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December 17, 2007

Carcieri: 'Poor job of communications' during snowstorm

PROVIDENCE – Governor Carcieri today acknowledged that his administration did “a poor job of communications’’ during last week’s snowstorm.

Today’s press conference marked his first public comment on last Thursday’s epic traffic jam, which choked most of the state’s major arteries, stranded children on school busses until late at night, and left motorists struggling to get home three to six hours on gridlocked roadways in the nation’s smallest state.

Carcieri, who returned from a weeklong visit to the Middle East on Saturday, acknowledged he didn’t learn of the story until it was over because he was flying from Kuwait to Afghanistan while the storm played out, and would not in any event have expected his staff to call him “for a 6- to 10-inch’’ snowstorm and what, he was told, was largely a Providence issue.

Had he been here, he said, he would have been a more visible presence. Next in line when the governor is incapacitated or otherwise unable to serve is the lieutenant governor, according to the state Constitution. But Carcieri said he saw no need to cede authority to the lieutenant governor, Democrat Elizabeth Roberts, in his absence.

Asked who was in charge during the snowstorm in his absence, he pointed to his State Police Superintendent Brendan Doherty and his Department of Transportation Director Jerome Williams.

“All the issues that we needed to deal with at that point were the accidents, the breakdowns, clearing the highways. That’s what was happening. That’s their job,’’ he said.

In terms of who was responsible for communications, he named Maj. Gen. Robert Bray, commander of the state National Guard and head of the state Emergency Management Agency. But when asked if he blamed him for the breakdown in communications, he said “not necessarily.’’

He said his staff was looking at various ways to smooth communications with schools and businesses in the future.

Carcieri returned from Afghanistan, via Germany, on Saturday night after a week-long trip to the Middle East, sponsored by the Department of Defense, that also took him Iraq and Kuwait. He said he did not regret the trip, and the show of support for the troops was important.

-- Katherine Gregg, Journal State House bureau

Bray said Friday that the Providence Emergency Management Agency was in control during the Thursday storm -- a storm that he said did not warrant a "multi-jurisdictional event" that would have activated the state Emergency Operations Center.

But Lt. Gov. Roberts, at a separate briefing earlier Friday, said officials should have triggered the Emergency Operations Center. "We had no ability in the absence of the EOC to respond," Roberts said.

Roberts took Republican Carcieri to task, adding, "It's the governor's responsibility to pull the trigger" on the emergency operations center.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:21 PM | Permalink

Comments

First question - did the citizens of Rhode Island elect Gov. Carcieri to govern Rhode Island, or to fly around the world on diplomatic missions at a drop of a hat?
Second Question - what would happen if the 6 to 10 inch snowstorm was a terrorist act instead?
People needing to go to shelters would be stuck in traffic - not for just hours - but perhaps wouldn't be able to move at all because of people abandoning their vehicles out of panic.
There has been millions of dollars spent on state-of-the-art communications where different state agencies could communicate with each other as well as with police, fire and rescue squads.
Where was that evident last Thursday?
Glad Gov. Carcieri's staff thought it was largely a 'Providence issue'. I feel better already!

Ted Lewandowski | December 17, 2007 7:32 PM link

If the Governor is inaccessible, some one person has to be in charge. It's irresponsible, but typical RI, for the Lt Gov to not automatically be in charge when the Governor leaves the state.

joe | December 17, 2007 7:38 PM link

Talk about mealy-mouthed. You know, I usually admire Carcieri, but this time I think he just didn't get it.

Snowwoman | December 17, 2007 8:24 PM link

Absolutely someone has to be brought to task. Of course the Lt. Gov. should have taken over. If one of those children on the school bus until 11 pm had been a Cacieri, the outcome of all of this would be different, believe it.

maryann duggan | December 17, 2007 8:47 PM link

Why is the governor spending our money to go to Iraq when the state is 350 million dollars in the hole? does he know anything about Iraq? Does anyone care what he knows about Iraq?

mike ryan | December 17, 2007 9:02 PM link

I wasn't aware that the Superintendant of the Rhode Island State Police was responsible for hiring enough snow plows to handle a major snow storm. Additionally, when the "Blizzard of 78" hit the State of Rhode Island, Governor J. Joseph Garrahy worked around the clock to ensure that residents of the state were safe. Also, he delegated to the Rhode Island National Guard to assist in clearing roadways. The current Governor needs to take responsibility for his executive office failures. He shouldn't utilize Colonel Dougherty as a scapegoat.

