Warwick taxpayers can’t afford ‘Warsox’

Posted 10/29/15

To the Editor:

In the Sept. 11 Warwick Beacon, Mayor Avedisian proposed that the bankrupt McCoy Stadium/Pawtucket Red Sox should no longer drain the tax dollars of the Pawtucket or Providence …

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Warwick taxpayers can’t afford ‘Warsox’

Posted

To the Editor:

In the Sept. 11 Warwick Beacon, Mayor Avedisian proposed that the bankrupt McCoy Stadium/Pawtucket Red Sox should no longer drain the tax dollars of the Pawtucket or Providence taxpayers. Mayor Avedisian said he wants to relocate the PawSox to Warwick and shift that tax burden over to the Warwick taxpayers with “tax stabilization agreements” just like what he said he is doing with the City Centre development. He claims he sent an offer letter to the late James Skeffington but didn’t hear back from him because he died (May 2015). He said he figured Warwick should “throw something out”. Those were his exact words. Patti Doyle, spokesperson for the owners, disagrees. She told the Beacon she knew nothing about any letter from the Mayor. 

Hey, Mr. Mayor, Warwick taxpayers tell me every day that they actually do need to “throw something out.” They’re telling me it’s you! They say you spend their hard earned tax dollars like it was monopoly money. Please stop doing that to the Warwick taxpayers! They deserve better. They deserve better than you. 

1. You allowed the R.I. Airport Corporation to buy over 100 houses for the airport expansion. No money paid to the city. No rent. No Payment-In-Lieu-Of-Taxes (PILOT) like with other airports in other cities, nothing. Just take it. Warwick lost millions of dollars in real estate tax dollars forever, and now, the rest of us have to pay much higher real estate taxes to make up for the lost tax revenue. Warwick taxpayers gained air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, and higher taxes. That didn’t benefit anyone in Warwick. Not one. Except maybe you. The RIAC must be real happy with you. You gave them everything they wanted. They must have expressed their appreciation to you somehow. In the last 10 years Warwick has lost 4,666 businesses. This July another one was forced to close. “The Airport Valet” on Post Road was squeezed out by the RIAC because they want a monopoly on airport parking revenue. And did you contact the RIAC to help the owner, Bob Horlbogen save his business that he worked on tirelessly since 1993? No, of course not. You could have fought for him. You didn’t. Mr. Mayor, 5,800 taxpayers have moved out of Warwick in the last 10 years and you have done absolutely nothing to stop that trend. Why? Why haven’t you ever offered any plan to attract any new taxpayers or businesses since you became Mayor? There’s nothing printed in The Beacon. There’s no quotes from you; no ideas, nothing at all. I propose a $1,000 tax rebate check to anyone who moves into Warwick and becomes a homeowner. I propose a $2,000 rebate check to anyone who opens a new, full scale business in Warwick. That will increase demand on Warwick real estate, increase our property values, increase the number of taxpayers, and help us re-populate our schools so we won’t have to keep closing them. If you have a better idea or any idea at all, let’s hear it! 

2. You have made it so cost-prohibitive to build in Warwick that the R.I. Builders Association sued the city and won a $50,000 settlement that Warwick Taxpayers had to pay. Your solution? A one percent reduction in building permit fees to “stimulate construction.” One percent? Are you joking? That won’t stimulate anything but laughter! I suggest we have a two-year moratorium on all building permit fees. What we lose once in permit fees we will make up many times over in future tax revenue year after year. If you have a better idea, let’s hear it! 

3. You have a hands-off policy on the $160,000,000 school budget (that Warwick Taxpayers pay for). The City Council didn’t even know the details of the budget until the day after they were required to vote on it. I know. I was at the budget hearings. I felt I needed to be there, because $160,000,000 is more than half of Warwick’s total tax revenue. You didn’t attend because you decided to go on vacation. If you were there you could have done something. Commentary. Opinion. Advice...something! It’s $160,000,000 of the taxpayers’ money, damn it. They deserve for you to do…something! Instead, you left town. Worst possible decision you could have made. Next year, if you have a better idea, let’s hear it! 

4. You and you alone negotiate the fire and police contracts with absolutely no transparency to the Warwick Taxpayers. Total secrecy. No one else; including the City Council Members who represent the people who are paying the tab. Just you. It reminds me of the Martin Scorsese film “Gangs of New York.” In it, a guy named William M. Tweed ran New York’s Tammany Hall in the 19th century. They used secret back-room negotiations to drain the taxpayers’ dollars while Tweeds’ political cronies were allowed free reign over the city. Bring in the City Council and the suspicion of wrongdoing will go away. You haven’t done that in 15 years but you still can, and it will help you defeat me in the 2016 elections. Here is a way you can really serve the 80,000 citizens of Warwick. And you can take the credit for it. And, if you have a better idea, let’s hear it! 

