Operation Clean Government
Encyclopedia
Operation Clean Government is a nonpartisan
, nonprofit
citizens' lobby and advocacy organization. The organization was founded in 1993 by Bruce R. Lang
and others through the union of three Rhode Island
good government groups (Operation Clean Sweep, Rhode Island Taxpayers Association (RITA), and UsPAC) that had formed in response to the credit union crisis in 1991 (45 banks and credit unions in the state closed due to the collapse of their private insurer, the Rhode Island Share and Deposit Indemnity Corporation (RISDIC)).
Operation Clean Government's current President is Margaret Kane, a former OCG Board member. Kane replaces Marie Sorman, who stepped down in December 2010. OCG is funded by dues and contributions from approximately 2,000 members and supporters.
Operation Clean Government focuses on several issues, including:
OCG also weighs in on economic and judicial topics.
and former Cranston mayor Steve Laffey
. The next Candidate School is scheduled for Saturday, March 6th, 2010.
Since 2001, OCG has been the sponsor of a weekly political talk show, State of the State (TV show)
. This show is intended to educate voters about political topics that the mainstream media cannot devote time or resources to. Other voter education activities include sponsoring legislation to add pro and con arguments for ballot questions to the existing Voter Handbook, as is done currently in California and 14 other states.
OCG also sponsors forums intended to bring citizens and legislators together to discuss ways to improve state government, most recently a forum on corruption in 2009.
OCG has filed ethics complaints with the Rhode Island Ethics Commission that have resulted in fines (former State Senate President Joseph Montalbano) and House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox, and former State Senator John Celona who was sent to jail.
Another OCG complaint (filed in 2004) against Senate President William Irons was in the probable cause stage at the Rhode Island Ethics Commission sanctions when Mr. Irons appealed the Rhode Island Superior Court
. Irons was accused of not disclosing his clients, and voting on legislation that was favorable to these clients (CVS/pharmacy, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of RI). The Superior Court, under Judge Darrigan, eventually ruled in Mr. Irons favor. By 2009 by the Ethics Commission made it to the Rhode Island Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court decision; this effectively stripped the Rhode Island Ethics Commission of its ability to pursue conflict-of-interest cases against legislators due to the "speech-in-debate" clause of the Rhode Island Constitution
. OCG is pushing for a ballot question in 2010 to amend the Constitution to re-empower the Ethics Commission to pursue these kinds of conflicts.
Award winners since 1993:
Treasurer Nancy Mayer, November 1993
State Senator J. Michael Lenihan, March 1994
Bruce R. Lang
, November 1994
Thomas McHugh
and Barbara McHugh August 1995
Richard Morsilli, October 1997
Secretary of State James R. Langevin, February 1998
Senator Marc A. Cote, February 1999
Arlene Violet
, September 2000
Representative Nicholas Gorham, January 2003
Robert G. Flanders, Jr.
, October 2004
Jim Hummel, November 2008
James Lynch, Jr., November 2008
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
, nonprofit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
citizens' lobby and advocacy organization. The organization was founded in 1993 by Bruce R. Lang
Bruce R. Lang
Bruce R. Lang is an American entrepreneur and former television executive, television and radio host and analyst, co-founder of two Rhode Island good government groups, Operation Clean Government and UsPAC . He currently hosts State of the State on a part-time basis.-Career:Lang has a B.A. from...
and others through the union of three Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
good government groups (Operation Clean Sweep, Rhode Island Taxpayers Association (RITA), and UsPAC) that had formed in response to the credit union crisis in 1991 (45 banks and credit unions in the state closed due to the collapse of their private insurer, the Rhode Island Share and Deposit Indemnity Corporation (RISDIC)).
Operation Clean Government's current President is Margaret Kane, a former OCG Board member. Kane replaces Marie Sorman, who stepped down in December 2010. OCG is funded by dues and contributions from approximately 2,000 members and supporters.
Mission and issues
Operation Clean Government’s mission: “Operation Clean Government (OCG) is a group dedicated to promoting honest, responsible, and responsive state government in Rhode Island.”.Operation Clean Government focuses on several issues, including:
- Candidate and Voter Education
- Ethics in Government
- Government Accountability
OCG also weighs in on economic and judicial topics.
Candidate and Voter Education
Operation Clean Government’s most well known candidate education effort is known as OCG Candidate School. Beginning in 2002, OCG has sponsored a biennial event intended to help new candidates achieve success through day-long series of workshops and roundtables targeting campaign strategy, campaign finance reporting, and get-out-the-vote activities. Notable graduates include Rhode Island Governor Donald CarcieriDonald Carcieri
Donald L. "Don" Carcieri was the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Carcieri has had a varied vocational background, having worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid relief worker, bank executive and teacher.-Personal background:...
and former Cranston mayor Steve Laffey
Steve Laffey
Stephen Laffey was the Republican mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island with his term ending in 2007.-Background:Laffey was born in 1962 in Warwick, Rhode Island, one of five children born to John and Mary Laffey. When he was four years old, his family moved to Cranston, where his father worked as a...
