RIRA Adopts Resolution in Support of ‘Tax Day Tea Party’

Published on April 20, 2009 in Press Releases. Closed

After substantial discussion, the following resolution in support of the general goals of the present-day “Tea Party” movement was adopted by the members of the Rhode Island Republican Assembly during its Annual Convention on Thursday evening. Specifically, the RIRA strongly encourages participation 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.

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

Phil Hirons Elected President of RIGOP Chairmen’s Caucus

Published on April 10, 2009 in RIRA. Closed

Congratulations to Rhode Island Republican Assembly Vice President Phil Hirons for being elected as the new chair of the Rhode Island Republican Chairmen’s Caucus.

The R.I. GOP Chairmen’s Caucus is the coalition of the 39 GOP City & Town Chairmen. It represents the grass-roots local leaders of the state GOP. Among other things, the Chairmen’s Caucus raises money; and helps veteran Chairs mentor newer Chairs on practical political activities of local Parties. The President of the Chairmen’s Caucus and the 5 Vice-Presidents (one from each County) also serve on the Executive Committee of the State GOP. At the April 6 re-organization meeting, Phil Hirons was elected President. Phil is the GOP Town Chair in Smithfield, where Republicans took over both the Town Council and the School Committee in 2008.

Officers chosen were:
President: PHIL HIRONS (Smithfield)
Providence County: BOB CARLIN (East Providence)
Washington County: DIANE ALLEN (Exeter)
Kent County: JUDY ORSON (West Warwick)
Bristol County: TOM CARROLL (Bristol)
Newport County: TONY VIVEIROS (Middletown)

RIRA in Projo: GOP to discuss voting law changes at convention

Published on February 26, 2009 in RIRA. Closed

PROVIDENCE, RI — When state Republicans gather at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet for their annual RIGOP convention March 19, their more conservative members will be seeking support for a proposal to restrict Republican primaries to registered Republicans, and require that voters produce a photo identification before they are allowed to vote.

Republican Governor Carcieri pushed Vote ID last year, but it foundered on a shoal of objections from the Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union and 20 other organizations, ranging from the AARP to Common Cause to the Commission for Human Rights.

Carcieri said in his mind there is “no downside.”

But the ACLU argued: “These laws disenfranchise eligible voters, pose a particular burden on poor, elderly, disabled and minority voters, and divert attention from more serious problems facing the voting process – all in an attempt to ‘fix’ a largely non-existent problem of alleged voter impersonation.”

On the primary front, anyone who is unaffiliated – which describes most of Rhode Island’s registered voters – can vote in either a Republican or Democratic primary now, and then disaffiliate again on their way out the door.

Both proposals have emanated from the Rhode Island Republican Assembly, which bills itself as the Republican wing of the Republican party…working to unite all conservatives — both economic and social — whose interests range from tax cuts and reform to national defense, from Pro-Life to education concerns, from Second Amendment to national sovereignty.”

Also on the agenda for the state Central Committee RIGOP Convention: the election of a state GOP chairman.

Asked today if he intended to step aside, the current state GOP chairman Giovanni Cicione e-mailed this response: “I was seeking a successor, but no such luck. The deadline for nominations has passed and I’m the only candidate. There are races for 1st Vice Chair (3 way) and Treasurer (2 way). 2nd Vice and Secretary have only a single candidate.”

“The voting will likely take up the bulk of the evening,” he said.

Source: The Providence Journal

RIRA in The Times: Conservative Republicans Look to Close Primaries

Published on February 17, 2009 in RIRA. Closed

PROVIDENCE — A group of conservative Rhode Island Republicans is moving to close GOP primaries in the state so that only registered Republicans could vote to nominate the party’s candidates for elective offices.

The Rhode Island Republican Assembly (RIRA), billed by President Raymond McKay as “the Republican Wing of the Republican Party” voted last week to petition the state Republican Party to amend its by-laws to allow the change.

It is part of RIRA’s effort, McKay says, to “bring the party back to its conservative roots, to turn the party back to where it needs to be.” The organization conforms in many ways, he said, to the principles of former President Ronald Reagan, a conservative Republican who, McKay points out, carried Rhode Island in the 1984 election.

“We are not a different party,” McKay responds when asked about the reputation of Rhode Island Republicans as being moderates. “Our goal is to resurrect and save the Republican brand. We work within the Republican Party to support Republicans. We support the Constitution, we support the amendments, we support life, we are conservative Republicans.

“We are not, as some might call us right-wing kooks or neo-cons, nothing of that nature,” he insists. “We believe in diplomacy, we believe in working through the system and educating the opposition, whether they be fellow Republicans or Democrats.”

