Check out the Moderate Party and Moderate Party Candidates in the news.
October 29, 2010
RI College & Channel 10 Debate Come out and support Ken Block as he tackles the issues! Join us at RI College at 7:30PM.
September 3, 2010
Some of what I stand for... What do I stand for?
No New Taxes!
Preserving our public safety
Contract raises negotiated
based upon the price index
ratio.
Increase proficiency of our
school children by
encouraging proficiency
evaluations / testing of our
educators / parental
involvement.
Door to door dissemination of
city, state and federal
programing literature to our
struggling business’s.
A “Thank You” property tax
exemption for long-time
residents of 15 years or
longer.
One time property tax
exemption for returning
Combat Active military men
and women.
Community meetings every
other month to keep you and I
communicating and informed!
September 2, 2010
A Release From the Block and Caprio Campaigns for Governor: Chafee Looks to Block and Caprio for Economic Development Ideas Providence, RI - Gubernatorial candidate Lincoln Chafee has released a plan for the Rhode Island Loan Guaranty Fund that amounts to a summary of ideas that two of his opponents have offered to restructure the way the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation will administer the fund.
From Moderate Ken Block^s Rhode Island R.E.D. (Real Economic Development) plan, Chafee borrowed limiting the State^s financial exposure in any one deal, focusing the investments on small business and mitigating the risk by diversifying investments across many smaller deals.
A week ago, Block called Chafee a ^job killer^ for Chafee^s vow to not do any deals to bring employers to Rhode Island.
"Chafee^s uncertainty over what to do regarding economic development in RI is far from gubernatorial, and shows a chilling lack of understanding of what business owners - and the entire State - need to re-ignite the economy," said Ken Block, Moderate Party Candidate for Governor.
The R.E.D. plan involves setting up 3 venture funds focused on different industry sectors, all of which will be professionally managed by private venture firms, chosen via a competitive bid process, who will be required to match the State^s investment. The State would have no presence on the boards of any companies funded via the R.E.D. program, although the State would be a venture investor in those companies. Ken Block^s plan is funded with actual state dollars while Chafee^s merely offers loan guarantees with no idea where the money will come from.
From Democrat Frank Caprio, Chafee borrowed the idea of securing an equity share and a presence for the state on the board of companies, like 38 Studios, seeking funds from the loan guaranty fund. Last month, Caprio sent a letter to the RIEDC proposing an equity share for the state, as well as a presence on the board of the company, among other terms needed to make the deal a strong one for the taxpayer. Caprio called the equity share an opportunity for the state to share in the reward the same way a venture capital firm would in a deal of this nature.
After weeks of discussions with the EDC aimed at improving the deal for the taxpayers and a reluctance on the part of the EDC to make changes to the structure of the deal, Caprio has moved to protect the state from the risky 38 Studios deal by asking the bond rating agencies to withhold further review of the deal until a new administration is in place.
This is not the first time Chafee has tried to put his name on the ideas of others. A little over a month ago, Chafee held a press conference saying he would propose moving state offices out of leased office space and into vacant state owned buildings. However, two weeks prior to Chafee^s press conference, the State Retirement Board, at the urging of Treasurer Caprio, voted to move out of its presently leased location in downtown Providence to an unoccupied state building in Warwick. The move will save the state approximately $4 million dollars over the next 10 years. Additionally, the Governor^s Office has already saved approximately $4 million dollars over the last 5 years through a practice of relocating state offices into vacant state properties.
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/A-release-from-the-Block-and-Caprio-Campaigns-for-Governor--Chafee-Looks-to-Block-and-Caprio-for-Ideas.html?soid=1102054253269&aid=nMPHKs0Qpjk September 1, 2010
Coffee with Candidate Ken Block The Rhode Show wants to help you get to know the candidates running for office in the upcoming elections on a personal level.
Moderate Party Candidate for Rhode Island Governor, Ken Block joined the show as a part of our new segment called ^Coffee with the Candidates,^ to show viewers a different side of himself.
Watch the attached video for more information.
http://www.foxprovidence.com/dpp/rhode_show/coffee-with-the-candidates-ken-block August 31, 2010
Ken Block, on Frank Caprio^s Move in the 38 Studios Saga Anchor Rising posted the following article:
In the course of an interview with Moderate party Gubernatorial Candidate Ken Block, I had the opportunity to get Mr. Block^s immediate reaction to the news that General Treasurer and Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio had taken steps today to prevent the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation loan-guarantee deal with 38 Studios from being implemented...
"I^ve been firmly and emphatically against the 38 Studios deal right from its announcement. Frank has been all over the map on it...He^s apparently has gone directly to the ratings agencies and has been stirring the pot with them. I don^t know if Frank has overstepped any boundaries or not, in his formal capacity, as either a citizen or as a Treasurer..."
"For me, it^s been abundantly clear from day 1 that this deal was the wrong deal for Rhode Island. It^s unfortunate. I^m not sure we can unring the bell. I^m not sure that we should unring the bell, because if a state begins reneging on deals, that could have a negative impact on other deals you might do with other entities down the line..."
"I know that I^m still adamantly against the deal, but will anybody do a deal with us in the future, not being able to be sure that the deal is going to go through?...I wish that Frank was clearer all the way along. Like I said before, he^s been all over the map in terms of where he is. He^s against it today, we^ll see what happens tomorrow..."
To hear the audio from this interview, click here:
http://www.anchorrising.com/barnacles/011032.html August 31, 2010
Block Puts 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.
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.
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.
http://middletown.patch.com/articles/gubernatorial-candidates-put-forth-plans-in-newport August 31, 2010
Block Discusses Economy, Job Creation The Associated Press Published the Following Article:
NEWPORT, R.I. — Rhode Island^s gubernatorial candidates decried what they said was waste and abuse in government spending and management and traded ideas on producing jobs, aiding small businesses and casino gambling at a forum on Monday.
The forum, held just 15 days before the primary election, stayed largely civil throughout as the seven contenders were each asked the same questions but were not given a chance to address each other. The candidates are vying to replace Republican Gov. Don Carcieri, who is finishing out his second and final term.
Several of the questions focused on job creation and reviving the dormant economy, vital issues in a state with one of the country^s highest unemployment rates.
Moderate Party candidate Ken Block, a small business owner, proposed investing $125 million into green power manufacturing companies, research and development and high-tech businesses, with that money overseen by a professional venture capital firm.
He, like other candidates, complained about the high cost of health care coverage especially for small businesses and said he had watched his own premiums explode. He said that doctors in the state were complaining to him of low reimbursement rates from insurers and that the state was struggling to attract primary care physicians.
"Everyone seems to be unhappy, and costs keep going up," Block said. "Where does the money go?"
The candidates were divided on whether to expand Twin River and Newport Grand, the state^s two licensed slot parlors, into full-scale casinos with table games. The General Assembly this year passed legislation authorizing a voter referendum in November on casino gambling, but Carcieri vetoed the bill and lawmakers never reconvened to override the veto.
Gambling is already one of the state^s largest sources of revenue, generating about $300 million annually, and the debate has taken on urgency as neighboring Massachusetts weighs creating gambling casinos.
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Chafee, Block and Caprio all said they would sign a bill legalizing same-sex marriage if it passed the General Assembly, where legislation has died year after year. Robitaille and Moffitt said they opposed gay marriage but were open to civil unions.
The forum at the Newport campus of the Community College of Rhode Island was co-sponsored by the Newport County Chamber of Commerce and the Newport Daily News.
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http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=delawareonline&sParam=34406041.story August 30, 2010
Block Spells Out His Differences at Forum The Providence Journal published the following article:
NEWPORT, R.I. — They agreed on some of the big-picture items — the state needs more jobs, a better business climate and a better handle on how it spends money.
But seven men who are running to be Rhode Island’s next governor also expressed some distinct differences during a 90-minute forum Monday evening at the Community College of Rhode Island.
Four candidates –– the Moderate Party’s Kenneth J. Block, Democrat Frank T. Caprio and independents Lincoln D. Chafee and Todd J. Giroux — said they support the Deepwater Wind turbine project that received special legislation this year, saying it is an opportunity for the state to get in front on renewable energy. Three candidates — Republicans John F. Robitaille and Victor G. Moffitt and independent Joseph M. Lusi — said they oppose the project, either because they have concerns about an approval process that required special legislation or because of high projected end-user costs.
Five candidates — Block, Caprio, Chafee, Giroux and Lusi — said they would support a law to allow same-sex marriages in Rhode Island. The two Republican candidates — Moffitt and Robitaille — said they are traditionalists who believe marriage is between one man and one woman, though both said they would be open to a law allowing civil unions.
Five candidates — Block, Caprio, Chafee, Giroux, and Lusi — said they favor an expansion of the state’s casinos in Lincoln and Newport, with Caprio and Lusi also supporting more casinos as well. Robitaille said he sees expansions at Twin River and Newport Grand as only a short-term solution, while Moffitt said gambling is not the answer to the state’s economic woes.
“Let’s turn that around and make it an addiction to manufacturing jobs,” he said.
All seven candidates said Rhode Island needs to rebuild its economy, but they floated different ideas for how to do that and create jobs.
Block, a business owner and software engineer, said the state needs to cut costs and follow his “Rhode Island RED” plan to invest $125 million in three funds that would target the emerging industries of knowledge/high tech, medical research and development, and green power and related manufacturing.
“We need to actually fix our economy at the same time that we get control of our spending,” he said.
When asked a question of more local interest — what they would do about the state’s bridge tolls —Block said he would look into eliminating the tolls.
About 150 people attended the forum, which was sponsored by the Newport County Chamber of Commerce and the Newport Daily News and moderated by Daily News Executive Editor Sheila L. Mullowney. The forum will air on local cable outlets, she said.
http://www.projo.com/news/politics/content/governors_newport_forum_08-31-10_Q0JNVU8_v10.253986a.html August 29, 2010
PolitiFact Ranks Block^s Claims as "True": PolitiFact Ranks Block^s Claims as "True": First Gubernatorial Candidate to Receive "True" on Truth-O-Meter
Warwick, RI--Ken Block, Moderate Party Candidate for Governor, is the first gubernatorial candidate to receive a "True" ranking on PolitiFact^s Truth-O-Meter scale. After a month of investigating, PolitiFact concluded that the statement Block made in his first commercial, "I helped to invent a system that saved over a billion dollars on welfare," was true.
As a software engineer, Block was a leading member of a team put together by GTECH Corporation that created the country^s first statewide debit card system adopted in 1995 by the Health and Human Services Commission of Texas.
