Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot & Who’s Not? - August 26, 2016

HOT

Ray Rickman

Like a dog with a bone, the former State Legislator has become Rhode Island’s conscious. He efforts to help stem the death of inner-city children from dying by drowning has been relentless.

Now, he is taking on the Governor to put some money where the kids are. 

HOT

Lincoln Chafee 

Chafee after the 38 Studios debacle took on many of the most powerful economic interests in Rhode Island and his strategy has been highly successful - more than $40 million has been recaptured to date. 

Kudos to Chafee.

HOT

Deepwater Wind

There is not a new company in Rhode Island that has received more positive press than Deeepwater Wind in the past 20 years.

HOT

Common Cause

Starting tomorrow GoLocal will be publishing the Common Cause scores for each of the legislators for their efforts to support reform, transparency, judicial reform, etc.

Common Cause has been stalwart in its efforts to make Rhode Island’s government more transparent. 

HOT

Rhode Island’s Summer

Rhode Island’s summer has been spectacular - perfect weather, every event has a crowd and tourists everywhere.

Who said, “Success has many fathers, failure is an orphan”?

We now have Commerce Corp and their vendor Havas taking claim to the great tourism traffic and economic impact.  Maybe the two should just keep quiet after humiliating the state and wasting millions.

NOT

Jorge Elorza

The junior Mayor loves a good festival, but seems to clueless when dealing with City issues like crime. Sadly, last week his very own press secretary was robbed right outside City Hall in the middle of the day.

The irony would be funny if the crime and the danger was not real. 

What was sadder was the Mayor’s response to the crime…crickets.

Must be time to announce another festival.

NOT

Steve Frias

According to Frias, legislative grants are a mortal sin. The entire process is corrupt and he has called for the entire process to stop - immediately.

But, oh wait, he is the head of the finance committee of the Cranston Historical Society which applied for a $5,000 grant and received a legislative grant in 2016.

Tell us how this works again?

NOT

Providence Journal

Last week, Providence Journal home subscribers received a letter alerting them to a hike in the cost for home delivery — a 48% increase.

The rate increase letter said, “This will be reflected on your credit card statement.” 

At the same time, the Providence Journal announced yet another buyout, further reducing their newsroom by an estimated 70% over the past decade. Similarly, the circulation is plummeting — in 2012 weekday circulation was reported at 78,000 and in 2016 dropped to a reported 58,000 — a 25% drop in just three years. These are just not good trends.

NOT

Peter Kilmartin

Release the 38 Studios investigation documents for the four-year old case that resulted in no indictments and you have said is inactive — then maybe we won’t think the fact that you had served in the House Leadership with Gordon Fox, voted for the financing scheme, and wouldn’t recuse yourself from overseeing the investigation wasn’t just a coincidence and moral lapse.

Hmmm, what could those files show?