If you follow the news, you know that for years the Rhode Island General Assembly has collected a $1 surcharge per month per phone on phone bills for the ostensible purpose of providing emergency 911 services. In fact, the money went into the state coffers and was not earmarked at all for such services. The federal government warned Rhode Island about the diversion of the funds, even threatening to withhold future upgrade monies because of this abuse. Even that did not deter the sucking sound of diverted money.

Enter Robin Giacomini. You probably don’t know who she is since she is generally out of the spotlight. She isn’t a politician. She isn’t “connected” to anyone. She just is a Rhode Island resident who minded that the state charged for the supposed support of a 911 system by the surcharge on phone bills without using that money in reality for upgrades to the system. In effect, she noted that this would be a deceptive trade practice if done by a merchant instead of the state.

Robin began a campaign to change the diversion of these funds. She spoke to Jim Hummel of the Hummel Report who ran a story about how the funds weren’t being used for the 911 system and Robin’s efforts to have the money go to the 911 as “advertised” on each telephone bill. She persisted in having a meeting with the Speaker of the House who, to his credit, met with her. She persuaded him to do the right thing and, lo and behold, the House submitted a bill to restrict 50 cents of the charge to 911 emergency services. The other 50 cents will go to the “first response” connected to 911.

Now, there may be a technical problem with the way the legislation is written. Nonetheless, Robin Giacomini has scored a tremendous victory, even if it is half a loaf. It goes to show that one citizen can make a difference. She showed tremendous courage in standing up against the establishment and she deserves kudos.

To get a sense of how strong the system is to fight you have to note that another person, Senate Labor Chairman, Frank Ciccone — a paid consultant to the Rhode Island Judicial, Professional and Technical Employees Local Union 808, a Laborers’ Affiliate — introduced a bill that would require prompt notification to the public employees unions of any new hires so the unions can collect dues from them. It also allows unions to charge “reasonable charges” against the non-union member for certain grievances or arbitration. In January 2018 the United States Supreme Court prohibited unions from compelling payments from non-union members (Disclosure: I was a party on an Amicus Brief which argued that the previous court ruling allowing such charges should remain). In effect, the Highest Court decided on First Amendment grounds that unions cannot force non-members to pay. The legislation is coercive and self-dealing. Senator Ciccone, who also sponsored marijuana-related legislation which benefitted his daughter’s pocketbook apparently knows no boundary for a conflict of interest.

Two Rhode Islanders are now in the news: Robin worked tirelessly without compensation to right a wrong which benefited Rhode Islanders and Senator Ciccone who benefitted himself and a special interest. You need more Robins.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.