Mayor rallies PTA support for $40M school bond

By JOHN HOWELL
Posted 10/25/18

By JOHN HOWELL With Greenwood School as a backdrop and joined by the president of the Warwick Council PTA and superintendent of schools, Mayor Joseph Solomon urged Tuesday passage of the city $40 million school bond on the Nov. 6 ballot. It is our"

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Mayor rallies PTA support for $40M school bond

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With Greenwood School as a backdrop and joined by the president of the Warwick Council PTA and superintendent of schools, Mayor Joseph Solomon urged Tuesday passage of the city $40 million school bond on the Nov. 6 ballot.

“It is our responsibility as elected representatives, school officials and the larger community to ensure that our students not only receive a quality education that will prepare them well for the future, but to ensure that they have safe and healthy environments in which to learn,” Solomon said.

The mayor also urged voter approval of the $250 million state bond to make schools “warm, safe and dry,” noting that the funding would “give us greater distance.”

The Rhode Island Department of Education approved city school projects would be reimbursed at 38 percent and higher, Superintendent Philip Thornton estimated, with passage of the state bond. He calculated this means the $40 million of Warwick school improvements could end up costing $24 million, thereby enabling extension of the program.

Asked what the bond would end up costing taxpayers over the 20 years it would be paid off, Solomon said that was dependent on the interest rates of the bonds and the market.

Last November, when the School Committee was considering an $85 million bond for school repairs, principal and interest payments were projected at $6.8 million a year for 25 years. With state reimbursement at 40 percent, the annual cost to taxpayers would drop to about $4.1 million. Presumably, a $40 million bond would more than halve those annual costs.

In his remarks Solomon said, “This bond funding will provide for essentially critical improvements at schools throughout the city. I urge all of our residents to cast their vote in approval of this bond.”

Sarah Theberge, president of the Warwick Council PTA, likewise urged passage of the bond. She was joined by a number of school PTA officers and pledged they would work together for bond passage. Following the formal comments, PTA officers huddled around the mayor to voice concerns over cuts in the current school budget resulting in the loss of funding for the Mentor Rhode Island program and reduction of 15 custodians. That cut in staffing has resulted in a system of night custodians alternating between elementary schools and charging for after school use of school buildings for such activities as cheerleading practice.

Solomon didn’t delve into budget talks between his office, the superintendent, School Committee Chair Bethany Furtado and City Council President Steve Merolla. Based on an audit of its budget, the School Committee argues it needs an additional $4 million if it is to meet state standards. It has threatened to bring suit to get the money.

Solomon expressed his support of the mentor program and said he was hopeful the custodian position could be restored.

But the focus of the announcement was improvements to the city’s aging school buildings, which, according to a state study last year, identified $225 million in deficiencies. A school department assessment was less and the School Committee further trimmed it to an $85 million bond. The City Council, with Solomon as president, cut the bond to $40 million.

“School infrastructure is at a crossroads here in Warwick,” Thornton said. “We have roofs at our schools that are way past their useful life and we have heating and cooling issues in many of our schools. The 40 million dollar school bond on the ballot for November 6 is a very much-needed first step in bringing our school buildings to where they need to be,” he said.

If approved, the $40 million bond would allocate $13,138,637 for mechanical improvements; $11,486,016 for ADA compliance; $9,034,233 for new roofs; $2,352,356 for fire and life safety upgrades; $2,100,000 for “all student access” playgrounds; $1,077,283 for interior upgrades; and $811,476 for asbestos abatement projects.

Specifically, as listed in a release from the mayor, funding would provide for:

l Twelve fire alarm systems – at Drum Rock (which now houses two programs of the Career and Technical Center as well as students aged 18-21 from Toll Gate and Pilgrim high schools), the Early Learning Center at John Brown Francis, Robertson, Greenwood, Scott, Hoxsie, Sherman, Lippitt, Warwick Neck and Oakland Beach elementary schools and Toll Gate High School.

l Interior improvements – 1,189 new doors, locks and hardware at all schools

l Asbestos abatement – Toll Gate High School and Cedar Hill, Hoxsie, Scott, Holliman, Oakland Beach, Sherman, and Wyman elementary schools

l ADA accessibility – All schools, to include 167 restroom doors, 122 student restrooms, 45 staff restrooms, 136 sinks (non-restroom), 143 interior doors, 595 electric actuator activated doors, and elevator replacements at the Career and Technical Center, Toll Gate and Greenwood Elementary

l Fourteen ADA accessible playgrounds – The Early Learning Center at John Brown Francis as well as Cedar Hill, Hoxsie, Robertson, Greenwood, Scott, Holliman, Lippitt, Norwood, Oakland Beach, Park, Sherman, Warwick Neck and Wyman elementary schools.

l Roofs – To include nine full replacements at the Early Learning Center, and Cedar Hill, Hoxsie, Robertson, Greenwood, Lippitt, Norwood, Oakland Beach and Sherman elementary schools.

l Mechanical improvements – To include a total HVAC/heating system replacement at Pilgrim High School, heating controls at Drum Rock, and extension of existing equipment at Lippitt Elementary School and Toll Gate High School.

