Corrente gets jump on run for mayor

Kelcy Dolan
Posted 2/12/15

With nearly two years before the November 2016 elections, Richard Corrente, president of Bankers Mortgage Corporation, has started campaigning as a Democrat for mayor. He believes he is the first in …

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Corrente gets jump on run for mayor

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With nearly two years before the November 2016 elections, Richard Corrente, president of Bankers Mortgage Corporation, has started campaigning as a Democrat for mayor. He believes he is the first in history to embark on a two-year campaign.

“I have dealt in advertising for a long time and I am familiar with reach and frequency. The longer you promote something the greater penetration.”

Corrente said politicians “sprint” towards elections only focusing in on three to four months of campaigning and he is in this for the “marathon.”

Corrente believes this will also give voters a chance to get to know him in a way that regular campaigns don’t allow for.

“By the time the election rolls around, people are just starting to understand who the candidates are,” Corrente said. “I am not a politician, though. I’m campaigning for so long so the public has time to ask honest questions and get honest answers.”

Corrente, 63, grew up in North Providence, graduating from North Providence High School. The father of two sons, Corrente earned his associate’s degree from CCRI and then his bachelor’s in business management from Bryant College.

Corrente already has a campaign website, correntemayorwarwick.com, as well as filed a campaign finance report with the Board of Elections. He cannot file as an actual candidate until June of 2016.

Corrente reached out to Rob Farrell, the Chairman of the Democratic Party, about running.

Farrell said, “I was surprised that he is running and more surprised that he is calling himself a Democrat. I met with him and heard what he had to say, I am curious to see how he plans to work with the Democratic Council now that he is a Democratic candidate.”

 Farrell said there is a long way to go before the elections and he expects more candidates to come forward between then and now, but looks forward to hearing all views on the issues. He encourages anyone interested in running to do so.

Corrente has also already printed a pamphlet titled Warwick Taxpayers News that outlines his concerns for the city and some of the initiatives he would like to work on if elected.

The issue at the forefront of Corrente’s campaign is that Warwick will be a “ghost town” within the next five years, becoming the “next Detroit or Central Falls” due to tax increases the past 14 years. The flyer says that last year’s city budget was $300,000,000, an amount that led to the people being “taxed beyond recognition.”

In response, Avedisian said that although it’s too early to run, anyone who wants to should run for office but in doing such has an obligation to be truthful.

Avedisian said in an email, “Mr. Corrente should start being factual. He says that the city budget is $300,000,000.  It actually is $289,208,735, of which $158,872,256 is the school department that no mayor has control over. That means that the city budget is really $130,336,256. If a candidate cannot be honest about such a basic issue, why would anyone believe anything he says?”

Avedisian also pointed out that for 14 out of the 15 years there has been a surplus and cites Corrente is not “doing his homework.”

Corrente said he does not have a personal problem with Avedisian but would act differently as mayor. He calls out Avedisian for running out of money every year, yet also criticizes the mayor’s uses of a surplus, calling them “overcharges” on the taxpayers.

Avedisian wrote, “He can’t say that we have run out of money every year. He cannot say that surpluses are overcharging since he states that we have run out of money every year.”

Moving forward, Avedisian said it would be prudent to be skeptical of Corrente’s numbers and campaign.

Corrente’s campaign is a nostalgic one, looking back nearly 400 years to the founding of Warwick when taxes were almost non-existent, as well as to leaders such as Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan, who he studied and considers similar to his own mentors growing up.

He is advocating himself as a voice for Warwick’s 80,000 taxpayers, a group he believes doesn’t get vocal enough in comparison to other political groups.

“The city belongs to the taxpayers. We are servants to the taxpayers, and you wouldn’t know that listening to politicians. I want to set up a model here in Warwick for the rest of the country to follow,” Corrente said.

Part of this model includes waiving building permit fees for two years to encourage the building of homes and businesses. Similarly, he wants to issue tax rebate checks to new homeowners or businesses coming from other cities to Warwick. This, he believes, will encourage people to move into the city and can help “repopulate” the city. It will work as an incentive, where he believes we are currently “fending off” people from moving to the city.

He said, “It’s a call to action; do this now or have to pay later. We wouldn’t be losing money; we are only having a discount. It would be like trading in a dollar bill for a ten-dollar bill. We would be acquiring taxpayers, with more people there are less taxes for the rest of us.”

Corrente would also like to see a grant writer hired, creating a “Welcome to Warwick” magazine for distribution at T.F. Green Airport, and cutting municipal salaries by 20 percent.

“Don’t get me wrong, I respect municipal employees,” Corrente said, “and I don’t want them to leave, but if they did I could replace them with someone else for half the pay. I just want them to work an eight-hour day.”

As a businessman, who has “always lived and worked within budgets,” something he says politicians do not. Rather, he suggests politicians encourage overspending.

Corrente said he will make a lot of spending cuts to save the taxpayers’ money, although he is unsure of where as of yet.

