April 20, 2011
Do-Nothing or Hide-it Cicilline
The report on the Cicilline Adminstration's fiscal inadequacies has dropped. The major findings, according to the ProJo:
-- "The Administration transferred funds from the Undesignated Surplus (Rainy-Day Fund) without approval of a majority vote of the City Council as required."Councilman Miguel Luna is loaded for bear, calling Cicilline a "pathological liar" (as reported by WPRO's Carolyn Cronin):-- "The Administration did not provide financial information on a timely basis to the independent auditor, the City Council or the Internal Auditor."
-- "The Administration did not provide the City Council with monthly financial statements or with projections of year-end surpluses or deficits."
-- "The Administration prepared budgets based on unrealistic assumptions."
-- "The Administration was not transparent in its use of the City's Capital Assets Account."
-- "Financial reports submitted to the State were inaccurate."
-- "The City Council's checks-and-balances on the Administration were ineffective."
The City Council will consider a resolution at its meeting Thursday to investigate whether former Mayor David N. Cicilline and his administrators broke laws with financial decisions they made over the years.For his part, Cicilline is boiling mad and full of indignation that Gary Sasse is involved and has apparently decided that the tried-and-true "shoot the messenger" tack is the best one to take. I don't think it'll work.Councilman Miguel C. Luna is sponsoring the resolution. It asks the council to hire a lawyer, with a background in prosecution, to "review the facts surrounding all transfers, withdrawals and expenditures of funds from reserve and real estate proceeds accounts" from 2003 to 2010," a draft of the resolution reads...."We can't just focus on the future," Luna said Wednesday. "He [Cicilline] knows what he did. He brought the city down to the knees. He wasn't doing the job of the city."
Much as I dislike the entire Cicilline crime family, I think you may underestimate the ability of most in the City of Providence to not really care about wrongdoing by those in charge. Cicilline had so many enablers within city government -- including many on the former City Council -- and elsewhere who benefited from his wrongdoing that I suspect they will help ensure that all of this bad news for Cicilline ultimately goes nowhere.
Bear in mind that most of those employed by the Cicilline administration are still employed by the city. Little in my opinion has changed, regrettably.
Along the same unfortunate line, did you see the ProJo editorial of yesterday applauding the retention of Esserman (who should have been let go years ago)? Some never learn.
Posted by: Bill at April 20, 2011 2:06 PM"Financial reports submitted to the State were inaccurate."
This should be perjury. If you lie on state reports because you're covering something up, that should be perjury.
Then again, taking a homestead exemption in a city you don't live should be a prosecuted crime too. Instead we make that guy Governor.
The Moochers and Looters in Providence may not care much about the Cicilliar Crime Family but the rest of District 1 will be able to deliver a message in the next election.
We get more truth in government when all the pols who are to blame start pointing fingers and slaming each other. And just wait until the money completely runs dry.
Posted by: dave at April 20, 2011 3:07 PMThis is the most brain damaged state in America. 50/50 he gets re elected.
Posted by: Tommy Cranston at April 20, 2011 7:07 PMI don't care for Luna but he's right about Cicilline.
Why did it take him so long to say this?
"This is the most brain damaged state in America. 50/50 he gets re elected."
More like 100%
Posted by: Defender of Freedom at April 21, 2011 6:37 AMThat city council is full of a bunch of phonies in Providence. The city council knew about all Cicilline's immoral antics, and they went along with them because they didn't want to rock the boat. Now these jerks need a scapegoat so they pile on.
As for Gary Sasse, this guy is another phoney. Do you folks know that when he was at RIPEC, and when he was a member of the Carcieri administration, he supported lowering and broadening the sales tax? Now, this was to be done in a revenue neutral way under his plan, but he still would have decimated Rhode Island industries that are just barely making it now without a stupid sales tax.
Please do no misconstrue my comments. I think Cicilline is terrible. But I also think there are TONS of terrible politicians in RI (I consider Sasse a politician by the way). And i find it disingenuous to see the rats leaving the ship now.
Posted by: Rasputin at April 21, 2011 8:28 AMOnce again Raspy spreads around something he probably picked up at RIF. He might read Sasse's editorial in today's Providence Pamphlet to get the facts to refute that meme.
Posted by: BobN at April 21, 2011 8:33 AMRaspy why can't you and your fellow libs ever stay on topic?
Too painful??
Here is the topic - the very sleazy and very dirty David Cicilline outright lied to you and me and everyone else regarding the financial health of the capital city, he broke the city charter with his stealth raiding of the rainy day fund, he stalled auditors from completing an accurate report on the cities' books prior to the election, et al.
And yet all you and the dirty diva want to do is point fingers in other directions and change the subject.
Not happenin'
David Cicilline is a bad guy, i.e. rotten to the core.
Only when you and your fellow libs completely denouce (your shallow attempt in your post was really quite weak - try again) this creep will you have any credibility. Before that happens you'll just be the usual disingenuous ethically and morally challenged white noise that eminates from the political left in this state.
I seriously question whether liberals KNOW right from wrong. It's never about the actions but who's doing them with you and your ilk.
Why are you people calling me a liberal? The Providence City Council is all Democrat.
Cicilline was a terrible mayor. I am not arguing that at all.
What I am saying is the Providence City Council is a joke.
And I'm also pointing out that the politician Gary Sasse is also not pure. He advocated broadening and expanding the sales tax for years.
Sasse is not a conservative. Do you people forget that Sasse is great friends with the General Assembly leaders?
I don't see how a guy like BobN can consider me a liberal. I agree with everything BobN says all the time.
Posted by: Rasputin at April 21, 2011 5:22 PMI think there are two posters here who use the name Rasputin. Right?
Posted by: Rasputin at April 21, 2011 5:24 PM