Block^s role in the creation of the EBT Debit Card System for Texas (The Texas Lone Star Card) was largely in the designing and coding of the database that stores all of the information for the system. There were 3 primary goals which drove the federal government to mandate that all states adopt an EBT system for delivering Food Stamp and Cash Assistance benefits: 1) De-stigmatizing those who receive and use the benefits; 2) Streamline the redemption process for retailers who accept these benefits and 3) Reduce waste and fraud by computerizing what had been a wholly paper-based system. With this new system in place, the state of Texas saved over a billion dollars by cutting the costs of printing and shipping food stamps, eliminating the production of counterfeit stamps, preventing multiple addresses from being used, and tracking fraudulent vendors.
If elected Governor, Block says he will implement similar software across health and human services programs in Rhode Island to eliminate waste and fraud, particularly in Medicaid.
"States that have a system of technology-based fraud detection in place realize between ten to twenty percent of waste and fraud in their Medicaid program," said Block. "Rhode Island^s Medicaid system (when you round up) is an almost two billion dollar program. By utilizing technology, we could possibly identify between $200 and $400 million in waste in this program alone. Rather than raising taxes, laying off personnel and cutting programs, I believe we can come close to closing our budget deficit if we implement this type of technology across all of our health and human services programs."
Block is the first gubernatorial candidate to receive a "True" ranking on PolitiFact^s Truth-O-Meter.
"Ken Block has a proven track record of solving problems and sets himself apart from the other candidates because he has real, long-term plans for fixing Rhode Island," said Block^s Campaign Manager, Christine Hunsinger. "This verdict shows that unlike his opponents, whose claims are shockingly substance free, the statements Ken makes have weight behind them. Rhode Island needs an honest governor with real plans to turn this state around."
Block^s experience as a small business owner sets him apart from his opponents. Not only does he have experience with this waste and fraud technology, but he also understands what small businesses need to thrive in Rhode Island.
To read the PolitiFact^s analysis of Block^s statement, click here:
http://www.politifact.com/rhode-island/statements/2010/aug/29/kenneth-block/block-says-system-he-helped-create-detect-welfare-/ August 28, 2010
Block to Attend Latino Public Radio Event Ken will attend the Latino Public Radio Event to meet with voters.
There, he will record a PSA to play on the radio station, participate in a live interview, and mingle with attendees.
We hope to see you there!
http://www.lprri.org/inicio/index.php?categoryid=1 August 27, 2010
Block Offers Plans for Economy The Providence Journal featured the following article:
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — What will turn around the state’s troubled economy and create more jobs? Tax cuts? More stimulus spending? Big public works jobs?
Five candidates for governor offered those proposals and more as they debated Thursday morning at the Rhode Island Convention Center before union leaders and contractors who make up Build Rhode Island, a labor-management group that promotes construction work in the state.
Executive Director Gregory A. Mancini said that in 10 years, he has never heard so much concern about the state’s economy as now. Some of the candidates argued that it has been decades since things were so bad.
Moderate Kenneth J. Block said the state’s business climate is terrible and businessmen are choosing to locate elsewhere, where taxes are lower and work forces are better educated. He proposed improved education and a $250-million stimulus package for small-business people.
Block said he would like to see more assistance provided to businesses, but in smaller amounts, maybe $5 million each.
Only Block agreed when Rappleye asked if state building projects should only go to Rhode Island firms.
All said minimum wage laws should be enforced. And all disagreed with a proposal to raise gasoline taxes by 15 cents a gallon to provide more funding for Department of Transportation road and bridge projects.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/Governors_Business_Forum_08-27-10_H6JMH75_v10.1d7d333.html August 27, 2010
Grade Our New Commercial and Give it an "A" Ken Block released a new commercial this week, and GoLocalProv has it on their website for viewers to grade.
Click here to view the commercial and give Ken an "A!"
http://www.golocalprov.com/news/grade-the-political-spot-block/ August 26, 2010
Block Attends BuildRI Forum Turnto10.com featured the following article:
PROVIDENCE --The five leading candidates for governor of Rhode Island have had more than a few chances to square off this election season.
At a forum Thursday sponsored by BuildRI, a coalition of unions and contractors, the five candidates made sharp distinctions between each other.
They all have questions about Rhode Island Economic Development Corp.^s $75 million deal with Curt Schilling^s video game company.
Moderate Party candidate Ken Block had specific suggestions for the EDC.
He would turn over the guaranteed money that is being used in the Schilling deal to venture capitalists with the provision that the private firm match any money offered dollar for dollar. He said he would focus the efforts of the EDC in three distinct sectors: high-tech, medical, and sustainable energy.
The candidates all agreed that prevailing wage laws need to be enforced more strictly. All the candidates said no to gas tax hikes.
Block said to consider his ideas and not his rhetoric. He said he^ll recover more money by eliminating fraud in social welfare systems than any of the candidates can save through efficiencies.
BuildRI^s Greg Mancini said the forum was a good chance for the unions and contractors to hear how the candidates would create new economic development opportunities.
There^s no question that the gloves are beginning to come off in this contest. Candidates who are seen as trailing the pack are beginning to target the presumed leaders.
http://www2.turnto10.com/news/2010/aug/26/ri-governor-forum-ar-209992/ August 24, 2010
Opposition Mounts Against Loan Guarantee for 38 Studios Check out this video to see Ken take a stance on the 38 Studios Deal.
http://www.necn.com/08/23/10/Opposition-mounts-against-loan-guarantee/landing.html?blockID=296119&feedID=4209 August 24, 2010
Ken Block Releases Third Commercial! Check out the newest Ken Block commercial here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4670jId_duk August 24, 2010
Foe of Schilling Deal Silenced The following article was printed in the Providence Journal:
Lincoln D. Chafee, independent candidate for Rhode Island governor, was left standing in the doorway of the state’s Economic Development Corporation Monday afternoon, having been rebuffed by Governor Carcieri in his attempt to address the EDC board.
Chafee planned to speak against a controversial $75-million loan guarantee to bring former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s video-game company, 38 Studios LLC, to Rhode Island.
Just before the meeting started, Carcieri, the EDC board chairman, entered the building, barely breaking stride as he walked past Chafee.
Chafee asked if he would be allowed to speak. Carcieri said no.
Stephen P. Erickson, legal adviser to Chafee’s campaign, attempted to hand Carcieri a letter from Chafee. Carcieri refused to accept it, and told Erickson to give it to EDC attorney Robert I. Stolzman.
Chafee did not attend the meeting, which was open to the public and dealt mostly with organizational matters. The 38 Studios deal was not discussed.
Chafee was not the only gubernatorial candidate to raise the controversial Schilling deal Monday.
In the morning, Moderate Party candidate Ken Block formally requested that the EDC provide him with information about the 38 Studios loan guarantee, including whether the company would be eligible for any additional tax benefits, such as a state film tax credit.
Block said he plans to meet with EDC Executive Director Keith Stokes on Sept. 2.
At a news conference Monday, Block criticized Chafee, saying that the “No more deals” pledge Chafee made last week in discussing the Schilling loan guarantee should be called “No more jobs.”
“I don’t think Rhode Island is in a proper competitive stance, with almost 70,000 unemployed, without the ability to do some deals,” Block said in a phone interview Monday night.
Block said he believes it’s “a foregone conclusion” that the Schilling loan guarantee will go through. But he said he would have structured the deal very differently.
Block unveiled his own plan Monday, calling it The Rhode Island RED (Real Economic Development Program).
Starting with a $125-million state commitment, he said, his plan would rely on investments chosen and managed by professional investment firms in targeted areas such as alternative energy and medicine.
The firms, chosen by competitive bid, would be required to match public money with private investment at a minimum ratio of one to one.
The 38 Studios deal calls for the state to issue $75 million in revenue bonds, which would be purchased by private investors. 38 Studios would be responsible for paying them back but, if it should default, the state would be responsible for the debt.
In return, 38 Studios will move its headquarters from Maynard, Mass., to Rhode Island. The company has promised to bring 450 jobs to Rhode Island by the end of 2012.
Block said he didn’t believe going to the EDC board meeting Monday would serve any useful purpose.
http://www.projo.com/economy/EDC_MEETING_CANDIDATES_08-24-10_20JLDOL_v18.245ebe8.html August 24, 2010
Block Says Chafee Policy Is a ‘Job Killer’ Moderate Party candidate for governor Ken Block is criticizing independent Lincoln Chafee for his pledge that as governor he won’t give out special deals to companies considering a move to Rhode Island.
Both candidates oppose the $75 million loan guarantee the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation extended to Curt Schilling’s video game company, 38 Studios. But Block said the state still needs to recruit companies to come to the state.
“With almost 70,000 people out of work, Rhode Island has no choice but to aggressively recruit job creators,” said Block. He lambasted Chafee’s no-special-deals policy as a “No More Jobs” initiative.
Last week, Chafee proudly touted his record as mayor of Warwick, when he refused to give a tax break to Beacon Mutual, which was considering a move to the city. Block pointed out that at the same time, Chafee negotiated with the teacher union to give its members a 19.4 percent pay increase and no premium for health insurance.
“It’s completely disingenuous of Mr. Chafee, champion of the sweetheart deal for union employees, to be so opposed to negotiating deals with job creating businesses. Mr. Chafee simply has the wrong plan for Rhode Island,” said Christine Hunsinger, Block’s campaign director.
The Chafee campaign today disputed Block’s characterization of the former U.S. Senator’s record as mayor. He said Chafee deserved credit for settling a long-standing bitter dispute between the teacher union and the town.
“Contrary to the self-serving propaganda being issued by our opponents, the truth of the matter is that Senator Chafee (then Mayor Chafee) walked into office in 1993 and inherited a three-year old labor dispute from the previous Democratic mayor in which teachers were being handcuffed and brought to jail,” said Chafee campaign manager J.R. Pagliarini.
“The entire episode was casting an ominous cloud over the city and people were afraid to move into Warwick,” Pagliarini added. “Students and their families were being denied the value of a proper education due to the union’s “work to rule” decision in which teachers were being asked not to partake in any extracurricular activities.
He said the contract Chafee negotiated actually had an average salary increase of 3.233 percent for each of its six years. Cumulatively, those raises amounted to a 19.4 percent increase in salaries. But Pagliarini said that came with a number of other concessions on the union^s part.
http://www.golocalprov.com/politics/block-says-chafee-policy-is-a-job-killer/ August 24, 2010
Little seeks crackdown on drunk drivers; proposes increased use of ignition devices Attorney General candidate Chris Little today called for a crackdown on Rhode Island drunk driving with a proposed increase in the use of ignition interlock devices.
“For our own safety, we need to deal more proactively with the threat posed by drunk drivers to get them off the road,” said Little. “The ignition interlock devices (IID) have a proven enforcement record and we need to step up their use.”
