Carol Anne Costa: Memorial Day - In the Shadow of a Fractured VA

Carol Anne Costa, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

Carol Anne Costa: Memorial Day - In the Shadow of a Fractured VA

I am always incredibly moved when visiting Arlington National Cemetery. It is in the formation and in the number of gravestones where the sacrifices of patriots are concrete. They provide a visual from which no eye, brain or heart can turn away. The quiet and peaceful surroundings shout, at least to me. The cost of liberty entombed beneath the feet is unsettling, moving and priceless. And, that is why Memorial Day should be kept a solemn and reflective day each year. But I’m afraid we have strayed from that mission on many levels. And, the recent VA scandal has only proved to further weaken our covenant with our veterans. We must not abandon them in life, nor forget them in death. It is up to us to make choices that actively honor those who serve and remember those who perished for our liberty. Memorial Day was originally declared Decoration Day by Major General John A. Logan in 1868. Logan charged the nation to go out and decorate the graves of the war dead. He decided that May 30th was an ideal date, as flowers would be in bloom everywhere. 1930 saw the birth of the Department of Veterans Affairs, whose mission is to fulfill President Lincoln's promise: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” ... by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s Veterans. The directives are clear, and it is up to all Americans to keep on course.

What is happening at the VA is shameful. As I write this column, President Obama is addressing the nation as to the systemic and bureaucratic failure of our veterans. He is focused on 2 areas of concern: the alleged misconduct at VA facilities and better care for veterans and their families moving forward. The President took a stern tone, and for that I am grateful. He said in part, “When I heard allegations of misconduct -- any misconduct, whether it's allegations of VA staff covering up long wait times or cooking the books -- I will not stand for it, not as commander in chief, but also not as an American. None of us should. So if these allegations prove to be true, it is dishonorable, it is disgraceful, and I will not tolerate it, period.” Respectfully, Mr. President, talk is cheap, unless it is followed by action based on the facts as found by the the Inspector General. Accountability, action and responsibility must ensue.

The Ranks of Veterans are Growing

As we close out the 2 longest wars in history, 2.3 million of our men and women are returning to a lackluster economy, joblessness and a stressed and nearly broken government bureaucracy whose mission is to serve them efficiently. The numbers don’t lie -- veterans under the age of 30 are taking their own life 22 times per day, there are over 425,000 cases of PTSD (50% of whom do not seek treatment and those who do are left to an enormously backlogged VA) and there are nearly 250,000 cases of traumatic brain injury, who require intense treatment.

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Meanwhile, 2322 perished in Afghanistan and 4486 perished In Iraq. Serving these brave and dedicated Americans and respecting our war dead are imperative and must remain part of our collective conscience. This Memorial Day will be a chance to begin that process in earnest.    

The path forward to rectify the wrongs will take leadership and hard truths. Eric Shinseki, head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, if left in place needs to take control of the situation with a force of boots-on-the-ground warriors ready, willing and able to reject the cumbersome yoke of a thick bureaucracy. Nothing else is acceptable. The ranks of our service men and women return home, often times hurt both mentally and physically. Our aging veterans require more care and support. The irony of this story is that as we head into Memorial Day weekend, the very agency created to assist our bravest Americans has quite literally made more graves to decorate.

Teach the children well...

It was the CBS journalist Dan Rather who said, “But we cannot rely on memorials and museums alone. We can tell ourselves we will never forget and we likely won't. But we need to make sure that we teach history to those who never had the opportunity to remember in the first place.”  

Mr. Rather has it right; we do need to make certain we teach history to those who never lived it and develop a clear understanding of what our military does each day to protect us all. Classrooms are no longer a reliable partner in this quest, as our teachers are swallowed by mandates and standardized testing. They barely have the time and rarely have permission to go off script and engage in teachable moments not on a rubric. Kudos to those educators who still try valiantly to bring real life lessons to our youth. Future generations' veterans will be trusted to take care of today’s youngsters. They will be the nurses, doctors, volunteers and hopefully caring members of what I hope will be a revitalized, transparent and accountable VA.

