Flat Tax Costs to You

Here is what the flat tax costs you the local property tax payer. The % is the amount your taxes will need to go up to make-up for the proposed general fund monies no longer to be received. All this for less than 15 wealthy individuals (19 in Newport, 22 in Portsmouth)). End or freeze the flat tax & aid will be restored. Seems like a no-brainer to me. Sorry, this tax NEVER made any sense given R.I. economic position for the past several years.

Our property taxes should be going down, not constantly upward. How much longer before local residents say "No More" & place a good portion of the blame where it should be- the State Lege & the guv. Our tax system needs to be fairer and we should be eliminating breaks which have no proven positive effect to the citizenry- we, the people. Not, we the few.

Middletown: 2.185%

Newport: 2.508%

Little Compton: .951%

Tiverton: 1.753%

Portsmouth: 1.386%

Rhode Island's Budget Crisis

Event:
Solving Rhode Island’s Budget Crisis: What Should be Done?

Please join us for a discussion about Rhode Island’s current budget deficit and taxation policy. The current fiscal crisis will be reviewed with a focus on how the state’s finances became so out-of-whack. Components of the Governor’s Fiscal Year 2010 budget will be explained and an alternative strategy will be presented to ameliorate the ongoing structural deficit. Ample time will be provided for a question and answer period. After the presentation, attendees will be encouraged to contact their state Representatives and Senators.

For more information visit - http://www.ripda.org/

Tuesday, June 02, 2009 6:30 PM - 8 PM

Middletown Public Library 700 West Main Road Middletown, RI 02842 See Map

http://middletownpubliclibrary.org/

Middletown Council & Harbormaster

In Mon. Council meeting, resident Art Benner spoke to the harbor ordinance. I mistakingly thought that it called for an increase in various costs to the public, but actually it was calling for a $25 fee to tie up to the town's 5 new public moorings at Third Beach. Hey, Mrs. Know-It-All doesn't know EVERYTHING.


Art brings up several valid points- mainly concerning the Harbormaster (Steve Ponte). This summer job is 5 days/wk.- no weekends when it's the busiest.

There are 70 moorings which bring in $100/yr. There is a waiting list of appx. 10 yrs. People often sublease these moorings. Now before a harbormaster, this was all income. Even with the pumping fees which the Harbormaster manages, thuis program falls short of $.

So why have a Harbormaster at all is Benner's valid question. The loss of this job would cost elem. Principal Ponte no severe hardship and all the other members of his family are town employees. We would then regain an income from Third Beach.

I've been at Second & Third Beaches where there were FIVE cop cars present. FIVE. And on more than one occasion. When there is a problem at the beaches who handles the problems- lifeguards & police. I'm wondering if at some point this job was originally funded through fed'l funding for homeland security. Well, it ain't now.

So here are Art's thoughts.

And a big thanks to John McDaid at Hard Deadlines who explained to me how to get video off the t.v. & my son who helped me with the finer points. I'm still working out kinks, but it's still pretty neat overall, I think.

Senator Reed Wants Money!

This is the link for Sen. Reed's appropriation requests for 2010. Included are the Middletown Corporate Park improvements for appx. $1.38 million & monies for the new infrared system at First/Atlantic Beaches.

American Sail Training Organ. (Newport) for programs for youth at- risk while out of school: $250,000

City of Newport Incident Command Center: $250,000

URI- a Consortium for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: $1,250,000. URI seeks funding for a nanotechnology consortium with Brown University.

Salve Regina University: $600,000. Salve requests funding to expand its Blackstone Valley Workforce Training Initiative in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Newport Ultraviolet Disinfection System: $1,000,000 for funding an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system to reduce the bacteria loadings and improve beach water quality at Easton’s Beach.

Great Friends Meeting House Restoration- The Newport Historical Society: $265,000

Middletown Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements: $825,000

Newport Performing Arts Center, Restoration of the 1868 Newport Opera House: $500,000

Martin Luther King Community Center Repairs $180,000, Newport

Newport Cliff Walk Restoration: $3,000,000

Integrated Swimmer Defense Information Technology (ISD IT): $2,100,000 Middletown

Unique Item Identification (UII) Data Management SystemsRequest: $4,500,000, Tracking Solutions, Portsmouth

Common Command and Control Mission System: $2,400,000, Adaptive Methods, Middletown

Submarine Environment for Evaluation and Development (SEED): $4,000,000, Advanced Solutions for Tomorrow (ASFT), Middletown

Ellipsoidal Unmanned Underwater Vehicle: $5,500,000, Alion Science and Technology, Middletown

Improved Submarine Towed Array Systems: $4,100,000, BAE Systems, Middletown

Harbor Shield: $4,000,000, Battelle, Newport, RI

Engineered Biological Detectors for Biological Warfare Request: $1,500,000, BCR Diagnostics, Inc., Jamestown

