Dedicated to bringing fiscal responsibility and transparent government to Tiverton, RI.
Posted in FTM, School Committee, Town Council on May 4th, 2010
Just so’s you know, I was on time for tonight’s School Committee meeting, but the committee voted to recess until 8:15 p.m. so everybody could race across town and attend the special Town Council meeting about postponing the financial town meeting (FTM). Upon the gang’s arrival at the Community Center, the Town Council voted [...]
Posted in FTM, School Committee on May 2nd, 2010
I can testify that the buzz is out around town: one of the elementary schools is going to close. I’ve actually encountered parents for whom that particular scare tactic of the Tiverton School Committee was the final straw spurring the family to register the kids at a nearby private school. At the [...]
Posted in Budget Committee, FTM, School Committee on Apr 29th, 2010
I’ve much on my to-write list, but two items from Marcia Pobzeznik’s Newport Daily News report on last night’s Budget Committee hearing merit comment. First:
Just how far over the cap the town can go is not known, but Town Administrator James Goncalo, at the request of the Town Council, has inquired of the state [...]
Posted in School Committee, Tiverton on Apr 27th, 2010
So, it figures. I made a real attempt to be on time for the scheduled 6:30 school committee meeting (although I was 15 minutes late), and an unscheduled executive session held it over until 7:00.
It’s a good thing, it appears, because there’s the peculiar change of audience. Per usual, Newport Daily News reporter [...]
Posted in School Committee, Tiverton, Videos on Apr 21st, 2010
Yesterday, I was able to interview Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Deborah Gist. Complete video of the conversation is up on Anchor Rising, but here’s the clip in which I raise local issues from Tiverton:
Posted in School Committee, Tiverton on Apr 10th, 2010
Given all of the allegations, going around town, that TCC and the Budget Committee are trying to run roughshod through our schools with sledgehammers, a few of us have been trying to get a handle on just how much money the district operates on and from where it comes. Here’s the basic picture, with [...]
Posted in FTM, School Committee on Apr 9th, 2010
Apparently, I’ve been incorrect about the cap laws that the different elected bodies in town have to follow. As I’ve been saying, the municipal government is capped with regard to the amount that it can increase its tax levy. However, the School Committee is restricted by a parallel spending cap, of sorts. [...]
Posted in School Committee on Apr 6th, 2010
In contrast to last night, I was on time to the school committee meeting, but they’re currently in executive session, negotiating with the clerical staff union. Hopefully, they’ll be getting things underway soon. I’m exhausted.
Some days, carpentry can provide a blend of exhaustion, personal injury, and professional belittlement that makes one lament that [...]
Posted in Budget Committee, Letters to the editor, School Committee on Mar 30th, 2010
There are currently two letters on the Sakonnet Times Web site that merit note. The first, from me, is a version of this tivertoncc.com post describing the basic financial picture at which the Budget Committee has been looking. The numbers are a moving target, but they remain accurate enough to stand as a [...]
Posted in FTM, School Committee, Tiverton, Town Council on Mar 29th, 2010
They’ve jumped right in with the School Committee’s notes for the Town Council, with two basic points:
The school department believes that they were shorted in the current year. Depending on what funds must be counted in the budget for purposes of the mandated local “maintenance of effort,” it could be anywhere from a quarter [...]
Posted in FTM, School Committee, State Aid, Taxes, Videos on Mar 26th, 2010
Herewith video corresponding with my liveblog of Tuesday night’s School Committee meeting.
Posted in School Committee, Tiverton, Unions on Mar 23rd, 2010
The School Committee jumped right into budget discussions, inasmuch as I was only a few minutes late, and they were well into it. As one might expect, the upshot of the discussion is that the Budget Committee’s proposed budget would result in “draconian” cuts.
Astonishingly — and I really mean that adverb; it’s [...]
Posted in School Committee, Spending, Unions on Mar 20th, 2010
You may have heard that the Rhode Island Superior Court has found in favor of the East Providence School Committee with regard to its unilateral imposition of budget-saving terms on the teachers’ union. Three consequences of the ruling have particular relevance for Tiverton:
Justice Silverstein emphasized that Rhode Island law forbids teacher contracts from extending [...]
Posted in Budget Committee, FTM, School Committee, Spending, Tiverton on Mar 16th, 2010
As the President of TCC, I articulate policy and communications for TCC. I attempt to do so in an honest and straightforward manner. Readers of local media see frequent orchestrated attacks on TCC and this letter will attempt to set the record straight. This note provides links to public statements, video, and letters describing our positions. Please [...]
Posted in School Committee, Spending, Tiverton on Mar 14th, 2010
Brian Medeiros took a break from unfair attacks against TCC and unreasonable demands for elected officials to step down before they’ve actually done anything, last Saturday, to offer his reasons for his activism. Look past his vague and unsubstantiated claims that “there’s no shortage of people who want to move here” and focus on [...]
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