Providence

Providence Teacher Layoffs: The Era of Cutting Begins?

By Marc Comtois | February 25, 2011 |

It’s been explained again and again that the pink slips are a technical response to fiscal realities. Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped the hyperbolic rhetoric from continuing to flow from Providence teacher union leadership once the pink slips were issued. (I guess once we heard the Pearl Harbor reference, we shouldn’t have been surprised). To act…

Providence Pink Slips II

By Marc Comtois | February 24, 2011 |

The ProJo has more on the Providence School district sending pink slips to all teachers. Basically, it was Mayor Angel Taveras’ call based on economic reality and trying to have as much flexibility as possible. The mayor said the unprecedented move was necessary because of the depth of the financial crisis facing the city and…

Pink Slips in Providence

By Marc Comtois | February 23, 2011 |

Julia Steiny reminded us that it was the time of year when pink slips would rain down. Boy, did they ever in Providence where every teacher is slated to be “laid off”. Well, not really–not all of the teachers will be fired. It’s just a way for the Providence school district to enable the greatest…

Comparison: Firefighter Disability Pension Rates

By Marc Comtois | February 15, 2011 |

Following up: So what are some of the firefighter disability rates across the country? Well, the Boston FD rate of 74% between 2005-07 is known around here. Similarly, New York City had a disability rate of 72% between 2004-2009 (62% rate in 2000, pre-9/11~and the NYPD was at 19%) while Chicago FD was at 25%.…

59% Of Providence Fire Pensions are “Disability”

By Marc Comtois | February 15, 2011 |

WPRI reports: Accidental disability pensions awarded to Providence firefighters will account for more than half the $29 million the department spends on pension payments this year, according to an analysis of payroll records by WPRI.com. City records show 438 firefighters or their families got a taxpayer-funded pension payment in January, the most recent month for…

Attention, Drunk Drivers: The City of Providence Welcomes You

By Monique Chartier | February 7, 2011 |

Kudos to NBC 10 for exposing this. Rossignol said the officer at the scene told her that no one was available to give the other driver a breath test. “I couldn’t believe it. And I said, ‘Well, can you get someone who is certified for a Breathalyzer?’ And he said nobody is certified right now…

The Current Administration and the Mayoral Candidates on Which City of Providence Accounts are the Reserve Accounts

By Carroll Andrew Morse | October 28, 2010 |

I contacted Karen Watts, the communications director for the City of Providence, to ask which city accounts should be counted as the reserve funds that the Cicilline administration claims contain $30 million, given that the City Auditor claims there are only $4.6 million in the reserves and provided specific account numbers and balances in support…

“…it appears the city of Providence is bankrupt or close to it and that you are deliberately hiding this fact…”

By Monique Chartier | October 27, 2010 |

The following letter, dated yesterday, was in my in-box this morning. I have some questions. The City Auditor had to file a Freedom of Information request with Mayor Cicilline in order to obtain basic information about the city’s finances?? Why wouldn’t the mayor just give it to the auditor, seeing that he’s … well, the…

Which City of Providence Accounts are the Reserve Accounts?

By Carroll Andrew Morse | October 25, 2010 |

Philip Marcelo‘s story on Providence City Auditor James Lombardi’s memo expressing “grave concern regarding the financial stability” of Providence is running in today’s Projo. The memo addresses several issues, one of which concerns the reserve fund that the City is supposed to maintain. According to the memo, the balance in the “reserve contingency funds cash…

And Let’s Not Forget the Mayor’s Prior Check Incident

By Monique Chartier | September 9, 2010 |

Under my post about the new check situation involving the mayor, Tommy Cranston reminds us of the first, infamous check matter, this one also with the City of Providence triangulated in but starring both of the Cicilline brothers. the 75K check Yeah. Remind me: did that get paid back to the city? Right. Now, regardless…