What's in it for us?

For 70 years, Rhode Island has been ruled by the RI Democratic Party. Of 113 elected officials in the Statehouse, only 10 are Republicans. Is the virtual one party government doing a good job? Citizens need to decide. In my opinion, the state is run alot like a racketeering influenced corrupt organization. The worst offenders are the RI General Assembly and the RI Judiciary, but really the whole system is compromised. Much of the political bidding is directed by the public sector unions who run the state with an iron fist. If you are in the club, life is sweet, however, if you are an average citizen or a taxpayer --not so much. What about the one political party that runs it all? It certainly does nothing to police itself. In many ways, it is like the National Democratic Party. Do you remember when Bill Clinton's impeachment was quashed by the US Senate? The Dems simply decided --damn the law and damn the facts --that they wanted a certain outcome. And.. Voila! The Rhode Island General Assembly is known for passing more bills than other legislatures, but just like Congress, they often focus on trival matters while the state burns to the ground. Below are some newspaper articles and media items that may help you decide, gentle reader.








• NEW! W. Warwick pensions may run out by 2017 - May 8, 2012. From WPRI. "With [a] $98M shortfall, [a] Central Falls scenario looms."
• NEW! Worst state for small business - May 8, 2012. From CNN. "The least friendly state to small business overall was Rhode Island, according to the survey. Vermont, Hawaii and California also scored an "F," while New York earned a "D."
• Third pol was with Ruggerio and Ciccone - April 6, 2012. From WPRI. These are serious allegations about both Ruggerio and Ciccone, especially the allegations of Senator Frank Ciccone III threatening the police. And, what the heck was washed up socialist Senator Charles Levesque doing at the Barrington Police station at 2:36 AM??
• Mayor says Providence could face bankruptcy without retiree benefit cuts, nonprofit payments  - February 2, 2012. From The Washington Post. "Mayor Angel Taveras painted a bleak picture Thursday of the city’s finances, saying Providence faces “devastation” and could go bankrupt if retiree benefits aren’t cut and tax-exempt institutions like Brown University don’t pay more in lieu of taxes."
• How Rhode Island Measures Up [.pdf] - January 2012. From RIPEC. By nearly all measurements, Rhode Island is not viewed as a good place to do business.
• Rhode Island has the fastest population decline in the U.S. - December 21, 2011. From AP.  "A declining population is a vote of no confidence," [Professor Lardaro] said. "We've been losing population since 2004. It's because we've never had the courage to look our problems in the eye." ... "While the state's overall population is down slightly, census numbers released earlier this year show Rhode Island's Latino population surged over the past decade. Their presence prevented the state's population decline from being far steeper." Thanks to the Poverty Institute and the Dems for deliberately making RI a welfare magnet. Hasta la vista, Baby!
• ProCAP now in receivership; owes $2.2M - December 14, 2011. From WPRI.com. Anti-poverty agency is in poverty. Once again, big government fails BIG. Once again, YOU paid for it. “The board voted 10-0 “to seek the protection of the courts through receivership" after a presentation by interim executive director Frank Shea that showed the taxpayer-funded nonprofit's financial woes are "much direr, quite frankly, than anybody thought," spokesman Bill Fischer said."
• RI ranked at #48 in "Best States for Business" - November 22, 2011. From Forbes.  Once again, Rhode Island is ranked among the worst of the worst. "The worst states for business continue to be dominated by those in the northeast including: New Jersey (No. 44), Vermont (No. 45), Rhode Island (No. 48) and Maine which lands at No. 50 for a second straight year."
• RI rep pleads not guilty in sex assault case - November 16, 2011. From Boston.com.  “Carnevale is the fourth House lawmaker to face criminal charges this year. He refused to respond to questions from reporters after exiting the courtroom. He's due back in court on Feb. 15."
• The states doing the most to "Spread the wealth" - November 11, 2011. From 24/7 Wall Street.  What a shock! Rhode Island is rated #1 as the top socialist/  welfare state. The bad news: YOU paid for it! “Rhode Island performs exceptionally well in all of the “generous” state metrics. It provides Medicaid beneficiaries with the third largest amount in payments. It provides the unemployed with almost 46% of their previous weekly wages — the second highest rate. Those receiving cash assistance through TANF, on average, can receive benefits for the second longest period among all states. Of course, taxes must be relatively high to fund these programs. The state has the fifth highest state-local tax burden in the country."
