Anchor Rising: Supplemental Tax Bill? Mayor Lombardi Will Name Names

April 2, 2009

Supplemental Tax Bill? Mayor Lombardi Will Name Names

Monique Chartier

In his editorial today, Valley Breeze publisher Tom Ward writes

You've got to love that Mayor Charlie Lombardi, unless you hate him, of course. This week he's telling hometown state legislators that if they approve the state supplemental budget, the one with huge cuts in state aid to North Providence and other communities, he'll be forced to send out an extra tax bill to residents.
On it, he'll name the names of legislators who made the extra bill possible.

Of course, they might complain that it's Lombardi, Town Council and School Committee members who are to blame for years of overspending, but Lombardi counters that pro-union state mandates, like the ones that force minimum manning on fire engines, balloon the budget. Lift those mandates, as Gov. Donald Carcieri has suggested, and Lombardi can balance the budget and avoid large tax hikes.

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Notice how the legislature hasn't the guts to deal with the sacred cows, mandates, and pensions. These are the biggest problems, and they think they are doing a great thing by raising the cigarette tax.

They have been screwing with us for years, and will continue to, as long as we a dumb enough to continuing putting them in office.

Let's see if anyone shows up at the tea party. We wouldn't want to upset our legislators, or have them see us for fear they might do something to us. Can they kick us any harder?

Posted by: kathy at April 2, 2009 8:00 PM

I'd encourage you to talk about it at the office. It might solve your problem.

Posted by: rhody at April 3, 2009 10:29 AM

Lombardi's idea is an excellent suggestion. Not only should he name names, he should identify the cost of unfunded mandates and break those out for his city's property taxpayers.

Sooner or later, we'll have to triage these functions and let the least useful ones die. I'll bet municipal administrators and mayors have a little list in their heads already.

Posted by: chuckR at April 3, 2009 11:36 AM

Go ahead, Chuck. These guys are pretty useless, anyway.
Hilarity will ensue.

Posted by: rhody at April 3, 2009 6:49 PM

Monique,

I had a very interesting conversation the other day regarding minimum manning which I’d like to share….

I was informed that nowhere in any of the RIGLs or state regulations is there a minimum manning requirement!

It is something that has been put forward on the LOCAL level and the Municipal governments have swallowed it hook, line and sinker. Consequently it’s been written into the local contracts and has become more or less codified.

I would hope that someone delves a little more deeply into this situation so the truth can be put forward…

Just my two cents…….

Posted by: Aldo at April 3, 2009 9:18 PM