The bond question will appear on the back of all local ballots as “Question 4: Schools and School Facilities $40,000,000 Bonds and Notes,” after three statewide bond questions related to Rhode Island school buildings, higher education facilities and green economy and clean water initiatives.

Comments

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  • CrickeeRaven

    Mayor Solomon should be commended for supporting this long-overdue and legally-mandated work to update our schools. He has been part of a public and transparent process to determine the best use of the $40 million bond, down to the specific list of improvements that the school department has provided.

    I also expect that he will insist on -- and get -- full accountability from the school committee when they receive the funds.

    Thursday, October 25, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear CrickeeRaven,

    I agree!

    Here's the problem. The School Committee (SC) REFUSES to give accountability. Not one of the members has agreed to have a "clerk-of-the-works". That's a person who, for little money, oversees the checkbook and reports to the taxpayers (in this case represented by the Mayor) how the money is being spent to insure that it is spent AS INTENDED. As you know, that is a recurring problem with the SC.

    I DO NOT support this bond issue because I am afraid that it WILL NOT be spent as the SC "suggests" it will. (Was the last one for $25,000,000??? Didn't Avedisian use it at HIS discretion??) Until they agree to be accountable, I will oppose it and I strongly recommend that all voters do as well. It's the TAXPAYERS money!

    One correction. The work is not "long overdue and legally mandated". The work was supposed to be paid for out of the billion and a half dollars taxpayers ALREADY gave the SC since 2009. And the part about it being "legally mandated" doesn't mean it HAS to come from a new bond issue. The SC received $165 million dollars of taxpayers money this year based on a certain number of teachers, students, and school buildings. Since Warwick has FAR LESS teachers, students, and school buildings, there should be a huge surplus. Until taxpayers learn what happened to all that money they shouldn't agree to give more...and I doubt they will.

    Happy Autumn everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Thursday, October 25, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    "I agree," states the two-time election reject, before repeating false statements in a pathetic attempt to disagree with the prior comment.

    "The School Committee (SC) REFUSES to give accountability."

    This is a lie. The school committee presented its school renovation plans, in public, to the city council, and is going to the voters for approval. That is the definition of accountability in using public funds.

    "Not one of the members has agreed to have a 'clerk-of-the-works'."

    This only shows that school committee members are smart enough not to agree with the two-time election reject's delusional ideas.

    "The work was supposed to be paid for out of the billion and a half dollars taxpayers ALREADY gave the SC since 2009."

    This is a lie. 90+ percent of the school budget pays for salaries and benefits, and the bond is needed to pay for system-wide repairs that the operating budget can not fund.

    "[T]here should be a huge surplus."

    This is a lie. The two-time election reject is again ignoring the legally-conducted program audit that found Warwick is saving money from layoffs, but not as much as i could because most remaining teachers are at the top salary step.

    "Until taxpayers learn what happened to all that money..."

    Honest, taxpaying voters can read every annual budget and annual audit for the school budget on the school department's website. That the two-time election reject ignores this information is a defect in his behavior -- not theirs.

    The only thing the two-time election reject has shown is his limitless capacity to humiliate himself with his comments on this website.

    Thursday, October 25, 2018 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Rick, you are clueless. In fact, you know absolutely nothing about almost every issue you comment on. Its actually astonishing how wrong one human can be, so many times. Not only do you fail to grasp basic reading but apparently you struggle in basic math too. If it wasn't for the fact your name holds absolutely ZERO significance in this city, I might actually worry about your pathetic "endorsements" being taken seriously by anyone.

