Mortgagee Sale in Portsmouth

Now you may wonder why I'd be interested in this lovely waterfront multi-million $ home in Portsmouth. Or maybe not. This particular one is up for mortgagee sale as it's owner, Doylestown Partners, has defaulted on their loan (NDN- Thurs.). Yeah, you say, not exactly earth-shattering news.

Ah, Doylestown Partners. Now it gets interesting. They filed for Ch. 11 more than a yr. ago. It's listed in the R.I. Corporate data base as a real estate investment foreign corporation with Daniel Patrick Reilly as Secretary & sis, Shannon (4 companies at her address) as Prez. Ah, Dan Reilly. He ran for State Rep. against Rep. Amy Rice. Age 19? or maybe it's 20 now. He & his family keep writing those anti-Rice letters to the local paper.

Doylestown Partners owns 105 Heidi Dr. which is the home of said Dan Reilly, now going bye-bye. Uh-oh.

Can't daddy William J. Reilly (lawyer & with 14 companies at his Boca Raton address) who along with his wife currently owe the State of Rhode Island more than one million dollars in back taxes help out (Hey, didn't they promise to "take care" of this before the last election? NDN)? Just a slight mistake.

BTW, I was the first with the scofflaw story. Love that Google.

So where's poor Dan going to live? Maybe his bro., Christopher, who lives in Middletown & is V. Pres. of Shamrock Equity with an address of the same Heidi Dr. could help out. Daddy also owns this company. Shamrock lent Dan's campaign thousand of $ with Dan listing himself as an employee of same. Daddy couldn't directly lend it under his own or the company name because of campaign limits. Understandable since Dan has yet to hold a full-time job while studying at Bryant- Shamrock employment notwithstanding. Of course, he did hold a summer job at the Dept. of Environment. No, I'm quite sure that the guv had nothing to do with this. These jobs are so easy to get.

The house was refinanced in 2007 after being purchased in 2000 from- the Reilly's. One other former partner/owner was the former owner of- Doylestown Partners. Following all this? So why would you want to pay back all that equity that you pulled-out? Heck, maybe one of your other companies can buy it for less $ than is owed on it & then refinance again. Sounds like a plan to me.

Oops, maybe no help from daddy after all. It seems that he's current under an SEC frauds indictment. Forming a shell company with no assets & no income, but not exactly revealing this when it goes public, turns out to be not a good thing after all. And him a N.Y. lawyer who "... presently serves with the rank of Commander in the United States Naval Reserve, Judge Advocate General's Corps..." (source) That S.E.C., sometimes it actually takes a dim view of cheating investors. Who knew?

Poor Dan. No home, no money, no tuition. I'll bet poor Portsmouth, too. It's difficult paying local property taxes when you're not making your mortgage payments. But don't worry, Dan. There's a strong social services net out there to help you & your family fostered by your favorite guy, our guv- NOT! Or Plan B- maybe Rep. Rice can bid on the house & rent you a room. Of course, she may not be too keen on this after the dirty tricks you pulled off during the last election.

Kinda young to already be an officer of a bankrupt co., not to mention losing your home address. Let's see. Amy Rice owns a business & a home, pays her taxes, and has a full-time job. She & her family still live here and haven't formed dummy corporations or bankrupted any of them, I'm guessing. They also don't write vicious letters to the local rag about Dan, and I'll bet not one of them has ever been indicted by the feds. Guess they're just not living right.

And you wanted to be my Rep.

Do you think R.I. will collect it's mil in back taxes? Do you think you'll win the next Power Ball? Yeah, I figure the odds are about the same.

Local Statewide Candidates & Political Courage

I'm posting here a letter printed recently by Middletown candidate Lou DiPalma from "Newport This Week." It doesn't say much for local media that the only way besides ads to get your message out it to write a letter to the local newspaper (one only per customer). For all the talk from t.v., radio, newspapers, they do little to get any word out.

