CCA
faces serious challenge to its years of domination over Charlestown
By
Will Collette
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| Town Council Vice-Chair Deb Carney tops the ticket of candidates seeking to end CCA Party control of Charlestown |
Since 2008, the political action committee, the secretive Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party) has controlled town government in Charlestown.
The CCA Party, originally assembled to oust town curmudgeon Jim Mageau from the town council presidency, has become an organization run for the benefit of wealthy non-resident landowners who contribute the majority of its funds.
It has been the standard bearer for institutional racism against outsiders – “people from Providence” – and against our own neighbors, the Narragansett Indian Tribe. CLICK HERE for more details.
They paid little or no attention to economic troubles suffered by the working families in town caused by the 2008 Great Recession and has been equally indifferent to our Depression-level unemployment pandemic-driven unemployment rate.
The
CCA Party’s top priority has been to spend taxpayer dollars land acquisitions where
we pay twice as much as the property is worth to feed Planning Commissar Ruth
Platner’s insatiable appetite for open space.
The
CCA Party consistently follows the “pay to play” approach to government where
if you want favors, you’d better demonstrate your support for the CCA. They’ve
been playing transactional politics ("you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours") longer than Donald Trump.
Each
of the years they have been in control, the CCA Party has raised Charlestown
taxes, either through a raise in the rate paid per valuation or through
increased tax assessments. This year, the drop in the tax rate was more than
offset for many middle-class taxpayers, especially North of One, by higher
assessments.
This
year they face a serious slate of candidates for Town Council. Six challengers
have been certified to run against the CCA Party slate. Five of the six
challengers have been endorsed by Charlestown Residents United (CRU). The three
Democrats on that slate have been endorsed by the Charlestown Democratic Town
Committee. There are two challengers running as Republicans. And there is one
independent running entirely on his own.
Here
are the Town Council challengers:
- Incumbent Council Vice-Chair Deb Carney (D + CRU) who turned in 122 valid signatures (50 needed);
- Jodi Frank (D + CRU), 107 signatures;
- Scott Keeley (D + CRU), 121 signatures;
- Grace Klinger (R + CRU), 119 signatures;
- Stephen Stokes (R + CRU), 122 signatures.
 |
| The challenger slate |
The CCA Party made a big deal about how “each of our candidates got over 100 valid signatures” when only 50 were needed. First, that’s what you do – you collect more signatures than you need assuming some signatures might be disqualified for not exactly matching voter registration records. Second, the challenger slate averaged close to 120.
Also
qualifying for the ballot by the skin of his teeth is political newcomer Jacob Wolfgang
(independent and unaffiliated) with exactly 50 signatures, as required.
Two
CRU candidates running for the non-partisan Planning Commission also qualified.
Patricia Stamps had 135 signatures and Howard Stephens had 112 signatures.
Charlie
Beck also qualified in his re-election bid for Town Moderate. Charlie is the
owner of the Mini-Super and is running on the CRU slate.
There
are no primary challenges at the town level, although there will be a primary
contest among both the Republicans and Democrats over the US House District 2
seat held by Rep. Jim Langevin (D).
US Senate Jack Reed (D) is running for re-election. He has no primary challenger and an unknown Republican running against him on November 3.
US Senate Jack Reed (D) is running for re-election. He has no primary challenger and an unknown Republican running against him on November 3.
More
important than the number of signatures over the minimum on nomination papers
is….money.
At
this point in the election cycle, the cash on hand shown by Charlestown’s
political players is small.
Cash
balances as of March 31, 2020:
- Charlestown Residents United (CRU): $1,927.09
- Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party): $1,394.04
- Charlestown Democratic Town Committee (CDTC): $837.71
- Charlestown Republican Town Committee (inactive, last filing in 2018): $9.17
The
CCA Party counts on major donor checks coming in around now through October
from their non-resident supporters. They can usually bring in about $15,000 in the last months of the campaign which they will use to fill your mailbox with mailers and cover Charlestown roads with signs.
I've purposely omitted naming the CCA Party's candidates since they will be more than able to use their out-of-state money to promote their own people.
I've purposely omitted naming the CCA Party's candidates since they will be more than able to use their out-of-state money to promote their own people.
Charlestown
Democrats and the CRU use a more grassroots approach but go into each election
cycle knowing the CCA Party will be able to raise more money given the wealth
of its base.
The
next campaign finance reports will be filed around July 31 and cover income and
expenses up to June 30.
Important dates:
Statewide
primary for US Representative, District 2, held by Rep. Jim Langevin, is September 8.
You
must be registered to vote by August 9 with your registration showing your party
choice so you can vote in that party’s primary.
You
WILL NOT receive an automatic application for a mail-in ballot for the
September 8 primary. You will probably receive a postcard notice.
No decision yet on how mail-in ballots will work for the November 3 General Election.
No decision yet on how mail-in ballots will work for the November 3 General Election.
You can download the application for a mail-in ballot for the
Primary HERE – fill it in
on-line or print it and do it by hand. on-line and then print it. You must
return it to the Board of Canvassers for your town (in Charlestown, at Town
Hall) no later than August 18, 4 PM. Concern about the pandemic is
considered a valid reason for voting by mail.
The
General Election is November
3 and,
yes, this may be the most important election in this country’s history.
You
must be registered by October 4. Applications for mail-in ballots must be received by October 13.
Here is
a notice from RI Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea about balloting:
