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• Thecaptain

  Solomon allocated $250,000 of taxpayer money to perform a financial review of the WFD. Where is the review? The city council allocated $30,000 for a report on the WFD unused sick time. Where is the report? Feb, 20th will be 2 years. No report yet? Hmmm, wonder why?

  Thursday, January 2, 2020 Report this

• Jsimmy230

  There should be no vote on TA until these 2 reports have been released to the Council and the public. The Council should demand, and publically state this immediately. Also, until ALL questions/concerns of residents raised at two meetings are completely explained by the Mayor to both residents and Council, the matter should not be even brought up for a vote. All ordinances, the charter, State statutes , and whatever else needs to be changed MUST be proposed and passed to allow Council representatives to sit at the table during all future contract negotiations!

  Friday, January 3, 2020 Report this

• Daydreambeliever

  Captain Blabbermouth where are all the arrests for embezzlement ? Wire Fraud?

  I've yet to see anyone in handcuffs that you promised would happen.

  What is the FBI report you also said would happen ?

  Sunday, January 5, 2020 Report this

• Thecaptain

  -----Original Message-----

  From: Brandon Ingegneri [mailto:brandon.igg85@gmail.com]

  Sent: Sat 12/21/2019 12:38 PM

  To: John Howell

  Subject: Fire Contract - Threats

  https://www.facebook.com/robert.cushman1/videos/10215985589773155/

  Good Morning Mr. Howell,

  Embedded into this email is a link to a video that Robert Cushman and

  Robert Cote posted of last night's City Council Meeting. If you listen to

  the time frame in the area of 32:25 in the video you can clearly hear Mr.

  Cushman and Mr. Cote threaten to "Kill" me as I was addressing the council.

  I have since filed a report with the RISP, but thought it prudent to

  forward this information to you as a credible threat to murder a public

  employee and elected officer of a labor union at a public venue is most

  certainly a serious event. Additionally, I have received a number of

  harassing telephone calls from Mr. Cote and Mr. Cushman following this

  threat.

  I am available for public comment at your convenience.

  Very Truly Yours,

  Brandon Ingegneri

  Treasurer

  Warwick Firefighters, Local 2748

  Sunday, January 5, 2020 Report this

• Jsimmy230

  Donna Travis Ward 6 - 738- 9774

  Tim Howe Ward 3 - 215-0632

  Steve Mcallister Ward 7 - 287-1813

  Anthony Sinapi Warwd 8 - 474-2069

  James Mcelroy Ward 4 - 739-2288

  These 5 union representatives on the City Council just voted to ratify WFD Contract despite all the problems with it, and against all the reasons why their 4 courageous Council colleagues voted No. We, the taxpayers in Warwick, need to REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER. These corrupt 5 union hacks must be defeated. They continue to break the bank of this City. After listening to three nights of problems with contract, and given many reasons not to Vote for it, they sided with the union over their own constituents best interests!

  I say BYE-BYE to all 5 in November. What do you say?

  Monday, January 6, 2020 Report this

• foundation

  The pen name Foundation is used because I am writing of substantive changes that have been adopted not only by the union and its membership, but the Mayor’s office, and the majority of the council. Despite what I say here, there will be a small, unhappy contingent that will make an attempt to poke holes in the facts, will attempt to cast a particular light on facts, and will ultimately be unsatisfied with anything short of complete obliteration of the fabric of the Warwick Fire Department. I ask why that is?

  Reform is a gradual process that can not be cast with one sweeping stroke of a pen. It can not undermine decades of fair negotiations. An entire city can not be balanced on the backs of 200 men and women.

  What the recently ratified contract does is the following in all fairness to fiscal responsibility, innovation, and progression:

  -Establishes an innovative OPEB trust that takes today’s dollars, allows them to be invested and grow over an employees career, and combats healthcare premiums (formerly family and now only single coverage) for the future. It’ should be noted that right now the city pays an ever increasing premium matching today’s dollars for today’s premiums. Allowing the money to compound will have a greater fiscal impact on premiums and will help to alleviate treading water as an analogy. Furthermore, any dollar amount contributed into a trust for OPEB is a savings as compared to what the current situation is. Whether 5, 10, 27, 50, or 95% savings is realized, 100% of whatever that percentage ends up being will be a savings to the city and taxpayers. To label this as an annuity is inaccurate. All funds being contributed to this plan are employee made, meaning $0 of city or taxpayer money will be contributed to the plan. If the employees money is not exhausted due to an early death, the EMPLOYEES money would be transferred to the estate. It should be noted, that at this time, health benefits would also be terminated, eliminating any and all financial responsibility from the city. It is unreasonable to assume that the city would retain 100% employee contributed funds.