    You bend over backwards to pander to the teachers that represent the 90% of the budget (salary and benefits) Crickee is speaking of, while at the same time you're attacking the School Committee for how they spend the other 10%. How does that make any sense, Rick? When has Rick Corrente ever taken a stand against the 90% of the budget that is salary and benefits? He doesn't. Its because it would effect his pandering to a special interest group. Rick, did you know the School Committee presented their proposal to the public? Did you, Rick? I don't think you did! I think once again you opened your mouth without any facts or understanding of the issue at hand. You just wanted to comment with the same tired, FAILED, pandering talking points that have made you a two time loser. For years Corrente has cried about the conditions of our schools. Here we have a transparent, accountable means to pay for repairs, and Corrente rejects it so he can take a few more shots at the School Committee hoping that enough pandering will someday resurrect his FAILING political career. It won't! Rick, commenting on things you have no idea about is reckless and stupid...then again, those words are staples of the Corrente campaign.

    Thursday, October 25, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Once again you're 100% on point, Scal.

    It's striking to me how anyone could ignore so much information and still think he's got anything of substance to say.

    As you rightly point out, the two-time election reject has used school-related articles on this website to simply repeat a set of easily-disproven claims. He's also tried -- desperately -- to introduce the idea that the school committee is somehow not accountable [at best] and engaged in criminal activity [at worst].

    And as is typical for him, in neither of these areas does he have any kind of knowledge to be able to make such statements.

    Thanks for trying to point out the obvious defects in his comments -- come to think of it, that's yet another area where he's blind to reality, since he's willingly and repeatedly made such a fool of himself on this website.

    Friday, October 26, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Scal1024,

    WOW!

    You hang on my every word! I think you might be my biggest fan!

    Thanks for pointing out that I have no ulterior motives for supporting the teachers. If they endorsed me, you would have a field day of pandering attacks (and there would even be a shred of validity to them), but, as they haven't, you have resorted to your normal "name-calling" mode. You attempt to slam me for coming in second to Joe Solomon when you didn't even bother to run. I spent over $40,000 of my own money and, in total, received over 16,000 votes and when I speak, I state my position as mine alone, not representing any political insider group. You, on the other hand, haven't spent a dime. You haven't received one vote and the minute I said my name I accomplished more than you have... IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS! You nameless, faceless, coward of a critic who doesn't even have the courage to make his/her comments public without hiding in the shadows! How does that make you feel Scal, or whatever your honest name is, that I have accomplished thousands of times more than you have? If I am all those terrible things that you constantly accuse me of, AND I've accomplished THOUSANDS OF TIMES AS MUCH AS YOU HAVE, what, oh wise one, does that say about you?

    Go ahead Scal. Tell me.

    I'll wait.

    In the meantime...

    Happy Autumn everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Friday, October 26, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Look at that, Scal -- as we expected, the two-time election reject humiliates himself again.

    "You hang on my every word!" he writes -- in replying to your comment.

    And look at how desperately he spins his two overwhelming losses:

    "I spent over $40,000 of my own money and, in total, received over 16,000 votes."

    How much did he spend for the 2018 campaign? We know the answer: $1,770.

    How many votes did he get in 2018? We know the answer: 1,835.

    What he's really saying -- but too dishonest to admit -- is that he wasted two years and tens of thousands of dollars to lose in 2016, then ran on the cheap in 2018 and expected a different result.

    "I have accomplished thousands of times more than you have..."

    Two blowout election losses, countless lies, and repeated examples of willingly humiliating himself while using this website for free political advertising are not accomplishments any logical or mature person would brag about, Scal.

    You and other commenters who have exposed the truth about the two-time election reject have done far more than he ever has, and his losing record proves it.

    So, don't be bothered by his whining and name-calling, Scal. You've won the argument -- and he knows it.

    Friday, October 26, 2018 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    Vote no on all bonds. It is the one chance you get to vote against reckless state spending. Stop sticking YOUR grandkids with the bill. They are barely out of diapers, what are they going to pay with.

    Friday, October 26, 2018 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Rick, thanks for the laugh. You call me a coward and claim I've accomplished nothing? For starters... I can say I ALWAYS support my children. I would never go before a judge and claim I could only afford $10 a week (in a year you made $40,000) toward funding their basic needs, as you so pathetically did in '97. What kind of loser would go before a judge looking to escape their responsibilities as a father? Sad!

    You say I hang on your every word. Thats because everything you say is either incorrect, spin or a blatant lie used to try and position yourself as an actual public servant. YOU ARE NOT!!! Next Rick, I would never default on a mortgage and let the bank take my property. How embarrassing that a mortgage broker would lose his home to tax sale? More of those prized Corrente "accomplishments" I guess. I've never needed to beg my friends to pay my bills for me as Corrente has done multiple times, having others pay THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS in back property taxes for him. Is that leadership? Readers, does that resemble any "accomplishment" you look for in a Mayor? It's not!!!

