Cushman cites impact of costs to hostile crowd

John Howell
Posted 12/18/14

Using city-generated pie charts from the 2004 budget and comparing it to the current budget, former Ward 1 Councilman Robert Cushman illustrated Monday night how employee benefits have climbed from …

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Cushman cites impact of costs to hostile crowd

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Using city-generated pie charts from the 2004 budget and comparing it to the current budget, former Ward 1 Councilman Robert Cushman illustrated Monday night how employee benefits have climbed from 31 to 42 percent of the municipal budget.

“We need to take a look at this,” Cushman told the City Council.

Cushman has long argued that pensions and retiree healthcare – legacy costs, as they are termed – are cutting deeper and deeper into what the city could spend on roads, buildings and other capital improvements. He outlined some of those costs and called on the council to develop a strategic plan for a sustainable future.

What Cushman had to say was no different from what he has been saying for some time now only that the council had invited him to make the presentation and set aside an hour for the discussion. In fact, last month’s debate over Steve Merolla’s (D-Ward 9) resolution requesting Cushman speak, took longer than the presentation.

City firefighters and municipal employees wearing union T-shirts turned out in numbers in a show of support for the administration. Addressing the council at the opening of the meeting for 15 minutes, Scott Small, president of the municipal employees, pointed out that Cushman is not an actuary nor had he been retained by the council to perform the study. He said Cushman “doctors the numbers up at his kitchen table as a hobby.” Small suggested, if Cushman was going to critique city finances, he retain an actuary at his own expense “to confirm or deny his numbers.”

Firefighters’ president William Lloyd suggested that Cushman present his report to actuaries because, “I don’t believe the information is true or factual.”

Cushman sought to set the stage for his presentation by talking about the New England Patriots and how, through planning, they built the franchise and turned the team’s fortunes around. He talked about teamwork and examining trends in an effort to find solutions.

“You can’t dictate a solution to a problem,” he said.

He also noted that municipal employees have gone without a pay raise for three years and that funding for road repairs has dropped progressively in the last decade and that now a $5- million, 20-year bond is suggested to perform work that won’t last that long.

Whistles and muttering from the audience greeted Cushman’s presentation. At one point someone yelled, “I thought this was a presentation on pensions.”

Applause and cheers greeted the comment. Lloyd, arms folded across his chest, stood behind Cushman throughout the presentation.

Council President Donna Travis reminded Cushman that he had been invited to speak about pensions.

Cushman also talked about the inequities of the pension systems, how adjustments are pegged to current wages in the case of some police and fire retirees, and to the fund’s performance as the case with municipal retirees.

“It’s not right when we say we can give some a raise and others not,” he said.

Cushman also pointed out that city employees are sharing in the cost of healthcare while retirees are not. He said rising pension and healthcare costs are going to mean fewer raises for active employees…“we’re taking funds to pay legacy costs.”

Fifteen minutes were set aside for questions from the council. There were none, although Joseph Gallucci (D-Ward 8) outlined his long tenure as an elected official and city employee, and emphasized the dedication of municipal employees. He also talked about the city’s pension plans and how, with the exception of the Fire/Police 1 plan, they are properly funded. The single unfunded plan was addressed in 1995 and the city is following a 40-year plan to fund it, he said.

But this doesn’t promise to end discussion over the cost of pensions and retiree healthcare costs.

Camille Vella-Wilkinson (D-Ward 3) docketed a resolution to have Alfred Marciano, who chairs the city’s retirement board, address the council on the state of the plans.

Vella-Wilkinson said she doesn’t feel Cushman is qualified to advise the council and “[Marciano] that’s the appropriate person,” she said. She suggested it might also be productive to have school business director Anthony Ferrucci come before the council to talk about their budget.

Ed Ladouceur (D-Ward 5) said he thought the council should get an “independent” third party assessment of financial trends facing the city. He suggested the Rhode Island Public Expenditures Council perform a study, although he couldn’t say whether he would bring that before the council as a resolution.

Merolla was surprised by the turnout of municipal employees, noting this was an informational presentation and the council wouldn’t be taking a vote. Yet, he added, “You’re talking about people’s livelihood.”

“The problem is, after getting all upset, we’re all standing back in the same place together,” he said.

While Merolla acknowledged only one pension plan is considered below adequate funding levels, city employees are all in the same boat and, if the city can’t meet its obligations, everything sinks. The “elephant in the room,” said Merolla, are retiree healthcare benefits. Unlike pensions, where funds are put aside for future benefits, nothing is set aside to cover these costs.

“Healthcare is completely unfunded. I don’t know how you get around it; the numbers are numbers; he’s [Cushman] basically stated the obvious,” said Merolla. “If you don’t recognize the problem, how are we going to get to the solutions?”

Merolla noted that the city is in the process of negotiating contracts with police, fire and municipal employees and “we might have some amendments to the pension plans.”

Travis wasn’t impressed with Cushman’s presentation. She pointed out that the few numbers Cushman presented – $328.3 million in unfunded pension liabilities and $285.4 million in healthcare liabilities – “don’t add up.” Cushman totaled the two numbers at $620.1 million.

“He can’t do it right,” she said.

Comments

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  • RoyDempsey

    Gee, if Ms. Travis is right about the numbers, she is right, they do not add up. But the real question taxpayers should have, is why the President of the Council is apparently mesmerized by a calculation and an obvious oversight, which it is, and apparently lose sight (possibly intentionally) of the significant liability that the taxpayers in this city are facing.

    What was interesting about Mr. Cushman's presentation was the inequities that he pointed out regarding who gets a cola, and who does not. Each pension plan is handled differently, one employee stays whole and another does not. Who pays for health care and who does not. Current employees pay and retirees do not. His chart that showed that currently only 3 cents of each taxpayer dollar goes to city operations (roads, supplies etc.), all the rest going to current and retired employee compensation was an eye opener.

    Now, whether Mr. Marciano can offer anything different to the conversation will be interesting; but, he is NOT an actuary. The numbers he uses will be the same as Mr. Cushmans'. A dialogue with the school department would also be positive. However, if people in leadership really dwell on $620.1 million vs.$ 613.7 million we are not going to get anywhere.

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Another disgraceful showing from Ms. Travis. After learning of Donna Travis tax delinquencies, I'm not sure I want her trying to educate me on what does and doesn't add up. Enjoy the ride while it lasts Ms. Travis, in 2 years you'll be defeated. Its hard to better this city when you have 2 groups of people looking at the same problem, and both see 2 different realties... nothing will get done. There are no adults in the room. City workers can puff their chest out all they want, the fact is they have given up very little in terms of pensions. I understand raises haven't been given either, but concessions need to be made by the employees AND the Mayor. Give something to get something and put this city, its workers and their pensions on solid ground.

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • RoyDempsey

    Maybe this additional information will allow Ms. Travis to focus on the bigger issue of the fiscal health of this city:

    Unfunded Pension Liabilities $328.3 million CITY

    Healthcare Liabilities 285.4 million City and School Department

    WISE Union Pension Liabilities 6.4 million School Dept Pension City Controlled

    Total $ 620.1 million

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    Travis needs to be thrown out of Warwick city hall

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    Travis can't even speak English right.

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    Small is a great way to describe his brain--if Small was listening and not part of the lying propaganda spreading crowd, he would understand that Cushman's data all comes from the city of Warwick general fund and actuary reports. Anyone working so hard to trash this factual information clearly has something to hide. Can't wait to find out what that is.

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    I think the Beacons use of Hostile is a bit much. I was there and have also reviewed the entire meeting online. I didn't see anything hostile. Telling the speaker to stay on topic is not hostile. The only thing I can come up with was members of Mr Cushmans own party (Stacia) talking and being loud and being instructed to quiet down. I will also admit as an employee I was interested to see Mr. cushmans presentation. It was not very well planned and extremely counter productive.

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    The fact of the matter is that Donna Travis' complete lack of education is a Travesty. Failing to graduate from the 8th grade, failing to be able to use proper English, failing to pay her tax obligations year after year, and she has the nerve to criticize Cushman. What an embarrassment the woman is. Here is a woman who since 2004 has never made a tax payment on time or in full. Not one, car, property or utility. Every word out of her mouth should be ignored. She is an uneducated fool who only serves as to belittle the council credibility, which, by all accounts, left the room on Dec. 15th for good.

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • Smarterthanyou

    To thecaptain aka Cote,

    You really should check yourself before trash other people since your utility bill hasn't been paid to the City about a year and you owe, according to public records, $1433.29.