DiPalma is proposing focusing efforts on building jobs in "green" technology & ocean technologies. This is not a new idea. Two years ago when I ran this was on the agenda. It's a good one, though, although this is still an "idea" and not a "plan." And it's definitely not unique to R.I. This needs to be done on a national basis. I do NOT want our state's once again undercutting each others with grants, tax breaks, etc., as in films, finance, high-tech, etc. From http://www.rifuture.org/: "This Saturday from 9:30 am to 11:30 am, YOU are invited to a community discussion called "Greening the RI Economy." The event will be held at New England Institute of Technology, 2480 Post Road in Warwick. This is a part of the national campaign - Green Jobs Now - being held nationwide on Saturday, September 27th."

The local newspaper will send out these candidates a letter asking them to participate in nationwide "Project Vote Smart" and answer a detailed questionnaire about the political beliefs regarding various items. It's the least candidates can do for the public. And most don't. The News could put the pressure on & refused to endorse anyone who was not, but...

So I'm posting up the links for candidates who have done so. Shame on those who have not. What's the secret? Three cheers for the posters, whether or not I agree with you.

You should carefully check out the State Budget & Taxes sections. If the State expenditures section calls for increases, there should be a co-responding plan for increasing the State Budget (I will refer to this as Basic Math 101). And no, "and then a miracle occurs," doesn't count."

It's called the "Political Courage" test for a reason. Candidates have until oct. 15 to post.


DiPalma (Sen., Dist. 12- D)
Gibbs- (R) no posting for ? 8 yrs.- no courage, I guess.

Charles Levesque (Sen., Dist.11- D )- ALWAYS POSTS
Charlies Ottiano (R)
John Vitkevich (Ind.) Nope.

Yeah, I know the above isn't actually in this District, but I'm keeping my eye on it & like Levesque.

Bruce Long (Rep., Dist. 71- R)- has never posted
Deborah Ruggiero (D)- zilch also. It's a stalemate

Amy Rice (Rep, Dist. 73-D)- ALWAYS POSTS
Dan Reilly (R)


Also not in this District, but I'm watching:

Steven Coaty (Rep, Dist. 75)- R) Nope.
Peter Martin (D) hasn't posted



Read them. I'll bet that if you don't know their Party beforehand, you'll have trouble guessing which they belong to. I sure do. Who needs a Republican Party when you have a Democratic one so widely diverse?

Meet the Candidates' Forum on Sat.

The Newport Democrats are always up for a good time!

Saturday, Sept. 20th - 2:00 - 5:00 pm

Come and join Newport Democratic Party chairman Bud Cicilline and the Newport Democratic City Committee as they host a "Get Out the Vote & Meet the Candidates" at the Elk's Lodge (141 Pelham St. in Newport).

All Dem. candidates have been invited island-wide. There will be food & music- all free! Aren't they generous? Expect to see local, state, & federal candidates on all levels- even some who aren't running, I'm betting. You will also be able to register to vote.

State Senate, Dist. 12 Candidate

By Louis P. DiPalma

As we are all too well aware, Rhode Island faces significant budget challenges. The state’s 2008 budget required a supplemental appropriation and will inevitably result in an ever-increasing deficit. The state’s 2009 budget deficit is expected to be in excess of $425 million and growing.

National economic problems are responsible for some of Rhode Island’s financial woes, but we are significantly worse off than most states. We can, and must, do better.

The state’s unemployment rate is 7.2 percent, second highest in the nation. We should all be outraged. According to “official” estimates, we are not “technically” in a recession. This is small solace for Rhode Island residents who have lost their jobs and are paying more than $4 a gallon for gas. We can only imagine what home heating oil will cost this winter; it is estimated to be around $4 a gallon as well, further compounding an already difficult situation. Where and when will it end? When will Rhode Island emerge from recession and, most importantly, what can be done?

Most assuredly, the $7 billion budget passed by the General Assembly will not help. It is essentially a stopgap measure that avoids a deficit, as required by our state constitution, and it is essentially based on hope — which is never a plan. It does not increase taxes, which is a good thing, but it inevitably will require a supplemental budget in 2009, which is not a good thing.