    I pay my car taxes...on time. Once again, that is more than I can say for the Make Believe, Tax Delinquent Corrente. Rick consistently paid his car taxes late, that is when he decides to pay them at all. From 2013-2015 Rick Corrente hid his car from the cities tax rolls. More underhanded ducking of his basic responsibilities as a taxpayer...I'm sensing a pattern. Before that in 2010-2012 Corrente was late on almost every car tax payment he made. You should be so proud, Rick!

    Finally, we've come to the 2 failed Corrente campaigns. In 2016 Corrente spent (blew) $40,000 which netted him a 65%-35% thumping from then Mayor Avedisian. Leaving no doubt he'd run again Corrente commented everyday that followed, bragged about how it was free advertising on here and how he was carrying over "13,000 votes into this election". As is always the case deadbeat Corrente was wrong again. Rick thought he could get by in 2018 by not spending any money. He spent less than $2,000 for less than 2,000 votes and took another beating at the ballot box. He has the unique "accomplishment" of getting crushed in back to back elections, by 2 different candidates from 2 different parties. Impressive! This is why he uses spin, adding his vote totals from the 2016 and 2018 elections to prop up his pathetic numbers from this past election. 2% of Warwick Residents (right around 1,800 voters) felt Rick Corrente would be a good Mayor. Although Warwick voters have tried their best, the man is incapable of taking a hint. Rick, I'll never tire from making you look stupid. If you continue to post lies, I will continue to correct you. That is how this forum works.

    In closing, you've accomplished nothing, Rick. I on the other hand (along with MANY others) have exposed you as the lying, uninformed, manipulative, deadbeat, fraud that you are...and if that is the only thing the Two Time Loser Rick Corrente knows me for then I will sleep just fine at night. Corrente on the other hand can wonder why after 4 years and thousands of dollars he is nothing more than a punchline. He is the "Make Believe Mayor", and the "Mayor of the 2%".

    Friday, October 26, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Well said, Scal. Here we have a failed candidate who will not honor the will of the voters as expressed loud and clear in two elections, and yet according to him, everyone else has a problem.

    You've done another fine job outlining his many defects as a candidate and tax delinquencies; I can't add anything further to your correct statements of fact.

    I will say, though, that the two-time election reject's whining about other commenters replying to him clearly indicates that he cares more about getting reactions from people online than earning their votes in real life.

    Think about that for a second, which is all the time you need to spend thinking about the two-time election reject's behavior, it's so obviously pathetic: He considers it a major accomplishment to engage in name-calling and other juvenile behavior on someone else's website.

    I'm with you, too: As long as he tries to lie to our honest, taxpaying neighbors, I will respond with the facts.

    Friday, October 26, 2018 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    WHAT HAS MAYOR FECKLESS ACCOMPLISHED???? Not a freaking thing. Hey Rick, when you are respected by the media because of established credibility and accomplishments, you get attention to the causes that you fight for. Example below: and watch what happens next week!!

    https://www.wpri.com/fox-providence/dan-yorke-state-of-mind/1025-ken-block-and-rob-cote-talk-warwick-firefighters-sick-time-practice-on-state-of-mind/1551894941

    Friday, October 26, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Scal1024 and CrickeeRaven,

    What are you two saying? Are you saying you like me? Are you saying you are infatuated with me? It sure sounds like it. You hang on my every word. Are you interested in me? You are aren't you. You can't wait to read what I say next. Are you saying you want to be with me? Is that it? Is that why you comment on every word, every syllable? You are, by far, my two biggest fans. You lie your best to discredit me. You do everything you can think of, to make me look bad. Who are you trying to convince? I'm not a candidate for anything. Who are you trying to get to dislike me? I think it's you! I think you're just trying to convince yourselves...and it doesn't seem to be working. You really, really like me. Don't you?

    As far as the above article, the School Committee said that this was the list of items they "could" spend the bond money on. (remember the $25 million from 2006+-? THAT money wasn't spent the way it was promised, was it.) I wanted a "clerk-of-the-works" to make sure they did. If their intentions were honorable they wouldn't have a problem with that, but they shot it down. Wonder why? I don't. They haven't been straight with the "80,000 taxpayers that are paying the tab" yet. Who is going to believe they are going to start now?

    Happy Autumn Scal1024 and CrickeeRaven.

    Happy Autumn everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Friday, October 26, 2018 Report this

  • Scal1024

    "Are you saying you want to be with me? Is that it?"

