By PEDER SCHAEFER Devastating. Horrible. Crazy. Heartbroken. That's the way mentors for Mentor Rhode Island responded after hearing the Warwick School Committee cut all funding for the mentorship program, which pairs mentors and mentees across Warwick's
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Devastating. Horrible. Crazy. Heartbroken.
That’s the way mentors for Mentor Rhode Island responded after hearing the Warwick School Committee cut all funding for the mentorship program, which pairs mentors and mentees across Warwick’s school system to provide support, advice, and friendship to 160 kids around the city.
“It would be horrible if the program were to end,” said Doug Schobel, a mentor of 10 different kids over 17 years through the Mentor RI program. “It’s crazy, and I’ve got three kids in the school system and I can tell you, even before having kids in the school system, the effect it’s had on the kids is enormous. In a mentor they have an unconditional friend.”
“I was heartbroken and devastated when I heard,” said Marcy Downey, a mentor for 22 years with six different kids via Mentor RI. “I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact this program has had on underserved children in the Warwick schools. A lot of these kids come from difficult backgrounds.” Mentor RI started in 1990 in Warwick, with a group of 10 students from Drum Rock Elementary school paired with 10 mentors from MetLife insurance. From there the program grew into the 160 mentor-mentee pairs that the organization helps maintain in Warwick today. Mentor RI helps recruit new mentors, trains them to support their mentees, matches them with a student who share similar interests, and then provides ongoing support to help the relationship between mentor and mentee run smoothly, be that alerting the school to a mentee who might need additional help, or helping to schedule better meeting times. On top of that, Mentor RI hosts gatherings in the beginning, middle, and end of the school year to celebrate the mentorship program and the benefits it provides to students, teachers, and the entire school community.
The Warwick School Committee cut the program after they received $1.5 million of the $8 million budget increase that they had requested from the city council. The School Committee ended up cutting $6.5 million from their budget, and the $102,000 Mentor RI program found its way to the chopping block.
“It hadn't even been discussed that the program may be cut, and we were surprised when it happened,” said Jo-Ann Schofield, the president and CEO of Mentor RI, on Wednesday. “We saw that the budget recommendations going in from the superintendent initially showed us at full funding.”
The $102,000 that the city puts toward Mentor RI every year only funds the Warwick mentoring program, even though many other cities and towns throughout Rhode Island have mentoring programs of their own through Mentor RI.
“To coordinate a mentoring program with 160 kids and 160 mentors is extremely labor intensive,” said Schofield, explaining where that $102,000 goes every year. “In disclosure, I don’t know how I’m going to make payroll in two weeks… As of right now I don’t know how we can run a mentor program without any funding.”
Mentor RI operates on a $720,000 budget, and the $102,000 cut represents a loss of about 15 percent of the total budget.
“We have an emergency board meeting coming up this Monday, July 30,” said Schofield. “I don’t know if we’ll come up with any other ideas at that point. I just don’t know what to do.”
Schobel’s been the mentor of Luke, now a senior at Pilgrim High School, since the second grade. While their mentoring relationship at first started in the classroom, with sessions organized by Mentor RI, over the years their relationship has become strong enough that now Luke and Schobald meet at the gym once or twice a week.
“‘Some of these kids are coming from backgrounds where the one role model they have in their life is their mentor,” said Schobel. “It’ll have a terrible effect on the kids in our community.”
Aside from being a mentor, Schobel was also a dancer at Mentor RI’s fundraiser, Dancing with the Stars of Mentoring, last year.
“I’m devastated,” said Gail Gavin, another long term mentor for Mentor RI. “I’ve reached out to my councilman, basically saying can you honestly say yourself [that] you’ve never had a mentor, and now you’re taking mentors from these kids.”
Gavin said the most rewarding part of the experience is “just to see them grow as a child, and to see them grow as a person.”
When asked about the Mentor RI program and if the department were to receive additional funding ,Philip Thornton, superintendent of Warwick schools, said “mentoring for me is right up there, it’s very high on the list.”
Mayor Joseph Solomon was disappointed with the cut, saying that because of the efforts of volunteers “it’s [the program] almost a freebie.”
“It’s not fair to our kids,” said Schofield. “We have mentors and mentees that have been meeting for five years. Like at our middle school program, more than 60 percent of those kids have been meeting with their mentors for five years or more. So these are ongoing relationships that the kids are counting on.”
Another path to continuing the program, and one that a number of School Committee members have brought up, is that mentors, since they are volunteers, could go on their own to meet their kids, without oversight from Mentor RI. But according to Schofield, that’s easier said than done.
