Blais: Partisan Politics or Thoughtful Party-Spirited Proponents?
Lisa Blais, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™
Blais: Partisan Politics or Thoughtful Party-Spirited Proponents?
This announcement came on the heels of an “only in RI” moment on WPRO’s Buddy Cianci show whereby some discussion took place over how Fung’s campaign manager and advisor, Patrick Sweeney, landed on-air with Cianci while Cianci was speaking with Tony Bucci. Bucci drew attention since he has thrown his support behind Ken Block, one of two GOP candidates for governor, and is now a senior advisor and finance director for the Block for Governor Campaign. He had been a supporter of Fung and was a former member of Fung’s Exploratory Committee, but has since taken the position that Block is the better choice for the governor’s seat.
Is it too early for endorsements?
Apparently those 23 committee chairs have taken a different position. And, as time progresses this will likely prove to be a very interesting race with fluid dynamics. However, it is fair to ask one question given that it is so early in the election cycle. Have all of these folks had an opportunity to meet with Ken Block or reached out seeking a personal meeting with him to listen to his plan for RI and pepper him with questions before providing their endorsements? I do not know if they have nor if they have attended meet and greets for Block but I do believe that the majority of the committee chairs have not had any time with Block prior to agreeing to go public with each of their names listed and announced in most of RI’s print media. Are these individual endorsements based primarily on party loyalty?
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSome of the folks on the list of endorsees I know well, respect, and some I have done business with over the years or have volunteered alongside on a variety of taxpayer issues. But, as chairs of GOP committees, these people have a special responsibility in the larger scheme of things; and that is to do their due diligence precisely because of their leadership positions on various city and town committees before they offer their personal and formal endorsements of either GOP candidate for governor.
The consequences of partisan politics
Partisan politics is what many people believe has created the current conditions in RI – conditions measured by persistently low rankings on innumerable economic measures; to be kind, lackluster economic conditions, an overload of business regulations, fees and taxes, high property taxes as a result of expensive state and local government services, a public education system wrought with controversy and too slow to meet our students’ needs and of course our perennial state structural deficit. Did I miss anything in what has become the commonplace list of issues for taxpayers in RI? Of course, the grossly underfunded pensions and post employment benefits.
So, when the underdog political party and its local and statewide leadership consider each candidate with an open mind, ready and willing to thoughtfully consider what each of those candidates plans are to fix what needs to be fixed in RI then we will have taken the right step toward a brighter future for everyone in our state.
Will they do so or will partisanship carry the day?
10 Questions Fung Has to Answer When Running for Gov of RI
10) Can Fung raise the money necessary to be competitive?
At the last reporting period, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung's campaign had only $336,000.
Ken Block had $540,000 and he just entered the race.
Democrat Gina Raimondo has over $2.3 million and even Angel Taveras has $759,000 cash on hand.
9) Is Fung ready for prime time?
Fung is well-liked in Cranston and most everyone thinks Fung is a "nice guy."
Gina Raimondo and Angel Taveras can claim they took on tough issues.
Ken Block articulates big ideas and a proven record in business, but out of the gate Fung's campaign seems less than ready.
Fung's campaign manager got confused about how many Democrats Fung has donated to and his motivation for donating to them.
Would another four years in Cranston be the wiser path?
8) Can Fung effectively run against Angel Taveras?
Fung claims Providence Mayor Angel Taveras as a close friend, but it raises questions about inherent personal conflicts and ability to run and effective race.
Politics in Rhode Island is often a blood sport, will Fung approve that knockout punch TV spot in the closing weeks that tags Taveras for the spiraling crime problem in Providence?
7) Is Fung's base big enough?
For Mayor Fung, his base is Cranston, but he does not enjoy a groundswell of Hispanic voters like Providence Mayor Angel Taveras hopes to bank on (7% of the voters were Hispanic in the General Election in 2012, according to Pew Research).
A race against Raimondo would be tough as she would very likely have a strong block of female voters.
Where does Fung get his votes?
6) Can Fung defend the tax increases in Cranston?
When Fung runs as a Republican against a Democrat, there is an advantage if Fung can point out a differentiation of fiscal discipline. Fung, as Mayor, had numerous and significant residential and commercial tax increases.
This will not help him against the fiscally prudent Ken Block, but even if he were to win the primary then he would lose the advantage against Angel Taveras in a General Election. Both have ushered large tax increases through their councils.
5) Why pledge to create "20,000 jobs"? It sounds like Don Carcieri.
Don't know if Fung was paying attention, but GOP Governor Don Carcieri ran on...creating 20,000 new jobs.
When Carcieri left office, Rhode Island had the worst unemployment in America. Not sure Fung wants to mirror that Carcieri pledge.
4) Defending Don Carcieri and making him a part of the campaign - is that a good idea?
The collapse of 38 Studios has scarred Don Carcieri's legacy as Governor of Rhode Island. At best, Carcieri was star struck to give a baseball player $75 million -- at worse, Carcieri was part of something far more ominous.
For Fung, who wants to run as the future of Rhode Island, why be associated with Don Carcieri?
3) Defending the lobbyist role?
In 2014, do we think Rhode Islanders will be looking for a former lobbyist for a large corporation that is cutting Rhode Islander's jobs to be our next Governor?
Lobbyist-turned-Governor will be tougher to pull off than actor Ronald Reagan-turned-Governor of California in the 1960's.
2) Understand the changing position on gay marriage?
Hard to know what Allan Fung's position is on gay marriage. At different times he offered a range of views.
Some GOP primary voters have been opposed to the RI law and others were supportive, but neither segment of the GOP may understand what his position was -- or is.
1) Political donations to local, federal and national Democrats - are you sure you are a Republican?
Fung has given to David Cicilline, US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, former RI Senate President Bill Irons and once RI Attorney General Patrick Lynch. Fung's campaign manager claims he was a lobbyist and needed to donate to Democratic leaders. Cicilline, Reid and Lynch meet none of those criteria.
Not only did Fung give thousands of his own dollars to Dems, he turned down requests from leading GOP candidates like John Robitalle and Jon Loughlin who were badly outspent and needed every dollar to win.
The Republican party in Rhode Island is a pretty small group trying to create a pretty big tent - from Scott Avedisian to Doreen Costa. For most Republicans in this state it is tough -- you don't enjoy the political connections and you're part of a tiny minority -- so loyalty matters.
