown’s unemployment was driven by a large increase in the number of local workers who are now collecting unemployment benefits – 67 new claims.

Replacing Caprio

Who gets to pick the next party chairperson?

By Bob Plain in Rhode Island’s Future

Frank Caprio (DINO) with his arm around his now disgraced brother
and The Judge

The last time there was a Democrat in the governor’s office and a party chairperson vacancy, it was the Bruce Sundlun – not the Speaker of the House – who recommended a replacement to the state committee.

“Sundlun took the lead and went to great lengths to cultivate consensus, which he did rather quickly,” said David Preston, a Sundlun confidant who worked for the former governor and was executive director of the Democratic Party at the time. 

It was 1991 and Mark Weiner was appointed as the new chairman of the state Democratic Party.

This time, though, Governor Linc Chafee, who won office as an independent and then became a Democrat, said he would cede the responsibility to more senior members of the party.

VIDEO: Does this look familiar?

New Seth Magaziner TV characters are Caprio-esque

By Bob Plain in Rhode Island’s Future

On the day his opponent’s brother is resigning amid scandal as chair of the state Democratic Party, general treasurer candidate Seth Magaziner comes out swinging against the status quo with his second TV ad of the campaign.

“Seth introduces ‘Insider Politics’ and ‘Mismanagement’, two consummate practitioners of the old politics that is ruining Rhode Island,” said campaign manager Evan England in an email. Here they are:

England didn’t exactly answer when I asked him if “Insider Politics” and “Mismanagement” were meant to be represent his primary opponent Frank Caprio.

Next state Democratic Party chair should have principles (a work ethic would help, too)

Young Dems: replace Caprio with a liberal party chair

By Bob Plain in Rhode Island’s Future

The Young Democrats of Rhode Island says the next chairman of the state Democratic Party should reflect “both the best interests of Rhode Island and the principles of the national Democratic Party.”

“That includes,” they said in an email, “firm commitments to reproductive justice, gun safety reforms, repealing voter ID, and making government more accessible and transparent.”

David Caprio resigned yesterday from the post after an NBC 10 Parker Gavigan scoop about his beach concession stand contract. Gavigan reported that Caprio assumed the contracts after Cranston state Rep. Peter Palumbo won the bid, dropped out and then took a job managing the concession stands for Caprio.

Caprio is a conservative Democrat who was ousted from his legislative seat by progressive Democrat Teresa Tanzi in 2010. Caprio was recommended as chairman by former Speaker Gordon Fox.

Here’s the Young Democrats full press release:

Frank Caprio’s race for redemption – of DINOs and Democrats

Turns out I was right when I said there’s only one true Democrat running for General Treasurer

Caprio rooted for Mitt Romney to beat President Obama in 2012

By Will Collette

A couple of weeks ago, I pissed some people off by declaring in Rhode Island’s Future and Progressive Charlestown that, among the three contenders for the Democratic Party’s endorsement for General Treasurer, only one – Seth Magaziner – was really and truly a Democrat.

I declared the other two – Frank T. Caprio and Ernie Almonte – to be impostors who, at best, deserved to be called DINOs (“Democrats in Name Only).

I noted that both men failed the state by taking no effective action to stop the state public pension crisis before it reached the critical point. Both men - Caprio as General Treasurer and Almonte as Auditor General - not only could have acted, but had the duty to do so.

I also catalogued the words and deeds of Caprio and Almonte that betrayed core Democratic principles and, in some instances, were dishonorable.

An evening in Charlestown with Seth Magaziner

Good show of support for Democratic candidate for General Treasurer

By Will Collette

Seth at the Charlestown Gallery, June 21

A roomful of friends and supporters crowded into the Charlestown Gallery on June 21 to hear Seth Magaziner and to kick in their contributions to aid in his tough primary fight to become Rhode Island’s next General Treasurer.

Seth has been enthusiastically endorsed by the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee. He is running in a three-way primary fight with two DINOs (“Democrats in Name Only”) as his opponents.