    - Rick Corrente

    The fact that a twice failed candidate for public office would resort to such juvenile language is a good look into his mind these days. When you can't object to facts, deflect with ridiculous antics and insults. The fact that in 2018 Rick Corrente believes homosexuality should be used as an insult is just one of the many reasons why he is a complete and total failure. He is incapable of having a rational debate so this is what you get. To the less than 2,000 people who voted for this clown: I hope you're proud of your vote. You supported an old, out of touch, tax delinquent who is intellectually and morally bankrupt. Take a bow!

    Friday, October 26, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Wow, Scal, and here I thought we'd seen the extent of the two-time election reject's mental defects during the last campaign.

    Yes, you are right: He really did -- in 2018 -- resort to using homosexuality as an insult. What a disgrace.

    And as we've pointed out so often -- which he, of course, puts so much effort into deflecting from -- it is his behavior, his lies, his tax delinquencies that resulted in his two overwhelming losses.

    "I'm not a candidate for anything."

    Yet he continues to use his made-up campaign title. And post false accusations against the school committee.

    [Also, thank goodness that our honest, taxpaying neighbors rejected his latest pathetic run for office.]

    We can be sure that he'll only continue to humiliate himself with more juvenile behavior.

    Friday, October 26, 2018 Report this

  • Iceman32_89

    In everyone's zeal to discredit Corrente he does bring up a point that no one has addressed. What happened to the 25 mil in 2006? Was it misused? I honestly don't know. Another question, if the state bond and the city bond both pass Thornton says that they would expect to get 24 mil from the state bond, if that happens, what will the committee do with the extra money? The committee has been transparent about what they want to use the money for but for me it comes down to trust. I can't trust this group of individuals with my hard earned money. This is a crisis of their own making and their solution is to ask for more of our money. I want the children to be able to learn in a safe environment but the city lacks competent people on both the city side and the school side. I'm leaning towards no on both the state and city bond. At a certain point you just get sick and tired of being asked to clean up someone else's mess.

    Saturday, October 27, 2018 Report this

  • Bob_Cushman

    When the $25 million school bond was proposed I was Chairman of the School Committee. The scholl department subitted a detail plan school by school, project by project where all of the money would be allocated over 5 years in $5 million increments. Most of the money was for new fire code regulations. When the bond money wsa frozen in 2007 many projects were delayed years resulting in deteriation esclating the cost and a repriotizization of projects.

    When people claim that there was no accounting of the projects, this is absolutely false. All you have to do is file a freedom of information request to get the brekdown on where the $25 million was spent.

    Some articles on $25 million school bond:

    https://warwickpost.com/warwick-city-council-oks-release-of-4-million-in-school-improvement-bonds/

    http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170320/warwick-city-council-oks-spending-4m-in-bond-money-on-school-repairs

    https://warwickpost.com/city-council-approves-5-1-million-bond-release-for-school-repairs/

    2013 $4.3 million bond for fire upgrades: http://warwickonline.com/stories/council-approves-43m-bond-for-school-fire-code-upgrades,79485?

    2009, $4 million Pilgrim roof and fire code: http://warwickonline.com/stories/new-bonds-enable-pilgrim-roof-possible-city-debt-repayment,45171?

    2008 Pilgrim roof problem Bonds frozen: http://warwickonline.com/stories/despite-budget-woes-cushman-merolla-want-new-pilgrim-roof,34999?

    2007 Avedisian freezes $25 million school bonds: http://warwickonline.com/stories/mayor-eyes-bonding-freeze,20347?

    2006 - Schools push for $25 million bonds: http://warwickonline.com/stories/schools-make-push-for-voter-approval-of-25m-renovation-bond,34641?

    2006 - Where $25 million school bond will be spent: http://warwickonline.com/stories/school-renovation-projects-on-target-for-opening-day,15575?

    Saturday, October 27, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear readers,

    Once again Robert Cushman shows why he is considered one of the most intelligent people in Warwick. (if not THE most).

    The $25million dollar bond, that the School Committee had to pay all the interest on, was in the total control of then-Mayor Scott Avedisian. He decided how, when, where, and how much was to be spent. If the voters approve the $40 million dollar bond acting Mayor Solomon is supporting, the new money will be in his control alone. Check out how much his Warwick properties are tax assessed for and you will get a CLEAR picture as to how he will spend this chunk of taxpayers funds. (e.g. his car dealership at 1129 West Shore Rd. is assessed for less than he paid for it 29 YEARS AGO!!!)