• Fears grow over US pension crisis as Rhode Island's debts are laid bare - November 10, 2011. From The Guardian.  “Rhode Island's debts have been woefully underestimated, with alarming consequences for cities across the US, says report." Word of Rhode Island's colossal mis-management has traveled across the pond. The Rhode Island General Assembly's oppressive, and yet detached nature, would make King George III proud.
• The Little State with a big mess - October 23, 2011. From The New York Times.  “We’re looking at a Ponzi scheme that would make Bernie Madoff look like a Boy Scout,” said Mr. Berto, a supply officer for the state."
• Rhode Island: Athens of America? - October 23, 2011. From The American Interest.  "Because Rhode Island listened to timeserving blue politicians too long, and union leaders and public sector workers lost their grip on any mathematical realities beyond the numbers at the ballot box, the pension system grew more and more out of control. State and local governments lurched into a crisis.  Vote yourself a raise, vote yourself a pension: why not?"
• Rhode Island grants in-state tuition to children of ILLEGAL aliens - September 26, 2011. From Channel 10.  So, now, in addition to all of the other taxpayer funded freebies that are available to illegal aliens, here comes another one. How can it possibly make sense as public policy to reward law breakers or their families? Once again, the leftist political agenda is fulfilled by state bureaucrats, this time the Higher Education Board as  "...the General Assembly declined to take up the issue."
• Rhode Island pension system collapsing - September 5, 2011. From The American Interest blog.  "Rhode Island is one of the bluest states in the country, and one where public sector unions have long worked with sympathetic politicians to create a true blue system of well paid public employees retiring comfortably on generous pensions with cost of living raises automatically thrown in. The only problem is that the state could never afford the beautiful utopia it was crafting, and so politicians and union leaders chose the path of systemic deceit.  Taxpayers weren’t told what the bill for the system would be; public service workers weren’t told that the pension guarantees they’d been sold were worthless because taxpayers would not and could not foot the bill. An economic crisis is nature’s revenge on those who make and those who accept false promises; it is a holocaust of lies when the dross is burned away and only what is real and true remains. "
• Teacher union behind bomb blast at RISC leader's home?  - August 19, 2011. From The Westerly Sun. A culture of intimidation exists in Rhode Island from public sector unions who are closely aligned with the ruling Democratic party. In March, a bomb explosion at a good government leader's house blew out four windows and produced a 30 foot fireball. "They've gone to another level now setting off bombs in front of good government homes," he [John DePetro] said, after fielding a call from the founder of Ocean State Tea Party in Action, Lisa Blais.”
• As Providence taxes grow, some businesses, and the people behind them, wither  - August 9, 2011. From The Providence Journal. "The city needs to collect at least $307 million from taxes to maintain services and pay its planned expenses this fiscal year, which began July 1. Mayor Angel Taveras also inherited a $110-million structural deficit, which he plans to eradicate with a “shared sacrifice” approach.”
• The City of Central Falls, RI files for bankruptcy  - August 2, 2011. From Bloomberg. "Yet there is little sympathy on the streets of Central Falls for the city’s 141 retirees. Last week, they had a chance to vote on accepting the receiver’s plan to slash benefits for some by as much as half, and now face the reductions anyway if the court approves. Just two of the 141 accepted the cuts. “They’re just fat cats collecting money,” said Rob Choquette, who was part of a three-man construction crew working in the city center yesterday. “I have the threat of getting injured every day and no pension waiting for me.”
• School Board leader resigns  - July 12, 2011. From The Providence Journal. "The president of the School Board resigned Monday night, saying that she could no longer stand working in a system that is driven by politics, power and patronage, not what’s best for children."  Congrats to the AFT! :(
• #1 Worst State For Business -  Analysis - June 28, 2011. From CNBC. In the listing of the "Best States For Doing Business," Rhode Island is ranked at #50, the worst state for doing business.