Unofficially, Memorial Day has become the kickoff to summer. And in our quest to gather and grill, the true meaning has sadly diminished. For that, we all share some culpability. Take some time this weekend to remember our war dead. At the same time, think about supporting our military families, buy and wear an American Legion Poppy, make a small gift to the VFW or Wounded Warrior Project or Operation Stand Down or the veterans support agency of your choice, and by all means decorate the grave of a soldier. Happy Memorial Day to all and thank you to each of our men and women who serve. Let’s all make sure we got their 6.    

Carol Costa is a public relations and community outreach specialist; she has experience in both the public and private sectors. She is the Chairwoman of the Scituate Democratic Town Committee and has extensive community affairs and public relations experience. She previously served in the Rhode Island Judiciary for nearly 17 years. Carol also enjoyed a successful development stint at the Diocese of Providence as Associate Director for Catholic Education and is currently a public housing manager. Her work has been published in several local outlets including GoLocal, Valley Breeze, The Rhode Island Catholic, and Currents Magazine.

INVESTIGATION: Fox, Corso and 38 Studios

The Early Years

Early 2000s

Fox was emerging as a powerful leader in the House via his role on the Finance Committee and later as Finance Committee Chair. Corso served on the management team at developer's Buff Chace's Cornish Associates.

The two worked together to write and pass the Historic Tax Credit Legislation.

Bio attached from the early 2000's - Cornish Assoicates Website.

Insiders

Insiders Had Hands All Over Schilling’s 38 Studios Deal

The owner of the construction company that was awarded a contract to work on the interior of 38 Studios’ downtown headquarters has close ties to House leadership and other prominent local politicians, GoLocalProv has learned.

Steven Nappa, who owns Nappa Construction Management, has contributed over $16,000 over the last decade to top politicians including House Speaker Gordon Fox, Congressman and former Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, former House Speaker William Murphy and former House Finance chairman Steven Costantino. In June 2011, Nappa also contributed $1,000 to the Fund for Democratic Priorities, a political action committee maintained by House leadership.

Nappa is also connected with Michael Corso, a Providence lawyer who has made a fortune helping to sell state tax credits and was involved in the earliest meetings between Schilling and Rhode Island officials. The two hosted a private fundraiser at the Peerless Lofts for then-Majority Leader Fox in 2007. Nappa also helped build the movie screen located in the open space next to Tazza, the downtown café owned by Corso.

Corso himself has contributed $11,625 to Fox, Cicilline, Taveras, Murphy and other local politicians in recent years.

Movie Tax Credits

Corso and Movie Tax Credits

The Providence lawyer who pledged more than $14 million in Rhode Island motion picture tax credits that had not actually been issued as collateral in order to obtain an $8.5 million loan for Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios is now playing a behind-the-scenes role in a Michael Corrente movie that is slated to receive $625,000 in state tax credits, GoLocalProv has learned.

Michael Corso, a top tax credit broker whose loan agreement with BankRI is among several 38 Studios-related matters currently being investigated by state and federal authorities, is one of seven producers for “Backmask,” a horror film currently being shot in Exeter, according to IMDB. Corso’s business partner, Anthony Gudas, is listed as the executive producer and former State Rep. John Loughlin has a small role in the film.

 

On Monday, the Rhode Island Film and TV Office confirmed the film has received an “Initial Certification Letter” for the tax credits. Corso did not respond to a request for comment.

Tazza Fundraiser

Questions Surround Speaker Fox’s Relationship with 38 Studios Insider

Several weeks after initial inquiries from GoLocalProv, House Speaker Gordon Fox still isn’t answering questions about a 2007 fundraiser held for him by the lawyer who would play a pivotal role in bringing Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios to Rhode Island three years later.

In March 2007, Michael Corso, Steven Nappa and Robert Britto of Nappa Building Corp. and former State Representative Ray Rickman were listed as the hosts of a private fundraiser held in the Peerless Lofts for the then-Majority Leader. The event, which helped Fox rake in approximately $10,000, was catered by Tazza, the downtown café owned by Corso.