“That’s a problem because parents need to sign off every year, and every volunteer in the school needs to get a background check every year,” said Schofield. “So if we have 160 people just showing up at the front offices of school I think it’s first, a safety issue, and second, the required documentation won’t be in place for that to happen.”
“Everyone’s heart is with their mentees and so anyway to continue that [relationship] is what [mentors] are going to do,” said Schobel. But, on the other hand, Schobel mentioned the current structure and “everyone in one room” format of the current middle school program being a major plus. As the program is currently structured in Warwick, in all middle schools with a mentoring program all the mentor and mentees meet in one room, once a week, providing a safe social structure for the kids to feel comfortable.
“It’s a great consistent structure, with all of the mentors and mentees in the same room,” said Schobel. That type of structure would disappear if Mentor RI was no longer there to organize the program.
About continuing the mentoring program with no oversight from Mentor RI, Downey, a long-time mentor said, “We can’t do that. We mentors go through workshops and training. I can’t just show up at a school. I have no right to be there. But walking in with the Mentor RI program behind me gives me that authority.”
Data backs up the positive benefits mentorship provides. According to results of an end-of-year survey done by Mentor RI for their Warwick mentees, 81 teacher respondents reported that 66 percent of mentees had improved attendance, 91 percent showed improvement in one core subject, and 95 percent showed greater self confidence.
“I wouldn’t want to be on the school committee, I wouldn’t want to be on the city council,” said Schofield. “I understand they have really difficult decisions which need to be made, but in the meantime what about the kids? The number of kids who have been touched by this program is literally in the thousands.”
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richardcorrente
First I have to defend the City Council.
They said "No." to a request from the School Committee for millions of dollars MORE! It wasn't the City Councils fault the School Committee ran out of money! AFTER the School Committee burned through a budget of over $160,000,000! AFTER the School Committee received over $160,000,000, they went back and said they needed MORE!!. The School Committee tried to blame the City Council for their own mismanagement and, at the same time, they want ANOTHER $40,000,000 in the form of a bond and they STILL refuse to be accountable for where and how they spend these taxpayers dollars. We hear about a new "Asst. Principal of Climate and Culture" and a new "Asst. Principal of Teaching and Learning" and then they lay off dozens more needed teachers and take away critical funding like the Mentor Rhode Island Program, while still refusing to even have a "Clerk-of-the-Works" for the $40,000,000 bond request to show taxpayers how that money would be spent. Doug Schobel is right. It's DEVASTATING, HORRIBLE, CRAZY AND HEARTBROKEN.
Here's the problem: 5 members of the School Committee control over ONE AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS OF TAXPAYERS MONEY SINCE 2009. They haven't EVER been accountable to the taxpayers. They REALLY need to be. An independent audit, from an outside firm, NOT SELECTED BY THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE, with all results published in the Warwick Beacon would help.
Here is the solution: A Home Rule Charter!
It will allow our City Council to be part of the decision making process and build in a system of checks and balances that will finally develop trust in the Warwick School Committee. A fool-proof program? No. But a much, much improved idea over the one we have now! As Mayor, I will strongly support a Home Rule Charter. Warwick is one of the few cities or towns in Rhode Island that still doesn't have one. Even Richmond has a Home Rule Charter. Shouldn't Warwick?
Happy Summer everyone.
Rick Corrente
The Taxpayers Mayor
Thursday, July 26, 2018 Report this
Justanidiot
gibs da negotianing power to the city council and gets rid of the skul bored then.
Thursday, July 26, 2018 Report this
Scal1024
Of the billion and half dollars that Rick Corrente talks about the School Committee spending: How much of that money is going toward teacher salaries and benefits? The answer is over 70%. Rick Corrente doesn't want to talk about that aspect of this problem, because it goes against all of the pandering he's been doing to the Warwick Teachers Union. Warwick has some amazing teachers. This isn't their fault. In my honest opinion some of their leadership has really let them down the last decade plus. As long as people like Rick Corrente ignore the real problems, and until people actually address those, we are going to be stuck in this same holding pattern. It is political suicide to call for increasing teacher health care costs, or layoffs. Thats the reality.
The school committee does bare blame in this because they may not have negotiated past contracts (some of them have), but they had a chance negotiating this one. The overall problems have been happening over decades, and will take years to correct, that is if they are corrected at all. As I said I believe there are great teachers in Warwick, but with the budget realities this city is facing, if there were ever a time to hold off on raises it was now. I understand it is a give and take process, and getting a deal done needed to happen to avoid more years of gridlock. I do think its fair to ask questions over what was negotiated. Where do the costs slow down? How many more schools will close? Teachers will be layed off? These are critical questions that should be answered with some kind of long term plan.
