One Rhode Island lawmaker was so upset with “the President of the United States and the Republicans in Washington” that he went to Cumberland Town Hall last Tuesday to shed his Republican Party affiliation.

Newly registered as an independent, Rep. Richard W. “Rick” Singleton, 53, told Political Scene late last week: “I am a conservative kind of person. My votes aren’t going to change. I just don’t want to be painted with the Republican brush any longer for reasons that are important to me.”

“I have decided I am not going to be painted by any party brush, Democrat or Republican.”

Singleton said he has been upset for some time over President Bush’s handling of the war in Iraq and the support Republican lawmakers in Washington gave to a Bush-backed immigration bill that he described as “a disgraceful amnesty bill at the very least” and “some other scandals we’ve witnessed within the Republican party.”

One of the lead advocates at the Rhode Island State House for getting tougher with illegal immigrants, Singleton said: “The president of the United States was far more interested in making deals with big business people. On Iraq, he said: “I agreed with the president going into the war,” but “I think he kept the secretary of defense on board far longer than he should have ... was advised early on that we need far more troops to do this right, didn’t listen to that ... I just think he handled this thing poorly ...When we’ve got billions of dollars worth of arms that nobody knows where they are, we’ve got serious problems.”

Singleton said no one issue drove him to change his party affiliation. He said his dissatisfaction with the state and national GOP has been building, and procrastination was the only reason he didn’t disaffiliate earlier.

On the local level, he cited “disappointment over the past four years with the general management of the Republican Party,” and what he perceives as a “lack of interest” by Republicans in running for office or contributing. “It’s tough to get Republicans out to even donate.”

He also acknowledged frustration that most of his own legislative package — including a swath of “immigration reform” bills — never made it out of the House. “I think people are fed up with party politics. So am I,” he said. “There are a lot of politicians at the State House who, I believe, are not properly representing their constituents or they would [have been] much more supportive.”

As an independent, Singleton now joins the vast majority of Rhode Islanders. As of Sept. 4, there were 237,339 registered Democrats, 76,690 registered Republicans and 350,105 “unaffiliated” voters across the state.

In the overwhelmingly Democrat General Assembly, however, Singleton’s defection depletes the already tiny ranks of the House GOP. The split is now 62-12-1.

Quipped House Speaker William J. Murphy: “I have always had a great deal of respect for Representative Singleton. He has now moved closer to the correct side of the aisle.”

Singleton is not the first legislator — or even the first House member from his hometown — to switch parties in midterm, and he is not the first “independent” to serve in the General Assembly.

Former Republican Joseph Scott, D-Exeter, was the most recent House GOP dropout. He defected in December 2006, citing differences with House Minority Leader Robert Watson. In 1986, then-Representative-elect Donald Large returned to the House as a Democrat after an earlier stint as a Republican representative and 1982 GOP candidate for mayor in Cumberland. A number of former legislators — including Thomas Rossi of Providence and Cranston City Council president Aram Garabedian — served as independents.

As for what it means to the House GOP, Republican Rep. Nicholas Gorham’s answer is: not much.

“We are already a very small caucus, so let’s face it: we could hardly afford to lose any more. But when you really look at the ability we have to change the outcome, we are always relying on dissident Democrats or independents anyway, so I am not sure it will really change the dynamics in the room very much.

“Things are just as difficult now as they were before Rick left, not particularly more difficult to stem the tide of one-party ideas,” Gorham, R-Coventry, said.

House Minority Leader Watson, R-East Greenwich, said he likes and respects Singleton, thinks he made a mistake in this instance, but doesn’t expect to “see any changes in Representative Singleton’s voting pattern, and his voting record is a very Republican record.” While Singleton has not signaled which caucus he will align himself with, Watson said: “He’s indicated his willingness to continue to work with us and support the common agenda that we share.”

“Let’s face it,” Watson said. “Republicans are independents.”

State House building boss is back after suspension

The State House building superintendent, Salvatore “Sam” DeVincenzo returned to work Friday after being placed on administrative leave for two weeks.

Department of Administration Director Beverly Najarian was vague about the initial decision: “Sam has been put on administrative leave for a week with pay while we investigate some circumstances,” she said in late August.

The suspension came days after the three night janitors resigned.

Last week, however, the Department of Administration decided to extend DeVincenzo’s leave another week. DOA Executive Director Ronald N. Renaud refused to say whether the additional week off was paid or not.

“We have taken appropriate disciplinary action for actions against the interests of the state in his capacity as state building and grounds coordinator, the details of which are confidential,” Renaud told Political Scene last week. “Mr. DeVincenzo has not been terminated.”

Political Scene spoke to DeVincenzo Friday afternoon in his office in the State House basement.

He confirmed that the second week of administrative leave was, in fact, unpaid. He declined to discuss the specifics of the case.

