A new baseball season dawns, and the General Assembly gets ready to get down to the nitty gritty. Thanks for stopping by for my weekly column. As usual, your tips and comments are welcome, and you can follow me through the week on the twitters. Here we go.
1. After one more week, state lawmakers are poised to head off on their spring break. That’s a sure signal we’re heading closer to crunch time at the General Assembly, where competing priorities will square off against the cold reality of state revenue. So in a year when revenue seems to be lagging, can the state afford to begin a phaseout of the car tax (a notion championed by House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello) while launching Governor Gina Raimondo‘s proposed college tuition program? “That’s a great question,” Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said on this week’s RI Public Radio Political Roundtable. Not surprisingly, Ruggerio was reluctant to offer a detailed answer ahead of the May revenue-estimating conference, since it may pour cold water on various spending aspirations. “Obviously, both the governor and the speaker have their own plans in mind, and my question is, ‘can we afford those plans at this time?’ ” he said. Still, Ruggerio said he supports Raimondo’s RI Promise college tuition plan — albeit with some (as-yet-unspecified) changes to be made by the Senate. More significantly, the new Senate president is seen as a likely kingmaker in deciding ultimate priorities for the budget year beginning July 1, and Ruggerio offered this caveat: “What I would hate to see is with either one of these initiatives, is that we start the initiative and then for some reason we have to pull it back, like we did the car tax years ago. That shows poor form, I think. So I’d rather see a deliberate plan, either one of those plans, and make sure we can afford it going forward.”
2. Will Governor Raimondo try to build support for her college tuition plan by recreating some of her 2011-style jujitsu with RI House Democrats? That’s when the then-treasurer changed the dynamics of pension reform by making a vote against her overhaul more costly than a vote in support of it. For this session, time is relatively short for recreating the kind of public outreach campaign that Raimondo used for the pension overhaul in 2011. Then again, the administration ramped up its push this week, via two former Obama administration officials: Democratic National Chairman Tom Perez came to Rhode Island this week to tout free college tuition as a smart investment for the state. Elsewhere, former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan wrote in support of the plan in an op-ed. The expectation in some corners is that Raimondo’s RI Promise proposal may be truncated to include just CCRI. (The Tennessee Promise program — cited as an example by Perez — applies only to community and technical colleges.) Raimondo’s communications director, Mike Raia, said the plan is to continue building support for RI’s Promise, making the case with lawmakers “that this is the most important investment the state can make to get jobs. RI Promise is a core Democratic issue. Governor Raimondo believes strongly that Democrats who vote against RI Promise are taking a vote against jobs.” Given that kind of messaging, it’s worth remembering how the PAC known as Engage RI was used to bulk up backing for Raimondo’s pension overhaul back in 2011. So if Raimondo ultimately thinks things are moving too slowly on her top priority, will she escalate the fight via a PAC or support for legislative challengers next year?
3. Related: “A New Look At The Lasting Consequences of Student Debt.” Excerpt: “Recent college graduates who borrow are leaving school with an average of $34,000 in student loans. That’s up from $20,000 just 10 years ago, according to a new analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In that report, out this week, the New York Fed took a careful look at the relationship between debt and homeownership. For people aged 30 to 36, the analysis shows having any student debt significantly hurts your chances of buying a home, compared to college graduates with no debt. The cliche of ‘good debt’ notwithstanding, the consequences of borrowing are real, and they are lasting.”
4. In the mixed-up politics of Rhode Island, it caught our attention when the state Democratic Party sent an email to promote DNC Chairman Tom Perez‘s appearance at RIC this week. That’s because House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello — who has remained cool to Governor Raimondo‘s college tuition plan — has outsized influence over the state party, including the selection of its chairman, presently a fellow state rep, Joe McNamara of Warwick. Meanwhile, progressive icons like Bernie Sanders (who’s not even a Democrat) are known for their wholehearted endorsement of free tuition. Here’s Mattiello spokesman Larry Berman‘s response to the question of whether Mattiello is out of step with his own party on the governor’s college tuition plan: “Right now, Rhode Island’s middle class needs tax relief, not another unsustainable government program. Rhode Island already has one of the highest tax burdens in the country and we have to give priority to that problem before adopting new spending. Speaker Mattiello has great respect for Senator Sanders and Chairman Perez, but they do not represent the entire Democratic Party. Taxpayer-funded free college tuition is not universally accepted by everyone within the party. The speaker gives the most weight to the collective judgment of Rhode Island’s taxpayers and their wishes. No other state, including those with Democratic Governors and Democratic-led legislatures, provides free tuition for all colleges and universities.”
