As someone who helped chronicle the troubled state of the Providence Police Department during the latter part of Buddy II, I think Dean Esserman has represented a necessary and important fix for a department in need of modernization and greater accountability.

However, as Te-Ping Chen reports in this week's Phoenix, a heightened emphasis on Internal Affairs under Esserman has become a contentious issue for some Providence officers. Included among these is former Sergeant Steven Petrella, who, represented by former Speaker John Harwood, is suing the Fraternal Order of Police, in what is billed as the first suit against the FOP in recent memory.   

And Petrella is only one of many Providence officers who have lost their jobs since Esserman, who was recruited by Mayor David N. Cicilline, arrived in 2003.
 
Inspector Frank Colon, the director of Internal Affairs, declines to reveal how many officers have lost their jobs — because, he says, it would be bad for morale — but it’s clear that Esserman has raised the focus on internal discipline. Colon says that more officers have been fired, demoted, or disciplined under Esserman than during any comparable period in the past two decades. Previously, there was a lower threshold for becoming part of Internal Affairs’ six-person staff (which the FOP says has doubled under Esserman); now, says Colon, those who police the police must, at minimum, attain the rank of detective.

In some ways, the heightened focus on Internal Affairs is a good thing, but what's up with a civic-minded chief who can't stand being questioned by a reporter?

Before Esserman, Internal Affairs “blocked civilian complaints and actively prevented investigations into officers’ records,” says Andrew Horwitz, who directs the Criminal Defense Clinic at Roger Williams University Law School.
 
Now, Internal Affairs takes a far more proactive approach. A new computerized system monitors personnel records, flagging officers’ files when troublesome behavioral patterns emerge. Supervisors and officers are required to document more of their actions, says Inspector Colon.
 
“It sends a message,” says Teny Gross, executive director of the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence in South Providence, an Esserman fan whose street workers are a part of Providence’s success in reducing violent crime. “It lets the community know that [Internal Affairs] is an important part of how the department functions.”
 
Yet there’s little doubt that Esserman, a Dartmouth College-New York University Law School grad who never worked as a patrolman, is an unusual cop — and one with an acid temper.
 
During an interview at the station, he excoriated me for questioning the consistency of in-house discipline, eventually saying that I should be “ashamed,” and stalking out of the room. Nevertheless, before walking out, Esserman said that what some may perceive as unfair is simply the holding of officers to an appropriately high standard. “Your badge doesn’t protect you,” he says. “If you lie or violate the rules, you don’t deserve to stand with us.”
 
But Horwitz remains concerned that officers still face inconsistent discipline under Esserman.
 
Horwitz cites one of his pending complaints filed with Internal Affairs, against an officer charged with misconduct. While a department hearing officer told him that the allegations are probably true, Horwitz says, the hearing officer also told him the charges are likely to be dismissed because the administration holds the other officer, who has recently been promoted, in favor.
 
“Some officers are severely reprimanded and lose their jobs,” says another patrolman. “Others don’t even get a slap on the wrist.”

Colon — who maintains that policing his peers is the toughest job on the force — shakes his head at such statements. “It’s a complex function we perform,” he says, adding that two people can violate the same rule and be differently disciplined, depending on their history. “There’s no disciplinary matrix that says if you violate this rule, this is what your punishment will be,” Colon says. “We do the best we can, and we think we’re doing a pretty good job.”

The boorish behavior of Alex Rodriguez and Scott Boras -- who, during the fourth and clinching game of the World Series, dropped the news of how A-Rod was opting out of his lucrative contract with the Yankees -- has cemented the slugger's toxic reputation.

Even Murray Chass, a longtime Sox-phobe, has this to say:

Whether Alex Rodriguez or his agent, Scott Boras, is calling the shots, they are making a farce of the best player in baseball.

. . . .

If there is a team considering pursuing Rodriguez, it should remember that he has never played in a World Series, and he was a major reason his team didn’t get there the past three seasons.

Selena Roberts had a great column on this, and the contrast offered by Mike Lowell, in Monday's New York Times. Some excerpts:

One All-Star third baseman is thoughtful in two languages. The Red Sox’ Mike Lowell has a hint of salt in his black hair, an earnest voice fit for a jazz D.J. and a few miles on wheels that roll more like the spokes of a stagecoach than the rims of a sports car.

. . . .

What euphoria for Bostonians after a 4-3 victory. What a postseason for Lowell, with a World Series Most Valuable Player award as his own. An hour after the game, hundreds of Red Sox fans remained in the Coors Field stands, chanting “Re-sign Lowell, re-sign Lowell.”

What do Red Sox fans make of the other All-Star third baseman?

Alex Rodriguez, another All-Star third baseman, is slick in two languages. He has a hint of blond frost in his hair, a strategic selection to his words and regular-season statistics suitable for framing in the Louvre.

. . . .

But apparently salary records are more important than history’s snapshots to Alex. Apparently, Alex’s wife put signing for ego dough on his honey-do list.

In essence, Alex has just turned himself into an art purchase by opting out. He will be a player to hang on the walls for a team, to draw gawkers and attract ratings — all part of what Boras likes to call A-Rod’s iconic worth.

Who buys this fuzzy math? Maybe the Angels or the Dodgers in their turf battles for Los Angeles.

But A-Rod has no value to Boston. The Red Sox don’t require A-Rod to complete them because World Series rings have a way of putting closure on fulfillment.

. . . . 

Why ruin good karma by hiring A-Rod? He was once privately nicknamed the “cooler” by his teammates in Texas for his habit of turning a hot team tepid. He is known for dividing the Yankees’ locker in 2006 with his stats-first attitude. He crossed a line on the Yankees’ patience by fleeing for free agency.

