To the Editor: I am writing today because of my frustration with the leadership" in Warwick City Hall. My efforts to reach out to them and the acting mayor have been met with frustration and disillusionment. I have been a resident of Governor Francis"
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To the Editor:
I am writing today because of my frustration with the “leadership” in Warwick City Hall. My efforts to reach out to them and the acting mayor have been met with frustration and disillusionment.
I have been a resident of Governor Francis Farms for over 25 years and love living here. But the sewer project is going very badly. Phases one and two of the upgrade were done years ago at a cost to the homeowners of less than $10,000. Now in phase three they are looking to have us pay $22,000 – maybe more – depending on the cost of the final project. What happened to the funds that were allocated for the Farms? Why are we paying more than double what previous residents paid?
The worst part of this is the enormous rat problem the construction has caused. My yard is one of the identified "hot spots." There are disease-carrying, filthy rats under our sheds and porches and running through the yards and behind trash barrels. At a meeting July 24, the acting mayor said that City Hall would be reaching out to us to address the problem. A week goes by. No call. Finally, I called the sewer authority and was told that extermination was put out to bid and it would be weeks before anything could be done.
I had to hire A & D Pest control myself. I have had to remove all the tools and yard items I need from my shed, and pay for it myself. Later that week, the City posted on their website that they had set up a “Rodent Eradication” program. I followed the instructions on the website, submitting an application that same day (August 3rd), as well as calling and leaving a message on the recorded line. After a week with no response, I called and left another message. Still no response. My third call was answered by a live person who said that I needed to talk to someone else about the matter, but that he had just “stepped out.” When I asked when I could expect a return call and was told within the hour. Days later, still no call, so I called again and left a message on their answering machine. Is there really a Rodent Eradication program? If so, why have I still received no response over a month, and many calls later? I imagine that the response may have been different if I lived in Mr. Solomon’s neighborhood.
The inaction and lack of leadership is infuriating. Does Mr. Solomon think because we are Governor Francis Farms we can afford this? This is the working-class area of the Farms. None of us can afford this, nor should we be asked to pay more than everyone else in the city did. Nor should we have to pay for rat extermination ourselves. We are also being asked to pay for repaving our streets after the sewers have been installed, even though National Grid gave the City the funds to repave our streets after digging them up two years ago for gas lines. Where is that money going?
Mr. Solomon has made it very easy to cast my vote in November. I have had great respect over the years for the work that candidate Sue Stenhouse did as a councilwoman. She was effective, tenacious and caring – a true friend of the taxpayer. Perhaps it’s time for a woman to take over where the men have failed.
Nancy Haight
Warwick
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richardcorrente
Dear Nancy Haight,
I think your best bet is to call Councilman Ed Ladeusour. He is the finance chairman and also the one who spearheaded the sewer project dedicating hundreds of hours of his time to make things go as smoothly as possible. Understandably, there have been some issues. That was to be expected. Eds' phone number is 401-447-7181. Please give him a call. He's a real class act and he might even suggest that you submit a bill to the City for the A and D Pest Control people. You can tell him I suggested that you do.
Happy September Nancy
Thursday, September 13, 2018 Report this
davebarry109
The cost of the sewers is outlandish. Criminal. Six sewer directors in less than 7 years until the recent one came along. Who can afford 20-22000 dollars? Oh, we'll let you finance it over 30 years. So add to your mortgage or take out another with the sewer authority so you can go to the bathroom. And there is nothing we can do about it except write letters to the editor.
Thursday, September 13, 2018 Report this
enoughalready
Mr. Mayor, I have noticed a proliferation of your elections signs, however they appear to be randomly placed throughout the city. I suggest that you be strategic, so your name will be associated with your many accomplishments as Councilmen and Mayor. Therefore, I have comprised a list of possible locations that will act as a reminder of what we can expect from another term in office.
1. Line the islands of the Apponaug rotaries so that we do not need to look at the three-foot high weeds growing out of the newly planted beds. You could repeat this at any island throughout the city actually.
2. Use them to contain the overflowing garbage cans at Oakland Beach.
3. Surround Warwick Neck Elementary School so nobody will notice that the sidewalks and parking lot are crumbling and dangerous.
4. Cover the City of East Providence logos on the fire equipment.
5. Encompass the playground at City Park to stop children from using the rusted and dilapidated equipment.
6. Insert a Vote Solomon flyer in the next round of tax and sewer bills, as a reminder of your fiscal responsibility. I will volunteer my time to stuff the envelopes.
7. Use the closed senior center as your campaign headquarters.
Please feel free to forward this list to your campaign manager, if you are in need of any other suggestions please feel free to contact me, I have plenty of other great ideas.
Thursday, September 13, 2018 Report this
Thecaptain
Nancy,
You are asking where the funds are going? Here is a list.
$13.4 million allocated to raises for the teachers that produce substandard grades in crumbling buildings
$2.8 million in raises for police/dpw (and given to them by the council prior to the 5 year fiscal evaluation being made public. Smart guys eh?)
$957,000 for uniform allowance to the fire dept. All of which is not tracked and the taxpayer in turn, still buys all uniforms
$1,092,421 in unused sick pay bonuses that has all been schemed with no accountability with 139 men being overpaid
$1,579,200 costs due to the WFD "SUBSTITUTION" policy which allows men to preserve sick and vacation days to be paid out later for them at a higher rate
Then you have a fleet of vehicles without GPS tracking that has zero accountability. On any given day you can find dpw vehicles hiding in the woods, driving around, cruising thru Goddard Park, and the management has no definitive means to dispute these claims.
Shall I go on?
Thursday, September 13, 2018 Report this
CrickeeRaven
Nancy, take the suggestion that more than 6,000 of our honest, taxpaying neighbors sent on Wednesday to the two-time election loser [whose comment appears first on this page] and stay as far away from him as possible.
He can't even spell Councilman Edgar Ladouceur's name properly -- only the latest in a long list of failures that he willingly and repeatedly provided over the last several months through his comments on this website.
"You can tell him I suggested that you do."
Telling Mr. Ladouceur that the two-time election loser gave you advice will have no effect on whether he assists you or not. Mr. Ladouceur is a dedicated, actual leader in the city and will be responsive because of his own merits as an elected official, not because a twice-failed candidate who called him and other Democratic party members "political insiders" said you should contact him.
Friday, September 14, 2018 Report this
JohnStark
enough: Your suggestions warrant considerable merit, with one exception. Mr. Solomon's campaign HQ should be the Conimicut Lighthouse. Mr. Solomon knows it well, as he has headed the Conimicut Lighthouse Foundation since it's inception 13 years ago. Throughout that time, the lighthouse has continued to deteriorate and rot away, all while overseen by the steady supervision of Joe Solomon. This once-noble beacon, which should be a city gem, now stands as a living, breathing testament to the abject municipal neglect that citizens can expect from a Solomon administration much like is described in Ms. Haight's letter.
Thursday, September 27, 2018 Report this
Cat2222
I would be very interested in finding out if Nancy Haight's issue has been resolved.
Monday, October 1, 2018 Report this