• Freedom in the 50 states  - June 7, 2011. From George Mason University. This study "comprehensively ranks the American states on their public policies that affect individual freedoms.." Poof, there it goes! Rhode Island is ranked near the bottom. It's very ironic that New England, the birthplace of the American Revolution, is considered the least free region in the country.
• The 25 year old high school grad with the $88,000 job  - April 26, 2011. From The Providence Journal. Membership in the political class has its priviledges. 
• Coalition ranks RI bridges as 3rd worst - March 31, 2011. From TurnTo10.com. As the public sector unions live large with benefits unavailable to the private sector, and as welfare benefits are paid out so fast that the state can barely keep track of them --the state's infrastructure rots."
• Rhode Island is ranked #1 in child porn - March 20, 2011. From The Providence Journal. "It was three years ago when state police Lt. Nicholas M. Tella found himself in an uncomfortable position at a national law-enforcement conference in Washington, D.C. A presentation about child pornography identified Rhode Island as the state with the highest rate of trading per capita in the country."
• Planet Rhode Island is assured of its own collapse - March 6, 2011. From The Providence Journal. "The Starship Enterprise is today boldly going back to Planet Rhode Island, last visited in this column in 2007 to explore an era of corruption. We have since heard of impending fiscal collapse, so today, I shall join Mr. Spock who has already arrived ahead of me. Mr. Sulu, beam me down."
• Public Pension Problems: a Tale of Two Cities in Rhode Island [VIDEO] - March 6, 2011. From PBS News Hour.
• 18 groups apply to grow, sell marijuana - January 18, 2011. From The Providence Journal. "Former state Democratic Party chairman and congressional candidate William J. Lynch and Pawtucket's recently retired police chief are among a group of public figures who want to open the state's first compassion center to sell medical marijuana with a plan to grow cannabis in an ornate downtown Pawtucket building that formerly housed an exclusive old-time men's club." Bill Lynch, Dope Dealer. It kinda fits. As Dem chair he was selling garbage to the taxpayers.
• ..And, So It Begins: The Public-Sector Ponzi Scheme is Collapsing - December 18, 2010. From RedState.com. "The State of Rhode Island has long been a swirling cesspool of union domination. Now, though, the ponzi-scheme of union giveaways is about to swallow one town and the state’s taxpayers may have to eat the costs. "
• Rhode Island second-worst state in the U.S. for business and careers - October 14, 2010. From PBN.
• There Really Is Something Rotten in the Justice Department - September 7, 2010. From The National Review. "Many counties in states such as Alabama and Rhode Island also show a similar miracle — no voters were removed from their voter rolls for having died."
• RI's roads graded worst in nation - September 2, 2010. From TurnTo10.com.
• R.I.’s foreclosure rate is #1 in New England - August 31, 2010. From The Providence Journal.
• One in 7 now gets food stamps in RI - August 30, 2010. From WPRI TV.
• R.I. among the most financially distressed states in the nation - August 27, 2010. From Providence Business Journal.
• Lawyer, Developer indicted in North Providence Bribery Scandal - August 20, 2010. From The Providence Journal. "In Ciresi’s case, he served as the lawyer representing Richard Baccari, a controversial Rhode Island businessman and president of Churchill & Banks in Providence. Ciresi is accused of delivering a $25,000 bribe to Zambarano.."
• Irons uses funds from campaign to pay legal bills - August 17, 2010. From The Providence Journal. "Irons had been accused by the Ethics Commission of using his public office to obtain financial gain for pharmacy giant CVS while collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance commissions from Blue Cross on a health-insurance policy for CVS employees in Rhode Island."
• Rhode Island #1 in Debt/ GDP ratio - August 16, 2010. From The Daily Beast.
• RI among worst in highway spending - August 11, 2010. From WPRI TV.
• Rhode Island Senate Abuse of Power [VIDEO] - June 1, 2010. Watch this video!! If you want to see one thing that epitomizes the way business is done in Shady Rhody, this is it. RI Senate President Theresa Paiva-Weed kills the E-Verify bill, she won't even allow discussion or a proper vote. Paiva-Weed is Rhode Island's version of Nancy Pelosi. She sets him up, and RI Senate Majority Leader Daniel P. Connors rams his will down the peoples throats. Senator Marc Cote, one of the few good guys in the legislature, is left holding the bag. How did you like that?
