Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

It may be true that the Governor can't unilaterally impose unpaid furloughs. But it is well established that he can unilaterally impose lay-offs. So, both parties need something from eachother. The Governor doesn't need to go begging - this is negotiations on even footing. And remember people, it was the GENERAL ASSEMBLY that cut $70 million from the departments without specifying how to make the cuts. A cowardly act if ever there was one.

Let me see if I have this straight. The Govenor has a staff of six people earning about $550K in stimulus money to direct how the money should be spent? He gave a lawyer on staff a #30K raise for a job he already has? But he wants people like the clerks at the Registry to take paycuts to help the budget! What inspirational leadership!!! Give me the budget and I'll eliminate 45% for your management staff that's grown since no one's be terminated since Joe Garrahy's been Governor. Management's grown every year, but not the workers positions. The Registry in Pawtucket is worse than it was when on Smith Street! How many Wardens do we have for so few facilities and what are they making as well as the amount of management at the ACI! Hmmm, no one they're leaving his State in droves!!!

Let me see if I have this straight. The Govenor has a staff of six people earning about $550K in stimulus money to direct how the money should be spent? He gave a lawyer on staff a #30K raise for a job he already has? But he wants people like the clerks at the Registry to take paycuts to help the budget! What inspirational leadership!!! Give me the budget and I'll eliminate 45% for your management staff that's grown since no one's be terminated since Joe Garrahy's been Governor. Management's grown every year, but not the workers positions. The Registry in Pawtucket is worse than it was when on Smith Street! How many Wardens do we have for so few facilities and what are they making as well as the amount of management at the ACI! Hmmm, no one they're leaving his State in droves!!!

I wonder if Carcieri is going to take a pay cut, or those on his staff at least. Actually, don't even think about it, because it would never happen! Keep running a muck and putting band-aides on the small leaks to keep from drowning. Eventually, the pipes will burst. Make more cuts to unnecessary programs and stop wasting money!

This article fails to inform the public that all State employees have already received a furlough day this year in June. We've already worked a full day without pay but somehow that fact is overlooked.

How about he start by getting the $350,000 back from Lucas group? What ever happened to all the smoke blown around by Roberts and Lynch on that one?

Lead by example!!!!! The Governor, reps and politicians work for us! You first Governor!! Lead by example! Give up your health care when you move to Florida with your wife on health care too! Give up your pension! Take furlough days! Give up your state vehicle and cell phone. Stop travelling out of state. We are tired of your lame example. Your lame ideas or no ideas! You are so far out of touch with reality. Wait till it's on your doorstep then you will wonder what happened. Ya see it's simple...If people have less money or no money, it affects all of the rest of the population of the state. They can't spend it if they don't have it. When they don't spend....stocks go down, businesses leave, revenue is reduced, and so on until it snowballs. And what exactly is a contract?? A contract is a legal binding agreement between two parties. Which means if it isn't adhered to then the affected party has a real good chance of winning a lawsuit against the offending party. Correct? Well maybe not in Rhode Island. So what good are agreements and contracts? Where does the integrity lay? If nothing matters then all bets are off.
Boycott all state gambling facilities and buy your goods out of state and see what these jerks do then. Probably close down the borders.

I work for the state, does the public understand that we have already taken a 10% pay cut in June. I do understand that I do have a job and many people do not, but that governor and the legislators always blame the employees for our deficit, but the governor has given hefty raises to his staff not the rest of us.

Give me a break I do work hard, I was recently at the DMV that is horrible in there those employees are overworked !! The system at the DMV is not conductive to customer service and the employees on the line are not to blame for the inadequancies of management, they are just following management rules !!
I also pay takes and live in RI and as a state employee, taxpayer and I am sick and tired of being blamed for the deficit. When the governor was elected and relected he was going to bring jobs into the state, instead they are leaving. Governor you are to blame look at your office, why does your wife need a staff !!

I agree with Steve, the general assembly is a bunch of cowards who decided to make cuts to personnel but not ONE social program! Did they really think the Governor was going to lay off his own bloated staff or management? of course not.

