The event was attended by over 100 people, including all of the Republican statewide and federal candidates. The candidates were all allowed to speak to the convention, putting forth why RIRA should endorse them, and were allowed to answer questions from all in attendance.

The following candidates were endorsed the Rhode Island Republican Assembly:

First Congressional District – John Loughlin

Second Congressional District – Mark Zaccaria

Governor – John Robitaille

Lt. Governor – No Endorsement

Attorney General – Erik Wallin

Treasurer – Kernan “Kerry” King

Secretary of State – No Endorsement

The Rhode Island Republican Assembly will meet again on July 15, 2010 to take up any additional endorsements based on last minute filings.

The Rhode Island Republican Assembly also voted on several resolutions pertinent to this year’s elections. These resolutions also required a 2/3rd’s vote in the affirmative from the voting membership:

1) PASSED – Abolition of the office of Lieutenant Governor. RIRA’s stance is that this office should be combined with the office of the Governor.

2) PASSED – Opposing binding arbitration / perpetual contracts. RIRA opposes any effort by the General Assembly to pass laws which would create unending contracts or require state and local governments and school committees to be subjected to binding arbitration.

3) PASSED – Urging Governor Carcieri to veto the FY 2011 state budget. RIRA’s stance is that the General Assembly has ignored its duty and responsibilities by putting forth a budget that is not balanced, relies on Federal Funds that have not been appropriated yet, and that said Federal Funds would be coming from an unbalanced Federal Budget with a $14 Trillion deficit.

4) PASSED – Opposing efforts to change the name of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The Rhode Island Republican Assembly believes that the State of Rhode Island’s historic, formal name should not be changed.

5) PASSED – Support of Arizona illegal immigration law. The Rhode Island Republican Assembly supports Arizona’s use of the 10th amendment to protect the American Citizens and require all people who are in the United States of America to adhere to the laws of this sovereign nation and supports the efforts to enforce Federal Laws that have been written years prior to the Arizona law.

6) PASSED – Opposing Deepwater wind project. The Rhode Island Republican Assembly, while supporting green initiatives and technology to make our environment better and to create jobs in Rhode Island, opposes the effort by the General Assembly to intervene in the free market system on behalf of one company or any companies. If the Wind Project is valid and cost justifiable through private market investments and calculated Return on Investments, then it should go forward on its own merits without State guarantees or creating laws that allow for by-passing the due process that has been established over the years.

The fifth Biennial Endorsement Convention of the Rhode Island Republican Assembly will be held on Saturday, June 12th, 2010, from 12 Noon to 4:00 PM. The Convention will be held in the Rotunda of the Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Crossings, at 801 Greenwich Avenue, in Warwick, RI 02886.

The theme for the Convention will be “2010: The Conservative Comeback.”

Working towards that goal, federal and state Republican candidates have been invited to address the RIRA delegates and guests. Speakers to include:

John Loughlin, Candidate for Congress (First District)
Mark Zaccaria, Candidate for Congress (Second District)
William Clegg, Candidate for Congress (Second District)
John Robitaille, Candidate for Governor
Victor Moffitt, Candidate for Governor
Erik Wallin, Candidate for Attorney General
Kernan ‘Kerry’ King, Candidate for General Treasurer

Following those and other speeches, RIRA Delegates will be able vote on endorsements for each office. Endorsements may be made in any Federal, Statewide, as well as in R.I. House and Senate races. RIRA endorsements require a 2/3rds affirmative vote of those delegates present.

All Republicans and Conservatives in Rhode Island are welcome to attend. The precise agenda is still being worked out. However, the event will start with a great fundraiser for our state Political Action Committee, with speeches by various Republican officeholders and candidates. Live Musical Entertainment will be provided by the band “Wing-It”. Hors d’Oeuvres will be served, and there will be a Cash Bar available.

RSVP in advance by Facebook, e-mail, or phone would be greatly appreciated for food planning purposes. However, it is not required to attend. Tickets may be paid for in advance or at the door. Personal checks should be payable to “RIRA-PAC.”