Undersea Warfare Decision Support System: $2,000,000, DDL OMNI Engineering, Middletown

DoD Impact Aid Funding for Children with Disabilities: $5,000,000, National program used by schools in Newport, Portsmouth, and Middletown

Quiet and Compact Power Conversion and Actuators for Undersea Devices: $1,000,000, Electro Standard Laboratories (ESL), Cranston with work is to be performed at Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport

Virtual Maintenance Engineering Platform (VMEP): $1,200,000, General Physics Corporation, Middletown

Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC) Support System: $3,000,000, Group 81, Inc., Newport

Comprehensive Mishap Reduction System (CMR): $5,400,000, McLaughlin Research Corp., Middletown

Weapon Acquisition & Firing System (WAFS): $4,000,000, MIKEL, Middletown

Laser Collective Combat Advanced Training System (LCCATS): $7,000,000, MPRI/L-3, Middletown

Item Name: Reconfigurable Command and Control Center (RCACC): $2,615,000, Paramount Solutions, Newport

Acoustic Countermeasures Technology Transition: $3,000,000, Progeny, Middletown

Feature Based Pattern Recognition for Force Protection: $3,000,000, Prometheus Inc., Newport

Zumwalt Class Destroyer Program (DDG-1000): $Support President’s Budget, Raytheon (3rd ship)

Artificial Intelligence – Based Combat System (AI-BCS) Kernel: $5,000,000, Rite Solutions, Middletown

Narragansett Bay Hydrographic Survey: $4,000,000, SAIC, Newport

Organic Submarine Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Target Demonstration (ISRT OSAID): $5,000,000, Sea Corp, Middletown

There were more referring to the Navy Base & URI, but I weary. Nothing for mental health. Big sigh. Will all of these be granted? No.

Middletown Senior Center- Pt. 3

This is the last of my 3 part series on the Center's By-Laws. See Part l for a copy of its rules. The Center presents its budget Mon. at 6:00. The Council also meets at 7 for its regular agenda.



4. Emergency Fund. The Director may spend up to $250 without Board approval (my wording here).


Doesn't specify if this is annually or each incident related. Understandable, but I'd sure want an accounting of it. This neess some clarification. Then again, the Board never votes anyway.


7. Resignation. See #7 above.

Same deal here. It just needs to be submitted. No one actually votes on its acceptance. And then they kick you out the door. Odd. It would never make it into public record either.

4. Books & records. This one states that any of these are available from the Director for viewing providing that you are a member.


Actually, these records should be avilable to all. Anyone ever ask? Gee, I recall that a Councilor did (Silveira) and all hell broke loose. Too bad he wasn't a member and they would have cheerfully been handed over & then not distributed to the Council chair.Article VI. Misconduct of members. It says that they can throw you out temporarily. Okay. Doubt it, but what do I know?Now what does all of this mean? Firstly, it means that the Senior Ctr. needs to update its by-laws. It also means that NO ONE is enforcing these rules which means that the Director IS the Senior Center. Oversight of our money? Oh, you dreamer.


I'm done. I previously publised my suggestions & conclusion. But since no one who has any actual authority seems inclined to do anything, I'm likely blowing in the wind. So much COULD be done here with our monies. So LITTLE actually is. Sigh.

Middletown Senior Center By-Laws, Pt. 1

Part 1 of a 3 part series. I will re-publish my suggestions & conclusions then with additional info. It is OUR money after all.


Here are the Middletown Senior Center's By-laws. These are approved by the Town Council. The Senior Center Board observes them, right? Read them & weep. Here are some of the flagrant violations. Remember I've read ALL their online minutes from the past few years since it's been a State requirement.


1.b Prepare the annual senior services department budget for transmission to the Town Administrator and to pursue this budget with the Town Council.


Comment: Remember, this is for the Board. This has never been done. Never. Not once. Not even discussed in minutes going back to Feb., 2006. The entire center membership (don't know how many were present) was told to attend Town Hall 5/8/08 to support it. During the most recent meeting, it was presented- in 10 min. 5 of them were spent by the Director discussing how the Custodian was NOT going to be moved to the police station, despite its being in the budget. It's also not indicated in the minutes that it was presented, much less voted on. That budget, BTW, has been cut. The Board spent 15-20 min. discussing the planned recipe book. God bless them all, good people that they are. They should sit on the programming board (if there was one). Everything was Director motivated; including the fact that she disappoves of senior trips to gambling casinos with no mention of what this actually translates into for the Center. One Board member did voice dissent, but that was it.


1.c. To review periodically the status of the senior services budget. Well, duh, read above.


f. To assess annual dues as may be voted on by the Board of Directors.


Nothing. But in all those years of minutes, only one motion was ever made; and that was to accept some minutes with no vote ever taken/recorded on that motion. The most recent meeting had plenty of motions & voting, though. God bless them. They were trying so hard with no guidance from their Director.


