2/11 Review: Raimondo's Very Bad Week in Rhode Island (And Other News)
Big news in Rhode Island with possible national implications to come. Some national 2024 takes as well.
Feel free to check out my past work on my Substack and Medium blogs that feature past takes on the 2024 election cycle, and exclusive write-ups on Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Also feel welcome to reach out to me on LinkedIn with any comments or questions.
Several big developments have hit all at once in Rhode Island, many of which raise more questions about Commerce Secretary Raimondo’s ability to serve faithfully and effectively in government. And, come March 2, the public backlash is set to go full-blown:
First, the Washington Bridge crisis is gaining steam. In a recent post, I gave a brief overview of how contractors have ripped the state off on very notable projects—including the Washington Bridge itself earlier in 2018. It is currently the subject of a False Claims Act investigation by U.S. Attorney General Zachary Cunha’s office, and the traffic backlogs have resulted in a recent visit from the head of the Federal Highway Administration. The bridge itself might have to be demolished, and could take 1-2 years to rebuild completely.
And we may know one reason behind how the issue may have become so serious. Starting in 2016, then-Governor Raimondo authorized the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to force state employees to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) when involved in state policymaking regarding infrastructure and transportation issues. This includes state employees who awarded bids to contractors, who would then work on projects across the state—including those funded by RhodeWorks via its now unconstitutional truck tolls program.
While apparently not the only state agency to use NDAs, the use of NDAs is very relevant in understanding the few answers that exist around what led to the Washington Bridge’s current condition. It is very possible the NDAs stymied whistleblowing about what took place on the Washington Bridge earlier in 2018. But for Gina, it is just one more way of emulating her political role model, Michael Bloomberg (the same Michael Bloomberg, by the way, who Gina Raimondo endorsed against President Biden in the Democratic primaries). Given RIDOT’s toxic environment today, maybe the Bloomberg parallels are in fact even more striking than they initially appear.
A recent February 6 National Education Association of Rhode Island (NEARI) meeting called for the restoration of state pensions and retiree COLAs gutted under Raimondo in the unveiling of their 2024 legislative program. Executive Director of NEARI Mary Barden went on the record criticizing the Raimondo pension reforms as “drastic” and measures that “went way too far.” A number of state lawmakers were also present at the same event.
Although state retirees have no formal representation in their unions by law (thanks to several cases decided in the US Supreme Court), Rhode Island state retirees will have a voice on the State’s Retirement Board. While the Retirement Board incumbents have been on the record opposing the 2011 pension law, many in the state pension and COLA restoration movement have ardently criticized them for not being more engaged and more forceful in the recent fights.
That will change. Despite all the institutional support the two incumbent members of the State’s Retirement Board had, they will be replaced by two of the many prominent state retiree advocates after a hotly-contested and very close election. Though the state reportedly refuses to release the results, they have declared former Navy commander Alan Palazzo and Special Education advocate Sandra Paquette the winners of the recent Retirement Board election. Both Palazzo and Paquette have promised to end business as usual at their offices when they take office. More to come…
In other local news, another school is closing down in the state’s subjugation of Providence Public Schools, which started under Raimondo in 2019. This is now the fourth or fifth school shut down by RIDE and PPSD since the state takeover started, with Mt. Pleasant High School still on the chopping block. And all of them have been done in a culture of complete secrecy promoted by and pioneered by the Raimondo Administration over the years.
Also, the Rhode Island Board of Elections is appointing a new head after years of controversy and then-Governor Raimondo’s attempted meddling at the agency to name her own top elections officer. That is, Raimondo had tried to push through an ally of her own choice to head the election board by firing two other officials and extending the application deadline, both of which failed. Criticism has been levied at the BOE for the appointment of officials considered to be “party loyalists” and allies of the Governor (whose members included the cousin of a former House Majority Leader, Louis DeSimone).
All of this just adds to what is already out there about whether Raimondo should be given any promotion—never mind whether she should be in any national position of power. Trust the people of Rhode Island, who know Raimondo as the antithesis of public service. We have the answer, and we are going to give our case to the American people on March 2. It is time to shake up the system and upset the status quo she embodies here and on Capitol Hill.
In national news though, you may be wondering: how do you solve the border crisis? Apparently, you tank an immigration compromise that answers most of your top priorities and which was endorsed by the border patrol unions, and then you try and fail to impeach a Cabinet member who even the top police unions are defending.
If Democrats win, we can get substantive and comprehensive immigration reform done without the Republicans. Otherwise, it is just more of the same from the Government Obstruction Party (a.k.a. the GOP).
You may also be wondering: how do you take on public safety issues across the country? Apparently, cut budgets to cities like Washington DC. That is what Congressional Republicans are endorsing as well. Back the Blue!
And forget Ukraine, which is exactly what the Republican agenda stands for. Republicans just are unable to help undermining their own priorities to score political points. Let us bring new leadership to the House and a stronger Democratic mandate to the Senate come 2025.
Still, Democrats should take no races for granted in 2024—as Republicans, for now, are proving in Maryland. Hear Nate Cohn on today’s Fareed Zakaria GPS show about how the 2024 Elections could be even more unpredictable than we would usually expect.
Finally, there is an innovate legislative program on housing that might have influence elsewhere in the country: Reclaim RI’s Tenants’ Bill of Rights plan. We will discuss this plan in much more detail at another point.