5. Among Rhode Island’s top three state officials, Senate President Dominick Ruggerio is the only one currently offering unqualified support for an independent probe of 38 Studios: “I think the public has to know what really transpired there,” Ruggerio said on RI Public Radio’s Bonus Q&A this week. “I’m hoping that the attorney general will release whatever information he has because I think it’s important for the people to know how this actually transpired and went down.” (AG Peter Kilmartin this week filed a lengthy brief opposing the release of grand jury materials related to the criminal probe of 38 Studios.) …. Governor Raimondo supported an independent probe as a candidate, but has since walked back her support, questioning if an investigation would be worth the cost …. Speaker Mattiello has backed the release of all documents related to the case, but has stopped short of supporting an independent probe.
6. President Ruggerio remains less than pleased about New York developer Jason Fane’s interaction with the I-195 Commission, which quietly moved to block his initial plan for a three-tower development. Ruggerio said he met with Governor Raimondo and “explained to her that I want a transparent process” on development in the district. “I don’t want things done when a vote comes in the back room, in executive session. I want it to be publicly aired so the public knows there’s no hanky panky going on ….. I just think when someone’s coming into this state with half a billion dollars in their pocket, I’m the type of person who wants to roll out the red carpet. I’m not looking to chase anyone away. What I suggest is that they work with the developer to see how it can happen, whether it’s one tower, two towers, or three towers, I think that someone should sit down and really try to iron the situation out …. It’s my feeling that if this person walks, it will send an absolutely terrible message to the development community.”
7. Five other Ruggerio Tidbits from Bonus Q&A: 1) The new Senate president said he hopes to serve one additional two-year term after completing the remainder of predecessor Teresa Paiva Weed‘s time in office; 2) Ruggerio said he’s undecided on the line-item veto, but supportive of spot audits of lawmakers’ campaign finance accounts; 3) “Do I think we’re going to get there this year” in legalizing marijuana? “I’m not sure”; 4) Ruggerio said he doesn’t think human-service advocates should be concerned about losing TPW as an advocate; 5) He said he expects the new Senate Rules, Government Ethics and Oversight Committee, under the chairmanship of Sen. Frank Lombardi (D-Cranston) to offer more oversight, particularly regarding the state’s quasi-public agencies.
8. With political leaders attuned to public opposition to a big subsidy for the PawSox, don’t be surprised if state support amounts to infrastructure improvements and some kind of incentive, perhaps from the Commerce Corporation. As Holy Cross sports economist Victor Matheson, a well-known skeptic on public subsidies, told the ProJo’s Kate Bramson, referring to the more than $150 million distributed through various state programs, “If these other companies are getting these sort of subsidies for being here, then the PawSox should be eligible for those in exactly the same way.”
9. Scott MacKay offers a preview on next year’s U.S. Senate race. Excerpt: “[Robert] Flanders doesn’t have a clear path to the nomination. Conservative Coventry State Rep. Bobby Nardolillo is running and has scheduled a formal announcement next month. What’s impossible to divine at this point is what the national Zeitgeist will look like. The country is sharply divided. Trump’s approval numbers are in the dumpster. And who knows how the economy, Syria or health care policies will resonate a year from now? This we know – the left-leaning Democratic base is enraged and engaged. If this activism persists and Republicans and independents are as wary of Trump as they are today, the climate would be difficult for any Republican. A candidate like Flanders would have to make the race about two individuals – he and Whitehouse – and their credentials. A Whitehouse campaign would seek to have the debate about national issues and the direction of the country.”