Thursday, July 26, 2018 Report this
CrickeeRaven
Scal, we are again witness to the foolishness of the make-believe mayor. He repeats the "billion and a half" figure only to scare readers -- and as you correctly point out, only tells part of the story. Well over 70 percent of the budget goes toward salaries and benefits, and $5 million of this year's requested $6 million increase were for those salaries.
Now that the city council has said 'no' -- a decision the make-believe mayor defends -- the school committee must now fund those salaries and benefits first from the remaining budget.
The rest of his comment is just more regurgitated nonsense and lies that have already been thoroughly disproven: The school budget is audited every year by the same independent third-party auditing firm that reviews the city's books, and Warwick has a Legislative Charter, which is exactly the same as a Home Rule Charter except in name and in the function of the city council, i.e., the legislature.
So, yet again, the make-believe mayor's claimed "solutions" are nothing but slogans that he feels are somehow more relevant the more he repeats them -- but they are not. They -- and he -- are less relevant with every passing day and with each new comment he posts on this website.
On Sept. 12, there will be thousands of honest, taxpaying voter who will know enough about his lies to overwhelmingly reject his candidacy again.
Thursday, July 26, 2018 Report this
Cat2222
The Corrente Plan is a dud.. Even if he were to get his Home Rule Charter (which isn't necessary) he would still have to pay the teachers and that would take up the bulk of the budget. The money wouldn't miraculously be there to meet all the needs. It would still involve making tough decisions. The WSC isn't the villain in this story so strop trying to lay all the blame at their feet. It took an entire city and decades to come to this point and it will take this entire city (and hopefully not another decade) to get it back on track.
Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this
CrickeeRaven
If the make-believe mayor has proven anything about himself, it's that his delusional ideas are surpassed only by his stubbornness.
He has tried to portray the school committee as villains, as you rightly note, by ignoring the two years of work-to-rule, pickets, and sick-outs by the union [which a judge termed an illegal strike and ordered the WTU to stop]. He has pretended that none of that happened, and repeated several false statements, over and over again, because somehow he thinks that this helps his standing with the WTU.
But here's the truth of the matter: It doesn't. None of the WTU leadership has ever -- ever -- made a public statement in favor of the make-believe mayor's fake story about the recent contract situation.
As Thecaptain will tell you, a majority of Warwick teachers don't even live in the city, so they couldn't vote for him.
Yet the make-believe mayor continues to push his lies -- like the "new" assistant principal positions that were not actually new hires -- as if they will magically come true if he repeats them enough.
One detail that seems to be left unsaid in all of this is that, while the school committee issued 71 layoff notices in February, they can not actually take effect until the three elementary schools are consolidated -- so, in effect, the school budget is carrying $7.1 million in salaries and benefits [using a conservative estimate of $100,000 per teacher] that can not be taken off the books while the schools remain open.
The make-believe mayor, as is typical for him, simply ignores the fact that the school committee has to draft and pass a budget based on current conditions [including the contract it negotiated with the WTU that allows the school board to exceed the prior limit of 20 layoffs], and can not count on the $7.1 million in potential savings that the consolidation will provide.
Thank you for showing the make-believe mayor that he will not get away with trying to fool honest, taxpaying voters in Warwick. I look forward to joining you and thousands of our neighbors in rejecting his candidacy again on Sept. 12.
Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this
patientman
Sounds like a good program and the city gets a lot for a small investment. Hold a series of bake sale and cut wages. Cities broke and taxpayers have just gotten hit with a max tax increase. Have the cities services gotten 4.25% better, no. Cut spending, deserves gotten nothing to do with it.
Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this
richardcorrente
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
Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this
Justanidiot
master mayer, tank you for yer arts of the dull approach to governing
Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this
Scal1024
For what is now probably the 20th time...
Rick, a voluntary pension buyout WILL NOT WORK. Let's say an employee will make $50,000 a year from their pension, plus a $30,000 cost for their health care benefits. An employee isn't going to permanently opt out of a $50,000 a year pension thats GUARANTEED for a 1 time lump sum payment. How much would that lump sum payment cost when 1 year of that employees pension payments = over $50,000. Lets just do simple math Rick, in 4 years that pension is worth $200,000. That is only a 4 year sample, from ONE EMPLOYEE. Start multiplying that out by hundreds of retirees and the math doesn't work. Are you going to offer each employee $1 million each to opt out? When you talk about "it worked for Texas" you ignore MANY FACTORS. 1 being Texas is a right to work state, and its not a city so the amount of money available to them dwarfs any funding Warwick has available. Again Rick,your plan doesn't work based on simple math. Where is your math showing me how it will work? When are you going to tell voters the truth? You haven't spent 30 seconds researching this just like all of your ideas, if you had you would recognize the math doesn't work, the money is NOT there.
