To the editor:

The late-great radio broadcaster Paul Harvey was famous for his long running series called, “The Rest of the Story.” This program served to provide additional information about a subject. There were two points raised by Ken Block, advisor to the Republican candidate for state senate in District 32, James Kazounis, in his Oct. 5 letter to the editor in this paper. Here’s the rest of the story.

Ken Block was critical of the legislative grant program and claimed that Senator Cindy Coyne “took credit for giving away $27,000 under this corrupt program.” Sen. Coyne re-introduced legislative grant requests that were introduced for years by her predecessor, Republican Senator David Bates. The applicants and recipients of these grants are: Barrington Community School, Barrington Public Library, Barrington Substance Abuse Task Force, Benjamin Church Manor Tenants Association, Bristol Senior Center, Bristol Warren Education Foundation, Community String Project, East Bay Cap (Molar Express,) Katie Brown Educational Program, Summer’s Last Night in Bristol, and the United Veterans Council of Barrington. The only grantee that was not a continuation of Senator Bates’ is the Barrington Education Foundation. Senator Coyne has said the selection process needs to be reviewed, a fact left out by Mr. Block.

Ken Block also criticized Senator Coyne for voting in favor of a resolution (S-0988) which reimbursed a Riverside man $209.30 for damage to his vehicle caused by a pothole on a state road. S-0988 reimbursed other folks from other areas of the state, as well. Mr. Block correctly pointed out that claims for this type of damage could be submitted to the Department of Transportation. Mr. Block failed to mention that RIDOT requires that claims be filed within 7 days of the damage. Fortunately, Rhode Islanders who miss that extremely short deadline have an alternative means of securing compensation for damage, caused by potholes and other highway defects, through the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Accounts and Claims. Just as in the process administered by RIDOT, claims are reviewed, and only documented claims are paid. The process compensates Rhode Islanders who have suffered a legitimate loss from the same fund regardless of how the claim was made. If anyone has sought to politicize this process, it is Ken Block.

I close as Paul Harvey closed his broadcast by saying, “Now you know the rest of the story.”

Erich Haslehurst

Barrington