  - A number of sick, personal, holidays were put on the chopping block. All of which... you guessed it... direct savings to the city.

  - 24 hour shift structure will absolutely reduce the amount of overtime. It should also be noted that there is a balance where paying overtime is more cost effective to taking on a new employee and the entire package associated with that employee. Overtime in some instances is in fact not a bad thing and more cost effective.

  - The city for the first time, now has a tangible management rights clause.

  - Raises are less than that as compared to the other unions at 1.5%-3% in the first year as determined by an arbitrator. 2% in year 2 and 2% in year 3.

  - It should be noted that pension contributions are made 1/3 by employee and 2/3 by the city. The contribution rate is determined by an actuary and adjusts annually. This is primarily the reason why Warwick’s pension is so well funded at roughly 85% and is expected to increase to a nearly 97% funded rate.

  - It should be noted that Firefighters do not have Workman’s Comp or TDI available to them. As a result, a higher amount of sick time can be accumulated as compared to the private sector. Again, this was reduced in this current contract.

  - Lifetime healthcare related to the fire service is a topic of discussion where the average person may not have all of the facts through no fault of their own. When thinking of hazards associated with firefighting, most often people think of the acute risks, IE: burning buildings, operating on the highway, in a waterway, or even under a waterway or technical or hazmat situation. What most people are unaware of are the many proven and reaffirmed studies related to the chronic health impacts to firefighters that more often than not present themselves near the end of employment or into retirement. Substantial amounts of cancers at alarming rates have been directly correlated to a firefighters years of service. This is A-typical from the average private or public sector worker. I do not believe in entitlements, but this is a fundamental need for this particular profession given the well documented chronic health hazards.

  For Mr. Merolla and Mr. Ladecour to attempt to work so diligently to undermine the contract based on technicalities and skewed versions of questions is an insult to the taxpayers as well as all who wear the uniform. It was clearly documented that there was innovation, progression, and savings in the areas where both of you show most concern. Your argument... it’s not enough. Mr. Merolla, are you eligible for lifetime healthcare, or is anyone in your family? Will you be taking advantage of this as a part time city employee? Will you still be eligible under your proposed illegal healthcare ordinance? Additionally, Mr. Merolla attacking the fact that firefighters do in fact have a higher cancer risk than an average employee is to say the least an insult. Unfortunately, it appeared as though Mr. Merolla in his capacity as Council President conducted himself in an emotional manner as opposed to a professional manner. It could be argued that he and Mr. Ladecour had a predetermined agenda to kill this contract despite the progressive, cost savings implementations that would positively impact the city not only now, but generationally.

  Mr. Merolla luckily appears to have a very robust hair piece keeping his head warm as he will need it come November with the weather forecast predicting it will be a blustery one where he will he left out in the cold come election time.

  The men and women of the Warwick Fire Department have been portrayed as thugs, thieves, and criminals by a small but vocal contingent with questionable integrity of their own. The fact remains that Warwick Firefighters are honest, diligent working men and women who come to work every shift, and make an attempt each time they are called to go out that door to come upon a situation and leave it better than they found it all while attempting to provide the highest level of professionalism in appreciation for the city and its taxpayers who make their livelihoods possible.

  No Warwick Firefighter wants an entitlement or benefit or one red cent that is not fairly negotiated and earned.

  Tuesday, January 7, 2020 Report this

• Jsimmy230

  The Foundation. If you believe all the BS you spout, put your name to it COWARD.

  Sounds like the Chief of Staff of Mayor did last night. Did he write this for you or is this you Chief?

  Tuesday, January 7, 2020 Report this

• Liberman

  "Foundation" sounds exactly like the chief of staff Mr. DePasquale. You're not fooling anyone Bill.

  Tuesday, January 7, 2020 Report this

• Warwickbeautiful

  Anyone want to take bets on how long it will take for Johnny Sweat Pants to start using disgusting vile slurs in his comments? He should be more concerned about the investigation into his bogus disability pension.

