Moore: A Bad News Week For RI Reformers

Moore: A Bad News Week For RI Reformers

Let me make this nice and sparkling clear. 

In my personal (and not quite humble) opinion, Patricia Morgan (R-Coventry, Warwick, West Warwick) is the very best that our state legislature has to offer. On just about every major issue, from opposing tolls, to fighting excessive government spending, to defending charter schools in our state, Morgan is always the first legislator into the fray, fighting on the side of the average (non-connected) Rhode Islander. 

And while he doesn't currently hold office, I feel the same way about Ken Block. Despite his two respectable runs for governor, both of which ended in defeat, Block has been a champion of good government causes over the last 6 years. Block has successfully advocated for the elimination of the so-called master lever as well as a bill that would restore the power of the RI Ethics Commission. Lately, he has championed the enactment of a line-item veto. 

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Good Government Advocates

So don't get me wrong, Rhode Island is lucky to have good government advocates like Morgan and Block on its side, fighting for all of our interests (not just those who are lucky enough to know the right people) on a daily basis. 

But last week was a blow to both individuals, and what's worse, the good causes they fight for. 

First, GoLocal reported that although Morgan is rightfully fighting to eliminate the legislative grant system, Morgan has herself received $20,000 is legislative grants, mostly under the tenure of former House Speaker Gordon Fox (who now resides in a what the late Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci would call a federal gated community. 

They were all for good causes, like the vast majority of the grants are. 

Legislative Grants Must Go

But grants are inherently corrupt. They're used to reward legislators follow the direction of House and Senate leadership and kept away from the legislators who do not. State legislators aren't elected to sheepishly follow leadership like toady little sycophants. They're elected to stand up for the interests of their constituents. Grants subvert that process.

 “It is our duty to use tax dollars wisely and to ensure that taxpayers get maximum value out of every dollar.  Legislative grants can provide much needed money to some very good programs in our communities, like youth sports, food pantries, and senior centers. Unfortunately, the process used to award these grants is political.  And the process is not as transparent as it should be,” said Morgan in press release. 

As usual, she is spot on.

Morgan Shouldn't Take Grants

Of course they should be eliminated and instead voted on by the whole legislative body individually. Yet it's hard to make that case effectively when you're taking the grants yourself. 

That's why the House Republicans, under the leadership of former Minority Leader Robert Watson, abstained from taking grants (at least late in his tenure). It was a wise move. It gave them credibility.

When the average person hears that Morgan has her hand out looking for grant funding, they think "oh they're all the same", which isn't true. Unfortunately, not every follows politics as closely as they should. 

Block's Mishap

That's the same reaction I'm sure the majority of folks had when they read GoLocal's story about Block neglecting to disclose that he was Chairman of a state party, or that he was President of advocacy group RI Taxpayers. The fact that Block was pointing out that several legislators had failed to accurately fill out their ethics forms when he had problems of his own, surely didn't sit well with many. 

Block, for his part, said that he wasn't criticizing individuals, but trying to point out that the ethics system in place isn't very effective since it largely goes unchecked. Perhaps that's true, but unfortunately, perception is often reality and when you've made mistakes yourself, it might not be the best idea to point out the errors of others.

The fact of the matter is that unfortunately, the reformers are always going to be held to higher standards. That might not be fair, but it's reality. And when reformers fall short of exemplary, they're going to be criticized and their causes will suffer. 

RI Needs More Reformers

Unfortunately, that's what happened last week. Here's hoping that doesn't happen again in the future. Rhode Island needs hundreds more Patricia Morgans and Ken Blocks. The state cannot afford to have their reputations tarnished.  

Russell Moore has worked on both sides of the desk in Rhode Island media, both for newspapers and on political campaigns. Send him email at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @russmoore713.