Millions in RIPTA Overtime Prompts Call for Review by RI Leaders
GoLocalProv News Team and Kate Nagle
Millions in RIPTA Overtime Prompts Call for Review by RI Leaders
Now, leaders are calling for a review of the quasi-public agency.
SLIDES: Top RIPTA Overtimer Earners BELOW
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTState Representative John Lombardi has been an outspoken critic of RIPTA, most recently questioning the move to cut the program that provided free rides to qualifying disabled and elderly passengers, when RIPTA instituted a $.50 fare for those riders this past February 1 despite strong opposition.
"Herein lies the problem. What we needed was 1/10 of 1 percent of [RIPTA's] budget to deal with the most in need, the handicapped, senior citizens, those without vehicles," said Lombardi. "Runaway and rampant overtime is irresponsible and shows a lack of management. They need a complete overhaul of RIPTA."
"But I think the courage -- or lack thereof -- was when [RIPTA] didn't find the $900,000 [for the disabled and elderly]," Lombardi continued. "It's sad. People that use RIPTA need to contact their reps and senators. It's rampant overtime. Are they utilizing staff properly? We need to get to the bottom of this. There should be a line-item in the budget, that way there would be more eyes on it."
Latest in Battle
Current -- and former -- leaders are calling for a look at the RIPTA overtime levels.
"The Finance Committee will be inquiring about overtime as part of its review of the RIPTA budget," said Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, in a statement provided to GoLocal on Monday.
Former Rhode Island Director of Administration and Founder and Director of the Hassenfeld Institute for Public Leadership at Bryant University Gary Sasse put forth questions that he believes need to be answered.
"Questions that needs to be addressed include the following. Is it less or more expensive to hire additional drivers or continue to pay overtime? How are overtime assignment made, is the system being gamed for the advantage of certain staff? Is there any consideration to revising routes to help reduce overtime cost? Who is making and approving overtime decisions? What role has the RIPTA Board played in exercising appropriate oversight over operations and the use of manpower? How much was budgeted for overtime and are expenditures for overtime exceeding the budget?"
Privatizing Public Transportation?
At the municipal level, a look in 2016 by Forbes contributor Adam Millsap posed, "Privatizing Public Transit Lowers Costs and Saves Cities Money."
"Advocacy groups and progressive politicians are often receptive to providing subsidies to poorer transit riders but tend to be less willing to implement real cost-saving measures such as more privatization," wrote Millsap. "This double burden could be reduced or potentially eliminated if officials in large, union-heavy cities let private companies that have the benefits of economies of scale and superior negotiation skills operate the city’s transit system."
Mike Stenhouse, the CEO of the RI Center for Freedom and Prosperity, which describes itself as advancing a "pro-family, pro-business reform agenda," took issued with the overtime costs at RIPTA.
"Rhode Islanders want a government that works for all of us. Yet, our state has become an un-supervised playground for all manner of the special interest few - from government worker unions, to third-party vendors, to insider corporations, to corrupt lawmakers - to steal money from taxpayers for their own personal gain ... and who give little or no value back in return," said Stenhouse. "There is no adequate check and balance and there is no leadership in our state who seems to care. Our Center renews its call for an Office of the Inspector General, who at least would give us a chance to stop this wasteful spending before it happens.
"Wherever we look - whether its RIPTA, the Department of Health, the Division of Motor Vehicles, Child Services, and any other places - the incompetence and corruption inherent with an over-reaching government is readily apparent to all," added Stenhouse. "Yet lawmakers just keep on spending; and taxpayers keep voting for more of the same."
Editor's Note: A prior version attributed $300,000 to Lombardi's quote; Lombardi clarified that it is $900,000.