Suggested minimum contribution for the PAC fundraiser is $25.00 per person or $15.00 for R.I. Young Republicans (of course, individuals may donate more!). Tables of Six are available for $150.00 each. Funds generated in excess of our costs will be used to support RIRA endorsed candidates. Please note: RIRA members who are currently “in good standing” are not required to pay an additional amount as a condition of voting on endorsements. However, annual dues must be paid up to date in order to vote. Of course, RIRA members are always encouraged to contribute towards our PAC.

To reserve your tickets, please mail your request and personal check to: RIRA-PAC, 19 Bakers Creek Road, Warwick, RI 02886. For any inquiries, please contact RIRA President Raymond T. McKay at (401) 487-2514 or by e-mail at: president [at] ri-ra [dot] org .

Note: State of Rhode Island campaign finance law requires us to record the Name, Address, Employer, and Occupation of contributors. Corporate and business checks cannot be accepted. Individual contributors are limited to contributing no more than $1000.00 per calendar year. Political contributions are not tax deductible.

The party’s executive committee will consider the plan Jan. 5. If approved by a majority of the committee’s 50 members, it would then go to state party members for a vote, state GOP Chairman Giovanni Cicione said.

The Republican and Democratic parties currently allow unaffiliated voters to opt into either party on primary day to cast a ballot. Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly four-to-one in Rhode Island, with about 287,500 registered Democrats compared with 72,800 registered Republicans, according to the Secretary of State’s office. Those are both smaller than the roughly 335,300 unaffiliated voters.

The rule became an issue in 2006 when then-Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee, a moderate, was embroiled in a primary with a more conservative challenger, former Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey. Chafee urged Democratic supporters to drop their party affiliation to vote for him. Chafee won the primary but went on to lose the general election to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.

The bitterly contested primary still is a sore spot for some conservative Republicans, who had dubbed Chafee a RINO – Republican in Name Only. Darrell West, a political scientist at the Brookings Institution and former professor at Brown University, said the primary drew a large turnout of unaffiliated voters who propelled Chafee to victory.

“If it hadn’t been for independents, Laffey would have won that primary,” he said.

The proposal comes as Laffey is being urged by many supporters to run for governor. The Republicans’ only declared candidate, Rory Smith, dropped out of the race this month, and the party has been casting about for another contender. Laffey supporter Raymond McKay, an executive committee member, is leading the push to close the primary.

McKay, president of the conservative Rhode Island Republican Assembly, said he has been pushing for the change since 2004, but what happened with Chafee’s campaign in 2006 helped fuel the drive.

“The reality of the issue is that people did cross over to weigh in on a Republican primary, and they weren’t Republicans,” he said. “It’s horrendous. It’s tampering.”

State Democratic Chairman Bill Lynch said he believes a change in state law is needed to close the primary, although Cicione and McKay said the issue had been researched and the primary could be closed through a change in the party’s bylaws. McKay said the party had closed primaries until the 1980s, when the party changed its rules.

Two former members of the state Board of Elections said it was unclear. Roger Begin, a former chairman of the board who left about three years ago, said election laws have changed in the past decades and the question would have to be researched. Retired board member Thomas Iannitti said he believes the General Assembly would have to change the law, a process that could take years.

McKay said he has commitments from 25 of the executive committee’s 50 members to support the proposal. If it passes, Cicione said the plan would then have to be read at a state party meeting and voted on by the party’s 250 members at a second meeting. The next party meeting is scheduled for February.

Cicione said he’s not sure yet if he supports the measure, but said he would not want it put into place until the 2012 race because it’s too soon before the September primary. McKay said there are ways to speed up the measure so that it could be decided by February.

Chafee has since left the Republican Party and plans to officially announce his run for governor as an independent on Monday.

Laffey did not immediately respond to a request from the AP for comment on whether he supports the idea.

But John Robitaille, a senior adviser to Republican Gov. Don Carcieri, who said Tuesday he also is considering a run for governor, thinks the idea is bad for the party. He said the current system allows candidates to reach out to a broader audience during the primary.

“If you only look at people who are registered Republicans having a say, your chances of having a good candidate who could actually win in the general election is skewed,” he said.

