Golocalprov

When the Paw Sox left Rhode Island, it was hurtful to our souls. In the 80s, Ben Mondor purchased the Paw Sox and rescued it from bankruptcy, turning the franchise into a RI Staple. He unfortunately passed away in 2010 and the team was subsequently sold in 2015; with new leadership, they expected RI to spend $40+ million for a new stadium.
Ultimately, RI said no, we all were pissed with leadership. Especially with reported attendances exceeding 500,000 last year as one of the most popular minor league teams. How could we do that with only a $40 million new stadium price tag??
Relocating to Worcester with a projected city cost of $53 million for a new stadium, Worcester ultimately spent well over $100+ million for the stadium. And for a team leadership that historically has mislead about attendance numbers, how accurate is the 500,000 number?
Leaders have touted their ability to pay the bonds over the past few years without dipping into the general tax fund. This is important. The entire promise to taxpayers was the stadium would pay for itself AND contribute to other areas such as education, infrastructure, security, etc. Except, despite making their payments, it's because of sold land rather than actual tax revenue from the stadium district.
In a new study, it is currently estimated the ball park will ultimately cost the city approximately $40 to $60 million in the long run.
The paper goes into significant detail ridiculing the non-peer reviewed model utilized in estimating benefits for new stadiums referred to as The Pro Forma Model. Some significant flaws to this model include, but not limited to, assuming all gross revenue is new spending, failing to acknowledge the consequences of distracted consumerism hurting other local businesses, the misleading notion that ball park revenue in the long term is permanent without re-investment necessity, misleads consumers with "honeymoon phase" traffic and revenue as inherently linear, stadiums bring in new, unique traffic, and the model does not factor in other opportunity investments such funding would disrupt. Other factors, such as projected benefits based on assumptions of future developmental projects can be read between pages 6 - 27.

Bill Clinton ( D ) Bill will be getting his own segment. This is the list of people connected to Bill and Epstein.
I am sure there is more to add. This is just from the Black Book
​

1. Joe Cashon Joe is a Vice President and helps to manage Northwater’s investments in portfolio companies . Joe comes to Northwater with a diverse background in both private and public sectors, including extensive international business and public affairs experience. Prior to joining Northwater, Joe founded an investment research firm focusing on risk analysisand market development, with a focus on energy, renewables, and financial services. For eight years, Joe worked as a senior aide to President Clinton and in leadership roles at the Clinton Foundation. He is a Graduate of Great Distinction from McGill University.
   
2. Mills, Cheryl: Lawyer who defended Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial. She served as deputy White House Counsel for Clinton, Senior Adviser and Counsel for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, and Counselor and Chief of Staff during Hillary’s tenure as Secretary of State. Mills had a key role in Hillary’s email scandal and in Haiti, where the Clintons are heavily involved (https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/17/us/hillary-clinton-cheryl-mills.html
   
3. Doug Bands was a longtime adviser to Bill Clinton. He had a substantial part in the creation and inner workings of The Clinton Foundation. Purchased David Rockefeller’s old house in New York City for $20 million. Has been called “the key architect in Clinton’s post-presidency”
   
4. Lisa Belzberg: Ex-wife of Seagram heir Matthew Bronfman and former sister-in-law of Clare and Sara Bronfman, who were both involved in NXIVM, a cult that focused on sexual slavery. Belzberg reportedly had a sexual relationship with Bill Clinton in 2002 while still with Matthew Bronfman.
   
5. Ron Burkle: Billionaire founder of Yucaipa, an investment firm that specialized in buying and selling supermarket chains. Had close ties with Bill Clinton. According to Los Angeles Times, “Bill Clinton’s bromance with Burkle invited scandal.” The LA Times describes how “unverified reports of the two men jetting around in a Burkle 757 filled with attractive young women leached from the tabloids to the mainstream media.” This could be the reason for Burkle’s falling out with Hillary, as he had nothing to do with her campaign. He has hosted the Clintons and President Biden at the Beverly Hills estate and has brought together eclectic groups of celebrities and scholars to his dinner parties, from Warren Beatty to former heads of the CIA. He bought Neverland Ranch
   
6. Vikram Chatwal: Actomodel/movie producer and hotel owner in New York City and Miami. Bill Clinton, Prince Nikolaos of Greece, Naomi Campbell, and P. Diddy attended his wedding.
   
