IT IS SO PREDICTABLE THAT RHODE ISLAND WOULD END UP IN THIS MESS AGAIN…
We’re talking about the pension crisis. Oh, you think we averted that a year ago with the unprecedented fall legislative session that resulted in state reforms like COLA suspensions and movement to 401k type plans.
We did. For a year.
Now we have a pension crisis plus three. Add in a crisis of leadership, politics and the state constitution.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS is caused when talk of settlement of the labor lawsuit picks up steam, the big problem being that it leaves open the absolute question of statutory power of the state government to set state employee compensation and retirement rates. If you settle the case, you never get the true answer. The watered down deal comes back for legislative and gubernatorial anyway. But only the original law from last fall truly stands as the test.
And let’s not forget the judge in the case is a walking talking conflict of interest with her own pension and those of a couple family members.
THE LEADERSHIP CRISIS is right in the governor’s office. Lincoln Chafee continues to outdo himself. He feigns some kind of unorthodox brilliance. Truth is, he outsmarts himself with his suggestion that negotiating down the state’s untested law while defending it in court makes sense for the taxpayer. No, it doesn’t. Not even close. Because if the state should lose its case through the appellate process the plaintiff union bosses will have to crawl back with concessions anyway because even they know you can’t get water from a rock.
The two leaders holding steady are the architect Treasurer Gina Raimondo and House Speaker Gordon Fox. But they ain’t the governor and they’ll have to clean up the Chaffee mess.
THE POLITICAL CRISIS stems from the wannabe candidates for governor in 2014. Chafee is dating labor again is an effort to make up after he left them at the election night altar.
Raimondo is looking at running but losing labor and municipal leadership (the cities and towns are in worse shape with pension liability) because she is doing the right thing, and in this state, that doesn’t get a lot of votes.
Providence Mayor Angel Taveras is calling for a negotiated settlement citing his good work in the city on their pension crisis, but they’re apples and oranges. His was a contact problem. This is a statutory defense.Big difference. But if Taveras sounds different from Raimondo that’s product differentiation in a primary run against her.
And former state auditor Ernie Almonte is calling for settlement too. He already announced as a democrat for the big chair and sees a battle with Raimondo as well.
It’s a nightmare. We need a steady, selfless hand here and it is most closely found in Raimondo, who is under assault from every corner.
Stay tuned. Between the efforts to recuse the judge, move the case to federal court, settle or not and this little thing known as saving the taxpayer, we’ll be at this for a while going forward.
It’s exhausting. But at least the chickens are vetoed in Cranston.
Pats are in the playoffs already. Giants are never comfortable.
And still, no hockey.
Happy Advent!!!
