So folks ... it's silly season again ... No, not election time ... but those magic moments when politicians raise their heads up from whatever "Happy Place" they've been hidden ...sensing that their "publicity whore" moment is upon them, to voice Outrage! Outrage! I say! to the legislative swill that is bubbling up from the very bowels of "Halitosis Hall" they can usually be found in ....
Last year? The sum of their moral courage was aimed at a local activists, who dared breach the walls of I-95 to vent their collective outrage at the state sanctioned terrorism aimed squarely at their communities ... ie Stop & Frisk ... The heavens were called down upon these folks, and the usual pablum that passes for legislation in Lil Rhody was written than none other than today's special guest: Senator Lou Raptakis (BTW, the collective outrage dissipated somewhat when this wannabee-Reporter pointed out that the last time someone pulled that stunt, they were white, middle class RISDICked citizens who were egged on by the very same media outlets now prone to a collective nervous breakdown ..)
So, Senator Lou .. the "Man of the People" ... who supported none other than Rhode Island's own Dick Cheney, Richard Licht, (After a lifetime of legal scholarship ... not.) for a well earned Judgeship, deemed it time to get his fair share of camera and radio time by calling for "Felony" level punishment for what most would deem ordinary civil disobience .... And after the Sturm & Drang died down .... and the magic red light of the camera was turned off ... Senator Lou went back to what he does best ... Pizza and Pandering ...
Now, it would appear, that the Good Senator has sensed (Do we call this a political spidey sense?) an opportunity, again, to appear like a man of da people ... Stop The Tolls! Government Transparency! The People Must Be Heard!
Witness his Op Ed piece in today's GoLocalProv ... As always, it's worth a complete read .. but this passage struck me as, well, rather odd ...
"This time, we’re not being asked to blindly approve a deal to throw millions at a company run by a business newcomer in an industry with a high failure rate. Instead, we’re being asked to trust a Governor who already isn’t being forthcoming on releasing public records. Instead, we’re being asked to approve $600 million in revenue bonds—sight unseen—and then hope that the administration will put together a plan to start tolling trucks in a manner that will generate enough revenue to support the bonds. We don’t basic details on the amount of the tolls or where the tolling gantries will be located before approving the bonds.
While the Governor is selling this “truck toll two step” as a reasonable effort to pass some simple enabling legislation (handing over the money) and then work out the details in what she calls a “separate public process” down the line, there’s another way to look at this. She’s giving the legislature plausible deniability, setting it up so they can take an easy vote to approve the $600 million in bonds without having to take responsibility for the details of the final program. It is an attack on good government, essentially turning the General Assembly into an accountability-free zone, when it should be the place where tough questions are asked and all the details are provided before new bond obligations are created."
Except ... there's one leetle problem ... You see, before Senator Raptakis was against the bill, he actually voted for the bill! Transparency? We knew less then, then we do now!
So Lou, take your false populism ... your media savvy ... your cynical misuse of the public trust ...... and ...
The Voting Record ....
WPRI Channel 12 Reporting
For the record, Senator Raptakis has been invited on the Coalition to discuss his voting history. He has declined our requests.
Last year? The sum of their moral courage was aimed at a local activists, who dared breach the walls of I-95 to vent their collective outrage at the state sanctioned terrorism aimed squarely at their communities ... ie Stop & Frisk ... The heavens were called down upon these folks, and the usual pablum that passes for legislation in Lil Rhody was written than none other than today's special guest: Senator Lou Raptakis (BTW, the collective outrage dissipated somewhat when this wannabee-Reporter pointed out that the last time someone pulled that stunt, they were white, middle class RISDICked citizens who were egged on by the very same media outlets now prone to a collective nervous breakdown ..)
So, Senator Lou .. the "Man of the People" ... who supported none other than Rhode Island's own Dick Cheney, Richard Licht, (After a lifetime of legal scholarship ... not.) for a well earned Judgeship, deemed it time to get his fair share of camera and radio time by calling for "Felony" level punishment for what most would deem ordinary civil disobience .... And after the Sturm & Drang died down .... and the magic red light of the camera was turned off ... Senator Lou went back to what he does best ... Pizza and Pandering ...
Now, it would appear, that the Good Senator has sensed (Do we call this a political spidey sense?) an opportunity, again, to appear like a man of da people ... Stop The Tolls! Government Transparency! The People Must Be Heard!
Witness his Op Ed piece in today's GoLocalProv ... As always, it's worth a complete read .. but this passage struck me as, well, rather odd ...
"This time, we’re not being asked to blindly approve a deal to throw millions at a company run by a business newcomer in an industry with a high failure rate. Instead, we’re being asked to trust a Governor who already isn’t being forthcoming on releasing public records. Instead, we’re being asked to approve $600 million in revenue bonds—sight unseen—and then hope that the administration will put together a plan to start tolling trucks in a manner that will generate enough revenue to support the bonds. We don’t basic details on the amount of the tolls or where the tolling gantries will be located before approving the bonds.
While the Governor is selling this “truck toll two step” as a reasonable effort to pass some simple enabling legislation (handing over the money) and then work out the details in what she calls a “separate public process” down the line, there’s another way to look at this. She’s giving the legislature plausible deniability, setting it up so they can take an easy vote to approve the $600 million in bonds without having to take responsibility for the details of the final program. It is an attack on good government, essentially turning the General Assembly into an accountability-free zone, when it should be the place where tough questions are asked and all the details are provided before new bond obligations are created."
Except ... there's one leetle problem ... You see, before Senator Raptakis was against the bill, he actually voted for the bill! Transparency? We knew less then, then we do now!
So Lou, take your false populism ... your media savvy ... your cynical misuse of the public trust ...... and ...
The Voting Record ....
WPRI Channel 12 Reporting
For the record, Senator Raptakis has been invited on the Coalition to discuss his voting history. He has declined our requests.
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