7. Dubin, Louis & Tiffany: Louis Dubin is a real estate developer specializing in upper-middle class condominiums. Has sold luxury condominiums to the likes of Charles Bronfman, who has ties to the Clintons, Wexner, and whose family were in the NXIUM cult. Tiffany Dubin is the stepdaughter of the now deceased billionaire, A. Alfred Taubman, the owner of Sotheby’s, a famous auction house in NYC that often hosts parties for the rich and famous.
   
8. Fairweather, Ambassador & Lady: Sir Patrick Fairweather is a retired British diplomat. He worked as Ambassador to Angola (1985-1987), Italy (1992-1996), and Albania (1992-1996). Lady Maria Fairweather was a linguist and professional interpreter who once helped out Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin when the official interpreter disappeared at a crucial moment just before the commencement of the G7 Summit.
   
9. Ganero, Mario Jr.: Where do we even begin? Mario Garnero is a Brazilian banker and entrepreneur who has been deemed the “father of the ethanol car” and is the chairman of the board and primary shareholder of Brasilinvest Group, a banking firm worth $700 million. Garnero’s connections run extremely deep. He is/has been personal friends with Jacob Rothschild, David Rockefeller, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Henry Kissinger, Helmut Schmidt, and many others. The following website makes some startling connections between Garnero, Epstein, and others (source: https://aeltri.com/2019/02/12/john-of-god-mario-garnero-and-epstein/. Quick summary: Record producer Damon Dash (former co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records with Jay-Z) allegedly raped a supermodel who worked for Naomi Campbell at a party thrown by Garnero source:https://www.standard.co.uk/news/poshs-friend-sued-for-rape-6939248.htmlGarnero has been referred to as a “Rothschild pawn” who tried to help Aecio Neves rise to power. Garnero also appointed “George Soros frontman, Arminio Fraga, who worked in Soros’ Quantum Fund, as Minister of the Economy.”
   
10. Ginsberg, Gary: Former Executive VP of Global Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, the fourth-largest media group in the world prior to splitting in 2013. Ginsberg was a close confidant of Rupert Murdoch and Peter Chernin while at News Corp. Ginsberg also served in the Clinton Administration at the White House Counsel’s Office and Department of Justice. Ginsberg has brokered meetings between Rupert Murdoch and the Clintons, as well as Obama. Ginsberg is currently on the Board of Directors of New Visions for Public Schools, which designs course curricula for students in NYC. New Visions supports many schools, impacting 230,000 students(source: https://newyorkschooltalk.org/2019/07/at-new-visions-for-public-schools-its-all-about-continuous-school-improvement-hows-that-going/). Their Networks for School Improvement Initiative is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. New Visions also has ties to the Carnegie Foundation, which donates millions of dollars in grants (source: https://www.carnegie.org/grants/grants-database/grantee/new-visions-for-public-schools-inc/#!/grants/grants-database/grant/312395808.0/). Ginsberg is also a friend of and speechwriter for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
    
11. Gittis, Howard: Gittis (1934-2007) was an attorney and adviser to billionaire businessman Ron Perelman. He worked at MacAndrews & Forbes, an investment firm owned by Perelman. In 1995, Perelman hosted a dinner with Bill Clinton, Jeffrey Epstein, Clinton college friend Arnold Paul Prosperi, Don Johnson, Jimmy Buffett, and Don Fowler, who was the co-chairman of the DNC. More on Perelman later.
    
12. Harvey Victoria: Ex-girlfriend of Prince Andrew, Hervey is an English model and socialite. Although her relationship with Andrew didn’t work out, she remained in his inner circle. In 2000, she attended a dinner with Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and Jeffrey Epstein(source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9844083/lady-victoria-hervey-jeffrey-epstein-too-old/Hervey is also a friend of Ghislaine Maxwell, who introduced her to Epstein and “set her up in one of Epstein’s apartments in New York.” Hervey is the daughter of Victor Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol, businessman and member of the House of Lords.
    
13. Hatkoff, Craig & Jane: Hatkoff is a real estate investor, who, along with his ex-wife, Jane Rosenthal, and Robert De Niro, founded the Tribeca Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Institute. Hatkoff has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Clinton Foundation.
    
