Solomon leads Democratic tsunami

By JOHN HOWELL
Posted 11/8/18

By JOHN HOWELL Warwick is blue. True blue to the core - not even a hint of purple - for the first time since Charles Donovan was mayor in 1992. Backed by a party that didn't become locked in bloodletting primaries, Mayor Joseph Solomon, who was handed

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Solomon leads Democratic tsunami

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Warwick is blue. True blue to the core – not even a hint of purple – for the first time since Charles Donovan was mayor in 1992.

Backed by a party that didn’t become locked in bloodletting primaries, Mayor Joseph Solomon, who was handed the job when Scott Avedisian resigned in May, easily won election. Solomon outpowered his Republican opponent, former Ward 1 Councilwoman Sue Stenhouse, garnering 60 percent of the vote to take the corner City Hall office the Democrats have wished for so long.

The blue wave, as Democratic City Committee Chairman Rob Farrell appropriately named it Tuesday night when the outcome was apparent, swept through the city. The Democrats won every one of the city’s partisan elective offices, many of which went unchallenged either by Republicans or independents. The party’s influence extended to the three district races for School Committee where Warwick Teachers’ Union and Democratic-backed candidates won.

The Democratic tsunami was evident with the first returns that started trickling in at Stenhouse’s headquarters about 8:15 p.m. and before the candidate arrived. The first of the calls came from a Ward 3 polling location. Campaign treasurer Janet Russell took out a red magic marker to post the Stenhouse total and black for Solomon. Solomon stayed in the black all night long. There was silence from the 20 or so supporters, including Avedisian, who stood around.

By contrast, Hyatt Place on Jefferson Boulevard, where city Democrats rallied because Solomon headquarters wouldn’t have accommodated the crowd, was buzzing. The party faithful filled the hotel function room, where a large screen TV offered results on a statewide level. Unlike primary election night, where Solomon supporters posted voting district returns to cheers, there was no running tally of the race.

Rather, as District 1 School Committee candidate and winner Kyle Adams noted, this is the age when all the information can be found on a cell phone. Indeed, he was right. Adams was not alone in keeping the pulse of returns. A glance around the room found many scrolling through election returns on their phones, disregarding the TV news reports that in most cases came minutes later.

But Carlo Pisaturo, the former Ward 5 councilman, was not glued to his phone. It wouldn’t have done him any good anyhow; Piasaturo has a flip phone. Pisaturo spent 12 hours outside Heritage Christian Fellowship Church in Warwick Neck holding a Solomon sign and greeting voters.

“I like Sue, I was on the council with her,” Pisaturo said of Stenhouse. “But he’s a much better candidate. He’s a numbers man.”

A seasoned candidate, Pisaturo was impressed by the turnout in spite of the weather. He said many told him “I’m voting against.”

Against what?

“They wouldn’t say,” said Pisaturo.

As Solomon entered the room with his wife, Cindy, and son, Rep. Joseph Solomon Jr., applause broke out. Solomon reached out to extended hands and hug supporters as they stepped forward, the whole time with Cindy wearing a wide smile.

Solomon read from a prepared text, keeping remarks brief and closing by thanking volunteers and saying it was time to party.

“Tonight’s results show that our residents believe in my desire to make Warwick even better, and that in the next two years they want to continue the momentum we have built in just a few months based on my experience and record throughout my two decades of public service. In addition to these initiatives, what I have greatly enjoyed has been the opportunity to be out in the community and hear our residents’ ideas and concerns firsthand,” he said.

Going ahead, Solomon faces a number of issues that have lingered since he became mayor – the most pressing being the school budget. Following the primary election and a school audit justifying the school request for an additional $4 million, the mayor’s office, City Council President Steve Merolla and members of the school administration and committee have met numerous times behind closed doors. The sides have called the talks “productive” without releasing details.

In her campaign, Stenhouse charged Solomon of “doing nothing” either on the school issue or those relating to the future of the City Hall Annex or irregularities and possible “gaming” of unused sick pay for firefighters. Solomon countered that he inherited the school budget and other issues from Avedisian.

Asked about the challenges he sees going forward, Avedisian said, “The biggest issues are, and how Warwick will change, will be: you’ve got to build a really strong relationship with the school committee and with the superintendent, and I’m not sure the council did that in the last few years. They saw Phil [Thornton] as being too close to me and they were really being negative toward him, and that is an important function and we need to really look at that.”

Asked what he sees for Warwick prior to the tally, Farrell said, “To be honest with you, it was pretty stagnant with the administration that we had. Now all the Democrats working together, I believe we’ll go 19 for 19 in the city of Warwick, with a lot of our leadership up at the State House that will make Warwick a good place for people to move back to. If the school committee works out, I think we’ll have people moving back to the city, businesses coming back to the city, and the city just prospering and being number one.”