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • FedUp1

    What's the difference if it's $600 or $620 million that the city has for unfunded obligations? The fact is the taxpayers can't afford it. Let's thank Ms. Travis for bringing this to our attention.....if she is so good with math why doesn't she pay her taxes on time ? What a disgrace......what a message she sends to other Warwick taxpayers.....was Ms. Travis's property included with the other 1500 homeowners for tax sale a few weeks ago? Did she get a special pass from the city ? If everyone in the city paid their taxes like Travis our debt would be higher.

    I also notice Vella-Wilkinson always questioning people's credentials that appear before the city council. Vella-Wilkinson is chairperson of the finance committee.....does she have a cpa ? What purchasing experience does she have ? We all know Wilkinson introduces crazy resolutions but she isn't qualified to be finance chair.

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Here is the official document that Mr. Small brain and the rest of the unions members are unaware of. It is also the document that the members of the city council failed to muster up the nerve to make public due to fear of political retaliation. The auditor and the actuaries both state that Cushamans numbers are correct.

    To: The Honorable City Council

    From: Catherine King Avila

    Date: October 15, 2014

    Re: PCR-108-14 - Requesting the City Council Auditor Respond to Councilman Merolla’s E-mail Dated May 1, 2014 Regarding Pension Plans And Healthcare Costs

    MEMORANDUM

    In response to the Resolution appearing on this evening’s Council Docket, please consider the following:

    • On May 1, 2014, I received an e-mail from Councilman Merolla, asking me to “verify the numbers” contained in Former Councilman Robert Cushman’s “Warwick impact analysis handouts 1 & 2“. The attachments were 1 page summaries. I substituted the full reports for review, when they became available on May 5, 2014.

    • Not yet having been able to secure the actuarial reports for the past 10 years, I contacted Joe Newton, the actuary from GabrielRoeder who prepares the City’s actuarial reports. On June 25th, Mr. Newton replied to my inquiry and stated that the contents of Mr. Cushman’s analysis was consistent with his own findings, and noted that many of the exhibits were mostly excerpts from those same reports (conversation summarized via e-mail).

    As of the Council meeting on July 14, I understood that the information was no longer required, since the Budget Hearings had concluded.

    Nonetheless, believing the data might be helpful in subsequent budget discussions and Union negotiations, I took the following steps:

    • Because Mr. Cushman’s analysis cited data from 2004 forward, and only the more recent actuarial reports are available on-line, I needed to collect all of the actuarial studies dated back to that time. Consequently, I requested the assistance of the appropriate administrative departments in retrieving those documents for each of the 4 pension plans – some 20 documents all told. I received the last of these on August 1, 2014.

    • Although encompassing a 10-year span, most of the healthcare information could be pulled from prior years’ budget documents, which were more readily available than the actuarial reports.

    Based on my review of the data and discussions with the appropriate individuals, I can confirm that to the best of my knowledge, the Cushman analysis of the pension and healthcare liabilities is accurately stated.

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • Misfit

    Anyone wonder why the city council President couldn't get the screen to come down so the presented material could be seen by the entire crowd? Could that have been planned.

    The fact that 400 people showed up and packed the council chambers 10 days before Christmas shows, regardless of how some acting like a 2 year old, Mr. Cushman words carry weight in the city and the employees and public wanted to hear what he had to say. If the unions wanted to make a statement they should have stayed home and let Mr. Cushman present to an empty room.

    However by bringing out the crowds I have to believe there were some level headed people listening and understanding how unfair the current system is to active employees. At one point in the presentation when he discussed the impact an employees you could hear a pin drop.

    I believe a seed of discontent may have been planted by Mr. Cushman and it could start to grow into one ugly weed if Warwick employees start to demand a comprehensive study of the system and the future effect it will have on employees. That remains to be seen.

    Consider all the opposition to try to stop this presentation and it still went on. Now we have the municipal pension charman coming in? Would that have happened if not for this presentation?

    Mr. Cushman just opened up the pension pandora box in the city. Do you think Mayor Avedisian wanted that to happen? Do you think maybe employees may ask their union presidents if the infoormation presented is true? Can Mr. Small (municipal president) even answer a basic pension question without reading from a pre-written script? Is this who the municipal employees have chosen to represent them in negotiations? No wonder they have been getting screwed compared to the retirement benefits of police and fire. For god sakes get someone who can at least put two sentences on his own.

    And speaking of negotiations do you think Avedisian is going to enjoy this topic when it come up in ongoing contract negotiations?

    Regardless of what the "union thugs" think, Mr Cushman played a classic chess match and out foxed everyone. Bravo. He won. The talk at the cityhall water cooler and within the backrooms of union headquarters throughout the city is on the retirement system and the effect on active employees, exactly what he wanted.

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • Norm88

    Unfunded pension liabilities have occurred in the past and will again occur in the future. And it is clear from an historical review that unfunded liabilities do not mean budgetary insolvency and default.

    FACT: In the 1950s through 1970s, pension funding levels were the same or lower than today’s levels, without rampant municipal bond defaults or bankruptcies;

    FACT: The Pew Center on States, authors of a definitive study on pension funding and a major critic of unfunded liabilities, points out that average state pension funding was at 84% in 2008, higher than the average in the 1970s, and a “relatively positive outcome, because most experts advise at least an 80 percent funding level”

    FACT: Even states with some of the weakest pension funding rates, like New Jersey, had enough assets at the end of 2009 to cover their pension costs by 10 times or more.

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • Waprovencal

    To Thecaptain: You just can't stop the derogatory names can you? Why should they have made that public? Does Blue Cross make public their internal memos? Numbers being consistent and correct are two different things. You should have paid attention to the following: "...contents of Mr. Cushman’s analysis was consistent with his own findings..." "... exhibits were mostly excerpts from those same reports..." and "...to the best of my knowledge, the Cushman analysis of the pension and healthcare liabilities is accurately stated."

    Why have you not responded to Smarterthanyou? Is it true that you still owe utility bills in excess of $1200. How's your glass house Bob?

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • fenceman

    Whats even more interesting is that Vella Wilkinson hired the city council auditor Avila. On October 15th Avila hand delivered the above memorandum to all of the council members. During the November council meeting, the lying manipulating Wilkinson argued that Cushman's numbers are fabricated, when she knew damn well that the actuary Joe Newton, from Gabriel Roeder, already stated that the Cushman analysis was "consistent with his own findings". Do you understand this people? Is any of this making sense to you?

    Wilkinson willfully tried to hide the findings and the memo sent by the auditor that SHE hired. What does that tell you? Wilkinson is a disgraceful liar that will say anything or attempt to sequester any dialogue that will put her at odds with her beloved union members, even hide the documents that her own auditor gave her. What a filthy disgraceful poor excuse for an elected official. As far as the council president, you cant blame her because she doesn't know how to read.

    Furthermore for all of you union members, what does that tell you? Wilkinson doesn't want you to know the truth, neither does Picozzi or Small-brain or your beloved Mayor. They have all openly lied to your faces because they don't think that your intelligent enough to understand the documents. Lets face it, if you want to believe in Santa Claus, no one is going to convince you otherwise. But for God's sake people, read the friggen documents.

    The union members should be crucifying the union leaders and the council for openly trying to deceive them for political gain. Does any of this remind you of the Jonathan Gruber statements: "The stupidity of the voters helped pass the bill" and " lack of transparency is a huge political advantage.

    You have all been willfully deceived and now you know about it. The question is what are you going to do about it?

    Thursday, December 18, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    I like the reverse psychology fenceman. I'm gonna run to my Union leadership and demand that I pay more into my pension, demand that I pay atleast 50% of my healthcare and demand that they make me work till I'm 80. Thank you for opening up my eyes on this topic....

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Unionthug I can reverse it right back at you. Let us the taxpayers just ignore this problem. Why don't we just call the Mayor and tell him to raise taxes and rob the general fund AGAIN. Even though the system isn't sustainable. That way you can just pay nothing for your health insurance and continue to act ignorant as if this problem doesn't exist. I get that city employees want to protect what they've been given, but don't turn around and blame the taxpayers that are tired of paying for all of this. Not everyone on the opposing side is Rob Cote. There are level headed people who feel that this problem needs to be fixed, for both sides. My suggestion is that the Mayor be realistic in seeking concessions. I wouldn't mind seeing city employees receive a raise. I think in exchange of a raise health care contributions and pension concessions should at least be on the table. Everyone needs to start being honest in this discussion or nothing will change.