    I, for one, don't want another go-round like we had with Avedisian. It cost the taxpayers more than double and it didn't get spent the way it was designed. The numbers may have been "accountable". The Mayor was not. The result was animosity. The definition of insanity is doing something again and again and expecting a different result. (Albert Einstein)

    Happy Autumn Bob_Cushman.

    Happy Autumn everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Sunday, October 28, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    The two-time election reject is the last person who should be talking about insanity, following two humiliating and overwhelming losses at the polls that he brought upon himself.

    (And Bob, you and I don't agree on much, but your explanation of the history of the bonds is 100% correct, as is your attempt to explain to the two-time election reject that the school committee has been accountable in how it requested them. Don't let his blatant flip-flop fool you )

    Also, none of his false claims about Mayor Solomon make him any more credible. No matter how often he repeats them, they are still lies.

    Sunday, October 28, 2018 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Imagine the stones of a deadbeat, career tax delinquent like Rick Corrente criticizing Mayor Solomon for the assessed tax rate on his home. Rick, atleast Solomon pays his taxes and unlike you there is no record of Joe Solomon ever being evicted. You are the very last person who should be lecturing others on taxes, property values, schools, budgets or campaigning. You have literally failed at every single one of those things. I know it must be hard for you as the election nears to realize only 2% of the city supported you...but its stupid comments like the several you've made here that help people see you are an unqualified, pandering stooge.

    Monday, October 29, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Seriously, Scal, is there's one thing the two-time election reject has repeatedly proven about himself, it's that he'll choose the most hypocritical, uninformed, and false thing to say -- and then suggest that everyone else is the problem when he's called out on it.

    What I think we're seeing is someone who actually realizes that he's being disproven by online commenters [who actually use this site within its terms of use, as opposed to using it for free political advertising], and he's trying to distract from that fact.

    And as you know, he's tried everything -- repeating his lies, ignoring all the facts that disprove his statements, name-calling, trying to dictate how others use this website, and as he did above, using juvenile taunts.

    But it's not working. When he repeats his lies, other commenters expose him as a liar.

    Thanks for being among the thousands of honest, taxpaying voters who rejected his candidacy again this year.

    Monday, October 29, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Readers,

    I am not a tax delinquent.

    Rob Cote started a slanderous lie that my car was unregistered with no taxes paid on it for three years. Scal1024 repeated the lie many times. In the summer I proved it to be a lie, complete with the name and phone number of a lady at Warwick City Tax Collectors for proof.

    Then, Rob Cote claimed I had over $8,000 in late fees on my 4-unit at 1115 Greenwich Ave. Warwick. Another slanderous lie that I proved by requesting and receiving a complete escrow analysis from my first mortgage payment 15 years ago to present. All payments had taxes and insurance included. My 180+- month analysis not only showed ZERO late fees by me OR my lender, it also showed an overpayment of $418.88. I received the check a week ago. If Scal1024 wants proof he/she can send me an e-mail address and I will be happy to e-mail it along with explicit instructions as to where he/she can stick it.

    Scal1024 is a henchman for Joe Solomon. His job is to spread lies about me. Comments from people like him should be thrown in the garbage like a used diaper...

    and for the EXACT SAME REASON.

    Happy Autumn everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Monday, October 29, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Honest readers who value the truth already know the facts that prove the two-time election reject's latest set of claims to be false.

    "I am not a tax delinquent."

    This is false. A Nov. 3, 2016 article in the Beacon reported that he had, in fact, lost his former residence to tax sale. To quote: “Corrente continues to live in a house that was sold in a tax sale for taxes due the city."

    http://warwickonline.com/stories/mayors-race-hotter-than-usual,119296?

    This proves him to be a tax delinquent, as does the data published by the city of Warwick on its tax assessor website: https://www.citizenselfservice.com/MSSProd/citizens/RealEstate/ParcelBrowse.aspx

    Enter "177 Grand View" to see that the two-time election reject has not been the payer of record for that property since 2013, leading to the tax sale and his eviction from the property following seven eviction notices that he, himself, has confirmed.

    As for what he calls a "lie that my car was unregistered with no taxes paid on it for three years," readers can visit the city's car tax website and enter the registration BANKRS to see that it was not, in fact, listed on that site from 2013 through 2015, meaning he did not register it in Warwick or pay city taxes on it.

    "In the summer I proved it to be a lie, complete with the name and phone number of a lady at Warwick City Tax Collectors for proof."

    That is not proof; it is not verifiable information that can be found via links to the city's tax databases as the actual information can be.

    Any other claim of "proof" by the two-time election reject should be considered just as false as his other ones.