4. The Board of Directors shall be appointed by the Town Council. The Board shall be comprised of nine (9) members all of which shall be members shall be members of the Center in good standing and residents of Middletown.


What? Members of the Center? That requirement seems to have been ignored for quite a while by the Council.


6. Removal. The Board of Directors upon a two-thirds vote may recommend removal of any Director to the Town Council. The Town Council may remove any member upon recommendation or on their own notion when, in the opinion of the Town Council, such removal is necessary for the proper functioning of the Board.


OUTRAGEOUS! Go with the flow or you're outta here. I've never heard of such a thing. No wonder this group functions primarily as a rah-rah arm of the Director and the Center.


7. ...the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.


Another srange clause. The group doesn't even have to acknowledge it, let alone offer someone the opportunity to reconsider. No wonder this group never has any actual "Correspondence" in its agendas until their most recent meeting. It would also mean that such a letter would never be a part of public record.

8. The annual meeting of the board shall be held at its April meeting. The annual meeting shall be for the purpose of electing officers, evaluating the year's activities and for the tranaction...of...business.

LOL! The last election this group held was in May of 06. Evaluation? You'd need a report & a vote to do that. They are holding an election this April, though. No! Absolutely nothing to do with me or my request for their by-laws. The Director also issued an annual report ; although it's not so indicated in the minutes. There was no evaluation that I heard, just rah-rah. But then with no standards for evaluation...

10. A regular meeting of the board shall be held in the morning of the center's monthly membership meeting, unless otherwise designated by the board in advance. The board may hold additional or fewer meetings if it deems it appropriate. All ...meetings shall be open to the public.... The annual report on the Board's activities for submission to the Council shall be prepared and submitted no later than the November meeting.

Picture me laughing hysterically here. There are no monthly membership meetings. The board does not meet in the a.m. The board definitely deems fewer meetings appropriate. In '08 it skipped the entire summer & Dec. & filed 6 board meetings. In '07 it held TWO filed meetings. In '06 it held 7. I do note that that "annual report" is on the Board's April agenda. April, November, what's the difference? It's also supposed to be submitted to the Council. I'm still laughing. But wait a minute- that's MY money, and yours. End laughing. Sob.

Senior Centers

While much has been made of regionalization of schools, little has been heard of other areas where this may prove effective with little cost and with little effort. Regionalizing Senior Centers could be done on many levels- and should be done.

Right now we have a program with endangered funding. Why not combine these programs? Not three newsletters- One. Not three programs, but combined programs. You could still keep your three centers. Think about it. Many possibilities present themselves when you think of the senior centers in this fashion.

What is the most popular program at our local Senior Center? An exercise program in the evening open to all. Thinking of our Senior Center as ONLY for seniors is a misnomer. Widening our program focus is healthy not only for seniors, but for the community as a whole. Perhaps the time has even come to think of them as Community Centers. Witness our center's oncoming plan to offer cooking courses. I know two young men who could use some cooking courses (my sons).

Why does Middletown not rent out its Center? It does so in effect when it throws a Sat. Cancer Socity fundraiser/bakesale. This also called for the 4 hr. presence and pay for an overtime custodian. Why not lease this place out for meetings/parties? Much of the time it is empty. It has a kitchen and parking, plus a large room. Hello, income. You could initiate a pass key system there; thereby, no custodian needed for overtime. Think of another place where you could hold community meetings which is sorely needed. And income. For the town and/or center. Easy.

I'll publish later more reasons why some reform in our local center is needed. All of the above could also be handled through a private non-profit which is what Newport & Portsmouth do. They contribute an amount (far less than Middletown) & let this group operate their centers. It not only is cost-effective, but is a responsible system.

By combining centers on some levels, more private foundation monies would also be available. What do you think?

Middletown Council Asks Schools to Reduce Budget

There was a budget workshop last night for the School Committee & Town Council. The Schools had worked up a budget that was 4.75% higher than last year's. 4.75% is the max increase allowed by State law (next yr. it will be 4.5%). Of course, when the State passed these caps, it also promised a reliable school aid formula and a share in the general revenue funds. The former never materialized & all funding is in jeopardy.

The Council asked that it be reconfigured to a 2% raise. Why 2%? Chair Semonelli spoke that 2% is what's "palatable to the town." Indeed, from Councilor Sylvia, "If 2% was conveyed to you, why are we looking at 4.75%?" Good question, although that figure was only recently given to them. School Committee woman Theresa Silveira-Spengler, who was often quite upset and vocal at an otherwise calm meeting replied: "But, it's not reasonable."

As School Chair Michael Crowley explained, it's not only a difficult budget year, but they are smack in the middle of contract negotiations with both teachers & teacher assistants. This translates into a salary projection of the current contract. They are also unsure of State & fed'l funds. Any stimulus funding will not apply to current personnel- a definite drawback; not to mention know what the actual numbers are.

