Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot & Who’s Not? - June 9, 2017

HOT

Patricia Morgan

Let’s give the House Minority Leader some credit, she has been leading the charge against these useless new tolls every step of the way. Most recently, she’s released data and an analysis that shows the RhodeWorks toll program could actually lose money. Morgan is, and has always been correct on this issue, providing Rhode Islanders with a much-needed voice of reason.

HOT

Peter Kilmartin

The Rhode Island Attorney General deserves credit for speaking out against the US Congress’s attempt to eviscerate the consumer protections written into the Dodd-Frank Act several years ago. Surely, the bill has problems that should be corrected, but removing consumer protections isn’t exactly what the American people are looking for. Here’s hoping this bill doesn’t pass the Senate after the House vote. 

HOT

Olivia Culpo

The former Miss Universe lands herself on this “hot” list for scoring a role alongside Bruce Willis in the upcoming movie Reprisal, (as opposed to obvious reasons) which will be about a veteran struggling with PTSD who hunts down criminals. This will likely be another huge break for the Cranston native. 

HOT

Joseph Solomon Sr.

Under Warwick City Council President Joseph Solomon’s leadership, the body cut back roughly $5 million, from $310 million to $305 million, which results in no tax increase to the property taxpayers of the state’s second largest city.

The Warwick City Council deserves credit for rolling up its sleeves and preventing a tax hike, since like everywhere else in Little Rhody, the taxpayers can hardly afford to withstand annual tax hikes. 

HOT

Lise Dubé-Scherr

The Preservation Society of Newport County named Dubé-Scherr as the new Director of Museum Affairs. Dubé-Scherr boasts plenty of experience in both education as well as museum management, so she should be an excellent pick to help enhance the cultural experience in Newport. She begins on July 17. 

HOT

T.F. Green Airport

The vision of former Governor Bruce Sundlun is truly being recognized at T.F. Green Airport as state leaders have announced direct international flights by airlines as well as increased domestic flights, with Norwegian, Frontier, and Allegiant all signing on. With these new airlines, Green is certainly positioning itself as the region’s number 2 airport and will become an even bigger economic engine moving forward. 

NOT

Gina Raimondo

Surprise! An objective analysis of the new truck toll program passed by the state legislature and proposed by Governor Gina Raimondo shows that the state department of transportation has underestimated the costs and overestimated the revenues associated with the program. Some, including the House Republicans, believe the program may actually lose money. None of this is good news for the Governor, as this was one of her signature proposals thus far into her first term. 

NOT

Harold Metts

The Senator from Providence is sponsoring a bill  (S-0237) that would allow prisoners who were sentenced as adults for offenses committed prior to age eighteen to become eligible for parole after fifteen years. This means the next Craig Price, who commits a heinous crime as a juvenile, will not be allowed to be sentenced to life without parole. This is shortsighted legislation that will ultimately jeopardize public safety. Let’s hope the full Senate votes this down. 

NOT

Steven O'Donnell

As more documents surface, it’s getting more difficult to understand why the state police didn’t recommend any charges against the people who made 38 Studios a reality. GoLocal uncovered a document in the most recent 38 Studios release that found the state’s lead attorney in the Civil case, Max Wistow, recommended that state the pursue criminal charges against 38 Studios since it seemed like they received the funding under false pretenses. The state police, under O’Donnell’s leadership, ignored Wistow’s advice.

NOT

Jerry Remy

The Red Sox announcer, though beloved by many, made some insensitive comments during a broadcast of the team’s game against the Yankees earlier this week. Remy said that foreign language speaking pitchers, such as New York Yankees star Masahiro Tanaka, shouldn’t be allowed to have a translator while they’re on the mound and instead should “learn the language of baseball”. Baseball markets itself as an international game, welcoming to all cultures. Remy should know better. 

NOT

Twin River

The gaming facility is facing a potential strike by its food and beverage workers, represented by Unite Here Local 26, after the group overwhelming authorized a work stoppage earlier this week, by a vote of 327 to 5. The dispute is primarily over health care costs, and the fact that Twin River is unwilling to share a reasonable portion of the burden. The company has until 4:00 p.m. today to come to terms with the workers, or it will face a work stoppage. Worst of all, this could jeopardize the construction of the new hotel, since the unionized hotel workers may be hesitant to cross a picket line. 

NOT

Social Media Nonsense

Harvard University rescinded the acceptances of 10 incoming freshman students for posting vulgar or obscene nonsense on social media. I’m as big of a free speech advocate as anybody, but good for Harvard for setting a higher standard for its student body. Let this be a lesson to those folks who think they can spew hatred online and believe that there won’t be any repercussions.