The Scoop: Profughi Questions Brown Poll, Hodgson Releases NRA Survey, and More

Veteran Pollster Profughi Questions Brown Poll

Veteran Rhode Island political pollster Victor Profughi is questioning a new Brown University poll which shows gubernatorial candidates Gina Raimondo and Allan Fung "effectively tied."

"Well, initially I was willing to accept their methodology without question, what piqued my interest again was when they released the statewide one for the gubernatorial race," said Profughi.  "What i found surprising was the size of the swing that they claimed the Fung camp picked up, which led me back to the criticism the Fung camp made in the first poll that they oversampled Providence."

"I thought they surely didn't do that, that there's got to be some explanation.  I found the percentage change interesting, to say the least," concluded Profughi.

Hodgson Releases NRA Survey

In response to opponent Attorney General Peter Kilmartin's call to release his NRA survey, Republican candidate for Attorney General Dawson Hodgson has provided the following information.  

"Special interest surveys are problematic in general. In this case, I felt that the many NRA members in RI deserved to know that I recognize the 2nd Amendment and the entire Bill of Rights as fundamental rights in American law, so that's the question I answered," said Hodgson.  

"I misspoke during our debate. My completed survey is attached, and speaks for itself. Peter is desperately trying to turn attention away from his patronage and conflict ridden administration with this tired old campaign tactic. Peter likes perks and protecting his buddies. He'll say anything to keep that job," said Hodgson.

Here is Hodgson' survey below

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Anti-Casino Group Fires Back on "Corporations" 

Citizens Concerned About Casino Gambling (CCACG) issued this statement following Monday's Board of Elections hearing.

CCACG Political Director Dawn Euer, said, “I'm glad that the Board of Elections is standing up for everyday Rhode Islanders and is requiring Jobs for Newport to disclose the true origin of their funding. It's disturbing that Jobs for Newport is trying to disguise over $604,000 in 'donations' behind a 'corporations are people' argument. In the age of big money and special interests, Jobs for Newport seems to think campaign finance disclosures don't apply to them; we disagree and more importantly, so does the Board of Elections. People have a right to know exactly who is influencing elections."

Euer continued, "CCACG will not be distracted by the ongoing harassment and distractions put forward by Jobs for Newport. We will work to make sure Newporters are informed about where the money is coming from. CCACG will also continue to educate voters about the negative economic impacts that have befallen other cities that have increased their reliance on unstable casino revenue. The reality is that the Jobs for Newport proposal will benefit the few political insiders and investors while harming our city by the sea.”

"They've spent over $604K - we've spent about $137K," said Dawn Euer with Concerned Citizens About Casino Gambling. "They tried to avoid disclosure by saying they're a corporation."

Paiva Weed Wins Brighter Futures Award

Family Service of Rhode Island has announced that Rhode Island Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed is the recipient of the non-profit’s 2014 Brighter Futures Award.

Family Service of Rhode Island presents the honor annually to an individual or organization making an outstanding contribution to the well-being of children. 

"These last few years have not been easy for state governments. Severe budgetary constraints have affected states across the country,” said Family Service of Rhode Island CEO Margaret Holland McDuff. “Through even the most difficult times, President Paiva Weed has acted as a true champion for Rhode Islanders in need, with a record of accomplishments that includes working for affordable housing, reforming the child welfare system,  providing compensation to victims of violent crime and much more. President Paiva Weed embodies the kind of commitment to the community that will carry Rhode Island towards a brighter future for all.” 

The award will be presented Thursday, October 30, at a luncheon at the Rhode Island Convention Center that begins at 12 noon.

Prov. Preservation Society Urges Yes on 5 and 6

Prov. Preservation Society has urged the public to vote yes on Questions 5 and 6 on November 4.

In a press release Prov. Preservation Society said, "Passage of  Question 5. the Creative and Cultural Economy Bonds would authorize the state to borrow $35 million to support improvements and construction at arts facilities and historic sites around the state. As part of the the bond, Question 5 provides $5 million for State Preservation Grants which repair historic buildings open to the public. These are places we use daily: town halls, theaters, museums, park structures, libraries and other community sites. The highly successful program has been dormant since 2008 due to a lack of funds. View all past historic preservation projects that have been funded by the grant."

"PPS is also part of the Move RI Forward Coalition supporting the passage of Question 6, the Mass Transit Hub Infrastructure Bond referendum. Passage of the $35M bond would be used to leverage private and federal investments to enhance and renovate mass transit hub infrastructure within Rhode Island, improving mobility and access to job centers with greater efficiency and convenience. Voting yes on 6 means more jobs - well-paying construction jobs that will re-build our transit system, new businesses and economic development, less congestion on our roads, and a cleaner environment - because less congestion means less carbon emissions into our air," continued Prov. Preservation Society.

Center Releases "Status Quo" Video for ConCon

The Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity has released a new video supporting the RI Constitutional Convention.

See video here

Lyft to Offer Election Day Rides to New Users

Lyft, a ride sharing platform, will partner with the NAACP Providence and Opportunities Industrialization Centers (OIC) of Rhode Island to provide free rides to Rhode Islanders on Election Day, November 4.

"The NAACP Providence branch in partnership with OIC of Rhode Island thanks Lyft for recognizing that in a democracy everyone who wants to vote should have access to the polls," said Jim Vincent, President, NAACP Providence Branch.

“The people of Rhode Island have embraced Lyft’s friendly and affordable rides since our launch in March,” said Chelsea Wilson, Public Policy Communications Manager at Lyft.  “We’re thrilled to be working with the NAACP Providence and OIC to help get voters to and from the polls safely on November 4th.”

HOW IT WORKS

Download Lyft here      
Go to the "Payments" section and enter the code: RIVOTES14
Available to New Users (those who've never taken a Lyft and never redeemed a code)
Request a Lyft on Election Day when you need a ride to/from the polls