Since the largest expense of any school dept. is personnel, both groups were concerned with program cutting beyond what is already planned; e.g., the closing of Kennedy School. Councilor VonVillas was especially concerned with salaries. If you can reduce this line, you will not have further program cuts. "Start at the top." Councilo Silveira urged worked together on this budget, "We need to be part of the solution."

The meeting was dominated by Councilors VonVillas (a former school sup't), with frequent comments & suggestions from Councilors Sylvia and Silveira. It's nice to see people up there who actually know what they're talking about & can ask pointed questions. After all, that was the point of this workshop.

Sup't Kraeger did a good job with her Power Point presentation which was much appreciated by the tiny audience who had no copies of their budget (would have been nice). Short & to the point. School Chair Crowley was able to get to the heart of the schools' problems in coming up with a workable budget. Indeed, he mentioned the problem of the "starve the beast" philosophy which is now full-force at the local level. With little State and Fed'l funding (yet plenty of mandates), it is virtually impossible to fund schools properly. The guv's own office has suggested changing the budget year to Oct. rather than June so that $ would be more forthcoming.

School Committee woman Spengler had plenty to say about taxes & schools in an often confrontational manner full of non sequiturs. I didn't get her connection that if you pay higher taxes, you may as well send your kids to private school. Most notable is her anger with Vision Appraisal assessments & her high property taxes. Somehow she believes that if her assessment decreases, so will her taxes. Ah, you dreamer, it doesn't actually work that way. The irony of her discontent is that since the schools are appx. 70% of the town's budget, her own actions are increasing her taxes. She did liven up the meeting though. She is passionate about not cutting programs and that's a good thing.

Bottom line- it's not a good year to be in contract negotiations. BTW, Town Admin. Sean Brown (the Quiet Man), bespoke the fact that in the past year there have been more foreclosures in town than in the past 12. It's been much worse in Newport. The town, unlike Newport, does not keep figures on businesses gone kaput.

Expect to see a final budget from the Schools in June. They are also meeting tonight with a lively session expected from parents unhappy with the Kennedy School closing. Let's face it, it's all about $. It always has been.

The audience for this budget workshop was tiny. 3 elem. school Principals, two from the town's Finance dept., Matt Sheley from the NDN, RINEA local rep (God bless her, not a good year to have that job), and Karen Roarke (former Town Counselor). When Karen spoke up from the audience, she was reminded that it was a workshop (no comments) & promptly left. She forgot to ask, "Mother, may I?"

It was not filmed.

Online Petition to Keep Kennedy School Open

Click here. The goal is a thousand signatures. So far they have 80 with comments & names which you can read.

The NDN ran a story yesterday (School Committee asked to give back) detailing Kelli DiPalma's decision to return her $1200 from the town & asking others to do the same. She's borrowing from Ed Silveira's idea for the Town Council to return 25% of their pitiful allowance.

Frankly (and I do know Frank), I have mixed feelings about this. At this point it smacks of grandstanding. So return your money or give it to charity- but a reporter beforehand? I don't see any state lege or the Guv doing this & they make a heckuva lot more while mostly local Councils & School Committees remain on the front firing lines making little. It's a good-hearted gesture, I suppose, but in the long-run (when we'll all be dead) or the short-run, it's pretty much meaningless.

I haven't heard a word from her about anything since elected. How about asking the Guv & the State Lege to properly fund our schools & screw those ever escalating property taxes? How about threatening a State lawsuit to challenge the fact the R.I. is the ONLY state not to have a funding formula? I think you may very well see this happening this year.

Really, this is all penny ante feel good stuff done primarily because parents are angry about the Kennedy School closing & shipping fifth graders to the Middle School- which well they should be. They may well pretend to "feel their pain," but this may also translate into: I can well afford it. Kelli (the product of private schools) & in her early 20's hasn't done much to bring her to anyone's attention besides this. I never see anyone challenging the Superintendent. Why not?

There is anger out there that large amounts of $ are being spent for consultants & management, while teachers- remember them, the ones who actually work with kids- are being laid off & kids shipped off at a young age to a middle school. No one even pretends any longer that it's done for solid educational reasons.

This isn't just a local problem- it's statewide AND national. Let's start pointing fingers where they belong- State Legislators, Governors, and the feds who barely fund education at all but certainly give out plenty of mandates. Let's point the finger at the new Statewide flat tax which is bleeding millions of tax revenues in the cause of- rich people stay here & spend like crazy, PLEASE?

I applaud the Kennedy School parents & their grassroots movement. Keep up the pressure & widen your targets. Think big. Lobby local & fed lege who are expected to cut even more $ in the coming budget. Keep challenging your School Committee members to do the job you elected them to do. Fourth graders don't belong in a middle school. Heck, I don't even think that fifth graders do.