  Tuesday, January 7, 2020 Report this

• foundation

  While I do appreciate the compliment of your comparison of my writing style to Mr. Depasquale’s well spoken words at the podium on several occasions, unfortunately you are mistaken. It is in fact not Bill. Mr. Simineau, while you believe me to be a coward, you couldn’t be more inaccurate. However, your juvenile attempts at calling people out to fight at your advanced age, as well as references to your regular statements as they relate to carrying a firearm in conjunction with how this clique of people attacked the Treasurer (even in these comment threads) would not be a catalyst for me to utilize my real name. Personally, I have no desire to be lambasted as he, the firefighter in the blue suit, the firefighter whose physical appearance was insulted in an appalling manner, and all of the Mayor’s staff as well as council members were. These very threads, and appearances on talk radio are in fact the very FOUNDATION in which people will call into question this group’s character, lack of integrity, as well as lack of mental capacity to articulate objectively and professionally without bias.

  I do have to say that when someone can articulate the English language as Mr. Depasquale, or myself can, it can seem similar to an untrained and uneducated audience such as the likes of Mr. Simineau or people of comparable intelligence levels that read it.

  First off, it may throw you off and pose challenging initially that this is not written in crayon and does not have illustrations as compared to most periodicals you read. Secondly, given the delivery of your recent speech at the podium, I was questioning whether or not you in fact had a specific impairment which I believe you used the adjective (which is a word in the English language used to describe another word) retarded to describe. Could this be the reason for the PPD disability pension? It certainly can not be for a physical impairment given your enthusiasm and spry eagerness to fight every coward you encounter. Maybe drawing it for us in a picture would be easier instead of stringing together all of those pesky things called letters that form words together to describe.

  I have lobbed my grammatical grenades and will sit back and enjoy the rebuttal comments. I won’t be responding following your inevitable responses, but will most certainly find some humor in it. It’s like a low budget comedy movie. Somehow it’s kind of funny, but mostly it’s pathetic and sad.

  Good Day.

  Tuesday, January 7, 2020 Report this

• Thecaptain

  Mr. Sinapi is not recognized as a lawyer in the State of Rhode Island as he failed the bar. He demanded extra time to take the test indicating that he has ADD. Maybe he needs extra time to study the upcoming budget. Just another charlatan.

  SINAPI v. RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF BAR EXAMINERS

  Email | Print | Comments (0)

  C.A. No. 15-311-M.

  View Case Cited Cases

  ANTHONY E. SINAPI, Plaintiff, V. RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF BAR EXAMINERS, et al., Defendants.

  United States District Court, D. Rhode Island.

  April 15, 2016.

  ORDER

  JOHN J. McCONNELL, Jr., District Judge.

  Plaintiff Anthony E. Sinapi applied to take the bar examinations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts after his graduation from Roger Williams University School of Law. Mr. Sinapi applied for testing accommodations due to his disability in the form of 50% extra time, a distraction reduced environment, and permission to take prescribed medication in both states. Massachusetts initially denied Mr. Sinapi's request, but granted it upon receipt of additional documents and reconsideration. Rhode Island denied his request. Mr. Sinapi requested reconsideration from the Rhode Island Board of Bar Examiners ("the Board") as well, offering to provide the same documents that appeared to convince Massachusetts of the merits of his accommodations bid. The Board declined, even when Mr. Sinapi's counsel reduced the time request to an additional 25%. He turned to the Rhode Island Supreme Court, filing an Emergency Petition for Review, but that court declined relief.

  Feeling that he had no other route to pursue in light of the looming examination date, Mr. Sinapi filed this action for injunctive relief and damages, pursuant to the Americans With Disabilities Act ("the ADA"), 42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq., 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and the Rhode Island Constitution against the Rhode Island Board of Bar Examiners ("the Board") and the Board's individual members in their official and individual capacities. He sought a temporary restraining order ("TRO") so that he could sit for the July 2015 bar examination in Rhode Island with the 25% additional time and other accommodations. (ECF No. 2). Defendants objected that this Court lacked jurisdiction and/or that they were entitled to absolute immunity from all claims.1 (ECF No. 3). After a hearing, this Court granted the TRO on the ground that the Board's failure to give weight to the Massachusetts Board's decision to give Mr. Sinapi an accommodation appeared to violate Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") regulations.2 (ECF No. 6). Mr. Sinapi took his exams under the terms he sought in his motion. He passed Massachusetts, but failed the Rhode Island test.

