Revelation of Another (Alleged) Political Stick Up in North Providence
No frog march, though; unlike the other (alleged) stick up, this one failed.
With some … er, coaxing by Buddy Cianci, Mayor Charles Lombardi alleges (link currently broken) on ABC6 On the Record, to air this Sunday morning, that the RI Senate quashed the city’s request for a supplemental tax increase – an increase approved by the House and the Auditor General – because the mayor refused to re-appoint former Senate President Joseph Montalbano to a municipal judgeship.
Now, as it would be highly unusual if North Providence’s need for a supplemental tax did not arise out of decades of bad expenditure decisions at budget time (as opposed to a shortfall of revenue), I’m not going to pretend to be disappointed that North Providence taxpayers didn’t get a supplemental tax bill. At the same time, the levying of such a tax should not be ensnarled in completely unrelated (alleged) political extortion.
Additionally, how do North Providence municipal workers feel about their wages – okay, more accurately, their possible raises – being suppressed by (alleged) dirty work to benefit the former Senate president? I don’t claim to be a major ally of public labor but the Senate president purportedly was. Is this putting the working man first? It sounds more like maybe he was put second to a bigwig trying to keep a good gig.
Addendum
Mike Stanton at the ProJo interviewed Mayor Lombardi today during which we learn that the current Senate president knows nothing (nothing) about what may have transpired between the mayor and a member of the body which she leads. We also gain a little insight as to why the former Senate president may have been anxious to be re-appointed to the North Providence municipal judgeship.
I was told that the general consensus down there (at the Senate) was that if Joe was reappointed, it would look good for his chances to become a state judge.
Mollis and his peeps: Bloods.
Lombardi and his peeps: Crips.
All part of the same hypocrisy.
Oh, this is priceless. I tuned in Cianci just after this was happening so I didn’t get the whole story except for the Senate, Montalbano and I guess they already talked with the Gov.
This is exactly what this craphole state needs six months ahead of elections is for the long arm of the law to grab some shirt collars.
FWIW, Steve Alves, remember the other ‘high power’ Senator displaced by Mike Pingha, well, he’s been spotted numerous times roaming the halls and ‘certain’ Senate President’s rooms.
Charlie better fire Montalbano tommorow and NAME the Senator or as far as I am concerned he is just as much a scumbag.
The Senate leadership voted FOR the North Prov bill that was DEFEATED by the entire body.
That’a called covering ones arse because the leadership knew the votes were there to kill it.
I’d love for the ProJo to do a story on legislative votes and how often leadership “loses” on an issue.
Answer: They don’t!!
The only time you’ll see the body vote different from the leadership is when leadership needs political cover with their votes.
You can bet he feds will be speaking to Mayor Lombardi about this.
Don’t doubt for one second this is true because this is exactly the way things are done in the Gen Ass.