Political Scene was curious about why protesters this month stormed the governor’s first-floor policy office instead of the governor’s actual office, on the second floor, during a rally to oppose Carcieri’s executive order on immigration.

Did they know the difference? Did they accidentally open the wrong door?

Political Scene has learned that the protesters were a lot more organized than some people gave them credit for.

A planning document left behind by the group clearly outlines the group’s message: (“No human being is illegal –– we all have dignity”), the security liaisons, the “chant/song leaders” and most interesting, the “target.”

The target of the action is listed as Timothy Costa, the governor’s policy director.

Why Costa?

“We heard the bishop was already having a conversation with [the governor],” said Ivette Luna, who is listed on the document as the security liaison, along with Brown University sophomore Susan Beaty.

Luna continued: “We knew there were other groups that were lobbying the governor and were also lobbying the reps and senators. So we felt like why not make Costa the target so Mr. Costa could have a conversation with the governor?”

It was never clear who organized the protest. The document lists participants from several groups.

The press contacts were Providence City Councilman Miguel Luna (Ivette’s uncle) and Michael J. Wojcicki, of the Olneyville Neighborhood Association. The spokeswoman was Gladys Gould, of the Providence Presbyterian Church. And the “chant/song leaders” were listed only as “Luly, Alicia (possibly Ghislaine).”

The document lists one “Demand” of Costa: “Will you recommend directly to the Governor that he retract his March 27th Executive Order?’ Below the demand are two boxes — one for YES and one for NO.

Costa never had a chance to check either box. He initially confronted the protesters when around 50 poured into the office, but exited through another door after the situation nearly turned violent.

Capitol Police officers forced the door closed to block more people from entering as the police screamed that it was a private office and ordered the protesters –– some of whom were children –– not to resist.

The group left the office voluntarily and was later forced out of the State House altogether by the police.

When approached by Political Scene last week, Costa declined to comment on being the target.

Ferruccio gets to enjoy time at GOP fundraiser

Richard Ferruccio isn’t a big supporter of the Republican Party.

“Typically, I’ve been extremely partisan,” admits Ferruccio, the outspoken president of the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers.

So it was a big deal when the union president decided to attend a fundraiser this month for House Minority Leader Robert A. Watson, R-East Greenwich. The event took place at Olive’s, the dark North Main Street bar and restaurant not far from the State House.

Ferruccio said he decided to attend the fundraiser to thank GOP leaders for voicing security concerns regarding the Department of Corrections’ plan to release prisoners early from the Adult Correctional Institutions for good behavior.

“It was my first Republican fundraiser in 10 years,” Ferruccio said. “I think a lot of people were surprised that I actually attended.”

Thinking it wouldn’t be a friendly crowd, he thought he’d be in and out after 10 minutes or so. But close to an hour later, after lots of laughs, he left Olive’s and walked to his car, which was parked nearby on Canal Street.

He noticed right away that he had been robbed.

Someone had stolen his GPS, a laptop computer, a digital camera and a PalmPilot. He estimated he lost more than $2,000 in property.

Ferruccio said he didn’t blame the Republican Party for the incident, but that he might think twice before attending another GOP event.

“It might be another 10 years before I go again,” he said.

Reluctant ATM card leads to incident at bank

Ferruccio wasn’t the only one who had a bad week.

Perennial political candidate Christopher Young reportedly had his own troubles, according to an item Political Scene found listed on the South Kingstown Police Department’s dispatch log:

On Wednesday afternoon, an employee at the Bank of America branch at 4 Tower Hill Rd. called the police to report “an irate customer.”

Bank personnel told the police that a man tried to use his girlfriend’s ATM card to access cash at the machine. When the card then got stuck in the ATM, he entered the bank to get it back.

“He had no ID other than a business card stating he was Christopher F. Young, a candidate for U.S. Senate,” an employee told the police.

The employee explained to Young that an ATM card could be returned only to the owner. “He then got irate and was yelling loud[ly] at the teller and then the complainant,” who subsequently called the police, according to the log.

South Kingstown police planned to contact Young to warn him about trespassing; however, “there was no answer at the phone numbers” the bank provided for the candidate.

In one of several extended voice mail messages to Political Scene, Young said the ATM wasn’t working and he was just trying to make sure his girlfriend’s account information was properly protected. “It doesn’t make any sense to treat a customer this way for reporting an ATM is broken and wanting to make sure the account information is protected,” he said.

Young also suggested that the incident could be politically motivated retaliation due to his ongoing concerns with the banking industry, as outlined on his personal Web site, www.wheretovote.com.

Administration job posting prompting queries

While layoffs are in the wind, the Carcieri administration is seeking to hire a third “deputy personnel administrator” with a salary range of $89,135 to $101,499.

The posting, which ran through March 24, has prompted numerous inquiries to Political Scene such as this one, saying: “With a multimillion-dollar state budget crisis for 2008 and FY ’09, the Department of Administration needs another deputy personnel director at $100k plus benefits?”

While never actually answering the question of whether the third deputy is needed, Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal told Political Scene that the position in question wasn’t a new one.

He offered this: “The position has been transferred to the Department of Administration from MHRH, where it was previously filled. The Department of Administration is simply filling the currently vacant, preexisting position under a new title.”

Neal said the shift was part of Carcieri’s 2005 executive order designed to consolidate state human-resource functions. Since then, he noted, the state has reduced the number of such employees by about 40.

As for what the new deputy will do, the job calls for work on projects designed to modernize the state’s human-resource efforts –– examples include “updating personnel regulations and exploring new initiatives such as walk-in testing.”

As of Friday, no one had been hired to fill the not-so-new position.

kgregg@projo.com