Hummel Report

Hummel Report archive for May 2010

Politics of a Prison... 5.6.2010

The Wyatt Detention Center has generated millions of dollars for the city of Central Falls since it opened in 1993. But that money dried up a year and a half ago when a prisoner died in custody and the feds pulled some of their inmates. That led to Mayor Charles Moreau stepping in and shaking up management at a facility that had previously had a stellar track record. But have those moves been in the best interest of the taxpayers? This week Jim Hummel takes a closer look at how politics have infiltrated the prison.

Click HERE to watch the video and read the script

Click HERE to see the letter from AG Lynch to Wyatt Detention Center (WDC)

Click HERE to see the letter from WDC to AG Lynch

Click HERE to see the letter from WDC to Congressman Kennedy

Click HERE to see the second letter from WDC to Congressman Kennedy

The Price of Art... 5.13.2010

For 20 years the state of Rhode Island has mandated that at least 1 percent of the cost of any new public building be set aside for art. But with the state continuing to face massive budget deficits the law has come under fire - with two projects at the Kent County Courthouse at the center of a renewed debate over public funding for art. This week Jim Hummel gets differing perspectives on the program and provides a first-hand look at the art in question.

Click HERE to see a list of RI Art Project expenditures.

Click HERE to watch the video and read the script.

Under the Radar...The Sequel... 5.20.2010

In March we took a look at some of the more bizarre legislative proposals filed in this year's General Assembly session. Now as Rhode Island's lawmakers head into the homestretch, we take another look at another round of offbeat bills winding their way through the committee process. From taxing soda or allowing free beer and wine tastings at package stores to business-friendly legislation that's about 20 years overdue: Jim Hummel is back to break down another set of bills.

Visit RI Votes (www.rivotes.org) to see these and other "crazy" bills (and who voted for them).

Click HERE to watch the video and read the script.

The Right Reimbursement?... 5.27.2010

Providence Mayor David Cicilline told The Hummel Report in February that no city resources would be used on his newly-launched campaign to replace Patrick Kennedy in Rhode Island's First Congressional District - even though for the next five weeks he used a city vehicle and police driver to go to more than a dozen campaign stops. The mayor's campaign has reimbursed the city for some of that travel. But this week, Jim Hummel asks him the question: is it enough?

Click HERE to watch the video and read the script.

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Click HERE to watch updates and additional footage on these and other reports.

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