Next election let's re-elect NOBODY the general Assembly needs an enema!

Management positons should be cut for the decesions they make on a daily basis. Take the ACI for instance. In these hard times when the governor is going to hurt the common worker with furlough days, the ACI management had the nerve to spend approximately $46,000.00 dollars on an awning at the Minimum Security Facility so the visitors don't get wet when they come to visit. GIVE ME A BREAK They can't wait in there cars or bring an umbrela or even have the use of rented umbrelas. That is just some of the ways the DOC waists money and we have to pay for it.

JOhnQ is right on, will he and his staff and all salaried state employees also loose a days pay... they should all give back a days pay for each day the union employees have to loose a days pay for...

Let the whinning begin! Rhode Island State employees are obviously incapable of looking around at the employment status of their neighbors and "doing the math". They're lucky that there aren't informed, intelligent, and non-partisan people running the general assembly or many of them would be looking for work. Rhody should out-source the vast majority of State functions. Except for the State Police and VERY FEW other functions private industry would be much better equipped to serve the Rhode Island taxpayer. Enough all-blanking ready!

Why is it that everything seems to get cut from the working person, yet welfare never seems to get touched? If the working person loses their job or gets a pay cut, no one really helps out (except for unemployment, for as limited time), the banks don't care, human services doesn't care, health profession doesn't care, but if your on welfare or an illegal alien, you have all the food, housing and health care needed.
I want to know why we are not taxing welfare, cutting from welfare and watching welfare! I was in the store the other day and the woman in front of me took out her card and paid for all of her name brand foods and Nintendo DS games with her welfare card, while I sat there and had to watch what I was buying to make sure I have enough to cover my bills. It's time the good ol governor and the rest of the countries leaders look at this and take a stand. We give everything away, get nothing back and the working class loses their homes, jobs, clothes on their backs. Welfare should be for those who need a temporary fix/help, not a career.

Its amazing to me that anyone in the state would want to support a reduction in state workers hours.There have been so many problems since the governor reduced staff like long waits at the registry, inability for unemployed people to obtain benefits, services such as welfare, food stamps, and disability services being reduced and there being long, long waits for services. If he wants to reduce the days worked then put the workers on work share like other respectable companies have done, i.e. AT Cross. This way the employer's expenses are reduced but the workers aren't taken a hit with thier pays. Wake up people, RI can't afford to reduce workers time without it affecting all RI's. So remember this when you are waiting for 1.5 hours at the Registry, can't apply for unemployment services, and can't get food stamps. Those state workers that you are always critizing are not there because our wonderful governor who promised for two consecive terms to increase jobs in the state has seen the unemployment in this state rise to 12.4% which is the highest in years!

More of the same from a pathetic, washed up old man who failed in his attempt to "fix the state"

He's a greedy businessman that sees workers as nothing more than peasants to be used and abused as he ses fit while he and his friends get fat at the trough. It's a very disgusting picture of political wrongdoing. Instead of hacking away that the worker bees why not improve service delivery and cut away uneccessary fat.
The governors need for high paid staff is much like Hitlers need for his circle blind followers. They serve to insulate and prop up the psychotic mind.

Looks like those Unemployment check will be even later now. Great plan, Gov. How about you not taking a salary at all? How about your lawyer friends doing the same for say about 2 months. Should save millions just right there.

I'm sorry, but I don't think the State's financial problems rest on the shoulders of the State workers whether they are Union or non-Union. (Frankly whenever the Union worker wins the non-Union worker benefits as well, they get the same benefit.) They have all made many concessions to help with this problem but the Administration just can't grasp the fact that hiring more management staff at inflated salaries (which it has done after every pay cut and lay-off the average State worker has endured) is not the way to save money.
I agree with all of our citizens who say "Let the Governor and the highest paid "staff" and management members take the furlough days and pay cuts and pay more for their health benefits and we will definetly see a reduction in the State budget.
This Administration is soooo out of touch with the working person's struggle that the only solution is to make sure the governor and his cronies get the message that we don't buy the standard b*&%#%&t anymore - Open your eyes
the middle class is "Mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore".