It’s been many months since we asked Arlene Violet that question. So, now that John Celona – the former Senator and Chairman of the powerful Senate Committee on Commerce, Housing and Municipal Government – is singing like a good little tweety bird to cut his potential jail time, what happens to CVS, Blue Cross, and Roger Williams Medical Center that allegedly paid him off? Already we are seeing these good corporate citizens distancing themselves from the so-called ‘government relations’ executives who ran Celona – with predictably righteous claims that top executives didn’t know what was going on.

These are astounding events. Who’s more culpable? A ‘government relations’ executive who takes the easy route to success by buying a senator? Or a company president who somehow allows his executives to put the company’s reputation at risk?

Who is kidding who here?

In December 2003 and March 2004, OCG filed ethics complaints against Senator Celona. The decision to file underwent a rigorous process of scrutiny by OCG's board of directors. The complaints are now in the probable cause stage at the Ethics Commission.

There’s no doubt that it was the right thing for OCG to do. But treating Celona as if he were a lone criminal who stuck up a bank gets to only half the problem. He had to conspire with others. And if they are not held as accountable as he is for all this, we are all, frankly, wasting our time fighting corruption.

As Arlene put it in her ever-so-clear way: “The briber is as guilty as the bribee and must be held accountable.” [return]

The Voter Initiative Alliance has been meeting weekly and is growing as new groups have joined. The groups now include: RI Shoreline Coalition; League of Women Voters; RI Manufacturers Association; Portsmouth Concerned Citizens; Island Watch Dogs; North Kingstown Taxpayers Association; RIGOP; R.I.G.H.T. and Operation Clean Government. A petition drive has started with the intent of collecting 20,000 signatures by January 2006 to present to the General Assembly, asking that they place the question on Voter Initiative on the November 2006 ballot and “Let the People decide.”

VIA members have attended fairs and parades and have collected over 2,000 signatures, with Rod Driver collecting the most at 395 and Bev Clay second with 240. If you would like to join those who are collecting signatures, call Roy Pruett at 397-6273 or email him at [email protected].

Volunteer Richard Furtado (middle) of Tiverton collects petition signatures at the Gaspee Day parade, June 11, 2005.

OCG Chairman Bob Arruda (right) collects petition signatures at the Gaspee Day parade, June 11, 2005.

[return]

Governor Carcieri vetos the Child Care Unionization bill.

It’s not too late to call your legislators to ask that they vote to sustain the governor’s veto on the Child Care Unionization bill. Both the House and Senate have indicated they will come back to tie up some loose ends and that could include overriding some of the Governor’s vetos, if they think they have the votes to do so.

So keep the calls going to your legislators that these Childcare workers are not state employees, but are independent contractors, regulated by the state. If they are now unionized, it would set a precedent for every other regulated group of independent contractors to form a union and negotiate with the state. All would become entitled to negotiate for more pay, health care, pensions and other benefits at the expense of the taxpayers.

A home based child care provider already receives free health insurance from the state, after caring for one child for 12 weeks, costing the state $2 million annually. State subsidies for child care workers are higher than those of neighboring states. Rhode Island runs one of the most generous child-care programs in America. The cost of the program has increased from $31.4 million in 1999 to $80.5 million this year. Find your legislator online at www.sec.state.ri.us/elections/findyourofficials/. [return]

Will Barbeau enjoying one of his many varied activities.

With Will away in July, we can get this in. Here’s a guy who has finally ‘broken 80’ but has never played golf; he’s been accused of having the enthusiasm of a teenager, yet he’s told that he doesn’t look a day over 79. He lives by two mottos: “Use it or lose it” (which is why he’s a bit of a fitness freak) and “so little time, so many windmills” (which he says is why he works for OCG). He was one of the first graduate students of Public Relations (BU) and earliest Accredited by the national society.

He’s never doubted that one person can change the world and has left a trail of successful crusades where his public relations skills helped “make a difference.” Some included East Beach in Charlestown RI; keeping Barrington free of McDonalds; and seven years of ‘Eco-Watch’ environmental columns in the East Bay Newspapers. He was an early fighter in the rescue of striped bass – although he’s caught plenty of them too. He helped start a fishing club and keeps it rich with an annual fishing seminar that plays to 600 people every January.

Will is a writer and photographer whose work has helped give OCG a more graphic presence. He plays clarinet in two orchestras and works off his frustrations every Saturday morning with some knock down, drag out racquetball. He says that’s so much fun, it should be called ‘giggleball.’ He claims being a “happy little helper” for OCG is also a lot of fun. [return]