Republicans can learn something from Rhode Island about standing up for taxpayers as a winning political strategy.
I have written many time before about the efforts of Democratic Mayor of Providence Angel Taveras, who has taken on school teacher unions and other public sector employees in an attempt to keep Providence from bankruptcy.
I have not posted much about new Democratic State Treasurer Gina Raimondo. She has led efforts at the state level to tackle the state pension problem, including proposing substantial reforms which are opposed by the unions which control the legislature.
A just released survey by Brown University finds Taveras and Raimondo to be the most popular politicians in the state by a wide margin, as reported by WPRI (h/t Political Wire):
Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, is the most popular elected official in Rhode Island based on Brown’s polling. The mayor’s statewide job approval rating is up to 60%. Treasurer Gina Raimondo comes next with 58% approving of her job performance.
Who are the least popular? The three biggest panderers:
- Democratic U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, nemesis of the Tea Party movement, and down-the-line supporter of liberal Democratic initiatives. He rates a mere 30% favorability. His Republican opponent in November is Barry Hinckley.
- Democratic Congressman and former Providence Mayor David Cicilline, who hid Providence’s problems until after he was elected to Congress, and who ran a “scare Grandma” campaign to get elected. His favorability is a mere 15%. His opponent in November is Brendan Doherty.
- And “Independent In Name Only” Gov. Linc Chafee, who is an Obama campaign co-Chair (something he refused to be for George W. Bush when he was a Republican Seantor) and relentless opponent of enforcing immigration laws. His favorability is 22%.
So in a Democratic State controlled completely by Democrats or quasi-Democrats, some Democrats are popular and some are not. The popular Democrats are those who stand up to the public sector unions and on the side of taxpayers.
There’s a lesson here.
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Comments
Sorry, but the only lesson is that they all got elected.
I think it is good to recognize good judgment…especially AGAINST entrenched interests…by anybody.
A lesson I learned in training things is you pat them on the head AT LEAST as much as you smack ’em on the nose.
Works with dogs, horses, kids, and politicians.
“It’s the MATH, stupids!”
People often LIKE reality. The more you immerse yourself in it, and live accord to it, the more rational life becomes.
Funny how that works…
As my father used to say: “It’s only a lesson, if you’re willing to learn it.” So I doubt those leftist RI political turkeys will pick up on it.
Come November their wet fingers will be in the breeze to find out which way it is blowing. That, and that alone will determine how they vote.
Historically, taxpayers don’t vote in RI. Unions do.
Until *that* changes, nothing else will.
It sounds as though more than 50.5% of the citizens of “Road Island” pay taxes. What’s wrong with the state?
Off topic, but Sarah does it again. She says what others fear to say. Where are our so-called leaders? Newt has backed her up.
Palin: When does Karzai apologize for one of his troops killing two of our soldiers over the Koran-burning?
The lessons “learned” will manifest themselves in the November elections and I’ll venture a wild guess that the legislature remains heavily Democrat biased AND it will be business as usual for the rest of the familiar cast.
Fifty years of living in RI drew me to the conclusion that the only recourse was to vote with my feet which I did in 1990 and totally without regret.
I do enjoy the continuing saga of Ocean State Follies though…
Rhode Island is too far gone. You have Republicans there running to the LEFT of democrats. Chaffee ran to the LEFT of that loony tune Sheldon Whitehouse.
Sell Rhode Island to Canada for 1 Canadian dollar, (it’s worth more than $1). And be done with it.
Throw in Vermont, Connecticut, and MassCasualty for free.
SOMEBODY STOP HIM! – http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-vows-double-down-green-investments-despite-solyndra-and-volt-flop
TAKE HIS CREDIT CARD AWAY.
You spelled Road Island wrong.
-Joe Biden