A story in Sunday’s Providence Journal reported that Rhode Island has fallen behind other states in removing impaired drivers from the road because of problems in assessing drug impairment levels. The state also needs to address stronger measures with alcohol impairment as well, said Little.
Little points to nearby states that have tougher IID and enforcement laws making it easier to stop drunk-driving.
“IIDs can help us make our roads and highways safer now,” said Little. “They work very well with alcohol-impaired driving, and we need to follow the leads of New York and Connecticut which show that these devices work effectively.”
Little is proposing a new, two-point plan for drunk-driving enforcement:
• Make IIDs discretionary after the first DUI court conviction, and mandatory after the second. They are now discretionary after the second DUI court conviction.
• After the first court conviction, require driver attendance at a treatment program during the license suspension, before the IID is installed.
New York is one of 11 states nationwide that currently employ ignition interlocks as part of the sentence for first-time DUI offenders. New York’s new ignition interlock device law became effective Aug. 15. Under that law, an ignition interlock is mandatory for first-time offenders for six months, in addition to any other sentence imposed.
In Rhode Island, on the other hand, a driver who is convicted of a DUI for a second time in five years may be required to install an interlock device for up to two years. In neighboring Connecticut, it is illegal for any person who has been convicted of DUI for a second time to drive without an IID.
In Rhode Island, a first-time DUI offender is subject to a fine of not more than $250, 30 hours of community service, license suspension of not less than one nor more than three months. In addition, a first-time offender may be sentenced to attend a drug and alcohol treatment program, at the judge’s discretion.
“Ignition interlock devices have a proven effectiveness in preventing drunk driving, yet their use is hardly prevalent,” Little said. Only one in 10 convicted drunk drivers has an IID on his or her vehicle, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
According to federal highway safety statistics, in 2008 and 2007 more than 30 percent of Rhode Island’s fatalities were alcohol-related, resulting in more than 20 deaths.
IIDs, which are about the size of a cell phone, are wired into a vehicle’s ignition system. They are attached to a Breathalyzer-like device that measures blood alcohol contents. Before starting the car, the operator blows into the device and if it registers above a low alcohol content, the car won’t start. In addition, the device requires repeat
August 23, 2010
Block To Launch Third Commercial The Moderate Party’s Block is launching a new ad on Tuesday.
But with less than half the money Chafee has in his campaign account, and most of it his own, Block’s ad is running on the Internet, not TV, though his campaign director Christine Hunsinger says this was a strategic, not a financial decision.
Sounding the same theme he sounded in earlier ads to a jaunty tune, the new Block spot features a trio of “recycled politicians.” One introduces himself as a Republican, another as a Democrat, while the third says: “I don’t know what I am.”
“I know what I am,” says Block. “I am fed up with these partisan and recycled politicians, so I’m running for governor. I have a plan to cut spending, reform our state and create jobs just as I did [in my own] business.”
http://www.projo.com/news/content/chafee_ad_08-24-10_ELJL7H0_v25.245d5cd.html August 23, 2010
Block To Launch Third Commercial The Moderate Party’s Block is launching a new ad on Tuesday.
But with less than half the money Chafee has in his campaign account, and most of it his own, Block’s ad is running on the Internet, not TV, though his campaign director Christine Hunsinger says this was a strategic, not a financial decision.
Sounding the same theme he sounded in earlier ads to a jaunty tune, the new Block spot features a trio of “recycled politicians.” One introduces himself as a Republican, another as a Democrat, while the third says: “I don’t know what I am.”
“I know what I am,” says Block. “I am fed up with these partisan and recycled politicians, so I’m running for governor. I have a plan to cut spending, reform our state and create jobs just as I did [in my own] business.”
http://www.projo.com/news/content/chafee_ad_08-24-10_ELJL7H0_v25.245d5cd.html August 23, 2010
Ken Block Speaks Out Against 38 Studios Ken Block held a press conference today to discuss the need to ensure that the deals the state makes with businesses are the right deals for Rhode Island.
Channel 10 reports:
http://www2.turnto10.com/news/news/2010/aug/23/5/chafee-protests-ri-relocation-deal-schilling-ar-205028/ August 23, 2010
Block Accuses Chafee of Having the Wrong Plan for Rhode Island Ken Block issued the following press release:
Block Accuses Chafee of Having the Wrong Plan for Rhode Island
Chafee^s "No More Deals" Initiative should be called the "No More Jobs" initiative
Warwick, RI--Today, at a press conference held in front of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC), Ken Block, Moderate Party candidate for Governor, criticized Lincoln Chafee^s recent initiative, calling it a "job killer."
"Chafee^s "No More Deals" Initiative should be called the "No More Jobs" initiative," said Block referring to Chafee^s recent pledge that as Governor he won^t negotiate to bring business to Rhode Island. "With almost 70,000 people out of work, Rhode Island has no choice but to aggressively recruit job creators," said Block.
Chafee, in a recent press conference, touted that as Mayor of Warwick, he refused to negotiate a deal with Beacon Mutual when they were looking to locate their office in Warwick and said that "no more deals" would be the state^s philosophy when it came to recruiting business to Rhode Island. The Block Campaign pointed out that at the same time Mr. Chafee was taking a hard line with business, he was the architect of a deal that provided a 19.4 percent increase in salary to the Warwick teachers while requiring no premium contribution for health insurance.
"It^s completely disingenuous of Mr. Chafee, champion of the sweetheart deal for union employees, to be so opposed to negotiating deals with job creating businesses. Mr. Chafee simply has the wrong plan for Rhode Island." said Christine Hunsinger, Campaign Director for Block.
Block unveiled his economic development plan, The Rhode Island R.E.D. (Real Economic Development) Program, saying that, "Rhode Island needs a Governor that understands what it takes to create jobs. I^ve done it in my business and as your Governor, I will do the same for Rhode Island. The Rhode Island R.E.D. program would provide at least a quarter of a billion dollars of desperately needed investment in job creation and economic development."
Block^s proposal pairs state funds with private money provided by venture capital investment firms. These funds would then be invested in existing Rhode Island opportunities and the recruitment of new companies to Rhode Island. The program mirrors those other states are undertaking like that of Ohio^s Gateway Energy Fund. The Rhode Island program would be targeted at three emerging industry sectors in Rhode Island: Knowledge/High Tech, Research and Development/Medical and Green Power/Manufacturing.
Specific investments would be chosen by and managed by professional investment firms with extensive background and experience in the targeted industry sectors, eliminating the influence of special interests and providing the highest level of understanding what criteria drives success in specific industry areas. Each individual firm would be chosen in a competitive bid process.
The management firms would be required to match public money with private investment capital at a minimum ratio of at least 1:1.
Block proposes that the state invest 125 million dollars in this program, the same amount of money that RIEDC has set aside for the Job Creation Guaranty Program. 125 million dollar investment on the part of the state would generate at least a quarter of a billion dollars of investment in Rhode Island.
Block also submitted to the RI Economic Development Council a formal request, citing the Access to Public Records Act, for copies of "any and all applications, with supporting documents, communications, including emails, meeting minutes, memoranda, notes, due diligence documents and reports" relating to the approval of the 75-million dollar loan guarantee and "all information pertaining to the terms and conditions of the deal as it currently stands, specifically but not limited to, any limitations that may exist regarding the eligibility of 38 Studios to apply for any additional tax credits and business incentives."
Block had accepted Keith Stokes^, Executive Director of Rhode Island Economic Development Council, offer to meet with candidates to discuss the 38 Studios deal and had been scheduled to do so on Monday until he was informed that the meeting would have to be postponed until September.
"It^s absolutely essential that the details of this deal and how the process was conducted be made public. Rhode Islanders need to understand how much we^re paying, what we^re buying and the value of what we^ve been promised. I^m open to a deal with 38 Studios but the terms and conditions have to be such that we know that this is the right deal for Rhode Island," said Block.
RIEDC entered into an agreement with Curt Schilling^s company 38 Studios, using 60% of the 125 million dollars designated by the legislature for the Job Creation Guaranty Program, whereby the state has guaranteed 75 million dollars worth of loans for 38 Studios. In return, the company has agreed to relocate to Rhode Island and create 450 jobs over three years. The specific terms and conditions of the deal have not been disclosed to the public making it unclear whether or not 38 Studios would be eligible for additional tax credits on top of the 75 million guarantee. Spokespeople from RIEDC have given conflicting statements regarding whether or not 38 Studios would be eligible for an additional 15 million dollars in Motion Picture Production Tax Credits and have not commented on whether or not 38 studios would benefit from the Sales Tax Rebate program.
To view the Rhode Island R.E.D. Program, CLICK HERE:
http://moderate-ri.org/RED.pdf August 23, 2010
Policy paper: the Environmental Advocate Policy paper: the Environmental Advocate -- a vital responsibility of the Attorney General
http://www.chrislittleforag.com/uploads/The-Environmental-Advocate.pdf August 19, 2010
Logging in with Ken Block Providence Journal Columnist, Ed Fitzpatrick, asked the five leading candidates for governor to name the first five websites they visit each day.
"Moderate Party candidate Kenneth J. Block is a software engineer, so it’s no surprise he’s tech-savvy. “I take a little bit of a higher-tech approach,” he said, explaining he ends up on a variety of websites because he uses Google Reader, a web-based aggregator that tracks subjects in which he’s interested. He also hits Facebook, NYTimes.com, projo.com and kenblockforgovernor.com."
http://www.projo.com/news/efitzpatrick/edward_fitzpatrick_19_08-19-10_FNJJ5O4_v30.237ee15.html August 19, 2010
Ken Block Makes Survey Answers Public The Providence Journal Published the following article:
"Neither union has weighed in yet on what recent polls are showing as a neck-and-neck race for governor between Democratic state Treasurer Frank Caprio, and former U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, running as an independent.
Caprio and Chafee took the trouble to fill out — and return — the questionnaires they were sent by Council 94, as did Moderate Party candidate Ken Block and independents Todd Giroux and Joseph Lusi. And clearly, the questions are of vital interest to both Council 94, representing about 8,000 state and local workers, including an estimated 4,300 state employees. A sampling:
How would you propose balancing the state budget? Will you oppose efforts to replace the state’s defined-benefit pension plan with government-style 401(k)s, and oppose any further effort to “strip pension and retiree medical benefits that were fairly negotiated”?
Will you oppose budget cuts that “weaken municipal and/or state services”… support legislation that provides binding arbitration for municipal and state employees?
So far, only one candidate for governor has made his answers public: the Moderate Party’s Block.
Chafee spokesman Michael Trainor said his candidate was willing but was under the impression the union did not want him to do so until its political-steering committee had finished interviewing and evaluating the candidates. But Council 94 spokesmen James Cenerini said the candidates can do what they want: “It is their individual choice.”
