On Sept. 14, Mayor David Cicilline '83 won the Democratic nomination in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I. Cicilline will now face the former state House minority whip from Tiverton, Republican John Loughlin II, in vying for the right to represent Rhode Island's first district, which includes Brown.
Most students already know Cicilline from his time as mayor. We suspect many remember his proposal to levy a "student impact fee" on out-of-state students attending private colleges, as well as his plan to tax the property holdings of large nonprofits like Brown.
Cicilline's relationship with his alma mater was further strained after his campaign improperly used the University's name and logo in a fundraising mailer. Although we weren't happy about either of these incidents, we are willing to say that students should give Cicilline a second chance and at the very least consider his candidacy with an open mind.
In an interview with the editorial page board, Cicilline's campaign manager, Eric Hyers, sought to address these two issues and the Mayor's relationship with the University. Hyers explained that the use of Brown's logo was a "staff oversight," and that both the Mayor and the campaign had "no intent whatsoever" to violate fundraising regulations. We understand that mistakes happen, and we don't hold it against Cicilline.
The tax issue is more troubling. The Herald reported in July 2009 that the tax proposals originated in the Mayor's office. We expressed our concerns to Hyers, who told us that the tax issue was a "mayoral question" that's "not on the campaign agenda." When we asked for clarification, Hyers assured us that in his seven months as campaign manager, he's heard Cicilline talk about "virtually every possible issue," but that the Mayor has "never brought that up."
We are satisfied that, if elected, Cicilline would not look to tax nonprofit organizations like Brown. The Mayor's proposals last year started a conversation that showed the public how much Brown and other universities contribute to their surrounding communities, as well as how counterproductive it would be to saddle schools with new taxes. Ultimately, we should not let one past disagreement cloud our evaluation of a candidate's ability to contribute in the future.
In the coming weeks, we plan to delve deeper into both candidates' positions on policies that will affect Brown, including tuition aid, research funding and support for the "knowledge economy" in Providence. We encourage students of all political persuasions to pay close attention to this race. In the current political climate, it may well be closer than expected. Indeed, the Cook Political Report just last week said the race could be more competitive than expected and changed its assessment from "Likely Democratic" to "Lean Democratic."
Alluding to projections that control of the U.S. House of Representatives may be up for grabs, Hyers said that Brown "could be a precinct that determines whether or not (Democrats are) keeping the House." Although he expressed confidence in the ultimate outcome, he said the campaign was "running as if we're tied." If he wins, Cicilline would be only the second alum in Congress. We're excited that Brown and its students may well play a significant role on the national stage this year.
Editorials are written by The Herald's editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