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • davebarry109

    Speaking of one who is collecting a pension with a cola, why should I make any concession because the city failed to fund the pension? I paid an average of 11% of my salary each week to fund my portion.

    No concessions. None. Never.

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    We already pay 20% of healthcare and 14% of paycheck into pensions. I pay around $260 a week into pension and healthcare costs. Not only have we not had a raise, but pension and healthcare costs have gone up considerabley. I get it. I'm not complaining,but if your saying in order to get a 3% raise I need to pay 10% more in healthcare. Keep your raise.

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    I'm not suggesting a 3% raise and 10% more towards healthcare. I also understand that city employees pay taxes as well. That's why I said it needs to be a realistic approach. Even if its a 6% raise spread out over several years with an increase in healthcare/ pension contributions. It's not the fault of the workers, but that doesn't mean that changes can't be made to improve things. The system cannot continue in this direction forever. Again, that is NOT the fault of the employees. Remember that 75% of a pension is much better than 100% of nothing. I don't take what you said as complaining, its frustrating for workers who put their contribution in to be told to put up more. That anger should be put on the mayor who continually earns your support year in and year out.

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Norm88

    What will the rate of return need to be to reach 100% fundability? Do you know what ERISA is? Do you have any idea of the cost involved to challenge an existing pension? Are the questions that come to my mind when this topic is raised.

    To point out that the City of Warwick’s pension funds are underfunded should be a surprise to know one this has been an issue in this country for over 50 year’s both public and private sector thus all the laws protecting pensions passed since the 1970’s.

    To me the things that should be questioned are how is the rate of return going to be increased to meet the obligation? What is going to be done with new hires IE the law California passed in 2013 to change the type of pension fund meaning switching to a DC plan or the newer version PRPP plan….

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Lets not forget that the city workers also received a non contractual $1000 bonus this year. In addition, they were allowed to attend "health care clinics" during working hours, get blood pressure checks etc.. for doing so they were paid $150 and were able to earn up to $900. Just another perk. Also in the last 3 year contract that ended in 2012, a portion of the windfall of tax surplus went back to the unions to "make them whole" as is stated in the contract. One could call it deferred compensation. So in fact the concessions, or at least a substantial portion of them were in fact paid back.

    The problem is that the pensions are structured as defined benefit programs. Which means that the pension benefit is not tied to the market gains or losses. That every person is guaranteed for example, Chief Sullivan, Mark Carrullo, Oscar Shelton, 80% of their salary. The employee has no personal involvement in the investing of the funds that they contribute or the management of it either. If the stock market crashes, there is no effect on the individuals retirement, however, the people that pay the difference are the taxpayer.

    In private business, the company in some cases matches your contribution 3 - 5%. It is incumbent upon the worker to be diligent and manage his or her own retirement. If they invest poorly, they pay for it, not someone else. The workers can continue to point the finger at fault, disrespect the people that understand the inevitable outcome, but the fact of the matter is that ALL defined benefit pension programs across the country are at risk.

    The point that none of the workers seem to understand is simple. You cannot argue that one particular fund is doing OK and ignore the others. When you combine the debt and unfunded liabilities, the simple fact is that the tax base cannot support the continued required funding to grow the assets and decrease the liabilities. The actuaries own documents of the amortization schedule shows exactly that. So you can ignore it and "hope to get yours", or begin the dialogue to fix the system.

    Just remember one thing everyone, no matter what you think of anyone in particular or their personal opinion, mathematics do not lie, republicans and democrats however, do in fact lie.

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Norm88

    A significant obstacle, however, is the

    fact that workers and retirees may file lawsuits alleging that decreasing their pension

    benefits violates the U.S. Constitution and/or state constitutions, most of which

    protect “contracts” from being unilaterally altered by the government.

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • patientman

    I wonder how much of Warwick's budget was spent on road maintenance and repair in 1970?

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Reality

    Hey Norm......you can sue all you want but as Detroit, Stockton Ca. etc. proved US Bankruptcy Court trumps what is written in these contracts. Warwick taxpayers didn't make these ridiculous promises to you.....Avedisian and your unions reps. did. If you have complaints talk to them.

    As for those who said how much you contributed to your pension plans, keep in mind the taxpayers contributed 2X as much as you did and won't contribute a dime more. The well is dry.

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Norm to continually compare today to the 1970's is a joke. You cannot be that ignorant as to suggest the problems are the same. Costs for health care have sky rocketed. It is unsustainable for retirees to pay nothing. You can keep talking about the 1970's all you want

    The fact is there will be no money there in the future. Yes there is an agreement, yes it was negotiated, but the city cannot afford it anymore.

    Also "captain" usually those type of blood pressure screenings or health clinics are done by the health care provider. They are incentives for employees to remain healthy as a form of preventative care. Once again you yell fire where there is no smoke. Let the adults handle the grown up stuff and get your facts straight. You are not helping in this debate.

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Hey Captain, all of the above cryings in your post I have never heard of. I have not asked for OR RECIEVED any bonus. Let me repeat because you are a little slow, WE DID NOT GET $1000 bonuses.... Health care perks, never heard of that, and money to be made whole. You must be speaking out of your rectum again. You and stacia are the two biggest whiners. She hides behind her Facebook postngs all day but doesn't have to smarts to debate anyone of us. You are the biggest crybaby around. Nice letter you wrote this week....

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • allent

    Us regular folk pay near 13% into SS incl. employer match. It's practically insolvent now. Imagine if SS recipients retired in their 50s with a percentage quite near their final salary (even spiked)? Beyond comprehension is what it is.

    There has to be concessions. 97% of all new taxes go to to current and retired city workers. How long can this go on?

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    I never realized the city was a for profit company.... If the city has a surplus it's either taxing too much or paying too little....

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Scall, the point I was making is that there was nothing out of the ordinary at the health screenings that do not take place semi annually at your regular GP visits. So in fact, the average person goes to an annual heath screening and pays a copay. The city workers, in addition to their regular coverage and annual physicals, had the opportunity to attend 6 additional screenings and leave with a check in their hands, Now, if your argument removes the financial incentive, how many would attend? Where are the measured benefits?

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Again captain. Never heard of this healthcare thing.... More lies from uber jealous.....

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Scal we also get a helicopter ride to and from work, every city worker gets new Jaguars every year to drive around in and if get the use of the City's corporate jet to take us on vacations... According to the captain...

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Unionthug if you read my posts you'd know I pay no attention to the captain.

    Captain if the city isn't doing wellness clinics in order to promote good health, i would actually encourage them to do so. These types of screenings can lower long term costs. Yes, I understand they get normal physicals like everyone else. The point is to promote better health so that overall costs are kept in check. It is foolish of you to bark up this tree (even though the people who actually work for the city say it doesn't exist). Again you hurt the debate more than you help it. Get your facts straight

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Scall, I guess we just disagree. Unionthug, I guess you just don't read the news. As I indicated with accuracy, here is the link to the Beacon article on 6/25/13 titled " CITY WORKERS PAID FOR HEALTHY CHOICES. In fact, Norm88 actually commented. Please read.

    http://warwickonline.com/stories/Workers-paid-for-healthy-choices,83228?content_source=archive&search_filter=wellness+program&content_class=1&town_id=1&sub_type=stories

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    2 quotes from the article....

    “We hope it’s reflective of lower rates [health care insurance premiums] in the future,” said City Personnel Director Oscar Shelton. “We hope it is really a true win.”

    Surprisingly, Shelton said, even though the city is giving employees money to do things to help themselves, “They can’t be bothered.”

    As of this date the $110,000 program has no documentation to indicate a reduction in the health care costs.

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Captain do you actually read the articles you link to? In the article it says an individual can earn up to $300 in incentives, and $500 for a family plan but may not exceed the amount. That's much different than the "earn up to $900" you claim they receive.

    Also in the article they list the same reasons I've listed in this post: preventative health care, promoting employee wellness, better choices. This is not uncommon, which is why the city negotiated it with blue cross.

    Once again, you never let the facts get in the way of your argument. You can continue to talk conspiracy theories, and hide in the bushes like a lunatic. The rest of us will argue on facts

    Get your facts straight captain, this is getting embarrasing.

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Reality

    Why should the city pay employees to participate in a wellness program......at the company I work for if the employees don't participate in a wellness program their premiums increase......only in Scottie's world are employees paid for bad behavior.

