To the Editor:
Back in April there was an article in the Johnston Sun Rise titled, “Council OKs $4M bond for capital items.” The money came from a lawsuit in which the town will receive $6 million over the next 14 years via Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp. and Broadrock Gas Services.
Mayor Polisena and the Town Council want to apply $4 million of that to finance an athletic complex, a new fire vehicle and school improvements, while the other $2 million will go toward the interest on the bond.
Consider our state’s “chronic” unemployment at 8.7 percent, now the highest in the country. According to Democratic candidate Ed Doyle, who will run against Deborah Fellella in the September primary, there are 3,000 Johnston residents out of work in our town. In addition, this past winter 1,326 Johnston residents applied for heating assistance. We need to change our priorities fast.
Polisena stated, “This money will go a long way for much needed capital improvement projects.” If improvements are so “much needed,” shouldn’t we consider cost effective measures regarding the endless provisions that I highlighted in my April commentary, “Where’s the money going?” Polisena noted that he is “very, very cautious” regarding expenses and that this action was “a no-brainer.”
A “no-brainer” would be to combine the 20 sick days and three and four personal days to one week when you consider the abuse and overtime regarding minimum staffing requirements. Just this single measure alone would save millions annually. If the readers were to log onto Johnstonsunrise.net and “click on opinions” and “letters to the editor,” you can see that commentary and realize the unnecessary millions we dish out annually.
Just last year the mayor and Democratic Town Council approved another bond to resurface some streets around town. Again, all we need to do is get realistic with the endless provisions in the contracts.
If we were to only pay prevailing wages and benefits that reflect the private sector, which is approximately 89 percent of the workforce, we could pave every street in town, lay down sidewalks where needed and reduce our taxation by millions annually. In addition, this approach would bring in new businesses in which there would be no need for any tax incentives including bringing up our home values, etc. We need legislation that would give broad “arbitration authority” to our municipalities regarding every aspect of our finances and how we provide for our services.
I also want to make note of the various fundraising activities of the unions. The next time some politician “generalizes” with you and gives you a “wink and a nod” and some “union hack” standing by their side tells you about all their fundraising efforts e.g. collecting money with their boots at street corners, donating gift baskets to the elderly or raffling off a Harley Davison, I hope the readers will realize it’s all about maintaining a status quo that we can no longer afford. It takes a lot of audacity to suggest to peopling who they should vote for based on charitable deeds.
In addition, the next time some politician hands out checks valued at $1,000 from the State Appropriation Committee for various frivolous items to garner votes, I hope the reader’s witnessing that will take those phonies to task realizing the above difficulties countless Rhode Islanders are having. As a conservative I appreciate the good old fashion logic Ed Doyle has been espousing.
In closing, the politics in this town and across our state is pitiful. I, like many others, am sickened with the fact that our representation is indeed a reflection of the voters. If there was ever a phobia to fear it is waking up one morning and no longer giving a damn about our country in which the liberal, communistic, socialistic and unions that make up the nowadays Democratic Party would embrace indeed.
Peter A. Filippi III
Johnston
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jtaxassoc
From the very beginning of civilization the spirit of our taxation had been to address the needs of the disabled, the elderly and people who fall on hard times, especially through no fault of their own. Today, the emphasis is on endless provisions, early retirements, unsustainable entitlements and laws, programs and policies that are void of any commonsense in an effort to expand government at the urging of government labor unions in which conservative leadership is the only way forward… Peter Filippi
Friday, June 6, 2014 Report this
captmarc43
Peter as a member of a local union for over 25 year and now a retired member I rather be know as a "Union Hack" than a person that gets arrested for being drunk and disorderly in a strip club and then gets arrested for DUI in Attleboro.
