Why I Heart Sen. Chuck Levesque
I've said it before & I'll say it again: Sen. Levesque makes me want to move into Porsmouth (his District anyway). You may not agree with his political stands, but at least he makes them. Please, try & find someone else who has made one not in the realm of mom & apple pie & partisan politics.
I remember watching him on tv a few years ago at the televised forums the "Daily News" started. I watched because I wanted to be prepared for mine. He actually said that he was a "liberal." Flat out when it was still a dirty word. And he was MORE than polite to his opponent. He said that even if you didn't vote for him, you'd still be getting a good deal with his opposition. Hear that very often? And he's continued with that attitude. How can you not love a guy like that? Even his opponents are forced into that position. You just can't question the guy's integrity & motives, not to mention his manners.
Now Chuck comes right out & says that he's not opposed to RI gambling casinos. That doesn't mean that he's out there promoting them, but he's savvy enough to realize that it's legal, employs people, & is brings in large revenues for the state when there ain't much out there still doing that.
For all that Projo & the Newport Daily News rail against gambling, it's vital to our economy. and I'm speaking not only of Newport but Middletown as well. Take it out and then what? What fills in that huge economic loss? I'd really like to be enlightened here. Not ONE CANDIDATE has answered this question. Our own Sen. Gibbs declared that she'd be happy if Twin Rivers failed. What about Newport Grand? What about those jobs? the investors? the tax revenues? Want higher taxes? This'll do it.
Or is this just another way to completely wipe out social services, state employees, schools, unionized workers?
Let me quote from Sen. Levesque's excellent letter to the Editor from the weeken edition of the "Daily News." He was courageous enough to participate in a recent forum sponsored by Citizens Against Casino Gambling. He didn't have to. I'm betting that there weren't a heckuva lot of Portsmouth voters there. Beat up? Yeah. Down but not out.
The news editor entitled it:"Gambling revenues pay for worthy causes." The Portsmouth/Bristol Senator (nah, no gerrymandering here) begins by explaining his position to go against the wishes re: expanded gambling at Newport Grand & Tiwn Rivers expressed by 3 island communities. First let me explain what this means. Each Council has on its agenda what is called the "Consent Calendar." A community expresses its opinion on a lege bill it hols near & dear. They then forward their approval or disapproval to all communities asking for their support. Never once have I heard a discussion on ANY of these "consent" requests. The entire consent calendar gets approved with a singled vote. So I could get my community council to ban all black cats. It would then be forwarded around the state & all communities would back us up knowing that in the future they may want our assent. As a result, all this community blah-blah is pretty much meaningless except for the community who actually appear to testify in the lege.
Now remember that we're speaking of $290 MILLION dollars in revenues:
"I do not support the expansion of gambling. I do not support denying children health insurance. I do not support cuts in assistance for those with mental health issues [hear, hear!], those with developmental disabilities; cuts in primary education, cuts in secondary education, cuts in higher education; cuts in staffing for the Department of Children, Youth and Families. I do not support denying health care to children because their parents may not be here "legally." Suffice to say that there are many things I do not support, but, as an adult, I am sometimes obliged to make choices, some painful, in order to fulfill my obligations. And frankly, I resent when any person or group attempts to place a single decision in a vacuum and measure me upon that basis."
Well said! The good Senator is, as I've known for a long time, a scholar & a gentleman. And a heckuva good writer.
By george, send that guy a political contribution. Or move out to Portsmouth.
Men of courage- in short supply in any time.
Sorry, no link.
I remember watching him on tv a few years ago at the televised forums the "Daily News" started. I watched because I wanted to be prepared for mine. He actually said that he was a "liberal." Flat out when it was still a dirty word. And he was MORE than polite to his opponent. He said that even if you didn't vote for him, you'd still be getting a good deal with his opposition. Hear that very often? And he's continued with that attitude. How can you not love a guy like that? Even his opponents are forced into that position. You just can't question the guy's integrity & motives, not to mention his manners.
Now Chuck comes right out & says that he's not opposed to RI gambling casinos. That doesn't mean that he's out there promoting them, but he's savvy enough to realize that it's legal, employs people, & is brings in large revenues for the state when there ain't much out there still doing that.
For all that Projo & the Newport Daily News rail against gambling, it's vital to our economy. and I'm speaking not only of Newport but Middletown as well. Take it out and then what? What fills in that huge economic loss? I'd really like to be enlightened here. Not ONE CANDIDATE has answered this question. Our own Sen. Gibbs declared that she'd be happy if Twin Rivers failed. What about Newport Grand? What about those jobs? the investors? the tax revenues? Want higher taxes? This'll do it.
Or is this just another way to completely wipe out social services, state employees, schools, unionized workers?
Let me quote from Sen. Levesque's excellent letter to the Editor from the weeken edition of the "Daily News." He was courageous enough to participate in a recent forum sponsored by Citizens Against Casino Gambling. He didn't have to. I'm betting that there weren't a heckuva lot of Portsmouth voters there. Beat up? Yeah. Down but not out.
The news editor entitled it:"Gambling revenues pay for worthy causes." The Portsmouth/Bristol Senator (nah, no gerrymandering here) begins by explaining his position to go against the wishes re: expanded gambling at Newport Grand & Tiwn Rivers expressed by 3 island communities. First let me explain what this means. Each Council has on its agenda what is called the "Consent Calendar." A community expresses its opinion on a lege bill it hols near & dear. They then forward their approval or disapproval to all communities asking for their support. Never once have I heard a discussion on ANY of these "consent" requests. The entire consent calendar gets approved with a singled vote. So I could get my community council to ban all black cats. It would then be forwarded around the state & all communities would back us up knowing that in the future they may want our assent. As a result, all this community blah-blah is pretty much meaningless except for the community who actually appear to testify in the lege.
Now remember that we're speaking of $290 MILLION dollars in revenues:
"I do not support the expansion of gambling. I do not support denying children health insurance. I do not support cuts in assistance for those with mental health issues [hear, hear!], those with developmental disabilities; cuts in primary education, cuts in secondary education, cuts in higher education; cuts in staffing for the Department of Children, Youth and Families. I do not support denying health care to children because their parents may not be here "legally." Suffice to say that there are many things I do not support, but, as an adult, I am sometimes obliged to make choices, some painful, in order to fulfill my obligations. And frankly, I resent when any person or group attempts to place a single decision in a vacuum and measure me upon that basis."
Well said! The good Senator is, as I've known for a long time, a scholar & a gentleman. And a heckuva good writer.
By george, send that guy a political contribution. Or move out to Portsmouth.
Men of courage- in short supply in any time.
Sorry, no link.
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