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    No realty its not in "scottie's world". You guys are pathetic, its actually a common practice in other companies. Just because you two aren't offered it at your job doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

    You guys really can't help yourselves. Its dumb statements on things like this which you have no clue about that turn people away from your cause.

    You are arguing over dimes not dollars, and it actually makes it seem like you're changing the argument midway because you know you are losing it.

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Captain, when are we going out to dinner. I'll buy with that $1000 bonus you claim I got..... Can you show me proof that I got it. If I did its news to me.... I researched all my banking and yup, there in NO BONUS... And I still have never heard of that health program... Cote is a LOSER...

    Friday, December 19, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    To realty and the captain...this is from the Wall Street Journal last year: "Nearly 90% of employers offer wellness incentives, or financial rewards or prizes to employees that work toward getting healthier, according to a recent survey from Fidelity Investments and the National Business Group on Health. That's up from 57% of companies in 2009. The perks are also worth more now: $521 per employee up from $260 four years ago."

    So realty it looks like "Scottie's world" is a lot like 90% of employers across the country. The article debates how to go about incentives or penalties for wellness or lack thereof. Its just funny to me how ignorant both of you were on this topic. Captain you said city employees could earn $900 from these programs. The article you pointed to said its $300 for individuals and $500 for a family. Well below the average of other employers. Not only are your numbers wrong, but you two brought this up as if it were some scandal.

    Do you ever get tired of being wrong?

    Saturday, December 20, 2014 Report this

  • bendover

    This is almost funny. Many of the people attacking Cushman, ( I think the guy has an MBA) have a sixth grade education, but Cushman is all wrong? A city council president who is not only a tax scofflaw, but has the brains of a squirrel, contracts willfully ignoring the Auditor General, their own accountants and actuaries therefore negotiating in bad faith, and average taxpayers are suppose to bailout this mess? Here is how this issue will be solved; Between the population decline, the for sale or for lease signs, the general cost of doing business, it is only a matter of time before the whole thing collapses on itself and ends up in Chapter 9. Meanwhile, the perpetrators will escape to Florida into their already purchased Florida residence, just like during the credit union debacle. Good luck with getting taxes out of what will be left. Merry Christmas.

    Saturday, December 20, 2014 Report this

  • Waprovencal

    It is evident to me that the more "Reality" and his cousin Captain "Lets take a plane ride" Cote, the more they write their lies they will become true. They choose to avoid the facts and reiterate what they want to be true.

    When I had United Healthcare the would give us up to $500 in incentives off our premium. NEVER, had I ever, walked out of a health assessment, screening, etc. with a check in my hand like they insinuate.

    How about some in-depth research before you start spouting misconceptions.

    Saturday, December 20, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Its been radio silence from reality and captain. Could it be they were made to look foolish (yet again)? Or are they too busy filming/planning their next "scandal"?

    People can disagree, but the demonization of the public sector has gone overboard around here. The majority do a great job, there are a few bad actors at anyone's place of employment. I don't think these problems are unique to Warwick.

    Certain concessions need to be reached on both sides. Workers haven't received a raise in years, and costs on insurance etc has gone up. One thing missing in this debate are real solutions. You don't get them by calling someone by their wife's name (or bringing his wife's name into the debate).

    I think we have a great fire/police dept here. I am disgusted at some of the comments towards them on here. Dept of works employees work hard as well. To refer to them as criminals is a cheap shot, and just shows how pathetic and low your group can be. I'd say stick to the facts...but why start now?

    Saturday, December 20, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    I noticed captain hasn't had one comment about my $1000 bonus that he says I recieved... More BS from a loser...

    Saturday, December 20, 2014 Report this

  • Reality

    Hey Scal104....let's talk about Scottie's world......Moody's just announced that an unfunded health care plan for retirees should be at least 70% funded.......in Warwick our unfunded healthcare obligation is funded 0% percent.....you quote Fidelity about a wellness program incentive that supposedly is being implemented by major corporations but you failed to mention that companies such as Veriizon, IBM , Xerox, 3M have frozen their defined pension program for new employees and have cut benefits for some existing employees. You didn't mention that Fidelity gives their employees a 7 % match for their wages but in Warwick municipal workers get an 11% match, police are approaching a 30% match and fireman a 22 % one. No even close to what Warwick city workers get. Once employees retire from corporation with a 401k there is no COLA and the taxpayers aren't there to make up the difference when the stock market crashes. Lifetime healthcare doesn't exist in private industry today. They got rid of that years ago because it would cripple their business going forward but in Scottie's world that doesn't matter.

    You talk about city workers haven't seen a raise in 3 yrs but yet their insurance cost has gone up......taxpayers in Warwick who work in private industry haven't seen one for years. It's called the real world.

    In Scottie's world unfunded obligations are $620 million and Scottie has no plan to address it.

    Saturday, December 20, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    If you read anything I said earlier than you would know I said it wasn't sustainable for retirees not to pay anything toward health care. You don't read though, you just stick to the same 4 talking points. Answer this.. Don't city workers also pay taxes??? That would mean no raise, increases in health care and higher taxes. I'm not a city employee but its not realistic of you to believe you'll gain concessions without giving anything in return.

    You talk about private sector 401k's, where in any comment I made did I compare public and private sector pensions? Again you change the argument. You and cpte spouted off nonsense about wellness clinic's and how taxpayers were getting screwed by that. You were both proven wrong on that point.

    Let me ask you reality what concessions do you expect the unions to make without giving up anything in return?

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Also I didn't vote for the Mayor. What does that say though that you and cote go so far over the line and off base that you actually put me in the position of defending him. You guys trample all over any message that one of you tries to put out. Cushman talks the other night and cote chooses to bring up wellness incentives. You refer to the Mayor as "Scottie" like some petulant child. Why don't you try having some respect for people with an opposing view. You both make people resent your side on any argument because you all come off as so damn unlikeable. Get in touch with "reality" and act like a grown up.

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Let's look at the pension/401k plan argument.... Reality/Captain/fenceman would have you believe that we are all retiring at 50 and living till 90 collecting 40 years of a pension... Not true. Are there some yes... But a majority retire around 60. When a person retires at 60 or 65 with a 401k plan can they take what ever amount they want when they retire. If that person dies the entire amout can be left to kids or wife or designee... With a pension its a set amount. Yes if I'm married my wife gets a FRACTION of my pension payment. We have had several employees die within months of retiring collecting virtually nothing from their pension. Yes they were not married. To say pension plans are so different from the real world is rediculous. And we get Medicare at 65 just like everyone else. So it's not for life...

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    healthcare is for life and that lifetime healthcare covers both husband and wife no matter how long each ones lives. this isn't about a 401k plan and union thug doesn't get it

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Smarterthanyou

    SabrinaV - I must ask...have you been a recipient of this so called lifetime healthcare? Do you work for the City? If not, how could you possibly know what employees may or may not receive upon retirement? Or is it that you follow the flock of the uninformed and regurgitate what they say is "true"?

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    I do get it Sabrina thanks though...I know by the time I retire I'll be paying for health care. We deal with people craping on us, spitting on us, bleeding on us, vomiting on us, 400lb people that need to be carried away. I get it I signed up for it and I love it. But atleast give me the common courtesy of taking care of my health when I do get injure or sick. You have people like Mr Cote that doesn't have a quarter of the stones it takes to do our job. If you would educate yourself on anything we do you might not be so condescending.... Mr cote how many times have you though you were gonna die at work, I can think of 6 fires that I honestly didn't think I was coming out of. Mr cote how many times has your employer (if you have one) made you go see a counselor because what you witnessed at work was so horrifying that you needed it. For me 4 times just in one year. You think we do nothing but waste air all day long but the good far outways the one video you take. I'm not concerned with you because I know the majority of the citizens are so fed up with your juvenile antics that NO ONE cares. Merry Christmas everyone, I know where I'll be Christmas Day, working while my kids open their presents. But that's ok with me , I love my job and always will.

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    I have witnessed the great things the Warwick Fire Dept does. They are brave, courteous, and professional. I have seen friends and family who needed their help receive it and then some.

    I know of family members who have written letters thanking them for a job well done. People in this city do respect their Fire Dept, and I think the majority know they do a great job. A select few who make derogatory, personal attacks against them shouldn't be taken as credible.

    Merry Christmas Unionthug and co-workers. Thank you for continuing to keep us safe!!!

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Bob_Cushman

    Over the last few days I have received direct feedback from Warwick employees and citizens who understand the serious consequences that these escalating legacy costs could have on their future compensation and their future retirement benefits and programs and services throughout the city.