A candidate for Mayor should know these things. They should have an idea the amount of money available to them through taxes/revenue. There is no excuse for a candidate to propose a "voluntary pension buyout" that offers ZERO SPECIFICS. He doesn't tell you how much it'll cost, because he doesn't know. He doesn't tell you how he'll pay for it because he doesn't know. He doesn't tell you how it'll save any money BECAUSE HE DOESN'T KNOW. Again, this is just his voluntary pension buyout idea. I could go through every aspect of the "Corrente plan" and find similar holes, and illogical talking points and expose them just as easily. Defend your plans Rick. I showed you my math, where is yours?
Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this
CrickeeRaven
Keep up the good work, Scal. You continually prove the make-believe mayor's statements to be nothing but slogans and delusional ideas.
"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!"
This is a lie. The city council can and does ask questions of the school department every year at public meetings before determining the city's contribution to the schools -- they are prevented by state law from doing anything else, like making line item changes in the school budget. A Home Rule Charter would not change state law, regardless of what the make-believe mayor thinks.
"Can you see anything wrong with the City Council being more involved in the decision-making process? I personally, don't."
Even if there were a way for the city council to have this kind of control over the school department, the first thing they would address is reducing salaries and benefits because they are the largest expense -- meaning the WTU that he claims to support would lose even more.
As I said, Scal, keep up the good work -- the more the make-believe mayor replies to your factual comments with his false statements, the more he is proving his absolute unfitness for office.
Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this
richardcorrente
Dear Scal1024,
You didn't show me the math. You just said that mine won't work. How does Texas being a right to work state have anything to do with a pension buyout? Never mind. It doesn't. It might effect the amount. Most right to work states have smaller pensions, but the theory is the same. If a retiree is interested in a one-time "cash-now" pension buyout, Warwick (or Texas) would send the request to our insurance actuaries. An actuary is a person who analyzes and assesses the risk of each individual request. The insurance people know exactly what number Warwick should offer to the retiree that would benefit Warwick as well as the retiree. If the retiree refuses, no harm. No foul. No cost. If the retiree accepts then both sides benefit. How many will accept? No one knows Scal. That's why it's impossible to predict how much success the program will have. That's also why I designed it so that if even one person accepts, it becomes a win-win for the retiree AND WARWICK! I studied pension buyouts in college (in the 70's) and have spoken to many people involved in the industry over the last few decades. I've learned a lot, and I honestly believe Warwick can benefit from the idea. You said I haven't spent "30 seconds researching this". You're right. It's been well over 40 YEARS.
Do you have questions about any other parts of "the Corrente Plan"? If you do, I will be happy to answer them.
Happy Summer Scal1024,
Happy Summer everyone.
Rick Corrente
The Taxpayers Mayor
Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this
Justanidiot
yeah, da corrente master mayer plan decreases taxes, cuts spending and increases services, all the while bringing bidnesses and home buyers who never ever taught dat warwick was the greatest place to live. da corrente plan is in contention for the pulatzer prize fer fiction
Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this
Scal1024
Rick, you aren't that dumb, ARE YOU? You completely ignore the example I gave which provided an example with it of 1 employee making $50,000 a year. What about the $75,000 a year employee or even $100,000? The Corrente plan is short sighted garbage worth less than the website its printed on. It shows Rick Corrente studied pensions in the 1970's, because his pension buyout plan is dated. A $50,000 a year employee will receive $500,000 over 10 years by doing nothing. A lump sum payment to that retiree will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. That is just 1 employee. If Rick Corrente studied pension buyouts so much in the 1970's why is he so dumb on this topic?
Next false part of the Corrente plan, the "buy a house get a check" idea that Rick Corrente says adds taxes/taxpayers. When a home is for sale, the owner is still paying property taxes on that home. The city does NOT lose the property taxes being paid just because a home is vacant. How would this plan add taxes or taxpayers to the city when property taxes are already being collected on properties for sale? Doesn't this effectively mean Rick Corrente is proposing writing a check to new homebuyers for taxes already being collected? Again Rick, you aren't that DUMB, ARE YOU???? How are we cutting spending when we are writing checks for no reason?
Both of these moves will decrease revenue, and increase city spending. I haven't even mentioned the "cut taxes" portion of Rick Correntes dishonest, ill informed campaign. How will he cut taxes when he's cutting checks to homebuyers, freezing permit fees and writing $1million checks to retirees? The math doesn't work and as we've learned in 4 years math and taxes ARE NOT Rick Correntes specialty. Tax delinquency and pathologically lying are more in line with Correntes values and character. I would love to debate these issues but as we've seen Rick will now run and hide because he is a lying, coward who is so desperate for votes he will say, do, propose ANYTHING to try and get elected. Luckily for honest, hardworking, REAL TAXPAYERS we see right through this fraud.
Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this
CrickeeRaven
Scal, the make-believe mayor can ignore it all he wants, but the fact is you've shredded his "plan" as the collection of delusional ideas and mindless slogans that it is.
Justanidiot has it right, once again -- the make-believe mayor's only skill seems to be writing fiction.
Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this
richardcorrente
Dear Scal1024,
Just because some anonymous critic, with no real name or any credentials, "says" I'm dumb, when I have been studying pensions SINCE the 70's, doesn't necessarily mean that I am. You said that a retiree making $50,000 a year would NOT accept a lump settlement. OK, if he didn't, then no harm, no foul, and no cost to the taxpayer. And Scal, if that settlement check was $3million dollars the City would never go along, but what if there was a number somewhere in the middle calculated by an actuary (NOT you or me) that benefited BOTH sides, wouldn't you be in favor of it? A win-win situation is what I'm proposing Scal, not a one-sided agreement. But I think you already knew that. You were just trying to put a negative spin on another part of "The Corrente Plan", to benefit your guy who doesn't even HAVE a plan. Does he?
Happy Summer Scal1024.
Happy Summer everyone.
Hey Scal. Want to hear a prediction? I predict that when you are finally alone in the voting both, with just you and your God... you're going to vote for me. You haven't been able to find any valid reason not to (except the ones you keep making up), and everytime I answer one of your attacks I get to promote my "Corrente Plan". I think it's starting to sink in with you!
Happy Summer!
Rick Corrente
The Taxpayers Mayor
Saturday, July 28, 2018 Report this
CrickeeRaven
Thanks to the make-believe mayor's complete inability to restrain himself from commenting on this site, Scal, we have been given the clearest evidence to date that he intentionally uses this website for free political advertising:
"(E)verytime I answer one of your attacks I get to promote my (delusional ideas)."
So now he is also blaming others for his use of someone else's website to promote his empty slogans and lies.
Honest, taxpaying voters will reject his candidacy again on Sept. 12.
Saturday, July 28, 2018 Report this
Scal1024
No response from Rick Corrente on his "buy a house get a check" plan. How does a candidate for mayor not understand how taxes work? Perhaps it has to do with the fact that he never pays his own property taxes. "Buy a house, get w check" is nothing more than a giveaway, with no economic benefit to the city of Warwick. At a time our city is cash strapped, Rick Corrente is looking to add spending programs with absolutley no idea how to pay for any of it. As always he conveniently picks and chooses what he responds to, whatever fits the false propaganda that he's spewed for almost 4 years. Its always about my anonymity, never my message. Also note the delusion that this sociopath still believes after 4 years of proving how clueless of a candidate he is, he still expects that I will vote for him. Imagine that kind of ego to assume he would EVER have my support after the way he's carried himself the last 4 years.
Now onto his thoughtless pension buyout plan, if Rick studied pensions he certainly doesn't have a clue how to fix them. Rick says if a retiree doesn't take the settlement no harm, no foul. Doing nothing is not an option, but spending money on a voluntary pension buyout that doesn't work is much worse than doing nothing. There is no amount that will work for the retiree, or the city. How will a person benefit by taking less money up front? I used the $50,000 example because in 10 years if that retiree does nothing, they'll have $500,000. How does a lump sum compete with that? Then you say that's up to the actuary. But I thought you studied pensions? Why can't you cite an example of how it will benefit the retiree? If the lump sum is well under $500,000 it's no doubt a loss to the person who worked their entire lives for it, especially when it 10 years they will have earned that $500,000. Whats the harm? Its more years of ignoring the problem, throwing more money in search of a solution. That is not smart government. I wouldn't expect smart government from Rick Corrente, a candidate who was late on his car taxes from '09-'12 and had to hide his car from the tax rolls '13-'15. This is why he cannot answer for which city/town his car was registered in.