“Transparency and accountability here at the Block campaign,” said Block campaign manager Christine Hunsinger, acknowledging that many — if not most — of her candidate’s responses are “contrary to popular union positions.”
She said Block returned the questionnaire anyway because “it is worth having a conversation about these issues because things have to change … [and] we’d love to work with unions going forward on that change, so this is where we start with their questions and our answers.”
On binding arbitration, he said: “No.” On balancing the state budget, he promised to bring in “technology to identify and eliminate waste and fraud throughout our Health and Human Services.” He also proposed constitutional amendments to both cap spending and make revenue sharing mandatory because “we can’t trust the legislature not to kick the can down the road to the cities and towns.”
On the hot-button issue of pensions, he told the union: “I know that for myself I would much prefer a pension to a 401(k) any day of the week,” but making the pension plan “self-sustaining” will require “the complete removal of the COLA [cost-of-living adjustment], ending the practice of rolling unused sick and vacation time into the pension benefit, and pegging the age to begin drawing on a pension to the Social Security age (67 — or higher if Social Security raises the age).”
Spokesmen for the Chafee and Caprio campaigns subsequently issued statements saying their candidates would make their own responses public after the unions completed their endorsement process."
http://www.projo.com/news/politics/content/public_employee_endorsements_08-19-10_FLJJMMJ_v10.245dca7.html August 19, 2010
Block Calls on Opponents to Release Survey Answers Ken Block issued the following press release:
Warwick--Today, an article in the Providence Journal quoted Lincoln Chafee and Frank Caprio as unwilling to release their answers to a survey by Rhode Island Council 94 until after the union has made their endorsement. Moderate Party Gubernatorial candidate, Ken Block, has released his answers to the public and is calling for his opponents to do the same.
"I urge my opponents to release their answers to the Council 94 survey now. Why wait? Let^s have an open and transparent conversation," said Block. "This is an important election, and all Rhode Islanders deserve to know where the candidates for Governor stand on the issues. Candidates need to be accountable for the answers they give. For too long, our elected officials have kept the people out of the conversation. We should expect more."
Chafee^s campaign stated that Chafee was "willing but was under the impression the union did not want him to do so until its political-steering committee had finished interviewing and evaluating the candidates." Council 94^s Legislative Affairs Coordinator, James Cenerini was quoted stating, "It is their (each campaign^s) individual choice."
"In order to fix what^s wrong here in Rhode Island, things have to change.," said Block^s Campaign Manager, Christine Hunsinger. "Ken Block believes strongly that unions should be part of that change. This is where we begin, with their questions and our answers. The questions posed by Council 94 are important questions. Candidate answers to those questions are not only relevant to union members, but for every Rhode Islander. Ken Block believes that candidates should answer the questions and none of them should be kept a secret."
The survey includes questions asking candidates to describe their plans for closing the budget deficit, stabilizing the pension system, and their stance on regionalization.
The Block campaign will post all completed constituent surveys on their website for voters to read.
To read Block^s answers to the Council 94 survey, click here:
http://moderate-ri.org/surveys/council94.pdf August 18, 2010
Little unveils tough new public corruption law against bribery and influence-peddling Press Release
http://www.chrislittleforag.com/uploads/Public-Corruption.pdf
http://www.chrislittleforag.com/uploads/Public-Corruption.pdf August 17, 2010
Chris on the Buddy Cianci show Chris wowed host Buddy Cianci with his knowledge of the issues in the Attorney General’s race. Listen here and enjoy Chris’ interactions with the former mayor of Providence.
Credit: The Buddy Cianci Show, 630 WPRO and 99.7 FM
http://www.630wpro.com/FlashPlayer/default.asp?SPID=18073&ID=1919600 August 11, 2010
Article: AG Candidate Says RI Needs to Go After More Medicaid Fraud Popular website GoLocalProv.com covers Chris’ news release on Medicaid fraud.
Http://www.chrislittleforag.com/uploads/GoLocalProv.pdf August 10, 2010
Candidate Ken Block Calls Video-Game Deal Into Question The state’s decision to loan $75 million to retired Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s video-game venture is being called into question by many of the candidates running for governor and the Democratic candidate for general treasurer as well.
The $75-million loan to Schilling’s company would use up more than 60 percent of the $125 million that a new state law authorizes be used to support high-tech and “knowledge-based” business in Rhode Island.
Immediately after the EDC’s decision to guarantee Schilling’s video game company, Ken Block, the Moderate Party candidate for governor, criticized the plan.
“The 38 Studios decision is a mistake,” he said. “You can’t fix the economy with silver-bullet solutions. Seventy-five million dollars could go a long way to help many small businesses here in Rhode Island, and we can’t afford to set aside such a large sum of money for specific inducements to special companies.”
A software engineer who started two small businesses in the state, Block added that “instead of putting our eggs all in one basket, our priorities should be on real, long-term solutions.”
BY THE NUMBERS 38 Studios deal
$75 million: Amount of loan guarantee the state has extended to 38 Studios, Curt Schilling’s video-game company.
60: Percentage of the state’s high-tech and “knowledge-based” industry loan-guarantee program that amount represents.
12: Percentage of Rhode Islanders who want to work but can’t find jobs.
450: Number of workers Schilling’s company promises to employ by the end of 2012.
$80,000: Approximate average salary of workers in the U.S. video-game industry.
90: Percentage of video-game companies that fail.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/CANDIDATES_STUDIO_38_08-10-10_P0JG9K4_v16.237ed29.html August 10, 2010
Article: Advocate for Accountability, Transparency, Quality Please see great profile of Chris Little on p. 6.
http://www.chrislittleforag.com/uploads/CPY.pdf August 10, 2010
News Release: Medicaid Fraud Little calls for aggressive Medicaid fraud inquiries to protect seniors and save taxpayers’ money
http://www.chrislittleforag.com/uploads/Medicaid_Release.pdf August 5, 2010
Moderate Party: RI Tax Checkoff Law "Unconstitutional" PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Moderate Party Thursday asked a federal judge to declare unconstitutional a law that gives taxpayer dollars to political parties, arguing the law unfairly benefits the Democratic and Republican parties.
"The two are going to get money the third is not going to get ...," said Mark W. Freel, a lawyer for the Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the Moderate Party. "The inescapable conclusion is that the third party will be disadvantaged."
But Assistant Attorney General Rebecca Partington asserted for state General Treasurer Frank Caprio that the law, created in 1973, is based on a formula that will, in time, benefit the Moderate Party based on the voter support it sees in the upcoming gubernatorial election.
"Once they fulfill the qualifications ... they are treated the same," Partington said before Judge William E. Smith in U.S. District Court. "And that is what^s going to happen to the Moderate Party."
The Moderate Party challenged the law in a lawsuit filed in June. It is asking the court to halt the state^s distribution this summer of money taxpayers contributed through their taxes to the political system under the income tax checkoff law.
Under the law, taxpayers have the option of contributing a portion of what they owe the state to a fund that supports public financing of the electoral process. They have the option of designated whether they wish the money to go to the Democratic or Republican party or into a nonpartisan account. The money is then distributed for party-building activities based on a formula that reflects how many of the state^s top five offices they hold and how well their candidate for governor did in the last election.
Under the formula, the fledgling Moderate Party would see none of the money because it did not have a candidate in the last election for governor.
For the first time, the suit names two rivals of Moderate Party candidate for governor Ken Block^s: Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch and Caprio. Lynch has since been dropped from the suit.
http://newsblog.projo.com/2010/08/moderate-party-ri-campaign-fin.html July 31, 2010
Block Stumps on the Block Ken Block, the R.I. Moderate Party’s candidate for governor, visited Block Island last week to meet with local business people and to appear on the Buddy Cianci radio show, broadcasting from Ballard’s Inn.
Block, a software engineer and entrepreneur who lives in Barrington, explained in an interview with the Block Island Times that he started the Moderate Party because of his “utter frustration” with the two established parties in the state.
Block is the owner of Simpatico Software Systems, a software engineering firm and Cross Alert Systems, a manufacturer of specialized traffic signals for recreational trail/public road intersections. He has a number of ideas of how to improve the state’s economic health.
To begin with, he would work to eliminate waste and fraud — starting with Medicaid. He points to his company’s experience in Texas; in the course of 15 years, tightened up controls saved that state $1 billion in what had previously been lost through waste and fraud.
Up until two years ago, Block points out, Rhode Island kept only written Medicaid records, which made it vulnerable, especially with its annual $1.3 billion budget. He believes strengthening controls via upgraded technology could lead to potentially hundreds of millions in savings. That would mean that services would not necessarily need to be cut
He also wants to lower the cost of doing business in Rhode Island, especially for more nimble, mobile entrepreneurs. Why, he asks, would someone set up shop in Rhode Island, where businesses are taxed 5.99 percent, when just over the border in Massachusetts the taxes are 5.3 percent? He says he personally knows 25 entrepreneurs who have left the state.
“We can’t afford that as a state,” he says.
He supports the Block Island wind farm project. He recognizes that it will cost more upfront to get the industry started, but as he sees it, Rhode Island has only two natural resources: wind and tides. “I get the unbroken vista,” says Block, but adds that he’d “rather see windmills on the horizon than tar balls on the beach. It’s a matter of picking your poison.”
He sees the wind farm project as “a necessary thing we have to do,” and he suggests complaints about the costs are “the epitome of short-term thinking.”
http://www.blockislandtimes.com/view/full_story/8944442/article-Block-stumps-on-the-Block?instance=news_special_coverage_right_column July 30, 2010
Block is Shocked Schilling Could Get Tax Credit Too Candidates for state office were deeply concerned to hear that Curt Schilling could get a tax credit on top of a $75 million loan guarantee the state is giving him so he will move his video game company here.
A GoLocalProv investigation has found that one intended consequence of the deal with Schilling’s company, 38 Studios, is that it could be eligible for an annual $15 million tax credit meant for the film and television industry.
Ken Block, the Moderate Party candidate for governor, said he was “incredulous” when he heard that Schilling could get the tax credit. “The state has already gone out of its way to incentivize him to come. I think it’s a bad deal,” Block told GoLocalProv. “I think the EDC, if it still has the ability to negotiate, should make sure we offer one or the other, but not both.”
Earlier this week, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation voted in favor of the $75 million loan guarantee. A summary of the terms and conditions of the deal makes no mention of the tax credits.
“I would hope and expect that was an oversight on everybody’s part and that there wasn’t an intention to make sure these credits were available on top of the loan guarantee,” Block said.