Farrell was right; the Democrats now hold all 19 seats.

A majority of those council and state representative and Senate seats went unchallenged. Only two of the nine council seats were contested in the general election – Wards 1 and 4 – and in both cases independents vied for the seats. No Republicans declared for any of the council seats.

Now firmly in control, Solomon closed his victory speech on a high note.

“I am enthusiastic about what we have accomplished in such a short time and energized to continue to work on behalf of this terrific community my family and I have called home for more than 40 years. In the next two years, I will work every day to show our voters that their faith in me and my ability to lead our city is well placed,” he said.

Comments

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  • CrickeeRaven

    Mayor Solomon had the resources, the organization, and the platform of the mayor's office in this campaign, and to his credit he used all of it to present a generally positive and forward-looking message.

    He has also set many goals in expanding the city's vibrant and growing economic base and addressing the many financial challenges facing Warwick, and he now has the opportunity to achieve them.

    Here's hoping that the 9-0 Democratic City Council serves its proper role of advice and consent, and doesn't simply become a rubber stamp.

    Thursday, November 8, 2018 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    dont forget, we have the taxed payers mayer in there too fighting for us tooth and nail. he will get every cent accounted for, get taxes cut, get more money for skuls, get rid of guvmint waste, and will personnally paint everyones living room in warwick

    Thursday, November 8, 2018 Report this

  • Ward4Rep

    Sue Henhouse can no longer hurl the insult of "Acting Mayor Solomon".

    Friday, November 9, 2018 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    This tsunami barely made my feet wet.

    Friday, November 9, 2018 Report this

  • WarwickFreemason

    Almost 24hrs. since this article was posted and there is not even one entry from Mr. Corrente… I thought for certain he would have been one of the first people to comment. This article is right in his "wheelhouse!" I hope he is ok?

    Happy New Moon Mr. Corrente (wherever you are)

    Happy New Moon Everyone

    Warwick Freemason

    The Taxpayer's Freemason

    Friday, November 9, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    WarwickFreemason, I'm afraid you're inviting a disruption of the peace and quiet we've been having around here after Tuesday's election.

    Given his past behavior, I'm sure the two-time election reject is figuring out more ways to claim he didn't say things about Mayor Solomon that he repeatedly posted on this website, and that he's actually supporting the duly elected mayor despite calling him a "tax and buy votes" candidate -- after Mayor Solomon trounced him so thoroughly in the primary.

    It won't be long; he tends not to think too deeply about these things before he comments.

    Happy Carl Sagan Day.

    Happy Go to An Art Museum Day.

    Happy World Freedom Day.

    Happy National Microtia Awareness Day.

    Happy Chaos Never Dies Day.

    https://www.checkiday.com/11/9/2018

    Friday, November 9, 2018 Report this

  • Iceman32_89

    You guys just proved Corrente's point. You hang on his every word and it is clear that without him commenting on here you guys have no purpose in life. You need him way more than he needs you guys.

    Friday, November 9, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    PhillipDrummond, you obviously didn't read my first comment that spoke directly to Mayor Solomon's victory and the expectations with which he now takes his first full term.

    And given his repeated and willing behavior, it's certainly not WarwickFreemason's fault that he expected another delusional rant from the two-time election reject.

    I'd also say that white-knighting for him shows at least as much of having "no purpose in life" as you think replying to his many lies does.

    But I get it -- what you mean to say is that we should just ignore him.

    By all means, please lead by example.

    Friday, November 9, 2018 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    da taxed payers mayer is busy plotting his next campaign to take over warwick. heavens forbid he run for council, or school board, or assembly. Something that he might have a remoest of chances of doing a decent showing. nope. best to go big knowing you wont win so you can sit an be a namecaller from the sidelines.

    works for me

    Friday, November 9, 2018 Report this

  • Cat2222

    I would like to think this is a very positive moment for Warwick. I can't imagine what direction we would be going in if Stenhouse won, especially considering she is a "People Mover", whatever that means! It would be nice to see the administration not bow under union pressure but lead the city fairly and in the best interest of the taxpayers. Once can only hope.

    Friday, November 9, 2018 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Congratulations to Joe Solomon. He ran a positive campaign about his vision and how he plans to move Warwick forward. He does not have any easy job ahead of him. Our schools are a mess and with a contract just negoatiated there are no concessions coming anytime soon. There's major issues such as pensions and OPEB that will crush our city in the long term if not addressed. Those are just some of the many challenges we face, I think Joe Solomon is the best person for the job and again I wish him the best of luck!

