Wake us when
things really change
BY PHILLIPE & JORGE
Like everyone else in the Biggest Little, Phillipe & Jorge were seriously
underwhelmed by the news that Representative William Murphy (D-West Warwick),
will be replacing the recently departed Pucky Hardwood as House speaker. The
BeloJo has to feel real good about this one: their Get Pucky campaign (keeping
him on the front page for months, even if it meant using the occasional dubious
story) worked like a charm. Of course, in nailing the lid to Pucky's coffin,
the Urinal may have to live with boosting the ratings of John "The Journalist"
DePetro, who undoubtedly is still shouting, "Hey, give me some credit! I
started this whole thing with my ambush interview . . . I want more credit!"
As you know, those who advance to the speakership are always self-styled
"reformers." Pucky, Prince Joe DeAngelis, and Matty Smith all started their
reigns as the guy who was going to clean up the system. Bill Murphy appears to
be no different, supplying the usual cant to the media about being "open and
accessible." Time after time, people have entered into the leadership at
Halitosis Hall, and time after time, they've ended up as arrogant protectors of
the state's biggest patronage and palm-greasing store. So the question is, what
is there about Bill Murphy that would lead one to believe it will be different
this time? We don't have the answer.
The one thing that would bring a difference and make change inevitable is
action on separation of powers. Ed Achorn, deputy editorial page editor of the
Other Paper, mentioned on Tuesday, November 12, that Gordon Fox, the newly
anointed House majority leader, "Hinted on the radio that [a separation of
powers bill] will be shipped off to a committee to `study'." In Halitosis Hall
terms, that means it's dead.
P&J know and respect Gordon Fox. We also know that Gordon Fox, Bill
Murphy, and virtually everyone else on Smith Hill realize that separation of
powers does not need further study. They get it, the public gets it and,
without it, it'll just be the same old shell game in the General Assembly. So,
let's see some action and then we'll believe that Bill Murphy truly is a
reformer.
Real change . . . maybe
Last Friday, November 8, acting Mayor John J. Lombardi signed the ordinance
creating a civilian review board to investigate allegations of police
misconduct. Nice going, John. And good luck to our new mayor, David Cicilline
(who supports the measure), when he tries to enforce it. Michael Marcoccio,
head ramrod of the Providence FOP, is already on record as saying that police
officers can't, and won't, be made to testify before a civilian board. Nice
going, Mike. Maybe we should bring back the old brown shirts to coincide with
your attitude.
If Marcoccio is correct and the civilian review procedure becomes unworkable,
it's because of the so-called Law Enforcement Officer's Bill of Rights -- a
state law that needs to be revisited toot sweet, but won't be due to a notable
lack of cojones in the legislature. We certainly hope that all the moves
being made to the police department by Lombardi will help the Cicilline
administration and its relationship with the boys and girls in blue. The police
department is one of those areas that will prove most problematic for "G. (for
Goliath) David," and he needs all the cooperation he can get.
Planet waves
Your superior correspondents were pleased to give one of our "election wrap-up
reports" (read: making fun of elected officials) during the Rhode Island
Environmental Council's annual meeting last Friday, November 8, at the Old
Slater Mill in the Bucket (i.e., Pawtucket), current home of the Stone Soup
Coffeehouse. While we mostly talked about the local races, things look bleaker
than ever for the environment on the national political front.
With the GOP in the White House and in charge of both houses of Congress, you
can expect our yahoo oil-boy-in-chief and his trusty Veep Cheney to really go
to work on handing Mother Nature over to their Big Bidness confreres.
After rejecting the global warming treaty in Kyoto, loosening EPA restrictions
on water and air, allowing mining companies to dump waste into valleys and
streams, and helping road-building projects through wildlife areas, we must
raise a toast to you, Mr. President (and make ours arsenic-laced water).
Now that Dubya's got his gang in control of the Senate and the House, those
other areas of "environmental concern" that require congressional approval
(e.g., opening up more national forest land for timber companies, drilling for
oil in the Alaskan wilderness) are within reach. What a marvelous vision! When
President Bush gets through with the environment, he should do something that
will truly resonate with symbolic meaning -- designating Gary, Indiana, as the
nation's new capital.
