Dee DeQuattro: Pulse on Politics - July 11

Dee DeQuattro (@DeeDeQuattro)

It’s that time of year again, signature time! All the campaigns are out gathering signatures to get on the ballot and are taking a little break from rolling out policies and constantly blasting each other. Raimondo was the first to announce she gathered all her signatures the first day. The announcement came in one of her “personalized” email messages. You know those messages you get daily if you are lucky enough to have joined her list and they use your first name so maybe you will feel special. Well don’t, I’ll tell you a secret: it’s really just a mass email.

For the sake of the election

Raimondo did have a win right before the Fourth of July when she jumped into the Davey Lopes Pool sending a reminder to the community that she supported reopening the pool while her Democratic Opponent Angel Taveras did not. Angel Taveras was not present for the big reopening of the controversial pool but he did have some big news of his own. Baby number two is on the way. Impeccable timing.

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Wires are ugly

One candidate has a vision to get Providence online. Mayoral Candidate Jorge Elorza has an innovative idea to bring a fiber optic high speed internet network to the entire city of Providence. He said the network would be called the “Providence Digital Rivers Project” and he hopes that the network would boost innovative business in the city. Not too shabby, the only question is how will the city afford this?

Parading around town

Speaking of the Providence Mayoral race, Buddy Cianci snuck his way into the Bristol Fourth of July as an “aide” to one of the marchers in the parade. I guess aides get royal treatment now because Buddy sat on top of the back seat in a convertible waving to the crowd and the crowd seemed to love him. Other candidates made their way into the parade including Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, General Treasurer Gina Raimondo, and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras. Clay Pell was working the crowd at the parade with Michelle Kwan.

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Dee DeQuattro with Rep. Costa

High-Test Rep

While campaigning can be draining some candidates have found a new way to refuel. A popular pit stop for Republican candidates is the Charles Street Coffee Co., now under new ownership. Representative Doreen Costa has had a great couple of weeks after buying the small café and sandwich shop. The conservative State Representative has been promoting her business on social media by posting pictures with all her friends who come visit.

Bridge over River Kwan

Kudos to the Pell Campaign this week who finally took a hint and replaced the bridges featured in his T.V. spot with bridges that are actually here in the Ocean State. After all, if he can fix his commercial, he can fix our state, right?

Mid-term(ite) election

And a very Happy Birthday to Nibbles Woodaway, who turned 34 this week… For those of you who didn’t know that would be Rhode Island’s iconic Big Blue Bug.

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Dee Dequattro is a WBOB political columnist and reporter for ABC 6 (WLNE).

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