Then Again...What Do I Know?

Local commentary by Roger Bouchard as published in the Woonsocket Call on January 02, 2008

Providence

The Rhode Island General Assembly met on New Year’s Day and headlines indicated that the state budget is the top item of concern. But if you pay attention to one ranking senator your favorite social service program will have a halo around it. Senate President Joseph Montalbano, D-North Providence, assured his colleagues “We have made a decision as a society to provide a safety net for those most vulnerable Rhode Islanders. A budget is more than dollar signs and numbers. It impacts real people — our neighbors, our parents, our children.”

Woonsocket

Woonsocket Mayor Susan Menard fended off rumors she will leave office before her term expires; she told WNRI listeners this week she will at least stay through the end of 2008. “I have every intention as being mayor in 2008.” Reports circulated that the 59 year old mayor (her birthday was Monday) was disgusted with the nitpicking and bickering about her performance in office. Saying she like to emotes (dictionary meaning: to give expression to emotion especially in acting) her frustrations; she now is ready to carry on her duties including maintaining city roads, building water and wastewater treatment facilities, conduct revaluation and keep Woonsocket an affordable place to live.

Without any prodding, the Mayor singled out illegal aliens as a big expense in government. “We are spending an inordinate amount of money on illegal aliens. I don’t people know how much money is drained from local budgets especially in education and medical care. It is draining states”.

Meanwhile, when Council President Leo Fontaine appeared on WNRI last week he made it clear next time around he will run for mayor. A called asked point blank: Mr. Fontaine do you have a plan to run for mayor?’ Without hesitation, Fontaine announced “that as of now I am planning on running,” for the top office in 2009.

Woonsocket

A possible big expense for the city of Woonsocket evaporated last week when Mayor Menard received a welcomed letter from Senator Jack Reed. The South Main Street flood control dam will now be the responsibility of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Last year Woonsocket was informed that repairs to the Woonsocket Falls Dam was the city’s obligation. The project would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix up. The Mayor credited Reed with passing legislation to include the Woonsocket dam with other federally maintained structures. According to the book “Woonsocket: A Centennial History” the “steel and concrete structure costing one million dollars featured four gates to control the flow of water…completed in 1959.”

Pawtucket

Rental property investors stuck with bad loans and people losing their property because they have fallen behind on their mortgage payments are not paying their Pawtucket real estate taxes. The city is being hurt by the wave of foreclosures where landlords are unable to keep up with the payments on their loans. Tax revenues have plunged according Pawtucket finance officials. When we asked Mayor Menard about tax collections she reported that July and October collections were “very good.” She attributes the good collection rate to lending institutions keeping taxes in escrow and disbursing them on a timely basis. Next date to measure tax collections is January 15^th.

Uxbridge

Did you read about Massachusetts State Senator Richard Moore and less-than-perfect 2007 attendance record? Sen. Richard Moore, D-Uxbridge blamed his missed votes on out-of-state trips he claims helped his job performance. Moore, who missed 43 votes and had the worst attendance percentage in the Massachusetts Legislature, was in Argentina during the week when the Senate took override votes to reverse Gov. Deval Patrick's budget vetoes. Moore said he traveled to Argentina as an officer of the National Conference of State Legislatures to share information and help strengthen Argentina's democratic process. How do you think this will fly with his constituents?

“Good Luck” on local issues for 2008:

In Cumberland we wish Mayor Dan McKee “good luck” in developing plan to purse a regional school (academy) that hopefully will get good test scores and cost less money. Maybe even the Cumberland superintendent of schools will eventually sign on to the idea.

In Lincoln, we wish town administrator Joseph Almond and the Lincoln town council “good luck” in trying to have a say of what happens at Twin Rivers. The place brings in so much money to the state, the Legislature, not Lincoln town government, calls the shots at what happens within that parcel real estate. Twin Rivers acts like it is an Indian reservation.

In Warwick, we wish Mayor Scott Avedisian “good luck” is laying off 18 Warwick crossing guards by February 15^th . Their union has filed a grievenave to protect their salary, health benefits and pension credits. All Warwick wants is to pay for their service by the hour using a private vendor. The union business manger was quoted “our union shall take every necessary action to protect the livelihood of these important members of Warwick’s community.”

In Providence, we wish the Legislature “good luck” at selling the Newport Bridge, the Lottery and the Convention Center to private companies to raise money for the state. What would all the former politicians and their family members who hold jobs at these agencies do if they had a real boss to answer to?

In Woonsocket, we wish taxpayers “good luck” in discovering in the year 2008 who is running the police department? Is it Mike Houle, Dave Kane, John Scully, Sue Menard, or the beanman?

ROGER BOUCHARD is general manager of radio station WNRI. His column appears every Thursday in the Woonsocket Call. He can be reached at rogerwnri@prodigy.net.

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Then Again...What Do I Know?

Local commentary by Roger Bouchard as published in the Woonsocket Call on January 02, 2008

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