Raimondo’s office not told about Chafee’s 38 Studios briefing
May 25th, 2012 at 7:34 pm by Ted Nesi under Nesi's Notes, On the Main Site
38 Studios isn’t the only organization having communication problems this week.
During a press conference on Friday, Governor Chafee told reporters his office organized a briefing on the company’s situation for the state’s four other general officers. He said the only general officer who didn’t send a staff member to the briefing was Treasurer Gina Raimondo.
That came as news to Raimondo’s spokeswoman, Joy Fox. ”We found out about yesterday’s general officers briefing from the media today,” she told WPRI.com on Friday night.
Last week Chafee’s office abruptly canceled a scheduled briefing for Raimondo after The Providence Journal previewed it, which led the governor’s spokeswoman to suggest the treasurer was only interested in “a press stunt.” Raimondo and Chafee are widely expected to square off in the 2014 gubernatorial race.
On Friday, though, Fox wasn’t taking the bait. “The treasurer’s office will continue to try to reschedule,” she said, declining to answer more questions.
Update: The governor’s team is just as surprised at what the treasurer’s office is saying.
“That’s obviously a mistake, since the treasurer and the governor spoke directly about a briefing to be held that day at a time to be determined,” Chafee spokeswoman Christine Hunsinger told WPRI.com on Friday night.
Chafee’s and Raimondo’s staff members spoke repeatedly in the late morning and early afternoon as they figured out what time the governor could hold the briefing, Hunsinger said. At one point they tentatively settled on 2:30 p.m., until it was found out that time didn’t work.
More phone calls followed, and the governor’s office finally told the treasurer’s office that the 38 Studios briefing would be held at 3 p.m. The treasurer’s office then informed the governor’s office that Raimondo could not attend at 3 p.m., Hunsinger said.
“The governor remains willing to brief the treasurer,” she added.
Tags: 38 studios, gina raimondo, lincoln chafee, politics
Nesi's Notes covers politics and the economy in and around Rhode Island for WPRI.com. (Twitter: 
It is over for Rhode Island economically. Anacrhy reigns in Rhode Island. The issue is what are the consequences of the EDC towards how Rhode Island and it people are percieved by the business community. As more and more of these reports come out Rhode Island is being perceived as the third world. I don’t know if the majority of Rhode Islanders know that this fiasco, is known all over the world in the business community. I have complained for a very long time Rhode Island is the third world of the United States and the people are buffoons. No ethical business people will even consider setting any type of business operations in Rhode Island. Who would hire such inept people, or with so little insight and lack of ethics?
What Rhode Island needs is a turnover in the General ASSembly and the State Senate. I also know this will not happen, the people of Rhode Island are addicted to government money. Go back to the above question is the problem, no ethics, inept people, poor judgment and limited insight. Since the above won’t happen lets see if the elected officals of Rhode Island can grasp the concept, when taxes and regulations are antibusiness, high quality businesses don’t want to set up operations in your jurisdiction. What elected officals need to do because the new fiscal year is cur spending, that means when all these over generous public sector employee contracts expire, make these contract realistic no more giving away the store, that also includes the education budget. Start by allocating a set dollar amount of the education to every child and allow parents to choose what schools their kids go to, then start reducing the amount of public school teachers. Reduce the abuse and fraud of the social services, fire social workers, stop being the parasite magnet for every welfare case in the country. Elminate all stupid filing fees for business, for example every business in Rhode Island are extorted $500 just to operate a business in Rhode Island. Elminate the car tax another extortion. There are so many other regulations that have to be removed. Zoning boards and zoning laws are another form of extortion.
Ed, lived in RI my whole life and as usual I’m right with you on this. Just got to finish up some personal business and then I’m leaving this sewer for someplace warm with lower taxes. Rhode Island is hopeless.
Cosmo, I wish you well my friend, I am sorry you have to leave your birth state. I am not from here but am in the same boat about evacuating RI.
Hi Ed.
I do not live in rhode island, but still remember vacationing there as a child.
Times have changed, money is very hard to come by, or even save. I just feel it is wrong to just put everyone into a category as “rhode islanders” and making it sound bad. We are all people no one better nor anyone worse. understandibly there are people that make the wrong decisions, this could be for the right reason, as well as personal gain, but it happens all over the country.