Top 100 Overtimers at RIPTA
#100
JERIMAL BARNES
Salary: $45,170.54
Overtime: $22,707.39
Total: $67,877.93
Does not include benefits
#99
BRENDA BRIERE
Salary: $60,302.26
Overtime: $22,801.78
Total: $83,104.04
Does not include benefits
#98
MARSEL GARCIA
Salary: $47,368.14
Overtime: $22,832.61
Total: $70,200.75
Does not include benefits
#97
JENNIFER DONAHAY
Salary: $57,083.95
Overtime: $22,910.62
Total: $79,994.54
Does not include benefits
#96
JAMES GARCIA
Salary: $57,177.33
Overtime: $23,025.74
Total: $80,203.07
Does not include benefits
#95
JEFFREY THERIAULT
Salary: $47,370.19
Overtime: $23,195.92
Total: $70,566.11
Does not include benefits
#94
ANTOINIER PINTHIERE
Salary: $40,231.47
Overtime: $23,220.03
Total: $63,451.5
Does not include benefits
#93
ARTHUR TILLEY
Salary: $60,646.22
Overtime: $23,319.01
Total: $83,965.23
Does not include benefits
#92
A JOSEPH DAOU
Salary: $40,226.29
Overtime: $23,518.67
Total: $63,744.96
Does not include benefits
#91
ANTONIO LOPES
Salary: $37,807.65
Overtime: $23,591.75
Total: $61,399.4
Does not include benefits
#90
PENELOPE CODY-HEROUX
Salary: $42,539.58
Overtime: $23,786.93
Total: $66,326.51
Does not include benefits
#89
ABIODUN OSHIYEMI
Salary: $56,424.39
Overtime: $23,945.01
Total: $80,369.4
Does not include benefits
#88
OSWALDO RIVERA
Salary: $33,963.10
Overtime: $24,169.54
Total: $58,132.64
Does not include benefits
#87
NERY DURAN
Salary: $47,826.31
Overtime: $24,171.43
Total: $71,997.74
Does not include benefits
#86
PIERRE CHARLES
Salary: $56,467.37
Overtime: $24,236.90
Total: $80,704.27
Does not include benefits
#85
DAVID BLAIS
Salary: $62,316.27
Overtime: $24,281.46
Total: $86,597.73
Does not include benefits
#84
ANTHONY WILLIAMS
Salary: $61,714.37
Overtime: $24,377.80
Total: $86,092.17
Does not include benefits
#83
NICHOLAS DECRISTOFARO
Salary: $59,374.23
Overtime: $24,557.13
Total: $83,931.36
Does not include benefits
#82
GIOVANNI TIBURCIO
Salary: $59,579.49
Overtime: $24,645.30
Total: $84,224.79
Does not include benefits
#81
WILLIAM FELCI
Salary: $61,242.21
Overtime: $24,721.23
Total: $85,963.44
Does not include benefits
#80
MICHAEL CAMPOPIANO
Salary: $57,838.80
Overtime: $24,766.28
Total: $82,605.08
Does not include benefits
#79
ROBERT ANDOSCIA
Salary: $70,601.28
Overtime: $24,787.80
Total: $95,389.08
Does not include benefits
#78
MICHAEL PELLETIER
Salary: $59,553.13
Overtime: $24,798.52
Total: $84,351.65
Does not include benefits
#77
JULES ROMAIN
Salary: $60,919.34
Overtime: $24,861.48
Total: $85,780.82
Does not include benefits
#76
ERNST LUBIN
Salary: $65,183.76
Overtime: $25,318.42
Total: $90,502.18
Does not include benefits
#75
CHARLES WILLIS
Salary: $65,945.25
Overtime: $25,544.98
Total: $91,490.23
Does not include benefits
#74
STEPHEN ZACHAS
Salary: $64,362.72
Overtime: $25,594.00
Total: $89,956.72
Does not include benefits
#73
ORLANDO SEMEDO
Salary: $61,694.61
Overtime: $25,688.86
Total: $87,383.47
Does not include benefits
#72
DIMKY EDOUARD
Salary: $56,220.53
Overtime: $25,707.05
Total: $81,927.58
Does not include benefits
#71
JAMES MANER
Salary: $60,082.03
Overtime: $25,771.87
Total: $85,853.9
Does not include benefits
#70
MAURICE HOWIE
Salary: $70,170.11
Overtime: $26,013.00
Total: $96,183.11
Does not include benefits
#69
FERNAND LAGUERRE
Salary: $59,563.90
Overtime: $26,014.51
Total: $85,578.41
Does not include benefits
#68
KENNETH ATHAIDE
Salary: $65,816.19
Overtime: $26,238.96
Total: $92,055.15
Does not include benefits