School Bus Monitors in the State Budget

**I received this note from Sophia Pendergast. If you want to help, contact your legislators regarding the Governor's supplemental budget plan cutting this local school requirement of K-5 monitors, now is the time! Are kids living in wealthy districts the only ones who should be entitled to these monitors because that is wherein the future lies? Contacting locals (schools & councils) can't hurt either. Politicians respond to constituents!

The bill is House bill 5019 article 18 regarding school bus monitors. To help keep the mandate, please call your legislator, Senate President Paiva-Weed, House Speaker Murphy, the Governor, Senator Costantino and their local legislators.

To find out who they are go online to www.rilin.state.ri.us and they can find a list.

Friends & Family,

I have a very important request. The Governor has proposed budget cuts that will eliminate school bus monitors. If passed, this will present significant danger to children who ride school buses in Rhode Island. I am attaching a letter for you to e-mail to Governor Donald L. Carcieri, Steven M. Costantino, Chairman of the House Finance Committee, Theresa Paiva-Weed, Senate President, your local legislators and to any other members of the state legislature you choose. This letter expresses your opposition to eliminating monitors.

Please email the attached letter to each person individually. If you are unsure how to e-mail the letter, instructions are provided at the end of this e-mail.

Calling your legislators is very powerful! We implore you to consider calling after you send your e-mail. Please forward this email to all your friends and family in Rhode Island. This issue affects all of us and it will take lots of voices to be heard! Finally, please copy FISST@cox.net when you email your legislators. This will help us track our progress.

You can look up your Senate and House of Representatives District by going to: http://www.sec.state.ri.us/vic and entering your name, date of birth & zip code. I have listed the names, email addresses and phone numbers of the Newport County legislators below. If you live outside Newport County and are unsure of who you should contact, please e-mail: Families Insisting on Safe Student Transportation at FISST@cox.net Or call one of us: · Sophia G. Pendergast at (401) 846-8513· Julie A. Mott at (401) 225-1791

We will happily provide any information you need very quickly. Thank you for your support of this very important issue!

Send an e-mail to: Governor Donald L. Carcieri Governor of the State of Rhode Island. drigov@gov.state.ri.us 222-2080

Send an email to: Representative Steven M. Costantino Chairman of the House Finance Committee rep-costantino@rilin.state.ri.us 521-1313

Senator Theresa Paiva-Weed Senate President Senate District 13 Newport & Jamestown 316 State HouseProvidence, RI 02903 sen-paivaweed@rilin.state.ri.us 222-3110

AND…Send an e-mail to your Senator and Representative

Senate District 11Bristol & Portsmouth Senator Charles J. Levesquese-levesque@rilin.state.ri.us 683-9194

Senate District 12 Little Compton, Middletown, Newport & Tiverton Senator Louis D. DiPalma 24 Sail Court Middletown, RI 02842 sen-dipalma@rilin.state.ri.us 847-8540

Representative District 69 Bristol, Portsmouth Representative Raymond E. Gallison 50 King Philip AvenueBristol, RI 02809 rep-gallison@rilin.state.ri.us (508) 677-4235

Representative District 70 Portsmouth & Tiverton Representative John G. Edwards rep-edwards@rilin.state.ri.us

Representative District 71 Little Compton, Portsmouth & Tiverton Representative John J. Loughlin II 105 Preservation Way Tiverton, RI 02878 rep-loughlin@rilin.state.ri.us
625-9889

Representative District 72 Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport Representative Amy Rice 438 Bramans Lane Portsmouth, RI 02871 rep-rice@rilin.state.ri.us 841-0505

Representative District 73 Middletown & Newport Representative J. Russell Jackson 10 Xavier Terrace Newport, RI 02840 rep-jackson@rilin.state.ri.us 848-7979

Representative District 74 Jamestown & Middletown Representative Deborah L. Ruggiero rep-ruggiero@rilin.state.ri.us

Representative District 75 Newport Representative Peter F. Martin 1 ½ Willow Street Newport, RI 02840 rep-martin@rilin.state.ri.us 924-2402

Middletown School Budget in Trouble

Well, this is a duh. Everyone needs to keep their eye's open for what is happening here.

"The town is facing a loss of up to a $2 million in state, federal and other impact-aid revenues, which she [School Super Krager] said could mean restructuring the schools and grades and staffing layoffs might be necessary. Although no specifics emerged about what those cuts might be, school officials said the outlook was grim. "

While focus always seem to be spotlighted on the Council, you'd better start watching what goes on with school committees- all of them.

WHAT'S NEXT- Members of the Middletown School Committee and Town Council will meet with local members of the General Assembly on Monday, Feb. 2.- The Middletown School Committee will hold a budget workshop on Thursday, Feb. 5. (NDN)

Thanks to NDN reporter Matt Sheley.

