Dee DeQuattro: Pulse on Politics - Public Displays of Dysfunction

Dee DeQuattro

Aren't we proud: our own Woonsocket, Rhode Island is finally on the map after a viral video has surfaced? 

No, it wasn’t a video featuring the beauty of the Blackstone Valley -- instead it was a video of a couple having sex at a strip mall, specifically, in front of a Dollar Store.

It is some pretty classy stuff. Unfortunately for the couple that few moments of joy has now resulted in some serious charges. After the video went viral the sleuths of the Woonsocket Police Department tracked down these two outstanding citizens and charged then with indecent exposures. Turns out police responded on the day of the incident but the two denied wrongdoing but now there is proof. Now that the couple is famous maybe they can try out for some porn videos. The first one can be called Jail Bait.

Dishonoring our nation's heroes

Speaking of outstanding citizens, how about the guy who thought it was appropriate to essentially steal over 100 discarded headstones from the Veterans Cemetery. The individual was employed there and was charged with bringing the discarded headstones to a facility where they would be destroyed in accordance with VA protocol. The destruction of the stones are to protect the honor of the deceased but apparently this one employee could care less about the honor of our veterans. In fact it’s so disgraceful because the man took the gravestones home and upon investigation federal agents observed “automotive fluids and debris” scattered all over them. Instead of the state taking prompt action and standing up for our veterans the man was allowed to submit his own resignation. So what does that mean? He is still entitled to his pension since he resigned and was not terminated. 

The state should have made an example out of this situation, to demonstrate that the sacrifice of our veterans is not forgotten when they die but instead we continue to honor them. What this man did was not only insulting to the deceased veteran but it was downright offensive to their families and it is disgraceful to society as a whole that such behavior would not come with strict consequences. In the end he no longer works there and it's likely he was forced to resign but the state had an opportunity to take a strong stand and they dropped the ball

Rhody Peek-a-boo

And the 38 Studios debacle will continue to remain a mystery to us common folk as a judge decided to delay a decision about whether to unseal volumes of documents in the 38 Studios lawsuit. By the way, the decision to delay was made in a closed door meeting. But that makes sense, it is the Rhode Island way.

Paws for effect

At the State House they are also enjoying closed door meetings. House Democrats held a closed doors caucus at the state house in part to discuss the PawSox problem. This is the first time lawmakers met to discuss the situation after cooler heads prevailed and Gov. Raimondo rejected the team’s first proposal as unfair for tax payers. This has the potential to be a no-win situation for Rhode Island. If the PawSox bail it is going to be an economic blow to the state but if the PawSox stay they will be expecting some sort of deal from the state.

Raimondo has proven to be a tough negotiator and Speaker Mattiello has done right by the taxpayers in the past so hopefully for the state of this economically struggeling state the pari can manage to negotiate with the team to find a solution that is beneficial to both tax payers and the PawSox.

Can the General Assembly collect overtime?

Mattiello says the issue of the PawSox might result in an extension of the General Assembly session if at all decided. For his part, Mattiello says he’d like to see a solution sooner rather than extend the issue passed this session.

We are all at least generally aware that this debate is ludicrous 

I can’t end this without touching upon Tom Brady and his balls. Patriots haters everywhere pointing the finger at Brady saying he was responsible for a few under-inflated balls and now calling for his suspension FOR AN ENTIRE SEASON. The thing that is so infuriating is that Ray Rice was only initially suspended for two games after knocking a woman unconscious and here they want Brady suspended for a season because it is more likely than not he might have known about deflated balls. Yes, a slightly deflated football is far more serious than abusing a woman.

POLL: What is a Fair Punishment for Tom Brady?

Secondly, the so called damning text messages could be read the completely opposite way to indicate that the balls were tampered with as an effort by the equipment manager to sabotage Brady. There is nothing in the messages that clearly indicate Brady was responsible or even aware.

By the way The Patriots still won Super Bowl XLIX without “deflated balls” and the haters can hate but they can’t change that.

I’ll see you next week.