Gina Raimondo becomes governor at a time when Rhode Island has hit rock bottom thanks to four years of Governor Gump.  Raimondo must come out of the gate swinging and establish very quickly she will not allow the unions to run Smith Hill and trample over business. It is hard to imagine how things could get any worse then they are now, but let’s remember  the brain power of the ” den of thieves” is not that strong to begin with. The new gov needs to handle “Speaker Matty” and his cronies or makes some deals and get rid of him in a late year coupe. Providence  remains a huge problem and is a ticking time bomb  (financially ) with a  brand new mayor that does not have a clue, nor the team around him to figure it out. The first 100 days will be key to find out if Raimondo really knows how to navigate the sleaze and corruption that permeates Smith Hill. Some interesting battles are taking shape between the senate, house, General Treasurer’s office and Team Raimondo. Keep in mind the ” Yale out-of-towners” have no allegiance to any of the state reps or their many family members who demand state jobs and other perks. The first battle ground will be the outrageous demands and control that  labor has over the empty 195 land. Battle #2 will be over the union pension settlement negotiations. Let the games begin. Follow all the action on DePetro.com.