Marc R Ramieri
Saturday, June 14, 2014 Report this
jtaxassoc
Just to let folks know, everything that has been stated regarding a strip club and a DUI in Attleboro has been totally taken out of contexts in which I was given an apology by ex Mayor Macerra and his solicitor. As for Attleboro I was not driving my car. What people need to know is how I had been black mailed not to run in the last mayoral election in which the State Police have two recordings of the Director of the Johnston DPW; Arnie Viccione, telling me Polisena would distribute hundreds of anonymous flyers around town if I did. On one recording to quote Viccione, "The mayor is the kind of guy who would think nothing of sticking his hands in your stomach and ripping out your guts". In addition, "He's the kind of guy who likes to intimidate everyone who works under him". If I run this year I intend to expose the Marc Ramieri's of the world whose hero's are the likes of the above who have taken over every state and local government across our country and left them bankrupted, proud humanitarian Peter A. Filippi III. Let me also add, who ever thought one day candidates for public office would be scorned and persecuted for advocating cost effective government, lowering taxation, protecting traditional family values and the need to be mindful of tomorrow's generation???
Thursday, June 19, 2014 Report this
captmarc43
Mr Filippi, The information I obtained was in this article published in the Johnston Sunrise http://johnstonsunrise.net/stories/Filippi-fights-back-against-claims-of-corruption,73490
I have never seen a retraction of this article. Also Mr Filippi as far as I am concerned every other allegation you have made against other town officials is hear say, due to the fact that I have no proof that any of this actually took place.
I have also never referred to myself as a hero, I was a common municipal employee who went to work every day did my job and went home at the end of the night. After 25 year of working, I decided it was time to write a new chapter in my life and retire by fulfilling requirements stated in my collective bargaining agreement, lawfully negotiated by and between the Town and ratified by the town council.
As far as I am concerned, the only real american hero's I know are the men and woman who wear camouflage to work ever day, the Heroes that support, protect and defend the Construction of the United States of America. Included in this was my Father and my Uncles who all were part of the greatest generation. All served their country during WWII and the Korean Conflict. The other Heroes that I hold in the highest regard are the public safety servants who lost their lives in the line of duty protecting and serving the citizens that they took an oath to serve and protect.
Mr Filippi you can berate and belittle me as much as you like I have thick skin, People like you have severe self esteem issues. You berate and belittle people only to make themselves fell better about their self worth. It is also evident that you may have other issues you are dealing with in your life, with excessive use of alcohol, deviant sexual behavior and violence. Mr Filippi the first step to the road to recover is admitting you have a problem.
Mr Filippi you have written many time how you think privatizing government services will save the taxpayers money. I will refer you to an article on wjar web site on how well that is working out for the taxpayers of the State of RI. http://wpri.com/2014/05/19/out-of-state-company-scored-when-state-hiked-beach-fees-may14/
In closing Mr Filippi if you would like to debate me on any of these issues or would like to compare resumes feel free to contact me I'm in the phone book.
Marc R Ramieri
Thursday, June 19, 2014 Report this
jtaxassoc
The State Police have 2 recordings, pictures and fingerprints on letters that were mailed anonymously to my house that made my wife cry. There had been 5 other candidates over the past 6 years who were also blackmailed via your local government labor unions via your mayor; it's all on the recordings. This year I intend to let the truth be known how I was falsely arrested by the Johnston Police in which I was denied the right to call my home, they stole the key to my car ignition, denied medical attention from the Johnston Rescue etc.. My father and uncles were also in WW2 so one day I would have the right to express any concerns especially regarding government. You my friend are a lost soul because the unions have perverted you in believing your god is on the almighty buck, eternity is the here and now... Let me also add I do not have a criminal record and even though I have made mistakes in my life, like most everyone, I consider myself a patriotic American in which I'm profoundly concerned for tomorrow's generation that you and your like have zero regards for in which all you have to do is examine the greed and contempt of the endless provisions in the contracts... I hope you read my "Where's the money going" commentary and I would love for you to comment there. Peter Filippi
Saturday, June 21, 2014 Report this