This is for everybody living anywhere in Rhode Island! Senator Sam Bell (D-Prov) has just posted this on Facebook.
The Senate President has just announced that he will be introducing legislation to ram through the Fane Tower even if the lawsuit succeeds (as it likely will). What this bill does is take away the right of cities and towns to control design review, zoning, and planning decisions on large areas of state-owned land. It applies all across the state, but the Senate President has said that it’s motivated by the Fane Tower. I will be opposing this bill.
Stop what you are doing right now and CONTACT YOUR SENATOR — tell them to grow a spine, organize, and stand up to Senate President Dominick Ruggerio. I have just left a message with my senator, Gayle Goldin.
This should be of concern to everyone — Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Independents, everyone. At least everyone who thinks they would rather not wake up one day and find a luxury condo tower or nerve gas incinerator being built in their town.
Do this now! CONTACT YOUR SENATOR and tell them to grow a spine, organize, and stand up to Ruggerio.
Call your mayors and find out what they are doing about this proposed legislation. Cities and towns should be able to control their own planning and zoning.
Last February we urged readers to “Stop the Ruggerio power grab.” Obviously that early effort was not successful. But in that post we included some background on Ruggerio which I think bears repeating . . . constantly. And yes, Ruggerio is so bad he has been featured on the John Oliver show.
***For those new to the state, a quick primer on Ruggerio’s illustrious career: 1) A forty-year-old Ruggerio was first arrested in 2012 for shoplifting condoms. He shoved them in his sock . . . he was with his mother at the time. CVS declined to press charges. 2) That same year Ruggerio was arrested for drunk driving in Barrington, with his pal Senator Frank Ciccone following in on the arrest and threatening the police officer’s pension, an event described by John Oliver as “Peak Rhode Island” (at the 11:45 mark). Both men ran unopposed in the 2014 mid-terms.***