Gubernatorial Candidates Put Forth Plans in Newport

Seven gubernatorial candidates brought acronyms, aphorisms and other mnemonic devices to the CCRI auditorium on Monday night as they presented their platforms in a forum sponsored by the Newport County Chamber of Commerce and the Newport Daily News.

In opening statements, Moderate candidate Kenneth J. Block promised to bring his RED ("Real Economic Development") program to the governorship.

"I want to see dozens and dozens of businesses move to this state," Block said, proposing a quarter billion dollar fund made up of "state taxpayer money" matched with venture capital and dedicated to small businesses.

Democratic candidate and current state treasurer Frank Caprio echoed the small business theme, saying what he hears from small businesses is that "they feel state government has been their adversary not their advocate."

Independent candidate former Sen. Lincoln Chafee promised as governor to mind the ABCs (Assets, Budget, and Cronyism/Corruption). He pointed out that Newport's assets include tourism and defense, adding that these assets and others around the state should be developed. He mentioned trains and Amtrak as examples of "assets" in his Warwick home base.

"I look forward to addressing the ABCs," Chafee said.

The early evening forum offered a chance to see some of the lesser-known candidates like Todd Giroux (a registered Democrat running as an Independent). In his opening statement, Giroux reshuffled the ABCs and came out with "Accountability, Budget, and Consolidation." However, he said that his main issue was foreclosure prevention.

"We can solve that foreclosure problem with low interest revolving funds," Giroux stated, an idea he revisited throughout the 90-minute forum.

Then there was Independent candidate Joseph Lusi's metaphor about how he planned to approach the questions being posed by the evening's moderator, Daily News executive editor Sheila Mullowney.

"On an open ocean there are no roads; it's not a linear path," said Lusi. "There are obstacles, but there aren't any roads, so when I answer the questions I'm coming at it from the ocean rather than the land."

But Lusi was quite clear when he offered his definition of an Independent.

"By Independent, I would define that as someone who is a free thinker," he said. "I'm not taking any money from anyone, so I can enjoy the freedom of saying exactly what I want to whom I want."

Republican candidate and former state Representative Victor Moffitt opened the forum talking about his plans for a "huge jobs project" that will convert the Newport Navy property into a "world class Aquarium," a research center and water desalinization plant.

Republican John Robitaille prefaced his platform by briefly summarizing his biography, saying he worked his way through college, has never held office, and that he's a grandfather to five grandchildren, a cancer survivor and a former small business owner.

"You'll have a choice this November whether to elect a professional politician for the office of governor, or to elect someone who's more like you," Robitaille said, "someone who's lived in the real world, a person who's faced real challenges in their lives, someone who made tough decisions."

There was some tough talk when the candidates were asked how they would address the financial woes of cities and towns. Caprio said that if "someone that runs a department comes in over budget, he'll have a new title: Former Department Director."

And Robitaille took a traditional Republican stance, saying, "Rhode Island doesn't have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem." Robitaille promised to look for waste.

Lincoln Chafee said that cutting aid to cities and towns was essentially raising taxes, and he took the opportunity to point out that he is the only candidate who has served at the local level as a councilman and a mayor. 

Giroux suggested, "Rhode Island needs its own version of a TARP fund." 

Giroux, Caprio and Moffitt all talked about various plans for consolidating municipal departments to eliminate duplication. For example, Moffitt discussed consolidating police and fire departments into County fire and police departments. He also suggested consolidating the schools into four regional districts.

"The first thing I would do is lead by example," Lusi said about working within a tight budget. "I made a pledge if I were to be elected governor I would work for half the salary; I would forego healthcare; I would forego any pension."

On environmental/energy issues the candidates were more often in agreement than not. No one favored the Hess LNG proposal. Most thought that the deep water wind project was a good idea in theory, and that Rhode Island has the perfect circumstances to profit from such a wind project, the right water depth, the right wind. Caprio and Block wanted to move forward quickly.

"Let's get those windmills going," said Block.

But others had reservations about the actual deal that was put on the table.

"It's been what I call a skunk," said Moffitt.

Lusi showed himself to be conversant on the deep wind subject, quoting pricing irregularities and legal issues. Like Moffitt, Lusi concluded, "It's a bad deal."

On the right to same sex marriages, most candidates were in favor, although Robitaille and Moffitt would stop at civil unions. 

Overall, the forum was orderly and the tone remained low-key. Candidates kept their responses close to the framework sketched out in their opening statements. The only real diversion occurred when Todd Giroux was discussing education funding and drifted off topic. The moderator, Mullowney, cut in to restate the question, which he sidestepped again, this time creeping over his time limit after she called "time."

"Please stop when I ask you to stop," Mullowney said. Then Mullowney turned to Lusi.

"Joe, how will the state live up to the promises of the funding formula it passed this year?"

"It probably won't," Lusi replied curtly. The room filled with chuckles and then clapping, one of few such moments. The other moment came when Moffitt asked to rebut a statement made by Robitaille on the question of funding education. After Mullowney had denied to allow the rebuttal, Moffitt blurted it in at the end of his response to the next question.

"Very sneaky," she said.