Written by RISC Staff
Wednesday, 01 September 2010 19:37
 Senator Michael Pinga of West Warwick is finding out that his Senate President doesn’t always stand by her incumbent Senators for very long; especially ones who have dared oppose her. The method she uses to let a Senator know they crossed too many lines? Sending your primary opponent $500 in campaign contributions from the Senate Leadership PAC account seems to send a clear message. But the baker turned Senator from Newell Street in West Warwick says he is not deterred that Senate President Teresa Paiva-Weed has sent a $500 contribution to his primary opponent, Peter Calci, who is working hand in hand with the controversial former senator who Pinga defeated in 2008. “That’s all I need to know about her,” says Senator Pinga about the donation Senator Paiva-Weed directed to Pinga’s opponent. “She thinks she’s hurting me? She’s doing me a favor from what I hear on the street if she wants to be associated with that campaign.” Pinga is referring to the fact that Senator Steven Alves, the former senator he defeated who has been the target of several high level financial and ethical probes, including investigations by the U.S. Attorney’s office and the FBI during his controversial tenure as former Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is a top adviser and co-chairman of his Democratic primary opponent’s campaign. Alves is presently embroiled in yet a new financial investigation, this time by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) connected to his role in steering investments in the West Warwick town pension fund to a questionable out of state investment house which has now resulted in substantial losses to the value of the municipal pension fund. “Wherever I go, people remember I beat Alves,” Pinga says, “and I don’t think they want him to return to a position of power. The fact that my opponent is taking contributions from Alves and having him as the ‘honorary’ co-chairman should tell you a lot about Peter Calci.” Pinga is pausing for an interview while in between appointments in another busy day this campaign season that takes him from dawn hours in his bakery, to attending to business matters to preparing for an evening visit to an elderly manor. He was among the first batch of incumbent or challenger candidates endorsed by the RISC Business Network (RBN2010) www.rbn2010.com as a reformer who has not been afraid to challenge the status quo, challenge his own Senate President and stand up for the small business community over the power of the unions in the Legislature. As a businessman who supplies fresh baked goods to small restaurants daily, Pinga knows firsthand what businesses- -and the families who run them - -fear. “They worry about their business surviving, they worry about where the customers will come from with high unemployment and all the foreclosures and all the rest of it,” he says. “They tell me the state hurts businesses more than it helps them.” So Pinga says he is determined to stay and fight in the General Assembly and be a voice for the small family businesses and his whole family is part of the effort with wife Jill, and daughters Nicole and Michaela, regularly out on the campaign trial with him.
“Vote for My Dad” is emblazoned on a tee shirt his youngest daughter Michaela wears he says. Michael Pinga is working hard daily up to the September 14th Primary to be sure West Warwick voters listen to his daughter. Reported By Donna Perry, RISC Communications
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 September 2010 19:46 |
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Thursday, 19 August 2010 15:55
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Exactly one month from now, we will get the first real test of whether Rhode Islanders have really had enough. As September 14th approaches, Rhode Island voters should not underestimate the importance of their participation in the Primary. Historically, voter turnout is light on Primary Day. That’s exactly what certain political special interests are counting on. All too often, especially in General Assembly seat races, the current day Primary system is used simply to “punish” incumbents who have not towed the party line on key legislation, and primary candidate “puppets” are installed into races, to topple incumbents or at least scare them into rethinking their votes next time. A smaller turnout is fertile ground for the primary challenger to upset the incumbent because primaries, by design, draw out the more intensely party loyal voter in the first place. Town committee or ward bosses still wield some influence and can generate a get out the vote effort which can create surprises on Primary day. Independent-minded voters, who may very likely prefer the targeted incumbent precisely because that incumbent thinks and votes independently- -can be outnumbered in the Primary. The RISC Business Network (RBN), which presently has a contingent of nine endorsed candidates, (six incumbents and three challengers), www.rbn2010.com is working hard to ensure that the kind of reformer style incumbents we’ve backed, survive the Primary. (Five of the six incumbents are being primaried) They have signed a candidate pledge to support a multi-tiered “Pro-Growth Agenda” to move the state forward and make no mistake about it: candidates signing the Pro-Growth Agenda pledge are making a public promise to enact reforms that will rein in public employee compensation packages, among many other spending and tax policy proposals. They have spoken up in the Legislature about Union compensation and pension excesses that are crushing community budgets and that’s why these incumbents are being targeted in a Primary. That’s also why they need your support both right now, to help their campaigns’ efforts to get their message out and most certainly at the polls in four weeks. September 14 is equally as important as Election Day, November 2nd. Four Tuesday’s from now, we will see if our state’s voters understand that. We’ll also learn what “had enough” really means in Rhode Island.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 19 August 2010 16:02 |
Written by RISC Staff
Tuesday, 27 July 2010 17:32
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Commentary by RISC Chairman, Harry Staley Over a week ago, it was reported that Bristol Democrat Incumbent Doug Gablinske (District 68) was a topic at a recent union organized meeting involving another Democrat who is now waging a primary battle for Gablinske’s General Assembly seat. No surprise that lawmakers like Gablinske, who has been a critic of excesses in union contracts and the practice of union agents serving in the Legislature, is not their kind of Democrat and has become a target. Gablinske is one of nine legislators endorsed last week by the RISC Business Network’s campaign effort, RBN2010. That list includes 6 incumbents: (Gablinske), Rep. Brian Newberry (R-Smithfield 48), Rep. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt (D-Woonsocket 49), and Rep. Jon Brien (D-Woonsocket 50). Senate Incumbents: Sen. Mike Pinga (D-West Warwick 9), Sen. Ed O’Neill (I-Lincoln 17). Click here for more.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 July 2010 17:43 |
Written by RISC Staff
Monday, 26 July 2010 12:55
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The RISC Foundation and RISC volunteers have been working 24/7, at considerable expense to both organizations, to fulfill their missions and to make a difference in the 2010 elections The following overview reminds us that our joint efforts are directed to: controlling taxes; preserving the environment; improving education; electing honest, effective legislators; promoting transparency at all governmental levels; and, better informing the public. 1. THE TAX CAP ACT OF 2006: RISC was a major player in obtaining a limit on real estate taxes. The act placed a cap of 5.5%, dropping .5% each year until it reaches 4.55 IN 2013. 2. U.S. SUPREME COURT APPEAL: RISC filed an amicus brief on the appeal from an adverse Circuit Court decision allowing the Narragansett Indian Tribe to take land into trust for potential development of a Casino in Charlestown. The RISC brief was cited in the majority opinion of Justice Thomas and the victory has prevented a Casino in Charlestown. READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE HERE!
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