Mother Supports School Bus Monitors

Sophia Pendergast is a woman on a mission. She wants to educate people, especially those with school-aged child, of the "risks and safety factors" involved in riding school buses. Sophia wants everyone to understand the role of bus monitors in promoting safety and the risk when non are provided.

She, along with daughter Julie Mott, realize far more than the rest of us and on an extremely personal note, the consequences of no bus monitors. In 1985 Sophia's daughter and Julie's sister, Vanessa, a Middletown first-grader, was killed by her school bus after disembarking for the short walk home. The bus driver, quite simply, didn't see the little girl who got trapped underneath.

In 1985, the year of her daughter's death, two other Rhode Island students were killed by a school bus. Prior to that, an average of one student each year lost their life. In 1986 the State Legislature passed a law requiring all buses for K-5 to have monitors on board to assist students, the drivers, and alert the public to students getting or leaving buses, and crossing the street. Since then, no students in our State have been killed. Not one.

Currently, the town of Middletown places monitors not only on buses for young students, but for all students, costing the town $117,000 this current school year. Mike Crowley, School Committee Chair, is determined to keep this program going. Like myself who was a teacher in the system at the town, he recalls all too well this shocking and avoidable incident. The next school year we remembered the little girl by planting a cherry tree in front of Aquidneck School in her memory. I also had her sister, Julie, in grade school and later in middle school. How much is a child's life worth in your town or your State?

Mike has made his opposition to this item in the Governor's supplementary budget proposal requesting the State Legislature's repeal of this law thereby eliminating the cost for local schools for these monitors. "This is a decision that most all school committees weigh in on. The decision will be made by our legislators."

Sophia knows this all too well as in recent years this has been previously proposed by legislators at the bequest of some towns and school committees. Knowing the severity of this year's financial crisis and the rapidity with which this budget will be adopted, she and her daughter have launched an e-mail campaign to call attention to the consequences of repealing this school mandate. In contact with parents from other states, she has heard horror stories of students assaulted and robbed; especially those with older students. In between her work as a bookkeeper, supported by her husband William, a former Newport police officer now working as the computer manager at the stationhouse, and with Julie doing some of the crunchwork, a web site is being worked on.

Sophia is determined to get out more information for parnets and guardians of students riding school buses. She urges voters to get in contact with their Senators and Representatives to let them know about the importance of this issue to them. Newporter Sophia's Senator is Paiva-Weed and Rep. Martin. She has not yet reached them yet personally, but won't give up trying.

Sophia and her family are on a mission because they know more than most what is at stake. Expect to hear a lot more from them. And when your child, niece, grandson, returns home safely on their bus today, send a little note of thanks to Sophie and remind yourself to contact your newly elected politicans. Now, not later. Time is of the essence with House Finance hearing on this budget being scheduled. See my previous posting for a sample letter & local legislative addresses.

Check Projo & NDN for more stories. I'll also be doing more follow-up on the specifics of what Middletown does to promote bus safety for students and Sophia's tips.

District Budget Woes- Speak!

**UPDATE** The editorial from the NDN is right on the money:

"JEERS to elected officials who seem to be in state of shock — or perhaps denial — when it comes to the state’s financial crisis and the impact it will have on the local level.

Make no mistake: The state already was facing a crisis last summer, when candidates had to file their official paperwork to run for office. And although the exact figure may have been a moving target — and, to a great extent, still is — the multi-million-dollar budget deficits looming over the state and the effect they would have on local communities was one of several topics discussed during candidate interviews The Daily News held in October.

So to hear an elected official say “this isn’t what I bargained for when I ran” — as Tiverton Town Councilman Edward Roderick did last week — is both surprising and disappointing. Although extremely difficult decisions are going to have to be made, that is exactly what we bargained for when we elected our state and local leaders."

BTW- You said this about him in your endorsement: "We also like first-time candidate Edward Roderick, who brings with him experience of working for 20-plus years in the affordable and public housing field and six years on the Personnel Board in Pawtucket."

Guess you missed something. Shocking. So what was his response to your state budget questions? I don't see anything in print if you considered it so important.****

Further Update: Evidently Mayor Napolitano & a few Newport Councilors can speak after all. Also include Sen. DiPalma & Paiva-Weed in that list. (NDN)****

I haven't rec'd or even heard any official comment from anyone (hello, politicans) regarding the Guv's proposed supplementary budget fix- promises, promises. Why not? Hey, oh, darn, we set our budget along with your promised funding last June. Isn't getting it right your job? Or, how come your office gets to over-spend? Even- hmm, doesn't seem to be a good idea & purports hard times for the locals, works. "It sucks," probably should be quietly circulated. Maybe you even think it's a good thing. KISS, baby. Dissertation NOT needed. But speak. You didn't seem to have difficulty during the campaign after all. This is where the rubber meets the road. I haven't heard one island or district politican utter a syllable. Is cutting community budgets a good thing mid-stream? Consider yourself spanked.

