Charlie, Where Are You When We Need You?

We could have had Charlie Fogarty for Guv. Another 1% would have done it. Fie!

Instead we got the "Fiscal Fitness" promoter. The former CEO. The idea behind the "Big Audit." Gee, what happened to those plans?? As my youngest would say, "Blah, blah, blah; yackety, smackety."

I've been following the guv's protestations regarding the requests of chair Sen. Lenihan in requesting the guv's office to supply certain documents. These have to do with the outsourcing of jobs. The guv's first reaction was to attack like a bulldog (actually, I think this may be a slur on bulldogs) and then to distract. The next day he rethought - good move.

Now he's getting more serious and REALLY looking into it. A clerk making 40K while the employment agency makes more than she does does cause eyebrows to raise.

So I just found this in my mailbox:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Bill Lynch

Specifically, Lynch is requesting the names, positions, salaries and overhead mark-ups covered in such contracts dating back to 2003. "It's time for the governor and his staff to come clean. Everyday the administration's story seems to change a little more, and I think it's about time the people of Rhode Island learned how the governor has been spending their money," said Lynch.

Lynch also noted that Karenlee Bernardo, the Department of Transportation typist whose job costs the state more than $102 thousand annually, was a Ward Three Republican candidate for the Warwick City Council in 2002. "It begs the question: How many other GOP candidates were rewarded with state contract jobs for agreeing to run on the Republican ticket?" Lynch asked.

"Maybe we need a REALLY BIG audit?" he asked.

Ya' think?? What happened to the buck stops here? It's called the sidestep. He learned it from Sen. Gibbs.