The Corrente plan is nothing but empty words and rhetoric, from an empty suit. Voters deserve better than being lied to on a regular basis by an uninformed buffoon like Rick Corrente. The worst part of his candidacy is this idea that he's an expert in many fields when the reality is he is a "mortgage guy" that lost his home to foreclosure and fails to pay car and property taxes. Thats like having a Fire Chief burn his home down having a campfire in the living room. You have to question the judgement of a "mortgage guy" unable to pay his mortgage. It is embarassing which is the real reason Rick Corrente hides from his shameful record. He can attack me all he wants. That won't pay his property taxes on time. It won't pay his car taxes on time. It won't change his shady behavior surrounding operating a campaign office rent free from a man who paid his delinquent property taxes to the tune of over $13,000. Rick Corrente is hoping voters don't research his consistent record of financial trainwrecks. He's hoping you don't log onto the city tax assesors website and view his delinquency. Facts are facts and they arw stubborn things. Facts point to Rick Corrente being nothing more than an uninformed fraud.
Saturday, July 28, 2018 Report this
richardcorrente
Daer Scal1024,
Back to name-calling I see. Your latest complaint is that I never explained how my "buy a house, get a check" plan works. That's another lie. You know it is part of "The Corrente Plan" on my website at "correnteformayor.com". You made me explain it here in the comments section of The Warwick Beacon dozens of times. Don't you remember? Your accusations were the reason! And stop complaining that I mention my web site, "correnteformayor.com". Again, you are the reason that I have to keep mentioning "correntformayor.com" as well as my e-mail at "correntemayorwarwick@gmail.com" and my 401-338-9900 phone number. Now on to your explanation Scal. Again.
HOMEBUYER REBATE CHECKS - will increase demand for Warwick properties, increase property values, increase sales prices, increase new construction, entice investors to fix and sell abandoned homes, increase tax assessed values, and increase Total Tax Revenue (TTR) giving Warwick a return-on-investment (ROI) many times over. PLUS, it will be promoted by Realtors at no cost to the Warwick taxpayer, a win-win situation.
Hey Scal. Are you really a Corrente-supporter in disguise? You keep picking on parts of "The Corrente Plan" giving me the opportunity to outline it for all readers. I truly believe you're helping my cause, although I could do without the name-calling.
For your convenience, here are some other parts of "The Corrente Plan" that you can feel free to attack. Thanks Scal.
BUSINESS REBATE CHECKS
WELCOME TO WARWICK PROMOTION FOR ALL OF R.I.
CAR TAX CUT IN HALF FOR SENIORS AND VETERANS
WARWICKS' NEED FOR A "HOME RULE CHARTER"
UNBIASED INDEPENDANT AUDIT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
HIRING OF A GRANT WRITER
HIRING FREEZE TO PROTECT CURRENT EMPLOYEES
RENEGOTIATING THE AIRPORT AGREEMENT
ENERGY DEREGULATION TO LOWER ELECTRIC BILLS FOR ALL TAXPAYERS
Which one would you like to complain about next Scal? The readers should note that "The Corrente Plan" is easy to understand, defendable, and always subject to revision. So Scal, or anyone else, if you have a CONSTRUCTIVE idea, let's hear it.
I don't think my opponent has a plan...or a web site... Or an e-mail... Do you?
Happy Summer Scal1024.
Happy Summer everyone.
Rick Corrente
The Taxpayers Mayor
Sunday, July 29, 2018 Report this
CrickeeRaven
"So Scal, or anyone else, if you have a CONSTRUCTIVE idea, let's hear it."
Thousands of honest, taxpaying voters will reject the make-believe mayor's empty slogans and tax delinquency, which is the most constructive idea they can have to avoid the certain fiscal debacle that the make-believe mayor's delusional "plan" would create.
His all-caps yelling and continued use of this website for free political advertising aside, the make-believe mayor is the objectively worst candidate in this race -- voters know that, and will respond in kind on Sept. 12.
Sunday, July 29, 2018 Report this
Scal1024
Notice the "Tax Delinquents Mayor" references a time where he answered my questions, yet cites no examples of when he actually did answer them. Nice try, Rick.
Also, I don't think your problem in the 2016 election was name recognition. You ran for 2 years, wasted over $40,000, littered the city with illegal campaign signs you couldn't even be bothered to pick up after losing, stood on the street corner like a dummy waving aimlessly at people who were actually on their way to work. Now let's look at the useless Corrente platform again to point out its flaws and deception.
"Buy a house, get a check"= Without pointing to which line item in the budget the money will be taken from, these are meaningless words. Not to mention property taxes are already collected on these homes. You are writing a check to homebuyers for taxes the city already collects.
Business rebate checks = Where does the money come from?
Promotion of Warwick- Warwick already does this. Are you suggesting increasing the existing budget? That isn't a reduction of spending.
Notice we are 3 ideas in to the "Corrente plan" and all we've done is found 3 new ways to spend money. Anyone can say the words "cut spending" Rick Corrente is clueless in terms of how to actually do it.
