Ethics rule
State Rep. David N. Cicilline, D-Dist. 4 of Providence and Pawtucket, upset at the Ethics Commission’s decision to permit General Assembly members to accept gifts valued at up to $450 from any single source, is proposing a new rule that would essentially nullify the commission’s ruling. Cicillini’s proposed rule would prohibit members of the House of Representatives from accepting “gifts or other things of economic value” from any person or business that has a direct financial interest in a decision the House member is authorized to make.
The proposed rule includes some exceptions, Cicillini said. Among them are legal campaign contributions, food or beverage at an event in which a House member is participating in his or her official capacity, a plaque or similar recognition for professional services or charitable donations, consultation services, and minor informational material that doesn’t exceed $25.
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Cicillini is absolutely correct when he suggests the ethics commission’s action “accomplished nothing other than to reinforce the public’s perception of legislators as being ‘up for sale,’ and to send a message to lobbyists and others that, while the rules may have changed slightly, the purchasing of public policy is still a sanctioned sport in Rhode Island.”
We expressed similar concern at the end of May when the Ethics Commission voted 5 to 4 for its new policy.
We wholeheartedly endorse Representative Cicillini’s efforts to persuade his House colleagues to establish a rule that nullifies the ethics commission ruling. We urge its adoption in the House and Senate as well.
”By adopting my proposed rule,” Cicillini said, “the Rhode Island House of Representatives can take a leadership position that all other state and federal legislative bodies must recognize: Special interests, go home!”
Mall poll
It’s encouraging to see that a recent Brown University poll relative to Providence Place mall shows the public in general, favoring a facility that for so many years had been the center of controversy.
It is not unlike the Convention Center and T.F. Green Terminal project, both of which had their share of controversy and both of which seemed to win public acceptance gradually.
But while the public acceptance piece is encouraging, the poll’s conclusion that Providence Place is neither meeting employment or tax revenue expectations seems premature. Michael Doyle of RDW Group and a spokesman for Providence Place believes the study is flawed because it only polled Providence residents, and because employment and tax figures represent a partially opened mall, not one operating at full capacity.
Doyle still maintains that when all stores are filled, the mall will exceed employment projections for 2,500 full-time jobs and will meet sales tax expectations.
For his part, Darrell West, co-author of the study, said, when asked, that he considers the study an ongoing project.
While we find interesting the public’s perception of the mall, we think it’s premature to be assessing employment and tax revenue figures before the mall is complete. And even then, we believe, it will take time – as it has at the Convention Center – for the facility to reach its full potential.
We suspect the mall will continue to grow, serving as a major source of employment and tax revenues, as an attraction for out of area visitors, and as an integral part of a downtown revitalization that is making Providence among the nation’s most attractive destinations.
