Elorza Claims Progress in State of the City, But Critics Raise Serious Concerns
Kate Nagle, GoLocalProv News Editor
Elorza Claims Progress in State of the City, But Critics Raise Serious Concerns
WATCH: See Elorza's State of the City BELOW
"Mayor Elorza noted that at the end of FY 15, the city faced a $13 million cumulative deficit and that by reforming the way the city puts budgets together, FY 16 ended with the largest surplus in the city’s records. This was recognized by Fitch Ratings which upgraded Providence’s bond rating last year. Furthermore, the city will be paying off its cumulative deficit sooner than anyone expected and is poised to once again have a rainy day fund by the end of FY 17," said the city in a statement.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIn his over 20 minute speech, Elorza called for, among other things, $120 million for a five year capital improvement project.
"Investing considerably in infrastructure and repairing roads, bridges, sewers and the buildings that residents use each day is among the highest priorities for the administration," said Elorza. "To establish a predictable and reliable schedule for investments, the administration recently submitted a 5-year Capital Improvement Plan to the City Plan Commission."
Elorza, who will release his Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposal in the coming weeks, noted two upcoming events for Providence residents to get involved.
"A Citywide Conversation on Education is scheduled for... Thursday, February 2, 2017 at 5:30 p.m., while a Citywide Conversation on a Long-term Vision for Kennedy Plaza is scheduled for Thursday, February, 16, 2017 at 5:00 p.m.," said the city in a release.
Reaction, Pension Funding, and More
.png)
"I think we're moving in the right direction, we have to buckle down on the things that are important to people in neighborhoods and we've got to do those things well," said Aponte. "We have to make some hard decisions about where we invest our scarce education dollars. While I believe parents should have every choice for educational opportunity for their kids, we cannot leave our public schools under-resourced and allow our poorest kids to languish in those buildings."
"The biggest challenge before us is resolving some of our financial issues," said Aponte. "It's not lost on anyone that we need a bold step forward in addressing our pension and post employment heathcare costs."
"I think there are a series of bold steps that can be taken but it needs to happen in a way that brings everyone to the table and really reflects the common interest that everyone has. People often act out of self-interest and retirees are receiving some pretty significant benefits," said Aponte. "If that pension system is to be lost that affects not only current employees but retirees as well. So I think we can all subscribe to the narrative that we all have something to lose and that we need to move forward and make some decisions. As someone who's served on the Council for 19 years, I take seriously the promise we've made to employees that we're going to provide them some sort of pension and we will make good on that promise."
Meanwhile, City Council Finance Chair John Igliozzi took issue with the Mayor's assessment of what constituted a "surplus."
"These types of speeches are about accentuating the positive stuff and glossing over the big financial troubles and issues. There's a lot of challenges in his speech, from the fact there's not really a city surplus," said Igliozzi. "It's a combination of money we set aside and not spending to do police and fire academies, and taking out a loan, and the called it a surplus. You don't take out a loan and call it a surplus. A surplus usually means I put aside money to pay for something and it costs less -- then I have extra."
Igliozzi noted the bond rating improvement was one of the speech's highlights, but like Aponte noted that the looming pension problems superseded it.
"There's a lot of positive things -- there's no doubt the bond rating went up but the city has systemic financial problems," said Igliozzo. "The pension system is a serious situation and hasn't been addressed. They didn't address it in this past [fire] contract, they're not looking to in any future contracts.
10 Things You Can Buy for $2 Besides the Providence Journal
Enjoy a Beer
At Chelo's, so-called domestic label drafts--Miller, Budweiser, and Coors--are all $1.99 for a 10 ounce mug. You can enjoy a libation, and watch some sports on the flat screen at a legendary Rhode Island establishment for less than the cost of a Providence Journal.
Enjoy a Coffee
A medium coffee at Dunkin Donuts, according to fastfoodmenuprices.com, comes in at $1.89 cents. Not thirsty? There are plenty of food options that ring in under $2, but i recommend the Turkey Sausage wrap for $1.39.
Grab a Burger
If you're more of a red meat kind of person, head over to the nearest McDonald's. Big Macs are $3.50, and the budget here is $2 if we're looking to spend less than we would on a Providence Journal. So, the play here is to order a McDouble (a double cheeseburger with just one slice of cheese), but ask the cashier to hold the ketchup, and to include Big Mac Sauce instead. McDoubles are $1.20, and the Big Mac sauce costs an extra .30. That's a grand total of $1.50 - still far below the $2 of a Providence Journal.
Catch a Movie
If you're looking for entertainment, East Providence's Empire Cinema, a bargain priced cinema that shows so-called second run movies is located on Newport Avenue. The cinema features two bargain days, in which movies are shown for...you guessed it, $2.
Red Box
Would you rather watch a movie in the comfort of your own home? Red Box movie kiosks are located virtually all over the state of Rhode Island in just about every supermarket or street corner where retail stores are located. If you want to rent a dvd, it will cost you $1.50, but if you want the high definition clarity of a blu ray, it will cost you...$2.
Take a Cruise
Maybe you need to head out for a drive in order to clear your head? If you've got a sedan that averages around 20 miles to the gallon, and most cars do these days, pump a half gallon of gas in the tank (which shouldn't cost more than $1.25 anywhere in RI) and go on a ten mile, mind clearing drive. Just watch out for pot holes. Car repairs cost way more than $2.
Make a Bet
If gambling is one of your favorite forms of entertainment, I suggest you take a ride over to Twin River and walk into the racebook portion of the establishment. The minimum bet at the New York based horse tracks (Aqueduct, Belmont, and my personal favorite, Saratoga), is just $1. That means you can bet $1 to show on a horse, as retired Providence Journal columnist M. Charles Bakst so loved to do, and even if you lose both races, you've still passed an hour of your time. But if you're a skilled handicapper, you can probably last all day with just $2 by betting horses to show.
Work Out
If you're a person who likes to keep active, you can exercise for free. But if you prefer to be insulated from the elements (wind, rain, snow, stifling heat), and since you live in Rhode Island or southeastern Massachusetts, of course you do, you can join a gym like Planet Fitness or Workout World for way less than $2 per day. Both gyms charge somewhere around $10 per month.
Hit the Dollar Store
Are you in the mood to shop? Walk into a $1 dollar store such as The Dollar Tree, and you'll be able to purchase any two items there. They sell everything from food, to automotive needs, to kitchenware, to hardware and clothing.
Grab a Book
If you're reading this, you like to read. Assuming you're willing to pay to read, Providence is stocked with used book stores like Cellar Stores, Symposium books, Ada Books, and Paper Nautilus. And all of them have plenty of books ringing in at less than $2.
