Providence, Rhode Island: The Best-Run City In America?

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“The crime rate has went down dramatically.”—2nd TV Ad From Mayor Brett Smiley’s Reelection Campaign

For a Mayor who did financial accounting and consulting for several members of Congress, managed a campaign to elect Illinois’s Melissa Bean to the House in 2004, and forged a near-upset with Lt. Governor Charles Fogarty’s insurgent candidacy to unseat Republican Governor Donald Carcieri in 2006, I find this campaign, personal smears aside, to be way beneath the reputation Brett Smiley was building for himself in his decades of politics.

It is also beneath the real discussions the people of Providence deserve.

I could joke around and use the #SloppySmiley nickname, but something tells me I should feel poorly for how lousy the campaign has been in the basics. Much like the City of Providence as a whole.

If you feel Providence has been as poorly-run as Brett Smiley’s one-issue campaign, you are not alone.

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In 2022, Brett Smiley promised the “best-run city in America,” which included specific pledges on curb-to-curb plowing, timely trash collection, street sweeping, and much more.

While it was hard for me to select a handful of photos from a collection I have dating back to 2023, I am going to do my best and include the most fascinating ones over the years:

Personally, I guess it is not much of a surprise that a former state corrections director, who couldn’t handle her prisons, couldn’t manage Public Works well either. If Patricia Coyne-Fague couldn’t manage the prisons, her main line of work, why would she be any better in this department with no past public works experience whatsoever?

While the Smiley campaign message may be defined by nicknames, labels, and slogans, the Morales campaign is focused on the issues facing the people of Providence, from city services and property taxes, to housing affordability, homelessness support, high-quality public education, reliable public transportation, comprehensive public safety, a restored waterfront free of corporate pollution, and protecting our immigrant neighbors.

Like campaign manager Ben Shanahan told Steve Ahlquist, David Morales will not become Mayor if people sit this election out.

The race in Providence is about more than just one city. It is about whether local government everywhere and anywhere will address the issues working people are demanding from their officials, instead of bowing down to the elites.

The status quo is not working. And while nothing is assured in politics or governance, if David Morales, with his wide range of experience and grounded values, wins this race and becomes a successful Mayor rarely seen before, that could be a model for how city governments everywhere respond to the needs of working people.

From an insider’s perspective, I can proudly say David ran for Mayor of Providence knowing becoming a mayor offers plenty of issues and problems to contend with, and often can be a career dead-end. But who knows if David becomes something more as a Mayor, or anything after should he be successful, if he does not win to begin with.

Big leaders often come from local offices or state legislative seats. David Morales is no exception to that very common pattern across the parties.

And so, for local and national leaders who want to be involved in such a groundbreaking and historic campaign in the final 20 or so days, we welcome you with open arms. And I can tell you that David is the real deal in Providence. Unlike, say, local Fox Point City Councilman John Goncalves, who featured these flyers in Ward 1 inferring erroneous endorsements from members of Congress like AOC and Ayanna Pressley.

In fact, Miguel Martinez-Youngs, who I know very well personally and who is challenging Goncalves, is quite a compelling candidate with his community activism and resume in city government.

Lastly, for those feeling climate policy needs a national revival based on affordability, please check out Sue AnderBois’ energy plan should she become Lt. Governor.

With early voting starting on August 20, let’s make our voices heard here in RI.