Friday, July 06, 2007

Cianci on the airwaves

Jim taricani

In just a few weeks, Buddy Cianci, the former colorful mayor of Providence who is now a convicted felon, will most likely sign a deal to be a talk radio host.
There is a lot of speculation about where the Bud-Eye will end up, and recently the rumor mill is swirling about whether Buddy will skip little Rhody and head up I-95 to Boston’s WRKO.
Whether Buddy ends up on WPRO of WHJJ or in Bean Town, he would do himself well to conduct himself as an elder statesman.
Cianci has tons of wit, a sharp intellect and a way words that could do much to offer commentary on the day’s events and politics on both the national and local levels.
While the former mayor is most likely very, very bitter about being convicted on one count of conspiracy-he maintains his innocense to this day-he would be doing a disservice to himself and his listeners if he uses the airwaves as a pedestal for pay-back.
It would be easy for Buddy to take swipes at anyone who he thought had “ done him wrong “ during the Plunder Dome investigation. I am included in that list, primarly becasue of the FBI tape I aired showing Buddy’s right hand man, Frank Corrente, taking a $1,000 cash bribe in his city hall office.
I can take my criticism, and so can most people in public life. But the listeners of a Buddy Cianci show would benefit far more from the ex chief honcho of Providence’s insights on current events.
There have been a number if commentaries both in print and broadcast that call for Cianci to basically pack his bags and go away. But I feel that he’s done his time, paid his debt to society, and he has every right to exercise his first amendment right to freedom of speech and expression.
It will be interesting to see where Buddy ends up. And it will be more interesting to see if he continues his vendettas against all those who don’t necessarily agree with how he got things done in Providence.