It took me forever to decide who to vote for, but I finally settled on Angel Taveras. He had endorsements from people I like — Myrth York, Rhoda Perry, SEIU, Clean Water Action. He grew up, lives and works in Providence, I think he’ll make a good mayor.
So today, around suppertime, I drove on over to Taveras HQ. There were doorbells to ring and people to canvass. I met a guy named Francisco and we teamed up to visit some streets off Chalkstone.
I’m always impressed with how nice people are, when, after all, I’m ringing their doorbell uninvited. Maybe they are just as nice to the Avon Lady and the Fuller Brush Man, but I like to think it’s the American love of democracy. Quite a few of the people we talked to had already voted.
I agreed to go to the polling place at Nathaniel Greene to record the early returns, and though it looks like the turnout was light, Angel Taveras was doing well.
Now I’m home waiting for the numbers to come in. And I got a cool t-shirt.
THE DAY AFTER: Angel won! I like to think the mighty Kmareka political machine had a part in this. Congratulations to Angel Tavares and all the good people who worked for him. Now on to November.
Kmareka.com 
When’s the last time you saw a Fuller Brush man?
Taveras took advantage of a three way split-if you add up the numbers he benefited from an almost even division between Costantino and Lombardi.
I think Taveras will not be good for the city-I realize you might find a young minority candidate too much to resist,but since you also reside in the city,I suspect you may live to rue your decision.
My main problem with Taveras is the fact that he is a crony of David Cicilline and will likely re-appoint Esserman as police chief-a truly abominable public official.
For all the faults of the Cicilline administration, the Cianci reign was far worse. Our police dept. is much less corrupt than it was then. If Taveras is allied with Cicilline, Costantino and Lombardi are allied with Cianci, whose lovely face was seen in close-up on Channel 6 all last night.
My state senator, Rhoda Perry, took a political risk to stand up for Taveras, and I really like and trust Rhoda.
The ‘Fuller Brush Man’ was a dog whistle to the older readers. Ah, the good old days.
I bet you never had an iceman with a horse drawn wagon come by where you lived.
I grew up in a four flat and an old lady downstairs had an icebox!!
The iceman was as you imagine-huge,burly guy with a walrus moustache.
And we also had the Fuller Brush guys come around.
If I were you,I’d rethink that statement about the police.
Are you more disturbed by test cheating or raping a woman in a police station and selling drugs?Not to mention potential “bad cases” with people serving time.
Esserman was NEVER a cop on the street.I cannot imagine you being supervised on the specifics of your job by a non medical professional.That would be an insult and a shame.
I usuually answer all your questions directly.I notice you skirted the issue of Esserman’s lack of hands on experience,and for another thing,which I didn’t bring up,is his personal behavior regarding the use of his official position to obtain favors and preferential treatment.
Don’t you think “grazing” at the food bar in Whole Foods is disgusting,not to metion that it’s also thievery?
If this were an 80 yer old bag lady,one could say,what’re ya gonna do?
But this character makes $250K a year.I think he can afford to pay for stuff.
The Cianci cops also shot a man for throwing cans at them, ticketed a car that had a corpse in it, and there was that trooper who restrained the guy Cianci beat up. Bad stuff.
They used to call them, ‘the brownshirts’.
It was mayonnaise jugs and you really don’t want to be hit in the head with one.
It wasn’t a state trooper that restrained the guy.
The corpse thing I never heard of,but I’ll go you one better-a dead guy was lying on the front steps of a state courthouse in Brooklyn for two days because they thought he was just another bum drying out in the sun.
I don’t know who came up with those putrid brown uniforms,but they are still common in the Midwest.