But while Fox’s campaign finance reports from the time include details about several other fundraising events held during the first quarter of 2007, there is no information listed about expenses incurred for the Corso-hosted event, which may constitute a campaign finance violation.

“Speaker Fox has been extremely busy entering the final two weeks of the session, but he will soon be checking the campaign records from five years ago,” Fox spokesman Larry Berman told GoLocalProv on June 4. “If corrections are necessary to the report, he will make them.”

Fox and Corso

38 Studios Insiders Have Been Connected Since May 2009

The lawyer at the center of the deal that brought Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios to Rhode Island had a business relationship with a top executive at the video game company a year before a piece of legislation that expanded the EDC’s Job Creation Guaranty Program was pushed rapidly through the General Assembly.

On May 29, 2009, Michael Corso, a top tax credit broker whose relationship with House Speaker Gordon Fox helped steer 38 Studios to the Ocean State, struck a deal to purchase credits handed out for the multi-million dollar Stone House hotel project in Little Compton from the Round Pond Management Corporation, whose President was Tom Zaccagnino.

 

By June of that year, Zaccagnino, who was also the co-managing director at the Wellesley Advisors Corporation in Maynard, MA, had become Vice Chairman and Lead Director of 38 Studios. A month later, Haymarket Capital, an LLC with the same address as the Wellesley Advisors Corporation, was involved with the seven-figure bridge loan a group of Rhode Island investors provided to 38 Studios.

In March of 2010, Zaccagnino and Schilling met with Speaker Fox and former EDC director Keith Stokes in Corso’s downtown law office. By May, the General Assembly had expanded the EDC’s loan guarantee fund from $50 million to $125 million, the exact amount the EDC awarded to 38 Studios later that summer.

Crony's Bar

38 Studios Contractor Ordered to Install Equipment in Fox’s Crony’s Bar

 
A former subcontractor for 38 Studios is alleging that his firm was ordered to work on former Speaker of the House Gordon Fox's business colleague Michael Corso's bar as part of their contract - and has produced what he says is documentation to prove it.
 
Project manager Michael Rossi with SyNet, Inc. has revealed a budget for work which he says shows at $25,000 line item for work to be done at Corso's Tazza Cafe in 2011 -- under a job order for the failed 38 Studios.
Warwick-based SyNet bills itself as "the premier design-build low voltage contractor of structured cabling, access control, surveillance and audio visual systems in the Northeast."
 
Representative Mike Chippendale, Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Secretary of House Oversight who is leading the investigation into 38 Studios along with Rep. Karen MacBeth, told GoLocal, "[Rossi] has hit a number of things on the head, things he wouldn't have been able to have known otherwise. He was able to validate some things, and the State Police has said they have determined the [budget] document has credibility."
"We're moving in the right direction," said Chipendale, who along with Macbeth have both been the target of mail threats in the past month. "We've kicked the hornets' nest."
 
Rossi said when he was working at SyNet, he was aware the 38 Studios work could be a possibility. "When my boss called me to say we got the project, that I was going to oversee the [network infrastructure] work, I thought, "Wow...38 Studios. This is big."
 
"As soon as I started working, they told me to order cable right away," continued Rossi. "I didn't have a permit. Arguments went back and forth. I walk out, I say I don't have a budget, I'm not doing it. I get berated by my boss to get back on the job. Next day, I get the budget, I'm back on the site -- and there are walls up already, with no permits pulled."
 
A portion of the SyNet 38 Studios budget document with a line item for work on Corso's Tazza bar and restaurant.

Galasso

Rhode Island Cartoonist Takes Aim on Fox and Corso

In the midst of Gordon Fox's 2012 re-election effort, he distanced himself from his longtime friend, Mike Corso.

Rhode Island's iconic catoonist took aim at Fox's claim and artfully tied Corso and Fox together.

Selected Image

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