• FBI arrests 3 councilors on charges of extortion - May 7, 2010. From The Providence Journal. "Shortly after dawn Thursday, the FBI arrested Council President Joseph Burchfield, 42, and council members Zambarano, 47, and Raymond L. Douglas III, 42."
• Pacheco picked to lead Rhode Island Democratic Party - May 1, 2010. From The Providence Journal. Meet the new boss, the same as the old boss.
• Public pensions underfunded by $9.4 billion - March 17, 2010. From The Providence Journal. "Put another way, the state’s unfunded retirement obligations add up to about $9,400 per Rhode Island resident."
• Rhode Island #1 in Per Capita Corruption - March 10, 2010. From Newsweek. "Rhode Island may have slightly more than 1 million residents, but its politicians have wowed political junkies by blatantly taking bribes in office, working with the mob, and serving jail time. "
• Why Progressive States Fail - February 5, 2010. From Glenn Beck, Fox News. "They drive people out of the states. Rich people are rich partly because they know how to protect their money. And if all the states become too progressive, they'll just take their money overseas. All this leads to the Northeast being known as "America's Economic Black Hole." ... "And Rhode Island, whose progressive social policies mean they are more likely spending and spreading the wealth than they are saving that wealth or keeping money in the hands of individuals."
• R.I. ends first jobless decade since WWII - January 25, 2010. From Providence Business News. Great job, Democrat General Assembly! You're really doing a bang-up job for the "working families" of Rhode Island, eh? Gee, do you think that there might be a correlation between this and Rhode Island's perennial bottom-of-the-barrel rankings for business climate? Gee, do you think that this won't continue, since you won't meaningfully address Rhode Island's unfunded pension / OPEB liabilities and uncompetitive tax structure? Gee, how's last June's 13% increase in the state budget workin' out for ya? And that new union-packed commission for dictating teachers health care benefits, now that's really going to attract employers to Rhode Island, now isn't it? Yeah, the future's really looking bright for Rhode Island!
• R.I. jobless rate third-worst in the U.S. - January 22, 2010. From Providence Business Journal. "The jobless rate in Rhode Island rose to 12.9 percent in December from 12.7 percent the prior month." How's that 'Hope and Change' thing working for you, Rhode Island?
• Report: RI highway system second worst in country  - December 17, 2009. From TurnTo10.com. But, try look on the bright side: public officials and public employees live better than the public at large. You can't get their pensions, COLAs, and health benefits. But, you pay for their Florida retirements! Hahaha.  Illegal aliens are welcomed with open arms, and welfare Queens have all the latest gadgets including wide screen TVs, SUVs, and XBox 360s. You dumb schmuck RI taxpayers don't even get trash recepticles in your state parks. LOL. Suckers!! Partay!!! :)
• New England economic forecast says R.I. will continue to decline - November 10, 2009. From The Providence Journal. More bad news for Rhode Island. Why does the RI General Assembly continue down its disasterous path, even after seeing the consequences of its actions?
• Property tax in R.I. near U.S. highest - October 5, 2009. From The Providence Journal. "Rhode Islanders shoulder one of the heaviest property-tax burdens in the nation, two new studies show." Do you get what you pay for?
• The #1 Worst State For Business - September 23, 2009. From Forbes. Forbes rates Rhode Island the worst state in the country for business. RI is a two time loser! It also won worst state for "Regulatory Environment."
• RI Landfill Was "Mismanaged and Corrupt" - September 22, 2009. From The Providence Journal. "Just adding up the major quantifiable findings of abuse, O’Connell said, shows that nearly $75 million was wasted during the eight-year period (1999 to 2007) that the audit focused on." Did Patrick Lynch do anything about this mess?
• Rhode Island: Statistical Outlier - August 26, 2009. From RISC/ Capers Jones. Rhode Island ranks high in many worrisome measurements.
• Providence, RI: One Of the Top 5 Most "Stressful" Cities in the US - August 21, 2009. From Yahoo. Providence even beats out Detroit.