  Mr. Sinapi amended his complaint, adding a claim for violation of the Rhode Island Civil Rights Act ("RICRA"). Believing there was now an absence of case or controversy, because Mr. Sinapi received his requested relief of the test accommodations, the Court issued a show cause order as to why the case should not be dismissed, which order resulted in the motion to dismiss currently before the Court. Although he did not remove it from his Amended Complaint, Mr. Sinapi appears to have abandoned his claim for injunctive relief in light of the Court's decision to grant his temporary restraining order. Therefore, the Court is only presented with the issue of Defendants' immunity from his compensatory and punitive damages claims. See Pierson v. Ray, 386 U.S. 547, 554 (1967).

  CONCLUSION

  Mr. Sinapi has failed to show cause as to why his case should not be dismissed. His claims for money damages against the Board and its members in their official capacities are dismissed because this Court lacks jurisdiction under the Eleventh Amendment. His claims against the Board members individually are precluded by quasi-judicial immunity. The Board's Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 35) is GRANTED.

  IT IS SO ORDERED.

  Tuesday, January 7, 2020 Report this

• Thecaptain

  Lawyer With ADHD Got Extra Bar Exam Time But No Fees

  Dec. 11, 2018, 2:53 PM

  Attorney wasn’t prevailing party entitled to fees

  Bar examiners immune from attorney’s lawsuit

  Rhode Island’s board of bar examiners doesn’t owe attorneys’ fees to a lawyer with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder who sued, and got, extra time to take the bar exam.

  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit Dec. 11 reversed a $19,486 attorneys’ fee award in Anthony Sinapi’s favor after finding he didn’t qualify as a “prevailing party” entitled to fees.

  Though Sinapi received a temporary restraining order allowing him extra time to take the exam in a “distraction-reduced” environment, he didn’t prevail on the merits of his lawsuit, the First Circuit said

  The order in favor of Sinapi, entered one day before he took the exam, was “pressured and necessarily superficial,” and the district court never ultimately resolved his substantive claims, the First Circuit said. His fee award based on “prevailing party” status was therefore unwarranted, the court said.

  Despite undoing the fee award, the First Circuit agreed with the district court’s decision to extend immunity to the board and its members on Sinapi’s claim for damages.

  The immunity stems from both the 11th Amendment, which protects states and their instrumentalities from suit in federal court, and the doctrine of quasi-judicial immunity, which protects certain judge-like figures from litigation, the First Circuit said.

  Finally, the board urged the First Circuit to resolve the case under the Rooker-Feldman doctrine, because Sinapi filed his federal court lawsuit after losing in the Rhode Island Supreme Court. The Rooker-Feldman doctrine generally prevents lower federal courts from reviewing state court decisions.

  The First Circuit declined to do so. It said it’s one of the circuits—along with the Second, Third, and Seventh—that allows courts to “step around” Rooker-Feldman questions to reach a “more straightforward issue that will easily resolve a case on the merits.”

  Judge Michael A. Ponsor, sitting by designation from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, wrote the decision. Judges Sandra L. Lynch and Kermit V. Lipez joined.

  Sinapi Law Associates Ltd. represented Sinapi. The Rhode Island attorney general’s office represented the board.

  The case is Sinapi v. R.I. Bd. of Bar Examiners, 1st Cir., No. 16-2251, 12/11/18.

  Tuesday, January 7, 2020 Report this

• tcp

  Stacia give it a rest.

  Tuesday, January 7, 2020 Report this

• Jsimmy230

  FOUNDATION. .... you insinuate others are not as smart as you THEN I give you my real name JOHN SIMONEAU and you spell it many times Simineau ...... Up in age like me... seriously ... watch out, I might challenge you to pushups like no doubt your liberal hero Joe Biden ... hilarious.....

  Lol

  A Coward and an idiot just like your hero Bill, and friend Johnny pajamas ....

  Use real name COWARDS .....

  Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Report this

• Jsimmy230

  FOUNDATION

  I forgot to also tell you I have 2 masters degrees. I learned to speak at the level of my audience. That is why I keep it simple for you Idiots and Cowards. Enjoy the laughs, because we enjoy laughing at you even more .... DOPE!

  Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Report this

• Warwickbeautiful

  The only degree possessed by Johnny Sweat Pants is a degree of shame, for robbing the taxpayers of Providence every month that he collects his check for a bogus disability pension.

  Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Report this

• Jsimmy230

  BILLYT

  Blah. Blah ....