First, we need more taxpayers. We certainly do not need more taxes. We need to grow our economic base by focusing on the things that Rhode Island does best. A lot has been said about making Rhode Island business-friendly, and we need to do that. But we also need to make it resident-friendly.

A friend of mine recently talked to his financial adviser, and the one piece of advice he was given is: “Don’t die in Rhode Island!” We don’t need to be scaring retirees out of the state. A critical element to achieving this objective is the development of focused, strategic and sustained economic development, including “green” industry and ocean technologies. Rhode Island can certainly lead and reinvent itself as it initially did some 200-plus years ago, led by Samuel Slater, the father of the Industrial Revolution.

Second, we need to focus on good governance. The governor once promised a “great audit” of state government. It never really happened, perhaps because the idea was too ambitious or simply not executable. We need to find a way to review every function of government to make sure it is efficient, well-managed and responsive to the citizenry.

If one examines the budget process over the past 10 years, a common theme quickly surfaces: Every budget was balanced with one-time revenues. Prudent budgeting processes must never incorporate one-time revenue sources to address balancing a budget. We need to be able to say — with a straight face — that Rhode Island is the best-governed state. This is clearly in the realm of possibility, with the appropriate vision, strategy, plan and metrics to measure our progress to achieve the desired end.

Finally, and most important, we need to embrace change as a fundamental way of doing Rhode Island’s business. We cannot afford to continue to do things as we have, simply because “it’s always been that way.” We cannot be afraid to experiment, to innovate and to change. Regional collaboration for common problem-solving is a critical component to addressing this challenge. We need a new perspective and workable solutions to solving complex problems. These approaches can and must be leveraged from what is employed in business on a daily basis. To continue with past practices is a certain prescription for budgetary and governmental disaster.

I, for one, love this state far too much, appreciate its uniqueness too greatly and believe in our future too strongly to allow that to happen. But it will take work and the involvement of our citizens — apathy simply will not do.

What Rhode Island needs now is change — real, transformational change. I am convinced that we cannot hope to solve, or even relieve, an ever-increasing tax burden, education funding inequity, development and environmental pressures and health-care problems by continuing to apply the solutions of yesterday.

We are all in this together — and we will all need to change. Waiting for tomorrow is too late. A new direction is needed now.

Captain Crunch, Captain Hook, & Captain Mike

What, you may well ask, do all these Captains have in common? Well, at least one's existence is doubtful & the other two are unclear.

While "Wild Man" Tom Kalinowski was reading & blogging about the NDN Guest Editorial on Tues., I was also reading the notorious Pt. 1 & wondering about Captain Mike Caldwell's bio (great minds DO think alike). I thought it rather odd that a guest editorial would feature someone who had no current "status" anywhere. So I dug.

While the reported bio says that he has been a Middletown resident for 10 yrs., he is not on any of our recent tax rolls, not listed in phone books, & is not a current pilot listed as residing here. He also has no voting record. The only info on him is a recent Projo letter in the same ilk as his new "guest columnist" status.

This alone makes me doubt all of his given bio- pilot, degrees, etc. So who is Captain Mike or has the NDN been bilked?

Sorry about the lack of posts lately, but I'm delighted that the "Wildman" has been on the job. My 2 yr. old Dell laptop died less than 1 mo. after its warranty expired. I'm now borrowing my son's set-up. It just ain't the same. New one coming (not a Dell).

I'm so sad that Tom wasn't able to make his voter signature quota to run for St. Rep. That task is not as easy as you may think, especially when you're a working-Joe (or Tom).

His previous post on the NAACP lege candidate forum was a delight to read. I get awfully sick of generic love-fests by the NDN. The neutrality lasts until they sock us with endorsements a few days before election with often elusive reasoning behind them & an attending quick grotty quip on the unendorsed slob or, worse yet, nothing at all on the sucker. They "love" candidates in the generic until they actually run.

