GOP courts Warwick voters with letter from Carcieri
9:21 AM Mon, Oct 15, 2007 | Permalink
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Governor Carcieri has jumped into the Warwick political arena with a “dear Republican voter” letter. In actuality, the state GOP sent the “from the desk of Donald L. Carcieri” letter out in an effort to boost Republican Jonathan Wheeler’s candidacy for former Rep. Peter Ginaitt’s House seat in a community where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 17,795 to 7,060 and most voters describe themselves as unaffiliated — 32,098. The letter is vintage Carcieri blasting “public employee unions” and the Democratic lawmakers, who, he contends, are all in their thrall. “You and I know we cannot afford to put another Democrat into the General Assembly,” the letter says. “Unfortunately, they have shown time and time again they do not have the will to stand up to the leadership of the public employee unions whose demands far outweigh what the state can afford. The unions’ hold on the Democrats in the statehouse has left our state with one of the highest property tax rate in the nation.” As it goes on, the letter raises questions the governor office’s declined to answer. It says: “The unions, through their support of Democrats in the House and Senate, have managed to get law after law passed that tie the hands of our school committees, mayors and town administrators.” Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal did not respond to requests for the Oct. 4 letter after it surfaced last week, and then had no comment about what this statement meant after a copy of the letter was provided to Political Scene by Patrick Crowley, deputy director of the National Education Association Rhode Island. By way of explanation, Neal said: “I believe it was sent out by the RIGOP. … I cannot provide you with a letter I don’t have.” In his turn, state GOP chairman Giovanni Ciccione was unable to cite a single law that demonstrated the point, but suggested it was “unfair” to ask him to do so because in his mind all “800 pages” of state labor law are “rigged” against school committees and town administrators. After seeing the letter, a bemused state Democratic Party Chairman Bill Lynch questioned how much help Carcieri could provide other Republicans when his own approval rating has plummeted, from 59 percent, to 44 percent since last January, according to Brown University’s September poll. “In light of the governor’s standing right now, I am happy to see him out campaigning” for the Republican candidate, Lynch said. “It may help as opposed to hurting” the Democrats’ shot at keeping the seat. On the Democratic side, newcomers Frank G. Ferri, Edgar N. Ladouceur and Olin Thompson will face off in a primary on Oct. 23. The winner will face Wheeler and independent Carlo Pisaturo on Nov. 27. The Warwick Democratic Town Committee — and the representative district committee — have endorsed Ladouceur, the owner of a Warwick home-improvement business called Stormtite, who has lobbied at the State House on contractor-related issues as head of the Rhode Island Builders Association. Ginaitt relinquished his seat to accept a larger job in emergency preparedness planning for the Lifepsan hospital network. 
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Can we possbily recall this lame duck republican Governor Carcieri? It's all the democrats fault, but we've had 15 years of republican governors who've done NOTHING BUT MAKE THINGS WORSE!!! Unemployment, tax hikes (tax CUTS for the rich) and growing deficits year after year. KEEP UP THE "GOOD" WORK DON! Also have a feeling this guy will follow in DiPrete's footsteps... stay tuned-------------
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