Comments on: Woonsocket’s problems include debt, botched 2002 pension fix

By: Elaine

Elaine — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 18:50:35 +0000

How can Woonsocket possibly survive when its residents and economic development leaders could not keep Walmart are losing Lowes and nearly bit a hand that feeds us (CVS). This is substantially due to complaints from residents about addtional traffic. Get over yourselves Woonsocket you are not some rural city or town like Foster you are a city and there will be traffic!!!!! Companies and stores create jobs and most importantly pay taxes. It is so sad to watch are more astute neighbors(N. Smithfield) capitalize on our stupidity. On another note, how can our water dept. justify having last years report printed in full color on glossy stock rather than Black ink on white paper? Does that dept. have extra money that they aren’t telling us about?

By: Long: Woonsocket ‘is in a death spiral’ that’s not ALEC’s fault | WPRI.com Blogs

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 18:31:49 +0000

[...] back from this week’s ALEC controversy, the posts by Barro and Long (plus this one here on WPRI.com) illustrate the huge challenge facing Woonsocket’s new budget commission as it tries to put [...]

By: Joe Nocera Is Wrong About Woonsocket’s Crisis | One Currency Ltd

Joe Nocera Is Wrong About Woonsocket’s Crisis | One Currency Ltd — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 18:31:18 +0000

[...] here, a million there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money. As WPRI’s Ted Nesi notes, when you add together bond debt and unfunded pensions, Woonsocket is the most indebted [...]

By: alan

alan — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:07:22 +0000

to be honest the only thing the politicians in my town worry about is how to get their family on the public payroll. It is amazing how many connected kids show up on the fire dept or the elementary school faculty(not hard high school math/physics but simple teaching). Also since most are lawyers they know the largest employer(board of ed followed by public safety) will keep them knee deep DUI, divorces, real estate- or shut them off if they dont toe the public union line. The few private sector workers of note are all involved with long commutes so are not even aware of the problem(like the cow)

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:18:35 +0000

he he!!

By: GaryM

GaryM — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:34:42 +0000

Irresponsible politicians know that if they siphon slowly enough from the taxpayer, it’s like vampire bats on a dimwitted cow.

The cow doesn’t realize the danger from the repeated hits until it is at the point of collapse.

The lesson learned is that residents need to improve their IQ beyond that of a cow.

By: Cosmo

Cosmo — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:49:01 +0000

I think somebody did the math correctly but for a purpose other than fixing the situation. The money was directed into the pockets into which it was intended to go, it’s gone now probably cannot be reclaimed. Remember in RI it has at least as much to do with corruption as stupidity, although we do have an overabundance of both.

By: Ed

Ed — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:03:49 +0000

How many of these people who ran this budget attended Rhode Island public schools? It is obvious why the kids do so poorly the public school teachers don’t know how to do math themselves.

By: bee

bee — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 11:58:17 +0000

How does it get that bad in debt? When does anyone oversee after a million net loss. Not 10 million.

By: Progress Report: Woonsocket Asks State To Take Over Local Education

Progress Report: Woonsocket Asks State To Take Over Local Education — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 11:47:07 +0000

[...] Nesi, on the other hand, falls into the old trap of tacitly blaming municipal financial issues on employee benefit packages. He rightly points out that the city failed to put some $6 million into its pension fund since [...]