• The High Tax Trap - August 3, 2009. From The New York Post. This New York Post article alludes to the increasing incentives for high-taxed people to depart high tax states, particularly with the massive federal tax increases looming over the horizon thanks to the Obama administration. You need to read in between the lines just slightly. When read in conjunction with the brilliant American Enterprise Institute article of a couple of weeks ago - which provides a brilliant macroeconomic and "macropolitical" analysis of the dynamics underlying the decline of RI and similar states (link below) - it is hard to avoid the conclusion that Rhode Island is in the midst of a self-inflicted fiscal and economic death spiral. Certainly it won't be an overnight occurrence, but with billions of unfunded public sector liabilities overhanging a declining tax base, and a General Assembly beholden to the special interest feeding status quo, the trend is unmistakable.
• The Blue-State Meltdown and the Collapse of the Chicago Model - July 22, 2009. From The American Enterprise Institute. "..the most severe fiscal and economic basket cases largely are concentrated in places such as New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Oregon, and, perhaps most vividly of all, California. The last three have among the highest unemployment rates in the country; all the aforementioned are deeply in debt and have been forced to impose employee cutbacks and higher taxes almost certain to blunt a strong recovery." I don't know how Rhode Island was spared a mention, but it is just as guilty. Maybe the relatively low population is the reason.
• Two more Web retailers cancel R.I. ties - July 2, 2009. From the Providence Journal. Rhode Island's over-reaching high tax scheme causes e-commerce companies to terminate small business affiliates in Rhode Island. That hurts RI jobs. How can such oppressive tax structures ever work to create productive economies? They can't.
• Rhode Island is #1 in Drug Use - June 4, 2009. from Channel 12. The study showed illicit drug use at 12.5%.
• Little Rhode In The Red - April 30, 2009. From The Economist.
• Rhode Island is #1 in Mortgage Fraud - March 16, 2009. From USA Today. "Rhode Island's place at the top of the report was a puzzle to its authors." Not if you know Rhode Island!
• Smallest State Grapples With Oversize Problems - February 28, 2009. From The New York Times. "The smallest state, it is saddled with some of the nation’s biggest problems: the second highest unemployment rate, at 10 percent, according to the latest federal figures; and among the highest foreclosure rates, widest budget gaps and most-vulnerable pension systems."
• How Caruolo Act hurts education in Rhode Island - February 27, 2009. From The Providence Journal. "School committees in Rhode Island have so many union members that essentially the union has been negotiating contracts with itself." Conflicts of interest are one of the state's biggest problems.
• What's Wrong With Rhode Island? - February 7, 2009. National Journal Magazine. "The Ocean State's fall offers a cautionary tale about taxes, education and immigration. Rhode Island has the nation's second-highest unemployment rate. Therein is a cautionary tale about government trying to pick winners, and about high taxes, education, and immigration."
• Tiny State, Big Pain - January 26, 2009. From CNNMoney. "Rhode Island is a tiny state with big problems. With just over one million residents, it ranks in the top 10 in terms of foreclosure, unemployment and state budget crunches."
• Worst states include Michigan, Rhode Island - January 10, 2009. From All Business. "The steady decline of the manufacturing sector has punished Rhode Island and South Carolina, where laid-off factory workers lack the training and job opportunities in an increasingly high-tech economy. "
• Many leaving for other states - December 23, 2008. From The Providence Journal.
• Tiny State, Huge Pain - December 21, 2008. From The Washington Post. "So how did little, picturesque Rhode Island become one of the most economically depressed parts of the country? " OK, here are a few clues: The RI Democratic Party, government corruption, SPECIAL INTERESTS, conflicts of interest, the public sector unions, the teachers unions, the RI General Assembly, the high taxes, the Poverty Institute, welfare, welfare fraud, illegal aliens, unfunded pension liabilities, entitlement mentality, the RI voters, etc..
• In downturn, Rhode Island worse-off than most - December 9, 2008. From Reuters.
• The Sinking Ship [VIDEO] - November 25, 2008. From Anchor Rising. It's called the RItanic!
• Charles Reilly: Those with half a brain already left R.I. - November 13, 2008. From The Providence Journal. "What has the one-party (Democratic Party) system done for the people of Rhode Island? High unemployment, no opportunity for businesses, high state taxes, crooked government officials, etc."
• A Video History of The RI Democrats [VIDEO] - November 3, 2008 - From conservative blog Anchor Rising. "The beat goes on..."