10. Political observers were left wondering why Providence City Council President Luis Aponte signed off on an council meeting earlier this week to examine the recall of his friend, Councilor Kevin Jackson, who faces criminal charges. The meeting wound up not taking place, but by then the damage was already done. An opposition bloc of councilors stayed away from City Hall, and the ProJo responded with a lacerating editorial, “Foiling a Sleazy Political Stunt.”
11. The Democratic candidates in the race to succeed Teresa Paiva Weed in Senate District 13 are staffing up. We mentioned last week how former Raimondo deputy legislative director Talia Policelli will quarterback David Allard‘s campaign. Now, Erich Haslehurst has signed on to manage Dawn Euer’s run. “We met in 2013 during the marriage equality campaign and have stayed in touch ever since, Euer said. “Erich has a proven track record with campaigns having successfully managed Timothy Sweeney’s Bristol Town Council Primary and General Elections in 2012, 2014 & 2016.” Haslehurst also managed winning primary and general election campaigns for Rep. Susan Donovan (D-Bristol) and the 2016 re-election campaign for Sen. Cindy Coyne (D-Barrington). He chairs the board of the Planned Parenthood Votes! RI PAC and is an executive board member of the RI Progressive Democrats of America …. Not to be outdone, Newport City Councilor John Florez has enlisted Guy Dufault as his chief strategist. A former state Democratic Party chair with a deep knowledge of Rhode Island politics, Dufault has kept a generally low profile on the local scene since a hot mike episode involving former Governor Don Carcieri in 2005. Dufault is a founding partner of Churchill Lincoln. Here’s an excerpt from his bio there: “Mr. Dufault has spent the past thirty five years as a highly respected government, education, communications and political leader. Mr. Dufault started his career as a government official in 1975 and over his fifteen year career served in a variety of major administrative positions. Since leaving government in 1990, Mr. Dufault has had a highly successful consulting business in government, communications and education.”
12. Rhode Island’s so-called Carcieri-era “Medicaid Miracle” remains a darling for conservatives. “When Rhode Island received its Medicaid waiver, 1 of every 5 residents was enrolled, and costs were growing by 7.5% annually,” Stephen Moore writes in Investor’s Business Daily. “Under the waiver, the state’s official Medicaid documents show, costs rose an average of only 1.3% a year from 2009 to 2012 — far below the 4.6% rate in the other 49 states. Rhode Island saved money by reducing the amount of emergency-room visits by Medicaid recipients for routine medical needs. The state saved even more by shifting the elderly out of expensive nursing homes, offering home-care subsidies and promoting assisted-living arrangements. Seniors often would rather avoid institutionalization, making this a win-win.” Yet other sources have questioned the amount of savings realized by the state’s Medicaid waiver.
13. Corey Flintoff, who spent four years covering Moscow for NPR, was in Providence recently to talk about his reporting experiences in Russia and elsewhere. You can listen to audio from his appearance at Brown here. In an interview set to air Monday on RIPR, Flintoff told me that while the US missile strike on Syria will hurt US-Russian relations in the short term, Vladimir Putin will remain on the scene for a long time: “He’s a relatively young man — he’s only about 64 now. He appears to be in excellent health. And there are many reasons why it would be inconvenient if not dangerous for him to leave power. He has the autocrat’s problem, which is, if you leave power you must make sure that your successor is absolutely loyal to you and will protect you from any criminal prosecution that might result from things that happened during your reign.”
14. What happens when a statewide news eco-system gets hollowed out? Not surprisingly, after a few hundred journalists lost their jobs at various New Jersey newspapers, the result was fewer stories “as well as a marked decline in articles explicitly about and for the local communities,” according to a report by The Center For Cooperative Media at Montclair State University.
