Monique Chartier

RIGOP Chair Candidate (Second of Three): Raymond McKay

By Monique Chartier | December 19, 2011 |

On Wednesday evening, the RIGOP will be choosing a new Chair. Anchor Rising is profiling each of the candidates. This is Raymond McKay. Background Military Service: 11 years United States Army 21G Pershing Electronic Material Specialist and 74F Computer Programmer Work: 19 years working in MIS for the City of Warwick – network and telecom…

RIGOP Chair Candidate (First of Three): Tina McKendall

By Monique Chartier | December 19, 2011 |

On Wednesday evening, the RIGOP will be choosing a new Chair. Anchor Rising is profiling each of the candidates. This is Tina McKendall. Background I am a member of the Rhode Island small business community, an employer, the mother of three children, a wife, sister, friend and neighbor. My husband, Don, and I have been…

Landfill Study Commission Sets a Land Speed Record for Issuing a Bad Recommendation

By Monique Chartier | December 17, 2011 |

Looks like a load of political garbage has arrived at the Central Landfill. Co-Chair of the [General Assembly Study] commission tasked with investigating the odor emanating from the Johnston landfill, Stephen Ucci, called for the resignation of Executive Director of RI Resource Recovery Michael OConnell. Ucci made the announcement at a public hearing held at…

And If There Are No Gold Mines Under Kennedy Plaza, How About (Crazy Thought) Monitoring the Tax Dollars That We Distribute?

By Monique Chartier | December 15, 2011 |

Thank you, Andrew. Let me get this straight. A city that has no money, because it spends more than it takes in, is loaning money to an organization that receives all of its money from public sources — raising the question of how the “loan” will be paid back — … … the Rhode Island…

Woonsocket Pushed To The Brink: $2,000,000 of the School Deficit Is Directly Attributable to Unauthorized, Off The Book Hires

By Monique Chartier | December 13, 2011 |

So last week, we learned that a seven figure deficit had surprisingly and unpleasantly materialized in the school budget in place of the small surplus that had been reported for months. We’re now waiting for the auditor’s report, expected very shortly, to hear the final amount of that deficit. But Woonsocket Finance Manager, Tom Bruce,…

Watch Out, Trash Haulers And Central Landfill! Regulation Enforcement Straight Ahead!

By Monique Chartier | December 10, 2011 |

Johnston’s Mayor Polisena has gone ballistic over the serious odor which now regularly emanates from the state landfill. (It was noticeable even this morning on Route 95 – yes, 95 – just south of Exit 14 in a moving vehicle with all windows rolled up.) And who can blame him. Sure, he’s gonna sue. But…

Ouch – Woonsocket School Dept Goes From Small Surplus To $2.7 Million Deficit Almost Overnight

By Monique Chartier | December 6, 2011 |

The Woonsocket Patch reports. After months of reporting a small surplus, the Woonsocket Education Department ended the 2010-2011 year with a $2.7 million deficit, according to the draft operating results sent to Finance Director Thomas Bruce on Monday by auditors from Braver PC. … “As recent[ly] as a meeting with the superintendent of schools and…

DOJ Handling of Fast and Furious Aftermath Was So Bad, They Have Now Resorted to the Unthinkable: Full Disclosure

By Monique Chartier | December 4, 2011 |

Now that it has become abundantly clear that President Obama’s Department of Justice lied was inaccurate to Congress in its formal statement about Operation Fast and Furious, DOJ has taken the unusual step of up-ending their internal correspondence box on the matter. (Naturally, they did so Friday – that being the best day, media-attention-wise, to…

Why Does ProCAP Have 58 Employees? And Why Did They Have 120 Last Year???

By Monique Chartier | November 29, 2011 |

For this post and the prior, I’ve been tempted to create a new A.R. category: “Shady Quangos”. It is not difficult to imagine that ProCAP is not the only government funded non-profit which spends its tax dollars in questionable ways. Today, we add to the list of troubling practices at ProCAP. Further to my concerns…

So If the Governor Holds a Hanukkah Celebration at the State House, Will He Call it the “Candle Holiday”?

By Monique Chartier | November 29, 2011 |

… at which he displays a candelabra rather than a menorah? In view of his renaming of this event, Governor Chafee is facing criticism from State Representatives for calling the annual tree lighting in the state house a “holiday” tree lighting instead of a Christmas tree lighting. the Governor should clarify how far he believes…