Warwick Mayor Scott Avedesian said he also opposes the idea.

“I think the only way a party grows and continues to thrive and bring more people in is to have an open primary system,” he said. “We need an infusion of new ideas and new people, or nothing’s going to change.”

Among the 41 states that had primaries in the 2008 presidential election, they were about evenly divided between those that have open and closed primaries, according to a report by the Pew Center on the States.

(Copyright, Associated Press)

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_8545/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=eVTWiOvd

The party’s State Central Committee met Tuesday to vote on a platform that focuses on jobs, state spending, health insurance, education, the environment and government accountability, but some of the language — and some that was missing — convinced a majority that the statement was not ready for prime time.

Among the missing was any reference to issues such as abortion and immigration, said Raymond T. McKay, a member of the platform committee that drew up the election-year statement.

Most glaring to some was a final paragraph that says the party, in “the long-standing tradition of New England Republicans,” respects “the right of all of our candidates to hold and express their own considered views on social issues.”

“If you take a look at the Moderate Party’s platform and you take a look at our platform, they’re pretty much one and the same,” said McKay, who made the motion to send the statement back for further review. “If we’re going to be a party and we’re going to differentiate ourselves, we should stand apart from the others and not be a Democratic-light, or something like that.”

The disagreement over family-values issues — which mirrors an ongoing debate within the National GOP — left party leaders unsure of which areas the final statement will cover.

“You have more conservative forces in the party [That's us!], and you have forces in the party which perceive a large percentage of the voting population are registered as independents,” [That's also us ... we believe there are a lot of conservatives who are registered as unaffiliated voters, because the Republican Party doesn't stand for anything, not because it isn't liberal enough] said Robert Manning, the platform committee chairman. “The sense of the platform committee is that that’s where the votes are, and it’s a mistake to assume that you can move right to win votes.” [The platform committee sent the draft platform to the floor with an 8 to 8 vote, with Mr. Manning breaking the tie]…

Read More: The Providence Journal

Rhode Island is now the only state in the Union which still celebrates Victory Day — commonly known here as “VJ-Day” — as an official state holiday. Although the holiday is observed on the second Monday of August, the actual date of “Victory Day” was August 15, 1945 — the day that the Empire of Japan surrendered to the United States in World War II.

Considering that this is a uniquely Rhode Island state holiday, we thought it appropriate to celebrate the holiday in a unique way. More importantly, we want to recognize the enemy which we fought against — which in many respects, we are still fighting against to this very day — both at home and especially abroad. The enemy wasn’t simply Japan or Germany or any other country or people. The real “enemy” was an insidious ideology: STATISM.*

The Rhode Island Republican Assembly PAC will be hosting a “Victory Over Statism” Day barbecue outdoors at the Buttonwoods — Masonic Shriners’ Family Center located at 116 Long Street in Warwick, from about 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, August 15th, 2009.

Besides acres of well-kept park land and walking paths, this great place has volleyball courts, horseshoes, a pool, a wading pool for children, swing sets, and other amenities for you and your whole family to enjoy for the day. We are anticipating brilliant sunshine and blue skies for the event! However, in case of rain, we will have use of a nearby pavilion, so this is a “rain or shine” event.

There will be plenty of barbecued chicken, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, kosher hot dogs, various sides dishes, desserts, and all the fixings. In addition to all the great food, we will have a speaking program of partisan and non-partisan leaders who will share their thoughts about what we can do as conservative Rhode Islanders to get more engaged in the political process. We will publish the full speaking list shortly.

Any funds raised in excess of our costs will go towards helping the Rhode Island Republican Assembly Political Action Committee (RIRA-PAC) support quality conservative state and local candidates in 2010 and beyond.

Tickets for this great event are only $25.00 per person.
Children 12 and Under are only $10.00 each.
Children 5 and Under get in for FREE!