5. In mid-July the Mayor was caught hiring “at least 19 summer labor jobs without posting or advertising them.” In the Warwick Beacon of July 15th, on the front page, he said “going forward, the jobs would be advertised.” Then, a few days later, he hired his third chief-of-staff in one year and didn’t bother to post that lucrative ($100,000+-yr. plus benefits plus pension) job either. He had just promised to change his ways and the very next job went unadvertised. Who has to pay for these salaries, benefits and lifetime pension benefits? That’s right, the Warwick taxpayers. Are you sick of this? I am. It’s gut wrenching and the mayor just doesn’t have a better way. 

Margaret Thatcher once said, “The problem with government is that eventually you run out of spending everyone else’s money.” There are 80,000 people left in Warwick. I meet them every day. I have yet to meet one, just one, that doesn’t feel greatly overtaxed. I have yet to meet one, just one, that doesn’t feel that the Mayor spends our tax dollars “like it was monopoly money.” I am running for mayor in the November 2016 elections. My supporters have advised me not to “show my hand”. They say that the mayor will change his policy just to win the election. I will gladly take that chance because either way, the Warwick taxpayer comes out ahead. I am making a total commitment to the Warwick taxpayer. I challenge you, Mr. Mayor, to do the same. Cut taxes. Cut spending. Make Warwick a better place. If you don’t, after the elections, I promise, I will. 

Richard Corrente 

Democrat for Mayor 2016

Comments

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  • allent

    Don't see how a Democrat for mayor would solve anything.

    Thursday, October 29, 2015 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    Don't vote in any mayor next year. Or council, or school committee.

    We don't need local government. Let things fall as they will.

    Friday, October 30, 2015 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Justanidiot,

    Now that's an idea! I agree that we have too much government. I don't think er should have "no government" as you suggest but we certainly would be more efficient and less costly to the taxpayers if we had "less". So you're on the right track.

    Thanks for reading.

    Richard Corrente

    Democrat for Mayor - 2016

    Friday, October 30, 2015 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear hepdog,

    I appreciate your comment but I have a question for you. If you don't see a Democrat solving anything, do you think the present Republican has any solutions? Except for 15 years of tax increases; except for the loss of 5,800 taxpayers and 4,666 businesses in the last 10 years alone? Except for all of the other issues I wrote about? Are those "solutions"?

    Let's face it, with our City Council being 8 Democrats and only 1 Republican, a Democratic Mayor couldn't hurt. I might not be able to "solve everything" but I'm confident that I will have a better record than our present Mayor. Could I do any worse?

    Hope this helps.

    Richard Corrente

    Democrat for Mayor - 2016

    Friday, October 30, 2015 Report this

  • Reality

    Hey Richard......your buddies Vella-Wilkinson, Travis etc. voted for the contracts. I agree Avedisian is a disaster but your buddies of Camille, Donna, Usler and Ladoseur have done nothing regarding fire dept overtime, retirement healthcare etc. and Richard you say nothing.

    You can't have it both ways Corrente.

    Friday, October 30, 2015 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Reality,

    You're right! You can't have it both ways. But, to be honest, I haven't asked for that. As far as the issues you mention, please read my platform. I do have a plan. If you read it, (correntemayorwarwick.com) I think you will agree with most, if not all, of it.The candidate without a plan,for 15 years in a row, is a man named Avedisian.

    I continue to meet with people in the fire department and I'm learning facts that you should know.

    1. The City Council didn't negotiate those contracts. The Mayor did. Solely.

    2. As far as the overtime, some of it (maybe even much of it) was federally funded training that is paid by a federal grant called "The Safer Grant" (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response), which costs the Warwick taxpayer nothing. It is unfairly listed on the city books as "overtime" when it should have been listed as "training pay". I'm still learning from the many firefighters I'm speaking to and here's what I do know. They all want greater transparency, just like I do. I believe that, when I'm elected, we can bridge the gap between "politics" and "people" in the Warwick Fire Dept. Please stay tuned.

    Sunday, November 1, 2015 Report this

  • Reality

    Hey Richard,

    It’s amazing to me how much you still have to learn after all the council meetings you’ve attended. Haven’t you been listening?

    The Safer Grant you are referring to is used to hire additional firemen so their overtime can be reduced. The last 3 fire chiefs namely Chartier, Sullivan and Armstrong have said for years let us hire more firemen and our overtime costs will go down. The reverse has happened. Fire Dept overtime goes up every year into the millions of dollars. At budget time the fire dept comes in with the same excuses of why their overtime keeps going up and your friends on the council aka Vella-Wilkinson and Travis say nothing. Usler doesn’t know what page she is on so you can’t expect anything from her and Ladoseur is saving his budget cutting to take on the public regarding damage to their cars because of potholes.

