Chafee's Getting Started with Big Vacancies

Chafee's Getting Started with Big Vacancies

Lincoln Chafee will be sworn in as Rhode Island’s 74th Governor Tuesday, but a number of high-profile jobs within his administration will remained unresolved for the time being. The Governor-elect has yet to make decisions on at least eight Cabinet-level positions, including the Department of Children, Youth and Families Director.

Since his victory in November’s four-way Governor’s race, Chafee’s transition team has consistently said he was in no rush to make every hire and would not be finished by today’s inauguration. Still, his indecision around some appointments has raised eyebrows around the state.

DCYF in limbo
When Chafee informed Patricia Martinez that she would not be a part of his administration, the Department of Children, Youth and Families Director quickly accepted a newly created position within the administration at Central Falls High School.

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Now the department is being forced to move forward without a director while it faces a lot of scrutiny. Last week, State Senator Daniel DaPonte blasted Martinez and Governor Carcieri for planning to close three children’s shelters by January 15. Chafee has also come out against the idea, which is expected to save the state roughly $1 million.

In July, the Coalition for Child Protection Reform, a national nonprofit advocacy group, criticized the state’s DCYF for taking too many children from their homes and placing them in foster care. The group said Rhode Island has a removal rate almost 80 percent higher than the national average.

Sources close to the Chafee transition team say a decision regarding DCYF is likely to come this month.

Many holes to fill
Last week, the Governor-elect brought 15 Cabinet members and nine staffers, including some Carcieri holdovers and leaders from both sides of the aisle, together for an all-day retreat at URI’s W. Alton Jones Campus that functioned like an orientation.

The positions that still need to be filled and went unrepresented at the event include Adjutant General, Child Advocate, Health Insurance Commissioner, Lottery Director and Veterans’ Affairs Director. David R. Gifford, the state’s Health Director, was in attendance, but the Chafee team has not officially announced whether he will be retained.

Chafee has been both praised and criticized for his “Team of Rivals” approach to putting together his administration and is likely to continue using that strategy moving forward. There are rumors that John Loughlin, who nearly won a seat in Congress and was one of the most conservative state General Assembly members, could be named Veterans’ Affairs Director. Loughlin has expressed interest in the position.

What will happen with Gist and Stokes?
Education Commissioner Deborah Gist and Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Keith Stokes are two well-known names that Chafee has yet to make a decision on.

Gist has garnered national attention for her role in education reform, but she and Chafee have nearly opposite views on how to improve schools in Rhode Island. Gist has pushed for more charter schools and merit-based pay for teachers, which has drawn criticism from the teacher’s union. Chafee, of course, had the full support of NEA leadership throughout his campaign and even included NEARI Executive Director Bob Walsh on his transition team.

Stokes and Chafee have butted heads over a couple of issues, namely the 38 Studios deal that guaranteed Curt Schilling’s video game company $75 million to move to Rhode Island. Chafee was among the first gubernatorial candidates to come out against the deal and threatened to sue the RIEDC if the company goes belly up.

More recently, Stokes and state officials were unable to complete a proposal that could have brought the America’s Cup to the Ocean State. The deadline was New Year’s Eve and BMW Oracle Racing President Larry Ellison chose San Francisco for the 2013 regatta on the same day.

It is believed Gist, who has three years left on her contract, will be retained for the time being. Her popularity throughout the state would likely cause headaches for Chafee if he were to make a change. Stokes, on the other hand, is not expected to be a part of the Chafee administration. The two have disagreed over too much and the America’s Cup blunder may have been the last straw.

Inauguration day
Chafee will host a WaterFire in downtown Providence tomorrow evening to cap his inauguration day. Many of his appointees and staff are expected to be on hand, but the Chafee administration remains an unfinished product with a number of questions left to be answered.