    From my sources I have learned that the presentation is causing quite a stir in city hall.

    Some employees get it. To those that do I appreciate the courteousness in which you have shown me. However there isn’t much more I can do.

    My goal to plant a seed of concern had been accomplished. It is now up to the employees to dismiss the nonsense by individuals such the municipal and firefighters union presidents who sadly are being manipulated by Mayor Avedisian and city council Finance Chairwoman Vella-Wilkinson.

    Their frustration is being directed at people like me who have no power to change any budgetary or retirement policy in the city. Instead their energy should concentrate on demanding that the politicians in the city get the actuarial experts to provide future data so that a strategic plan, a Road map to the Future can be created to determine what the impact of these future costs will be on employees and all citizens of Warwick.

    How can getting more data hurt? What are people afraid of, learning the truth?

    With the rude behavior by some at the meeting who unfortunately only purpose was to disrupt the presentation, I could not play several audio clips at the council meeting of testimony from the pension and healthcare experts describing the effects of these raising costs that people need to hear and understand.

    If you are interested in hearing these clips, please copy and post the following links into your browser to see the presentation slides and the audio associated with specific pages.

    If any employee or citizen would like to contract me confidentially to obtain more information please email me at cushmanr44@gmail.com.

    Presentation Slides:

    The unfunded liability side bottom line number of $620,122,322 is correct. What I forgot to do was insert the line associated with the $6.4 million in school pension unfunded liability.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6P1sIPd4PTddUlIV0J0UThNcmM/view?usp=sharing

    Audio clips:

    https://soundcloud.com/robertcushman/sets/warwick-city-council-10-year-budget-analysis

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Bob, I am all for more information getting out to the public, I don't see how it can be a negative. The people interrupting ought to be ashamed of themselves, and they'll have to look in the mirror at the end of the day.

    However, what I am not hearing are any realistic solutions to these problems that will pass both the council, admin, or collective bargaining. Its great to educate the public, but now we need solutions to be in the conversation.

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Bob_Cushman

    As I stated during the presentation. You first have to acknowledge a problem exists, before you can propose a solution.

    Clearly based on the reaction of the employees and the union presidents in attendance that night, they don't believe there is a problem. They believe the mayor, everything is under control. They believe the "numbers are made up", "pie charts created at the kitchen table", "Cushman hobby", "Cushman not qualified". The numbers come from official city budget docs and pension reports by the experts.

    I never claimed to be a pension expert or a actuarial. However I do have the expertise to analyze and present what the trends are from the numbers derived by the experts.

    Mr. Small didn't write that speech. Vella-Wilkinson spouted off the same garbage a month before. It was proven that she was lying. I never said this was my hobby. Another citizen said that. But that didn't stop she from personally attacking me and lying about my credentials.

    How can a doctor help an ailing patient if they refuse to believe they are sick, and if they refuse to do the testing and get the data that will determine if they are sick? The mayor and many on the council do not want the truth to come out. If it does they will have to confront the problem and the issue directly with the employees.

    The RI and Warwick way is to ignore it. Let the time bomb explode of someone else watch. It's just too bad that the employees can't see this.

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Bob you are mistaken when at the meeting you said you cared about city workers and felt bad that we haven't had a raise in many years. Who are you kidding, when the city council votes to give us a raise your gonna be right up there with Roy, Rob and Stacia complaining and vilifying us for doing so... By the way Bob, I sat with the firefighters and there was no disruption from our section....

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Smarterthanyou

    If the numbers come from official city budget documents and the actuarial, why would you find it necessary to "analyze" and present something that is already public information? If you say it that makes it true? If these so called liabilities were due in full tomorrow, that would be a serious problem, however, they are not. And it appears that steps are being taken to make sure that the pensions are properly funded.

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Waprovencal

    Scall024, thank you for pointing out what should be obvious; city workers pay taxes. There are many under the premise that if you work for the city you don't have to pay taxes. I for one know, being married to a city employee know that they do pay taxes.

    Unionthug, I feel your frustration. People go around bashing fire fighters and policemen that they are overpaid, putting a drain on budgets, etc. The ones that do the complaining do not have the intestinal fortitude to walk into a burning building, rip open car doors to extricate someone from a car while gas is leaking, try to stop the bleeding of someone whose leg has been severed, talk to a drunk person who is spitting on you while calling you every name in the book, or walking into a scene where you are being shot at, console people who have been told their loved one has been in an accident and they are severely injured. Respect to those men and women who do that. Ask the complainers to step into your shoes for a day and they say, "No way!" I salute you, the men in the turnout gear and my brothers in law enforcement.

    It is no surprise that I have no respect for someone who seems to not work and harasses the hard workers in our city.

    Maybe The Stacia team should be concerned with the state of the RI pensions. Judges getting 100% of their pensions and medical for life, state administrators, legislators collecting pensions that are nearly 20% more than when they retired 10 years ago.

    I say these things because I am a Correctional Officer with the RIDOC. It would take me 37 working years to collect 80% of my salary. Due to my late start, I would retire at 71 years old and get 80%. As an employee of the state and Warwick resident I PAY TAXES! The pensions that Correctional Officers are not as great as everyone thinks. If I retire after 20 years I would collect 40%, 25- 43%. Pretty much equal to the private sector, the only difference is I could be punched, attacked, spit upon, have feces thrown at me or be bitten, kicked or even possibly stabbed. Is there a job in the private sector where you have to think about that when working. Step in my shoes for just 4 hours Cote!

    I apologize if my comment is somewhat all over the place.

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Reality

    Last I knew correctional officers, policemen and firefighters volunteer for their jobs.....they are not drafted. Tired of your whining when I was in the service the sgt. always said if you don't like the pay and benefits you don't have to re=enlist which I did.. You could resign if you don't like the work.

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Reality, never once in my life have I said a negative word about our military it's sad you hate the public sector so bad. Have a merry Christmas.

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Waprovencal

    Dear Reality,

    Hiding still? I am not complaining about my job, as a matter of fact I enjoy my job. I feel I am decently paid for the members of society I have to deal with. You piss and moan about the public employees and the benefits we receive, which are not as spectacular as you want to believe, yet if I asked you to do what I do I know you would say "No". By no means am I disrespecting the military, they have my utmost respect.

    I don't know what you do for work because you, I am sure will not come out and say because you have a penchant for hiding. I too do not understand your hatred for the people paid to protect your city. Who would you call if you car was stolen as your house was burning, but I don't think Cote or Stacia would be able to help you.

    Sunday, December 21, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Check out Robs new stalker videos on YouTube. Top notch, Top notch.... He might be the shadiest person out there....

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    Provencal and Union Thug---- you are all over the place, stereotyping people and zigzagging between topics that are completely irrelevant to the bottom line. What did you comprehend from Bob Cushman's presentation? Do you even believe the numbers are accurate? They come from the actuary. Have you attended the budget hearings? It reads to me that the only thing you spend the most time on is being part of the lying, propaganda deception team. You are either completely in denial, or afraid because you don't understand, or you are just completely greedy and selfish and could care less about how a broke city and taxing people right out of their homes is justified to keep your pockets full of corrupt cash. You are greedy, selfish and hypocritical,---as long as I get what's "entitled" to me ---screw everyone else. Do you actually LISTEN when the actuary says there is serious problem and the city cannot afford the pensions any longer?? Joe Newton was just quoted in ProJO talking about the state pension that raises are going to be reduced. The same thing is already happening to you. The problem is you are so brainwashed by your union ;leadership and mayor Avedisian ---you just don't see how much you have been lied to and completely deceived. The Mayor tapped the rainy day fund 3.6 million to balance the budget---this is the downward spiral of unsustainability---the same thing happened to DETROIT>. Good, honest people will not stop bringing out the truth and laying it on the table for the public and the city employees to see because WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!! If Providence wasn't getting 100's of millions of dollars of support, from all of the other local cities and towns, they would be filing for bankruptcy, and they still might. WARWICK is not going to be able to get that kind of financial support. SO we can either fix it now, and acknowledge the problem now, and fix it or you will most certainly be paying the price, this, next yr, the year after until you will have severe benefit cuts and major cuts to your pension checks and what you will collect on. Your equipment will continue to fail, we will not be able to hire new workers, the roads will continue to crumble, more families will pack up and leave Warwick, more small businesses will close, the tax base will continue to decrease----taxes will continue to go up and up repeating the cycle----the property tax foreclosure sales will dwarf the utilities foreclosures, that just affected 1500 families----wait until next year!!!!