He said, “I am interested in the broad strokes, not the details. There will be no secrets. I want to bring simplicity to city government. I will be politically correct, but everything will come from the heart and straightforward.”

For more information on Corrente or his campaign visit his website at www.correntemayorwarwick.com.

Comments

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  • TheDeal

    Oh yeah, nothing says I respect you quite like I want to cut your pay by 20% and I can get someone to replace you for half the money!! That big business attitude is why the wage gap has exploded in recent years. Now, if he had said something to the effect of "I'd like to gain efficiencies through attrition and holding the line on increases in benefits while seeking concessions from our employees and more importantly, our retirees." I could at least respect the man. Further, if he's so sure he can solve some woes if only he could "just get them to work 8 hrs..." then perhaps he should say "While I recognize that the vast majority of our employees are hard working, honest people, I'll let it be known early that my administration would operate under a strict performance policy with an absolutely zero tolerance for any misappropriation of city time, labor, equipment or money." No honest employee would have any problem with that statement. I sure don't. Mr. Corrente is more of the same in that he blames the grunts putting the boots and heels on for all of our troubles. He essentially just told you he thinks Cops and Firefighter/Paramedics are 20% over paid. Now, you may have an opinion on overtime and pensions but those are separate issues from a cutting a Cops pay by 20%.

    Mr Corrente, you should have approached this differently but you've already shown yourself to be a petty, cutthroat type of person. You won't be getting my vote.

    Tuesday, February 17, 2015 Report this

  • Scal1024

    I don't understand why politicians think they'll succeed bashing the city's employees. Its lazy, and takes absolutely no vision. Cutting 20% pay is a good sound bite, but it will never happen. I have posted many times on here that not one politician has a solution for high pension and health care costs. They keep suggesting cut, cut, cut with no idea how to gain these concessions from the unions. Until somebody tries ruling without a hammer, we will be stuck in the same holding pattern

    Wednesday, February 18, 2015 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Response to "The Deal":

    Thank you for your honest comments. You're right. I should be clearer about my plan and I wasn't. For the record 1. I will not reduce any present municipal employee salary. 2. I will not reduce any retired municipal employee pension. (these are contracts that were written years ago and signed by all parties. They MUST be honored.). I do feel that we should look at health benefits in areas such as double-coverage, co-pays, and deductibles. When some of these benefits were originally offered the total cost to the taxpayer was a fraction of what it is today. 3. When it was reported in the "Warwick Taxpayers News" that "Corrente believes Warwick should reduce municipal salaries and he's willing to start with a 20% reduction of his own." I thought it was clear that I was talking about any future salaries of new hires, but, as you pointed out, I should have clearly stated NEW employees. I didn't do that and that was wrong. You and I do agree however, that there should be a zero-tolerance policy for any misappropriation of city time, labor, equipment, or money.

    "The Deal", I may have lost your vote but you helped me and the 80,000 taxpayers I represent. For that I thank you sincerely. If you want to speak to me personally, I welcome ANY constructive criticism. My personal cell is 401-338-9900.

    Wednesday, February 18, 2015 Report this

  • Scal1024

    I appreciate your honest response Mr. Corrente. I would also like to add I like some of the ideas you put forth (in terms of double coverage, new hires). These will be difficult concessions to gain, but I give you a lot of credit for putting ideas on the table. We need more of that in this city and that's a good start.

    Wednesday, February 18, 2015 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Response to "Scall024"

    You said "Cutting 20% pay is a good sound bite but it will never happen." I promise you that it will. Let me be clear (note the comments in my response to "The Deal'). I will start with the Mayors salary. Mayor Angel Tavares set this example in Providence and others followed. But, let me be real clear. I am not talking about reducing ANY existing salaries. I am only talking about new employees replacing old employees lost through attrition. In today's economy we should get quality employees for less taxpayer cost than in years past. I don't consider this "ruling with a hammer", as you stated. I want to work with the unions so we can preserve their incomes, pensions and benefits, not lose them like Central Falls, Detroit, and Coventry did. I have a constructive criticism for you however. You know my name and phone number. What's yours? You obviously have ideas that I may agree or disagree with. If you care as much as your many postings suggests that you do why not call me. I'll listen to any idea you have. I might not agree but I promise to listen. My personal cell is 401-338-9900.

    Thank you for posting your honest comments. Warwick needs more people like you.

    Wednesday, February 18, 2015 Report this

  • Scal1024

    My comments about "ruling with a hammer" were in regards to thinking you wanted a 20% across the board pay cut for ALL city employees. That was my mistake. After learning that you were referring to new hires, I think that's an interesting proposal (I think getting unions to pass it will be difficult). I take great interest in politics and I look forward to hearing more of your ideas. If I like what I hear (as I stated before I already find a couple of your ideas interesting) I will be in touch. I think you are smart for getting your name out early and wish you luck as you continue.

    Wednesday, February 18, 2015 Report this

  • TheDeal

    Mr. Corrente, I appreciate the sensible reply. Thanks!

    Wednesday, February 18, 2015 Report this