PAY BY MAIL: If you would like one or more tickets, please send your request and personal check or money order payable to “RIRA-PAC” to:

RIRA-PAC
Attn: Raymond McKay
19 Bakers Creek Road
Warwick, RI 02886

PAY ONLINE: If you would like to securely and easily pay for your BBQ tickets by credit card or e-check online, please visit the RIRA-PAC website at http://rirapac.org/victory/:

Please note: Rhode Island State Campaign Finance Law limits contributions to a maximum of $1000.00 per calendar year. We are required by law to record the name, address, employer and occupation of all contributors. We can only accept contributions from individuals, as well as from other state political action committees. Business and corporate contributions are prohibited.

* Statism is a term that may refer to either one or both of the following:

A major government role in the direction of the economy, both directly through state-owned enterprises and indirectly through the central planning of the overall economy.

A political viewpoint “that sovereignty is vested not in the people but in the national state, and that all individuals and associations exist only to enhance the power, the prestige, and the well-being of the state. The fascist concept of Statism repudiates individualism and exalts the nation as an organic body headed by the Supreme Leader and nurtured by unity, force, and discipline.”

Raymond McKay can be reached at chair [at] rirapac [dot] org or president [at] ri-ra [dot] org

What a wonderful feeling to be covered by the national news when you are from a state as small as Rhode Island. One’s pride must swell at such an honor! But wait…

Thanks to over 40 years of Rhode Island Democrat Control, we can legally Prostitute our Daughters and have Career Pole Dancers at Age 16 in our home state as was reported on Fox News, locally by the Providence Journal, posted on Facebook, and other outlets today and this evening.

As many of us heard this evening, even the big players in “Sin City”, Las Vegas, require their strippers to be of legal drinking age, which happens to be 21.

Rhode Island Democrats have financially bankrupted our state for years using the tobacco settlement to balance budgets and this past year used $266M of stimulus money to balance their 13% increased State budget.

Now we see that while the Democrat Controlled General Assembly was busy running businesses out of the State, giving free reign and benefits to illegal immigrants, not making the hard choices to control and shrink our government in these hard economic times, they quietly allowed laws to be in place that morally bankrupted us and brought us this infamous night of recognition in our nation.

With Law Makers enacting laws or creating Laws with such unforgivable loopholes that allow minor children to be exploited, there is no longer any room for discussion: The one Party, Democrat controlled General Assembly is bad for Rhode Island. The “General Assembly is bad but my Democrat Senator / Representative is good” lie can no longer be allowed.

There is no such thing as “too big” to not be run out of office. It is time for the Taxpaying, hard working American Citizens of Rhode Island to rise up and to “tar and feather” those that will embarrass us and make a mockery of this once great State.

In 2010, we Rhode Islanders must take back our State, our integrity, our honor and replace all those that are in the General Assembly.

Media Contact: President Raymond McKay
president [at] ri-ra [dot] org / 487-2514

There are a number of different organizations who are planning to get together this Saturday afternoon, July 11th — people from the RI Tea Party, We the People, the RIGOP, and people from RIRA — to Protest against Statism, Liberal Fascism, the Obama Administration, PATRICK KENNEDY and House Speaker NANCY PELOSI, who will be in Rhode Island on Saturday hosting a swanky fundraiser for Patrick Kennedy and other House Dems.

Tickets for the event are about $20,000.00 a plate, but we are going for FREE!

After the Democrats attend another event in Middletown, they will be heading to Jamestown for the big backyard fundraiser under a tent at a waterfront home located at 13 Walcott Ave, in Jamestown, RI.

All the groups of protesters will be set-up across the street from there from about 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. For maximum flexibility, you can drive directly there and park nearby. The home for the fundraiser is just beyond Jamestown Center, past the BankNewport branch.

If you’d like, you can also meet others at 3:30 p.m. sharp at the ‘Park and Ride’ on Route 102 (next to the North Kingstown Home Depot and across from the Stop and Shop Plaza), where there will be a caravan to 13 Walcott Avenue. The Peaceful protesters will be setup across from the home to assemble at about 4:00 p.m. It is thought that the “guests of honor” will arrive sometime around 5:00 p.m.