I have sat in an editorial interview when the question was, "Why are you running?" My opponent, the good Sen. Gibbs, then seem flustered & responded that she really didn't know what else she would do. Hey, I was trying my best to give her a chance to find out- I'm big-hearted like that. A heckuva answer, don't you think? But you never saw a word of that show up in print. And I could continue. Giving us only some of the facts and not delving into backgrounds (e.g., you get a yearly Lege run-down on attendance & bills introduced but nary a word on missed votes or committee no-shows) doesn't really give a complete picture, let alone remain neutral. Just quiet. Picture the 3 monkeys who see, hear, & speak no evil.

Publishing some actual campaign press releases which Projo is now doing, might actually give us all a clue as to what's going on in campaigns, rather than the measly coverage we now get. I remember when WADK actually used to do reporting, too.

Mind you though, I'm happy that we still have a daily rag with local ownership. A recent improvement in local coverage is also noted, although much of what we read is features with in-depth reporting often consisting of "he said," "she said," and self-forum coverage. Where are Clark Kent & Brenda Starr when we need them? How many times has the NDN gotten scooped in its own backyard because of its seemingly defunct coverage of local topics e.g., poverty, lack of affordable housing, health care, and various political topics. The best job I've seen recently was their coverage of the local immigration raids which featured some actual reports. Dead topic now, I guess, although I' m hearing of Immigration officials now permanently stationed here.

But I digress. Later.

New Poll!

If I leave polls on too long, people play with them to manipulate the results (and you know who you are). LOL!

So here is a new one for your perusal & entertainment. Feel free to suggest new ones.

The old one regarding allowing residents to vote on ALL the Middletown Charter Commission changes as opposed to "most" was overwhelmingly "YES!" Keep this in mind when looking at current Council candidates. ASK!

Who is in favor of placing all changes on the ballot- Ed Silveira and Robert Sylvia (current members), Eileen Spillane (me), BarbaraVonVillas, Helen Christy, & Antone Viveiros. ?Ron Santa? If I missed someone, this would be a good time to speak.

Today is Do-or-Die for Candidates

I'll try & have a local update later today. This from Chris Barnett at the Secretary of State:

TODAY IS DO-OR-DIE FOR R.I. CANDIDATES

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 11, 2008) - Today at 4 p.m. is the deadline for candidatesto submit the signatures of enough eligible Rhode Island voters to get onthe ballot this year, according to Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis.

Rhode Islanders can track the progress of all of the candidates who arevying for a spot on the ballot by visiting the Secretary of State's website at http://www.sec.state.ri.us/elections/june-25-is-deadline-for-filing-to-run-for-office-1.Every morning Mollis will update the number of signatures that have been certified for every candidate in their quest to appear on the ballot.

Signature papers already have started to trickle in to local boards of canvassers, according to Mollis. Among the candidates who appear to already have made the cut are House Majority Leader Gordon Fox and House Finance Committee Chairman Steve Costantino, both Providence Democrats.

The Secretary of State has until July 18 to finish certifying the names inorder for candidates to officially be placed on the ballot for theSeptember 9 primary or November 4 election.

The 2,800 Rhode Islanders who filed declarations of candidacy last month have had since July 1 to collect the signatures of eligible voters. The thresholds range from 50 signatures for the state House of Representativesand many municipal offices to 1,000 signatures for the U.S. Senate.

"This is a very exciting time for American and Rhode Island politics. Rhode Islanders are becoming extremely active in the governmental process as evidenced by the high turnout of voters we had in March and the great number of candidates in this year's election cycle," said Mollis.

At 5 p.m. on July 18, Mollis will hold a public lottery at the State Houseto determine the order in which unendorsed candidates for Congress and the General Assembly will appear on primary ballots. The lottery will also determine the order in which recognized political parties and independent candidates will appear on the ballot for November's election.

A calendar with every key date leading up to Rhode Island's primary andgeneral election is also posted on Mollis' web site.

