Operation Clean Government (OCG) is a statewide group in Rhode Island that is dedicated to promoting honest, responsible, and responsive state government. Our primary focus is holding elected officials accountable for their official actions and ensuring a fair process in government. We are a 501(C)4 non-profit organization. At our most recent count we had 2,500 members.
OCG was formed in 1993, when several smaller citizens groups merged. One of the major issues at that time was the Rhode Island banking crisis, when large and politically connected borrowers defaulted on loans, freezing billions of dollars of small depositor accounts and catalyzing citizen outrage.
Over the years our efforts have expanded, but we have kept our focus on Rhode Island clean government issues. Our aims of good government reforms are actually accomplished through a variety of methods including: advocacy and lobbying, publishing our newsletter, press releases, legislative initiatives, educational seminars, filing ethics complaints, and, when necessary, filing lawsuits.
Since 1993, OCG has had many accomplishments. We have: increased compliance rates for campaign finance filings, put referenda on the ballot, provided educational TV programming, fought judicial abuse, trained and encouraged newcomer candidates for political office, caused reform of the state Ethics Commission and the Traffic Court, forced corrupt officials to pay fines and/ or resign, and helped enact numerous significant legislative changes.
Perhaps the signature issue with which OCG has been involved is the Separation of Powers amendment to the Rhode Island Constitution. This was an enormous project that spanned 10 years of effort and required constant vigilance, as powerful lawmakers tried to: ignore it, derail it, then water it down, and finally, even after passage, defy it and fail to implement it!
OCG is an all volunteer group, run by the following officers and board of directors:
Memberships start at only $12, and include a postal subscription to our free newsletter. Our member list is kept confidential, so please join with confidence. We also publish free email alerts for important breaking news. Our monthly board meetings are held the first Thursdy of the month at 6:45 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island -- and are open to the public. We also sponsor some fun events such as an annual picnic in the summer.
Operation Clean Government
P.O. Box 8683
Warwick, Rhode Island 02888
Tel: (401) 861-3900
Fax: (401) 885-7241
[email protected]
Operation Clean Government holds accountable those whom the citizenry entrust with the stewardship of their state government. Transparency in government and the citizen's access to their government are essential to a healthy democracy. OCG advocates strong democratic laws and institutions that instill public confidence that common policies are fairly debated and decided on the merits, and that common resources are used responsibly.
The next monthly meeting of the OCG Board of Directors is Thursday, October 6 at 6:45 p.m.
This month's meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island.