. The next Candidate School is scheduled for Saturday, March 6th, 2010.
Since 2001, OCG has been the sponsor of a weekly political talk show, State of the State (TV show)
State of the State (TV show)
State of the State is a public affairs and political talk show, in a studio setting, hosted by John Carlevale and others. The show airs in Rhode Island on:...
. This show is intended to educate voters about political topics that the mainstream media cannot devote time or resources to. Other voter education activities include sponsoring legislation to add pro and con arguments for ballot questions to the existing Voter Handbook, as is done currently in California and 14 other states.
OCG also sponsors forums intended to bring citizens and legislators together to discuss ways to improve state government, most recently a forum on corruption in 2009.
Ethics in Government
Operation Clean Government representatives monitor Rhode Island Ethics Commission proceedings and testify when appropriate.OCG has filed ethics complaints with the Rhode Island Ethics Commission that have resulted in fines (former State Senate President Joseph Montalbano) and House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox, and former State Senator John Celona who was sent to jail.
Another OCG complaint (filed in 2004) against Senate President William Irons was in the probable cause stage at the Rhode Island Ethics Commission sanctions when Mr. Irons appealed the Rhode Island Superior Court
Rhode Island Superior Court
The Rhode Island Superior Court is the state trial court of general jurisdiction in Rhode Island.-Jurisdiction:It has original jurisdiction in all felony proceedings, civil matters with an amount in controversy in excess of $10,000, and all matters of equity...
. Irons was accused of not disclosing his clients, and voting on legislation that was favorable to these clients (CVS/pharmacy, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of RI). The Superior Court, under Judge Darrigan, eventually ruled in Mr. Irons favor. By 2009 by the Ethics Commission made it to the Rhode Island Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court decision; this effectively stripped the Rhode Island Ethics Commission of its ability to pursue conflict-of-interest cases against legislators due to the "speech-in-debate" clause of the Rhode Island Constitution
Rhode Island Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is a document describing the structure and function of the government of the U.S. State of Rhode Island.-History:...
. OCG is pushing for a ballot question in 2010 to amend the Constitution to re-empower the Ethics Commission to pursue these kinds of conflicts.
Government Accountability
OCG uses a team of volunteer lobbyists to persuade Rhode Island legislators to support good government ideas such as Voter Initiative; greater transparency (the publishing of committee votes, for example); creation of an Inspector General's office to root out waste and fraud; elimination of straight ticket voting; and legislation for public financing of elections.Operation Clean Government Newsletter
Since 1993 Operation Clean Government has published a newsletter. The first two years the banner was Operation Clean Government. In 1995, the newsletter was renamed RI Focus and it later changed to the Citizen Alert.Golden Broom Awards
Since 1993 OCG has awarded its Golden Broom Awards to Rhode Island citizens for outstanding contributions to keeping state government more honest, responsible, and responsive.Award winners since 1993:
Treasurer Nancy Mayer, November 1993
State Senator J. Michael Lenihan, March 1994
Bruce R. Lang
Bruce R. Lang
Bruce R. Lang is an American entrepreneur and former television executive, television and radio host and analyst, co-founder of two Rhode Island good government groups, Operation Clean Government and UsPAC . He currently hosts State of the State on a part-time basis.-Career:Lang has a B.A. from...
, November 1994
Thomas McHugh
Thomas McHugh
Thomas McHugh may refer to:*Thomas J. McHugh, American soldier in World War II and the Korean War*Thomas McHugh , first Secretary of State of Wisconsin*Tom McHugh, American voice actor*Tom Ed McHugh, Louisiana politician...
and Barbara McHugh August 1995
Richard Morsilli, October 1997
Secretary of State James R. Langevin, February 1998
Senator Marc A. Cote, February 1999
Arlene Violet
Arlene Violet
Arlene Violet was a nun in the Sisters of Mercy religious order. She left the order to run successfully for Rhode Island Attorney General in 1984. This was the first time the position of Attorney General in any state had been held by a woman....
, September 2000
Representative Nicholas Gorham, January 2003
Robert G. Flanders, Jr.
Robert G. Flanders, Jr.
Robert G. Flanders, Jr. is an American attorney who served as an Associate Justice on the Rhode Island Supreme Court from 1996 to 2004. He earn his bachelor's degree at Brown University in 1971 and his law degree at Harvard Law School in 1974. He served as Chairman of the Rhode Island Board of...
, October 2004
Jim Hummel, November 2008
James Lynch, Jr., November 2008