Read more here:
http://www.golocalprov.com/news/reactions-to-report-on-curt-schilling-and-tax-credit/ July 28, 2010
Block Balks at $75 Million for Curt Schilling Several candidates for governor yesterday balked at a $75 million loan guarantee the Economic Development Corporation has given to former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling so he will move his video gaming company, 38 Studios, from Massachusetts to Rhode Island.
Moderate Party candidate Ken Block came out in opposition to the deal.
“The 38 Studios decision is a mistake,” Block said. “This is typical recycled politician thinking focused on short term planning, and it doesn^t work. You can’t fix the economy with silver-bullet solutions. $75 million could go a long way to help many small businesses here in Rhode Island, and we can^t afford to set aside such a large sum of money for specific inducements to special companies. Instead of putting our eggs all in one basket, our priorities should be on real, long term solutions.”
Read more here:
http://www.golocalprov.com/politics/candidates-dont-want-to-play-ball-with-schilling/ July 28, 2010
Ken Block on Helen Glover Tune in to hear Ken Block on the Helen Glover show on 920 WHJJ at 8:00am today.
http://www.920whjj.com/main.html July 28, 2010
Block Opposes 38 Studios Deal The Ken Block Campaign issued the following press release:
Yesterday, the Rhode Island Economic Development Council voted to guarantee $75 million in loans to Curt Shillings, 38 Studios. The $75 million dollars represents over 60% of the $125 million dollars set aside for the new Job Creation Guaranty Program created by the legislature last month.
"The 38 Studios deal is seriously misguided. Once again, Rhode Island decision makers are looking for silver bullet solutions to solve our employment problems by focusing on all the wrong things. This is one more example of Rhode Island trying to have a "big business" mentality as opposed to being smart and getting behind small business development. Rhode Island has tried the big business route before and it hasn^t exactly worked out the way we hoped," said Ken Block, Moderate Party for Governor.
Ken Block is a software engineer who has created two successful small businesses in Rhode Island, a software company, Simpatico Software, and Cross Alert, a traffic signal manufacturing business. Block has publicly stated that he carries a mortgage on his home to ensure that his businesses have access to the credit they need.
"So many small businesses here in Rhode Island can not grow because they do not have access to sufficient credit. The banks simply aren^t lending. This money could have been used to invest in businesses, with a proven track record, to help them expand, grow and create jobs," said Block.
Block also cites, the fact that the deal was fast tracked for Studio 38 as a problem. The EDC^s Board of Directors has not approved the rules and regulations that will govern the new program as of yet but has already entered into an agreement with Studio 38.
"If we^ve learned anything over the last 15 to twenty years it is that decisions made in hast are never the best decisions," said Block.
"The 38 Studios deal promises to create 450 jobs by 2013. There are 70,000 Rhode Islanders out of work-what does the EDC intend to do for the other 69,550," said Christine Hunsinger, Campaign Director of the Block Campaign. "The $125 million dollars set aside to create jobs could have and should have gone a lot further in helping hundreds of struggling Rhode Island small businesses. Rhode Island needs thousands of thriving small businesses to truly address our high unemployment problem and to get the economy back on track. As Governor, Ken will reconstitute the EDC board to ensure a balance of large and small business interests and task the board with the goal of growing our small business backbone."
July 27, 2010
Ken Block Releases Statement about 38 Studios Deal Moderate Party Gubernatorial Candidate, Ken Block, released the following statement:
"The 38 Studios decision is a mistake. This is typical recycled politician thinking focused on short term planning, and it does not work. You can^t fix the economy with silver-bullet solutions. $75 million could go a long way to help many small businesses here in Rhode Island, and we cannot afford to set aside such a large sum of money for specific inducements to special companies. Instead of putting our eggs all in one basket, our priorities should be on real, long term solutions."
July 27, 2010
Moderate Party head looks to make his mark Listen here for a profile piece on Ken Block and his campaign by Flo Jonic of WRNI.
http://www.wrni.org/ July 25, 2010
Block Thinks 38 Studios Plan is Horrible Idea Moderate Ken Block has concerns about a proposal from the state Economic Development Corporation to offer a $75 million loan guarantee to a game development company founded by former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling.
Block said during a candidates forum last week that he thought deals like the one being offered to 38 Studios were horrible economic development policies. He called them “specific inducements to special companies.”
“We can’t afford them. They’re putting all your eggs in one basket,” he said. “It’s the magic, big picture, silver-bullet approach to economic development, and it doesn’t work. We can’t afford it.”
Read more here:
http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/providence/providence-edc-likely-to-vote-on-38-studios-monday July 24, 2010
Moderate Party Draws First Slot on Ballot PROVIDENCE — The jockeying for party endorsements and the hunting for signatures is over.
On Friday, the candidates in this busy election year learned something that could be just important as endorsements or claims for most signatures — where they will be on the ballot.
The ballot lottery in the State Room of the State House determined candidate placements for the Sept. 14 primary ballot, as well as party and independent candidate placements for the Nov. 2 general election ballot.
The Moderate Party candidates will go first in any race in which the party has a candidate, based on the final drawing of the day, which determined party placement on the November ballot.
Democrats will go second, followed by Republicans.
That means the gubernatorial list, in order, will be Moderate Party candidate Kenneth J. Block; Democrat Frank T. Caprio; the Republican candidate (either John F. Robitaille or Victor G. Moffitt, depending on who wins that primary); Chafee; independent Joseph M. Lusi; independent Ronald Algieri; and independent Todd J. Giroux.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/BALLOT_PLACEMENT_07-24-10_65JAFA8_v21.3a69f8d.html July 23, 2010
Moderate candidate for Governor Raps Teachers’ Union PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Lest there be any doubt that union backing is still much-valued in the political sphere, Moderate Party candidate Ken Block on Thursday voiced dismay that he was not given a chance to compete for the backing of a major teachers^ union that gave its endorsement a day earlier to former U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee^s bid for governor.
On Wednesday, the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals endorsed the Republican-turned-independent Chafee over a crowded field of competitors for the top state job. The otehr candidates include the only remaining Democrat in the race, state Treasurer Frank T. Caprio, Republican primary contenders Victor Moffitt and John Robitaille, and Block.
RIFTHP president Marcia Reback said Caprio did not ask to be interviewed.
Block issued a statement that said: "My wife is a teacher, my father is a lifelong professor, and I talk to teachers everyday about my plans for education reform in this state. I understand that teachers do not need to be micromanaged, and should instead be paid and treated as white-collar professionals. I believe that if given the chance, the members of the AFT [American Federation of Teachers] would have been receptive to my message.
"It^s unfortunate that in this case, leadership chose to protect its political position and power rather than allow an open and free exchange of ideas and ultimately prevented its membership from making an informed decision,^^ said Block, reiterating his campaign theme: "We need to stop reinforcing the status quo by blindly supporting recycled politicians.^^
http://politicsblog.projo.com/2010/07/candidate-for-g.html July 23, 2010
Block Says Endorsement of Chafee is "Uninformed" GoLocalProv featured the following article:
Moderate Party candidate for governor Ken Block today criticized the American Federation of Teachers for endorsing independent Lincoln Chafee before meeting with the all the candidates.
“The American Federation of Teachers’ choice to endorse before meeting with all of the candidates was uniformed and demonstrates that union leadership is out of step with its membership,” Block said. “The fact that they never even took the opportunity to meet with me and hear my stance on the issues is just another example of preserving the status quo.”
Block, whose wife is a teacher and whose father is a life-long professor, said he talks to teachers everyday about his plans for education reform. He said teachers don’t need to be “micromanaged” and instead should be “paid and treated as white-collar professionals.”
“I believe that if given the chance, the members of the AFT would have been receptive to my message,” Block said. “It’s unfortunate that in this case, leadership chose to protect its political position and power rather than allow an open and free exchange of ideas and ultimately prevented its membership from making an informed decision.”
http://www.golocalprov.com/politics/breaking-news-block-says-teachers-endorsement-of-chafee-uninformed/ July 23, 2010
Secretary of State Announces Block is Qualified Candidate The Rhode Island Secretary of State^s Office on Friday released its list of candidates who have qualified for the ballot for the September primary and the November general election.
The office said eight candidates qualified to run for governor, including Ken Block as the only Moderate Party candidate.
http://www2.turnto10.com/news/2010/jul/23/secretary-state-announces-qualified-candidates-ar-162512/ July 22, 2010
Block Releases Statement in Response to AFT Endorsement Moderate Party Gubernatorial Candidate, Ken Block, released the following statement in reaction to the American Federation of Teachers^ endorsement of Lincoln Chafee:
"The American Federation of Teachers^ choice to endorse before meeting with all of the candidates was uniformed and demonstrates that union leadership is out of step with its membership. The fact that they never even took the opportunity to meet with me and hear my stance on the issues is just another example of preserving the status quo.
We^ve seen this same disconnect before in the case of Central Falls, where the focus was on the power struggle rather than the needs of the teachers and students.
My wife is a teacher, my father is a life-long professor, and I talk to teachers everyday about my plans for education reform in this state. I understand that teachers do not need to be micromanaged, and should instead be paid and treated as white collar professionals. I believe that if given the chance, the members of the AFT would have been receptive to my message.
It^s unfortunate that in this case, leadership chose to protect its political position and power rather than allow an open and free exchange of ideas and ultimately prevented its membership from making an informed decision.
I urge that all bodies endorsing candidates this election year to fully hear what the candidates have to say in order to choose the best candidate capable of addressing their needs. We need to stop reinforcing the status quo by blindly supporting recycled politicians.
We should expect more."
July 22, 2010
Campaign Director, Christine Hunsinger to Appear on Buddy Cianci Show Campaign Director, Christine Hunsinger, will appear on the Buddy Cianci show at 3:30pm.
Tune in to listen:
http://www.630wpro.com/ July 21, 2010
IUD Scandal After IUD scandal, Little targets cost drivers
as endangering health-care system
http://www.chrislittleforag.com/uploads/IUD-Scandal-news-release.doc July 21, 2010
Block Stands Out From the Crowd at Laurelmead Today Block attended a gubernatorial forum at the Laurelmead Assisted Living Facility in Providence. Candidates gathered for a meet-and-greet and then switched gears to take part in a forum based on questions provided by the Laurelmead residents and staff.
A recent article in the Providence Journal recaps some of the action that took place during the forum in which Block stood apart from the opposing candidates with his sensible, long-term plans for revitalizing the state.
In addition to discussing his vision for Rhode Island, Block also challenged his opponents. He passionately disputed Lincoln Chafee^s plan to issue a 1% tax on currently exempted areas such as the nursing home his mother resides in and the Laurelmead facility itself. This argument resonated with the audience who understand the struggles necessary facilities face on a regular basis.