Secretary of State Mollis is committed to making it easier for RhodeIslanders to vote, helping businesses grow and making government more open and accessible. For more information about the programs and services theSecretary of State offers Rhode Islanders, visit www.sec.state.ri.us<http://www.sec.state.ri.us/ .

House Dist. 73 Loses One Candidate

Rep. Amy Rice (D- Midd/Portsmouth) had two Republican opponents the other day- two Portsmouth residents. Addison W. Closson III (a realtor) and Dan Reilly (the Bryant student whose Dad is one of R.I.'s top 10 non-taxpayers owing close to a million in back taxes to the State) were slated for a Primary run when the former dropped out according to a story in today's "Newport Daily News." Sorry no link. Closson "notified the Board of Canvassers that he would not run."
She must be heartbroken. Thanks to Amy the bridge between Tiverton and Portsmouth will now be named after a WOMAN. It's to be the Anne Hutchinson Sakonnet Bridge. Gee, no early Italian explorers that the Smith Hillers wanted?

Newport House 75 Election on Tues.

I've given you the link for the polls - 8 AM until 9 PM. So vote! Don't, as the Daily News suggests, vote solely Republican for no other reason than that poor Party just can't seem to win an Assembly election in this State & the few that it did win recently are primarily in jeopardy.
I suggest voting for Cicilline, although I'm quite sure that Republican Coaty is a decent guy, too.
I was doing some work for Bud on Thurs., sending a GOTV mailing to 3000. They had a regular stamp & a return address of former Rep. Crowley's wife. This stoic woman had signed ALL 3,000 herself. My hat's off to her. She did her husband proud.
There were appx. 20 volunteers of ALL ages from pre-schoolers (hoping for snow the next day) to seniors. Bud's sister was there helping, too. We folded, stuffed, labeled, stamped, & sealed. Mail went out the next day so everyone has rec'd their note. Sorry, I was so darn busy that I didn't even have time to read it.
Yes, it's going to be cold & icy. Call his headquarters at Bellevue Gardens if you need a ride. Perhaps someone could send me the phone number.
Your vote counts! Good government requires your participation. This election covers most of Newport except for the northeast (Reps. Rice & Jackson).

"Newport Daily News" Never Met a Republican it Didn't Like

The editorial on the House endorsement reveals it all for everyone to see. Notwithstanding various individual reporters, the editorial staff (which includes the owner) dictates attitude, headlines, endorsements, & editorials. If you want to further explore this, follow the money- look at the paper's ownership.

Much of the article reads like an apology for the endorsement of Middletown Republican lawyer Coates over Newporter Bud Cicilline. The headline itself is telling, "Coaty offers a new choice for Newport." It's not about "new choice." I offered a new choice when I ran as did Amy Rice. Nope, no endorsements.

Despite the fact which the News points out, that Cicilline is clearly the most qualified (and they list his many attributes), this is "the problem." Say what? They then proceed to tie Bud in corruption, "free-spending ways," and having "sullied the state's reputation." Nice. He'd be a "cog in the wheel." Right out of Rove' playbook. Use scare tactics & make a connection where there is none.

Then more Republican line rhetoric of "overly generous benefits," and "unfair burden on the taxpayers." Ironic that there is also a local article by Jim Gillis entitled, "Agencies struggle to meet needs of area families." While I know that you edited it, did you, like, read it? Let's not mess this rant up with any, say, um, like FACTS. Coaty is going to change all this then- single-handed, I might add. What a guy.

Boil it down to- we want a much greater Republican presence in the lege. And this election will do it. Forget everything else, just vote Republican. No Republican has ever been accused of corruption. Nope. They are definitely known in the House for being the can-do group. Yup.
If we'd followed them last Nov. in their endorsements, we'd be in even worse shape than now- certainly with a still Rep. controlled Congress.

Talk about no concern for the community or its readership. And the voters will do what they usually do- make up their own minds regardless of Party affiliation & vote for the candidate they feel represents their best interests & know best. Will that make any difference to you at all? Nope, not a bit.

