State Budget: How Did Providence Make Out?
Saturday, June 18, 2011
City officials say they’re cautiously optimistic that the House Finance Committee’s proposed state budget has helped Providence achieve the majority of money it needed from the General Assembly for its own budget.
Last month, Mayor Angel Taveras proposed a budget that called on state lawmakers to approve four pieces of legislation that would help generate roughly $18 million for the city in its attempt to close a $110 million structural deficit.
City Spokesman: We Are Optimistic
In a statement to GoLocalProv, City Spokesman David Ortiz said the city is optimistic about how the state budget helps Providence.
“Based on an initial review, we are optimistic that this budget is a win for the people of Providence,” Ortiz said. “We thank the General Assembly for its strong effort to support the Capital City during this difficult time.”
Some Questions Remain
There still is some question as to the exact dollar amount Providence has achieved from the House Finance Committee’s budget. It appears as though the city received less in education funding than it did in Governor Lincoln Chafee’s original plan and the city stands to lose out on some money from the distressed communities program.
Still, it appears the city is poised receive at least $13 of the $18 million it hoped for if General Assembly goes on to pass the budget. The full House is expected to vote next Friday.
Council President: Fairness For All Municipalities
City Council President Michael Solomon praised the General Assembly for its commitment to taking care of cities and towns.
“I am encouraged by the General Assembly's commitment to cities and towns,” Solomon said. “Together with the Mayor, we worked to promote Providence's legislative agenda in the General Assembly, fighting for fairness for all municipalities. In the coming days our Internal Auditor will review the proposals in the state's budget and their effects on our own budget. As of now, we remain focused on the many challenges that lay ahead in Providence's near future.“
State Rep: Providence Did Okay, Thank God
House Finance Committee member and Providence State Rep. Scott Slater said that while he isn’t fully happy with the budget (he believes more aid for affordable housing should have been considered), Providence appears to have come out a winner.
Slater said he wasn’t certain on exactly how much the city will receive, but he believes it did well.
“I think Providence did okay, thank God,” Slater said. “I think they did alright. So far so good.”
If you valued this article, please LIKE GoLocalProv.com on Facebook by clicking HERE.
Related Articles
- Providence Budget: Will the General Assembly Come Through?
- Providence Budget Bombshell: $40M in New Taxes
- Updated Providence Budget Mess: Most Blame Cicilline
- New Providence Budget: A Cheat Sheet
Enjoy this post? Share it with others.
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.
Comments:
Buc Kner
7:16am on Saturday, June 18, 2011
The problem is that the Taveras budget NEEDED a home run..not a TRIPLE.."did ok" or "made a good effort" won't fly. Mayor's budget is so tight that ANY bump aka Police FOP discourse, state aid reduction, change to property tax increase as proposed is the iceberg that sinks Providence.
Not Telling
8:22am on Saturday, June 18, 2011
Screw Providence!
I don't live in Providence and I don't shop in Providence but my tax dollars from living in Cumberland end up in Providence through the state.
Cumberland has its own problems with tax shortfalls. Our school system sucks just like Providence. Our roads need repair just like Providence. Our taxes are rising just like Providence. So tell me what makes Providence so special? You are a sanctuary city. Deal with your own problems and make sacrifices just like I am forced to do here in Cumberland.
The state needs to treat every community fairly and not one over the other. I could care less that police, fire, teachers and city employees are getting laid off or being fired. You need to deal with your over blown pensions, pay and medical benefits.
Providence in my eyes is the joke of the state.
Paul
Cumberland
Charles Drago
9:25am on Saturday, June 18, 2011
__________________________
Read the first post here, written by a notorious David Cicilline mouthpiece, for what it is: a clear-cut indication that Cicilline in turning on Angel Taveras in a big way.
Cicilline's likely strategy: Try to scuttle Taveras so that voters might conclude that the problems facing Providence are such as to defy the efforts of ANY chief executive to solve them.
If that doesn't work -- and it won't -- Cicilline will have no choice but to come out with the equivalent of "I never had to cut police or fire or social services or ... "
Mark my words, it's only a matter of time before David Cicilline breaks the Myrth York-brokered Cicilline-Taveras truce. York and her Raised Pinky Radicals will throw Taveras under the Headstart bus gleefully if they think it's the only way to save precious David.
Mayor Taveras -- don't get sucker-punched. Tell all that you know about David Cicilline now, before he does to you what he's done to the rest of us.
Gary Arnold
10:27am on Sunday, June 19, 2011
It's still political charades. Look at what they are really doing, NOT cutting where the fat is, the duplicate departments and state/union jobs, the waste in spending programs that offer entitlement to the politicians, the lack of foresight in looking at the next five years, the unfunded pensions and health care.
No, what we are seeing and hearing is a screen of deception.
Charles Drago
11:59am on Sunday, June 19, 2011
________________________________________
Angel Taveras is a principled and increasingly competent public servant.
David Cicilline is unprincipled, incompetent, and utterly reprehensible.
FWIW: My prediction is that Mayor Taveras will cut off Cicilline at the knees -- and sooner rather than later.
Michael Trenn
12:07pm on Sunday, June 19, 2011
I agree, Mr. Drago. Mayor Taveras will eventually be blamed for the mess that Congressmistake ChiChi caused. That will cause Taveras to be a one-term mayor. To avoid that, he has one, and only one choice; to throw ChiChi under the bus. I've been predicting this for months now, because Taveras has only the one option.
Charles Drago
12:29pm on Sunday, June 19, 2011
___________________________
Indeed, Mr. Trenn.
Perhaps Mayor Taveras will adopt a passive-agressive method: During, say, his 2nd State of the City speech, he might catalog the horrors he inherited in order to illustrate the extraordinary and even heroic efforts he had to undertake to address them.
The message would be clear if implicit: David Cicilline's incompetence and lies led Providence to the edge of the precipice. Coupled with Taveras' refusal to endorse anyone in the 2012 1st Congressional Democratic Primary, the deed and the damage to Cicilline would be done.
But I continue to press for a more direct and ultimately effective approach: Tell us how David Cicilline misled and misinformaed you, Angel. Tell us all that he kept from you. Tell us everything you know about his lies and malfeasence.
Take Frankie Pentangeli's advice: Do it know, while you've got the muscle.
Charles Drago
2:40pm on Sunday, June 19, 2011
_____________________
Time will tell.
kevin sadowski
12:03am on Monday, June 20, 2011
fairness for all !!! share the pain "tell the truth" no not them only us idiots