The RI GOP announced a new initiative called the “Rhode Island Republican Strike Force” in a crowded room of volunteer grassroots Republicans in Warren Tuesday night.
The Republican Strike Force is a group of grassroots Republicans whose mission will be to assist Republican candidates running for Rhode Island General Assembly seats. Michael Napolitano, who serves as the Lincoln Republican Town Committee Chairman and Communications Director for the RI GOP Chairmen’s Caucus will serve as a co-chair of the group. Eileen Grossman, the Rhode Island GOP Volunteer Coordinator will also serve as a co-chair. They will report directly to Republican Chairman Mark Zaccaria.
Said Napolitano, “This army of grassroots volunteers will assist candidates with much needed help in key areas. We currently have approximately 70 individuals and expect to double that number by the summer. The RI GOP has not seen a force of volunteers for Rhode Island General Assembly candidates this large in years. This group has decided to get involved to help take back our state from the Democrats who have crippled it with their one party dominance and policies for seven decades. Many of the individuals in this group have a wealth of experience they will bring to the table.”
State Chair Mark Zaccaria is excited at the prospects this newly organized team presents. “Everyone understands we need a new Rhode Island.” He said after the meeting. “In my opinion the best way to get one is to first get a new General Assembly.” The vestigial off-year staff of the RI GOP is now to be quickly enhanced with experienced, dedicated volunteers who can easily shoulder a growing number of election year tasks. “The emergence of the Rhode Island Republican Strike Force promises to multiply our capacity to sponsor and support General Assembly Candidates,” Zaccaria concluded.
The group consists of several Republican Chairmen and many individuals who have served on other campaigns. Said Napolitano, “We feel that Rhode Island is on the brink, and we must get candidates elected to bring balance to the Rhode Island legislature. The democrat plan of high taxes and big government has brought us to the point we are at and it will take a strike force to counter it.”
The Rhode Island Republican Strike Force will be one leg of a multi-pronged approach. The RI GOP is already in the process of recruiting candidates and securing funding to assist them.
The state party is now in a far better position to demonstrate to prospective candidates the substantive nature of the support it can offer to help them win in November.
The Rhode Island Republican Party sponsors and supports Republican candidates for seats in the state and federal legislatures. As with all state GOP organizations the Rhode Island Republican Party has three seats on the Republican National Committee. Please visit the state party’s web site www.rigop.org.
Press Release: Rhode Island Republican Strike Force
Qualified Young Republicans Will Work for Half-Salary
“I could really use the job right now,” said one applicant. “Even at age 27, my college loans from four years at Duke are still pretty hefty.” Another applicant said, “It seems like a good job. You know, one of those errand-boy jobs. I have a degree in political science, so I’m sure I can handle all the stress. Plus, I’ll be saving the taxpayers some money.” Another promising member of the Young Republicans said, “I feel like I have a decent shot at getting the job. I’m a hard worker, and I graduated with a 3.7 GPA from URI. I can make a pretty good cup of coffee, too.”
Chairman of the RI Young Republicans Travis Rowley elaborated on the situation, “When word got out about Iannazzi’s outrageous salary, I began receiving dozens of resumes from the Young Republican membership, asking me to forward them to Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed on their behalf.”
Young Republican board member Patrick Sweeney spoke practically about the situation: “It seems that there are dozens of Young Republicans who are unemployed, well qualified, and more affordable to the taxpayers.” Sweeney gathered information from www.salary.com regarding comparative salaries in Providence. He discovered that an Office Services Assistant on average makes $37,559, and an Executive Assistant makes on average $52,998. “If you average those two salaries together, that’s $45,287. And that’s basically what our members are willing to work for,” Sweeney stated.
“Government jobs should always go to the lowest bidder among qualified applicants,” Rowley explained. “So this is a no-brainer. Sen. Ruggerio and Sen. Paiva-Weed will have to reconsider Iannazzi’s hiring.”
When asked about the fact that Stephen Iannazzi is the son of Donald Iannazzi, the business manager for Local 1033 (an affiliate of the Laborers International Union), Rowley expressed only slight concern. “We realize that Senator Ruggerio’s 30-year-old son, Charles, works as a lawyer for a union that sustains the Democrats’ political power in Rhode Island. But all of our applicants have college degrees, and are willing to work for much less money.” Rowley added, “There are also a lot of Young Republicans with law degrees, who will be applying for Charles Ruggerio’s job as well. This is a good week for us.”
Regarding political influence, Sweeney said, “It’s true, very few of our members have fathers who are politically connected labor leaders. But if you look at some of their resumes, it’s clear that plenty of our applicants have some pretty solid credentials in that respect as well.”
Sifting through stacks of resumes it’s evident that Sweeney is correct. Not only do all of the applicants have college degrees from various schools, but many of the resumes make assertions such as “My dad knows your dad” and “My dad voted for your brother’s wife.” Others boast of job qualifications such as “My dad hired your son, so you should hire me.” And perhaps the most convincing qualification found among stacks of resumes was “My grand-pappy was a member of Local 1033.”
“Our membership isn’t naive,” Rowley explained. “Most of them have lived in Rhode Island their entire lives. So they know what type of qualifications State House employers look for. The ‘Family and Labor Connections’ portion of their resumes may have been beefed up a bit before they were submitted.”
Press Release: RI Young Republicans