    Friday, November 9, 2018 Report this

  • wwkvoter

    I think corrente HAS commented here already. As to whether "we" need him, we DONT. It would thrill me no end as a Beacon customer to be able to have an HONEST and RATIONAL discussion after these articles, and for the most part the only impediment to that is when corrente promulgates his usual distracting, ever so easily disproven, nauseating delusions.

    As to the story itself, I agree that Solomon is the best choice and voted for him. However, he will have to be as strong as his flyer said he was. The FD issue will be a first indication of that.

    As to pensions, opeb, and meeting our operating budget, the only solution will be raising taxes to meet the requirements. Cote has put up a few ideas that could help somewhat. And maybe that will be Solomon demonstration number two, take some of those ideas and actually propose them for consideration.

    I agree with the bond, our school infrastructure cannot wait and these kids should have a clean and appropriate learning environment.

    Friday, November 9, 2018 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Forgive me if I am wrong but hasn't Solomon been on the council for 18 years? Isn't he a lawyer and CPA? Where has he been? The OPEB and pension issues and WFD problems didn't just happen overnight. This has been a long time coming with lots of warnings from lots of people. Seems to me that the can just keeps getting kicked down the road. The city council has been complacent for years and has ignored the impending problems. Remember Wilkinson? She hired her friend Kathleen Avila as the council auditor. Avila had zero auditing or accounting background. She had a psychology degree. In 9 months she never produced 1 piece of paperwork. Wilkinson boasted that on her watch she was going to hire Ernie Almonte and do a forensic audit,then she changed it ti a general audit, then she changed to a review of best practices, yet she did none of the above.

    And how about Travis as the council president. What got done? Nothing. Every issue ignored, and while she was tax delinquent. What a freakin joke.

    As far as schools are concerned, having been involved in dozens of school construction projects, I could show the council how to get a shovel in the ground, and fund it, within a year. You think that they will listen? Fat chance. Not likely that anything major is going to get done. They should all be wearing skirts!

    Saturday, November 10, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Readers,

    I agree with every word of CrickeeRavens first post. If Now-Mayor Joe Solomon makes Warwick better, I will happily acknowledge it and praise him. So far, he has worked diligently.

    Thank you WarwickFreemason, for your kind words. I was in West Palm Beach. My younger son is having a baby girl, my first grand-daughter. I returned home last night (Sunday).

    Thank you especially PhillipDrummond. I will continue to give credit where credit is due and "constructive" criticism where I believe that is due. You and I know that the anonymous cowards of critics don't have to read my stuff, but you and I also know that they won't be able to resist. We also know that if I say the sun is out, they will probably disagree with that as well.

    Congratulations to Mayor Joe Solomon. I have often said that you are an upgrade to your predecessor. You are already showing it.

    Happy New Moon WarwickFreemason

    Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Monday, November 12, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    See what you've done, Philip? You encouraged the two-time election reject to make another self-serving and nonsensical comment.

    He agrees with my first comment, but I'm also an "anonymous coward of a critic."

    He says he gives "constructive" criticism, but do you think that includes false accusations of manipulating property assessments and taxing the city to pay off political allies? That's what he's actually said about Mayor Solomon.

    He whines about people disagreeing with him, but he continues to comment here of his own free will.

    Once again, he did was predicted, didn't think too long about his comments, and made a fool of himself.

    Tuesday, November 13, 2018 Report this

  • wwkvoter

    Agreed, corrente comments as foolish as ever. In another topic He praised Bob Cushman as a "smart man" which I'm sure cushman has waited for that for many years - not.

    Happy anonymous cowards month everybody!

    Tuesday, November 13, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear CrickeeRaven (AKA Mark Carruolo),

    I have always said "I give credit where credit is due and constructive criticism where that is due." You just proved me right.

    You also judged my analysis of Joe Solomons tax assessments as "false accusations". "False"? Who made you judge? If my accusations are, IN YOUR OPINION, false, then how do you explain it? His tax assessments for his car dealership on 1129 West Shore Rd. are FACTUALLY less than he paid for it 29 YEARS AGO!!! Explain that Mark! We'll get to your home later you anonymous coward of a critic.

    Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Wednesday, November 14, 2018 Report this

  • Cat2222

    RC, News Flash: You can't prove your opinion either so therefore it is false. Flip side of the same coin. You are accusing someone of a political kickback so the burden of proof is on you to prove the validity of your statement. Without bringing forth solid evidence that a crime has been committed, your opinion is out there in public domain and most certainly open to judgement.

    Thursday, November 15, 2018 Report this