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Hi Stacia...

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    I give in Sabria/Stacia. I'm going to show up for free from now on. I don't want anything. You have opened my eyes. Your complete knowledge on this subject is astounding. Im calling city hall now to cancel the paychecks....

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • Bob_Cushman

    Here is a ten yesr forecast from the financial experts from the town of Barnstable, MA., with a population of 49,000 residents about an hour from Rhode Island.

    I wonder if this analysis was created by the town leaders as a hobby or at their kitchen table.

    Copy this link to your browser to see what resonsible political leaders do in terms of strategic planning:

    http://www.townofbarnstable.us/finance/FY13%2010%20year%20forecast.pdf

    Key points and I quote:

    "Long-term financial forecasting allows the town to consider its financial future beyond the current and immediate subsequent fiscal year. This offers the opportunity for better management of the community’s fiscal health as long-term imbalances can be identified and strategies to counteract them can be developed."

    "For example, recent accounting and law changes enacted concerning employee benefits has resulted in the town restructuring its budget presentation to consolidate and analyze these costs collectively as they consume more of the budget every year. A growing concern from taxpayers nationwide in this area has emerged over the past few years. Most notably has been the accounting change to record a community’s unfunded other post-employment benefits, or OPEB".

    "As with any long-range forecast, this document should not be interpreted as a spending plan for the next 10 years. Many decisions regarding the allocation of resources and spending priorities are made outside the finance operations. These decisions should be made considering the key financial data finance provides. Additionally, finance needs to consider the impacts of these decisions to the town’s financial position."

    "The focus of the ten-year forecast should not be centered on the accuracy of the numbers provided herein but rather on the trends they illustrate. Furthermore, how this report can be connected to the town’s other planning documents including the Annual Operating Budget, the Capital Improvement 2 Plan and the Town Council’s Strategic Plan is an important consideration. These plans are all interconnected and the ten-year forecast is as good a place to start when juxtaposed with the other documents."

    This was the point of my presentation.

    "TRENDS" is that a familuar term we recently heard? MAYBE DURNING MY PRESENTATION IF YOU WERE LISTENING!!!!!

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    the smell of beer and alcohol was "louder" than the heckling at city hall on Monday 12/15--- its nice that the city workers liquored it up before they all showed up to bully a man that is only working in their best interests. They embarrassed their ignorant selves.

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    I guess your just making that up Sabrina. I didn't see it at all. The only thing I saw was a rude Stacia/cote combo talking and get reprimanded during a speech. Check the video again Sabrina. Nice try though.

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Trust me, if you weren't there WATCH THE VIDEO. you see nothing that Sabrina describes. Except Stacia Flapping her suck....

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Sabrina in one comment you talk about personal attacks and in the other you talk about city workers being "liquored up" at the meeting. You can't have it both ways, stay classy you fraud!!!

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    I know for a fact that city workers met and drank before the meeting on December 15th. I was there at city hall and I could SMELL IT. Union THUG_--you are exactly that---a trolling THUG and that goes for you as well Scal1024. Fraud is what you contracted in to. Are you on the clock right now? Why don't you actually get back to your job--you know, that's called working.

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    union thug--you lie in your sleep.

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    I do NOT work for, or have ever worked for the city. Not a cop, fireman, DPW worker. I think its funny you throw that out there, just like you did the "liquored up" city workers comment. If you actually read this comments instead of spouting off your uneducated nonsense, than maybe you'd know I've said the system isn't sustainable forever. I can actually look at a problem objectively Sabrina, unlike you're crowd I've listed REALISTIC ways to get something done.

    You choose not to look at the problem realistically. Yes change is needed but you're not going to get it by bashing the employees and expecting them to make concessions. You especially won't achieve it by following workers around with a camera like some pathetic, lonely, citizen journalist who no one in this city cares about. I can't wait to hear what other conspiracy theories you drum up in your head. Where did this "meeting" take place? How many employees smelled like alcohol? What did those DPW workers order in that subway.

    Stick to what you know because you continually embarrass yourself on here Sabrina.

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    Scal, whatever you do for a living, you come from the same mentality as union thug. If you were actually taking the realistic approach, you'd understand why disgusted citizens take it upon themselves to film city workers slacking off- it's to prove that our tax dollars are being wasted. There are actually more people doing the filming, they just don't make themselves known like Cote does. I think you should not stick to whatever it is you think you know. Anyone reading this thread with a properly functioning brain can read between the your lines. You troll every single Beacon post and repeatedly spout your bs. No one is bashing city employees in their entirety---what's called out are those city employees that behave in the ways so inappropriate, that it reflects upon the entire departments as whole, and that trickle down effect starts right from union leadership, and that was most evident during Cushman's presentation on Dec 15th. There needs to be a strict precedent set that those types of inappropriate and unprofessional actions and behaviors will not be tolerated, but Warwick lacks leadership with a single ounce of integrity and guts to ever make that happen. The entire Warwick leadership needs to go & that's reality.

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    Stacia's Facebook page has been posting realistic solutions for months, catch up.

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    and Scal, why don't you enlighten us with your proposed list of realistic solutions? You've been reading and commenting on plenty, what have you absorbed from all of it? anything?

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    First of all a lot of public sector employees sacrifice wages for very good benefits. That has been the case for a long time. Workers haven't received a raise and benefits have been cut in recent years. I would get the employees to the table by promising a raise in exchange for concessions. (Less vacation/sick time, slower time accrual, stricter rules on overtime, one less holiday). I believe that kind of give and take could pave the way for future conversations. Also I would raise the retirement age on employees not in the fire, or police departments.

    I don't believe the city can legally shift current employees into a defined contribution plan, but it should look at the legal standing on newer hires being shifted into one. In Providence they capped benefits at 150% of the state median income. In Providence they also suspended COLA's until the plan is 70% funded, but in Providence these concessions and reforms were negotiated with the unions. None of your crowd seems to believe in that type of bargaining though.

    As far as people filming city workers I will again say it is pathetic. I find it funny you tell me and others on here to get a job, yet you have no problems with these losers driving around all day filming others. There's a reason the others don't come forward, they are embarrassed of what they do. Nobody appointed cote or anyone else watchdog. How long have these videos gone on? What do they prove? What do they accomplish? Other than make some joke of a man feel important. I don't follow stacia's Facebook page and if there's alot of people like you on there I couldn't be happier that I don't. Why don't you enlighten me on her i mean your plan? I've told you mine in this post (and many others) but you choose to be ignorant and name call instead

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    First of all I was there within the group of firefighters, calling the group "liquored up" is juvenile yet funny. As I sat there there was NOT ONESINGLE DISRUPTIONFROM THIS GROUP. secondly Sabrina's rhetoric is almost word for word the same as the letter Cote sent the fire chief this past week. Very interesting. How many screen names do you have Rob? Captain/fenceman/reality/Sabrina. The sad part is. You make it seem like more people care and they don't. I watched your video again as you call into question a Dog catcher driving around. Isn't that what they do? Oh I forgot they are supposed to sit in the bat cave waiting for the red phone to ring for a rabid dog.....

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • Waprovencal

    Sabrina, I don't know who I was stereo typing, I commented on things that were relevant to me, and responded to posts. So I am sorry if my responses and post confused you. It is amazing to me how much you sound like Stacia Huyler. Some one does not have the same views as you so you resort IMMEDIATLY to calling them liars. I don't know what bottom line you are referring to, but if it is to solve the city's pension system, I am not qualified, I am qualified to give my opinion on what is posted in this comment section. You cannot block me here.

    Now I will deal with your many adjective to describe me- I am none of those things you have called me. I am not greedy or selfish nor do I feel I am entitled to anything. I do not understand how you drew those conclusions about me. I do understand that the pension system may not be fully funded and if all city workers were to retire tomorrow we may be in serious trouble, but I don't see that happening. Explain to me why that if the city pension system was so bad and unsustainable, why would Gina Raimondo talk to Mayor Avedisian about it in order to try to make the state pension system better. I know what changes could happen and how they would effect me. If the pension reform goes through, it is not great for me but there is not much I can do.

    I read the article that you refer to, and realized you only hit the talking points that will shake people up. You did the same thing in the republican primary with no plan on how you would improve things in our city. I do care about our city and that is why I voted for Mayor Avedisian. I may have voted for you, I mean Stacia, but she had nothing on her website or Facebook pages on what she would do to improve our city, reduce tax rates, or balance the budget.