The current favorite in that race is the former General Treasurer in the years leading up to RI’s pension crisis, Frank Caprio. Caprio ran one of the state’s worst campaigns ever for Governor in 2010, finally killing his chances by disrespecting the President of the United States, telling President Obama to take his endorsement and “shove it.” Caprio later disaffiliated from the Democratic Party, but returned so he could run what is turning into his Redemption Tour.

VIDEOS: Hot primary race for General Treasurer

But the choice is pretty simple

By Will Collette

The Rhode Island Democratic State Convention will take place on Sunday, June 22. My wife Cathy and I are both State Committee members so both of us will be there and voting for the candidates our town committee, the Charlestown Democrats, have endorsed.

For General Treasurer, we like Seth Magaziner because he has a record of success as an investor and fresh ideas for how to get Rhode Island’s economy growing again. Plus, we think he’s a helluva guy. 

South County residents can find that out for themselves this Saturday when he comes to the Charlestown Gallery for a fund-raiser party being hosted by friends and supporters. Please bring your checkbook.

As if all of Seth’s positive qualities weren’t enough, Cathy and I would still be voting for him at the State Convention because he is, in our opinion, the only actual Democrat among the three candidates running for the state party endorsement.

His two opponents are former General Treasurer and failed candidate for Governor Frank Caprio and former RI Auditor General Ernie Almonte. Neither Caprio nor Almonte are real Democrats, and I don’t simply mean they aren’t our particular brand of Democrat, which is the progressive variety. Nor are they qualified to be General Treasurer.

Charlestown Dems complete their endorsements for state candidates

CDTC calls on town Democrats to support endorsed slate in the September primary

By Will Collette

I wear two hats in Charlestown, and not just because I’m bald. One hat is as co-editor of Progressive Charlestown. The other is as a member of the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee (CDTC). 

This is one of those occasions where I am reporting on decisions that I was part of making. It may not make for the best journalism, but so it goes.

After interviewing nearly every candidate running as a Democrat for state office, the CDTC finalized its list of candidates it recommends to Charlestown voters who go to the polls in September’s primary:

• For Governor: Clay Pell
• For Lieutenant Governor: Ralph Mollis
• For General Treasurer: Seth Magaziner
• For Secretary of State: Guillaume deRamel
• For Attorney General: re-elect Peter Kilmartin

The campaign so far, Part 2

A scorecard on the state races

By Will Collette

Click here for Part 1.

Every statewide office in Rhode Island, except perhaps Attorney General, will get a new occupant after the November 2014 election which is now just one year away.

This is a rare occurrence brought about by two officials who are term-limited from running for re-election (Lieutenant Governor Liz Roberts and Secretary of State Ralph Mollis). 

In addition, Governor Lincoln Chafee (D) read the tea leaves and the poll numbers and declared he will not run again. 

And our Wall Street land shark, General Treasurer Gina Raimondo, hopes to parlay her millions in donations from her hedge fund and Wall Street cronies into becoming Rhode Island’s first woman governor.

Each state office, except the Attorney General, has more than one Democrat who hopes to win the primary to run as the Democratic candidate in 2014.

Here is a run-down of who’s in so far, along with their latest fund-raising numbers and, SPOILER ALERT, some of my snarky, far-from-unbiased commentary.

Raimondo wants to change the rules now that they no longer benefit her

On pensions, political hypocrisy worse than football

By Bob Plain – Rhode Island’s Future. See more at: http://www.rifuture.org/on-pensions-political-hypocrisy-worse-than-football.html#sthash.FSbbxPq8.dpuf

“It is time to stop using pensions as a political football,” said the person who has used pensions as a political football more and more successfully than perhaps any other human being this century.

While many loath Gina Raimondo’s vociferous Wall Street-over-Main Street approach to finance and politics, there’s also her sheer hypocrisy to dislike too.

After riding the pension political football to millions of dollars in donations, reams of positive publicity and praise from some of the most pro-Wall Street people, political organizations and news outlets in the nation, she all of a sudden thinks we should change the topic.

Return of the DINO?

Caprio’s road back to office reasonably hazardous

By Samuel G. Howard in Rhode Island's Future

Frank Caprio is beginning what will be his second act in Rhode Island politics. It’s actually a reasonably admirable move; after a stinging defeat in the race for governor, Caprio readjusted his sights and aimed lower. In a political world which seems to be completely about climbing the ladder of positions, Caprio’s decision to stay level is an intriguing one.

