once again our reps do nothing for the people and company's on aquidneck island. this new toll on the bridge has just cost our employees hundreds of dollars, never mind the thousands of dollars it will cost our company. we all ready pay thousands of dollars for the newport bridge tolls. we will see what happens next election. get rid of them

Rhode Island General assembly Reform Act of 2012

A. Term Limits. 4 years only, one of the possible options below.

B. Two 2-year Senate terms

C. Two Two-year House terms

D. One 2-year Senate term and One 2-Year House term

2. No Tenure / No Pension. A salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office or Benefits.

3. Pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%

4. The General Assembly must equally abide by all laws they impose on the people.

5. All contracts with past and present the Assembly are void effective 1/1/13 I.E. Benefits etc.

6. Serving in the Assembly is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

jack well said, we need this idea in all goverment

Part 1

Bobby I do not expect you to read this, as it is has become very long, in order to explain why you are wrong. But in order to get points and facts out there, one liners and pundit talking points are the last vestiges of those calling people liars with out facts, because they have lost the debate.

Well Bobby, for someone as far left as you are, harsh moniker to some, but I use it for you, because I know you wear it as a badge of Honor, as miss-guided as it is. It is evidenced by your writings and affiliations, I would not expect you to know much about the founders other than the lies you are spouting. I would however expect you to use facts, but then again that has not been your forte either.

To your false accusation of 5 being unconstitutional, you have obviously not seen what is going on all over the Country, with contracts of benefits and pension changes for past and present employees all over the Country being un held by the Courts even in California of all places.

You also have no clue that the Federal Government has been doing the same thing for its whole history. Check what Andrew Jackson did with the Judges in his time.

Part 2

You care not for independent thinker’s and love to have lifetime professional politicians in office, along with one party rule. Most intelligent people, especially Independent voters, have seen through this.

In this State there has been one party rule for 78 years and counting, that is a fact. The Governors are merely a figure head, since the DEM controlled Legislature over rule any veto, no matter what party a Governor is. It makes the office of Governor in name only obviously a fact.

I suspect you did not do one of your rants as you call them, because there would be so many inaccuracies as there are in your small post, it would embarrass you for your lack of knowledge in all this.

Unlike Independents, you just don’t get it, we are tired of this entrenched government, both State and Federal. Unlike you, I belong to no party or political organization and never have, I believe in thinking for my self, not some party line.

I agree with those who support issues I support and vote for the individual. I do not support anyone who is stating everything I want to hear, because I want free thinkers, even if I disagree with some of their positions. You cannot get that in being a follow the party line like you obviously do.

Part 3

To disprove your Founder’s inaccuracies I submit the following facts. End of story.
While term limits were often discussed, they were not written into the Constitution. Still, the Founding Fathers made their viewpoints clear in debates, speeches and writings.

They could not have foreseen the modern political climate in which career politicians are standard. At the time of the Constitutional Convention, the notion of a person spending decades away from home to serve in government was unrealistic. A representative would have earned only a “modest” salary for serving his country; unlike today, a position in Congress was not a means to wealth.

The Founding Fathers imagined a Congress of citizen legislators. James Madison described the ideal representative as one “called for the most part from pursuits of a private nature and continued in appointment for a short period of office.”
George Mason stated further, “Nothing so strongly impels a man to regard the interest of his constituents, as the certainty of returning to the general mass of the people, from whence he was taken, where he must participate in their burdens.”

Part 4

Jefferson defended his position in favor of Congressional term limits with: “My reason for fixing them in office for a term of years, rather than for life, was that they might have an idea that they were at a certain period to return into the mass of the people and become the governed instead of the governors which might still keep alive that regard to the public good that otherwise they might perhaps be induced by their independence to forget.”

James Madison and Alexander Hamilton agreed, “The security intended to the general liberty consists in the frequent election and in the rotation of the members of Congress.”

“Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct.” – Thomas Jefferson

“The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.” – James Madison

“There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with the power to endanger the public liberty.” – John Adams

“The people must remain ever vigilant against tyrants masquerading as public servants.” – George Washington

As you can see, having the facts rather than spounting nonsense, proves a point better than ranting untruths.

Should note Bobby, I do agree the Citizens Uniteds ruling was bad for everyone. Money is the root of all evil sometime and in politics it is allways the root of evil.

Part 1

Your “I'm from the Austrian School on the economy. Don't know when that became "left" but it's news to most of us” Tell me you pull things out of thin air. You really didn’t learn anything there obviously, because you policies and beliefs are as far from that as can be. Ludwig von Mises, would have thrown you out for your post on here alone lol.

How about this Statement by you, “Bobby Oliveira said his corporation’s left-leaning Total Newport Campaign PAC doesn’t intend to file finance reports disclosing funding sources and spending in Rhode Island or New Mexico. He said he expects that to lead to legal battles in both states but believes the secrecy will withstand legal scrutiny.

How did Oliveira end up focused on Las Cruces? He said some Huerta supporters worked with him in 2004 on Howard Dean’s presidential campaign.

http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2011/09/citing-citizens-united-pac-jumps-into-cruces-mayoral-race/

That sound like someone not from the left to you. Is it not your own words, or did you lie about yourself, well in a delusional state.

