Archive for the 'Press Releases' Category

The worst kept secret in RI Republican politics is now officially no longer a secret — former RNC Chief of Staff and Carcieri campaign manager Ken McKay is running as a candidate for Chairman of the Rhode Island Republican Party. His only announced opposition thus far is Patrick Sweeney. The following is an e-mail which he sent to RIGOP Delegates, as well as some members of the media today:

Republicans are faced with an incredible opportunity to win elections in Rhode Island. We have great incumbents and candidates. We have incredibly hard working activists.

Respectfully, I hope to earn your support and vote to become Chairman of the Rhode Island Republican Party in March. Over the last few weeks I have talked to many Rhode Island Republicans about our future. I will continue that outreach through our March meeting.

I humbly believe that if we all pull together against liberal, Democrat policies and leaders we can win elections here. In my opinion, Republican ideas represent the majority opinion in Rhode Island. Liberals and Democrats continue to take us in the wrong direction. We must organize the like-minded majority, and identify our vote, and turn them out on election day, if we do we will find ourselves in the majority and in control of our destiny.

Before serving on the Rick Scott for Governor campaign in Florida last summer and fall I had the honor to serve our party as Chief of Staff at the National Committee. When I arrived there shortly after President Obama’s inauguration Washington wrote us off. We were not expected to win. Frankly, the question was how big the Democrat majority could get? We worked in the face of skepticism but we remained excited and pulled together to beat Democrats. We helped challenge the liberal health care takeover, we helped successful Governor’s races, we raised money. We spent every day organizing. It was not easy. Doubt was in the air. We took steps though towards success and we pressed every day until we achieved victory and we can do that in Rhode Island.

A little about me:

Married for 18 years and we have three boys
My wife and I are from Rhode Island
Managed two successful campaigns for Governor Carcieri
Served as Chief of Staff to Governor Carcieri for his first term
Veteran of the United States Army Infantry
As Chief of Staff at RNC made sure RI was supported
Assisted in RIGOP fundraising
Took a leave of absence from Governor Carcieri’s office to assist in 2004 legislative races

Attached is a letter that I ask you to read regarding my candidacy for Chair of our great Party, and again, I ask for your support.

Please forward this to other Republicans who have in interest in our party and its future. As better contact information becomes available for delegates I will continue to send this to them.

Source: Press Release from Ken McKay

With former Senate Finance Chairman Frank Caprio recently obtaining the endorsement of the Laborers’ Union, it is now official that there are two candidates in the race for Governor that the public employee union bosses can count on as Governor. Mr. Caprio now openly joins former Mayor Lincoln Chafee, who received the endorsement of the American Federation of Teachers, as the Choice of Public Employees Unions.

The Rhode Island Republican Party notes that with Republican John Robitaille as the only credible voice left for the taxpayers, the voters will fortunately have a clear choice in the race for Governor – between one of the Wonder Twins and a real reformer.

Like the fictional Wonder Twins, Caprio and Chafee think they can change their image during this campaign in order to fool the voters into thinking they are something they are not. Caprio is still a creature of the financially irresponsible General Assembly, and Chafee is still a waffling politician who is beholden to special interest groups. Don’t be fooled.

Many know how Mayor Chafee gave a sweet heart deal to the Warwick Teachers’ union by circumventing the School Committee to give teachers a 19.4 % pay raise with no health insurance premium co-share (ProJo 5/3/94). A deal that a former Warwick School Committee Chairperson was quoted at the time as saying “the city taxpayers could not have done any worse” and that “[e]ven a monkey can manage to give everything away.” (ProJo 5/3/94 and 5/4/94).

But not as many know the story of how Caprio as Senate Finance Chairman tried to the increase the pension benefits of state workers who belonged to the Laborers Union. In the final days of the 2001 legislative session, Caprio introduced a “controversial union-pension bill”. (Projo 6/30/01) This bill required “an estimated $250,000 in state payments to a second pension fund for 1,100 state workers who belong to the Laborers International Union of North America.” (ProJo 6/28/01)

Caprio “introduced the bill at the request of … top Laborers officials”. (ProJo 6/28/2001) Legislators such as Senator Michael Lenihan and Representative Tony Pires dubbed it a “double-pension bill”, which would put the state “on the hook and making it fiscally responsible for a pension system over which it has no control.” (ProJo 6/28/2001)

After hearing this criticism Caprio acknowledged that the wording needed “some attention to clarify the issues” (Projo 6/28/2001), but after he made changes to the bill’s wording it still died in the House (Projo 6/30/2001). Also, in 2001, Caprio co-sponsored legislation, along with Senator Tassoni, to give pensions to state workers after only five years of service instead of ten years (01-S176).

The teachers union bosses never forgot what Chafee did for them as mayor and know what Chafee will do for them as Governor. Caprio appears to be calling in his chits with the Laborers and expecting the same payback. If either of the Wonder Twins is elected Governor, the taxpayers will be left wondering what new super taxes they will be stuck paying to cover those hefty political debts to the union bosses.

Press Release: Rhode Island Republican Party