15. A guest item, via Scott MacKay: “It’s been a quarter of a century since Patrick Griffin, an Irish immigrant, bought a rundown barroom on Smith Hill and transformed it into the quintessential Irish Pub. Now, Patrick’s Pub is throwing a 25th Anniversary party for the ages that you won’t want to miss. This Saturday, April 8, come one and all to celebrate 25 years of great music, food and toasts at the pub. The festivities begin at 1 p.m. at the Smith Street tavern and continue until last call. There will be music — John Connors and the Irish Express will be on stage from 2-5 p.m., followed by the Garda Band from 6-10 p.m. There will be bagpipers. And of course, it wouldn’t be Patrick’s without a first-class Irish step dance performance. There will be mountains of food — free sheperd’s pie and Irish stew, as well as Patrick’s full menu. Don’t miss the famous corned beef and Patrick’s signature fish and chips. Patrick Griffin is known informally as the mayor of Smith Hill. His reputation will be cemented Saturday with a celebration of the renaming of Nolan Street near the pub to ‘Patrick T. Griffin Way’’ in a ceremony that will be attended by city and state political leaders.”
16. WPRO AM is making a switch, bringing in former staffer Andy Gresh to do sports-talk in the 6-9 p.m. weekday slot. For her part, Monique Chartier is disappointed that former GOP rep and congressional candidate John Loughlin isn’t getting the full-time slot. The move comes as WPRO’s parent, Cumulus Media, closed out 2016 in the red. In more recent news, Cumulus is facing possible exclusion from the Nasdaq stock market.
17. Via Phil Eil: “Why Do So Many People in Rhode Island Try to Kill Themselves?“
18. Rest in peace, former Warwick Sen. William Walaska, who died earlier this week at age 71. Walaska spoke with RIPR’s Kristin Gourlay last year about his battle with a form of leukemia and the difficulties in getting medication to fight it.
19. The RDW Group has launched a new digital marketing sub-brand, Incentric. Via news release: “Incentric Digital Marketing will provide a full spectrum of integrated digital marketing services, including: digital marketing strategy, content marketing, social media, SEO, SEM and digital advertising, marketing automation, integrated analytics and web design. ‘Digital marketing is a rapidly growing competency within our agency,’ said James Malachowski, Chairman and managing partner of RDW Group. ‘We formed Incentric Digital Marketing to accelerate our investment in digital talent and services, and to provide our clients with an agile platform for the easy adoption of data-driven solutions. Incentric represents the future direction of our business and our industry.’ “
20. The Block Island Times reports that Airbnb may offset a loss in less-costly rentals on BI.
21. Warwick native Walt Mossberg, considered by many an influential father of tech journalism, is retiring in June. As he writes, “Over my career, I’ve reinvented myself numerous times. I covered the Pentagon, the State Department, and the CIA. I wrote about labor wars, trade wars, and real wars. I chronicled a nuclear plant meltdown and the defeat of communism. I co-founded a couple of media businesses. And, in the best professional decision of my life, I converted myself into a tech columnist in 1991. As a result, I got to bear witness to a historic parade of exciting, revolutionary innovation — from slow, clumsy, ancient PCs to sleek, speedy smartphones; from CompuServe and early AOL to the mobile web, apps, and social media. My column has run weekly in a variety of places over the years, most recently on The Verge and Recode under the Vox Media umbrella, where I’ve been quite happy and have added a podcast of which I’m proud.”
22. George Will draws on a recent book by RI’s own Tom Nichols in writing about “Our National Scourge of Misinformation.” Excerpt: “In today’s therapeutic culture, which seems designed to validate every opinion and feeling, there will rarely be disagreement without anger between thin-skinned people who cannot distinguish the phrase ‘you’re wrong’ from ‘you’re stupid.’ Equating ‘critical thinking’ with ‘relentless criticism’ results in worse than the indiscriminate rejection not merely of this or that expert. Nichols says this equation produces ‘a Google-fueled, Wikipedia-based, blog-sodden’ disdain for even the ideal of expertise. This ideal becomes an affront in a culture that ‘cannot endure even the slightest hint of inequality of any kind.’ Unfortunately, Nichols tartly notes, ‘specialization is necessarily exclusive.’ ”