Brian | December 17, 2007 10:10 PM link

"First question - did the citizens of Rhode Island elect Gov. Carcieri to govern Rhode Island, or to fly around the world on diplomatic missions at a drop of a hat?"

YOu have NO idea what you're talking about. He was VISITING RHODE ISLAND SOLDIERS! Typical liberal. None of you give a DAMN about our troops.

"Why is the governor spending our money to go to Iraq when the state is 350 million dollars in the hole? does he know anything about Iraq? Does anyone care what he knows about Iraq?"

You have no idea what you're talking about either. The FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PAID. If you even bothered to read the newspaper whose website you post on, you'd know that. Another liberal moron. God I hate this state.

EMT | December 17, 2007 11:20 PM link

Okay .... guess who he pointed to as "in charge" in the news conference .... the one and only Jerome Williams, who brought you the Iway, folks .....

Vote ....

WWW.FIREJEROMEWILLIAMS.COM

Big Kahuna | December 18, 2007 12:50 AM link

Outrage and indeed that is the word, needs to translate to change. It is so frustrating to write email after email to the Governor's office and have him remain unresponsive. I believe that a sanction needs to be placed against the Governor by the legislature and that he present what went wrong and a corrective action plan to the residents' of the State of RI. Isn't there any one of our Senators or Representatives that can take a strong stand. Just on the children@!!!!

mary mcgrail | December 18, 2007 4:33 AM link

The Governor leaves the state and no one knows it. HE WAS NOT EVEN IN TOUCH BY PHONE and then has the nerve to say he was in charge? "Communication"? How many children on those buses might have parents serving in Iraq? What would have happened if Dogherty, Williams or Warren had taken the actions and declared a statewide emergency? At noon time I did not see a single plow/sand truck out from Wakefield to North Kingstown. Maybe all the snowplow drivers were laid off and now we have those who bumped attending re-training to learn snow plowing! A Carceri child would have been picked up at school and driven home. Bet the Carceri streets were kept to bare pavement! This is a small taste of what this administration has been dealing out to the poor for years. If schools and daycare programs close, responsible parents (those single mothers again) have to get home to take care of their kids. Rush hour will be rush hour no matter what time the schools and workers are released. DOT was not prepared and no one was in charge!

J | December 18, 2007 6:21 AM link

Good to see that Old Man Carcieri simply doesn't get it. If there was a fire somewhere in Providence half of the city could have been burned to an ember before the first truck could arrive on scene. We were EXTREMELY lucky. And we may not be next time. But don't DO anything to remedy it, Don. Wouldn't want to interrupt your nap.

As for the Lt. Gov automatically taking over? I'm all for it as long as they run as a combined ticket. I've no interest in a Dem being in charge automatically just because the Gov stepped out on a diplomatic mission.

Greg | December 18, 2007 7:52 AM link

Carcieri said, but “if I get in my car and get on [Route] 95 with snow coming down at 3 inches an hour … that’s a decision I make. To expect that somehow we’re going to miraculously clear the snow off the highways, alright, and get you through that with no headaches, I don’t think is fair, frankly.” First of all he wouldn't be driving a car - he would be riding with a State Trooper driving the SUV IF HE HAD BEEN IN THE STATE AT THE TIME, he also would have ridden around checking the conditions(?) while making sure that all of his family got home safely and in a timely manner. Most parents do not have the luxury of drivers, nannies, housekeepers and have to get themselves and their kids home in a storm. Perhaps the governor should walk the proverbial mile

DC | December 18, 2007 1:38 PM link

December 17, 2007

Carcieri: 'Poor job of communications' during snowstorm

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