Riley: The Plans of RhodeMap RI May Scare People
Michael G. Riley, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™
Riley: The Plans of RhodeMap RI May Scare People
“The Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program supports metropolitan and multi-jurisdictional planning efforts that integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments in a manner that empowers jurisdictions to consider the interdependent challenges of: (1) economic competitiveness and revitalization; (2) social equity, inclusion, and access to opportunity; (3) energy use and climate change; and (4) public health and environmental impact.”
How many people in Rhode Island voted for any of this?
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSocial Equity Advisory Committee
RhodeMap RI will affect all Rhode Islanders so all Rhode Islanders must be heard and included in the process. Inequalities are a part of all of the RhodeMap RI focus areas, from racial differences in unemployment to a scarcity of affordable housing in some parts of the state. The Social Equity Advisory Committee (SEAC) includes people from a diversity of organizations and communities. The SEAC meets regularly to advise RhodeMap RI on two major topics – designing an inclusive, diverse process and reviewing the development of all goals, strategies and policies to ensure that the impact of RhodeMap RI widens opportunities for all and reduces disparities.
Were you asked to participate on this committee?
Here is a list of who RhodeMap RI interviewed in their “outreach to the community”
Do any of these interviewees represent you or your business?
This RhodeMap RI effort like so many others in Rhode island is in fact a result of the same “echo chamber” that’s has produced last place ratings for our State in virtually any business category. The goal of economic development appears as an afterthought. Economic progress from this plan is essentially a pipe dream that is a product of Group think. The real goal appears to be social engineering, affordable housing and a 2015 version of Urban Renewal. My office CMG LLC is in the Urban Renewal zone in Narragansett where dozens of buildings and businesses were razed in the name of Urban Renewal in the 1970’s. I arrived in the early 2000’s and today 15 years after urban renewal 30 year restraints expired, the town retains zoning imposed by HUD and still dictates where and what kind of tree can be planted. Gilbane Co. updated its low cost urban renewal housing condos in 2005/6 into $1 million dollar condos and a promised locals a super market for this new center of town. The Grocery Store has been vacant for 10 years. Dozens of stores have gone bust and there are empty spaces all over even though this is next to one of the nicest beaches in Rhode Island. So much for central planning.
A must see meeting explodes as “Social Equity” panel exposes itself
A review of the recent GoLocalProv video exposing the “social equity” committee was right out of a capitalist nightmare.
In addition, in the various documents there are references to efforts to have everyone earn the same income and imposition of racial quotas. This cannot be what Rhode Islanders want. On the East Side we recently saw an uproar over smaller sized lot zoning for affordable housing raising the very real specter of NIMBY. This plan is strongly supported by a Governor who has one month left in office and received fewer votes than any Governor elect in United States history. His 36% of the vote was a high for him as he plummeted in popularity from the very first day he took office. Consequently, after deciding 2 years ago that he couldn't even win dog catcher, he has been working on RhodeMap RI. His focus was on this rather than his promised 38 studio forensic investigation or the teetering cities and towns. We do ourselves a great disservice if we do not hold up this Chafee pet project and review what could possibly go wrong. We have seen Chafee and these coalitions operate in a clandestine manner before. I strongly urge all property owners and voters to be wary of the “hype” and made completely aware of issues of eminent domain, water rights and what is meant by “social Justice” and who is to make that call.
Rhode Island's History of Political Corruption
Buddy Cianci
Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci resigned as Providence Mayor in 1984 after pleading nolo contendere to charges of assaulting a Bristol man with a lit cigarette, ashtray, and fireplace log. Cianci believed the man to be involved in an affair with his wife.
Cianci did not serve time in prison, but received a 5-year suspended sentence. He was replaced by Joseph R. Paolino, Jr. in a special election.
Joseph Bevilacqua
Joseph Bevilacqua was RI Speaker of the House from 1969 to 1975, and was appointed as Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court in 1976. It was alleged that Bevilacqua had connections to organized crime throughout his political career.
According to a 1989 article that appeared in The New York Times at the time of his death:
The series of events that finally brought Mr. Bevilacqua down began at the end of 1984... stating that reporters and state police officers had observed Mr. Bevilacqua repeatedly visiting the homes of underworld figures.
