Block Says Chafee Policy Is a ‘Job Killer’
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Moderate Party candidate for governor Ken Block is criticizing independent Lincoln Chafee for his pledge that as governor he won’t give out special deals to companies considering a move to Rhode Island.
Both candidates oppose the $75 million loan guarantee the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation extended to Curt Schilling’s video game company, 38 Studios. But Block said the state still needs to recruit companies to come to the state.
“With almost 70,000 people out of work, Rhode Island has no choice but to aggressively recruit job creators,” said Block. He lambasted Chafee’s no-special-deals policy as a “No More Jobs” initiative.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTLast week, Chafee proudly touted his record as mayor of Warwick, when he refused to give a tax break to Beacon Mutual, which was considering a move to the city. Block pointed out that at the same time, Chafee negotiated with the teacher union to give its members a 19.4 percent pay increase and no premium for health insurance.
“It’s completely disingenuous of Mr. Chafee, champion of the sweetheart deal for union employees, to be so opposed to negotiating deals with job creating businesses. Mr. Chafee simply has the wrong plan for Rhode Island,” said Christine Hunsinger, Block’s campaign director.
The Chafee campaign today disputed Block’s characterization of the former U.S. Senator’s record as mayor. He said Chafee deserved credit for settling a long-standing bitter dispute between the teacher union and the town.
“Contrary to the self-serving propaganda being issued by our opponents, the truth of the matter is that Senator Chafee (then Mayor Chafee) walked into office in 1993 and inherited a three-year old labor dispute from the previous Democratic mayor in which teachers were being handcuffed and brought to jail,” said Chafee campaign manager J.R. Pagliarini.
“The entire episode was casting an ominous cloud over the city and people were afraid to move into Warwick,” Pagliarini added. “Students and their families were being denied the value of a proper education due to the union’s “work to rule” decision in which teachers were being asked not to partake in any extracurricular activities.
He said the contract Chafee negotiated actually had an average salary increase of 3.233 percent for each of its six years. Cumulatively, those raises amounted to a 19.4 percent increase in salaries. But Pagliarini said that came with a number of other concessions on the union's part.