Things to bring and remember: Signs expressing feelings towards Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Patrick Kennedy, and the Cap & Trade, lawn chairs or blankets, snacks and drinks, and possibly rain gear (however, the current forecast looks okay). This is a peaceful protest to send a message to our congressional delegation and our “leaders” in Washington that we are fed up! The Tea parties across America have been a great success. By organizing peacefully and legally across the street from the home we will send Nancy Pelosi, Patrick Kennedy and the Democratic Socialist movement a message: GET BACK TO WORK for all Americans! or get FIRED!

RIRA needs to support this Call for Freedom / Peaceful Protest by coming out in force!

Jamestown is a beautiful little town with quaint restaurants and shops for your extra-curricular enjoyment, supporting the American economy the way true conservatives do, with our own earned money, not with government tax handouts that came from other people’s pockets. So after the protesting is done, feel free to go shopping or go out to dinner, or stop by nearby Newport for the music festival and other weekend activities!

It should be a night to remember! Hope to see you there!

P.S. If you have access to a boat, we understand you can also protest from the water on Narragansett Bay, as this is a waterfront home.

Best Regards and Conservatively yours,

Raymond T. McKay
President, RIRA

The Rhode Island Republican Assembly (RIRA) urges Governor Carcieri to veto the budget bill passed by the General Assembly last week and recommends the Governor’s original budget be approved.

Governor Carcieri submitted a balanced budget to the General Assembly that directly addressed three of the most important economic issues facing our state: reform of an actuarially unsound pension system that is far more generous than what prevails in the private-sector; a fair contribution by state employees to healthcare costs in line with what private-sector workers are paying; and reform of our tax system which is a primary factor in making our state one of the most unfriendly business environments in the nation. The Governor’s budget recognized that the best way to grow revenues to our state and local governments is to grow the economy by encouraging job-creating businesses to stay in, or come to Rhode Island.

The changes made to that budget by the General Assembly do not represent a constructive compromise or even “kick the can” a few months down the road. We note that the Assembly’s budget increases taxes on investments in businesses, fails to reduce any taxes, and increases the gasoline tax at a time when Rhode Islanders are already hard hit by the recession. The token changes in the state pension system and health-insurance premiums for government employees are ineffectual in the face of enormous, and increasing, unfunded liabilities that Rhode Islanders in the private sector simply cannot afford. We note that the Assembly, in a self, cynical gesture, voted to continue free health insurance for themselves. The longer we wait to address these issues head-on, the worse they will be.

RIRA believes that raising taxes beyond the level that the people consider fair has the perverse effect of reducing, rather than increasing, state revenue. We have the current examples of California, Maryland, New Jersey and New York as evidence of that simple economic reality. The exodus of once-proud Rhode Island companies to other states or overseas will not be turned around by higher taxes. We believe that the Assembly’s budget will fail to meet its revenue projections and even worse, that shortfall will be due to lower incomes for Rhode Islanders as our economy is damaged further.

The Rhode Island Republican Assembly believes that the solution to our state’s fiscal problems lays in reducing the burden of government on our economy and making Rhode Island an attractive state for job-creating, private-sector businesses to locate. Governor Carcieri understands this businesslike approach to Rhode Island’s cash-flow problem. RIRA supports the Governor and hopes that when given a chance to reconsider its budget, the members of the General Assembly will focus realistically on the key issues of pension and tax reform.

Press Release: For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Raymond T. McKay at president [at] ri-ra [dot] org or (401) 487-2514.

I would like to take this moment to briefly reflect on what our men and women in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have provided for us . . . and Honor those fallen soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice for this great nation and her people . . .

The saying goes that “Freedom is NOT Free . . .”
http://www.usmemorialday.org/poetry/notfree.htm

In defending the Constitution that “All men are created equal”, the Union fought the Confederates in the American Civil War that claimed approximately 620,000 soldiers’ lives. We have the abolishment of slavery and the reunification of our nation due to sacrifices of the Union soldiers.

For World War II, after the initial loss of 2,350 military men and women at Pearl Harbor, America’s Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines death toll grew by the end of the war to approximately 405, 000 with 20,000 alone dying during the one month Battle of the Bulge. We have the defeat of dictators that had designs of world domination, genocide of a people, and the creation of the “Master Race” to thank and Honor our dead American sons and daughters for.