“I’m glad I’m back so I can get this whole thing behind us,” he said. “I just took a tough rap. I really, really took a tough rap.”

He continued: “I really love the State House. I put in more time here than my own house. I wouldn’t do anything against the governor. I love working for the governor.”

DeVincenzo has been on the state payroll since 1975. He earns $75,363.60 a year.

Renaud said last week that the investigation is complete and he considers the matter closed.

Retired DPW director takes over at the DOT

A former public works director in Cranston has come out of retirement to temporarily serve as the state Department of Transportation’s $109,748-a-year “chief engineer,” while the longtime occupant of that position — Edmund T. Parker — remains on paid leave pending the outcome of inquiries by state auditors and the state police into DOT contracting practices.

Joseph W. Migneault, 71, was hired for a short-term run that began July 22 and is, at this time, expected to end on Sept. 30.

Asked late last week to confirm Parker’s current status, DOT spokesman Charles St. Martin said: “Yes, Mr. Parker continues to be on paid administrative leave.” With longevity bonuses, his annual salary totals $143,187.

On his resumÉ, Migneault describes himself as a licensed professional engineer in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Florida, who served 1986-97 as chief engineer in Cranston, where he “managed the design and construction of all municipal capital improvements, including street construction and school, playground and recreation projects.”

Between 1959 and ’86, he worked for “several” unnamed private construction companies. His only other role in state-level government is as a member of the consultant selection committee for the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority.

Asked the reason the DOT felt compelled to fill the job during Parker’s leave, Director Jerome Williams issued a statement that said: “There are various documents, plans and FHWA [Federal Highway Administration] forms that require a Chief Engineer’s signature and with Mr. Parker out on leave we needed to have someone in the position.”

In addition, “the Chief Engineer must be a [professional engineer] and we interviewed both internal candidates and external candidates. Mr. Migneault is a retired professional engineer from both the City of Cranston and the private sector.”

Parker was placed on paid leave in mid-June amid what appeared, at that time, to be a widening state and federal probe of the state road-building agency’s contracting practices.

Governor Carcieri confirmed that he had asked both the state police and the state’s top federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente, to investigate “potential wrongdoing” at the DOT. The governor said the Federal Highway Administration has also promised to “begin a review.”

“Over the last few months and weeks, I have become increasingly alarmed about information being uncovered at the Rhode Island Department of Transportation,” he said. “After high overhead rates in one contract were exposed, we began a review of all other DOT agreements to see if we could uncover any other, similar problems … Unfortunately, the more we looked, the more we found,” Carcieri said.

Asked what is likely to happen on Sept. 30, St. Martin said: “I spoke with Director Williams and he has no comment on your question regarding Sept. 30 and the chief engineer’s position. Additionally, he declined to comment about the state police investigation and asked that you contact the state police.”

When asked last week if the state police had subpoenaed DOT records, another spokesperson, Dana Alexander Nolfe said not that she was aware of.

However, state police Maj. Steven O’Donnell said that while “we are not taking any records out of there, we are physically entrenched there. We have people that investigate with the auditors physically at DOT.”

Whitehouse garners Senate’s Golden Gavel

In what may be more a testament to a strong bladder and strong back than political acumen or ambition, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse has been presented the Senate’s Golden Gavel Award. His achievement: presiding over the Senate for 100 hours during the first session of the 110th Congress.

The chore of presiding over Senate sessions usually falls to the Senate president pro tempore, West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd, who is the longest-serving member of the majority Democratic Party. Byrd often delegates the task to junior members, who gain a chance to learn Senate rules and procedures.

The Golden Gavel is presented to senators who preside over 100 hours of Senate business in any single year.

“Senator Whitehouse has truly earned this tremendous recognition,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. “He has been a workhorse not only as the presiding officer, quickly logging 100 hours in that role, but also on important legislation in the Judiciary Committee and this body as a whole. I’m certain this is only the first of many accolades Senator Whitehouse will collect during his Senate career.”

Appreciation Day for police, firefighters

Starting this year, Sept. 11 will be Firefighters and Police Officers Appreciation Day in Rhode Island.

The General Assembly approved a bill designating the day of remembrance, and Governor Carcieri signed it into law July 3.

Rep. Stephen R. Ucci, D-Johnston, said he sponsored the bill at the request of a constituent, Johnston resident Debbie Geremia.

“She had come to me a year ago, saying that it would be nice because of how many police and firefighters lost their lives on that day, to put the day aside for appreciation of what police officers and firefighters do on a daily basis,” Ucci said. “They’re always there for us when we need them.”

The day is not a state holiday; it joins about 50 other designated days of remembrance in Rhode Island, Ucci said.

smackay@projo.com, kgregg@projo.com, speoples@projo.com