Friday, November 16, 2007

Mayor Lombardi/Chief Thomas on Newsmakers

North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi and Narragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas are the guests this week on WPRI/WNAC-TV's Newsmakers. The show will be broadcast Sunday, at 5:30 am on Channel 12, and at 10 am on Fox 64.

Lombardi sounded an upbeat message about life in NP and didn't seem overly concerned about the expected level-funding of state aid to cities and towns. The mayor's staff shared a copy of a four-page color mailing document, entitled The First 150 Days, A Progress Report for the Citizens of North Providence from Mayor Charles Lombardi.

In response to a question from Arlene Violet, Lombardi said that Secretary of State Ralph Mollis, the former mayor in NP, tried to get in his way "a little" after Lombardi took office, but that that situation has been resolved. In reference to the removal of the images of local public-safety officials from a 9-11 monument in town, Lombardi said that City Hall received 27 calls about it -- all of them in favor.

Thomas, who was recently reelected as chief of the Narragansetts, called it "mind-boggling," considering the presence of gambling in Rhode Island, that elected officials run from him when he tries to discuss the issue. He called the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), from which the tribe was exempted by the so-called Chafee amendment, the best approach for an expansion of casino gambling in Rhode Island.

The chief said that the tribe has entertained the possibility of entering an Alford plea, as well as a not-guilty plea, as efforts continue to resolve the 2003 smoke-shop episode. Governor Carcieri has backed efforts to resolve the matter through some sort type of mediation, Thomas said, although AG Patrick Lynch has opposed this approach.

Budget | Gambling | Legal issues