EDITORIAL

Our endorsements

Posted 11/3/16

Many Warwick voters will go to the polls Tuesday angry that they don't have better choices for the nation's top elective office and, perhaps for the first time, prepared to vote for someone other than the Republican or Democratic nominee. We urge them

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EDITORIAL

Our endorsements

Posted

Many Warwick voters will go to the polls Tuesday angry that they don’t have better choices for the nation’s top elective office and, perhaps for the first time, prepared to vote for someone other than the Republican or Democratic nominee.

We urge them not to let their frustration over the national election to color their outlook on local races. Interest in public service and how our city and state are run is high, and Warwick has not seen as many candidates declare as happened in June.

The September Democratic primary has whittled those numbers down and in some instances – such as Ward 7, where Stephen McAllister was the winner, and Senate District 30, where Jeannine Calkin won the Democratic nomination – left them the winners as no others are running. Incumbents Ed Ladouceur, Ward 5; Joseph Gallucci, Ward 8; Steve Merolla, Ward 9; K. Joseph Shekarchi, House District 23; and Erin Lynch Prata, Senate District 31, likewise don’t face contests and will return to office.

Also, this year a number of independents are running. And interest in the two at-large seats for School Committee on the Warwick ballot has been high. Six candidates declared for the two slots that the primary narrowed to four.

Scott Avedisian for mayor:

This year, more so than others, Mayor Scott Avedisian faces a committed challenger. Richard Corrente has been campaigning for nearly two years, getting out his name and his message that it is time to hold the line on taxes. We admire his tenacity and determination despite lacking the full support of his own party. He has put his heart into this race, keeping abreast of local issues and speaking out at City Council and School Committee meetings. He has met voters and, as morning commuters can attest, he can be seen waving as they head to work at major intersections.

That said, we find some of his initiatives lacking detail and supporting information. If he cut taxes, what services would he trim to balance the budget? And if he were to offer incentives for businesses and families to move to Warwick, which he sees as generating greater tax revenues, where would those revenues come from?

Albeit a little every year, Mayor Avedisian, now the city’s longest-serving mayor, has consistently raised taxes. It has kept the city in the black and with a sound bond rating. He has adhered to a plan to address the unfunded liability of the Police and Fire Pension I plan. Certainly, more can be done in the areas of pension funding and the liability of municipal employee post-retirement benefits. Also, we feel there needs to be contractual changes to reduce fire department overtime and pay for unused sick time that would free revenues to address other issues such as road repairs, if not hold the line on taxes.

But in his 16 years in office, scandal has not rocked the office of mayor. Avedisian has listened and he has worked to build for Warwick’s future. The Great Recession and its fallout haven’t made it easy, but the foundation has been laid for new development in City Centre. More developments are on the drawing boards, and they should generate increased tax revenues. The mayor has navigated the expansion ambitions of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, cutting a deal that ends a longstanding adversarial position and for the foreseeable future closes the door on additional runway expansion.

Does the deal shortchange Warwick, as Mr. Corrente says? We agree it never hurts to ask for more, and Warwick does bear the impact of airport activity. However, we don’t see this as a “give me.” Relations are better, and we think there are ways the airport can be a better neighbor.

Most troubling to the community at this point is the disruption faced by our school department, which in large part is attributable to the absence of a contract. There’s no argument that in response to declining student enrollment, consolidation needs to happen. Until recently, when he endorsed delaying the consolidation of elementary schools by a year, Mayor Avedisian has not played a public role in either school consolidation or the lack of a contract. That’s not to say it’s been hands-off. The mayor has met with the parties and, as we learned during the only debate of the campaign, he has offered to mediate talks.

It’s not that everything in Warwick is “all good,” as we have heard Mayor Avedisian say on the campaign trail. There are issues and there is room for improvement. He recognizes that, and while he likes to project the image that things are running smoothly, we think he is the right candidate to keep Warwick on course and address those issues needing improvement. He’s our pick for mayor.

Looking at other local candidates on the ticket, here are our endorsements:

Richard Corley in Ward 1

: Ward 1 residents are fortunate to have two candidates: Richard Corley and Richard Cascella, who know the ward and city government. An attorney, Mr. Corley has given of his expertise to serve on the Zoning Board of Review. Mr. Cascella has been involved in community events. Both would do well representing the residents of Ward 1. We pick Mr. Corley on the basis of what he sees as the issues facing the ward as defined in this section.

Jeremy Rix in Ward 2:

Mr. Rix has taken his interest in serving the public seriously and has been highly visible and accessible. We have not heard much from his Republican opponent, John Silvaggio.

Timothy Howe in Ward 3:

Mr. Howe has been active in city affairs long before throwing his hat in the ring for Ward 3. That interest, which first focused on veterans’ affairs, has expanded to multiple aspects of the community. His opponent, independent Kenneth Nelson, has been largely silent.

Joseph Solomon in Ward 4:

Joseph Solomon has long served his constituents and the citizens of Warwick with his careful scrutiny of municipal spending. At times, he has been at odds with the administration seemingly just to be contrary. But overall his questioning has been healthy. Independent Ernest Flagg has waged a campaign and gotten his name out there, but it would be good to keep Solomon.

Donna Travis in Ward 6

: Mrs. Travis has done a good job of representing her constituents, especially those of Oakland Beach. She has also taken on the larger role of council president. She was particularly vocal in demanding an investigation of the school administration’s handling of a teacher who drew sexually explicit drawings on the arms of two junior high school girls and then on having the report released. We have not heard much from her Republican opponent, James Ferola.