It may sound funny, but McKay declares that the way for Republicans to win in one of the bluest of the blue states is to not compromise.

“You have to give the voters something different to get them to think differently. You can’t be Democrat and Democrat Lite. You have to be something different.”

That is at least part of the idea behind making GOP primaries Republican only.

“It is important for Republicans to get their self-identity back,” McKay told The Times, “to define who we are. We do not need people who do not have the fortitude to put an ‘R’ next to their names. If you do not believe in us, then there is the general election for you. But if you want to be a participant and choose who the leaders of the Republican Party are, then by all means you are more than welcome to join us. We want you at the table, but if you can’t come to the table, then you are going to have to wait for us to make the decision.”

McKay does not think that reserving the primaries to party members will alienate non-affiliated voters to the point where they would not vote Republican in the general election.

“I don’t think they would go away,” he said. He believes that “Independents probably lean more right than left. They are conservative with their money, they don’t want government coming in and taking their wallets. Business, obviously, is all about smaller government and lower taxes. So when you get down to the day to day tactics, people tend to be more conservative fiscally.

“Social issues,” he adds, “that’s another issue we can work on. A lot of the people who come up here from the Third World up here tend to be very socially conservative. But they are Democrats because their friends are and everything else.”

He says unaffiliated voters can be swayed to support Republicans “if we give them something to believe in.”

Giovanni Cicione, chairman of the state Republican Party, says he is not sure what effect a closed primary could have on the GOP’s candidates. While RIRA believes it could bring the party’s nominees to the political right somewhat, “there is also another camp that says it might draw Republican-leaning Independents into the party and drive the party more to the center,” Cicione says. “When people are forced to make a choice to register as Republicans or not be able to vote in the Republican primary, then they will register as Republicans. It will grow the party and bring it more to the center.”…

Read More: The Pawtucket Times

RIRA Strongly Opposes “Comprehensive Amnesty” Legislation now before Congress

Published on May 21, 2007 in Press Releases and RIRA. Closed

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 21, 2007

RIRA Strongly Opposes “Comprehensive Amnesty” Legislation now before Congress
 
Certain members of the United States Congress, in collusion with our President, have introduced legislation which they are calling “comprehensive” immigration reform, but in reality is “comprehensive amnesty” for illegal aliens. The Rhode Island Republican Assembly (RIRA) strongly opposes this legislation, which if enacted will undermine the sovereignty of our country. It will render American citizenship nothing more than a mere formality, rather than what it is: a privilege. This is not merely a partisan call by “the Republican Wing of the Republican Party,” but a plea by citizens who love this country and the bedrock principles underlying its founding – all of which are under assault by this Legislation.
 
This Legislation – crafted behind closed doors to the general public – has provisions for the so-called “enhanced enforcement” of our nation’s immigration laws. The infamous Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 did as well – and its enforcement provisions were themselves never enforced. “But it will be different this time, right?” One definition of insanity is said to be “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” This Legislation truly is insane, because it not only richly rewards past lawbreaking, but it actually encourages future lawbreaking. The Legislation now before Congress also makes a mockery of the valiant efforts of all those immigrants throughout our nation’s history who obeyed our laws to emigrate to here legally. The “enforcement” provisions included are merely a thinly-disguised “bait and switch” mechanism used in order to provide political cover in a desperate attempt to gain enough congressional support to pass it, despite overwhelming public opposition.
 
A classic example of the “bait and switch” occurs as when a lender offers one set of loan terms when you apply, then pressures you to accept higher charges when you sign to complete the transaction. The “open borders” proponents of this legislation are, in effect, attempting to impose a “reverse mortgage” on the “equity” that citizens have in the United States of America. Citizens will “make the payments” through increases in taxation to provide numerous services - including increased welfare, medical, and educational expenses in Rhode Island - and ultimately will “lose title” to our country as the privileges of citizenship, and indeed the very sovereignty of the United States of America, are eroded into irrelevance by the pounding waves of uncontrolled illegal immigration.
 
This “immigration reform” Legislation is not about the “melting pot,” but about the meltdown of our nation’s sovereignty. It boils down to is this: Cynical politicians betraying our country in a shallow and unscrupulous effort to buy political support from a defined voting bloc. This Legislation must not stand!  We urge all Americans to contact your senators and representatives to let them know that you oppose this misguided Legislation.
 
On behalf of the Board of Directors and Membership,

Raymond T. McKay
President, Rhode Island Republican Assembly

RIRA
19 Bakers Creek Road
Warwick, RI 02886
(401) 487-2514
State website: http://www.ri-ra.org
National website: http://www.gopwing.com