    I read all your posts here and it seems YOU are the one trying to push propaganda, and half truths on everyone.

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • Waprovencal

    Sabrina, were you working today when you posted YOUR comments this morning?

    Monday, December 22, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    @Waprovencal it's amazing to me how much you "sound" like a guy that doesn't know what he's commenting about. Your speculations are way off. Stop making up lies and false accusations. This is not Stacia Huyler, and from what I know, you were bounced off her page because you were doing the same there, spouting nonsense. There is nothing Raimondo can say to her fellow liberal progressive coward mayor of a friend that will help Warwick. She doesn't deserve to be Governor of R,I as her buddy doesn't deserve to be the mayor of Warwick.

    Tuesday, December 23, 2014 Report this

  • Waprovencal

    Ms. Sabrina,

    What are my speculations, what are my lies? Where are my false accusations? If you followed my comments, I remarked on things I had an opinion about, and responded in kind to those who addressed me. Try to follow those, I will cut and paste everything together if that makes it easier for you.

    As for being bounced off her page, yes I was! Myself along with countless others were bounced from her page because we did not agree with her and we questioned if she had a comprehensive plan to get Warwick moving "in a new direction". I was curios about the new blood in the race so I looked for what she had planned for the city. She had no outline, no workable plan for what she called Warwick's problems. When she mentioned the mayor dipping into the rainy day fund I had said even in a household budget you have to tap your savings with the rising cost of goods. The TRUTH is, that when she was called to task to answer my questions about her plan, and explained how a budget cannot be fully adhered to when goods and services rise, my comments were deleted, I was called a liar, and was told I was making derogatory statements. I was then blocked like countless others. I will admit that a statement I made that could have been considered derogatory was I told Stacia that if she was going to get into politics she " needs to grow a thicker skin".

    Stacia, along with thecaptain Bob Cote, and the rest of her team uses shock and awe to lure in sheep like yourself so she could gain a following. To call someone a liar and claim they are making false statements because they don't follow the rhetoric you spout is poor sportsmanship and someone I would not want to have as my mayor. If you are going to jump into the political arena, get ready to fight all that want to oppose your view, and when they do you can't have them removed from the arena and say they didn't fight nice.

    For the record, I did not vote for Raimondo. I will restate- as the General Treasurer, she had consulted Mr. Avedisian about Warwick's pension system in hopes to borrow some ideas from it in order reform the states pension system.

    Have fun following the flock!

    Tuesday, December 23, 2014 Report this

  • Bob_Cushman

    Mr. Provencal, Warwick has many pension plan. Police I and Fire I is considered one plan along with Police II, Fire II and the Municipal pension plan. Each plan is governed independently from the other plans. What plan did Treasurer Raimondo contract the Mayor to "borrow some ideas" in order to reform the state pension plan? What specifically was considered that could be used in the state plan?

    Treasurer Raimondo also wrote a letter praising the Mayor and the City Council in 2011 for taking up the pension reforms proposed by the Mayor without even looking at that fact that the reforms were practically meaningless in terms of saving tax dollars. She didn't want to get involved in another fight, this time with the municipal unions since her plans to run for higher office was beginning to take shape.

    Tuesday, December 23, 2014 Report this

  • Waprovencal

    Mr. Cushman, from what I understand and stated it was a consultation, not contract. I do not know the specifics of the meeting due to the fact I was not asked to attend. I am a mere taxpayer hence no invite.

    Wednesday, December 24, 2014 Report this

  • Pmaloneyjr

    There is another option that I don't think has been discussed here.

    The unions can continue to get what they get for no additional cost. The taxpayers can continue to have taxes raised each year for no additional services, actually a reduction in services. The taxpayers can get tired of paying and move away from Warwick and RI. This is already happening.

    It has been pointed out several times that there is a reduced number of students in the schools and there has been a discussion of consolidation. We have a reduced number of home owners too. With less people living in Warwick, there should be a requirement of less services. For example, this morning was trash pick up. There are now 3 empty houses on my street so my street requires less trash picked up. There are approximately 16 houses on my street, 3 are empty. My street requires 18.7% less trash removal. I would think that with 3 houses empty, there is less of chance of fire and police protection, although, a crack head did move into the house next door since my neighbor moved out. Well, by moved out, I mean, she left the city and sold at a loss just to get out. The crackhead was a good neighbor, didn't even know he was there.

    The liabilities will continue to rise. The taxpayers will continue to leave. People will choose not to move here and we will have empty houses.

    Unfortunately, when the city workers are ready to retire there may be nothing for them. We won't know this for 15-20 years. Should we try to fix it now? Should we take the chance? I agree that while the taxpayers are questioning this, it might be good for the unions to also demand information too. Please do not rely only on what is told to you. I wouldn't trust either side, come up with your own information and opinion.

    I don't want to put a blame anywhere because we could go back and forth forever figuring that out. I imagine it is the result of the politicians not putting the money they collect towards the pension funds as they should have and promising the unions more than they could deliver to get re-elected. I don't blame the union for asking for more money, it never hurts to ask. The people they asked should have been upfront years ago and say they couldn't do it if they couldn't. Instead, they made promises on the backs of the taxpayers and they are long gone, well, not long gone, he is the Governor now, but for only 2 more weeks.

    In 20 years, when this problem finally reaches critical mass, Mayor Avedisian will be long gone, maybe he will become our US Rep and then Governor like Chafee. That would be fantastic, he can use Chafee's campaign slogan too, Trust Avedisian.

    Friday, December 26, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Pat can you explain why fire/EMS runs have gone up year after year? So with less people it does not mean less runs.... Nice try though..

    Saturday, December 27, 2014 Report this

  • Pmaloneyjr

    Hi Unionthug, I am not trying to be argumentative. Can you explain why fire/ems runs have gone up? I don't know the numbers, are they going up?

    I will give you my guess. Many of the younger people who can afford to leave here and have little ties to the area have left. They have moved out leaving the older people still here. The younger people used to help the older people are gone. The older people who bought houses are stuck here in upside down mortgages. They can't afford to hire people to do the work they used to around the house so they attempt to do it themselves. They get hurt.

    Although, It is possible many of the runs are due to people having a heart attack every time they get their tax bills each year.

    Your thoughts?

    Saturday, December 27, 2014 Report this

  • Bob_Cushman

    Union thug please explain why the fire department equipment is failing according to your Union president. Is this really true, the chief saying everything is ok?

    Who is telling the truth?

    What is the reason for this? Is the department being under funded? Can you correlate these problems to what the 2004/2014 budget number trends are?

    Sunday, December 28, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Pat yes, year after year the runs have gone up, and will again this year and contrary to what some have stated each run is a separate run, not apparatus response. Meaning if 3 engines, 2 ladders special hazards and a rescue respond it's 1 run number not 7 as some have tried to claim. Bob I can't give you trends. I can only say that the city has not bought a fire engine since 2007 and that engine (E-1) has almost 120,000 miles. We are using a 1993 reserve engine as E-4. These trucks are not like Fire engines that sit at some volunteer fire station and do 150 calls a year. They take a beating. E-1 does 4000+ calls a year, E-9 does 3000+ calls a year. E-9 is a 1999 and has over 170,000 miles. E-5 and E-8 are older and have around 160,000 miles. These are hard miles. The city should be replacing a rescue a year. They are the workhorse and do the most runs. And breakdown with patients in the back quite often. The repair decision is overwhelmed, as soon as the snow starts to fall we take a backseat. L-1 needs to be replaced as does L-3. I blame the city and chief for not having an adequate replacement schedule. Now we are going to try and have to replace 4 or 5 engines and and you and Roy and stacia and rob are going to sit up there and blame the union somehow for needing trucks whe we have reported year after year that the trucks are deteriorating. Pretty soon we will be using trash trucks with water in them to put out fires. Whatever as long as it works and doesn't kill us....

    Sunday, December 28, 2014 Report this

  • Reality

    Union thug aka Stevie D......Warwick doesn't have a fire dept. but rather a rescue dept. that happens to make fire calls. Union thug aka Stevie D told us for years the fire dept makes 19k runs per year......like usual Stevie D was wrong.....last year the fire dept. did 14 k. Seventy five percent ( 75%) runs were rescue calls that had other trucks assigned.....cut out those trucks on those runs and mileage drops greatly. If we stop using fire trucks for runs to the supermarket we could really cut maintenance on those trucks.

    Can't wait for Ken Blocks analysis as to why Ri is over staffed with firemen compared to other states its size.