A hiring freeze is not the answer to saving the city money. The only thing a hiring freeze does is increase overtime. Why would we want to increase overtime for our Police and Firefighters ? How is that protecting public safety? Not only is Rick Corrente reckless with the budget, he's actually proposing decreasing the amount of active Police and Firefighters. That is a proposal I cannot support.
Rick Corrente can talk about the "Corrente plan". I would ask voters to question Rick Corrente about where the money comes from? How are we writing rebate checks to new homebuyers at a time the school department is $6 million in the red? How are we writing businesses checks while teachers are being laid off, senior centers are being closed? Ask Rick Corrente why he proposes raising beach fees on every driving resident instead of studying the issue and finding a more comprehensive plan? Ask him why he was late on his car taxes '09-'12? Ask him where his car was registered from '13-'15 while he was dodging his car taxes? Ask him why he needed somebody else to pay his nearly $13,000 in back taxes in '14-'15? Then ask why he was loaning his campaign $40,000 at a time where he had unpaid water/sewer bills and delinquent property taxes? He won't answer these questions because he feels he's above being accountable to voters. He feels like if he denies his deadbeat behavior long enough, he can convince others its not true. Voters will not be fooled. I cannot wait until September when the lying, erratic, "Tax Delinquents Mayor" is dismissed and shown the door again. Who will he blame them for his unraveling, underperforming, failure of a campaign?
Sunday, July 29, 2018 Report this
CrickeeRaven
We already know the answer Scal -- the make-believe mayor will blame the "political insiders." You remember them, right? They're the people who contributed to his 2016 campaign and were "the taxpayers city council" right up until Joe Solomon declared for mayor.
You correctly, factually, and thoroughly show that the make-believe mayor's attempts to fool honest, taxpaying voters are about to fail again.
I also have to credit you, again, with so clearly proving the make-believe mayor's complete inability to restrain himself from using this site for free political advertising -- you're clearly getting under his skin, to the point where he started a comment with "Daer."
His pathetic campaign is nearly over. His effort and money has been wasted. Honest, taxpaying voters have seen through his lies, and will ensure that he will never be elected to any office.
Sunday, July 29, 2018 Report this
Scal1024
Crickee, I also find it very convenient that the one or two commenters that used to refer to us as "bullies" have stopped commenting all together. Its almost as if our criticism of Rick Correntes lack of support, forced him to create fake accounts in order to drum up fake support he knows he doesn't have. Its just an observation. Its also very likely if these commenters are real people, that they've just had enough of Correntes lying and are embarrassed they ever defended him. After 4 years, over $40,000 and campaign signs littering our sidewalks where is all of the support Rick Corrente talks about? Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. Corrente is the same guy who ranted and raved about an "epic" fundraiser...so "epic" that it barely was attended and hardly raised any funds.
Let me try and guess what Ricks response will be?
"You use a screen name"
Yes I do! I choose not to identify myself because this website does NOT require me too. Unlike Rick Corrente I read the rules. So when Rick uses this website for free advertising he doesn't seem to realize he is actually in violation of the rules. I shouldn't be surprised. Whether its taxes or website rules, Rick Corrente is constantly finding ways to dodge both. That is not the behavior of a mayor. Skipping out on tax payments, racking up big delinquent water/sewer bills, losing court cases and defaulting on payments he was court ordered to make: This is the behavior of a deadbeat. Taxpayers and honest, hardworking people deserve an honest, hardworking, TAXPAYING Mayor. Rick Corrente will NEVER check those boxes.
Monday, July 30, 2018 Report this
CrickeeRaven
Scal, my consolation is that we can be 100% certain the make-believe mayor will lose again this year. As I'm sure you'd agree, his biggest obstacle has been himself. He simply will not restrain himself from using this website as a free political advertising platform. He will not explain the very clear difference between his claims [that his mortgage lender paid his taxes] and reality [there is no such record on the city website].
You do raise an important, point, too, about the two commenters who previously called us "bullies" who have now gone silent. My sense is that they are real people who only supported the make-believe mayor because of their opposition to Mayor Avedisian -- not because of any virtue the make-believe mayor may possess.
At least one of them supported the failed 2014 Republican candidate, too, as far as I've been able to gather from their past comments, and honestly, I also don't think the make-believe mayor is smart enough to create fake accounts and then post white-knight comments on his own behalf.
And you're right, now that he has so willingly proven that he has no virtue as a candidate, perhaps they've just gotten tired of watching his pathetic antics.
The thing that clearly bothers the make-believe mayor the most is that you and I and other commenters who have so thoroughly and factually documented his defects as a candidate are right. Our facts are true. Our conclusions about him are logical. And our neighbors, who pay their taxes and hold themselves to good standards of behavior, will join us in overwhelmingly rejecting his candidacy one again on Sept. 12.