Block also confronted Frank Caprio by saying, "The last thing in the world this state needs is a machine-anointed Democratic governor working in tandem with a machine dominated Democratic General Assembly.^^ He spoke about needing new blood in office and about bringing a new, more relevant perspective to the Governor^s seat.
In his answers, Block made it clear that he stands ahead from the other recycled politicians running for Governor. After answering the questions of the residents and staff, it was clear that they internalized Block^s message and are ready for change.
Read more here:
http://newsblog.projo.com/2010/07/candidates-for-governro-spar-a.html July 21, 2010
Block Gives Input on Role of Lt. Governor on WPRO Ken Block calls in to the Dan Yorke show on WPRO to discuss his opinion on the role of the Lt. Governor^s office.
Click here to listen:
http://www.630wpro.com/Article.asp?id=1884762&spid= July 21, 2010
Ken Block Discusses Budget Woes PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A narrowed gubernatorial field has touched on taxes, budget deficits and immigration in a candidates forum at a Providence retirement community.
General Treasurer Frank Caprio is the only Democrat left since Attorney General Patrick Lynch quit the race last week. During Wednesday^s forum, Moderate Party candidate Ken Block said Caprio would be a "machine-anointed" governor if he were elected.
Block also went after the other front-runner, independent Lincoln Chafee, who has proposed a 1% sales tax for all items that are currently exempt. Block says the proposal would raise the burden on people without closing the budget deficit.
Chafee says the sales tax is less regressive than property and income taxes, and the state must do something to close budget deficits or businesses won^t want to move to Rhode Island.
http://ww.abc6.com/Global/story.asp?S=12847358 July 19, 2010
Block Has a Plan for Curing Budget Woes Projo columnist, Edward Fitzpatrick, wrote an article describing Ken Block^s plan to fix the budget deficit. The article was written in response to a comment Independent Candidate Chafee made recently in support of his plan to raise the sales tax to 1% on exempted items: “Give me a better idea.”
"When I reached Moderate Party candidate Kenneth J. Block on Monday, he was campaigning on Block Island, or as he jokingly called it, “my island.” (For the record, the island was named for Dutch navigator Adrian Block, not Barrington software engineer Ken Block).
Block said he wants to use technology to eliminate fraud in government programs such as Medicaid. “We can instantly recover significant dollars in our budget by stopping people from stealing from us,” he said. His company, Simpatico Software Systems, helped Texas detect more than $1 billion in fraud in food stamp and cash-assistance programs over 15 years, he said."
http://www.projo.com/news/efitzpatrick/edward_fitzpatrick_20_07-20-10_PBJ7BTO_v19.13f07ff.html July 18, 2010
The Moderate Candidate Eric Tucker, from the Associated Press, wrote a profile piece on Ken and his campaign:
PROVIDENCE, RI (AP) - The temperature is quickly approaching triple digits, but gubernatorial candidate Ken Block is starting his morning hustling from one prospective voter to the next at the city’s downtown bus terminal.
One teenager says she’s too young to vote; a man says he’s not interested in politics. A third person asks Block what his fledgling Moderate Party is all about, prompting him to ease into a familiar refrain: “It’s not Republican. It’s not Democrat. It’s a centrist party, so it’s in the middle.”
After challenging the state’s ballot access laws in court, Block now faces an arguably tougher fight as a first-time candidate with limited name recognition, backed by a nascent party and part of a four-way race including Lincoln Chafee, a former Republican senator turned independent who is competing for the same centrist voters.
Block is positioned as a possible spoiler in the race this November, but he says he’s running to do more than just advance his party agenda.
“We really don’t have people with the right qualifications necessary to get in there, and for non-self-interested reasons, fix what’s broken in this state,” he told The Associated Press in an interview.
Block will face Chafee, Democrat Frank Caprio and the winner of the Republican primary—either John Robitaille or Victor Moffitt— in the November general election. They’re vying to succeed Republican Gov. Don Carcieri, who is term-limited.
An entrepreneur dissatisfied with the political establishment, Block founded the Moderate Party in 2008 on a platform of four e’s -- environment, ethics, education and economy.
Last year, he successfully sued the state over a law he said requires new political parties to collect too many signatures in too short a time to place candidates on the ballot.
He initially wasn’t sure his party would field a candidate for governor—let alone that it would be him. He first focused on finding legislative candidates before deciding he needed someone to run for governor to build the party from the top down. After courting several public figures—including Chafee and former U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente, who agreed to become chairman of the party—Block entered the race himself.
His platform centers on the economy, an obvious campaign issue in a state with a double-digit unemployment rate. He says he would ultimately like to lower the top-level marginal income tax rate— 5.99 percent—to make Rhode Island more competitive. He wants to see the state offer incentives for technology-minded small businesses. And he proposes rooting out waste and fraud in the distribution of Medicaid payments and food stamps.
Though he says social issues aren’t a priority, the pro-choice Block would sign a bill legalizing gay marriage if it reached his desk. He said he would revise, but not rescind, an executive order on illegal immigration by Gov. Don Carcieri that, among other things, required state agencies to use a federal database to verify the employment eligibility of new hires.
“I am not a social conservative. No one can tag me with that statement,” Block said, “just as they can’t tag me with being a bleeding-heart liberal.”
Block is still working on name recognition: This is his—and his party’s—first campaign, and a June 1 Rasmussen poll didn’t even include him. Yet he’s already released two TV ads, including one depicting cardboard cutouts of his opponents dumped in a recycling bin.
Block could siphon votes from each of his opponents, but the one he may need to most differentiate himself from is Chafee.
That became clear during a recent visit to Blue State Coffee, a Brown University hangout, where co-owner Alex Payson listened to Block’s sales pitch before asking why he should vote for him over Chafee.
Block replied that the only proposal Chafee had offered for improving the economy was to broaden the state sales tax.
Told of that remark, Chafee campaign manager J.R. Pagliarini shot back, “We’re asking him to become governor, become the chief executive officer of the state of Rhode Island, with no experience at the local level or in any other elected capacity.”
After meeting Block, Payson, 29, said he liked his message but remains undecided.
“I feel like what he’s saying is great. It’s hard to know whether what one is saying can actually be implemented, that’s the skeptic in me,” he said.
Wendy Schiller, who teaches political science at Brown, said Block probably won’t win but should still draw attention to issues ignored by the major parties. She said his lack of establishment experience was both a liability and an asset.
“As much as voters say they want fresh faces, they are also reluctant to turn the reins of power over to people who lack a strong background or who do not have a well-known reputation,” she said in an e-mail interview.
Block says he’s already spent $350,000 of his own money on the race and is prepared to spend more.
“I wouldn’t have entered this race if I didn’t think I could win it. I wouldn’t have entered this race if I didn’t think I had the ability to fund it the way it needed to be funded,” he said.
http://www.wpri.com/dpp/elections/candidates/providence,-ri--the-moderate-candidate July 15, 2010
Ken Block is On the Ballot! As of 2:30pm this afternoon, Moderate Party Gubernatorial Candidate, Ken Block, has confirmed that he will appear on the ballot this November. The Block campaign spoke with the Secretary of State^s office who confirmed the count of 1,046 certified signatures from the cities and towns.
Although the law only requires gubernatorial candidates to collect 1,000 verified signatures in order to appear on the ballot, Block has collected over 2,500 in one week. The campaign believes this shows an increased amount of support.
"Rhode Islanders are ready for change," said Hunsinger. "Ken was able to collect more than double the amount of required signatures in just a few days. The response from voters has been amazing. People are excited about this race, and are looking forward to getting some new blood in office."
Block is no stranger to collecting signatures, as he collected 34,000 signatures last year to form the Moderate Party.
"I know I said I would be willing to chew my own arm off if I ever had to collect signatures again," said Block. "But thanks to some dedicated volunteers I made it through this week unscathed."
Block^s campaign has been gaining momentum since the release of two unique commercials discussing the "kick-the-can" behaviors of recycled politicians. He has participated in two debates with other gubernatorial candidates, as well as several forums.
Block formed the Moderate Party in response to his frustration with two-party politics and Rhode Island^s current government. The party became officially recognized after filing a lawsuit against the state and collecting thousands of signatures. Block announced his candidacy for Governor in February of 2010.
July 15, 2010
Ken Block Promises Modern Leadership for RI The Rainbow Times has published an article featuring Ken Block.
Ken Block is hoping to make history, as the first Moderate Party candidate to be elected governor of Rhode Island.
He is one of seven candidates vying for the chance to succeed Republican Gov. Don Carcieri, whose term ends in January.
Block, who lives in Barrington, found himself becoming increasingly frustrated with what he refers to as “irresponsible” leadership from both mainstream political parties.
In 2009, Block co-founded the Moderate Party so that voters would have an alternative to the other political parties.
“I have lived (in Rhode Island) for 20 years,” Block said. “We have had chronic budget deficits every year I’ve been here. We have had a class of elected officials on both the legislative and the executive side who have not been able to deal with the problems that we have.”
The state has also been stuck with the fourth highest unemployment rate in the country. Block wants to create a more business-friendly environment, in order to motivate more companies to settle in the state.
“We have had an extraordinarily non-competitive economy,” explained Block. “I know 25 fellow entrepreneurs who have picked up their businesses and left for Massachusetts and
they took hundreds of millions of dollars in payroll with them.”
Block believes that lowering taxes, as well as more effectively routing out waste and fraud, will benefit the state’s economy.
“I do not want to cut existing social safety net programs,” Block said. “I think they’re all important. I think they’re all there for a reason but we have to make sure that the people who are supposed to be getting it, get it and those people who are gaming the system and stealing, stop.”
Block is the president of Simpatico Software Systems, a software engineering firm, and Cross Alert Systems, a manufacturer of specialized traffic signals for recreational trail/ public road intersections.
The Connecticut native graduated from Dartmouth College, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in computer science. After graduating, Block wrote software for Wall Street trading desks in New York City. Block later took a one-year consulting job with GTECH Corporation before coming to Rhode Island in 1991.
On social issues, Block is much more moderate than Carcieri, who has displayed animosity toward the LGBT community by supporting the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and vetoing a bill granting death benefits to domestic partners.
Block, who supports same-sex marriage, promises to be a much more inclusive leader.
“It’s a question of basic civil rights,” Block said of allowing gays and lesbians to be wed. “A heterosexual couple can be married and as a result obtain specific rights from the state. I don’t think the state has any business to deny those same rights to homosexual couples.”
Block believes the governor needs to maintain an open line of communication with the General Assembly to get things done. The governor needs to be involved with the legislative process, Block noted.
Block’s skills as a software engineer will also be invaluable, he explained: “We need a governor who’s modern. We need somebody who understands technology. We haven’t had that.”