14. Johnson, Richard & Nadine: Nadine is a millionaire public relations guru. Nadine is a good friend of Ghislaine Maxwell’s. Some clients of Nadine Johnson include spirit cooking extraordinaire Marina Abramovic and hotelier Andre Balazs, good friend of Ghislaine. Richard is one of the most well-known gossip columnists and was the editor of Page Six for twenty-five years. There is a great thread detailing the Johnsons’ ties to the Clintons, Balazs, and others here (source: https://threader.app/thread/1162148078981394432). Basically, Richard Johnson is friendly with the Clintons and, as Page Six Editor, purposely did not report or downplayed stories on the Clintons and Nadine’s clients. He also took bribes. Considering Nadine is a good friend of Ghislaine, it would not be a stretch to assume that Richard could have buried stories on Maxwell and Epstein.
    
15. Kersner, Sol: South African accountant and hotel and casino magnate who died of cancer in 2020. Kerzner was a close friend of Donald Trump. They even worked together to create The Palm, a man-made island off the coast of Dubai (source: https://www.ft.com/content/46393280-d9f9-11da-b7de-0000779e2340). Kerzner was also close friends with Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York (https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sarah-ferguson-the-duchess-of-york-sol-kerzner-chairman-and-news-photo/83768272), Naomi Campbell (https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/naomi-campbell-and-sol-kerzner-pose-backstage-during-the-news-photo/82869744), and Bill Clinton (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8144647/As-Sol-Kerzner-dies-aged-84-RICHARD-KAY-looks-riotously-louche-life.html). Kerzner was very good friends with Nelson Mandela and built his casino resorts with Gerard Inzerillo
    
16. Kissinger, Dr. Henry A: Former U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under Nixon. Kissinger has long been accused of committing war crimes (ex: carpet bombing Cambodia, installing fascist governments in Chile and Argentina, genocide, extending our stay in Vietnam, etc) yet somehow managed to win a Nobel Peace Prize in 1973. Kissinger once said, “Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy.” Kissinger served with Epstein on the Trilateral Commission. Kissinger has also been a member of the Bilderberg Group, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Aspen Institute, and Bohemian Grove. Long thought to be an advocate for a globalist New World Order, Kissinger is a scumbag of the highest order. His connections with Gates, the Clintons, Bush Sr. and Jr., the Rockefellers, and the Rothschilds are well-documented. If anyone here has ever done any research regarding the NWO, you have undoubtedly seen Kissinger’s name several times.
    
17. Levine, Phillip: Ex-Miami Beach mayor and close friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton. He claims that he doesn’t know how Epstein got his contact information… all 13 phone numbers, including those of his driver and housekeepers (https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/ex-miami-beach-mayor-philip-levine-listed-13-times-in-jeffrey-epsteins-black-book-11242116
    
18. Magaziner, Ira C: Was the senior advisor of policy development for President Bill Clinton. He now serves in a leadership role for the Clinton Foundation. He is a CEO and Vice Chairman of the Clinton Health Access Initiative which helps people gain access to medicine and health services in low and middle income countries, most notably in Africa. Remember, the Clintons helped bail out their colleague, Laura Silsby, who was caught trying to traffick 33 Haitian children (https://harvardhrj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2009/09/King.pdf). Most importantly, Magaziner traveled on the Lolita Express on several occasions (https://www.golocalprov.com/news/exclusive-sexual-predator-jeffrey-epstein-tied-to-ris-ira-magaziner-father), including the infamous flight that included Epstein, Clinton, Kevin Spacey, Naomi Campbell, and Chris Tucker. Magaziner also flew with Ghislaine Maxwell, also (https://www.golocalprov.com/news/new-epstein-associate-maxwell-who-flew-with-ira-magaziner-arrested).
    
19. Manzano, Jose Luis & Alejandra: Jose Luis is an Argentine businessman and former politician. He is a partner in Grupo America, the second largest multimedia group in the country. He has given money to the Clinton Foundation and The Climate Reality Project ran by Al Gore.
    

" A Providence police officer drew a gun on a group of illegal ATV and dirt bike riders in the city on Sunday before making an arrest.
According to police, the group of riders of ATVs and off-road vehicles -- which are illegal for use on city streets -- had gathered off of Niantic Avenue around 4 PM."
https://www.golocalprov.com/news/new-providence-police-officer-surrounded-by-atv-riders-pulls-weapon-one-arr

I was downtown on Tuesday at the PPL and saw several ATVs & dirt bikes speeding around. On Wednesday this happened: https://www.golocalprov.com/news/cranston-police-release-names-of-2-killed-on-dirt-bike
So senseless, 20 & 21 year old. RIP.