Angry citizen update
We recently received an e-mail at Casa Diablo from an angry citizen looking for
a little bit of justice. "Ted" got in a serious snit because he works downtown,
pays a monthly parking fee of $195, but still has to walk eight blocks to his
office. Ted has to trod down Weybosset Street to get to work and he's noticed
that two parking spots on the street are reserved for the Italian Consulate. He
says the same two cars park there most of the time.
Ted went on to claim, "There is no Italian Consulate's Office downtown," and
after a little investigation, he found that a prominent lawyer, whose office is
near the parking spot, owns one of the cars in question. Ed then starts
complaining about how the attorney is "a friend of Buddy's" and this is an omen
that "corruption at City Hall" is alive and well. While we feel for Ted the
Angry Citizen, there are a few problems with his story, and his outrage is a
bit, shall we say, misdirected.
There actually is an Italian Consulate in Providence, located at 49 Weybosset
St. And the prominent lawyer with whom Ted is angry just happens to have his
office in the same building. Not only that, but the attorney, Ron Del Sesto, is
the honorary vice consul of the Italian Embassy in Providence. (Mr. Del Sesto's
palpable sense of pride in his Italian heritage is seen in the way that the
last four digits of his office phone number are 1492. A cowinkydink? We think
not.)
So, Mr. Del Sesto's greatly coveted parking spot has nothing to do with
chicanery and everything to do with his position with the Italian Consulate.
Ted, more power to you in rooting out corruption in Our Little Towne, but
please try to give us something real next time, rather than an empty lead based
on your unfortunate parking dilemma.
Road warriors
If you've been to as many nightclubs, boîtes, taverns, bars, and
bust-out joints in Vo Dilun as have P&J, you've undoubtedly run into 2nd
Avenue. For 25 years, these guys have played virtually everywhere, four or five
times a week. Needless to say, they have a huge repertoire (please do not say
to 2nd Avenue leader Glenn Kurzirian, "I hear you've got a huge repertoire,"
and I think you know why), knowing almost as many songs as the peripatetic
Kurzirian has had published letters to the editor.
Second Avenue will be celebrating their 25th anniversary in style on Friday,
November 22 at the Federal Reserve restaurant on Dorrance Street in downtown
Providence. Here's a rare opportunity to hear and see these guys in an upscale
joint. Anyone who's been doing anything for 25 years deserves a hand, but it's
especially amazing to be making music for this long while still enjoying it as
much as 2nd Avenue obviously does. Good for them. And yes, it's one of those
"be there or be square" deals.
DNA: The art of the matter
Here's another plug for yet another unique venture. Newly opened this week on
Wickenden Street in Our Little Towne is the LifeForms DNA Gallery. The owners
have patented a process that enables DNA to be visible to the human eye without
enhancement. The DNA is encased inside glass or a glass sculpture in a liquid
solution. It looks like a woven fabric that, if unraveled, would stretch for
miles.
Dr. Paul LoGerfo, a prominent thyroid surgeon from Columbia Presbyterian
Hospital in NYC, invented the process and was the honored guest at the opening
reception on November 6. The new gallery is also showing tiled panoramic
photographs by well-known Providence-based photographer Gene Dwiggins. We're
told this is the first DNA gallery in the country and we believe it.
Kudos & congrats . . .
. . . to Ken Fish, Dr. Kenneth Mayer, Nancy Benoit, Doreen Blue and (the
inevitable) NiRoPe, Nick, Ron and Pete Cardi. As you have probably already
guessed, they are not being honored for their achievements in television
advertising, but by AIDS Project Rhode Island on Sunday, December 1, World AIDS
Day. APRI is hosting its Annual Red Ribbon Awards that day at the Radisson
Hotel in Warwick from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., emceed by the golfing anchorwoman,
Channel 12's Karen Adams.
The two Kens, Nancy, Doreen, and NiRoPe are being honored for their longtime
devotion in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Tickets for the event are $35. You can
get more information by calling Chris Butler at APRI at (401) 831-5522.
Send Twizzlers and Pulitzer-grade tips to p&j[a]phx.com.
Issue Date: November 15 - 21, 2002
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