The response to his candidacy has been positive, and Block is pleased to put to rest the public’s preconceived notions about his upstart political party.
“It’s been fun to watch because people had no expectations for me at all,” Block said, explaining his fellow Moderate Party candidates were not “crazy.”
“These are reasonable, rational people who have gotten involved in politics because they are realizing the problems are not getting fixed,” noted Block. “We need non-conflicted, open people running for office.”
http://www.therainbowtimesmass.com/ July 8, 2010
Staff Members Announcement Chris Little campaign for Attorney General
names 2 key new staff members
http://www.chrislittleforag.com/uploads/Staff-members-press-release.doc July 7, 2010
Block Urges Legislators to Return to Work "The legislature should come back into session and when they do, they should figure out how they are going to close the 100-million dollar budget deficit, they should pass the Ethics bill restoring Ethics Commission oversight over the RI Legislature and they should bring E-verify to the floor for a vote," Block said Wednesday in a news release.
"This legislative session is remarkable not for what was accomplished but for what was not accomplished," he said.
"Our elected officials owe the citizens of Rhode Island better."
Read More Here:
http://politicsblog.projo.com/2010/07/moderate-partys-3.html July 7, 2010
RI Moderate Party Asks to Block Public Dollars The party is asking U.S. District Judge William Smith to block the distribution of any public funding, which it says could be distributed at any time between now and Sept. 1.
The party, which sued last month in federal court, argued in a request for an injunction filed by the American Civil Liberties Union that the formula used to divide the money up among parties is inherently unfair and set up to benefit Republicans and Democrats.
Read more here:
https://secure.samobile.net/content/offsite2498331.html June 28, 2010
Block Leads in WPRO Poll WPRO asked the question, "Who will you vote for in the Rhode Island race for Governor?"
Moderate Party Gubernatorial candidate, Ken Block, took an incredible lead with 65% of the votes.
http://www.630wpro.com/article.asp?id=1856605 June 24, 2010
Block Participates in Debate Centered on Immigration Ken Block participated in a debate sponsored by the Rhode Island Latino Civic Fund on June 23.
One of seven candidates who attended, Block shared his plans for revitalizing Rhode Island.
In this article from the Projo, Block^s stance on Illegal Immigration is discussed. He states that he opposes an Arizona style law and even called it "asinine." He does support E-Verify and says that it is the best way to crack down on “unscrupulous employers who take advantage of people who work here illegally.”
http://www.projo.com/news/content/RI_DEBATE_MINORITY_ISSUES_06-24-10_I4IVLQS_v23.1ad1abb.html June 21, 2010
Moderate Party Files Second Federal Lawsuit The Moderate Party of Rhode Island filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Providence challenging the manner in which taxpayer dollars are collected and distributed to political parties as part of public financing of the electoral process.
http://www.moderate-ri.org/checkoff-complaint /MPRI-ACLU-tax-checkoff-complaint.pdf June 11, 2010
Ken Block Shares Views on the Arts and the Economy Ken Block voiced his opinions and demonstrated his knowledge about the arts as a business segment of the economy. Hear his views and learn about his vision.
The Arts & Business Council and RI Citizens for the Arts sponsored the candidates interviews in conjunction with GoLocalProv.com.
http://www.golocalprov.com/politics/gubernatorial-candidates-share-their-views-on-the-arts-and-the-economy/ June 10, 2010
Block Sets Himself Apart in First Debate Block participated in the first televised gubernatorial debate today, and set himself apart from his opponents. His centrist views and long term plans for the state resonated with the audience in studio and at home.
http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/rhode-island-gubernatorial-candidates-hold-first-televised-debate June 10, 2010
WPRI Channel 12 Debate Hosted at the URI Campus. To join our welcome party and post debate celebration, email info@kenblockforgovernor.com
401-681-4174
June 8, 2010
Rally to restore jurisdiction to the Ethics Commission State House Rotunda
3pm
June 3, 2010
Phone Bank at Block Headquarters 5:30-7:30 pm
June 2, 2010
Response to the Polls Christine Hunsinger, the Ken Block for Governor campaign director responds to the recent gubernatorial poll.
“All those guys are politicians and have been and have been part of the organization that made these problems. Ken’s the only person out there who is different,“ said Chris Hunsinger, a Moderate Party spokeswoman. “I think right this minute, those numbers show you that nobody’s excited by the choices that they know about.“
If you would like to see Ken Block included in future polls, email info@rasmussenreports.com and tell them!
http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/news/local/local_govtpolitics/article/chafee_caprio_poll_ahead_of_pack/37459/#comments June 1, 2010
Block Says: EXPECT MORE Ken Block, Moderate Party candidate for Governor, releases first commercial
Warwick, RI-May 27th, 2010-In anticipation of the first televised Gubernatorial debate, the Ken Block for Governor campaign is releasing its first television commercial. The commercial^s theme of "Expect More," is one that has been resonating with voters. Block has been making his way through the state, speaking at events and meeting voters and the idea that we need new people in government has created great enthusiasm at every stop.
"We keep electing the same old professional politicians who protect themselves and leave us behind. When three members of the North Providence City Council were arrested for extortion, no one in Rhode Island was surprised. Heck! We almost expect that kind of thing. We need to expect more," said Ken Block.
The commercial ends with Block saying, "Let^s clean up and fix Rhode Island."
"There is such a difference between Ken Block and the other candidates running for Governor, we thought the best way to introduce Ken was to contrast him with Rhode Island^s ^typical^ professional politician," said Campaign Director, Christine Hunsinger. "We think this commercial accomplishes that."
Block recently released an economic plan, "Charting a Course for Rhode Island^s New Economy." The plan lays out the steps a Block administration will take to revitalize Rhode Island and is a foundation for transforming the state into an innovative, successful, and thriving economic hub that provides opportunity and a better life for the people who live, work and raise a family here.
On top of the normal schedule of campaign events and fundraisers, during the month of June the Block campaign will launch its door-to-door campaign in Johnston, East Providence, North Providence, South Kingstown, Smithfield and Providence. The campaign also has four scheduled "Block Parties," events where Ken and campaign volunteers perform community service projects, in Exeter, Narragansett, Warwick and Providence.
Scheduled to begin running June 1st, the six-figure media buy, will run through the month on network and cable television. The ad was created and produced by Jamestown Associates. Jamestown Associates is one of the nation^s most successful political and public affairs consulting firms.
Check out Ken^s commercial on the website^s main page!
June 1, 2010
Channel 10, 6pm News Campaign Director, Christine Hunsinger will appear on Channel 10 for the 6pm News to discuss Ken Block^s new commercial campaign.
Tune in to see what sets Block apart from the other candidates.
May 27, 2010
Providence Journal on the First Commercial of Ken Block
http://politicsblog.projo.com/2010/05/moderate-partys.html
May 20, 2010
Providence Journal Campaign Digest Christopher H. Little, Moderate Party candidate for attorney general, said Wednesday that if he is elected, he will implement a strict recusal policy that will apply to all the lawyers who work in his office.
He said he would also appoint one senior lawyer — someone who has served through the terms of at least two attorneys general — to act as the chief ethics officer for the department.
“Public confidence in the integrity of the office of the attorney general is indispensable to the ability of the attorney general and his or her staff to be effective law enforcement officers and advocates for the citizens of Rhode Island,” Little said in a news release issued by his campaign.
http://www.projo.com/news/politics/content/CAMPAIGN_DIGEST_20_05-20-10_6TIICQE_v9.88ca8ac.html May 20, 2010
Block goes the extra mile Today is Bike to Work Day and Moderate gubernatorial candidate Ken Block is going the extra mile—at least 10 of them, to be exact—to show his support for the cause. Block, who used to ride his bike to his business in Warwick every day, will be making the trek from his home in Barrington to downtown Providence, where the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition, or RIBC, is holding an event.
http://www.golocalprov.com/index.php/news/candidates-activists-go-the-extra-mile-for-health-environment/ May 17, 2010
Little Recusal Plan Recusal Policy for the Rhode Island Attorney General
Public confidence in the integrity of the office of the Attorney General is indispensable to the ability of the Attorney General and his or her staff to be effective law enforcement officers and advocates for the citizens of Rhode Island. High standards of conduct must be established, maintained and enforced. For ease of understanding, the term “Attorney” in this Recusal Policy will be used to refer to the Attorney General and his or her staff.
In addition to adhering to the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and the Rhode Island Code of Ethics in Government, the Attorney must be particularly sensitive to appearances of impropriety which could undermine public confidence. Accordingly, the Attorney should be recused from all involvement in any matter, criminal or civil, where the Attorney has a direct conflict of interest, as well as under any of the following circumstances:
1. the adverse party is a person or entity that made a campaign contribution of any kind to the Attorney during the preceding four years;
2. the adverse party is an employer from whom the Attorney, or his or her spouse and/or dependent child, received any income during the preceding four years;
3. the adverse party is any business, profit or non-profit, in which the Attorney, his or her spouse and/or dependent child, holds or has held during the current or the prior calendar year, a position as a director, officer, partner, trustee or manager;
4. the adverse party is a person, business entity or other organization that made gifts or contributions in excess of $25 in cash or property to Attorney during the current or prior calendar year;
5. the adverse party is a business in which the Attorney, or his or her spouse and/or dependent child, holds any ownership or investment interest (excepting any publicly traded company in which the interest held is valued at less than $5,000);
6. the Attorney, or his or her spouse and/or dependent child, is indebted to the adverse party in any amount; and
7. the Attorney and the adverse party have a personal relationship which would reasonably raise a question concerning propriety of the Attorney’s involvement in the matter in question.
The Attorney General shall designate one of the Department’s most senior assistants (who has served at least through the term of two or more Attorneys General) to act as Chief Ethics Officer for the Department. All issues and actions pertaining to implementation of this policy, including issues as to whether the Attorney should or should not recuse from involvement in a proceeding will be referred to the Chief Ethics Officer for his or her advisory determination. Records shall be maintained by the Chief Ethics Officer and, except as otherwise provided by the Rhode Island Public Access to Records Act, shall be available for review and inspection by the public.
In addition, the Attorney General will request the Supreme Court to designate a senior member of the Rhode Island Bar, which may include a retired judge, to serve in an advisory capacity to the Chief Ethics Officer. The impartial advisor may be requested to provide interpretations and guidance as to when the Attorney must recuse him or herself from involvement in a proceeding consistent with the overall policies and guidelines that this Code is intended to fulfill.
To the extent any provision of this Recusal Policy is inconsistent with the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Rhode Island Supreme Court or with the Rhode Island Code of Ethics in Government, the conflicting provisions of the Rules or the Code of Ethics, as the case may be, will take precedence.
