Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not - Dec. 18
Russell J. Moore, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™
Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not - Dec. 18
Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not - Dec. 18
HOT
Nicholas Mattiello
Let's give the House Speaker some credit, he finally showing a willingness to sign subpoenas calling on those involved in the ill-fated and devastating 38 Studio's $75 million loan guarantee to fruition. It's unclear if anything will come of those subpoenas, but their issuance is a positive step and shows that the House Speaker is willing to let others look for answers.
HOT
Lincoln Chafee
Say what you want about the former Governor, US Senator, and Warwick Mayor, but the latest developments in the 38 Studios Saga wouldn't have come to fruition if it weren't for Chafee's decision to file a civil lawsuit against many of the parties responsible for bringing the 38 Studios deal to fruition. It was when the depositions from that case were made public that Speaker Mattiello started changing his tone about having to put this behind us and instead allowed the Oversight Committee to look for answers.
HOT
Gina Raimondo
Will 2016 be the Governor's best year yet as a public official? The opportunities are currently there for her to make that hope a reality. If the Governor can develop the route 195 land, find tenants for The Superman Building, or possibly lure General Electric back to Rhode Island--she will be remembered as a success for years to come. All would be a tough task, but the good news is that the opportunities are there.
HOT
James Diossa
The Mayor of Central Falls continues to make wise and prudent moves on behalf of his city. This week, Diossa brought on Dr. Michael Fine, the highly respected former director of the Rhode Island Department of Health on as the city's Community Health Advisor.
HOT
Providence Single Life
Overall, single life in Providence is pretty good, according to a study by Wallethub. The study found that the capital city is the 26th most "romantic and fun" city in the country. That's not hard to believe given all the great restaurants and fun things to do in the city.
HOT
Providence College Athletics
It sure is a great time to be a Friar. The men's hockey team is tops in the polls, and the men's basketball team is currently ranked number 14 in the country. This week, athletic director Bob Driscoll announced plans to build a new, $37 million athletic center (thanks in large part to the generosity of Michael Ruane, the founding owner of Boston based TA Realty).
NOT
Karen MacBeth
Sure, the Chairperson of the House Oversight Committee that's investigating the 38 Studio's debacle deserves credit for her efforts. But why did she say that her issuance of a subpoena to former House Finance Chairman Steven Costantino came with "a heavy heart"? Representative MacBeth should know that Costantino is doing just fine, and doesn't need any empathy. The people of Rhode Island, who are stuck paying for this ill-fated deal are the folks she should be feeling a "heavy heart" for.
NOT
Radio Turmoil
The future of radio is very much in question considering that the two biggest media companies in the country are experiencing serious financial woes. And that could trickle down to RI and spell trouble for local talk radio--a must have for politics junkies. 630 WPRO's parent company, Cumulus, has brought on a CEO who specializes in bringing companies into bankruptcy, and insiders believe that's where it's headed. Up the dial, 920 WHJJ's future is also uncertain given iHeartRadio's (its parent) financial issues.
NOT
Speed Bumps
Golocal published an editorial this week comparing the proposal to build speed bumps on Blackstone Boulevard to an idea that was floated around decades ago to purchase a helicopter for the mayor's office. It's a great comparison, but at least a helicopter is cool--unlike speed bumps. The city would be wise to throw away this proposal and look for other ways to control the speed of traffic on the east side neighborhood.
NOT
Hedge Funds
Not all hedge funds are created equal, and there are certainly many well performing funds, but it's certainly been a bad year, generally speaking, for hedge funds. Golocal reported this week that the former MIT Associate Dean, Gabriel Bitran and his son Marco Bitran, were recently sentenced to 45 months in prison for running a hedge fund that scammed their investors. Also, the poor performance of some hedge funds, the New York Times reported this week, has forced some hedge fund managers (who are billionaires) to write apology letters to their investors. Ouch! That's not good press for the industry.
NOT
Providence City Website
A hacker calling his or herself "g0tchack" broke into the city website on Sunday morning and caused it to shut down for several hours and then claimed to have acquired sensitive data that they're trying to sell. The unfortunate occurrence is just the latest example of the dangers that spring from the availability of data in the information age.
NOT
Terror Threat
As Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel Steve O'Donnel told Golocal earlier this week, Rhode Island is unfortunately not immune to the threat or terrorism. In June, a Rhode Island man was arrested by the FBI and had connections to a terror suspect who was shot just the week prior. All this means that every needs to keep their eyes open, and if anything suspicious is taking place--alert the authorities.
NOT
Rob Manfred
The MLB Commissioner has declined to lift the lifetime ban on Pete Rose, the all-time hit king, which was given to him over the fact that he gambled on baseball as a manager back in 1980. The commissioner's decision is unfair and unjust given that Rose, now 74, has already paid the price for his transgressions over the last 25 years. Sure, Rose was wrong to bet on baseball while involved in the game. But the true injustice is that one of the sports best players of all time is still banned from the game and not in the Hall of Fame.