He isn’t worth the angst. A-Rod is almost a winning addition to any team like a three-leaf clover is almost lucky.

Lowell, however, is the Pied Piper of championships. He won a title in Florida as a Marlin. And last night, he buffed another ring with the bling of these postseason stats: He hit .333 in the division series, .333 in the American League Championship Series and .400 in the World Series, with a combined 15 runs batted in.

. . . .

Lowell should be the Red Sox’ priority. Not A-Rod. John Henry, the principal owner of the Red Sox, will have to resist his A-Rod obsession — perhaps there’s medication for that — with Rodriguez revving up for a shot at a $300 million deal.

The opt-out alone says something about A-Rod’s motives. There is nothing suspect about Lowell. He is quietly multitalented, able to speak fluently as a leader in a multicultural clubhouse, which would make him a nice find for the Mets if a position change could be brokered. So Lowell will have suitors unless the Red Sox wisely use their exclusive negotiating window with Lowell to end the chase with a four-year deal.

As Epstein said in one corner of the clubhouse, “Hopefully it will work out.”

As Lowell said in another corner of the clubhouse, “Hopefully it will work out.”

The Red Sox and Lowell are as one. They even sound alike. They are made for each other.

“On and off the field,” Epstein said, “he is the epitome of class.”

The Red Sox are not sentimental spenders. But this would be a smart financial call. Yes, Lowell would be in his late 30s at the contract’s end. And, true, the Red Sox like to think of themselves as clairvoyants, able to search their sabermetric hearts to accurately predict the sunsets of former Boston idols like Johnny Damon and Pedro Martínez.

But those 2004 Red Sox needed a face-lift, a little nip and tuck here and there. These ’07 Red Sox already have what’s new with a roster resembling Hannah Montana’s fan demographic. There’s Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury along with a dozen other Red Sox on their first razors.

Someone has to head the Red Sox’ mentoring program. Would Epstein really trust Manny Ramírez to offer “Manny being Manny” tips on how to turn 390-foot drives into singles? Would they ever want A-Rod to teach a youngster the art of the deal?

The Red Sox don’t need A-Rod. They need Lowell. They don’t need an unnecessary luxury item to flaunt. They already possess World Series rings.

In a nod to critics of the ProJo's notorious interpreter editorial, the paper offers this follow-up editorial today:

Governor Carcieri has explained that he did not mean to include court interpreters in his recent radio comments denouncing taxpayer-funded interpreters for immigrants, the subject of the Oct. 24 editorial “Justice and translators.”

All citizens should be pleased that the governor recognizes the importance of interpreters in securing justice for those, including immigrants, who find themselves in the court system.

Meanwhile, the debate continues over how to stem the flood of illegal immigration, which places a severe strain on government services and, of course, the taxpayers. As we noted, the governor makes a good point in raising that issue.

House Speaker William J. Murphy just returned the call I placed earlier today to his spokesman, Larry Berman. Murphy declined to answer questions about the issues surrounding the tax break not received by Duie Pyle, but he did share these words, seemingly reading from a statement and making some contemporaneous changes:

The project status tax break for Duie Pyle was a back-burner issue that has turned into a political football. It’s time to set the record straight.

 

The Duie Pyle project status proposal was never in Governor Carcieri’s budget that he sent to the House of Representatives. The House Finance Committee held a public hearing on May 23, 2007, concerning EDC’s request for project status for Duie Pyle. No one from the governor’s office showed up to testify in favor of the proposal for project status. No one from the Town of Johnston came to testify in favor of the Duie Pyle proposal. No one from Duie Pyle nor their representative testifed in favor of their proposal for project status.

 

When the House Finance Committee approved its budget on June 8, the Duie Pyle proposal was not in the budget. As per House rules, the budget remained on the desk for seven days. And at no point prior to or on June 15, 2007, when the budget came before the full House of Representatives, did any member of the House of Representatives move to amend the budget by offering any amendment on the Duie Pyle project status proposal.

 

Yesterday, October 29, 2007, was the first time that I heard from Governor Carcieri concerning Duie Pyle. The company has held a groundbreaking and begun operations in the state of Rhode Island without receiving a tax break. In a very difficult year, the House Finance Committee’s decision has saved $330,000 for the taxpayers of this state.

 

I have not met anyone from the Duie Pyle corporation. I have heard some very positive things about the company. And I am glad that they are in Rhode Island. The issue at hand is similar to the Brown & Sharpe/Hexagon proposal in 2005, when the General Assembly held firm and refused to go along with the governor’s proposal to build a new building for the company at taxpayer expense.

 

The Assembly in 2005 was able to develop legislation to keep Brown & Sharp/Hexagon here, and to protect taxpayers of Rhode Island. In my opinion, the Duie Pyle issue has become this year’s political football and it did not seem to be a concern of the above-mentioned parties while the process was proceeding.

Rhode Island for Community & Justice is inviting people to attend a free preview screening at 5:30 tonight, at the Providence Black Repertory Company, of Traces of the Trade: A story from the Deep North, a locally filmed documentary.

It tells the story of producer-director Katrina Browne's ancestors, the DeWolfs, who are described as the largest slave-trading family in American history.

Given the myth that the South is solely responsible for slavery, viewers will be surprised to learn that Browne's ancestors were Northerners. The film follows Browne and nine fellow family members on a remarkable journey which brings them face-to-face with the history and legacy of New England's hidden enterprise.

From 1769 to 1820, DeWolf fathers, sons and grandsons trafficked in human beings. They sailed their ships from Bristol, Rhode Island to West Africa with rum to trade for African men, women and children. Captives were taken to plantations that the DeWolfs owned in Cuba or were sold at auction in such ports as Havana and Charleston. Sugar and molasses were then brought from Cuba to the family-owned rum distilleries in Bristol. Over the generations, the family owned 47 ships that transported thousands of Africans across the Middle Passage into slavery. They amassed an enormous fortune. By the end of his life, James DeWolf had been a U.S. Senator and was reportedly the second richest man in the United States.