#67
DAVID LEMIRE
Salary: $64,622.21
Overtime: $26,673.94
Total: $91,296.15
Does not include benefits
#66
KEVIN DECOSTA
Salary: $60,720.01
Overtime: $26,682.68
Total: $87,402.69
Does not include benefits
#65
HENRY WILLIAMS
Salary: $75,864.00
Overtime: $26,901.18
Total: $102,765.18
Does not include benefits
#64
CARLOS ROCHA
Salary: $72,422.30
Overtime: $26,924.37
Total: $99,346.67
Does not include benefits
#63
CHARLES CAMPBELL
Salary: $54,881.00
Overtime: $27,059.66
Total: $81,940.66
Does not include benefits
#62
ELEUTERIO TORTI
Salary: $60,846.67
Overtime: $27,175.79
Total: $88,022.46
Does not include benefits
#61
ELDORA GIBLIN
Salary: $58,241.09
Overtime: $27,294.04
Total: $85,535.13
Does not include benefits
#60
MEURIS MOQUETE
Salary: $67,626.46
Overtime: $27,478.84
Total: $95,105.3
Does not include benefits
#59
EDDY PIERRE PHILIPPE
Salary: $68,720.56
Overtime: $27,539.27
Total: $96,259.83
Does not include benefits
#58
JASON FERREIRA
Salary: $74,351.36
Overtime: $27,555.32
Total: 101,906.68
Does not include benefits
#57
JAMES BIANCHI
Salary: $57,462.71
Overtime: $27,632.22
Total: $85,094.93
Does not include benefits
#56
MARY HATHAWAY
Salary: $38,637.04
Overtime: $27,644.10
Total: $66,281.14
Does not include benefits
#55
DENNIS DUGAN
Salary: $61,758.61
Overtime: $27,941.43
Total: $89,700.04
Does not include benefits
#54
OSIEL OLIVA
Salary: $51,294.64
Overtime: $27,984.21
Total: $79,278.85
Does not include benefits
#53
FIROUZ PAZHOUHANDEH
Salary: $63,288.54
Overtime: $28,013.90
Total: $91,302.44
Does not include benefits
#52
LOVERIDGE AMOAKO
Salary: $68,757.43
Overtime: $28,127.17
Total: $96,884.6
Does not include benefits
#51
DAVID MCGEE
Salary: $61,188.94
Overtime: $28,388.53
Total: $89,577.47
Does not include benefits
#50
SLAV MALYUTA
Salary: $40,164.78
Overtime: $28,802.99
Total: $68,967.77
Does not include benefits
#49
MILTON LUNA
Salary: $60,352.93
Overtime: $28,832.53
Total: 89,185.46
Does not include benefits
#48
JOSEPH COLE
Salary: $65,644.69
Overtime: $29,904.84
Total: $95,549.53
Does not include benefits
#47
GEORGE CURRAN
Salary: $68,968.48
Overtime: $30,022.05
Total: $98,990.53
Does not include benefits
#46
PETER DZIEDZIC
Salary: $61,072.04
Overtime: $30,820.70
Total: $91,892.74
Does not include benefits
#45
JORGE VIZCAINO
Salary: $67,905.35
Overtime: $30,900.19
Total: $98,805.54
Does not include benefits
#44
BERT DEMERS
Salary: $65,121.68
Overtime: $31,222.21
Total: $96,343.89
Does not include benefits
#43
LENUS BAPTISTE
Salary: $39,874.52
Overtime: $31,283.90
Total: $71,158.42
Does not include benefits
#42
JOHN TANCREDI
Salary: $69,805.26
Overtime: $31,362.49
Total: $101,167.75
Does not include benefits
#41
SAMUEL RIVERA
Salary: $47,874.95
Overtime: $31,394.86
Total: $76,269.81
Does not include benefits
#40
RAYMOND LEE
Salary: $67,935.57
Overtime: $31,442.45
Total: $99,378.02
Does not include benefits
#39
ALBERT CARDILLO
Salary: $60,086.08
Overtime: $31,736.42
Total: $91,822.5
Does not include benefits
#38
XIOMARA PACHECO
Salary: $68,383.37
Overtime: $31,819.18
Total: $100,202.55
Does not include benefits
#37
SHELDON WILLIAMS
Salary: $60,798.37
Overtime: $31,849.70
Total: $92,648.07
Does not include benefits
#36
WELLINGTON TAVAREZ
Salary: $58,525.45
Overtime: $32,213.38
Total: $90,738.83
Does not include benefits
#35
DAVID NOVSAM
Salary: $61,966.07
Overtime: $32,414.02
Total: $94,380.09
Does not include benefits
#34
MARILYN RAPOSA
Salary: $60,837.44