From World War I to Korea, to Vietnam, to the terrorist attack on the marine barracks in Lebanon, to Desert Shield and Desert Storm, to the terrorist attack on the Cole, and then to IRAQ II, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines have given their lives approximately 221,000 additional times being in harm’s way, ready to keep us and our nation free, safe, and secure.

Memorial Day is our day to Honor our fallen heroes. Remember that it is because of them that we enjoy our freedom and security. We must also remember and support the family members left behind by those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, as well as our wounded military veterans who come home with combat wounds that are life changing for them and their loved ones.

When you see a Veteran, Thank a Veteran. If you are a Veteran, Thank You!

I wish you, your family, and your friends, God’s speed and blessings for a safe Holiday.

Warmest regards and Conservatively yours,

Raymond T. McKay

President, RIRA

A RESOLUTION

By the Convention of the Rhode Island Republican Assembly – April 9th, 2009
In support of the “Tax Day Tea Party” to be held in Providence, RI
April 15th, 2009

Whereas; On December 16th, 1773, a group of American colonists, in protest of the imperial British government’s Tea Act (a tax on tea), boarded British ships and dumped their cargo of tea into Boston Harbor. This single act of defiance sent a bold statement to the British government that colonists in America would no longer accept the burdens of excessive taxation from a distant land, without representation.

Whereas; The “Tea Party” protests, in their current form, began in early 2009 when Rick Santelli, in a broadcast from the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, set out on a spontaneous self-described “rant” to expose the bankrupt agenda of the White House Administration and Congress; specifically, the flawed “Stimulus Bill” and pork-filled federal budget. He called for a “Chicago Tea Party” where advocates of the free-market system could join in protest against out of control spending, excessive and unsustainable borrowing, and the coercive involvement in the private sector by the federal government.

Whereas; On February 27th, an estimated 30,000 Americans took to the streets in over 40 cities across the country in the first nationwide “Tea Party” protest. Organizers of the February 27th events pledged to continue on with an even bigger and better protest to follow the first.

Whereas; With April 15th being “Tax Day” in the United States, it was decided by the organizers to schedule the second round of Tea Party protests to coincide with the tax deadline.

Whereas; The Tea Party effort is just a small piece of a much larger movement aimed at restoring the basic free-market principles our country was built on. We believe that the Constitution, for the most part, is being ignored by our current government and we intend on working together to correct the problem.

Whereas; The Rhode Island Republican Assembly, as a chartered affiliate of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies, believes that the federal tax system is abusive to the American people and discourages investment and growth. We believe in growth-oriented tax policies which would gradually eliminate punitive income taxes and move our tax system toward that which was originally established by our Founding Fathers.

Whereas; The Rhode Island Republican Assembly, as a chartered affiliate of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies, believes in the free enterprise system as the best hope for the most people to fulfill their economic hopes and dreams. We know that the free market is the most efficient and the least costly system to deliver the highest quality goods and services at the lowest price to the consumer. We will support only those who support the free enterprise system through legislation to reduce or eliminate intrusive government intervention in the marketplace.

Whereas; The Rhode Island Republican Assembly, as a chartered affiliate of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies, believes in the supremacy of the power of individual citizens over the powers they choose to delegate to the state, a principle enshrined in the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. We believe that only small government truly serves the needs of the people and that those governments closest to the people are most responsive to their needs. We affirm the principle of Federalism, and its establishment in the form created by the Founders.

Therefore, Be It Resolved: That this Convention of the Rhode Island Republican Assembly – our state’s largest and most active conservative organization – supports the general goals of the present-day Tea Party movement. As such, the RIRA strongly encourages the active participation of its statewide membership, as well as that of all concerned citizens of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in the “Providence Tax Day Tea Party,” to be held on the steps of the Rhode Island State House in Providence, on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Founded in 2001, the Rhode Island Republican Assembly is a chartered state affiliate of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies, our nation’s oldest and largest conservative Republican volunteer organization.

Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Raymond McKay, President, RIRA
(401) 487-2514 | president [at] ri-ra [dot] org | http://www.ri-ra.org