May 12, 2010
ABC 6- Block^s Plan for Rhode Island
http://ww.abc6.com/Global/story.asp?S=12464997
May 8, 2010
AG should fight for health care reform Chris Little was featured in the Providence Journal with his plan to be an advocate for Rhode Islanders in the health care insurance industry.
http://www.chrislittleforag.com/PROJO-2010-05-08.pdf May 7, 2010
Block calls for Commission for Woonsocket
http://www.golocalprov.com/index.php/news/moderate-party-candidate-calls-for-state-commission-for-woonsocket/
May 6, 2010
The Best Idea Our Guy Didn’t Have Which candidate for governor has the best idea for economic development?
We asked the campaigns to name their favorite - other than their own.
At a gubernatorial forum at Business Expo 2010 yesterday, the ideas were flying.
One stood out from the rest: a plan to build the world’s biggest aquarium in the smallest state in the nation. Victor Moffitt, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, says it is just what the Ocean State needs to beat the recession.
But others were skeptical.
“If it works, it works,” said Nick Hemond, spokesman for Democratic candidate Frank Caprio.
“Listen, I like a good aquarium as much as the next guy but the fact is that an aquarium and the other ideas that were voiced today at the forum are ‘Silver Bullet’ solutions. They are one shot deals,” added Christine Hunsinger, campaign director for the Moderate Party’s Ken Block.
http://www.golocalprov.com/index.php/politics/the-best-idea-our-guy-didnt-have/ May 6, 2010
Parents tell of need for autism coverage She and her friend, Jean Ann Guliano, chairwoman of the East Greenwich School Committee and the mother of a 13-year-old son on the autism spectrum, set up a therapy room in Guliano’s basement and hired speech and occupational therapists to work with the boys for $100 a week when they were younger and couldn’t get services any other way.
In addition to requiring insurance coverage for autism therapies with proven effectiveness, the bill would extend early intervention services to children up to the age of 5.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/AUTISM_BILL_GETS_HEARING_05-06-10_9SICL7O_v12.42908c5.html April 26, 2010
PREPARING FOR THE LONG RACE TO VICTORY, KEN BLOCK FIRMS UP HIS CAMPAIGN TEAM Legendary Political Advisors Arthur J. Finkelstein and Jamestown Associates join the campaign; Moderate Party Executive Director Hunsinger named Block Campaign Director
Warwick, RI-Working to help rebuild the promise of Rhode Island, Ken Block^s campaign for Governor announced today that legendary political consultant Arthur J. Finkelstein and the media advisors of Jamestown Associates will help lead the Block team to victory.
Finklestein will provide the Block campaign with advice and polling, while Jamestown will lead advertising and strategy. Also, founding Moderate Party Executive Director Christine Hunsinger was named Campaign Director by Block.
"Even in the short time since our announcement we are attracting the country^s brightest talent from across the political spectrum to our cause," said candidate Ken Block. "People hear our message and are signing on to help bring this state back to economic success. Whether they are volunteers or donors from communities across the state signing up, people can see we are already bringing fresh voices to help guide Rhode Island.
Finklestien, Jamestown and Hunsinger are a strong part of what^s needed to guide this campaign to victory."
Arthur J. Finkelstein has produced victories for clients around the world, including in the United States, Canada, Israel and Eastern Europe. Finkelstein has masterminded successful campaigns for countless candidates, including Rhode Island^s own Governor Lincoln Almond, Governor George Pataki, Senator Alfonse D^Amato, Senator Connie Mack, Congressman Connie Mack, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu.
For more than 20 years, Jamestown has earned a reputation for excellence in producing outstanding television, radio and direct mail campaigns throughout the country. Jamestown^s list of clients includes campaigns by Governor Chris Christie, Governor Jodi Rell, Governor George Pataki, Senator Al D^Amato, Congressmen Mike Ferguson, Leonard Lance, Connie Mack, Christopher Shays, Lee Terry, Tim Walberg, Sam Johnson and Congresswomen Mary Bono, as well as persuasive, award-winning advertising efforts on behalf of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Freedom^s Watch and the Chamber of Commerce.
"I am honored to take the reins of Ken^s campaign. He has energized people throughout this state," said Hunsinger, a graduate of Brown University who takes over as Campaign Director after a successful seven-month tenure as Moderate Party ED and has worked extensively in campaigns. "The addition of these high-level political professional just supports what we^ve known all along, that Ken Block and the Moderate Party message is what the people of Rhode Island have been looking for."
Kahlil Byrd, a graduate of Morehouse College and Harvard University who joined the campaign in February, will act as the teams Political Strategist. Byrd is former Communications Director for Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick^s winning campaign and Communications Director for the campaign of Republican Senate candidate Jeff Beatty. He runs Sung Media Ventures, a Boston political consulting firm.
The campaign has also brought on a number of recent college graduates with a variety of skills, degrees and backgrounds to support the communications, field efforts, volunteer recruitment and to plan for GOTV (Get Out The Vote). Ken Block^s political journey began with the fighting and winning of a federal lawsuit to and gathering 34,000 signatures to form the Moderate Party Since the announcement of his candidacy Rhode Islanders have provided support, donations and signed up to volunteer. Ken Block has an aggressive schedule of campaigning and community work planned throughout Rhode Island^s thirty-nine cities and towns.
April 20, 2010
Herald News: Hess LNG cannot be allowed to own the bay Approximately 125 years ago, the state of Illinois attempted to give a big piece Chicago’s lake shore to a private railroad. In return, the railroad promised development and jobs.
The United States Supreme Court firmly rejected that effort, ruling that Illinois was required to exercise its powers consistent with the public trust, and could not accede to the demands of private interests over the state’s responsibility to its citizens.
Much more recently, in Palazzolo V. Rhode Island, the Supreme Court stated again, “lands below the high water mark are not to be appropriated by or conferred upon private individuals for purely private benefit.”
The legal principle from both cases is known as the Public Trust Doctrine.
The Public Trust Doctrine must be applied to the Hess LNG proposal. Narragansett and Mount Hope bays are treasured Rhode Island and Massachusetts natural resources. They are part of our way of life.
For years, commerce of all types has utilized our bays for a variety of shipping. Businesses have developed that are dependent upon waterfront commerce, be it tourism, manufacturing, recreation, fishing or other activities that have long been part of Rhode Island’s and Massachusetts’ culture and economy.
Parents and grandparents use our bays to take their children or grandchildren fishing. Community groups might organize groups of children, students or adults to explore the bay, fish on the bay, swim in the bay or sail on the bay.
Our bays have been highly productive fisheries for years, and although Mount Hope Bay has been significantly stressed in recent years because of the discharge of heated water from the Brayton Point power plant, that plant is now in the process of spending $500 million to remedy that problem so the fishery, particularly the winter flounder fishery, can thrive.
And no one looking down at the sparkling bay water while driving over one of our bridges on a beautiful sunny day can help from feeling better for having that connection to these public assets.
But now, Hess LNG is demanding the right to our property for its benefit. They want to restrict our use of these extraordinarily valuable resources.
Hess has advanced essentially three different proposals, which each involve the operation of a LNG terminal in Fall River on the Taunton River north of the Brightman Street Bridge.
Under its initial proposal, Hess sought to bring approximately 60 to 70 950-foot LNG tankers per year through Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope Bay to offload at the terminal.
When opposition to that proposal arose, Hess suggested using smaller LNG tankers to bring fuel to the terminal, although, because of size differences, that would require approximately 200 ships per year traversing Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope Bay to the terminal.
The most egregious alternative, proposed last year, involves the construction of an off-shore berth to be located in Mount Hope Bay approximately 1 mile from Brayton Point. Hess would transport fuel to that terminal using 60-70 950-foot LNG tankers per year. The liquefied natural gas would then be piped to the Fall River terminal.
Each proposal will require extensive dredging of Mount Hope Bay. The proposals requiring the largest LNG tankers involve dredging a channel approximately 600 feet wide and 45 feet deep. The offshore berth project would involve dredging an additional turning basin and would involve dedication of an additional two acres of Mount Hope Bay to be permanently set aside for the berth.
Hess wants to own a piece of Mount Hope Bay, with no compensation or any offset for the loss of this property, not to mention the loss of recreation opportunities, the loss of a fishery and the loss of commerce and businesses.
That’s not right.
Hess acknowledges that its tankers, either 60 or 200, will be entering Narragansett Bay unannounced and, while present, each tanker will have a moving safety exclusion zone, which will obviously interfere with boating and other commerce, and will also require the closure of Mount Hope and Pell bridges.
If Hess has its way, the lack of predictability and advance notice of the ships entering the bay will interfere with recreational and commercial uses of the bay.
If you want to schedule a community fishing trip, or have a group of children plan a day for fishing off Common Fence Point, for example, you or your group may be confronted with a 950-foot tanker, forcing you aside.
And, if you happen to be driving across one of the bridges, you likely will not enjoy that unanticipated wait whenever one of those vessels is coming or going.
As for fishing, this project would result in the permanent loss of winter flounder spawning habitats. What about the interests of our fishing community, which, in years past, has thrived from bountiful catches of flounder?
A significant part of the economy of each of Rhode Island’s and Massachusetts’ coastal communities is based upon Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope Bay. Why should this be harmed?
When you want to fish or boat off of Prudence Island or Hog Island, shouldn’t this be allowed?
Why should a tanker take precedence?
Hess does not even pretend to provide a public benefit to offset the clear and obvious losses that will be sustained by all of us.
Hess LNG is not good for Rhode Island or Massachusetts. Our bays are our public property, and must remain that way.
Chris Little is former president of Save the Bay and a candidate for Rhode Island attorney general.
April 1, 2010
Ed Fitzpatrick: Attorney general hopefuls weigh in on health-care bill The health-care legislation is already having an impact here in Rhode Island, if only by increasing awareness of the 10th Amendment and telling us a bit about our attorney general candidates.
http://www.projo.com/news/efitzpatrick/edward_fitzpatrick_1_04-01-10_IIHUL0T_v24.36e7941.html March 30, 2010
Block focuses on business friendly climate for state SOUTH KINGSTOWN - A self-proclaimed “detail-oriented” person, candidate for Rhode Island governor Ken Block sat with a panel last Wednesday at the South Kingstown Chamber of Commerce to discuss charter schools, wind energy and his plan to turn around the business climate in the state.
http://www.ricentral.com/content/view/217631/236/ March 29, 2010
Little aims to open communication Attorney General hopeful addresses fishing regulations, corruption in the state
By HANNAH CONNORTON
http://www.ricentral.com/content/view/217475/236/ March 23, 2010
Thomas Friedman: A Tea Party without Nuts
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/opinion/24friedman.html?th&emc=th
Please look through our archive collection of news.
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