I was also happy to see that the NDN commented in an editorial on the proposed budget cuts. Oh, that's right, they didn't. More on kettlebells! Ring in that New Year!

Middletown Costs for Bus Monitors

I'm just adding this for your information. It's $117,000/ year. ALL busses have monitors.

Letter Regarding School Bus Monitors

AN IMPORTANT LETTER REGARDING THE
LIVES OF RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL CHILDREN

Response to

House Bill 2009--H 5019
Article 18
Title 16-21-1 Transportation of public and private school pupils


To:

Governor Donald L. Carcieri,
Steven Costantino, Chairman, House Finance Committee
M. Theresa Paiva Weed, President, Rhode Island Senate
Gordon D. Fox, House Majority Leader
William J. Murphy, Speaker of the House
Members of the House Finance Committee
And all members of the Rhode Island Senate and House of Representatives


Please keep Rhode Island school children SAFE. I want RI School Kids to ARRIVE ALIVE!

I am sending you this letter to urge you to vote against the act introduced by Representative Robert A. Watson that, if passed, would no longer require school bus monitors on all Rhode Island school busses that provide transportation for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Prior to 1985, on average, one Rhode Island student was killed in a school bus related accident each year. In 1985 that number jumped to three. Since monitors have been mandated (1986) NO RI CHILD HAS BEEN KILLED IN A SCHOOL BUS RELATED ACCIDENT.

According to John DiTomasso during his tenure as RI Director of School Bus Transportation, ALL school bus related accidents (bus to motor vehicle, bus to object & bus to pedestrian) have decreased by 65% since monitors were mandated in 1986.

I want you to vote to keep the school bus monitor requirements mandatory.

Your constituent,

Name: Date: 1/12/09

Address:

City:

FISST – Families Insisting on Safe Student Transportation
e-mail: FISST@cox.net website: http://members.cox.net/fisst
(401) 846-8513 or (401) 225-1791

Eliminating School Bus Monitors

I rec'd a note yesterday from my friend the D'Amicos regarding school bus monitors. You likely know Lou & Denise- "Lou's Hot Dogs." One of the guv's supplemental budget suggestions is to repeal the law mandating these monitors to save the local school district $ while he cuts their State aid.

Now I remember why this law was started. Kids got killed by school buses. Since this law was passed, and BTW, Middletown voluntarily started the bus monitor program, No Student has been killed by a local bus.

She was a first grader as I recall. She was getting off her bus at the end of the school day. Somehow the bus driver did not see her and started the bus to finish his route. You can figure out the rest. We planted a tree in her memory outside of Aquidneck School. It blooms in the Spring. Not much.

Since that time efforts have been made to improve school safety- those folding bumper gate have been added (much like at the Pell Bridge) along with an outside address system. You now can see and hear when busses are stopping, reminding other drivers to do the same. Monitors come out to help students safely cross, then check under the bus- front and back- before leaping back onto the bus which only THEN engages.

These monitors don't make a heckuva lot; likely not much more than minimum wage. They work odd hours, not the entire day & are out in all kinds of weather. And most importantly, not a single student has been killed by a school bus driver not seeing a little kid in their way.

So how much is that worth?

BTW, all of the following names either read or aware of this blog. Please post or send me your comments or thoughts. It can't hurt.

Here is the letter. Sophie Pendergast (her name is given as contact person) is the mother of that young student:

Dear Friends & Family,

I have a very important request.The Governor has proposed budget cuts that will eliminate school bus monitors. If passed, this will present significant danger to children who ride school buses in Rhode Island. I am attaching a letter for you to email to Governor Donald L. Carcieri, Steven M. Costantino, Chairman of the House Finance Committee, Theresa Paiva-Weed, Senate President, your local legislators and to any other members of the state legislature you choose.

This letter expresses your opposition to eliminating monitors. Please email the attached letter to each person individually. If you are unsure how to e-mail the letter, instructions are provided at the end of this e-mail.

Calling your legislators is very powerful! We implore you to consider calling after you send your e-mail.Please forward this email to all your friends and family in Rhode Island. This issue affects all of us and it will take lots of voices to be heard!

Finally, please copy FISST@cox.net when you email your legislators. This will help us track our progress.

You can look up your Senate and House of Representatives District by going to http://www.sec.state.ri.us/vic and entering your name, date of birth & zip code. I have listed the names, email addresses and phone numbers of the Newport County legislators below.

If you live outside Newport County and are unsure of who you should contact, please email: Families Insisting on Safe Student Transportation at FISST@cox.net

Or call one of us:· Sophia G. Pendergast at (401) 846-8513· Julie A. Mott at (401) 225-1791

We will happily provide any information you need very quickly. Thank you for your support of this very important issue!