Instead of spending alot of time on this message, I would like to help and make a very friendly comment.
With negetivity you may fail, with hurt you may prosper. When you come together as one, help someone you don’t even know.. That is when you learn that life can be better.
It does not help the situation, but instead of complaining, can you offer help? it is not your resposibility, but? you cared enough to comment!
My heart lie,
with rhode eye…
happy memorial day. please! think before you drink!
I wish everyone a great day!
-Mark
Mark, When was the last time you were here? Come visit as an adult, if you really learn about Rhode Island and its people. Approximately 25% of the people support the elected officals who make Rhode Island the third world. Much of the problem comes from how many people here were raised and heard the stories from the Great Depression. Rhode Islanders think FDR is the Messiah, the governement can solve all problems, do not be accountable for your actions. Government is the biggest problem in Rhode Island. The state is overregulated and the world knows it. I live here and am stuck paying the taxes and can’t sell my house because the mortage is flat. You would be surprised to see how many houses are abandoned and the decrepited buildings can’t be torn down so the property can be redeveloped. But the regulations in RI are antibusiness anti consumer.
My take is Gina is just a spoiled brat when the media is not around.
No legal analysis required here, just vote them all out at every level, local, state and federal. Government, at all levels, has been grossly mismanaged. We, the people, vote the politicians in and, therefore, get what we deserve. Citizens, voters, wake up!
t law, you must be a religous man, Rhode Islanders will never vote out these bums, they are simpletons who have no clue what is right and wrong. They just listen to their union boss and tells them how to vote.
Hi,
I am religious, but understand and respect non-religion. Why cannot you be happy? I live in a condo (not in Rhode Island) that is overtaken by corruption. Every day, and still to this day, for the last 20 years, I have been a victim. there is no law for condo’s so it becomes civil, and I would need to spend $$$$ and no guarentee that abuse and fraud would be upheld, even with documents! plus! after many people tried, we get fined to replace the money they spent for court!
Is your life really that bad?
(plug) (Advanced Condo Management)
Be happy and take care!
-Mark
Advanced condo management is the current management company I dont want to say anything positive..
Lorell is the previous management company, they made millions, while we went bankrupt! funny how they “manage” to make money! and we “manage” to go bankrupt!
Got proof!
is your life this bad?
-Mark
Mark are you a born again Christian? You sound like one the reason born agains usally get addicted to God and religion after being addicted to some substance. You just shot your credalbity out the window. You can go give you money to the likes of Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swagart, Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Jim Bakker, and the rest of the televanglist.
T Law
Can’t dispute that.
All the pols have to do is keep saying “hi” at the local coffee shop, and they will keep getting reelected.
It is an unspoken rule that a hard question would be blasphemous.
Now these people are fighting over the scraps of another failed business. This state is in self-destruct mode now and it will up to those remaining here to straighten out. With half of the municipalities either on fire or smoldering economically, people need to throw out the incumbants and put people in there to clean up the mess. Public unions are the root of the problem with their expensive contracts. Get out the barber sheers as haircuts are coming for them. We need government reform (small government), tax reforms and cuts in spending to get this state back on track. Otherwise, put the chains on the doors and go home.
Update on another EDC controversy being the proposed East Bay Energy Consortium (EBEC) proposed to be put under the EDC in pending legislation.
The same bond counsel who was paid $190,000 in the Studio 38 affair, Moses & Afonso, showed up at the Warren Town Council this morning to push the Warren TC to approve the new legislation Thomas Moses helped write to put the East Bay Energy Consortium under the EDC.
Their pitch in part was that they would be floating revenue bonds against wind energy projected revenues in the East Bay under the EBEC. What they failed to mention is that the EBEC has already blown through around $500K in EDC grant money with no wind yet blowing.
Who in their right mind is going to give bond money against future wind energy revenues. Is this new EDC initiative designed to get as much additional EDC grants as possible? History may judge this new initiative as Studio 38 II.
[...] the spat between Gov. Chafee and Gina Raimondo continued on Friday with Chafee telling me Raimondo was the only general officer not to make it to a briefing on 38 [...]