Report Inappropriate Comments

I wish former Mayor Avedisian nothing but success in his new position as CEO of RIPTA, but let's not be fooled. When he was the Chairman of the Board at RIPTA, a position he held while he was supposed to be a full time Mayor, RIPTA's finances were destroyed. According to RIPTA's own financial statements ASSETS plummeted by $14,703,460. LIABILITIES soared by $79,579,486 and INCOME crashed by $2,554,279 ANNUALLY. That's $6,998 dollars A DAY! A DAY!!!

Only in political Rhode Island can someone perform that way and get rewarded with the CEO position.

And let's look at how THAT happened.

2012 - Chairman of the Board at RIPTA Scott Avedisian hires Ray Studley as CEO of RIPTA.

2017 - Mayor Avedisian hires Ray Studley as his Chief of Staff of Warwick. (November 2017)

2018 - Avedisian resigns to become the CEO of RIPTA, the very position he gave Studley. (April 2018, five months later)

Maybe that's just a coincidence. Maybe it's Rhode Island politics. One thing it's not. It's not my kind of politics. My kind of politics is to serve the taxpayers. I have never seen a piece of legislation, that has been worth the money it cost the taxpayer. Not one. Don't get me wrong (as I'm sure my critics will do). There are many necessary pieces of good legislation, but even the best of them, cost the taxpayer MORE than the legislation is worth. That's why I strongly believe in "Cut Taxes - Cut Spending". That's why I refer to myself as "The Taxpayers Mayor". I believe that the TAXPAYER should come first.

That may not be the Rhode Island politics way, but it has, and always will be, mine.

Happy Spring everyone.

Best of luck Mayor Avedisian.

Rick Corrente

The Taxpayers Mayor