    He also again admits that he has no factual basis for disputing the easily accessible and verifiable public information about him, and instead resorts to childish insults and conspiracy theories about other commenters.

    All the two-time election reject has proven is his apparently limitless ability to disgrace himself with his comments on this website.

    Monday, October 29, 2018 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Rick, you seem to be confused. The information from Rob Cote I obtained was through this website. News such as you hiding a foreclosure and the 7 eviction notices you were served. Oh and the court record from your child support hearing where you told a judge you could only afford $10 a week (in a year you made $40,000, COWARD). Most of the other information is public record as Crickee has shared links many times or has been shared on this website. Why won't you use the links Rick? Afraid of what you might read?

    I'll say this again so that maybe you'll retain it Rick: you are a liar and a fraud. Nobody believes a word you say...which is why you received less than 2,000 votes last election. You have done nothing but embarrass yourself and expose your past financial failures to the public. What don't you get? Voters are not buying your lies and your distortion and misinformation. You are an unqualified, pandering stooge who is so desperate to try and get elected you'll say anything. I am so happy voters have made Rick Corrente a 2 time loser and given him the distinction of losing back to back elections to 2 different candidates, from 2 different parties.

    It is clear that because Mr Corrente is so clueless on policy issues, he has to deflect with childish antics and comparisons. Keep spinning your conspiracy theories about Joe Solomon's property values Rick...I think they're really starting to catch on with voters HAAAA! According to the tax assessors website Rick, YOU are a tax delinquent. YOU are the two time election loser and the "Make Believe Mayor of the 2%".

    Tuesday, October 30, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Scal, I'm not sure it can be called confusion when someone is so intentionally dense as the two-time election reject.

    As we see on this page, he's taken to complaining [disguised as chest-puffing bluster] about the attention he gets on this website, and yet he's the one making blatantly false statements and somehow expecting that no one will respond to them.

    If readers of this site were so "dear" to him, he'd stop lying to them. It's as simple as that.

    So, for example, to get back to the topic of this article, the two-time election reject could simply say he doesn't support fixing local schools because he, personally, doesn't trust the school committee.

    Objectively, that's a terrible take. But it would be more honest than spinning this conspiracy theory that the school committee is somehow "not accountable," based mainly on his own decision to ignore publicly available independent audits and annual budgets.

    Bottom line is, the schools need to be fixed. Mayor Solomon is involved in the process and is making a commitment to provide city oversight of how the bonds will be spent.

    Having the two-time reject try to cloud the issue with his name-calling and false accusations against the school board is worthless in terms of how it affects the process, or anyone's opinion of it.

    I expect that voters will approve the bonds next Tuesday, proving how worthless they consider the two-time reject's opinions.

    Tuesday, October 30, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Scal1024,

    That is a low blow, even for you. Is that really any kind of example to give to your children? You want to drag my divorce from 1988 (revised in 1997) into this and you say "I always support my children". We don't even know if you HAVE children. We don't know if you are even an adult, and one thing is absolutely certain; you're not telling the whole story about my divorce. When my x-wife's attorney tried to convince the judge to use my "gross receipts" (almost all mortgage originators are self-employed, like me) as my "net income", my attorney and I successfully defended that miscalculation. We proved that by the courts OWN calculations from the DR-7 report, using the COURTS math, I should have only paid $10.00 a week, because my income (and all mortgage originators income) had dropped dramatically during that time. In order to pay my child support, I sold my house, sold my boat, borrowed $5,000 from my father, and rented a one bedroom basement apartment at the Four Seasons Apartments. THAT is what I did to support my two sons. I religiously paid $1,776 a month AND an additional $580 a month in "rehabilitative alimony" for over ten years, and I worked seven days a week, over 80 hours every week to do it. Just ask Attorney Bill Balkun (her attorney 401-463-5106) who checked up on me many times and reported to the court that "Corrente is telling the truth." All that information is in the exact same court records that Sociopath Rob Cote researched. Naturally, he didn't report it. Naturally, neither did you.

    Of course Scal, you anonymous coward, NONE of that is ANY of your business, but it speaks volumes as to how low a henchman scum like you will go. Is THAT the example you want to set for your children? My two sons saw their father work tirelessly to support them, paying over a quarter of a million dollars to their mother, even though I never missed ONE soccer or football game, and today they are my two best friends. April 7th, 2018 I brought my two grandsons to Geneva Brook in North Providence for their first Opening Day of the trout season. I showed them the same spots their father and uncle fished with me 30+- years ago year after year. They both caught their limit. 10 trout in all.