The enslavement of Africans was business for more than just the DeWolf family. It was a cornerstone of Northern commercial life.

Regarding tonight's screening, RICJ Director Toby Ayers writes,

I encourage all of you to come and see the real history of RI presented - history that so many of us have not seen before - and to have your voices heard.  The filmmaker, Katrina Browne will be available for a question and answer period after the showing, and is interested in hearing your response. 

Btw, a warehouse once used by the DeWolfs in Bristol is now the DeWolf Tavern, a top-notch restaurant.

While the White House warns Iran about the peril of gaining even knowledge about nukes, the United States remains the world's largest arms dealer.

The United States maintained its role as the leading supplier of weapons to the developing world in 2006, followed by Russia and Britain, according to a Congressional study. Pakistan, India and Saudi Arabia were the top buyers.

The global weapons market is highly competitive, with manufacturing countries seeking both to increase profits and to expand political influence through weapons sales to developing nations that reached nearly $28.8 billion in 2006.

Is this kind of arms-dealing, which includes Providence-based Textron, good foreign policy?

Here's one view, from Asia Times Online:

It [The US government] sees arms sales as a way of making and keeping strategic friends and tying countries more directly to US military planning and operations.

At its simplest, as Lt Gen Jeffrey B Kohler, director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, told the New York Times in 2006, the United States likes arms deals because “it gives us access and influence and builds friendships”. South Asia has been an important arena for this effort, and it teaches some lessons the United States should not ignore.

A recent Congressional Research Service report on international arms sales records that last year the United States delivered nearly $8 billion worth of weapons to Third World countries. This was about 40% of all such arms transfers. The US also signed agreements to sell over $10 billion worth of weapons, one-third of all arms deals with Third World countries.

It is easy to put this in perspective: $10 billon a year is the estimated cost of meeting the UN Millennium Development Goal for water and sanitation, which would reduce by half the proportion of people in the world without proper access to drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015. Today, about 1.1 billion people do not have access to a minimal amount of clean water and about 2.6 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation.

Jeff Britt, a central figure in the FBI's investigation of possible State House chicanery and A. Duie Pyle's non-receipt of a $333,000 tax break, was previously Governor Carcieri's liaison to "dissident Democrats" in the General Assembly.

A few years ago, these dissident Democrats mounted an unsuccessful challenge to House Speaker William J. Murphy.

Today, Mike Stanton reports,

Though Rhode Island House Speaker William J. Murphy says he didn’t know about a proposed tax break for a Pennsylvania trucking company, a Johnston lawmaker says that he told a federal grand jury recently that he spoke to Murphy in the waning days of the 2007 session about the legislation.

Rep. Stephen R. Ucci, D-Johnston, testified that he took his concerns to Murphy that Senate Finance Chairman Stephen D. Alves was purportedly opposed to the tax break because the Town of Johnston had failed to invest pension funds with Alves, a stockbroker. The legislation — which would have granted a $330,000 tax break to A. Duie Pyle for bringing jobs to Johnston — died at the State House in June and has since become the subject of an FBI corruption investigation.

Could the demise of Duie Pyle's tax break, perhaps, be related to Murphy's presumed pique toward Britt? This theory has gained at least a little consideration at the State House.

Stanton's story includes this:

Murphy declined to talk to The Journal yesterday, instead issuing a statement that the House Finance Committee, after a public hearing, determined that the tax break for Duie Pyle “was not worthy of further consideration.”

“If circumstances should change, the matter could be revisited in the future,” Murphy’s statement continued.

As for whether he or other House leaders have been contacted by federal investigators or subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury, Murphy’s statement said, “Unlike others, I will not comment on any questions involving purported court proceedings in the above-entitled matter.”

 I placed a call this morning to Larry Berman. If he gets back to me with comment, I'll post an update.

. . . is that they can be undone, as will apparently be the case today when the General Assembly returns for a veto override session. We refer specifically to the ill-advised move to try 17-year-olds as adults in Rhode Island.

The New York Times covers the issue today, with a story headlined, "Rhode Island May Ease Law on Young Offenders."

It doesn't mention how Corrections Director A.T. Wall wasn't asked for advance input.

As of last week, 46 17-year-olds had been held at the state prison since July 1, all in maximum security, said Tracey Z. Poole, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections.

Mr. [Jeff] Neal, the governor’s spokesman, said the policy might nonetheless still save money, though not as much as expected. The reason, unspoken by Mr. Neal but confirmed by experts, is that relatively insignificant offenses committed by 17-year-olds are bringing dismissal by judges, the effect being savings in the court and corrections systems alike.

“When there are really trivial offenses in the criminal system, they get ignored,” said Patrick Griffin, a senior research associate at the National Center for Juvenile Justice, in Pittsburgh.

Beyond the fiscal issue are those involving public-records law, privacy and even bail. Seventeen-year-olds are not legally authorized to sign a contract in Rhode Island, and as a result cannot sign a bail form or a plea agreement without a parent present.

“How do you plea a kid, or how do you post bail, when you’re not old enough to contract?” said John J. Hardiman, the state’s public defender.

The new law also now makes the records of 17-year-olds public, unlike all juvenile records in the state, which are sealed.

Attorney General Lynch believes the law unnecessary because he could previously elevate juvenile cases to the adult level if the suspect had committed prior offenses or the crime was particularly violent. He said he believed the measure was destroying the lives of young nonviolent offenders, as drug convictions make it harder to find jobs and housing and cause students to be ineligible for federal aid.