• Probing pensions: disability pensions  - October 31, 2008. From WPRI Channel 12. "In Providence alone, payouts to retirees hurt "on-the-job" drain the pension system of $26 million a year." 
• Leading in Job Losses, Rhode Island Struggles On - October 25, 2008. From The New York Times. “You don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel."
• Rhode Island Unemployment Worst In Nation For September - October 22, 2008. "Since September 2007, Rhode Island lost about 12,600 jobs. A quarter of those were lost in the manufacturing sector, while other declines were posted in retail, financial, government and business service sectors. "
• Budget Cuts Endanger Rhode Island's Most Vulnerable - October 3, 2008. From ABC News. "If you want to get a sense of how your state government may look soon, check out Rhode Island."
• Leaving Rhode Island - December 7, 2007. From The Providence Journal. Rhode Island is one of only a few states that are losing population. People are fed up and moving out. "Though the couple fell in love with Rhode Island’s beauty and appreciate its history, McQuillan-Hoffman calls it “a hard place to live, especially when you hear about the increasing debt of the state. First they say it’s going to be 200 million, and now it’s going to be 400 million (make that a projected $450 million).” Of the state’s leaders, she said, “It’s hard to believe that they’re so unaccountable, or that they can wake up and one morning say, ‘Oh it’s twice as much.’"
• Former RI House Majority Leader Admits Selling Office to CVS, Blue Cross - November 3, 2007. From The Providence Journal. "...Gerard M. Martineau entered the pantheon of corrupt Rhode Island politicians who have sold out their public office for personal gain. "
• Rhode Island – the final frontier - October 14, 2007. From The Providence Journal. “Spock, what is this place? It’s swarming with FBI agents. Is it some criminal headquarters? Some early model for the Klingons?”“No, Captain. It’s the Rhode Island State House.”
• Martineau admits aiding Blue Cross, CVS - October 10, 2007. From The Providence Journal. "Now, the former Rhode Island House majority leader is the second ex-legislator, after John Celona, to admit to selling his office in the federal State House corruption probe known as Operation Dollar Bill. " The Providence Journal forgot to mention that he was the former Democratic House majority leader.
• Alves case generates grand jury subpoenas - October 5, 2007. from The Providence Journal. "The subpoenas follow a story in The Providence Sunday Journal exploring allegations that Alves, a stockbroker and chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, spiked a proposed tax break for Duie Pyle, a Pennsylvania trucking company building a distribution center in Johnston, as payback against Johnston Mayor Joseph M. Polisena for not steering him pension-fund business. Britt told The Journal that Alves opposed the incentive, and that the West Warwick Democrat also expressed anger at Polisena for not giving him a piece of the pension-fund work. “Polisena screwed me,” Britt recalls Alves saying."
• FBI investigates Sen. Alves in tax bill’s demise - October 1, 2007. From The Providence Journal. RI Senator Stephen Alves --one of Rhode Island's most infamous pols.
• Montalbano case settles for $12K - September 17, 2007. From Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly. RI Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano settles the ethics case against him.
• Why I Bailed Out Of Rhode Island - June 8, 2007. From The Providence Journal. Hal Meyer blasts RI government.
• Operation Dollar Bill - February 4, 2007. From The Providence Journal. "The investigation reaches into the office of the Senate president, Joseph A. Montalbano, and the powerful Senate Finance chairman, Stephen D. Alves. Investigators are looking at Montalbano’s title work as a lawyer and Alves’ dealings as an investment adviser, searching for a possible nexus between their jobs and their political positions."
• Trio Sentenced To Jail - February 1, 2007. From The Providence Journal. "The investigations have their genesis in the cooperation of Celona, who pleaded guilty to selling his office to Roger Williams, the CVS drugstore chain and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island."
• 2007 report Card On States Worker Freedom [.PDF] - From The Alliance For Worker Freedom - Rhode Island gets a grade of "F."
• Trio Sentenced To Jail - February 1, 2007. From The Providence Journal. "The investigations have their genesis in the cooperation of Celona, who pleaded guilty to selling his office to Roger Williams, the CVS drugstore chain and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island."
