Just when you thought that you couldn't be more insulted, Jim Skeffington and his co-owners of the Pawtucket Red Sox have now scheduled a CLOSED DOOR MEETING with the I-195 Redevelopment Commission. The commission agenda, filed on April 20, claims that the meeting will not be accessible to the public-at-large, pursuant to Rhode Island's seemingly inaptly named 'Open Meetings Law.'
In case you haven't noticed, Rhode Islanders are nearly unanimous in their opposition to Skeffington's proposal to lay out 120 million taxpayer dollars to build a new stadium on the reclaimed I-195 land in Providence. In addition to the $120 million in state funds, Skeffington and his cronies are seeking a 100 percent property tax abatement from the capital city over the next thirty years.
Given the overwhelming, and overwhelmingly vocal, opposition to this proposal, did Skeffington et al. and the I-195 Commission think that a closed door meeting would IMPROVE the public's view of this economic sinkhole? Do they think that Rhode Islanders are so ignorant as to not be aware of Skeffington's past dealings with the state, and his "business model" of lining his own pockets with OUR money? Or have they concluded that we've all succumbed to economic Stockholm Syndrome and we have begun to identify with our financial captors?
On the meeting agenda is a presentation by Skeffington's group regarding "Acquisition and Development of District Property." I say Skeffington needs a presentation on the "Acquisition and Development of a sense of decency and ethical business practices."
The meeting is to be held on Monday, April, 27 at 4 pm at the offices of the RI Commerce Corporation, formerly know as the RI Economic Development Corporation, but I don't think the new name was the industrial strength turd polish that our state's "leaders" thought it would be. The extremely foul taste of the 38 Studios debacle is still in our collective mouths, as well it should be. I, for one, will be there in protest. I hope many of you will join me. Commerce Corp. offices are located at 315 Iron Horse Way in Providence, or as Rhode Islanders put it, where the old locomotive works used to be.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If these underhanded tax giveaways continue in the city of Providence, we might as well change the name of the state to 'Providence and Plantations,' because the rest of the state will be sold into economic slavery to the capital city.
In case you haven't noticed, Rhode Islanders are nearly unanimous in their opposition to Skeffington's proposal to lay out 120 million taxpayer dollars to build a new stadium on the reclaimed I-195 land in Providence. In addition to the $120 million in state funds, Skeffington and his cronies are seeking a 100 percent property tax abatement from the capital city over the next thirty years.
Given the overwhelming, and overwhelmingly vocal, opposition to this proposal, did Skeffington et al. and the I-195 Commission think that a closed door meeting would IMPROVE the public's view of this economic sinkhole? Do they think that Rhode Islanders are so ignorant as to not be aware of Skeffington's past dealings with the state, and his "business model" of lining his own pockets with OUR money? Or have they concluded that we've all succumbed to economic Stockholm Syndrome and we have begun to identify with our financial captors?
On the meeting agenda is a presentation by Skeffington's group regarding "Acquisition and Development of District Property." I say Skeffington needs a presentation on the "Acquisition and Development of a sense of decency and ethical business practices."
The meeting is to be held on Monday, April, 27 at 4 pm at the offices of the RI Commerce Corporation, formerly know as the RI Economic Development Corporation, but I don't think the new name was the industrial strength turd polish that our state's "leaders" thought it would be. The extremely foul taste of the 38 Studios debacle is still in our collective mouths, as well it should be. I, for one, will be there in protest. I hope many of you will join me. Commerce Corp. offices are located at 315 Iron Horse Way in Providence, or as Rhode Islanders put it, where the old locomotive works used to be.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If these underhanded tax giveaways continue in the city of Providence, we might as well change the name of the state to 'Providence and Plantations,' because the rest of the state will be sold into economic slavery to the capital city.
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