So vote for Cicilline & good government. Vote for someone who can & will effectively stand-up for his district. Vote for someone who knows the ropes, can get lege support, & knows the community. Or you could just vote for him because he's a Democrat & actually get legislation passed. Um, that's kind of like the point of being a Representative. Otherwise, you're like NOT one of the cogs and just a pimple on the arm- ineffective & pointless. Apply one band-aid & forget. Something that Newport does not need- ever.

At one point the News accused me of being "partisan." I took it to be a good thing, however I doubt if they did. Partisan. Yeah. Right. Keep registering yourselves as "Unaffiliated." The rest of us are too stupid to figure it out. I expected better, but certainly wasn't surprised.

Cicilline Wins Democratic Primary in Newport

I don't have the count, but Bud is clearly the winner. Congratulations to him, although with enormous looming State budget deficits, difficult sessions will be on the agenda. And of course, there still is the Tues., December 18th General Election with two other candidates for this House seat.

Thanks to Dave Carlin III for running & giving Newport voters choice. And choice is a GOOD thing.

There was no way last night to get results online anywhere. Why not? The Sec'y of St. site still has not been restored totally after being hacked into two wks. ago. What's the problem here?

Here is the Projo link with a story by Alisha Pina.

BTW: This is when bloggers have the advantage over more traditional news sources. I could get the results out faster than anyone else. And if I hadn't been so tired (remember, I don't get paid for this), I would have had the numbers, too.

I offered use of this site to both candidates for postings. I know how difficult it is to get your message out there. I offer again it to any of the candidates. It doesn't mean that I'll agree with you, but send 'em to me & I'll get them up. I do believe that competition in elections is a GOOD thing for everyone.

Diogenes Meets Rep. Long - Still Looking for Honest Man

If you're interested in R.I. politics and and haven't read Healey's "Rhode Island Diogenes," you're in for a treat. Remember Diogenes from your Ancient History class (if you do you're showing your age. Ancient History hasn't been taught for years)? He was the Greek philosopher who roamed the streets at night with a lantern looking "for an honest man." He was actually being facetious as he was a "Cynic" and believed that no such being existed.

Healey ran this cycle for Lt. Gov. When I went to the fourth grade Voters' Day assembly sponsored by the Tiverton Town Clerk, Nancy Mello , he was the most popular guy there. He certain gets your attention with the wild curly hair (which I've tried my best to hide all my life) and his equally free-flowing tangled beard. As if that wasn't enough, he passed out his Healey currency - $1,000,000 bills with his name & pic in the center. The fourth graders went wild! It's a clever gimmick!

Healey has a slew of degrees & bills himself as belonging to the "Cool Moose" party. Gotta love the guy. He also ran previously as "We could do worse," and "If elected, I'll fire myself." The centerpiece of his platform is that the Lt. Guv's office is not necessary. Hence, the money savings if it doesn't exist. Not your usual politican.

I am borrowing from his latest issue. You can sign up for his weekly newsletter on his site or just visit it weekly. Again,a very clever gimmick for keeping his name/issues in the news. So with a nod to Mr. Healey, here is an excerpt from his latest issue. Enjoy!

"Middletown - State Representative Bruce Long indicated that he is being targeted by tax investigators.
"I drive around town and see hundreds of kids on the side of the road selling lemonade for a quarter. Where is equal enforcement?" he questioned. "These vendors do not keep adequate records of their transactions, do not give receipts after each sale, and probably don’t even have a state retail license. Do they pay their sales tax regularly? I doubt it" he continued. "Here, I play by the rules and I am a victim of selective enforcement" he said.
The Governor weighed in on Long’s statement saying "Without these young entrepreneurs we wouldn’t have anything near the 20,000 new jobs I promised in my first campaign. Sure, it is easy to go after the little guy. What’s next, a furlough program for lemonade venders?"
Long is also considering raising the issue of selective enforcement against Middletown taxpayers. "When I discovered the secret ingredient in Del’s, I was told that if I kept quiet, they would pay my taxes on the money".