Interesting story below. Guy meets a girl via dating app, they agree to meet in Elmhurst. This was basically a set up and he got robbed
source

https://www.golocalprov.com/news/pedestrian-killed-in-hit-and-run-on-north-main-street-in-providence
This isn't an isolated incident in that area. Don't feel safe walking there. Something needs to change :/

One thing you can do to help that doesn't require any weapons usage is to be the eye and ears of your local community. Learn the iconography of groups like the proud boys, patriot front, III%, etc and make note of any vehicles you see in your area with these symbols. Record as much information as you can obtain safely and without detection. Then share that info with local lgbt people. Encourage others to do the same in order to build a more comprehensive knowledge of militia in your area.
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/08/12/flags-and-other-symbols-used-far-right-groups-charlottesville
https://www.adl.org/resources/hate-symbols/search
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/groups
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/proud-boys
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/three-percenters
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Texas-Buc-ees-Proud-Boy-hate-symbol-nationalist-17288092.php
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/proud-boys-symbolism-altright-b1915741.html
https://www.29palms.marines.mil/Portals/56/Docs/EEO/tattoos.ppt
https://jodisaccessories.net/iii-1776-decal/
https://iamericasflags.com/three-percenter-1776-union-3x5-flag/
https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Three-Percenter-300x300.jpg
https://ardentpatriotapparel.com/products/iii-sticker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Patriot_Front.svg
https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/images/2022-08/patriot-front-1280-720-primary.gif
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/14A3F/production/_109334548_mediaitem109334547.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proud_Boys#/media/File:Proud_Boys_PB_and_Wreath_Logo.jpg
https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2022/june/images/proudboysvest.jpg
https://www.golocalprov.com/cache/images/cached/cache/images/remote/https_s3.amazonaws.com/media.golocalprov.com/Oath_Keepers_Sept_2022_LOGO_360_381.png

https://www.golocalprov.com/news/cranston-police-searching-for-women-they-say-stole-1400-in-sunglasses

$27 million awarded to providence for "urban trail network" by fed govt. I Hope this will have a transformative impact on providence. thoughts?
https://www.golocalprov.com/news/27-million-awarded-to-providence-for-urban-trail-network-by-federal-governm

A lot of posts seems to talk up Alta Fox and have strange specifics. Seems strange that a lot of the misinformation, like Hasbro being able to yank away rights, comes out of language put out by this group.
https://www.golocalprov.com/business/hasbro-facing-battle-from-investor-group-trying-to-force-dungeons-dragons-s

/news
https://www.golocalprov.com/sports/ris-mcclanaghan-shooting-coach-to-curry-and-other-nba-stars-arrested-on-rap

hey, great job by our moderators booting that troll but it seems as though he's just doing the same garbage or has influenced copycats... any chance we can just enforce a rule where you at least have to post some body copy when you post a link? if not, can we just blacklist that garbage site?

