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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Workers' Hopes Buoyed As Budget Commission Tables Water Plant RFP

Bid to bargain to keep facility public gets boost, board to hear North Smithfield Town Administrator's inquiry.

  Ken DeLorenzo, executive director of RI Council 94 AFCSCME, asked the Budget Commission to keep the city's drinking water plant public, offering to negotiate to match savings they'd get by privatizing. The Budget Commission agreed to hear them out, and also delayed a vote on sending a Request for proposal (RFP) out for a new water treatment plant contractor.  Budget Commission Chairman Bill Sequino said an e-mail he received from North Smithfield Town Administrator Paulette Hamilton asked to consult with the Budget Commission on the decision. The water treatment plant supplies water to North Smithfield, among other northern RI communities. He said the delay on approving an RFP would allow them to address her questions and comments first…

David T

8:57 am on Saturday, March 9, 2013

Not necessarily in favor of the privatization of a new drinking water plant, but I'm in favor of a new plant. The one we have now is archaic people! The tanks and pipes on the insides are rusted. Several times a week the plant's filtration system has to be back washed into the river to rid itself of all the built up contaminants and chemicals that gets collected in the charcoal filters. It comes …   more ›

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Fire Union Leader Charges Treasurer With Falsifying Numbers

Paul Valletta Jr., president of Cranston Fire Fighters Local 1363, accused Treasurer Gina Raimondo with "cooking the books" to push through pension reform.

The head of the Cranston Firefighter's union accused General Treasurer Gina Raimondo of “cooking the books,” lying to the General Assembly in an attempt to push through pension reform. Paul Valletta, President of the Cranston Fire Fighters Local 1363, who was introduced as representing the Rhode Island Association of Firefighters, said Raimondo created an artificial crisis where there is none in the pension system in order to convince legislators and residents that “draconian” changes were needed in the state pension system. “The General Treasurer cooked the books on this issue,” Valletta told the joint House and Senate Finance Committees Thursday. “This is not a crisis; it’s a problem. She created the pension problem and dropped it in …

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RS

2:01 pm on Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I will agree that yes, there is abuse in the system. Should the abuse be investigated...absolutely. It ruins it for those that are really injured. The abuse was perpetuated by the elected officials as well though. They are the ones that approved them. Maybe an independant authority should handle that in the future. I'm a bit sick and tired of everyone grouping State and Municiple emploees …   more ›

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