Mayor Cicilline Joins the Mayors of Cumberland, North Providence & Johnston, the City Council and Community Leaders to Urge the General Assembly Reject Budget
Budget proposal puts into jeopardy the ability of cities and towns to provide the most basic services like trash collection and public safety

 

Watch the video of the press conference at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5-Fwal_Nr4

 

Mayor David N. Cicilline joined Cumberland Mayor Daniel J. McKee, North Providence Mayor Charles A. Lombardi, Johnston Mayor Joseph M. Polisena, City Council President Peter Mancini, John Hope Settlement House Executive Director Peter Lee and other community leaders to urge the General Assembly to reject the budget proposal passed by the House Finance Committee.  The plan, which goes before the full legislative body for a vote on Wednesday, would eliminate general revenue sharing to every municipality in Rhode Island and have an immediate and severe impact on residents.

The news conference was held at the Neutaconkanut Recreation Center, the site of a popular youth soccer league and one of many programs that could be cut if the supplemental budget passes in its current form. 

“This is about setting the right priorities during challenging economic times that protect working families,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “There’s no question, the state is facing a extraordinary difficult budget crisis which requires tough decisions and sacrifices by all.  However, eliminating aid to cities and towns without providing them with relief from costly state budget mandates is wrong, and the consequences will be devastating.”

“Working families who are fighting for their survival need the General Assembly to take a different approach,” said Mayor McKee.  “When this money is being pulled from cities and towns this late in the game, it’s being pulled directly from taxpayers.”

“I’m pleading with the General Assembly to rethink this budget,” said Mayor Polisena.  “Before you vote yes, put a human face on it and ask yourselves, do I really want the residents of this state to have a property tax increase?”

Mayor Lombardi stressed the importance of providing municipalities with relief from costly budget mandates and warned the General Assembly against placing the entire burden of a challenging budget on the backs of residents.  “I want to ask our delegation to have the courage to oppose these cuts to cities and towns,” said Mayor Lombardi. 

The proposal passed by the House Finance Committee would result in a $15 million budget shortfall for the City of Providence with just three months left in the fiscal year. 

It would have a severe impact on the delivery of City services, the Mayor warned, forcing deep cuts which may result in:

- Reduced City government operations
- Layoffs
- Bi-weekly or monthly trash pick up
- Closed recreation centers and City pools
- Elimination of street sweeping
- Serious reductions in Police and Fire, impacting public safety
- Elimination of the Graffiti Task Force
- State lawmakers also propose taxing those hardest hit by the bad economy, unemployed Rhode Islanders.

“It merely shifts the burden to the people in our neighborhoods who can least afford it,” said Council President Mancini.  “There has to be a better way to address this budget problem without doing it on the backs of struggling families.”

Providence City Councilman members Kevin Jackson, John J. Igliozzi, Nicholas J. Narducci, Josephine DiRuzzo, Seth Yurdin and John DeLuca also attended  the news conference.

Mayor Cicilline said Providence has worked hard to meet its budget challenges by implementing a number of cost-saving measures, including:

- Eliminate 445 City jobs through hiring oversight
- Saved $5 million by designating CVS Caremark as the City’s prescription drug provider
- Saved more than $4.5 million in energy costs by joining the RI Energy Aggregation Program - Enacted major pension reforms, saving millions
- Secured health care co-pays with five City unions, saving $5.4 million annually

The Mayor encouraged the General Assembly to go back to the drawing board to consider alternative proposals that would achieve savings without hurting working families, such as:

- Enact state and municipal pension reform
- Enact healthcare reform
- Provide municipalities with relief from educational and collective bargaining mandates
- Freeze further reductions of the flat tax for wealthiest Rhode Islanders
- Restore the capital gains tax to the 2007 level
 
“We must work together to find a viable, sustainable solution to our state’s budget challenge,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “One that prepares us for a future full of opportunity and economic growth and, at the same time, protects the residents of our cities and towns from the devastating consequences of this proposal.”

 

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 Mayor Cicilline Takes Fight for Responsible Budgeting to Washington
Mayor meets with Secretary Duncan to discuss the intent of federal education dollars going to Rhode Island as part of the President’s Recovery package

Mayor David N. Cicilline traveled to Washington, DC this past Monday, March 30, to meet with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.  During his meeting with Secretary Duncan, Mayor Cicilline asked the Secretary to clarify the intention of federal education Recovery dollars.
 
Last Thursday’s Washington Post reported that Secretary Duncan issued the following warning, "States that are simply investing in the status quo will put themselves at a tremendous competitive disadvantage for getting those additional funds. I can't emphasize strongly enough how important it is for states and districts to think very creatively and to think very differently about how they use this first set of money."

Cicilline and three other mayors also discussed with the Secretary a proposal to create a permanent advisory group of mayors for the Department of Education, as well as the “Rise to the Top Fund,” a fund established in the economic recovery package that will be dedicated on a competitive basis.