The author, humorist, and US Senate candidate in Minnesota is scheduled to make an appearance at Blue State Coffee, between 3 and 4:30 pm tomorrow. The Nation recently featured a story on Franken's attempt to win the Wellstone seat.

The weekly Political Roundtable on WRNI (1290 AM) can now be found online, and Scott MacKay, a veteran political reporter at the ProJo, used the occasion last week to share some thoughts on the ongoing conflict between the Journal and the administration of Governor Carcieri.

MacKay noted that the ProJo has endorsed Carcieri during each of his gubernatorial runs. "There's always going to be an adversary relationship between reporters and the government," said the reporter, adding that that's what the First Amendment is all about.

URI's Maureen Moakley said the current conflict follows a pattern in which the ProJo traditionally endorses Republican governors and grows highly critical of them toward the end of their terms. Since Carcieri has more than three years left in office, as she noted, it could be a bumpy road.

But MacKay says he thinks the clash between the governor and Rhode Island's dominant daily is all about "Second-term-itis," and not anything related to the ProJo.

"If you look at the coverage on Carcieri from an objective standpoint -- frankly, nobody's objective and perhaps I'm not, given that they are my employer," says MacKay, "the fact is, it hasn't been any more aggressive than any other governorship. And frankly, if you look back at [Ed] DiPrete, or if you look back at [Bruce] Sundlun, during the banking crisis, coverage was, frankly, far more aggressive."

In contrast to the fertile period from the late '90s and into the new decade -- when Nick-a-Nee's, the Wild Colonial, the Red Fez, the Decatur Lounge, and Lili Marlene's burst upon the Providence scene -- things have waned a bit n recent years.

Babe's closed. The Custom House closed. And we know all about the Decatur.

Now, good guy David Segal offers the news that Talk of the Town, a downtown Providence mainstay, will serve its last rounds on Wednesday night. I've heard some loose talk that TOTT might try to relocate in Olneyville.

The bar is being displaced by plans for a hotel. Last week, P+J offered their thoughts on New Japan, which is also being forced out by this development:

Sayonara to a wonderful place
P&J are greatly saddened by the imminent closing of one of our longtime favorite restaurants, the warm and inviting New Japan, which has been a staple in downtown Providence for 30 years.
 
Yukio Hiyama is closing shop at the end of October — when the building will be converted to (another) hotel. We’re not entirely sure what to make of the recent proliferation of downtown hotel projects, but we do know that there will never be another place like New Japan. When Yukio first opened, there was almost no Japanese cuisine in the state.
 
There was the Oki Steakhouse chain restaurant, but that was generic stuff. The sushi craze had not yet hit, and New Japan was a wondrous little spot with a small menu of great food and an atmosphere like home. Yukio has been one of the greatest hosts in local history. Jorge remembers accidentally leaving his wallet at home one evening and Yukio (who was much closer to Phillipe) told him, “Oh, just come by next time you’re in the neighborhood. No problem.”
 
New Japan was a favorite of the Young Adults back in the ’70s, when it was run by Yukio’s predecessor, the equally beloved and diminutive Beatles-song-singing Osaki. The band would often convene there, for a light meal and plenteous sake, before a gig at Lupo’s.
 
Your superior correspondents had many a fabulous lunch and dinner at New Japan, and we mourn its passing. We send all the best to Yukio, a true prince of a man.

The Providence Business News today has a strong editorial in support of the Working Waterfront, an issue that I wrote about here:

Plans to re-develop the Providence waterfront for commercial and residential use would require zoning changes that eventually would lead to the displacement of century-old industrial businesses that are doing just fine, thank you very much. The effort is just plain wrong, and should be stopped.

The tool to do that is the city’s Comprehensive Plan, which is being voted on in City Council this week.

The argument concerns what that part of the waterfront should look like. Should it include waterfront condominiums, marinas and boardwalks? Or the admittedly more gritty oil storage facilities, ship rehabilitation services and other maritime-related industry? For there can be no doubt that industrial and residential uses cannot coexist.

Yes, change is a necessary part of a vibrant economy. And having recreational boaters out on the Providence River during the season is an appealing thought.

But the enterprises on the waterfront today are part of our vibrant economy. Removing the fuel storage facility would have a detrimental effect on local businesses – including hospitals — that depend on it for heating oil. And Promet Marine Services is the last ship repair yard in the state. Its owners say that fishing boats would have to go to Nova Scotia to get the same services they receive here now.

Providence has room for both pretty and gritty. This waterfront area has been zoned industrial for a long time, and there is no compelling reason to change that. •

As John Mulligan reports today that a global warming measure has moved to the US Senate's front burner, there are a number of other signs of the swelling effort to come to terms with this pending environmental catastrophe:

-- The New York Times recently reported on how global warming is starting to divide the Republican presidential candidates:

While many conservative commentators and editorialists have mocked concerns about climate change, a different reality is emerging among Republican presidential contenders. It is a near-unanimous recognition among the leaders of the threat posed by global warming.

Within that camp, however, sharp divisions are developing. Senator John McCain of Arizona is calling for capping gas emissions linked to warming and higher fuel economy standards. Others, including Rudolph W. Giuliani and Mitt Romney, are refraining from advocating such limits and are instead emphasizing a push toward clean coal and other alternative energy sources.

All agree that nuclear power should be greatly expanded.

The debate has taken an intriguing twist. Two candidates appealing to religious conservatives, former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, call for strong actions to ease the effects of people on the climate, at times casting the effort in spiritual terms just as some evangelical groups have taken up the cause.