RIPR’s Ian Donnis suggests that Caprio could be buoyed by a forgiving Rhode Island that’s for second chances. I don’t think this is particularly unique to Rhode Island; we don’t have to look very far to find examples of second chances. 

Former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford recently found his way into the U.S. House of Representatives despite resigning his previous office in disgrace. Louisiana senator David Vitter frequented prostitutes and not only stayed in his seat, but won reelection. And Abraham Lincoln and Richard Nixon both lost races before winning the presidency. Second acts tend to be the nature of most democratic systems.

Narragansett politico & restaurateur David Caprio owns house in DePetro case

DePetro Barrington House Owned by David Caprio

32 Lorraine St. in Barrington is a 9,000-square-foot
vacation rental owned by former state Rep. David Caprio.

By Bob Plain in RIFuture.org

The Barrington house where radio shock jock John DePetro allegedly sexually harassed WPRO coworker Dee DeQuattro is owned by former state Rep. David Caprio.

Sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed the address of the house in question as being 32 Lorraine St., a very high end vacation rental known as Beach House, a 9,000-square-foot, 1895 Victorian-style mansion that rents for $8,800 in the summertime, according to a vacation rental website.

State Democratic Convention endorses incumbents for Congress

But the fringe candidates make an otherwise predictable evening more entertaining

Cicilline accepts the state Party nomination

By Will Collette

Cathy and I went to the Democratic State Convention Friday night as State Committee members to cast our votes to endorse the Democratic candidates for Congress in this year's election. Happily, though predictably, the Convention unanimously endorsed Rep. Jim Langevin, Rep. David Cicilline and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse in their endeavors to be re-elected.

This Convention was pretty much a done deal, which was fine with me because I really like all three members of our Congressional delegation who are up for re-election. In 2010, the Convention had several contested seats - Patrick Lynch versus Frank Caprio for Governor, William Lynch versus David Cicilline for the 1st Congressional District, and Peter Kilmartin versus Joe Fernandez (endorsed by Charlestown Dems, Joe died suddenly just a week later) for Attorney General.

The only drama this year came from the three fringe candidates challenging the incumbents. Of the three, one was an angry, insulting jerk, another seemed to be off his meds and sounded like he was attempting to blackmail the Convention, and the third was not nearly as bad as I was expecting.

Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics

Benjamin Disraeli and Mark Twain were right
By Will Collette

Charlestown: not the sharpest pencil in the pencil box. According to a new report ranking the intelligence and educational attainment in American cities and towns, Rhode Island doesn't do so well. Among cities with 100,000 or more people, Providence ranks #155 out of 269 cities. In the ranking of 10,450 small towns, we had several Rhode Island small towns who made the rankings. Our best was Kingstown ranked at #375. Wakefield/Peacedale came in at #704, Melville at #1,216; Greenville at #1,254; Hope Valley at #1,873; Cumberland Hill at #2,135; Ashaway at #2,967; Harrisville at #3,406; and Tiverton at #3,955. Charlestown did not make the list. Harrisville?

State Dems hire new field director

NEWS RELEASE from the Rhode Island Democratic Party

Providence - RIDP welcomes Jonathan Boucher to the RI Democratic Party. Boucher will serve as field director for the state party, building volunteer capacity, working with cities and towns on outreach and training, as well as acting as intermediary on field matters between the state party and the DNC.

Class War and Fair Taxes

Blame Ronald Reagan. The Gipper popularized the idea that all taxes are evil and sold us “Supply-Side Economics,” the idea that the more we slash taxes for the rich, the better off we’ll all be. Trickle-Down Economics, called “voodoo economics” by George Bush I, became political gospel. At the state level too, the watchword for any politician who wanted to stay in office was CUT.

After a 30-year tax cutting orgy, taxes in general – especially for the top brackets – are at record lows. Yet, while trickle-down worked great for the rich, it didn’t work very well for anyone else. It didn't pump up the economy but did bankrupt government at every level, leaving us naked and vulnerable when the economy turned bad.