Send an email to Governor Donald L. Carcieri Governor of the State of Rhode Island rigov@gov.state.ri.us 222-2080

Send an email to Representative Steven M. Costantino Chairman of the House Finance Committee rep-costantino@rilin.state.ri.us, 521-1313

Send an email to Senator Theresa Paiva-Weed Senate President Senate District 13 Newport & Jamestown 316 State House Providence, RI 02903 sen-paivaweed@rilin.state.ri.us 222-3110

AND… Send an email to your Senator and Representative

Senate District 11 Bristol & Portsmouth Senator Charles J. Levesque sen-levesque@rilin.state.ri.us 683-9194

Senate District 12 Little Compton, Middletown, Newport & Tiverton Senator Louis D. DiPalma 24 Sail CourtMiddletown, RI 02840 sen-dipalma@rilin.state.ri.us 847-8540

Representative District 69 Bristol, Portsmouth Representative Raymond E. Gallison 50 King Philip Avenue Bristol, RI 02809 rep-gallison@rilin.state.ri.us (508) 677-4235

Representative District 70 Portsmouth & Tiverton Representative John G. Edwards

rep-edwards@rilin.state.ri.us

Representative District 71 Little Compton, Portsmouth & Tiverton Representative John J. Loughlin II 105 Preservation Way Tiverton, RI 02878 rep-loughlin@rilin.state.ri.us 625-9889

Representative District 72 Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport Representative Amy Rice 438 Bramans Lane Portsmouth, RI 02871 rep-rice@rilin.state.ri.us 841-0505

Representative District 73 Middletown & Newport Representative J. Russell Jackson 10 Xavier Terrace Newport, RI 02840 rep-jackson@rilin.state.ri.us 848-7979

Representative District 74 Jamestown & Middletown Representative Deborah L. Ruggeiro rep-ruggeiro@rilin.state.ri.us

Representative District 75 Newport Representative Peter F. Martin1 ½ Willow Street Newport, RI 02840 rep-martin@rilin.state.ri.us 924-2402

The next post is the letter.

Getting Rid of Henry

You might enjoy this short article written by a teacher as we talk of merit pay, eliminating defined pensions, teacher accountability, blah, blah, blah. This article could have been written by any teacher, any day of the week. But it's all their fault when education goes bad, right?

Here via www.buzzflash.com

R.I. House Supplemental Spending Bill

Thanks to fellow blogger Carol Andrew Morse at Anchor Rising for posting much of the specific legal eagle info regarding the guv's proposed budget. It is in the form of a bill sponsored by House Minority Leader Watson (the usual suspect) & shows the specific changes to current legislation being advocating. This is the funding bill that is submitted to the House Finance Committee with whom MUCH power lies. They will receive it, hold hearings, suggest changes, & then vote on it before forwarding it to the entire House (spending bills must originate in the House). Then it's the Senate's turn, but not much happens there usually. Although last year there was rebellion in the Senate Finance Committee and they ALMOST did not forward the House's spending bill to the floor. This would have had major consequences as both houses must come up with a spending plan that both agree on.

The Governor Speaks!

...on "Newsmaker’s" this week. "Tim White speaks with Gov. Donald Carcieri about his recently proposed supplemental budget plan. You can see the show before it airs on WPRI.com by clicking on the following link:
http://www.wpri.com/dpp/on_air/newsmakers/local_wpri_newsmakers_governor_donald_carcieri_20090108
Sorry, I could not get the embed link to work. You may contact the moderator at or 228-1859.

I appreciate this note as in the past you couldn't locate anything on the local interview shows from any of the t.v. stations. Way to go, Nancy! Nancy Krause Online, Executive Producer, WPRI-TV 12/FOX Providence

http://www.wpri.com/
http://www.foxprovidence.com/
http://www.ripolitics.tv/ I have not yet watched it, so comment away!

Proposed Loss to Districts

Thanks to Mike Cullen of Knowing Newport for posting the link of funding losses from ABC News, Channel 6.
These numbers are ALL MINUS.

Middletown
General Revenue Sharing: $829,818
Permanent School Fund: $65,591
Professional Development (given to schools for teacher training): $102,859

Sub Total $998,268 (minus)

Motor Vehicle: $34,883
Housing Aid: $57,755
Reducing Education Aid (for Pensions): $781,566

Grand Total: $1,756,962


Newport

General Revenue Sharing: $1,564,737
Permanent School Fund: $74,176
Professional Development (given to schools for teacher training): $106,908

Sub Total $ (minus) 1,756,821

Housing Aid: $29,897
Motor Vehicle: $97,913
Reducing Education Aid: $696,318

Grand Total: $2,569,949

Sorry, tired of switching screens & typing. Check the link for Tiverton & Little Compton until later.

The pension contribution is a LOSS. It's also a PLUS for localities since they will no longer have to pay that amount (it was a joint contribution). Got it?