-- Speaking of the faith-based, there's a new local group along these lines, Rhode Island Interfaith Power & Light, that's working to spread the message about global warming.

-- The Providence City Council and Mayor Cicilline will host a presentation tomorrow, 6 pm, at the Roger Williams Park Casino, on Post-Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty. Author Daniel Lerch of the Post Carbon Institute will discuss how local governments can prepare for global warming and "peak oil."

-- Next Saturday, November 3, from noon to 3 pm, the official kick-off will be held for "Go Big, Little Rhody," an effort to reduce global warming pollution by 80 percent by 2050. The event is sponsored by the Rhode Island Climate Coalition.

Dave Layman, PR maven and a regular panelist on A Lively Experiment, last week used the show to focus some fire on the Providence Journal's coverage of Governor Carcieri.

This came after the panel discussed a news release -- headlined, "Governor Hypocrite Strikes Again" -- released last week by Democratic Party chairman Bill Lynch. Representative Joseph Trillo (R-Warwick) called the release a distraction from the state's budget deficit.

Then, Layman weighed in with this:

Let me tell you something. I'm troubled by something that I'm really seeing, a trend in the Providence Journal with their reporting on this thing. It's almost as if our dear friend Bob Walsh, who appears on this program a lot, is writing a lot of these stories . . . .

It would have been helpful if Layman had specified which stories he had in mind. Some of the ensuing conversation focused on the editorial in which the ProJo rapped Carcieri over the recent issue of taxpayer-funded interpreters.

Guest moderator Ron St. Pierre called the editorial "a direct attempt at distorting the issue." St. Pierre proceeded to ask, "Is the ProJo in bury-Carcieri mode right now?"

Trillo joined in, calling the interpreter editorial one of the most egregious things he's seen the Journal do. URI's Maureen Moakley interjected, "But Kathy Gregg got it right. I mean, she said what he [Carcieri] said in the story. It was the editorial, I think, that made that leap that wasn't necessary."

However, as I wrote last week, this criticism may be off-base, since the governor's intent wasn't wholly clear as reported in this story by Gregg:

Before he went on the radio, the governor would only say that his staff-reduction plans would target “back office” workers, like those who work in “finance, accounting and a few lawyers.”

He loosened up two days later, however, when talking to a radio audience.

Asked by a caller why the state needs interpreters in the courts and other state agencies, Carcieri said: “Amen to you buddy.”

In the hunt for expendable jobs, Carcieri said he found, for example, one department with eight Spanish-speaking interpreters, and “I said why are we, at taxpayer expense, providing interpreters for people who want benefits from us? It seems completely illogical to me because you’re right,” he told the caller. “My grandparents immigrated from Italy. My grandmother didn’t speak English. She learned it…”

It doesn't seem that long ago when this all began.

It's hard to imagine a better storyline than Jon Lester winning the deciding game. My personal pick for series MVP was Papelbon, but you can't grouse about the honor going to a guy like Mike Lowell.

And yes, we always knew that they could do it. As I wrote on March 30,

Like N4N, three of four Boston Globe sportswriters are picking the Sox to win the AL East (and the whole enchilada, as well). Only Dan Shaughnessy thinks otherwise, ticketing the Blue Jays (???) to upset the NY-Boston hegemony.

While the governor might be reluctant to criticize the Providence Journal, the editorial board at the daily has no such compunctions when it comes to Carcieri.

Although today's lead editorial -- headlined, "New launch for Carcieri?" -- doesn't appear to yet be online, it offers some very sharp advice to the second-term gov:

We realize that being a CEO of a state is grueling work, especially when you're a member of a minority party. We wish anyone well who is trying to make things better. But we care far more about what our political leaders do in developing and implementing policies than we care about their personalities, whether they're "charming" and so on.

If Mr. Carcieri wants to raise his poll numbers, we'd suggest:

-- Getting a tighter administrative grip on some agencies that have displaced some serious managerial woes during his time in office . . .

-- Bargaining with state employee unions rigorously but without venom . . .

. . . .

-- Engaging in less airy rhetoric about Rhode Island's allegedly "wonderful potential" and more in detailed policy prescriptions, explaining strongly and repeatedly why they're good, and getting out there to sell them around the state and to legislators.

-- Growing a thicker skin. Former Gov. Bruce Sundlun is an example of a leader who wasn't afraid of being disliked sometimes to get big things done. He and his successor, Lincoln Almond, also knew how to get people in a room to bargain.

In four years, what will people think of when they think of the Carcieri administration? What will be the two or three big accomplishments?

Using Democratic and Republican predecessors to indict the incumbent, and echoing Carcieri's Democratic challenger last year in calling the current gov, in essence, the leader of a do-nothing administration.

Ouch.

John Simmons's salary as director of administration for the City of Providence is fully paid by the City -- and it has been for about two-and-a-half years, according to Karen Southern, spokeswoman for Mayor David N. Cicilline.

As I blogged earlier today, the issue of Simmons' salary was raised yesterday by Buddy Cianci on his WPRO-AM radio show. Dan Yorke, who has criticized Cicilline about this issue in the past, continues to hammer it this afternoon. The two talkers are critical of how the Rhode Island Foundation paid part of Simmons' salary for his work with the city.

Southern, however, tells N4N that the foundation's Fund for Providence hasn't contributed to Simmons's salary for about two-and-a-half years. She was unable to identify specifically when the foundation stopped contributing to Simmons' compensation.

Southern says the Fund for Providence, which is overseen by the Rhode Island Foundation, paid Simmons's salary when he initially worked for the Cicilline administration as a consultant, and then supplemented it when he became director of administration a direct employee of the city. Asked if the city now pays 100 percent of Simmons' salary for his work for the city, Southern said, "Yes, and it has been [doing so] for about two-and-a-half years." 