    Fire Dept. overtime is caused by the minimum manning provision in their contract that you haven’t told us Richard what you intend to do about it. The Safer Grant is only good for a couple of years so tell us Richard what you are going to do about the structural deficit is the fire dept. Will you be doing what Fall River did when their Safer Grant expired i.e. lay off firefighters?

    I’m glad the firefighters want transparency so why don’t you visit with senior citizens and let them know even though they aren’t getting a COLA raise in social security this year, the retired firemen will get a 3% COLA increase in their retirement checks. Also, let the seniors know as they struggle to pay their health care bills, retired fireman and their spouse pay nothing for their healthcare.

    I hope Richard you start doing your homework before you compose another letter.

    Monday, November 2, 2015 Report this

  • RISchadenfreude

    Avedesian's at the point in his career where he's just phoning it in; he plans to run for Representative or Senator and doesn't care about the city anymore- he's counting on RI voters to be just as out of touch as they were when they "promoted" Cicilline and ignored the mess he made of Providence.

    Tuesday, November 3, 2015 Report this

  • Reality

    Hey Richard,

    I failed to elaborate on your statement " the Mayor negotiated the contracts solely." Again ,Richard it demonstrates your lack of understanding about the role the City Council plays in contract negotiations.

    Thanks to Council Solomon who had the City Council pass an ordinance years ago, the City Council can or cannot ratify the contracts the Mayor enters into with the unions.

    Your buddies namely, Vella-Wilkinson, Travis, Usler and Ladoseur all voted a few months ago to ratify the latest contracts the Mayor entered into. There wasn't an objection from your gang regarding any provisions of the contract.

    Sorry Richard.....you're still trying to have it both ways but the are voters who won't allow you to get away with it.

    Tuesday, November 3, 2015 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Reality,

    As you know, I wasn't referring to all of the overtime, just that part of it covered by the Safer Grant. Please don't misquote me. It hurts your credibility, not mine. Also, you accuse me of not doing my homework even though you credit me with going to "all those city council meetings". (In fact, my attendance record is better than some of the City Council members.) You "can't have it both ways" Roger. You can't accuse me of not doing homework and in the very same sentence give prove that I have! I do appreciate your "transparency" comment though. I think you and I can agree that more is better.

    As far as the city contracts that are negotiated solely by the Mayor; you are absolutely right. They are only "ratified" by the City Council. In my administration, the Council will be part of the actual negotiations. After all, they represent the people paying the tab, the Warwick taxpayers.

    Take good care.

    Rick

    Tuesday, November 3, 2015 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear RISchadenfreude,

    You stated that Avedisian is "at a point in his career where he's just phoning it in." I personally don't give him that much credit based on what I have observed at City Council meetings, grand openings etc., but...maybe. Here's what I do know. He has an enormous interest in RIPTA. I wonder if he's working there as well as here. I wonder if he has a "golden parachute" job waiting for him there. I wonder if he's receiving compensation from RIPTA and the City of Warwick at the same time. I wonder why RIPTA seems to own the dock at Rocky Point but nothing else. I wonder. Here's something else I am sure of. We won't know the whole story until after the elections. Still, I wonder.

    As far as Scott "phoning it in", I have been told that he does much more than that by several city hall insiders that keep me informed. In fact they tell me he does almost twice as much! Sometimes he even shows up. Not often, but sometimes.

    I personally don't see him running for Representative or Senator but you're right, he just "doesn't care about the city anymore".

    Thanks for your thoughts. Keep writing.

    Stay well,

    Richard Corrente

    Democrat for Mayor - 2016

    Tuesday, November 3, 2015 Report this

  • Reality

    Hey Richard,

    You said a lot but you didn’t answer my questions so let me placed them in a yes or no format :

    1) Will you eliminate the minimum manning provision in the fire dept contract ?

    2) Will you ask for a copay for retired city workers for their healthcare?

    3) Will you stop the colas in the pension plans and let the unions take you to court?

    4) Will you name the city councilor who has missed all those meetings?

    5) Will you share with us why the City Council will begin to question the contracts awarded by the Mayor when now there only been 2 councilors that every raise concerns ?

    Just answer yes or no to the questions…..we don’t need spin.

    Tuesday, November 3, 2015 Report this

  • falina

    You don't get it. Warwick is a union city... Full of union city workers, firefighters, police, teachers, nurses and private unions like Teamsters and Electrical/ Phone company Union members, as well as Union retirees. Avedisian panders to the union vote and gives the city unions whatever they want. As long as he does this he will continue to be elected as long as he chooses.

    Tuesday, November 3, 2015 Report this

  • marie_hopkins

    Actually, Avedesian FOUGHT against the airport expansion for almost a decade! He was out-gunned at the Federal Level. Get your facts straight. AND, John, maybe a disclaimer on "opinion" articles that misrepresent "facts" ?!?!

