July 23, 2010
Is Rhode Island Getting Full Value of the G.T.'s Time?
The RIGOP is not wrong to raise this matter. (Press release.)
The Rhode Island Republican Party today called on General Treasurer Frank Caprio to account for the value of his time and energy spent campaigning rather than doing the job he was elected to do.Citing a steady stream of campaign events this week, the RIGOP questioned how Caprio could justify taking his full salary while doing half his job.
“We know that Rhode Island has a reputation for creating ‘no-show’ jobs,” said party Chair Giovanni Cicione, “but usually the people who are slacking off try to avoid the TV cameras when they’re not at work.” “This week Frank managed to dedicate a homeless shelter, attend a taxpayer forum, and participate in a debate, all before the week was half over.”
“Even worse,” continued Cicione, “is that the Democrats called on Gubernatorial candidate John Robitaille to leave his public service job the second he even hinted that he was considering a run for Governor.” “What hypocrisy that Caprio continues to vigorously campaign on the taxpayers dime when he should be working day and night to fix the pension disaster his office is supposed to be managing – it's no wonder the unions, whose members' pensions are at risk, won’t support him.”
Citing a recent Pew Center on the States study that made note of the fact that the Rhode Island pension system had unfunded liability that equaled 277% of covered payroll, giving us a grade of 1 out of a possible 5, and making us the third worst state in terms of pension funding, the RIGOP requests an accounting of the Treasurers time spent campaigning to date and for him to step down if he would prefer, as it seems, to dodge the pension issue and focus on campaigning instead.
UPDATE - GT's office responds
... to Ian Donnis at WRNI, who asked the General Treasurer's Chief of Staff Mark Dingley
whether Caprio has a policy on making up time spent campaigning during business hours
And the reply.
Dingley said Caprio remains “in constant contact with the treasurer’s office,” and “is available to answer any questions” during campaign activities and/or other periods away from the office.Dingley says he hasn’t discussed with Caprio the question of whether the treasurer should have a plan or policy for making up for campaign time, adding, “It seems like he hasn’t missed a beat.”
"energy spent campaigning rather than doing the job he was elected to do"
Carcieri in 2006 ?
Cheney/Bush in 2004 ?
Posted by: Sammy at July 23, 2010 9:03 PMFor a reference:
http://rifuture.org/myblog/robitaille-to-run-for-governor-and-what-that-means-for-the-race.html
Where is Lynch or now Pacheco calling for everyone running for office to resign their current position? Even Hull is a bit of a hypocrite to have posted the Lynch press release with no consistency in the argument.
Posted by: Patrick at July 23, 2010 9:10 PMI've noticed that Monique hates conservative Democrats (Caprio), and loves liberal Republicans (Scott Avedisian). I bet she's voting for Chafee this election!
Posted by: Rasputin at July 24, 2010 12:16 AMNice pivot, Rasputin. Now back to the subject at hand.
So it's perfectly fine with you that a general officer undertook a job, is being paid for that job (with tax dollars) but is only doing the job part time at best?
Posted by: Monique at July 24, 2010 9:00 AMno pivot monique how come a conservative dem like Caprio who is with us on most issues and has stood up when even repulicans sat quietly gets beat up on this site ... we as consevatives should applaude him. just a question ..are we as miopic as the progressives?
Posted by: neoconin ri at July 24, 2010 6:50 PMWhich "most issues" is Caprio "with us" on? He's better on the need for revenue-creating businesses in the state, but that just means that he's a little less willing to deny reality than his fellow Democrats.
But I'm not beyond persuasion, here. When has he "stood up" while Republicans "sat quietly"?
Posted by: Justin Katz at July 25, 2010 7:58 AMas far as standing up. when others sat quietly.. take a look at old projo.. six years ago .. he fought on the budget and the tabbaco securitization and when the senate leadership wanted to quietly just go along .. he publicly called it out in a open caucus that this was bad for the budget and horrible policy and was using one time fixes when we should be looking at stucrial deficit... projo covered it .. billy irons over road him and the budget went though with every insider lawfirm and big bank getting involved...repulicans in the senate did nothing to suport .. and billy irons REMOVED CAPRIO AS senate finnace chair for the balls to stand up and point out that this was bad for the budget and was just plain wrong... fyi it wasnt an election year he did it because it was right .. smart political move would have been to do nothing and keep quiet instead burned relationships with the leadership and stood on principal... hhhmmm in my world thats the kind of guy i want to be governor. its easy to stand against the other party .. hard to stand against ur own leadership..
Posted by: neoconinri at July 25, 2010 5:30 PMjustin take a look ... if people can get passed the lable issue IE he isnt a repulican i think they would be impressed ... it takes more to be a conservitive DEM in ri than it does an R.. he has to fight the left wing of his own party and then fight the small minds in our own party . rememeber how scared the laffy wing of the party was when there was a rumor he was going to change partys and join the repulicans..if he came over and brought his organizational skills and fund raising ability we might actully have " some wind at our back " ...one other issue wich for me is important i always was taught u can be judged by who ur freinds are and also who are ur enemies are. look at Marsh reback and the aft endorsment .. look at how hard the nea are fighting him . bye the way take a look at who else the NEA is fighting its like a whos who list of consevative dems that they dont belive are "real dems" for me thats a great badge of honnor ....
Posted by: neoconinri at July 27, 2010 6:28 AM