The spokeswoman recounted how the Fund for Providence was established as a partnership between individuals and philanthropy "to support the reform of city government." It was established, she says, "in recognition of the fact that the City has limited resources and in recognition of the fact that transforming government would require a significant amount of resources."

Southern noted that the same fund paid for a review of Providence's finances by Public Finance Management (PFM), which began in 2003. "PFM helped draft the city's five-year strategic plan, basically the road map for improving the city's [fiscal] health," she says. "The city was tackling a $60 million budget deficit."

 Southern notes how the city has since enjoyed some good news on its bond ratings.            

From a news release:

PROVIDENCE - Nearly fifty young Democratic activists turned out to the Wild Colonial Tavern in Providence on Thursday night to hear candidates make their pitch to serve a two-year term on the board of the RI Young Democrats. They elected a new nine member board with Andy Andujar winning an uncontested race for president. Andujar, who replaces outgoing president Paul Tencher, was the first Latino member of the powerful Ward 13 Democratic Committee in Providence and currently serves on Sen. Maryellen Goodwin's Senate District Committee.   

 

The entire list of winning candidates and a brief description are as follows: 

 

•        President: Andy Andujar, Mayoral Aide for Providence Mayor David Cicilline & Member of the Senate District 1 Committee

•        Vice President: Matthew Jerzyk, Editor of RIFuture.org blog and District 11 Democratic Committeeman

•        Secretary: Kim Ahern, President of the LGBT alliance at RWU School of Law and RI Student coordinator for Sen. Barack Obama

•        Treasurer: Anthony Colaluca, Coventry Town Councilman

•        Political Director: Eli Zupnick, Policy Analyst for LG Elizabeth Roberts

•        National Committeeman: Julian Dash, President of the RI Black PAC and a real estate developer

•        National Committeewoman: Larkin Barker, Press Secretary for LG Elizabeth Roberts

•        Diversity Chair: William Pierce, former Executive Director of the High School Young Democrats of America

•        Caucus Chair: Meghan Grady, MPA graduate student at RWU and volunteer on Sen. Jack Reed’s campaign.

 

"The new board is excited to continue the great progress that the outgoing Board has made in reviving this important vehicle for young, Democratic activists and turning out the largest number of youth voters in decades in 2006" Andjuar said.  "Our immediate goals are to build our volunteer base and to raise money so that we can continue motivating young people to get involved in the political process.  We want to inspire young people to get involved in Sen. Jack Reed's upcoming re-election, in Congressional races, in General Assembly races and especially in the Democratic presidential campaigns so that we can bring an end to the failed Bush policies in Iraq." 

 

The previous board of the RI Young Democrats has been credited with reviving the organization and organizing young people to lead, volunteer and participate in the great Democratic victories of 2006 from electing the first woman Lt. Gov. in Rhode Island to swinging the fate of the US Senate by electing Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.  Young Democrats were also instrumental in the campaigns to elect Treasurer Frank Caprio, Secretary of State Ralph Mollis, Attorney General Patrick Lynch and Providence Mayor David Cicilline. 

While we'll have to wait to see if the state deficit is larger than the Carcieri administration believes, the governor feels pretty good about the revenue side of the equation right now. Here's an excerpt from a Q+A that I have with the governor in this week's Phoenix:

Is the state doing enough t focus on raising revenue?
Yeah. It’s not a revenue issue. That’s what I call political speak for raise taxes. Our personal income tax receipts last year, we reported up seven percent, which is very good. They’re actually up over 10, maybe even close to 12, because we have the historic tax credit program. Most of that money goes to offset personal income taxes for people that can use that credit. If you factor out the year-to-year difference in the credits we process, the actual underlying tax revenues were up, as I said, between 10 and 12 percent. That’s terrific.
 
I mean, in an inflation environment that’s two-and-a-half [percent], that says that we’re raising incomes and we’re generating jobs. And we haven’t been increasing taxes. We’ve been reducing taxes — the flat tax — and that began to kick in. So to me there’s a good story on the revenue side. And the corporate income tax receipts were up. The only area where the receipts have been flat or down [is] the sales tax, and the one last year that was down was the VLT revenues, because of all the changes and the new building going up at now-Twin River, then Lincoln Park. So, no, I don’t think we can raise taxes.

Curt Schilling came close to shutting out the Rockies last night. The smash down the third-base line was a tough play, but Iron Mike Lowell might have made it given another chance, and if so, Colorado wouldn't have scored. Pretty impressive, and kudos to Tito for being timely with the hook.

N4N had the good fortune to be at Fenway for Curt's 20th win in 2004 (the scene for Fever Pitch, in which Drew Barrymore jumps onto the field and runs across it to reunite with Jimmy Fallon, was filmed immediately afterward), and for his 200th career victory, which came last year. Although certainly not a Curt-hater -- and there are quite a few -- I had thought it best to cut ties with the big guy after this season.

Dan Kennedy has convinced me otherwise:

One of the great non- controversies in Boston sports is on the plate this morning, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe considers what the Red Sox ought to do now that Curt Schilling's contract is expiring.

The answer, which I can't imagine anyone would disagree with, is this: If he'll take a one-year deal, then yes, of course. It is, as Cafardo says, a "no-brainer." More than one year? Well ... maybe.

Tim Wakefield may be on the verge of retiring. That would leave Beckett and Matsuzaka as the number-one and -two guys, and Lester and Buchholz at the back of the rotation. I want Schilling at number three. Don't you?

Especially after last night.

From E&P:

CHICAGO Maureen Decherd, the wife of Belo Corp. Chairman and CEO Robert W. Decherd, remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition Friday [October 19], nearly a week after she was hit by a car while taking a walk, the Dallas-based media company said.