    Additonally, the mayor of this city has no control - zip, zilch,nada, over the school budget... that is established by committee. Again, know your facts before you diseminate nonsense.

    I live in Warwick, and I do not feel over-taxed. Living here is much cheaper than many communities in RI.

    Your $1k and $2k ideas are hysterical at best.

    Wednesday, November 4, 2015 Report this

  • RISchadenfreude

    Richard,

    When you say he has an "interest" in RIPTA, do you mean financial, i.e.; stock holdings, board member, etc., or does he just fancy public transit drivers like Walt Whitman did? If RIPTA seems to "own" the RP Pier, perhaps he envisions some kind of ferry service in the future. As far as compensation is concerned, his financials are a matter of public record, are they not? That disclosure should be provided for, although we all know how that works in RI- no one thinks a union attorney on the General Assembly is a conflict of interest, either...Ohhhh, the humanity...

    Thursday, November 5, 2015 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Reality,

    Come on Roger. You're not trying to get answers. You're trying to set me up. Any of your questions could be a yes OR a no depending on circumstances. If it costs my taxpayers a dollar to save two, then the right answer is yes. If it costs a dollar to save sixty cents then the same set of circumstances would require a no. And then you could say Corrente lied back in November!!

    Take a lesson from your buddy Rob Cote. He said the car tax was wrong AND HERE IS A BETTER IDEA!!!! You say EVERYTHING is wrong but you never offer a better idea. Never once. I have an idea. Think of a better plan about anything and call me at 401-338-9900. I promise I will listen to any rational thought. Otherwise your complaints are, in "Reality", just a useless waste of the readers time. Is that what you want?

    Friday, November 6, 2015 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Falina,

    Thank you Falina, for "talking about the elephant in the room". I have met with many of the union leaders you speak of. I have learned that they and I are on the same page in many areas. They want greater transparency just as much as I do! When I become Mayor we will eliminate all the rumors, innuendo, gossip etc. and just deal with the facts in a clear, cards-on-the-table, TRANSPARENT way and report everything (that the law allows) to the taxpayers that are paying to tab. For example, a common complaint is that there is too much overtime. I have learned that many of the hours that were paid for by the feds for training were, for some stupid reason, listed as "overtime". "Training" isn't "overtime" and unfairly makes the union look like they are abusing the system. I will make this issue VERY TRANSPARENT! Let's be fair, when it all comes out, we will know the truth. Some of it will make the unions look like they were the victims, and if that is the case we need to admit it and improve our attitude toward "them".

    Keep writing Falina. Your words have wisdom.

    Stay well,

    Richard Corrente

    Democrat for Mayor - 2016

    Friday, November 6, 2015 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Mrsrile72,

    Even the Mayor agrees that he completely failed to get what other city's got in PILOTs (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes). And you are absolutely right. He has said on many occasions that he has "no control over the school dept. budget". But that doesn't mean he should be totally uninvolved! That is the main reason we have such a disconnect. I will show that I care about the students. I will attend meetings the Mayor doesn't have time for. I will meet with the unions, the teachers, the parents and the taxpayers, in fact I already have! I will listen to them and offer my input. The school dept. has autonomy but not final decision. That still belongs to the people paying the tab; the taxpayers. I believe that a $160,000,000 budget should NEVER be voted on by the City Council the day before the members see the details of it. That's what is happening now. Is that fair to the Council? Is that fair to the students? The Teachers? The Taxpayers? Anyone?

    Mrsrile72, The Mayor "chooses" to be totally uninvolved. No meetings. No opinions. No suggestions. No time invested in the biggest cost factor of the City of Warwick. No feedback. And no cooperative effort. That is the problem. More involvement, more caring, more transparency, and more time and effort is the answer, and I believe that points to me.

    Thanks for your comments Mrsrile72.

    Stay informed.

    Richard Corrente

    Democrat for Mayor - 2016

    Friday, November 6, 2015 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear RISchadenfreude,

    I like you. And I also like the comparison to Walt Whitman. As far as the Mayors "interest" in RIPTA, all I know is there IS one! He spoke about it in his inaugural address last January. I know. I was there. I kept wondering why he was spending so much time speaking about that responsibility when he just got re-elected to handle the City of Warwick and the mammoth responsibility that goes along with that! But he did! He went on and on saying how Lincoln Chafee asked him to "help out" and how he "couldn't say "No."". It was all very enlightening and entertaining, but I don't think we will ever know the whole truth. Just mark my words: he HAS an interest in RIPTA! And I'm sure, as you say, that it's not a "conflict of interest. Of course not! Not one bit!" "Ohhhh - the humanity!"

    Really nice hearing from you RISchadenfreude.

    Keep writing. The Beacon Readers, I am sure, enjoy reading your comments.

    Happy Thanksgiving.

    Richard Corrente

    Democrat for Mayor - 2016

    Friday, November 6, 2015 Report this