"The Sunday Political Brunch" -- June 14, 2015

Dr. Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a freelance Political Reporter based in New England and a Political Analyst for KGO Radio 810-AM San Francisco.

(Providence, Rhode Island) – Happy Birthday to “The Sunday Political Brunch” which is four-years-old today! I enjoy all the weekly political banter and we are read by thousands across the nation each week, which is great. I wanted to address political corruption this week, since another Rhode Island political leader is on his way to prison. This state has had a knack for that, but is it any more corrupt than elsewhere? Lets “brunch” on that this week:

“The Fox Guards the State House” – Former House Speaker Gordon Fox (D-RI) was sentenced to three years in federal prison this past week, for taking over $50,000 dollars in bribes while a member of the Providence Licensing Board (photo above). Fox expressed remorse and admitted what he had done was wrong. A lot of people in the Ocean State just shrugged their shoulders as if it was business as usual, because Fox is hardly alone.

“Third Time’s Not the Charm” – Commenting on the Fox matter this week was former Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci, who hosts a popular afternoon talk show on News/Talk Radio WPRO 630-AM. Cianci knows a bit about what Fox is about to encounter, as Cianci himself spent nearly five-years in federal prison on a single racketeering conviction during his second stint as Mayor of Providence (Cianci was forced to resign his first tenure as Mayor for assaulting a man whom he suspected of having an affair with his wife). Despite two convictions, Cianci ran for Mayor again in 2014, losing a competitive race with Jorge Elorza.

“The Three Stooges” – In 2010, just after I arrived in Rhode Island, three members of the North Providence Town Council were arrested and convicted of taking bribes in a zoning matter. All went to federal prison. A photo of the three I first found posted in the Council Chambers showed one was balding, one had red hair and the third man with bushy black hair on the sides, but balding on top. People immediately started to say they resembled the “Three Stooges” from the old days of black and white TV (and they did). Here’s a New York Times link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/25/us/25land.html?_r=0.
One of their fellow council members got wind of the $25,000 bribe and turned federal snitch.

“Mr. Ed Goes to Prison” – Corruption can snag you even after you leave political office. Just ask former Governor Ed DiPrete (R-RI) who left office in 1991 after serving three terms. Seven years later he entered guilty pleas to bribery, racketeering and extortion charges, stemming from contracts that were put out for bid while he was Governor. He was sentenced to one year in prison.

“But, Rhode Island and Illinois are Twins” --– Political corruption, has no
geographic boundaries. Take Illinois for example, where former Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) is still in prison, while his predecessor Governor George Ryan (R-IL) was paroled from prison a couple of years ago. Former Governor Otto Kerner (D-IL) was indicted and convicted of corruption; and former Governor Dan Walker (D-IL) was sent to prison for illegalities in his consulting work that occurred after his time in office. The bottom line, Illinois sent four sitting or former governors to prison in the 20th century. No other state can claim that!

“Yee Haw!” – Suspended State Senator Leland Yee (D-CA) is awaiting federal trial on a host of charges including bribery and gun-running related to an Islamic terrorist group in the Philippines. Yee, who was a staunch gun control advocate, served in elective office for nearly twenty years. He was later charged with racketeering, accused of trying to shake down the unnamed owner of a National Football League team. I mention Lee, because it is literally the furthest public corruption case from Rhode Island, which just goes to show it can happen anywhere – from coast-to-coast – and right smack in the heartland.

“Underserved reputation?” – I often get asked if Rhode Island is worse than any place else when it comes to political corruption, and my answer is no! The dynamic is that Rhode Island is the smallest state, so everything that happens here gets magnified by the intense public spotlight. Other places such as New Orleans have just as many problems, but in much bigger states such as Louisiana, Illinois and California, a lot of other issues are fighting for the headlines, and sometimes public corruption gets less notoriety than in tiny Rhode Island.

What are your concerns about political corruption and how to stop it? Just post your comments at www.MarkCurtismedia.com.

© 2015, Mark Curtis Media, LLC.

Photo courtesy: MCM