EDITORIAL: Raimondo’s “I Know an Out-of-State Guy” Caused the Tourism Disaster

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Thursday, March 31, 2016

EDITORIAL

The Commerce Corporation’s top brass were all recruited from out-of-state by Gina Raimondo. She wanted to break Rhode Island’s culture of “I know a guy.” It appears that Raimondo new culture is to out source Rhode Island jobs and contracts to an out-of-state network who play by the very culture that Raimondo has disdain for — “I know a guy.”

The head of Commerce, Stefan Pryor, is a friend a long-time friend of Raimondo — “I know a guy.”

Then, the new CEO (the number two) at Commerce, Darin Early, is a long-time friend of Pryor — “I know a guy.”

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Then, one of Pryor’s other appointment Dan Jennings worked for the Economic Development agency in Newark, New Jersey just like Pryor — “I know a guy.”

The head of Tourism, Betsy Wall, brought in a Boston Ad Agency, Connelly Partners, to design the website that is riddled with errors. Wall and Connelly worked together in Massachusetts and both were replaced by Governor Charlie Baker — “I know a guy.”

The firms hired to implement the design and communications as well as drive the public relations are out-of-state firms. Both with big reputations. One designed the new logo for $450,000 and the other was tasked with managing the public relations rollout. Combined, they are being paid millions in fees.

At the end of the day, the work product generated was inferior. It was of poor quality. It was not properly reviewed. The presentation of the creative, the explanation of the strategy of the campaign, and the overall management is an embarrassment both for Raimondo and the very Rhode Islanders that she seems to have disdain for.

The reality is that Rhode Islanders know you don’t produce marketing materials to sell the value of visiting and living in Rhode Island by featuring Iceland, companies in Massachusetts, and a leading restaurateur who died nearly six months ago.

Raimondo’s disgust of Rhode Island’s “I know a guy” has been replaced by her own out-of-state network of “I know a guy.” Maybe the Governor needs to have more confidence in Rhode Islanders.