Poli-ticks

Legislators revert to old tricks

By Arlene Violet
Posted 6/27/18

After the parade of good government groups like Operation Clean Government, Reform 92, Government Accountability Project and Common Cause, it is discouraging to witness the General Assembly revert to …

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Poli-ticks

Legislators revert to old tricks

Posted

After the parade of good government groups like Operation Clean Government, Reform 92, Government Accountability Project and Common Cause, it is discouraging to witness the General Assembly revert to its old way of doing business. Far too many legislators act like kings and treat the citizens as peons. Worse, the voters let them get away with it. Here are some recent examples.

Despite another poll documenting that a strong majority of voters is against public subsidies for a new Pawsox stadium the General Assembly persists in promoting the project. If it is the economic boon as presented by the proponents let the team owners put up personal guarantees to pay off the bond, rather than the taxpayers. In reality, owners Larry Lucchino et al won’t even put up personal guarantees allegedly for the part which they say they will pay, i.e. $45 million minus the $12 million upfront payment.

Speaker Nick Mattiello’s pronouncement that taxpayer money won’t be at risk is disingenuous since revenue bonds will be utilized. Technically, the bond purchasers are supposed to take the risk that the necessary cash flow will pay off the bonds and that there is no state guarantee. The reality is that the state would pick up the tab. Studio 38 bonds in its offering prospectus clearly stated that the state was not backing those bonds with its full faith and credit. Yet, when the project went bust the same people who are telling us now that there is no taxpayer risk were shouting from the rooftops that the state, nonetheless, had to make good on the bonds or else the credit rating of the state would nosedive. With the Pawsox stadium, what would the state do? Have a partially constructed ballpark hovering next to Route 95 as a monument to failure if the revenue stream (which would not kick in for 2-5 years because the neighborhood stores, restaurants, etc. wouldn’t be up and running even if they located there)?

Imagine the power turned over to the owners to make future demands regarding infrastructure improvements, tax credits for its businesses, costs to park etc. Yet, the politicians persist that they know better than the public in their creation of a “one horse town”.
By contrast, poll after poll has supported the contention that the public wanted the line item veto to be put on the ballot. Yet, a panel to “study” the project was made of opponents of the measure who embarrassed themselves by not doing any credible analysis. In fact, the chairman, Ken Marshall of Bristol, personally attacked civic-minded citizens like Ken Block who had the temerity to support the measure.
Meanwhile, the beat goes on to dodge the requirements of Judicial Selection by the multiplication of magistrates selected by the “Court”, who regrettably panders to the legislators’ advocacy of their pals for these positions. Folks were also outraged that the 911 fees extorted from the land line and mobile phone users were really never used to improve the system. So, after promising to give this lie a look, the legislators just change the name and will still collect the fee.

So, fellow citizens, you have a chance to decide in the coming elections whether you will continue to wimp out by sending the same cast of malefactors back to Smith Hill or to send them a message. The real reform group has to be you.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.

Arlene Violet

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