Speaker Gordon Fox tumbled: Who’s Next? Unconfirmed reports are swirling around Rhode Island that
with following former Speaker Fox’s fallout, another domino will fall.
Who’s next on the corruption chopping block?
RI Governor Gina Raimondo?
Newly-elected Governor Gina Raimondo? Local media have
blasted her support for Gordon Fox during his elections for Assembly, and
throughout his speakership. She could apologize for that. Is she the criminal
mastermind putting public money to private uses? Not likely. She is a True
Believer, and thus too close to the progressive cause to throw it all away for
hush-hush money under the table. Besides, her prior private life on Wall Street
has immunized her from making the foolish mistakes of local pols, like those
who take money in checks.
Clay Pell: “Have you seen my Prius?”Clay Pell? He’s still looking for his Prius. Some less
charitable critics would contend that he would get lost in a museum. Angel
Taveras? He fled the Providence mess after one term, then lost his bid for
Governor. He could be waiting in the wings for another opportunity, though. Why
mess it up? Buddy is busted and gone, and no cares about Dr. Dan.
Who in the Providence politics miasma could go down with
Fox, now set to serve three years in prison for corruption, misuse of campaign
funds, and bribery?”Grand Theft Auto” David Cicilline.
These are just rumors, for now, but as I wrote before, the
talk in the town suggests that the Congressman, formerly known as the Prince of
Providence, will be on the way out next.
“60%” another source shared with me.
Another source, who refused to go on record, suggested that
malfeasance with federal funds from the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) could bring down the Providence-Pawtucket politician. Besides,
local activists have shared their (lack of) surprise should Cicilline go down
over financial shenanigans.
Cicilline has connections with bringing in federal dollars
before.
He has steered millions of HUD
dollars to the Ocean State during his brief (soon to be ended?) Congressional
tenure:
He worked with the two US Senators Reed and Whitehouse to
secure $3 million for lead removal.
In another press release, the
Congressman announced
:
U. S. Congressman David
Cicilline (D-RI) announced today that the U. S. Department of Housing &
Urban Development (HUD) awarded $580,144 to public housing agencies in Rhode
Island including the Central Falls Housing Authority, Housing Authority of the
City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island Housing, The Housing Authority of the City of
Providence and Town of Cumberland Housing Authority.
Just two weeks ago, Cicilline announced another $5
million grant for disability housing assistance.
The first question that comes to mind: shouldn’t the
effectiveness of any program depend on how many people get off the government dole,
rather than how much money gets spent on the program?
Second question: was the federal money well-spent?
A year later, during Cicilline’s reelection campaign, WarwickOnline
reported
:
MORE TROUBLE FOR
CICILLINE: More information has surfaced about the
fiscal mismanagement that was so rampant during Congressman David Cicilline’s
tenure as mayor of Providence. The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) released its report on improper spending of taxpayer-provided
grant money and mismanaged loans that occurred under Cicilline’s leadership. Up
to $1.5 million was misspent on such things as marketing, catered meetings and
limo services. Twenty percent of the HUD-funded loans specifically designated
for jobs creation resulted in no jobs being created (total loans amounted to
$14.8 million). And of the 79 loans made, 29 were written off as un-collectable
at a cost to taxpayers of $2.17 million. Cicilline’s Next Stop? Instead of
building and repairing homes, the Providence political class was fluffing their
own nests?
While
the press reported on HUD mismanagement again on Page One, only now it
seems that there is enough blood on the trial to find the dead body and the
smoking gun with Cicilline’s fingerprints all over.
Rhode Islanders
lament their habitual resignation with state lawmakers misusing local and state
funds. When the feds get involved, however, the consequences are deeper, worse,
and longer lasting. Speaker Fox and the Smith Hill statehouse was raided, but
not fully cleansed. Now 38 Studios has gone bust, and the kingpin in the Video
Game business gone bad is going to jail (so far) for unrelated crimes.
With the HUD
squandered or worse, fraudulently spent, and the feds fuming, will it be “Game
Over” for GTA Cicilline?
Let the games
begin.