She's running Solomon's campaign

By John Howell
Posted 8/30/18

By JOHN HOWELL In July Jackie Baginski gave up her job with the ambulance company she, her parents and her brother started in order to follow, at least for the immediate future, her passion for politics. She's done that before, fundraising for candidates

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She's running Solomon's campaign

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In July Jackie Baginski gave up her job with the ambulance company she, her parents and her brother started in order to follow, at least for the immediate future, her passion for politics. She’s done that before, fundraising for candidates she likes and running the campaign of Representative K. Joseph Shekarchi.

Now she’s on to bigger things, her first citywide campaign.

Baginski is the campaign manager for Mayor Joseph Solomon, a job that has her putting in 10- and 12-hour days and getting to know a city where she is discovering hidden gems that has her thinking that someday she might move from Cranston.

Baginski believes in her candidate and she makes that clear from the spacious, rather empty looking Solomon headquarters in a shopping plaza at 155 Jefferson Boulevard, Suite 4. That promises to change on the night of the primary Sept. 12 when she expects it will be transformed into Democratic central as campaign volunteers, candidates from across the city and supporters turn out for the results.

It only seems natural that Warwick Democrats would want to be at Solomon headquarters.

“The mayor is the quarterback for all the Democrats,” she said in an interview Tuesday.

Baginski said Solomon is the best candidate for mayor as he has the experience. She said that Solomon is “committed to finding a sustainable school budget,” an issue, she said, that is frequently brought up by Warwick voters. Her favorite Solomon quote, which she shares, is, “It’s not how much money you have, but how you spend it.”

She came to know Solomon through her work with Shekarchi and Warwick Democrats. There’s also another connection, which always seems to be the case in Rhode Island. Jackie’s parents are graduates of Classical High School, attending the school when Solomon was also a student there. She said the job of campaign manager was one of those things that evolved and made sense to both of them.

Baginski has already coordinated two highly successful Solomon fundraisers and kept the candidate on a rigid schedule of walking the wards and meeting voters. Strategy goes into the walks. Solomon may be teamed up with the ward council member, such as Donna Travis in Ward 6 or Steve Merolla in Ward 8. On other walks he’s accompanied Mark McKenney, who is running in a primary for the Dist. 30 Senate seat now held by Jeanine Calkin.

Baginski joins Solomon with one or two other campaign volunteers. One works ahead of Solomon determining if anyone is home and whether they would like to talk with the mayor. They may also focus in on an issue so that by the time Solomon arrives he knows what to expect.

Those with Solomon take notes on the brief meeting and if there is reason for a follow-up – say a question about a missing stop sign – they make note of it on their phone or an iPad. Those issues are directed to the appropriate city department and Solomon is provided the information so he can make a call back to the resident.

That’s just a part of the campaign. Baginski is also coordinating phone calls, the placement of hundreds of blue, white and gold Solomon lawn signs and citywide mailers. A letter timed for the primary will be in the mail shortly.

A graduate of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Baginski got an early taste of the political world as an intern for Senator Jack Reed. In 2009 she and her family started Professional Ambulance in Providence with one ambulance.

“We took a go at it,” she says of she and her brother, Martin. Both are trained EMTs. Today, the company boasts 22 ambulances.

Baginski suspects she’ll owe Martin a “long vacation” once the campaigning is over. In the meantime, she hasn’t slowed down.

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  • wwkvoter

    Interesting that it wasnt included in the article that she was also Raimondo's campaign finance director, and the FBI raided her ambulance company. Maybe they didnt find anything in that FBI raid?

    https://turnto10.com/news/local/fbi-raids-providence-business

    PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Federal agents raided a business in Providence on Thursday morning.

    FBI agents were seen going into Professional Ambulance at 52 River Ave. Officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Providence police were also at the scene.

    "The FBI is conducting court-authorized activity in connection with an ongoing federal investigation," FBI spokeswoman Kristen Setera said.

    While the U.S. attorney's office said the same thing, Professional Ambulance issued a statement around 5 p.m.

    "Professional Ambulance is cooperating with federal agencies who are conducting an ongoing investigation," the statement read. "No criminal or civil charges have been filed at this time, and the company remains fully operational. Professional Ambulance is still a participator in all federal and state healthcare programs, including Medicare & Medicaid."

    The nature of the investigation wasn't immediately known.

    A source told NBC 10 News that a member of the family that owns the ambulance company, Jackie Baginski, served as Gov. Gina Raimondo's campaign finance director.