Decherd was struck on the morning of Oct. 13 by a motorist who pulled away from a stop sign without looking ahead, Belo said.

"Mrs. Decherd was one-third of the way across a marked crosswalk on the other side of the intersection," the company statement said. "The vehicle struck Mrs. Decherd and she was pushed or propelled about 20-30 feet, hitting her head on a curb as she fell down."

In a statement, Robert Decherd said his wife was quickly taken to Parkland Hospital's emergency room trauma unit, where she underwent surgery. She remains in the hospital's intensive care unit.

"She has been blessed by the focused attention of some of the finest surgeons, neurologists, trauma personnel and intensive care nurses in the United States, if not the world," he said. "Our children and I deeply appreciate the thoughts and prayers extended to us by so many friends, colleagues and my fellow Belo employees across the country."

UPDATE: As I've subsequently posted, Cicilline spokeswoman Karen Southern says the city pays 100 percent of the salary for Simmons's work for the city.

. . . .

Speaking of Yorke, the WPRO talk-show host has long been critical of the Cicilline administration's use of a fund at the Rhode Island Foundation to help pay for the services of director of administration John Simmons.

Here's how I described the situation in a profile of Yorke earlier this year:

The talk-show host, who calls Cicilline “the most thin-skinned politician I’ve ever encountered,” seems most irked by the mayor’s unwillingness in recent years to appear on his show. As Jim Taricani related in a recent profile of Yorke in Rhode Island Monthly, the talk-show host — whose mantra is that he won’t say anything about people that he won’t say to their face — tends to save his most fiery tirades for news figures that spurn his interest in an interview.

In Cicilline’s case, Yorke points to how a private fund managed by the Rhode Island Foundation pays a fraction of the nearly $200,000 salary earned by John Simmons, the mayor’s director of administration. While the mayor has said that Simmons’ private-sector experience has yielded millions in savings for the city, through enhanced bond ratings, Yorke calls the arrangement’s partial anonymity at odds with open government and Cicilline’s self-description as a reformer.

This week, Buddy Cianci jumped on the same issue, raising his profile as a possible thorn as Cicilline continues to gear up for a gubernatorial run.

I didn't hear it, but it apparently began when Cianci had departing Rhode Island Foundation chieftain Ron Gallo on his show yesterday. Just a few moments ago, Cianci pointed to how conflicts could arise from the foundation's funding arrangement for Simmon's salary.

In particular, Cianci asserted that GTECH may be contributing to the related fund at the foundation, and he noted how Donald R. Sweitzer, a senior VP at GTECH, is a Democratic fundraiser. (Btw, as I first reported, Mike Mello, Cicilline's former chief of staff, took a job overseen by Sweitzer.)

I need to declare a mea culpa here. Steve Aveson asked me about the Simmons-RI Foundation issue during the roundtable portion of today's taping of Newsmakers. In noting the tension between Cicilline and Yorke, and how Simmons is professionally well-regarded, I concluded that this isn't a huge deal. After thinking about it a bit more, I've changed my mind.

The element of anonymity in funding Simmons's salary is at odds with the good government/transparency philosophy espoused by Cicilline, and it does create at least the potential for conflicts.

Marc has a good post about this issue at Anchor:

According to the latest City of Providence compensation numbers (PDF, line A18, p. 15), Simmons should be making in the mid-$60K range. Yet the fact that the public doesn't know for sure who exactly funnels money to pay $140K worth of Simmons' salary doesn't bother the Mayor. In a post by Brown Prof. Darrell West in 2004, West reported that Mayor Cicilline defends this setup.

According to Cicilline, the concept is "new to Providence, but not new to cities" around the country. Responding to complaints about possible conflicts of interest between outside donors and the city, the mayor defended the practice and said "we never would have gotten half the things done without this."

So the ends justify the means, right? Didn't someone else get in trouble using that logic?

Making a return engagement to WPRI/WNAC-TV's Newsmakers, Governor Carcieri this morning downplayed his administration's frustration with how it is being covered in the Providence Journal. His only concern comes, Carcieri says, when the paper gets its facts wrong, as the governor says it did with this editorial on Wednesday.

Dan Yorke took up the same point earlier this week, accusing the ProJo of publishing a flat-out lie by asserting that the governor wants to cut court-based interpreters.

Let's go to the editorial:

We agree with Governor Carcieri that Rhode Island must slash spending to close yawning budget deficits and get the state back on its feet economically. But courtroom translators are not the place to start.

During a recent radio talk-show appearance, Governor Carcieri seemed to argue that such translators are a needless extravagance, and that immigrants should do more to take care of themselves when they come to America, and rely less on the generosity of taxpayers when they get here.

Carcieri has previously said that he supports cutting state-employed interpreters aiding those "who want benefits from us." Speaking today, he said that does not include interpreters in court.

However, the governor's attitude was more ambiguous when it was reported in a Kathy Gregg story last Friday.

Before he went on the radio, the governor would only say that his staff-reduction plans would target “back office” workers, like those who work in “finance, accounting and a few lawyers.”

He loosened up two days later, however, when talking to a radio audience.

Asked by a caller why the state needs interpreters in the courts and other state agencies, Carcieri said: “Amen to you buddy.”

In the hunt for expendable jobs, Carcieri said he found, for example, one department with eight Spanish-speaking interpreters, and “I said why are we, at taxpayer expense, providing interpreters for people who want benefits from us? It seems completely illogical to me because you’re right,” he told the caller. “My grandparents immigrated from Italy. My grandmother didn’t speak English. She learned it…”

“But the point is if they needed somebody…they got somebody, a friend or relative who spoke English, right? So why in God’s name [are] we providing, at taxpayer expense, staff whose sole job is to interpret English for people who apparently have no friend and no relative that can speak English. I don’t think we should be doing that.”

