Providence Democratic mayorial candidate Joe Paolino said he saw no conflicts of interest between his family's downtown real estate holdings and serving as Providence mayor. Interviewed by Jack White on the WPRI television show "Newsmakers," Paolino said "you have never seen conflicts. We don't do business with the city of Providence." He said he would not pursue building leases with family properties and that he had given up his interest in building a new hotel in the city.
On other topics, Paolino said the next mayor needs some security, but does not require 6 to 8 cops. "I'm not into pomp and ceremonial stuff," he indicated. During his first run as mayor, Paolino said he often sat in the front of the car, not the back seat.
In terms of city finances, Paolino expressed concern about the state of the municipal budget. "You could have a situation like Enron or Worldcom," he warned. For that reason, he said, it is important to have an audit of Providence's finances.
He also contrasted his own personal style with that of current mayor, Buddy Cianci by saying "I don't need to be on the front page every day." Cianci had stronger speaking abilities, Paolino noted, but he himself had better listening skills.
