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Dear Scal1024,

For, I believe the third time, I agree with you.

Over 70% of the school budget does go to salaries, benefits and pensions.

That's why "The Corrente Plan" has pension reform that calls for VOLUNTARY PENSION BUYOUTS. It saved the State of Texas almost a billion dollars and the same idea could save big money for Warwick as well, and since it would be VOLUNTARY, only the retirees that wanted cash-now would participate, making it a win-win situation.

Plus, I believe that no one has ever sat down with our health benefits provider and ATTEMPTED to renegotiate our health benefits. I used to handle the Blue Cross benefits for my mortgage company and the 51 employees that were involved and I can testify that handing Blue Cross a blank check and telling them to fill in any amount they want is the biggest financial mistake ANY organization can make. They didn't become a multi-billion dollar organization by "undercharging" its' subscribers. I know that there are money-saving options that are there for the asking. It's just that no one has ever "asked". You know me Scal. You know I won't be shy about asking, and if there is an option that saves money for our present and past employees and IF they decide to take that option, that decision will SAVE MONEY FOR WARWICK TAXPAYERS as well as the employee. In my experiences, after countless hours of due diligence with Blue Cross, offering an option to my employees that had a larger co-pay and a higher deductible saved them so much money on the premium payment that 99% of my employees opted for it. I did as well. We calculated that unless you went to the hospital over three times every year, you were saving money, and Scal, when the employees portion decreases, so does the employers. That's the part that is paid for by the TAXPAYERS.

Your questions about costs, and how many schools and teachers are going to be cut are very valid. I totally agree with you that Warwick NEEDS a long term plan. Mine is subject to revision as people like you add their opinions, but at least I have a starting point. I have the basis of a long term plan, and I invite you to participate in its evolution.

These are some of the things that separate me from my opponent. I haven't heard ANYTHING about "a long term plan" from him. Have you? "The Corrente Plan" has been on my web site for almost three years now.

What's YOUR opinion of a "Home Rule Charter" Scal? Don't you agree that taxpayers deserve to know where their School Committee is spending their money. A Home Rule Charter would give our City Council the right to ask and report that information to the 80,000 taxpayers that are paying the tab. Without it, they can't! Every member of the City Council has complained that they "don't get a straight answer" from The School Committee. Can you see anything wrong with the City Council being more involved in the decision-making process? I personally, don't. And one more thing that we agree on; Warwick DOES "have some amazing teachers" as you say, doesn't it?

Happy Summer Scal1024.

Happy Summer everyone.

Rick Corrente

The Taxpayers Mayor