The state police alleged that Mr. Bevilacqua had also visited a Smithfield motel, owned by men linked to gambling and drugs...
Thomas Fay
Thomas Fay, the successor to Bevilacqua as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, resigned in 1993, and was later found guilty on three misdemeanor counts of directing arbitration work to a partner in his real estate firm, Lincoln Center Properties.
Fay was also alleged to use court employees, offices, and other resources for the purposes of the real estate firm. Fay, along with court administrator and former Speaker of the House, Matthew "Mattie" Smith were alleged to have used court secretaries to conduct business for Lincoln, for which Fay and Smith were business partners.
Fay was fined $3,000 and placed on one year probation. He could have been sentenced for up to three years in prison.
Brian J. Sarault
Former Pawtucket Mayor Brian J. Sarault was sentenced in 1992 to more than 5 years in prison, after pleading guilty to a charge of racketeering.
Sarault was arrested by state police and FBI agents at Pawtucket City Hall in 1991, who alleged that the mayor had attempted to extort $3,000 from former RI State Rep. Robert Weygand as a kickback from awarding city contracts.
Weygand, after alerting federal authorities to the extortion attempt, wore a concealed recording device to a meeting where he delivered $1,750 to Sarault.
Edward DiPrete
Edward DiPrete became the first Rhode Island Governor to be serve time in prison after pleading guilty in 1998 to multiple charges of corruption.
He admitted to accepting bribes and extorting money from contractors, and accepted a plea bargain which included a one-year prison sentence.
DiPrete served as Governor from 1985-1991, losing his 1990 re-election campaign to Bruce Sundlun.
Plunder Dome
Cianci was forced to resign from the Mayor’s office a second time in 2002 after being convicted on one several charges levied against him in the scandal popularly known as “Operation Plunder Dome.”
The one guilty charge—racketeering conspiracy--led to a five-year sentence in federal prison. Cianci was acquitted on all other charges, which included bribery, extortion, and mail fraud.
While it was alleged that City Hall had been soliciting bribes since Cianci’s 1991 return to office, much of the case revolved around a video showing a Cianci aide, Frank Corrente, accepting a $1,000 bribe from businessman Antonio Freitas. Freitas had also recorded more than 100 conversations with city officials.
Operation Plunder Dome began in 1998, and became public when the FBI executed a search warrant of City Hall in April 1999.
Cianci Aide Frank Corrente, Tax Board Chairman Joseph Pannone, Tax Board Vice Chairman David C. Ead, Deputy tax assessor Rosemary Glancy were among the nine individuals convicted in the scandal.
N. Providence Councilmen
Three North Providence City Councilmen were convicted in 2011 on charges relating to a scheme to extort bribes in exchange for favorable council votes. In all, the councilmen sought more than $100,000 in bribes.
Councilmen Raimond A. Zambarano, Joseph Burchfield, and Raymond L. Douglas III were sentenced to prison terms of 71 months, 64 months, and 78 months, respectively.
Charles Moreau
Central Falls Mayor Charles Moreau resigned in 2012 before pleading guilty to federal corruption charges.
Moreau admitted that he had give contractor Michael Bouthillette a no-bid contract to board up vacant homes in exchange for having a boiler installed in his home.
He was freed from prison in February 2014, less than one year into a 24 month prison term, after his original sentence was vacated in exchange for a guilty plea on a bribery charge. He was credited with tim served, placed on three years probation, and given 300 hours of community service.
Joe Almeida
State Representative Joseph S. Almeida was arrested and charged on February 10, 2015 for allegedly misappropriating $6,122.03 in campaign contributions for his personal use. Following his arrest, he resigned his position as House Democratic Whip, but remains a member of the Rhode Island General Assembly.
Gordon Fox
The Rhode Island State Police and FBI raided and sealed off the State House office of Speaker of the House Gordon Fox on March 21--marking the first time an office in the building has ever been raided.
Fox pled guilty to 3 criminal counts on March 3, 2015 - accepting a bribe, wire fraud, and filing a false tax return. The plea deal reached with the US Attorney's office calls for 3 years in federal prison, but Fox will be officially sentenced on June 11.