    The company's website says Professional Ambulance was founded in 2009 and that it employs about 100 people. The website says it makes 60,000 transports a year.

    Thursday, August 30, 2018 Report this

  • wwkvoter

    I should add that I support much of Raimondo's policy priorities, Shekarchi seems a solid and engaged legislator, and will vote for Solomon on Sept 12, so this person and I are on the same page politically. The 2015 FBI story is just an interesting side story. Nothing seems to have come of that.

    Thursday, August 30, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Baginski also confirmed that Joe Solomon would attend the 2018 Warwick Democratic Mayoral Forum. So did the Mayors office. Solomon, however, was a no-show. If that is the kind of broken-promises leadership the voters want, they should vote for Joe. If not, please vote for me. I return all phone calls and have been accountable from the first day.

    Solomon promised, then reneged to assist Mayor Avedisian on the last budget; flip-flopped on the beach fees; has his signs on trees, telephone polls, City Property, sidewalks and just about every other illegal location.

    He claims to live in Ward 4 (in order to represent it), but actually lives in Ward 5 for many years, and he's paying far less taxes on EVERY ONE of his properties than his neighbors do. That much of a discount CAN'T be a coincidence! His car dealership at 1120 West Shore Rd. has tax assessments that are LESS than what he bought the property for 29 YEARS AGO! And his home (where he really lives) at 21 Crawford has gone UP in assessed value by only $4,400 when every house on the street went up an average of over $38,000 and his neighbor, 26 Crawford went up $61,100. How is that possible? Did Joe rip off the second floor or is he ripping off the taxpayers? Are we paying MORE so that he can pay LESS?? I think so, and I have a solution. Have the appraisal company (Vision Technologies - scheduled to re-assess the entire City December, 2018) submit their findings electronically to the Warwick Beacon. Then, have the Warwick Beacon hit "forward" sending the accurate values to the City Hall and if any "changes" occur, as I am sure there has been for years, it will get noticed! We can stop the political insiders from receiving preferential treatment and it won't cost the taxpayers a dime! In fact, it will save them a fortune.

    Happy Labor Day everyone

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Friday, August 31, 2018 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    master tracksplaying mayer youse is a genius. whose would hab had dees greats thinks before. eye em so glads youse is our mayer and look fourward to for mores years

    Friday, August 31, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Once again, readers are left to wonder what the make-believe mayor is talking about.

    "Baginski also confirmed that Joe Solomon would attend the 2018 Warwick Democratic Mayoral Forum. So did the Mayors office. Solomon, however, was a no-show."

    Nowhere in this article is there any reference to a mayoral forum. The party's Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/warwickdemocrats/] has no information about such an event, nor does its website [http://www.warwickdems.com/home.html]. There is nothing reported on the Beacon about it, either.

    He has also not provided any factual evidence to support this statement, which leaves the only conclusion that the "forum" is another figment of the make-believe mayor's imagination.

    His other claims about Mayor Solomon's residence and properties should be taken with the same credibility as his talk of this imaginary mayoral forum: None -- particularly because the make-believe mayor is a proven tax delinquent whose prior residence was sold at tax sale, and has had its property taxes paid by three different parties, none of them him, since 2015.

    As a result of his inability to keep from humiliating himself with false statements, thousands of honest, taxpaying voters will reject the make-believe mayor's candidacy again on Sept. 12.

    Friday, August 31, 2018 Report this

  • wwkvoter

    Crawford Ave assessments. Nothing out of ordinary

    Address Land House Acre Square Feet

    6 Crawford 150 143 0.25 1800

    9 Crawford 275 370 0.85 2000

    16 Crawford 176 231 0.25 2200

    21 Crawford 275 260 0.85 1800 Joe Solomon

    26 Crawford 244 280 0.54 3500

    35 Crawford 275 392 0.85 3000

    Friday, August 31, 2018 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Actually,

    Solomon did back out on the debate at the last minute after he gave his word the editor of this publication. The forum was in studio , public access, and at the last minute, Joe pulled the plug. Not cool, even if debating complete imbeciles. You debate for the taxpayer, not for the opponent. There will be no changes as Joe is now massaging the special interests.

    Saturday, September 1, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Thanks for the correction, Thecaptain. I admit I didn't hear anything about it.

    Do you have a link to a recording?

    Saturday, September 1, 2018 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Don't have the link yet, maybe tomorrow.

    Sunday, September 2, 2018 Report this

  • Thefactfinder

    Do your job and fact check before publishing false information. She never graduated from GWU. She was kicked out and has no college degree.

    Sunday, December 30, 2018 Report this