01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, September 14, 2004

TODAY WILL BE one of the most important days in Rhode Island's political history. By tonight we should know whether it is possible for an Ocean State politican to speak out for the taxpayers, or whether the special interests have so corrupted the system that Rhode Island can no longer pretend to have a functioning representative democracy.

The state's public-employee unions and their friends in organized labor (led by AFL-CIO and Blue Cross & Blue Shield boss Frank Montanaro, the unelected governor of Rhode Island) have targeted Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey for elimination. Recognizing that they could not readily beat him in a general election, given his popularity, they are trying to steal today's Republican primary, by running a puppet named Garry Reilly against Mr. Laffey.

They are using their organizational might and money in this smaller and less publicized election to try to sneak their factotum over the finish line. Then they will, in all likelihood, promptly drop Mr. Reilly, letting an untested Democrat coast to victory in November.

They will thus be rid of Mr. Laffey before he gets an opportunity to represent the taxpayers in contract negotiations next year.

The brazenness of this operation is what is most striking. These powerful special interests are so used to having their way that they do not even try to cloak their bullying and intimidation tactics.

Indeed, they openly tell their members that Mr. Laffey must be eliminated because he dares to criticize them and question their power. They fear he could influence leaders in other communities to try to cut a better deal for their own residents who are groaning under some of America's highest taxes.

A letter sent out by the Laborers' Union put it this way: "As we begin negotiations with the State, various Municipalities, School Districts, elected officials, and their agents all refer to Stephen Laffey as the reason they too must attack our wages and benefits."

The union continued: "From Burriville [sic] to Westerly, weak politicians indicate their fear of the press if they don't act like Laffey."

Robert Walsh and Larry Purtill, of the National Education Association of Rhode Island, representing many of the state's teachers' unions, put it chillingly: "The September 14th primary seems to be an appropriate time to stop Laffey's political career while at the same time sending a strong message to all politicians who try to vilify public employees for personal gain."

There it is: These special interests will finish off any politician who crosses them whenever it "seems to be an appropriate time." The goal is to send "a strong message" to other politicians to do the bidding of those who really control the state. Hint: It's not the citizens.

They are backing up their threats with money. And how. The Laborers' Union -- which does not appreciate Mr. Laffey for having questioned its $45-an-hour (with free family health insurance) crossing guards -- pumped in $5,000 through five of its political-action committees to prop up Mr. Reilly, who happens to be the husband of the steward of the crossing guards' union.

During the three-week period covered by the final pre-election campaign report, Mr. Montanaro's Rhode Island State Association of Fire Fighters contributed $1,000 to beat Mr. Laffey. The AFL-CIO PAC gave another $500, and the Rhode Island Central Affiliated Council of the AFL-CIO, another $1,000. The Rhode Island Council of AFSCME, AFL-CIO, gave $500.

The Cranston firefighters gave $1,000, the Cranston police, $1,000, and the Cranston teachers, $1,000. The Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals gave $1,000, and the National Education Association of Rhode Island gave $1,000. This means that virtually all of the teachers in the state, through their union dues, are trying to silence Mr. Laffey.

On and on, the special-interest money against Mr. Laffey flows: International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, $600; International Union of Operating Engineers, $1,000; Roofers Local 33, Dorchester, Mass., $200; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, $200; North Smithfield firefighters, $100; West Warwick teachers, $500; Woonsocket firefighters, $50.

Some of that money and organizational power has bought glossy fliers and busy phone banks that attack Mayor Laffey for having hiked taxes. That seems remarkably hypocritical, given that taxes had to be hiked to stem Cranston's financial meltdown -- brought on by giveaways negotiated by Mr. Laffey's more "cooperative" predecessors!

On the other side, informed taxpayers fear the worst. I know of some who are planning to move out of Cranston if Mr. Laffey is erased.

But the aggressiveness of this attempt to crush one politician, and scare others into slavish compliance, suggests that the state's public-employee unions are themselves deeply fearful. They know the stakes are high: If the citizens of Rhode Island begin to wake up and realize why they are paying such high taxes, the special interests' easy entrée into the taxpayers' wallets may be a thing of the past. And their iron grip on Ocean State politics could be broken.

They know today's primary in Cranston has statewide repercussions. So should you.

Edward Achorn is The Journal's deputy editorial-pages editor. His e-mail address is eachorn [at] projo.com.