The bottom line here is that the Journal, in both its news coverage, its editorials, and its opinion columns, has cast a more astringent look this year at the governor and his administration. For the most part, IMHO, the coverage and commentary has been on the mark.

Some, including Yorke, mischaracterize the ProJo as a hotbed of liberalism, and point to the friendly connections between General Manager Mark T. Ryan and Democratic Speaker William Murphy, in explaining the tougher coverage of Carcieri.

The governor, no doubt, would prefer for the ProJo to focus only on the lapses of legislative Democrats. Yet even while pursuing a wide-ranging offensive to spread his message with other media, he remains reluctant to pick a fight with those, as the saying goes, who buy ink by the barrel.

As organizers gear up for what they're billing as a major anti-war protest at Boston Common at noon on Saturday, it's a good time to consider some of the alternative views of how we wound up in this mess.

N4N has been reading Armed Madhouse, journalist Greg Palast's account of the current Bush administration, and it's loaded with lots of provocative and underreported information. Here's a sample:

The last thing the oil industry wanted from Iraq in 2001 was a lot more oil. Therefore, we can rule out the West's desire for Iraq's oil as the decisive motive to invade Iraq. . . . What, then, made Saddam so easy to hug in the 1980s, unbearable in the 1990s?

Saddam had to go, but why?

They held meetings about it. Beginning just after Bush's Florida victory in December 2000, the shepherds of the planet's assets got together to plan our energy future under the weighty aegis of the Joint Task Force on Petroleum of the James A. Baker III Institute and the Council on Foreign Relations . . .

The final report detailed Saddam's crimes. Gassing Kurds and Iranians? No. James A. Baker was Reagan's chief of staff when the US provided Saddam the intelligence to better target his chemical weapons. Weapons of mass destruction? Not since this crowd stopped selling him components.

In the sanitary words of the Council on Foreign Relations' report . . . Saddam's problem was that he was a "swinger."

Tight markets have increased US and global vulnerability to disruption and provided adversaries undue potential influence over the price of oi. Iraq has become a key "swing" producer, posing a difficult situation for the US government.

Now hold on a minute. Why is our government in a "difficult" position if Iraq is a "swing producer" of oil?

The answer was that Saddam was jerking the oil market up and down. . . .

"Control is what it's all about," [Lewis] Lapham told me. "It's not about getting the oil, it's about controlling oil's price."

Former Channel 10 newsman Dan Jaehnig is returning to WJAR after having spent about five years at WFXT in Boston.

According to the station:

Dan Jaehnig joins the NBC 10 News Team starting Monday, Oct. 29.

Jaehnig will co-anchor NBC 10 News at 5 with Patrice Wood and report live weeknights on NBC 10 News at 11 with Gene Valicenti and Patrice Wood. “I am honored to be a part of the NBC 10 family again.” said Jaehnig.

Dan Jaehnig is a six-time Emmy award winning journalist who comes home to NBC 10 after spending five years at WFXT FOX 25 in Boston as the weekend anchor.

Dan first worked at NBC 10 from 1998 to 2002, covering local breaking news such as Operation Plunder Dome. “We are very pleased to welcome Dan back to NBC 10. Dan brings energy, enthusiasm and knowledge of the local market.” said Betty-Jo Cugini, Vice-President of NBC 10 News.

Having spent his career in New England, Dan Jaehnig brings with him experience and a passion for covering the local area. Jaehnig received two Emmys for Best Reporter and two Emmys for Best Spot News while at FOX 25.

He will be an integral part of the NBC 10 News Team. “Dan Jaehnig is back and all of us at NBC 10 feel very blessed. Dan brings with him drive, enthusiasm and a genuine interest in what’s going on in our community as well the kind of personality that makes working with him rewarding and enjoyable. Dan has always had the reputation of being a real team player and I’m so happy that he’s on ours! He will be an asset on the anchor desk and reporting in the field,” said Patrice Wood.

“We are very excited to welcome Dan back to NBC 10. Dan is a top-notch journalist and a great addition to NBC 10’s trusted news team. He is well-known and respected in Southern New England and we know that our viewers will be happy to have Dan back on their favorite news channel,” said Lisa Churchville, President and General Manager NBC 10.

The DVD-release party for Cherry Arnold's Buddy Cianci documentary will be held tonight, appropriately enough, in the ballroom of the Providence Biltmore. Doors open at 6:30. Tickets are $40.

The highlights, Cherry says, will include:

* The last showing (7 pm) of this award-winning movie on the big screen, with a post-film party

* Every ticket holder gets a special pre-release copy of the BUDDY DVD;

* Cherry will be doing a post-film Q&A, with special guests (Buddy will probably do the Q&A)...;

* Cherry will be presenting Buddy Cianci with the buddycianci.com domain;

* Raffle prizes, movie posters and more!

-- Why is Kyle Snyder, and not Julian Tavarez, the late addition to the post-season roster?

-- You've got to feel for Wake, whose charitable efforts are well-documented, being out of the action. I mean, you play 12 years with a team and lose your second shot at the big dance in four years?

-- Nice concise preview in the lead of a story in today's New York Times:

It is the Colorado Rockies’ magic carpet ride against the Boston Red Sox’ smooth, then anxious, then captivating roller-coaster ride. It is the history-drenched Red Sox against the not-ready-for-a-learner’s-permit Rockies. It is the thin air against the Green Monster. It is the Rocks and the Sox in the 103rd World Series.

Also in the Times:

-- Some good trivia, including this:

•The past three World Series have ended in four or five games. The only stretch of four successive seasons without a six-game World Series was