With former Senate Finance Chairman Frank Caprio recently obtaining the endorsement of the Laborers’ Union, it is now official that there are two candidates in the race for Governor that the public employee union bosses can count on as Governor. Mr. Caprio now openly joins former Mayor Lincoln Chafee, who received the endorsement of the American Federation of Teachers, as the Choice of Public Employees Unions.
The Rhode Island Republican Party notes that with Republican John Robitaille as the only credible voice left for the taxpayers, the voters will fortunately have a clear choice in the race for Governor – between one of the Wonder Twins and a real reformer.
Like the fictional Wonder Twins, Caprio and Chafee think they can change their image during this campaign in order to fool the voters into thinking they are something they are not. Caprio is still a creature of the financially irresponsible General Assembly, and Chafee is still a waffling politician who is beholden to special interest groups. Don’t be fooled.
Many know how Mayor Chafee gave a sweet heart deal to the Warwick Teachers’ union by circumventing the School Committee to give teachers a 19.4 % pay raise with no health insurance premium co-share (ProJo 5/3/94). A deal that a former Warwick School Committee Chairperson was quoted at the time as saying “the city taxpayers could not have done any worse” and that “[e]ven a monkey can manage to give everything away.” (ProJo 5/3/94 and 5/4/94).
But not as many know the story of how Caprio as Senate Finance Chairman tried to the increase the pension benefits of state workers who belonged to the Laborers Union. In the final days of the 2001 legislative session, Caprio introduced a “controversial union-pension bill”. (Projo 6/30/01) This bill required “an estimated $250,000 in state payments to a second pension fund for 1,100 state workers who belong to the Laborers International Union of North America.” (ProJo 6/28/01)
Caprio “introduced the bill at the request of … top Laborers officials”. (ProJo 6/28/2001) Legislators such as Senator Michael Lenihan and Representative Tony Pires dubbed it a “double-pension bill”, which would put the state “on the hook and making it fiscally responsible for a pension system over which it has no control.” (ProJo 6/28/2001)
After hearing this criticism Caprio acknowledged that the wording needed “some attention to clarify the issues” (Projo 6/28/2001), but after he made changes to the bill’s wording it still died in the House (Projo 6/30/2001). Also, in 2001, Caprio co-sponsored legislation, along with Senator Tassoni, to give pensions to state workers after only five years of service instead of ten years (01-S176).
The teachers union bosses never forgot what Chafee did for them as mayor and know what Chafee will do for them as Governor. Caprio appears to be calling in his chits with the Laborers and expecting the same payback. If either of the Wonder Twins is elected Governor, the taxpayers will be left wondering what new super taxes they will be stuck paying to cover those hefty political debts to the union bosses.
Press Release: Rhode Island Republican Party
Save the Date! On Wednesday, September 22, 2010, there will be a big Fundraiser for the Rhode Island Republican Assembly Political Action Committee to support Conservative Republican candidates at Twin Oaks Restaurant in Cranston. More specific details will be provided shortly.
Loading ...