Overtime: $32,555.86
Total: $93,393.3
Does not include benefits
#33
JEAN LOUIS
Salary: $64,816.03
Overtime: $32,768.48
Total: $97,584.51
Does not include benefits
#32
ANTONIO VARGAS
Salary: $56,851.23
Overtime: $33,014.32
Total: $89,865.55
Does not include benefits
#31
FRED NASH
Salary: $39,037.18
Overtime: $33,286.43
Total: $72,323.61
Does not include benefits
#30
MATTHEW BORGES
Salary: $61,538.40
Overtime: $33,312.95
Total: $94,851.35
Does not include benefits
#29
DANILO PAULINO
Salary: $57,872.33
Overtime: $33,391.43
Total: $91,263.76
Does not include benefits
#28
OSCAR DELCID
Salary: $61,871.52
Overtime: $34,594.63
Total: $96,466.15
Does not include benefits
#27
BENJAMIN CABRERA
Salary: $48,300.97
Overtime: $35,264.78
Total: $83,565.75
Does not include benefits
#26
FELIX TERRERO
Salary: $57,890.97
Overtime: $35,267.81
Total: $93,158.78
Does not include benefits
#25
EDMUND MELLO
Salary: $62,106.72
Overtime: $35,272.97
Total: $97,379.69
Does not include benefits
#24
LAWRENCE ONYE
Salary: $60,037.59
Overtime: $35,655.53
Total: $95,693.12
Does not include benefits
#23
DONALD SPELLMAN
Salary: $60,171.53
Overtime: $35,959.88
Total: $96,131.41
Does not include benefits
#22
VICTOR FERREIRA
Salary: $49,687.19
Overtime: $36,268.59
Total: $85,955.78
Does not include benefits
#21
JEAN ALTERA
Salary: $64,439.65
Overtime: $36,722.77
Total: $101,162.42
Does not include benefits
#20
KEVIN CAHILL
Salary: $61,882.27
Overtime: $36,831.63
Total: $98,713.9
Does not include benefits
#19
DAVID ST.GERMAIN
Salary: $58,210.46
Overtime: $37,099.91
Total: $95,310.37
Does not include benefits
#18
MARIAN LONCZAK
Salary: $74,721.30
Overtime: $38,320.12
Total: $113,041.42
Does not include benefits
#17
LAWRENCE THORNTON
Salary: $58,770.93
Overtime: $39,139.03
Total: $97,909.96
Does not include benefits
#16
JULIO ROCA
Salary: $66,959.54
Overtime: $39,256.56
Total: $106,216.1
Does not include benefits
#15
JEFFREY ROY
Salary: $60,785.53
Overtime: $40,374.83
Total: $101,160.36
Does not include benefits
#14
PAUL PRICE
Salary: $60,574.83
Overtime: $40,782.05
Total: $101,356.88
Does not include benefits
#13
JOSEPH LIMA
Salary: $65,717.90
Overtime: $42,067.18
Total: $107,785.08
Does not include benefits
#12
JULIEN RAVENEAU
Salary: $62,387.59
Overtime: $43,244.80
Total: $105,632.39
Does not include benefits
#11
STEPHEN MIELE
Salary: $62,797.76
Overtime: $45,612.73
Total: $108,410.49
Does not include benefits
#10
PASCO MACARI
Salary: $59,191.64
Overtime: $45,837.34
Total: $105,028.98
Does not include benefits
#9
LIVINGSTON CICERON
Salary: $57,473.30
Overtime: $46,234.44
Total: $103,707.74
Does not include benefits
#8
STEPHEN FARRELL
Salary: $63,534.81
Overtime: $46,880.08
Total: $110,414.89
Does not include benefits
#7
PAPA NDIAYE
Salary: $57,226.65
Overtime: $46,898.01
Total: $104,124.66
Does not include benefits
#6
WILLIAM BLAIR
Salary: $61,665.97
Overtime: $48,069.52
Total: $109,735.49
Does not include benefits
#5
LYNN HENDERSON
Salary: $61,909.12
Overtime: $51,238.23
Total: $113,147.35
Does not include benefits
#4
RAYMOND HOLT
Salary: $74,738.88
Overtime: $52,280.20
Total: $127,019.08
Does not include benefits
#3
DENNIS CONNOLLY
Salary: $60,932.98
Overtime: $53,056.52
Total: $113,989.5
Does not include benefits
#2
JOHN REALL
Salary: $61,145.00
Overtime: $53,766.95
Total: $114,911.95
Does not include benefits
#1
JOSEPH MONTI
Salary: $84,823.35
Overtime: $58,359.06
Total: $143,182.41
Does not include benefits
