Then Again...What Do I Know?

Local commentary by Roger Bouchard as published in the Woonsocket Call on April 10, 2008

Woonsocket

Here is your sand removal and pothole repair report as outlined by Michael Annarummo, public works director, in an interview this week. On sand removal in Woonsocket, sweepers are on the streets during regular hours. The 35 primary streets will be swept first taking about 3 weeks then the neighborhoods will be cleaned starting clockwise with the Fairmount district followed by the North end. On potholes, the process continues with hot patches as needed. All these projects are carried out under strict budget constraints with no overnight work reports Annarummo.

Woonsocket

Without ceremony the Kiwanis Radio Auction turned into the Woonsocket Broadcast Charity Auction this year. The Woonsocket Kiwanis Club like many service organizations has had trouble recruiting new members so the club sought out assistance. So now three organizations share the proceeds of the event. The auction is now sponsored by Family Resources Community Action, The Retired Senior and Volunteer Program (RSVP) and the Kiwanis Club. The auction which raised thousands of dollars Tuesday night was a Family Resource Community Action production with executive director Ben Lessing and his staff running the show. When WNRI staffers arrived to produce the show for radio, we were puzzled who was running the show. The auction started at 6:00pm and by 6:30, we had figured what happened. WNRI donated the airtime (4 hours) and we are still pleased to assist whoever benefits.

Woonsocket

Childhood poverty has decreased in Rhode Island but Kids Count reports it has not changed much in Woonsocket. A report released Monday by Rhode Island Kids Count shows that 15 percent of children in the state live in poverty. That's down from about 21 percent in recent years. A breakout of Woonsocket statistics is gloomy. Comparing 2006 to 2007, the report cites 6064 kids getting state assisted health care in 2006 to 6029 in 2007. Food stamp assistance increased from78% to 81% in 2007. School Breakfast assistance from 36% up to 41%. WIC (Women, Infants and Children assistance) participation up from 72% to 73%. Teen pregnancy (which used to be called unwed mothers) rate down from 41.3% to 39.9%. Rhode Island Kids Count is a children’s policy and advocacy group that provides information on child well-being and promotes community action on their behalf.

Woonsocket

After a two week absence from the airways, Mayor Susan Menard addressed WNRI listeners Tuesday morning on a variety of topics. On the recycling program, the mayor says the recycling percentages are in the 25-26% range. The savings from the program estimated to be about $200,000 will be applied to reduce an anticipated $900,000 cut in state assistance to Woonsocket that has made up before June 30th. Another source of revenue is extra money from billing on rescue runs. The mayor reported that more savings will come from 10 less employees on the city payroll along with a hiring freeze in all city departments. The Mayor also said she can make up the difference buy taking some money from the city surplus. The Mayor continues her periodic meetings with Leo Fontaine working on the existing and upcoming 2008-2009 budget. Among the expenditures that must factored in are $450,000 to conduct a state mandated reevaluation of city property, summer parks programs, school department increases, debt service, Blue Cross increases and pension contribution increases. The Mayor also says she is talking to the local unions about a “one year roll over of every contract with no increase, so in others words, what that means is whatever your contract is now, nothing will change.” I asked her if that was the same thing as a pay freeze and Mayor Menard answered yes. The mayor also spoke about the new sports complex off Hamlet Avenue opening this spring which will add extra expenses to the city. Instead of hiring new workers, the city may engage a private landscaping company to maintain the park.

Woonsocket

At City Hall, Albert G. Brien the city’s human services director will spend his last day tomorrow in the city employ. Brien stayed on a few extra months and he expects the post to remain vacant until the new mayor comes to office in June. Brien told me “there’s lot of pain out there” referring to people who have fallen on hard times during this economic downturn. Brien is a former state represenstive and a finance director for the city of Woonsocket. Also in city hall, Finance Director Robert Strom may be on the move again. This time, Strom may move his office about 500 feet to the school department and become business manager replacing Marim Goodman who is retiring this month. Strom has until Monday to apply for the position. Meanwhile at the school department only 6 applicants have expressed interest to become superintendent; three from Rhode Island and three out of state. Officials hope more resumes by Monday.

Providence

In this column, I’ve complained about Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed having nothing to say about Rhode Island’s most talked about issue namely illegal immigration. This week a Providence Journal reporter got the two senators to go the record on this issue; Whitehouse said he wasn’t convinced that fighting illegal immigration would improve the Rhode Island economy. “I think the jury is still out on the extent to which those folks, by performing jobs that many Americans are unwilling to perform, by performing jobs at wages that many Americans are unwilling to accept, and by doing things like paying into Social Security without any claim on Social Security later, are a benefit economically to society, or whether by use of services they’re a drain on society.” He criticized the governor’s decision to announce the executive order at a news conference packed with his supporters. “I think the sort of talk-show aspect of the way he chose to announce it and some of the anti-illegal alien extremists he surrounded himself with, gave people the impression that the administration wasn’t trying to be fair,” Whitehouse said. “It may be a misimpression, but it’s one that I think that followed from the way that was done.” Meanwhile U.S. Sen. Jack Reed responded “We tried to address the problem of immigration in the Congress last year; we passed comprehensive immigration reform. Unfortunately, it was filibustered by the Republican leadership.” Reed refused to comment specifically on Governor Carcieri’s illegal immigration plan, but suggested the issue should be left to federal officials. “To the extent that they are functional and effective, the issue I think goes beyond individual measures of any state. I think there has to be comprehensive legislation at the national level.” For a free pizza from Olly’s Pizza, please forward an e-mail translation of Reed’s comment (in English) to rogerwnri@prodigy.net. Winners will be announced on Cinco de Mayo.

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 April 10, 2008

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