Governor: Budget woes to blame for his dismal approval ratings
9:35 AM Mon, Sep 17, 2007 | Permalink
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Governor Carcieri has his own theories on why his job-approval rating plummeted 15 points in the latest Brown University public opinion survey and it has nothing to do with any of the dustups in the news: the latest court ruling on the Narragansett Indian smoke shop raid, the state police encampment at the Department of Transportation or the highly publicized lawsuit by the state’s child advocate. “I think people are concerned about the budget,” Carcieri said last week. “I think they are concerned about our financial status.” The poll, conducted on Sept. 8 and 9, showed that Carcieri’s job-approval rating has plunged from 59 percent in January to 44 percent, marking the first time in his nearly five years as governor that the number of voters who say Carcieri is doing a good job has dropped below 50 percent. The telephone survey of 571 registered voters also detected a shift in how Rhode Islanders view the state. In Brown’s January 2007 poll, 50 percent thought the state was headed in the right direction and 34 percent believed it was on the wrong track. In this poll, just 31 percent said the state is headed in the “right direction,” while 57 percent said the state is off on the “wrong track.” The immediate reaction from Democratic State Chairman William Lynch: “… [T]hese numbers just show that people are on to him, that they realize the governor is all talk and that he hasn’t done a thing since he first got elected.” When asked about this statement after an unrelated news conference on Thursday, Carcieri said, “You really want to throw red meat in front of me, huh? Huh? I could care less what Bill Lynch has to say, OK. You ought to be talking to his Democrats up here that pass these budgets.” Carcieri attributed the right-track-wrong-track shift to perceptions formed against the “backdrop of the national economy” and the war. Of course, Rhode Islanders also draw their perceptions from the sight of 170 people lining up for jobs at a new Whole Foods Market across from Garden City in Cranston. Job growth in Rhode Island is running at less than 1 percent, state labor officials report, and the ranks of the unemployed in July climbed by 1,900 to nearly 29,000. Among the industry sectors that reported job losses in the month were wholesale and retail trade, which includes grocery stores, along with food services. But Carcieri believes that other indicators say more. “Economically, we are doing fine,” Carcieri said. “I saw the Federal Reserve data that came out a month ago: ’06 we led every single New England state in job growth. Our economic activity was tied with Connecticut, number one. Our per capita growth in income was one of the highest.” (His staff was unable to immediately produce the report.) But people, he noted, see teachers on strike, unions lobbing preemptive strikes against his vow to cut the state work force by 1,000, and headline after headline about the people affected by the legislature’s adoption of his proposals to lop thousands off the state’s child-care rolls, for example. “I think people are just feeling as though the state isn’t running itself well because of the budget,” he said. “I can propose some things, but the General Assembly has to enact it and they enacted a budget that, I think, if you stop most people on the street, understand is not a budget that works, that we’ve got to get ourselves into a position where we can sustain the level of spending that’s built in.” But, “people blame me. I understand that.” As for being irrelevant, Carcieri reiterated his vow to come up with a job-cutting plan this fall, and, more specifically, within the next 30 days. Stay tuned. --By Katherine Gregg and Edward Fitzpatrick Journal staff writers 
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He could care less what Lynch has to say? Huh? HUH?
That's bipartisanship for ya!
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A fundamental understanding of how state government works would help the average rhode islander... alas most folks in little rhody do not have a firm grasp of our state government... the Governor can only do what the General asss embly passes. We should remove the General Assembly next time we go to the polls...a General Assembly run by unions continues to bode negatively for our state.
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The not me gnome strikes again. Talk about the party of personal responsibility.....
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The people of RI remember the governors lies about the big audit having fixed all the budget problems during his election campaign. The people remember Fogarty warning everyone about the structual deficit which the governor denied. He said the budget was all set... until after the election. Rhode Islanders remember he selected an man to take over as the top attorney for his administration who has not practiced law for 12 years. Rhode Islanders have watched him add high paid state officials while going after the lowest paid state workers for some symbolic sacrifice. Everyone has seen his practice of selling off state government to private corporations and his refusal to turn over the books on exactly how much it costs. No crediblity and lots of rhetoric is what this governor is all about.
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I agree with the Governor. He has to deal with a General Assembly who're more concerned about handing out tax dollars to illegal immigrants for health care and education, while condoning and excusing unethical practices of its members. Throw in coersion by teacher, state, and labor unions and its no wonder the Gov's job approval rating drops. It's Carcieri's job to run this state, and thanks to our General Assembly, they aren't going to allow that to happen. The only way this State can survive is for voters to get rid of the corrupt politicians sitting in the General Assembly. Starting at the top with Montalbano. Get rid of these corrupt, unethical people who are ready and willing to spend our tax dollars not on us, not on better roads and bridges, not on better health care choices, or better education -- but rather, rewarding incompetents with free health, higher wages not based on performance but the very fact they may or may not show up for work!, by using our tax dollars to pay to educate illegals (at least 450 illegal kids in the Pawtucket schools alone!!!) or to ensure top notch health care for themselves, state workers, teachers, etc. If you want anything in the State of Rhode Island, don't contribute. The less you give, the more you get!
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Governor, It has more to do with a deaf ear. Let's start again, no we don't want casino's in RI, If I want one, this is America, I'll move to CT or MA. The Citizens of the state don't have housing they can afford, whether it be rental or ownership. We are taxed to the brink, and you talk about raising the gas tax. You can't attract business to a state that's bankrupt and milking it's citizens, you know, the one's that voted for you....
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Give up the ghost
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Hooray Henry
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Smoke and mirrors
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