Monday, July 30, 2018 Report this
Scal1024
Crickee, if you get a chance read Captains comments on the article directly below this one. It appears there is yet ANOTHER CORRENTE FORECLOSURE. This man will literally lie, say and do anything to get elected. Rick Corrente is a fraud. I'd also note I agree with you Crickee that Correntes 2 supporters were probably real, and just grew tired of his empty rhetoric.
It once again points to a lack of judgement and a lack of financial awareness that Corrente thought his past foreclosures would never become a campaign issue. This is the same kind of thinking Rick used when crafting the "Corrente plan". Corrente took a bunch of political talking points (cut taxes, cut spending, pension buyouts, rebate checks) and threw it all on a website, with the hopes nobody would actually look into it. Well he was wrong again. After 4 years of running, after spending $40,000 why hasn't Rick Corrente been able to answer how he'll pay for these things? "New taxpayers" isnt
Monday, July 30, 2018 Report this
Scal1024
Crickee, if you get a chance read Captains comments on the article directly below this one. It appears there is yet ANOTHER CORRENTE FORECLOSURE. This man will literally lie, say and do anything to get elected. Rick Corrente is a fraud. I'd also note I agree with you Crickee that Correntes 2 supporters were probably real, and just grew tired of his empty rhetoric.
It once again points to a lack of judgement and a lack of financial awareness that Corrente thought his past foreclosures would never become a campaign issue. This is the same kind of thinking Rick used when crafting the "Corrente plan". Corrente took a bunch of political talking points (cut taxes, cut spending, pension buyouts, rebate checks) and threw it all on a website, with the hopes nobody would actually look into it. Well he was wrong again. After 4 years of running, after spending $40,000 why hasn't Rick Corrente been able to answer how he'll pay for these things? "New taxpayers" is NOT an answer. You would need thousands and thousands of new taxpayers to offset all of the new spending Rick Corrente wants to create.
Examples such as: "buy a house, get a check", business rebate checks, voluntary pension buyouts, paying 50% of seniors/veterans car taxes, freezing building permit fees (less revenue going into the government), a hiring freeze which he wants to include our Police and Fire in (which shifts costs toward increasing overtime). You know what all of the things I've listed have in common? If you guessed they are all bad ideas, you are correct but that's not all...every single thing listed also INCREASES SPENDING. Its not a hard concept to grasp although Rick has struggled with it for almost 4 years. Without listing where the money comes from Rick Corrente would have to: raise taxes, increase spending, or borrow the money. Any other spin that comes out of those flapping gums IS A LIE! I look forward to "The Tax Delinquent Mayor's" response.
Monday, July 30, 2018 Report this
CrickeeRaven
Scal, I read Thecaptain's comment on the other article; I am not at all surprised, given the make-believe mayor's already-proven tax delinquencies, that another one would come to light.
It's the same lack of surprise I have at his unwillingness to realize how unrealistic and delusional his "plans" are -- and his arrogance at mindlessly repeating them, despite the clear and logical conclusion that you make about how they will actually cost the city more money.
Apparently, answering your questions with honesty is too much effort for the make-believe mayor, who thinks voters will be fooled into believing his simplistic claims that "if only one person took it, we'd save money."
That's just not how pension buyouts work -- you understand that, and to your credit you've been trying to explain that to the make-believe mayor. He just will not listen, and that's a defect in his mindset, not yours.
Your prior questions to the make-believe mayor -- which, again, he has failed to answer -- about how much it would cost to buyout a current employee's pension are entirely fair to ask, and potentially fairly easy, with some research.
On a more practical level, you've also rightly questioned who would take a lower buyout when they are essentially guaranteed a pension by doing nothing? The incentive would have to be quite high for someone to take less than they would get by staying where they are.
Alternately, the city would have to be in the middle of a fiscal disaster -- with huge numbers of layoffs and buyouts offered as essentially a last resort -- for any current employee or retiree to accept less in pension benefits.
So, either the make-believe mayor wants to borrow the city into a hole for a pension plan that requires a large numbers of employees [far more than one] to succeed, or he wants to see the city in such dire financial shape that it would be forced to cut staff and pension benefits.
This is why, in the end, he will not answer for the obvious defects in his "early pension buyout" scheme and instead simply keeps repeating his empty slogans -- there is literally no way to honestly justify or defend it.
We can add these defects to the extensive list that the make-believe mayor has willingly presented about himself, and to the many other reasons that will lead honest, taxpaying voters to overwhelmingly reject his candidacy again on Sept. 12.
Monday, July 30, 2018 Report this