Joseph McNamara in House District 19:

Mr. McNamara has been highly active in district, state and political affairs. On the local level he continues to work on fixing the Salter Grove causeway and was key to medical tourism legislation that promises to bring new development to the city. On the state level he serves in the House leadership, which is a benefit to the city, and he is chair of the Rhode Island Democratic Party. We have reached out to independent David Mastriano, but he has not responded.

David Bennett in House District 20:

Mr. Bennett has proven to be responsible and responsive as a state legislator. He is an advocate of unions and workers. His opponent, Daniel Elliott, is well spoken and has worked on his campaign. Should he not win, we hope Mr. Elliott will stay involved in the community. His interest is refreshing.

Camille Vella-Wilkinson in House District 21:

Mrs. Vella-Wilkinson has proven herself as the councilwoman for Ward 3 and lived by her own conviction that there should be term limits by not seeking re-election. We wish her luck in bringing her ideas to the General Assembly should she be elected. Her opponents, Republican Mike Penta and independent Michael Underwood, are good candidates and would serve well, but she is driven.

Joseph Solomon Jr. in House District 22:

Freshman legislator Joseph Solomon Jr. listens to his constituency, as demonstrated when he broke with the House leadership and voted against RhodeWorks and its truck tolls. He paid for failing to follow the party line with the loss of a committee post. His independent opponent, Elizabeth Kennedy Smith, says she was primarily motivated to seek office because of the corruption of a few on Smith Hill. That’s a worthy cause. Solomon has shown he’ll stand up for what his constituents want.

Evan Shanley in House District 24:

Of the city legislative races where incumbents are not running for re-election, this one has the highest visibility candidate, Stacia Huyler. A Republican, Mrs. Huyler ran against Mayor Avedisian in the 2014 primary. She has remained active locally, regularly speaks out at council meetings, and uses the Warwick Watch website to personally attack officials and non-officials before adequately researching the issues. While the General Assembly could use more opposition voices, we don’t see Huyler’s as contributing to the debate. Evan Shanley is new to the political scene. He has strong union ties, and there are those like Joseph Trillo who chose not to seek re-election, who will say that sector of the economy is sufficiently represented at the State House. We would expect Mr. Shanley to be his own voice – and a rational one – if elected.

Michael McCaffrey in Senate District 29:

There’s no denying independent Ronald Loparto’s claims that Sen. McCaffrey is part of the Senate leadership. He chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and has represented his constituents well. But leadership is not bad or corrupt, as Mr. Loparto would have voters believe. Mr. Loparto would do well to back up his claims if he has solid evidence and, better yet, offer a different course if he has one. Mr. McCaffrey has proved he can do the job.

Karen Bachus and David Testa for School Committee:

Without question, the race for two at-large non-partisan seats on the School Committee has been the most visible of any in Warwick. The candidates, incumbent Karen Bachus, David Testa, Dean Johnson and Danny Hall, have attended recent hearings on the consolidation of elementary schools, spoken out on the lack of a teachers contract, and voiced opinions on numerous issues, including the education of students with special needs. Many of their stances are similar.

Ms. Bachus had aligned herself with the union and has been suspicious of the administration to the point where she impairs consensus. Yet, we agree with her underlying premise that the safety and education of students comes first. If re-elected, we think she has the ability to build trust between the union and the administration and bring an end to the stalemate hindering opportunity to rebuild Warwick schools.

Mr. Testa is a longtime observer and commentator of the system. He has run before and worked within the system. The same can be said for Mr. Johnson, who has been actively involved in his neighborhood school, Holliman. This is Mr. Hall’s first run for School Committee, although he has run for Ward 5 as a Republican. His candidacy has been supported by Ed Ladouceur, ironically, the Democrat who beat him for that seat.

We have four actively engaged candidates for School Committee, which is a plus for schools and Warwick citizens. Ms. Bachus, we hope, will look to bring the parties together, and Mr. Testa has the history and the perspective to contribute to that end.

Comments

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  • Justanidiot

    But, who should we vote for in US Congressional District 1?

    Or how about the biggie, Trump v. Hilary?

    If you don't tell us how to vote, we will have to leave these spaces blank come Tuesday.

    Thanks a lot.

    Thursday, November 3, 2016 Report this

  • DanElliott

    Thanks to the Beacon staff for your kind words. As Bob Healey once said, I am seeking only one endorsement, that of the people.

    What say you, District 20? More of the same, another two years with Rhode Island stuck in last place? Or are you ready to stand up, be a part of the solution, and vote for change!

    On November 8th, please cast your ballot for DAN ELLIOTT.

    Thursday, November 3, 2016 Report this

  • BeaconCommenter

    The Beacon saying that Huyler "uses the Warwick Watch website to personally attack officials and non-officials before adequately researching the issues" is literally the funniest thing this paper has ever written.

    Thursday, November 3, 2016 Report this

  • Flo5582

    Great endorsement choices for school committee. Let's hope the constituents of Warwick use the same critical thinking when casting their votes. These two candidates are clearly the most intelligent and qualified of the 4 to lead our children forward. This is such an important race during such an important time of transition for our city and our children. Please do not waste votes on unqualified candidates who only appear to want to be party of the political popular crowd. I as well, will be voting Bachus and Testa for school committee and "putting our kids first"

    Monday, November 7, 2016 Report this