On Tuesday, March 31, Mayor Cicilline also gave a presentation on the Providence After School Alliance (PASA) and the city’s plans to expand PASA to high schools at the Mayors’ National Forum on Education.   PASA, which was created by Mayor Cicilline shortly after taking office in 2003, now serves approximately 1800 middle school students in Providence by offering them a variety of high-quality after-school programs including sailing, cooking, theater, tennis and drumming.

Mayor Cicilline, President of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors, and R.T. Ryback, Vice President of NCDM, also met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Melody Barnes, Chair of the White House Domestic Policy Council.  The Mayor holds several leadership positions on the USCM including membership on the Advisory Board and chair of the Children, Health and Human Services Standing Committee.

 

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Providence After School Alliance Chosen as Semifinalist for Prestigious Award From Harvard Kennedy School

2009 Innovations in American Government Award recognizes innovation, creativity and excellence in government

 

 

Also this week, PASA success featured on Providence Business News Page One (To read full article: http://www.pbn.com/stories/41266.html)

 

Mayor David N. Cicilline today announced that the Providence After School Alliance (PASA) is one of the Top 50 Government Innovations in competition for the 2009 Innovations in American Government Award administered by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School.  PASA is among 50 semifinalists selected for the prestigious award after undergoing rigorous evaluations by policy experts and practitioners from across the country.  The award winners will be announced in September.

“I am extremely proud of the work we’ve done over the past six years, under the leadership of PASA Executive Director Hillary Salmons, to make PASA a model of excellence for after-school programs,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “This prestigious recognition by the Innovations in American Government Program validates our effort to ensure that Providence children have access to high-quality after-school activities that enrich their lives.”

The Innovations in American Government Award was created by the Ford Foundation in 1985 in response to widespread pessimism and distrust in government’s effectiveness. The awards program acts as a significant force in restoring public trust in government by promoting public sector creativity and excellence. Competing programs demonstrate innovative solutions within a host of policy areas including health and social services; management and governance; community and economic development; education and training; criminal justice; transportation and infrastructure; and the environment.

“In this climate of economic uncertainty, these Top 50 innovative government programs demonstrate that creativity and innovation can still survive and flourish,” said Stephen Goldsmith, director of the Innovations in American Government Program at the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School. “Despite strained budgets and diminishing resources, these programs prove that government continues to find solutions to pressing societal challenges.”

“Twenty-two years after its creation, the Innovations in American Government Program remains central to identifying and encouraging the spread of the country’s most novel practices,” said Anthony Saich, director of the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation. “This year’s Top 50 Government Innovations promise to enhance the study of government innovation and influence new legislation and reform strategies.”

Mayor Cicilline spearheaded PASA shortly after taking office to enrich the lives of the city’s middle school aged-youth by providing a network of neighborhood-based, high quality programs after school at AfterZones throughout Providence.  Approximately 1,800 youth take part in a variety of activities including sailing, cooking, acting, theater, maritime exploration, drumming, tennis and filmmaking.  Plans are currently underway to expand PASA to include high school students as well.

Finalists of the 2009 Innovations Awards will be announced on May 18 and each will make a presentation before the National Selection Committee, chaired by HKS Professor of Public Service David Gergen, on May 27. The 2009 Innovations winners will be announced in September.

 

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$150K in Grants for Knowledge Economy in Providence
 

Watch the awards event at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0jYlz0wePI or click on the image below:

 

This Wednesday, April 1, Mayor David Cicilline joined Edward Cooney (Chairman of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce) and Constance Howes (Chairwoman of the Innovation Providence Implementation Council) to award $150,000 in grants from the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Providence towards 11 local projects designed to boost the knowledge economy in the city and state.  The Knowledge Economy Grant Awards ceremony was held at AS2220, home to the Providence Fab Lab, one of the recipients of this week’s awards. 

 

“The knowledge economy is a critical piece of the long-term economic and social health of our city.  The incredible talent we have in Providence – in design, the sciences, technology, and so much more – needs a clear path to bring its ideas to the market,” said the Mayor, “ Awardees today exemplify the growth of this burgeoning sector in Providence.”

 

Awards were given to local initiatives that offer "promising economic opportunities to expand key industries and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of the city and state."  The recipients were: Beta Spring Micro Seed Venture, Biofuels Summit, Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Expand the Green Collar Workforce, Green Economy Session at Business EXPO 2009, Knowledge Retention Symposium, Online Student Portal, Providence Fab Lab, Rhode Island Innovation Network, Sustainable Seafood, and Virtual Green Resources Center.

 

For more on the Knowledge Economy Initiative in Providence go to: http://www.providenceriknowledgeeconomy.com

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Feature: My City
True Blue, Providence Policewoman Garners “Ethical Courage Award”

 

Everyday, with the success of the community policing model, we see more and more of our city’s courageous men and women in blue patrolling the streets and putting their lives at risk to keep our neighborhoods and city safe.  But in rare moments that courage is demonstrated in the deeds these brave and vigilant police officers perform within the ranks of their department.  