  Real name COWARD

  Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Report this

• davebarry109

  The Foundation:

  The city for the first time, now has a tangible management rights clause. Really? Anyone familiar with contract law knows that management rights are everything NOT covered in the contract. That is, unless the union gets a clause stating management must//cannot do this/that, EVERYTHING is management owned. All gray areas of any contract are management. Warwick may learn that someday and not give things up so easily.

  Nice try getting things over on the lesser educated in Warwick.

  Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Report this

• Warwickbeautiful

  Back years ago, the city of Providence was overly generous in awarding questionable disability pensions that amounted to the recipient receiving 66 2/3% of their salary TAX FREE for the rest of their lives. During that time period, most of those individuals who received the bogus disability pensions and became instant millionaires moved out of state, or at the least, basically went into hiding, so as not to draw attention to themselves and run the risk of somewhere down the road having the city investigate their fraudulent disability claim and prosecute them for their dishonesty. But you'll always find some fool, who instead of fading away into the sunset, instead spends all of his free time working on his house, jumping out of his car to make obscene gestures to city workers, and other similar physically demanding tasks, all while collecting a TAX FREE disability pension. Fortunately, the Providence public safety commissioner and the Providence Retirement Board have stepped up their surveillance of these individuals who are basically stealing from the city, and slowly but surely are stripping them of their bogus disability pensions, and in some cases, criminally prosecuting these individuals.

  Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Report this

• Jsimmy230

  Billy T. - or is it ZIGGY? - COWARD

  You have no idea what you are talking about. You are an idiot, as are they. Time to get new material. You blabbering lies are getting old. Just admit defeat and move on, unless you grow a set to give your real name, NOBODY believes anything you say here. GO AWAY FOOL !

  Lol

  Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Report this

• Warwickbeautiful

  It's interesting how certain individuals throw around the term "coward" without ever looking in the mirror. They ride around the city making obscene gestures at city employees, use disgusting language during the public comment portion of city council meetings, and shout insults from the back of the room at a city inauguration ceremony while wearing pajama bottoms. All of this bizarre behavior, but interestingly they never have the courage, guts, or intestinal fortitude to run for public office. Now that is the true example of a COWARD. It's easy to see why nobody in the city takes these knuckle dragging troglodytes seriously.

  Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Report this

• Jsimmy230

  REAL NAME COWARD

  Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Report this

• Warwickbeautiful

  Now you can see why the Providence police chief was left with no other choice but to order an employee to receive a psychiatric examination, and why the police chief's order to said employee was affirmed by multiple courts-all the way up to the Rhode Island Supreme Court. A simple Google search will detail all the facts and circumstances of the case, but due to a large amount of profanity detailed in the court record, it will not be posted on this thread.

  Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Report this

• Jsimmy230

  Ziggy, Billy T, Johnny pajamas or whatever fake name you use ..... COWARD .

  You are a liar, who obviously can't read. I invite anyone to read anything they want. This clown is a LIAR. He uses fake names because if he didn't, I would file a lawsuit against him and would win easily. He knows it, so that is the COWARDS MO.

  I rest my case. So just give it up and go away. You lose.

  Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Report this

• Warwickbeautiful

  Very classy-disrupting a city inauguration ceremony. From the Beacon files of January 2019:

  5 COMMENTS ON THIS STORY | ADD YOUR COMMENT

  John Simoneau Sr

  "No Story Here" Howell forgot to give the FULL STORY, as usual, that one attendee, a very unhappy Warwick taxpayer, BOOED both the Mayor and City Council.

  ME

  Way to go Mr Howell. All is swell in Warwick especially when the Beacon got a lower property tax valuation, AND, you get paid by the City.

  THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019

  Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Report this

• foundation

  I would like to note that I will only post as Foundation or The Foundation. I do not utilize other names, so Jimmy, Ziggy, Johnny Pajamas, or any other of the quite frankly outstanding name selections is simply not me. For clarification.

  Saturday, January 11, 2020 Report this

• Jsimmy230

  The Foundation, Foundation, what ever you will post as, who cares. I'm positive about one thing. That isn't your real name. Why would anyone be afraid, or ashamed, to use their real name unless they are lying or a coward. If you want people to find what you say to be credible, then you should have no problem standing up like a man, and put your name to your beliefs, opinions, and criticisms of other people, ideas, etc. If not, then shut up and stay silent because you will not be taken seriously. Period!

  Saturday, January 11, 2020 Report this