    Sunday, December 28, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Reality Cote.. False on every point.... Seeing as you have no concept of how the Ems division works.ill cut you some slack. If you want us to perform CPR on your mom, dad, sister, or kid with two guys than have at it. Your ignorant if you think two can perform this and save your loved one. Once again your rectum is speaking louder than your lips. Where did you get that 14K number. I know your lying because it's a lot more than that. but whatever. I can't wait either Ken has no clue what he is doing. By his own admission.... If you can guarantee me a half hour break for lunch I'll stop going to store. Name one other job that doesn't give a break for lunch? Your such a loser...

    Sunday, December 28, 2014 Report this

  • Reality

    Unionthug aka stevie d. has yet to have the guts to get up at the microphone at city hall and enlighten us with his dribble. Notice union thug has to resort to profanity to try to get his point across. The tactic always used by someone with a small brain.

    Sunday, December 28, 2014 Report this

  • Bob_Cushman

    Steve, Union thug, you previously stated you were at the Dec 15 city council meeting where I made my presentation. Did you pay attention? Did you comprehend anything I presented? Did you understand how the budget has changed over the past ten years? Maybe if you picked up a copy of the ten years spending reports by line item you could figure what why the fire department equipment if not being replaced.

    Or maybe were you too busy with the rest of the clowns cursing, making obscene noises, and doing everything possible to disrupt the presentation because you are all afraid of hearing the truth.

    The answer to my question is really quite simple.

    Sunday, December 28, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Again Bob there were no firefighters making obscene noises. You can make it up all you want but we did not act like "clowns". I did pay attention bob. I am well aware the Patriots won three Super Bowls. Guess what to get good talent Bob Kraft pays his talent well. Same thing here. The only rumblings at city hall I hear are how bad the presentation was...

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Bob_Cushman

    Steve when firefighters arrive at the scene of a fire are there specific protocols and/or tactical assignments you are trained to follow to ensure the safety of all civilians and rescue personal to contain and eventually extinguish the fire?

    After the fire has been extinguished is anyone in the department assigned the responsibility to investigate what caused the fire or do you simply pack up the hoses and leave the scene?

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Of course Bob, Every person and truck has a responsibility on the fire scene, these assignments are well know and trained upon before arrival. We have a 500 page SOP (that we all know by heart) that determines any and all responses. And yes there is an investigator from the WFD that arrives to take over the scene once the hazard has been contained. What's your point?

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Bob, I am wondering how in one post you hear "rumblings" at city hall from concerned employees and in the next you say the problem can't be fixed because no one wants it fixed. Your inability to stay on message is astonishing.

    When you passed legislation barring council members from receiving lifetime health care, was that after you were defeated? Did you prevent the person who defeated you from receiving the same benefit you were eligible for? Is that leadership on the issue or sour grapes from losing?

    The message MAY be credible, but it is the way the argument is presented. The hostility you and your crowd show the public sector is over the top.

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Bob_Cushman

    My point is that investigating the cause of the fire is just as important as containing and extinguishing it since it can lead to the discovery of new problems and the first step in developing a solution to a problem is acknowledging it exists.

    In July your union president, William Lloyd and dozens of firefighters marched into city hall complaining about firefighting equipment breaking down, putting people’s lives at risk. You just wrote that you blame "the city and chief for not having an adequate replacement schedule". Yet, when I ask if anyone in your department has any idea why there isn't a replacement schedule, you wrote, “I can't give you trends. I can only say that the city has not bought a fire engine since 2007”.

    Great answer Steve. That’s analogous to putting out the fire and then packing up and leaving the scene because we really don’t want to learn what caused the fire.

    The Mayor’s office stated in July that “there’s no public safety issue” and “the issue is balancing the tax burden with that of investing in new equipment and infrastructure” and Lloyd and the rest of you go away only to return five months later to complain over my informational presentation showing factual data of budgetary problems in the city.

    Why hasn’t Lloyd demanded that Mayor Avedisan or finance chairwoman Wilkinson conduct an investigation into the city finances simular to what you do after a fire? Maybe it’s easier to just leave the scene after the fire has been put out and hope it doesn't happen again.

    God forbid if a fiscal problem is discovered, we might actually have to acknowledge it exists and come together (as a TEAM) to solve it.

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Bob what makes you think that as a rank and file member I'm going to march into the mayors office (by contact I'm not allowed to by the way) and talk about equipment and infrastructure. MY JOB is to put fires out not make reports and plans for replacing equipment. Hey Bob, why haven't you restocked the starburst in isle 5 of store #204, or why haven't you come up with a different medication list for your pharmacies to be more efficient with at CVS. My guess is it's not your job to worry about that. I don't get paid to do that stuff, I get paid to put out fires and provide ems. We do it extremely well. Your analogy is not a very good one. Another question, have you been sitting in the negotiations, maybe they have asked for a review of finances. Your an outsider. We said equipment needs replacing. Now it's not the unions place to replace it or come up with a plan to. That's why we have an administration and a city council. You keep claiming we are running around not saying there is a problem. I'm sure there is. I DONT GET PAID TO FIX IT. WHAT PART ARE YOU MISSING.

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • patientman

    Taken from wikipedia using 2010 census data"

    In the city the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years."

    The population has dropped 3,136 (3.7%) from 85,808 to 82,672 in just 10 years. Certainly people have left for different reasons. Whether you believe the city is in desperate financial straights or not, we should all be to see that fewer residents means a shrinking tax base.

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    I agree patient man that tax base is smaller, I agree there needs to be some changes. When Bob and Pat Maloney complain about level funding the schools when enrollment is down like 30-40 percent he makes no argument. Your getting same money for a lot less students. You should be able to work with that budget. If you were level funded and had 20 percent more students I'd agree you need more money. Trash collection is up, fire/EMS calls are up police calls are up. What am I missing.

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Smarterthanyou

    Union thug...pretty sure engine 3 is fairly new, as is another engine. Maybe 7? You know, purchased post 2007...

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    That was grant money for engine 3... City didn't pay for it.... Engine 7 was insurance money after girl totaled it on Rt 37...

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Smarterthanyou

    Oh I get it. They don't count as new unless the City pays for them?? The engines were still replaced, regardless of where the funding they were acquired with came from. And I'm sure the somewhere the City must have had to "match" some of the funding for the grant, and we all know that insurance companies pay residual value of a vehicle, regardless of what it is. So where'd those remaining funds necessary come from to pay in full for the engines?

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Engine 7 still has its 2000 chasis, cab I was destroyed and replaced by insurance. Drunk driver hit the truck instead of the crew at an accident scene...

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Smarterthanyou

    But don't misunderstand me Unionthug, there probably should be a replacement program of some sort.

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Smarterthanyou

    Thankfully no one was hurt. I respect the job you have to do and mean no disrespect.

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    By the way it was the firefighters themselves that wrote the grants for the truck. Same with L-2. The guys have saved the city millions in free grant writing. But that's anither story. Smarter, my point is we have 17 front line pieces, the two newest weren't paid for by the city. We have many many more that need repair or to be replaced. Every year new trash trucks, plow trucks, SUVs, buses, police cars are bought. We could use some new trucks. I don't care if they give me a horse and cart with water in it. If it's safe, puts out fires and protects us I'll drive it.

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    No disrespect taken.

    Monday, December 29, 2014 Report this

  • Pmaloneyjr

    UnionThug, I didn't complain that the schools should have had more money when the number of students declined. I was on the school committee when schools closed and our budget was cut $6 Million. The school budget is the same now as in 2008. The city budget at the same time with a decline in population has grown from $69 Million to OVER $100 Million during the same time period.

    I am not complaining that the schools need more, I am complaining that the city keeps taking more. The city should be run the way the schools were… and that is why I ran for City Council. The Republican in District 1 is spending like the taxpayers are a credit card with no limit and I wanted to look at things honestly and openly so people could know what is really happening. If the Fire/EMS services are running efficiently then that is great, I would look at something else. I just think that if we keep going the same way, we will be broke.

    If it isn't your job to look at replacing equipment, I certainly would have suggested it if possible, the current people are choosing not to even look, they have their heads in the sand.

    Wednesday, December 31, 2014 Report this

  • colorful

    It is awful reading all of these articles and watching grown adults tear each other apart. Maybe this city would be doing a lot better if people grew up, learned how to be civil, and worked things out together. I have never been more ashamed to be from Warwick.

    Thursday, April 23, 2015 Report this