    You left out two chapters though.

    1. You forgot to mention how my ex-wife "couldn't work (and contribute to the child support) because she wanted to finish her college education". THEN she "couldn't work because she wanted a second degree in education". THEN she "couldn't work because she wanted a masters degree in education". THEN, she "couldn't work because she wanted a law degree". She finally finished her 4 degrees one month before my youngest son turned nineteen!

    Chapter 2. You also forgot about the part when my sons wrote a letter to the judge, without my knowledge, asking if they could live with their dad. The judge asked to meet with them and they spent over an hour in the judges chambers. Neither my x-wife or I were allowed to know what was said in that meeting but when it was over, the judge awarded physical custody to me. My x-wife's child support payments were only $217 dollars a month and she bounced several checks. All of that is a matter of court records too. Please get a copy from Cote. You know what you can do with it when you do.

    Happy Autumn everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    Proud father and The Taxpayers Mayor

    Tuesday, October 30, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Scal, looks like you've successfully drawn out the two-time election reject's inability to restrain himself, once again, as now he's using this website to re-litigate his divorce.

    Buried under all of the information he volunteers -- while saying it's none of your business -- is his confirmation of what Thecaptain and you have been pointing out all along, with regard to his claim in court that he could only pay $10 per week in child support.

    And I don't think it's helping his case to be commenting on his ex-wife [and oddly referring to her as "x-wife"]. But as we know, if there's any way that he can disgrace himself even more, the two-time election reject will enthusiastically jump at it.

    Tuesday, October 30, 2018 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Rick, perhaps you've learned a valuable lesson today: Do not dish out what you cannot take. If you want to take personal shots at me, refer to me as a "henchmen", question my "accomplishments" as you called them and discuss my children then any/every single thing about you is fair game. Lost in that desperate, incoherent ranting in your last comment, is the fact you acknowledged the $10 a week in child support as fact, something you have denied multiple times before. As I've explained to you before if you don't want people calling you out for your lies its pretty simple...STOP LYING!!!

    Rick, you have lost the moral high ground on this issue. You've falsely acccused Joe Solomon of manipulating tax assesments on his home for personal gain, questioned the sexuality of other commenters who disagree with you on this website (see above), you've accused the previous Mayor of not understanding schools because he "didn't have a family of his own" and you've accused Crickee and I of working for Solomon and Avedisian in the last 2 elections without any proof whatsoever other than in your own delusional mind. Keep taking shots at me Rick, I'll keep exposing you for the liar and fraud you are!

    Tuesday, October 30, 2018 Report this

  • Cat2222

    Important note: The attorney-client privilege is a rule that preserves the confidentiality of communications between lawyers and clients. Under that rule, attorneys may not divulge their clients’ secrets, nor may others force them to. The purpose of the privilege is to encourage clients to openly share information with their lawyers and to let lawyers provide effective representation.

    Seeing as you know your way around a court room, I would think that you would be aware that telling someone to go speak to your lawyer is useless because they can't tell you anything anyway. It is the same as when you tell people to go to city hall and ask about YOUR taxes. Funny thing, they don't give out that type of information. Everything for public consumption is online. But you already knew that, didn't you? So it is a ridiculous thing to say in the first place.

    Wednesday, October 31, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Cat, you raise an important point about the two-time election reject's attitude towards information in general, and facts that disprove his statements in particular.

    He clearly believes that only the information he has is valid -- despite the many times that factual and objectively verifiable facts have been provided that disprove his claims.

    You may also have noticed that he controls this information, meaning he is the only person in possession of it and is demanding that others obtain it from him on his terms.

    None of that, as you indicate, lends any credibility at all to his repeated false claims.

    Thursday, November 1, 2018 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    As another example to all how dumb the fake mayor, mayor dumbness, feckless actually is.

    The court record that I received, which I have posted in its entirety several times, was anonymously sent to me during Corrente's 2016 embarrassing attempt to run (walk, crawl) for office. I would have thought that mayor dumbness, after being in family court multiple times, that family court documents are private and cannot be accessed by the public. They are sealed records. The stenographers notes that I received anonymously in the mail were only available to the attorneys and the two parties.

    However, I'm glad that mayor dumbness was foolish enough to share the rest of his dysfunctional private information so that the rest of us can place it on the scale of insanity and watch the scale tip over. Maybe he'll post the info on his second divorce, or maybe he'll finally come clean and tell the truth about the loss of his WATER FRONT PROPERTY.

    Thanks mayor dumbness.

    Saturday, November 3, 2018 Report this