Question of the week: Will the U.S. be better prepared for the next public health crisis? Thanks for stopping by for my weekly column. As always, I welcome your tips and comments, and you can follow me through the week on the twitters. Here we go.
1) The situation unfolding in southern New England and across the U.S. seems like something out of a science fiction movie: a virus spreads across the land, closing institutions and dramatically altering aspects of daily life. For now, Wall Street is reeling, President Trump is in the spotlight, and where things are headed remains unclear. As other have noted, the shutting done of public life – dramatic and consequential in and of itself – is what’s needed to limit transmission of the coronavirus. Rhode Island would seem to be in a potentially vulnerable place, since our state has one of the highest percentages of elderly residents. So far, the number of positive COVID-19 in the state climbed Friday from five to 14, with a larger number of outstanding tests. The wider impact has been on the tenor of daily life, the shutting down of universities, entertainment venues, the General Assembly and other spots. There’s lost income for businesses and workers, and missed opportunities and experiences for students. We got a very brief glimpse of this when some Boston streets were desolate amid the search for the Patriots Day bombers in 2013. Tragic though that was, it was a limited event. In contrast, the coronavirus threat is ubiquitous, with the potential to overwhelm health systems and cause a a prolonged economic slump. But if we’re lucky, the spread of coronavirus in Rhode Island will remain limited.
2) Even under the best-case scenario, COVID-19 will complicate an already challenging budget outlook in the state. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has approved a $15 million response package. Sen. Ryan Pearson (D-Cumberland), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, said the General Assembly may consider new spending as part of the response here. At minimum, he expects the virus to depress state revenue, making it more difficult to wipe out a roughly $200 million deficit ahead of the July 1 start of the next fiscal year. “Whether it be sales tax revenues, hotels and conferences being cancelled, gambling revenue — all these things, we have to expect that as the public changes their behavior, it’s going to change the tax collections for the state,” Pearson said on Political Roundtable this week. “And so, we have to be ready and anticipating that there are going to be some changes coming our way that we have to work with.”
3) The coronavirus crisis has offered an opportunity for Gov. Gina Raimondo to burnish her image in responding to an evolving situation. She was out front Monday in calling on President Trump to declare a national emergency. In making a local declaration of emergency, Raimondo was a day ahead of Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker. Raimondo also joined MSNBC for two appearances during the week. Critics have scorned the governor over UHIP, and her administration has suffered from a few self-inflicted gaffes, including the “Cooler and Warmer” fracas. This week, though, in the most high-profile crisis to hit states in years, Raimondo projected cool competency while maintaining a close focus on the issue.
4) The General Assembly is cancelled for next week, and the situation will be evaluated on a week to week basis moving forward. “Taking these early and prudent measures will hopefully enable us to get back to the people’s business as soon as possible,” House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said in a joint statement. “We will closely monitor the developing situation and determine future steps as warranted. We will use this time to ensure that the Department of Administration thoroughly cleans the entire State House.”
5) In other political impacts, Stephen Erickson, vice chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Elections, is encouraging Rhode Islanders to use mail ballots ahead of the state’s April 28 presidential election. In Massachusetts, U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy announced a one-week suspension of his real-world campaign activities.
6) The overwhelming profile of the coronavirus story has overwhelmed a lot of things – including the question of whether the challenges facing Speaker Mattiello offer a window for pushing reform at the General Assembly. Of course, House GOP Leader Blake Filippi set off on this course when he sparked a lawsuit over Mattiello’s use of the Joint Committee on Legislative Services, the hiring and spending arm of the General Assembly. But aside from a fall calls from outside the building, including a recent ProJo op-ed by Gary Sasse, there appears to be little energy for using the current moment to reform legislative rules or pursue similar initiatives.
7) Of course, the Senate is typically up for a fight when it comes to getting an equal share of representation on JCLS, rather than continuing to endure a 3-2 disadvantage to the House. Sen. Ryan Pearson, on Bonus Q&A, said equalizing the Senate’s power on the panel would be a significant step toward better government, not a recipe for gridlock: “You’d either have to have bipartisan or bicameral agreement to do something. At the end of the day, I think that’s a good answer.”
8) The proposed IGT-Twin River deal is among the issues that will have to wait now that the legislature is on hiatus. Cranston Republican Steve Frias was among those who turned out to testify on the issue this week. Here’s part of his written testimony: “This no-bid deal may be good for both IGT and its new business partner Twin River, but it is not a good one for Rhode Island taxpayers. The General Assembly should heed the advice of CCA [Christiansen Capital Advisors] and reject this legislation. This no-bid contract provides a subsidy to IGT that exceeds the amount of tax revenues it directly generates to Rhode Island. It will undermine the ability of the State of Rhode Island to maximize its lottery and gambling revenues for the next two decades. To get the best deal for taxpayers, Rhode Island should go out to competitive bid. If the General Assembly insists on supporting this no-bid deal, then at minimum IGT’s contract should not be longer than ten years.”
9) Kudos and Congrats to Will “Rhody Will” Geoghegan, sports editor of the Independent, on the publication of “Summer Baseball Nation: Nine Days in the Wood Bat Leagues.” With the delay of MLB, curling up with a good book about the good is probably the next best thing.
10) TGIF reported last November on how Sen. Ryan Pearson has told some people of his plans for a run for treasurer in 2022. While Pearson told us this week that it remains early, he added: “I think the treasurer’s job is really a role that allows us to make sure we’re continuing to make strong financial decisions for the state, but really continue to use the power of Treasury to invest in our economy and ensure we have good schools, good infrastructure. There’s a real lot of opportunity there and it’s definitely work that I’d be interested in.”
11) Former Rep. Jon Brien (D-Woonsocket) this week announced his candidacy for mayor in the northern Rhode Island city. From his announcement: “Wages are up, construction is booming, unemployment is at an all-time low. All while our City continues to spin its wheels. They say high tide lifts all boats, but we seem to remain stuck to the pier, seemingly unable to rise with the other communities that are similarly situated to Woonsocket. Yes, it is true that the lights have been turned on, and the roads are being paved, and the parks have been maintained and even renovated. However, this is not a sign of economic health and wellbeing, but rather the minimum standards that any municipality should provide to it’s citizens. We have been lulled into thinking that we are fortunate that the most basic of municipal services have been provided to us. It is however crucial that we never forget that it was the taxpayers who have made this possible due to the supplemental tax of 2013 that injected an additional $2.5 million into our treasury year over year. As the old saying goes, NOTHING is easier than spending other people’s money. Woonsocket has been stuck in the status quo. Businesses that move from one location to the other, or set up shop in an already standing building is not the economic growth that Woonsocket so sorely needs. We as a City have survived, and not thrived. We can and will do better. Over the next several months I will unveil my plans aimed at making our City competitive again.”
12) U.S. Census forms have started landing in local mailboxes. ICYMI: my Q&A with Nellie Gorbea about why this matters.
13) Understanding the longevity of Craigslist.
14) Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, whose 2016 re-election campaign was managed by Eric Hyers (ex-Gov. Raimondo, U.S. Rep. David Cicilline) is now running for the U.S. Senate. Hyers is now running a super PAC against Mitch McConnell.
15) Durk’s BBQ, late of Thayer Street, plans to reopen later this year in the former Satin Doll location on Aborn Street in downtown Providence. This is joyous news for your humble correspondent and others who might want to enjoy a lunch of pulled pork or Durk’s widely lauded St. Louis ribs.
