Don Roach

It seems non-progressive movements are always quantified by the media. You hear phrases like “smaller than expected” or “organizers were frustrated by the number in attendance”. It’s as if the media is purposely trying to discount non-progressive movements. Take the headline:

Attendees fewer at annual Tax Day rally in R.I. but united in criticism of Chafee’s tax plan

The inference made is that less people are really concerned about a sales tax increase. I don’t buy it. In fact, I think we’re 1-2 tax increases away from people rioting in the streets refusing to pay. But the media just likes to focus on quantifying the numbers instead of addressing the issues.

Why is that?

Could it be that they intend to marginalize protesters who don’t fit into a progressive mold? I think so. It’s frustrating because in today’s world if you advocate for abortion, gay marriage, or workers rights the media doesn’t headline the size of the rally. But if you rally against taxes, abortion, or the like all of a sudden SIZE MATTERS.

I think it actually just shows media bias, but there’s a day of reckoning coming. And when it does, they won’t be talking about size. Because they won’t be able to number the angry masses.

If you didn’t know, I’m a die hard sports fan. I can watch just about any kind of competition except female WWE wrestling and summer baseball played by teams not named the Philadelphia Phillies. Living in the Providence area and working in Boston, it’s a lonely existence for a Philadelphia sports fan.

No matter, I’ve got three young boys to indoctrinate in the ways of Philly.  Muahahahaha!!!

This spring, the Flyers and Sixers are in their respective playoffs. The Flyers have a legit chance to win the Stanley Cup, and my favorite sport to watch on tv has always been hockey. My favorite sport to watch live is hockey. My Sixers face the Miami Heat and I feel a beat down cometh. The Sixers are Miami light with athletic players but just don’t have the same level of talent as the Heat have. I think the Sixers can steal a game but I don’t expect the series to go more than 5 games max.

Last night, the Flyers lost to the Sabres 1-0 and heard the boo birds from the phans. That’s why I love Philly, booing the 2nd seeded team that was within 2 games of a Stanley Cup in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs. Boston fans talk about passion, but Philly’s where it’s at. I don’t think Bostonians or New York peeps drop the boo birds on their teams in Game 1. But, you know if the Celtics have a rough start on Sunday, we’ll put that theory to the test.

As for me, go Philllllllyyyyyyyy Baby!!

I’ve always questioned Governor Chafee’s political acumen. He is the insider’s insider with connections to many powerful people. There’s no doubting that. What I see from time to time is an inability to see what lays ahead and possible pratfalls.

Enter his sales tax proposal (and budget).

GoLocal reported that Speaker Fox has essentially called it Dead On Arrival. Nice, just a few weeks after the Chafee team put out the proposal the Speaker, whom you’d think the Governor would have conversed with prior to his budget announcement, calls it dead.

Chafee sought to unite Rhode Island and so far he’s doing a great job at it. Democrats hate his budget, Republicans hate it too. Score one for Chafee!

I mentioned this last night on A Lively Experiment, that Chafee angry at people who complain as not offering solutions is like the Titanic sinking with the captain suggesting taking all the chairs on board to use them to blug the leak. When no one else offers an alternative, he angrily walks away. The problem? Sales tax isn’t a solution and neither will chairs stacked together plug a hole that grows daily.

Chafee is going to need to return to his Republican roots if he wants to solve this problem. His friends on the left are going to suggest increased taxes, but the problem is average Rhode Islanders have faced hefty property tax increases for years and will face even more this year. The taxpayers are about thisclose to revolting.

I’m serious, I do not think we’re far from folks just saying no to increased taxes.

And, in my opinion, Chafee has overplayed his hand. He didn’t win with 60+% of the vote in November. Instead, over 60% voted for someone else. He has zero credibility with Republicans and Democrats aren’t going to give him as much help as you’d think considering they want to lay claim to the turnaround and put forth a solid candidate in 2014 to take Chafee down. So, he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place with not much in the way of political capital.

I wonder if he’ll complain or do something about it. Your move, Governor.

LOL.

Seriously, though, today I taped a show, A Lively Experiment. It airs on PBS 36 on Thursday’s and Sunday’s. I thought I performed fairly decent given this was my first time on tv in years. Sure, I did a radio show back in college, but I’ve never been on t.v. like this.

It was a pretty cool experience and I’m looking forward to doing this again (GoLocal personalities rotate on the show) and I thought it was great that such a personality as Scott MacKay was also on the show. His personality, made things a lot more comfortable for me.

Dave Lyman and Mark Murphy seemed like old pros and it was great to meet both of them. And the elder statesment of them all, Jim Hagan, was quite lively.

All-in-all a good time. And to Governor Chafee, we need better solutions!! I offered one such solution on the show.

I like Steve Laffey. I think he was a great Mayor in Cranston. I think he would have made a better Senator than Chafee or Whitehouse. I was probably the only black dude in 2006 at his Campaign HQ on that fateful night at the Crowne Plaza.

But, I now understand why Chafee beat him. I couldn’t then but it’s pretty crystal clear to me today. Laffey understands how to run organizations, he understands that in order to get to C, you have to do A and sometimes B. In other words, Laffey takes action to meet a specific end, all else be damned. It’s not heartless, just necessary to achieve a particular end.

That works fine for a guy like me who doesn’t have to be in love with a politician to vote for him, but in Rhode Island is often about who is the most likable versus who has the best ideas.

Laffey doesn’t get that, nor do I think he ever will. I heard him on the Matt Allen show and you could tell he was still upset about quite a number of things that happened in RI, and definitely not the most content with the RI GOP to say the least.

If Laffey had a wee bit more affable personality he would be a superstar in Rhode Island. But I wonder if adding a dash of affability would take a pound of his managerial expertise away? Well, we’ll probably never know. Laffey will probably ride off into the sunset doing something and we’ll only have what ifs.

But as I sat there that evening in 2006 watching Rhode Island Republicans and independents vote for Lincoln Chafee for US Senator, I cringed at the thought of this realization – In Rhode Island it’s better to be a nice guy with few ideas than an abrasive guy with THE ideas.

Politics is a funny thing and if Laffey ever softened his tone, he could be one dangerous man in this state.