Part 2

Howard Dean is not far left lol. It is obvious, as I said you are far left, everything about you screams that. You dispute the Founders own words and I guess you will dispute your own words, as weird as that is lol. But hey you got what you wanted, in your obvious scheme to plug your left wing agenda.

http://quahogsquare.org/how-it-all-comes-together/the-quahogs-united-team/

BobbyO - Our Treasurer . . . 37 states, over 200 campaigns . . .links to the (2) longest serving Mayors in Fall River history, including HQ coordinator . . .speech writer on Beacon Hill at 23 . . .Field Coordiantor for Bill Clinton, East Bay Coordinator for Hillary Clinton . . .lifetime member of the Democratic Leadership Council

Oliveira, a longtime Democratic activist in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Denying what the Founders said right in front of you, in answer your, not for Terms is an illogical argument. Their own words speak for themselves.

Your first post on the patch, calling me a liar and I am suppose to think you have credibility when you were so wrong on the Founders?

Your Quohogs United are all wet, and the name is a discrace to Quohogs everywhere. Your agenda there is obviously not what it seems in my opinion.

Part 3

Carcieri like most R.I. politicians was for Carcieri and no-one else other than the backroom deals, that are par for the course of R.I. corruption and caused by the one party State rule with no term limits.

Again; the Governor can sign or veto anything, however the legislature has been under full super majority by DEMS for 75 years. If you think the Governor can ever get what he wants with out the DEMS telling him what to do and what they will and will not allow, you are delusional.

I love this one., "folks who are on the losing side", what planet or Country do you live in, the Founders quoted were on the losing side lol, you are delusional.

The rest of your post are just as delusional and make little sense at all, nor do they have single thing to do with my suggestion on term limits at all.

Your past actions in politics and personal life that are on the web show your distain for people in general and a “legend in your own mind attitude” in my opinion. What your end game is in taking a small post by me, with a reasonable suggestion of term limits, into some unbelievable and convoluted idea’s that I guess only you understand is, well knutz plain and simple lol. By the way, this article concerns incompetence of the legislature, screwing taxpayers yet again, not your personal vanity, that seems to be bruised, when proven wrong lol.

Not a member of the EBEC, BCWA or friend of Napalitano are you lol.

A little something more for you to ponder Boobby.

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Continued

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

Remember: freedom is never free!

For one of the State first States to declare war on the British empire to be as corrupt as the British empire was then, it is so sad and unbelievable these things they do to the taxpayers yet again.

Oliveira is a wack job who seems to have fallen off the wagon. Ignore him.

Fall off the wagon? Had no clue to it referring to you being an alcoholic or even new you were for that matter. I was referring to someone hitting their head and continuing to roll through life doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result on my little water trip post lol. You missed the point. If you are 9+ sober as you say, Don’t take “taxpayers” post so seriously anyway, but good for you on the 9+, it takes courage I hope it stays that way. Have had many a friend take the easy way out of life and that was a contributing factor to say the least, so stay at it.

To your diatribes, this is the end of attempting to address your wild thought processes on any subject. Never said I liked Carcieri. As for the other rants, I do not know what to call it other than unintelligible attempt at the re-writing of history.

For someone tooting their horn as a political wonder boy, you do not stay up to date. You haven’t heard of the recent fight over Newport and 9 other communities trying to form the EBEC, (East Bay Energy Consortium), you are really out of touch, (see recent, Newspapers, Tele News, Blogs, State House votes, Gov letter to the Legislature etc), you not being aware the Council at Large Napalitano (Female) is the current chairman of it lol. Dean, Obama, Pelosi, and Reid etc, are as far from right leaning on economics as you can get, yet you support their economic policies. Hypocrite to the last you are lol. Later. This thread is done for me.

RI GA Sen Paiva Weed Newport (Rt 24 Bridge Tolls enabler) flip flopped & now is promoting an expansion of Casino gambling! sen-paivaweed@rilin.state.ri.us Classic bait and switch - she was against it before she was for it! Today here on Aquidneck Island we know how much money is siphoned off from the economy and the misery this creates. Yes, yet another form of economic terrorism. The justification offered is losses of excessive jobs to other locations are questioned! Why have we not seen this topic discussed in aol patch or challenged in The NDN? We need to reject this bad apple that continues to return to our ballot. Yes, vote against any and all casino gambling expansions .Yes, we Need to vote against any and all in the RI General Assembly (that now support this recently repeated attempted assault on our communities.). This will finally starve the beast of bloated big government in overreach. Even more tainted money is not a recipe for a solution to the RI economic misery. This money is a fuel for fraud, malfeasance and corruption must be limited and even reduced and accordingly drive this ship of fools out of office. Our communities and the state can then return to a wholesome environment and repair the damage done by these self serving pols. We must no longer fund our government and its excesses on the backs of the poor suspended in misery. The price is much too high and destroys the social fabric of our society. How many times must we vote and say no?

Geoff Cook for State Senate
Problem solved