NAACP President: Disappointed In Chafee
Friday, December 31, 2010
Lincoln Chafee might be his governor, but Rhode Island NAACP President Clifford Montiero says that doesn’t mean he has to like him. Questioning the Governor-elect’s commitment to diversity, Montiero blasted Chafee for not hiring enough minorities to serve in his administration Thursday.
“I’m very disappointed,” Montiero said. “Lincoln Chafee has not stepped up on diversity. I’m waiting to see what he’ll do with [Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation Executive Director] Keith Stokes, but I’m very disappointed so far.”
Critical of Fogarty
Montiero said he was unhappy that Governor-elect Chafee didn’t retain Sandra M. Powell as director of the Department of Labor and Training and questioned the motives behind the hiring of her replacement, former Lieutenant Governor Charlie Fogarty.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“I’m pissed off with Sandra not being retained,” Montiero said. “I don’t know what Charlie Fogarty has ever done to deserve that job. What’s his resume, other than he won’t run against Lincoln Chafee for Governor in four years.”
Powell was appointed by Governor Carcieri in 2008 and has worked at the DLT for over 20 years.
Trainor Responds
Mike Trainor, who was recently named communications director and press secretary for the governor-elect, believes Montiero hasn’t been totally informed about all of the the minority hires Chafee has made and pledged that more will be coming.
“I’m confident the Governor-elect will hire a diverse administration,” Trainor said. “Mr. Montiero is likely not aware of every decision he has made. We are still nowhere close to finished.
Trainor also dismissed Montiero’s criticism of Fogarty.
“I don’t think he deserves a response,” Trainor said. “Charlie Fogarty has been a Lieutenant Governor and State Senator and has decades of experience. [Governor Chafee] wants a cabinet who understands how governing works, which is why he has two for Lieutenant Governors and Steven Costantino.”
People need to wake up
Montiero isn’t just blaming Chafee for a lack of minority hires. He said people need to become more involved in their community and criticized the younger generation because “they don’t care what the people before them went through,”
“We can’t get people to vote, let alone get a cabinet position,” he said. “I’m just trying to get them to vote. I don’t know how to get them to wake up. Look around, if I had no job, no house, in this economy, I’d be sleeping on the steps of the state house.”
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