• 2007 report Card On States Worker Freedom [.PDF] - From The Alliance For Worker Freedom - Rhode Island gets a grade of "F."
• In the General Assembly we trust - June 6, 2006. From the Providence Journal. "THE RHODE ISLAND SENATE president just happened to forget to inform the public that his law firm has been paid more than $86,000 by West Warwick, the town that wants to host a Harrah's casino.Maybe we should trust him.Joseph Montalbano said it was "probably inadvertent" that he failed to include the information in his ethics report. Meanwhile, he initially refused to spell out what he did to earn the money, citing lawyer-client privilege. Later, he said he did no work involving potential casino land." Senator Joseph Montalbano.. a scumbag? Joe, say it ain't so!
• Ex-Wembley chief faces 15 years in US jail after being found guilty of bribery - August 9, 2005. From The Independent. How come Wembley boss Nigel Potter went to jail -- but powerful RI Speaker of The House John Harwood avoided jail?
• U.S. Attorney brings fraud charges against Celona - June 27, 2005. From The Providence Journal. Senator John Celona agrees to plead guilty.
• One of the worst -- Rhode Island's welfare-reform failure - October 22, 2004. From The CATO Institute. "Rhode Island's efforts at welfare reform have been a dismal failure by almost every measure.."
• Breaking the taxpayer -- How R.I. teachers get 12-percent pay hikes - August 25, 2004. From The Providence Journal.
• R.I. public unions work to reduce your family's quality of life - July 24, 2004. From The Providence Journal.
• Cianci convicted on lone charge of racketeering conspiracy - June 24, 2002. From The Providence Journal. Two time convicted felon Buddy Cianci is likely the most corrupt politician ever in the history of the state, in a state known for its corruption.
• Governor DiPrete is Indicted - 1998. From The Providence Journal. OK, this guy is a Republican. Are you happy?
• Top Rhode Island Justice Quits Amid Accusations - October 9, 1993. From The New York Times. "Chief Justice Thomas F. Fay of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, who faced impeachment proceedings and a criminal trial on ethics accusations, resigned today.." He's the second RI Chief Justice --in a row --to go down in flames.
• The Credit Union Crisis - April 12, 1992. Joe Mollicone, bank President, is caught. He stole $14 milliion and was the trigger for the RI credit union crisis which froze billions of dollars and paralyzed the state. Forensic audits showed that a small number of Rhode Island "insiders" were given huge loans from the credit unions, which after becoming non-performing, compounded the banking problems. The original cause of the whole mess? The RI General Assembly approved a bill which promised to make the credit unions safer, but which did the exact opposite. Don't look for truth there.
• The Most Corrupt State - Circa 1991? From Sam Donaldson, ABC News. Business as usual, lethargy, apathy.
• Joseph A. Bevilacqua Dies at 70; Rhode Island Judge Linked to Mob - June 22, 1989. From The New York Times. "Joseph A. Bevilacqua, whose long friendships with people tied to organized crime tarnished and eventually ended his career as Rhode Island's foremost legislator and Chief Justice, died at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston today." The first Rhode Island Chief Justice to be impeached.

Other Resources

• RI Supreme Court - Citizen Bill Palazzo's protest page.
• Travis Rowley - Author and RI citizen critic.
• Statewide Coalition - Great organizatiuon is trying to make a difference.
• Operation Clean Government - Non-partisan citizens group.
• RIGOP - The opposition.

Domain Free Speech Links

• ChillingEffects.org - Know your digital rights.
• EFF.org - The Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Kathleen Kennedy Townsend loses second WIPO case - Public officials sometimes try to make bogus trademark claims to grab domains and avoid citizen/ constituent criticism
• Maryland Politician Loses Domain Case - Kathleen Kennedy Townsend loses domain dispute. Public officials are fair game for criticism.
• DorsetPolice.Com/ .Net Precedent - Actual decision text stating that descriptive domain names are allowed in government free speech situations. The finding was "there is a general, legitimate interest in allowing citizens to use descriptive domain names to publish criticism about their government."
• Cop's Critic Can Keep Domains - News story on the Dorset case.

Official sponsor:
Looney Left



Headed to Rhode Island for the bennies:
welfare-magnet