In the spring of 2008, while Officer Michelle Guerette was preparing for an upcoming promotional exam for the rank of Sergeant, she discovered that another potential candidate had received confidential information regarding the test materials.  Guerette, whose career in the force spans more than a decade, believed that the department’s darkest days of corruption and testing scandals were behind them, and so she reported her discovery to Internal Affairs. In fair practice, Police Chief Dean Esserman ordered a remake on the study materials for the exam. 

Last week, Officer Guerette was awarded a prestigious “Ethical Courage Award” from the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration.  Chief Esserman, who nominated Guerette for the award, stated that he was proud of her for having the “moral courage” to come forward with this discovery.  City News caught up with the city’s newest local heroine at her work headquarters at the Providence Police Academy.

How long have you been a Providence police officer?

I will be completing my 12th year in a month or so. 

When and why did you want to become a police officer?
I wanted to become a police officer since I was a child.  My father was in law enforcement through the military.  And this seemed like a good place to be.

Recently, you received the Ethical Courage Award from the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration.  Tell us about why you were nominated for this honor.
 I was nominated for the award about a year or so ago.  Information came to me about a possible leak in our testing material for a promotional exam.  I felt obligated to come forward with it.  At the time I wasn’t really certain if it was accurate or not but it felt like if it were accurate it would be something that would affect a lot of people beyond myself.  So I came  forward to the administration, to Captain Lima and Inspector Colon in Internal Affairs, and let them take it from there to see if there was any validity to the allegations I had heard. 

 

And was there any validity to the allegations?

Apparently there was enough that it prompted the Chief to revamp that particular test and in turn protect the members of the department who were going to be taking the test.

 

What are the consequences for the department and your colleagues when this kind of unethical activity takes place?

I’ve obviously been here long enough that I’ve been around through prior testing scandals.  The morale turns horrible after something like that happens.  From the perspective of a patrol rank, those are the reasons why you can never get ahead.  You also begin to question the supervisors above you and whether they’re getting ahead the right way.  And to me, it seemed like in the past few years, that culture of distrust had been changing for the better.  We know that there has been a lot more consistency over the past years in testing.  And so when I heard this news, it kind of brought back all those feelings of the same old thing happening again.  So I just thought that it was time to make sure that that wasn’t the case.  Like I said, I didn’t know if the story itself had any validity to it but I knew that if it was then there’s a problem.

What was your reaction when you found out you were up for this award?
First off, I wasn’t even aware that this award even existed.  Ironically enough when Chief had called me to tell me, I thought I was in trouble for something! His office had called several times and I thought, ‘what have I done now?’  I couldn’t think of anything I’d done wrong but you never know when the Chief calls.  So when he finally told me about the award I nearly burst into laughter because it was just such a relief having felt one extreme to the other.  That being said, I was very honored and humbled to have had my actions recognized in this way.
 
What do you like most about your job?
It’s a variety of things.  I like the people that I work with a lot.  Of the 500 men and women on the job, and some that have come and gone, you always get to have a new conversation with each of them every time.  We share a lot of common interests.  So really it’s the people that make this job.  The second thing is that even if you go to the same type of call everyday, each day is still different.  You never see the same thing.  It’s a great job to have.  You learn to adapt to new things, to have a constantly changing career field, and Providence offers a lot of opportunity for movement within the department. 

 

What is your current role in the force?

Right now I’m assigned to the training division.  There should be a new academy starting soon and we’re preparing the curriculum for that.  Beyond that I do basically what my Captain says I should!

 

What would you tell a young person out there who might be considering joining the force someday about what they should prepare for if they were to pursue a career in law enforcement?
I think the first thing they need to be prepared for is the constant change in the job.  The job today is unlike what it was when I first started 12 years ago.  We do things differently.  We work with the community differently.  And you have to be willing to change with it.  The second thing I would say is to have a sense of humor. 

 

Speaking of working with the community differently, as the department adopted a community-policing model under this administration, what in your opinion makes this new model work?
I think there’s one key word in this and that is ‘listening’.  It has to be done on both sides.  As police officers, we need to not think that we always have the answers and stop and listen to the problem or complaint on-hand.  And the same goes for the community.  It needs to also stop on the complaints sometimes and try to listen to a variety of solutions.  We can’t solve all of society’s problems but if we work together and we listen to each other, we should be able to find some common ground and find solutions that work for everyone. 

 

Where do you want to see the future of the police department go?
I think the future of the department is steadily on course.  I think that morale has improved.  Certainly the Chief has been fantastic in bringing in federal money, which opens doors for the officers and creates all these different opportunities to grow as a police department. I couldn’t have predicted 12 years ago what the department would have been like now so I’m not even going to try to predict what it will become 12 years from now.  But I do think that we’re on course. 

 

For more information on the Providence Police Academy, go to http://www.providencepolice.com/employment.html

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