Hey y'all, these are my thoughts so far. I aim to share some information, encourage civic engagement and perhaps start a discussion. Please - let's encourage discourse and keep things civil. I am planning to vote early this Saturday.
Some distinguishing issues:
Helping people meet their basic needs and reducing inequality - I'm willing to pay more taxes if it really helps people. I want to see reform proposals be well supported with evidence. If there are major policy differences in this regard for the Democratic candidates I haven't been able to discern then this far.
Relevant experience - especially in government. I think in most jobs one learns and improves with experience.
No known shady dealings - I don't want to vote for a candidate who has a record of illegal or suspicious behavior. Or if they were under investigation, that suggests there was due reason for them to be investigated.
LEOBOR (Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights) repeal - I want police to be more accountable. They would still have a lot of protections already even without this bill. LEOBOR repeal bills have been introduced recently but there was not enough support in RI House or Senate to bring it to a vote. This is mostly relevant for RI House and Senate Races. It seems like all the candidates in my area support LEOBOR repeal. https://www.providencejournal.com/story/opinion/columns/2021/06/10/opinion-tuttle-and-vincent-its-time-repeal-leobo7587623002/
Initiative and referendum support - in many other states, voters can get a specific question as a ballot measure if there are enough signatures. This is not an option in Rhode Island, only the House and Senate can introduce ballot measures. I haven't heard a lot of candidates talk about it but I intend to ask my State Rep and Senator candidates - I haven't gotten answers on this yet.
Minimal mask mandates - in my opinion, government mask mandates should be used only as an emergency measure such as high rates of hospitalization. I want to see this decision made with serious consideration to the quality of life impact relative to how much benefit it can realistically provide. I am not "anti-mask" but I don't want to see these mandates made lightly or indefinitely. In Rhode Island these decisions have usually been made by the Governor.
Resources: I recommend the Providence Journal - I am not affiliated with them in any way but they seem thorough and fairly balanced (except the columns labeled as "Opinion" which are one-sided by design)
Governor Dan McKee - No. He's done some positive things but I can't in good conscience vote for a candidate who is under federal investigation to awarding a 5 million dollar contract to a company he was tied to and then refuses to be transparent about the investigation https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/education/2022/03/25/federal-government-investigating-ri-education-consulting-contract/7167308001/
Helena Foulkes - no government experience
Luis Daniel Muñoz - no government experience
Matt Brown and Nellie Gorbea - both have good experience and similar progressive policies. They both seem to take mask mandates more lightly than I would like but Brown more so than Gorbea so I am leaning Gorbea.
Lieutenant Governor
Sabina Matos- has teamed up with McKee so that's a no for me
Deborah Ruggiero - Current favorite. She has been in the house of representatives since 2008 and seems to have done a good amount there. One of the things she did that I admired was join the House "Reform Caucus" - they proposed a number of reforms to the House including one to make sure that any vote with majority support can be put to a vote without being blocked by house leadership. This sort of thing is not likely to go over well with said leadership so I think this took some courage. https://whatsupnewp.com/2019/01/aquidneck-island-reform-caucus-members-recommended-changes-to-house-rules/
Cynthia Mendes - elected to state Senate in 2020 so that's a little new for someone in line to be governor. Teamed up with Matt Brown who I am personally not that enthusiastic about.
Secretary of State Gregg Amore - My choice. He has been in the RI house of representatives since 2013 and sponsored bill that improved voting access in a number of ways. Gorbea and McKee also supported this bill if that matters https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/2022/03/26/voting-rights-let-ri-vote-makes-pandemic-changes-permanent/7161443001/
Stephanie Beauté - She has no government experience and claims on her website - "Under Gregg Amore’s new bill, voter records will be purged four times every year". I guess she is referring to the requirement in the Let RI Vote Act that requires updating the voter rolls 4 times a year. This could mean removing people who have moved or died but that seems like a good thing so long as it is done accurately. I feel her characterization is dishonest.
General Treasurer
I was undecided until an article came out Tuesday with serious oversights by Diossa, see below.
Stefan Pryor - is my current choice. He was commerce secretary for 7 years which seems like relevant experience. I haven't heard anything bad about him. It seems Diossa has no stronger argument against Pryor than having come here only in 2015.
James Diossa - two terms as Mayor of Central Falls while they recovered from bankruptcy is good experience to have but then I found out he has made some serious mistakes and not taken full accountability for them. In 2018 the city improperly allocated money for pensions to the general fund. Diossa claims he had no control over which could be true because the city was partially under state control. In 2020 the city charged over 700,000 in taxes more than allowed by state law and later returned. Diossa blamed his finance director (whose name he doesn't remember (??)) but in my opinion he should have checked that the numbers made sense and a leader should take full accountability. He also repeatedly had to edit his financial disclosures because things were missing. And reading about the stuff he forgot to disclose also makes me think maybe he has too much financial activity going on to be focused on his government work. https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/09/06/james-diossa-accused-treasurer-rhode-island-mismanagement-opposition-stefan-pryo7974370001/
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley - No, he has multiple campaign finance violations and potential conflicts of interest. https://www.golocalprov.com/politics/new-smiley-hit-with-ethics-fine
Gonzalo Cuervo - My current choice. Has worked for several past mayors and as deputy secretary of state. He resigned his government position (unlike Smiley) to focus on his campaign for mayor and avoid conflict of interest. He also worked briefly as a substitute teacher during the height of the pandemic which is admirable.
Nirva LaFortune - Impressive life story and good experience - Providence City Council since 2017. However, I wondered why only 1/14 city council members endorsed her and there was nothing I heard so far that lead me to choose her over Cuervo.