Carcieri calls binding arbitration an 'enormous mistake'
12:01 PM Tue, Oct 20, 2009 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE,, R.I. -- With a key House committee poised to hold a hearing on the issue Wednesday, Governor Carcieri says he is "adamantly opposed'' to binding arbitration as a way to resolve standoffs in teacher contract disputes. In a wide-ranging interview at the State House, after an unrelated news conference, Republican Carcieri said he has already told the Democratic leaders of the General Assembly he views binding arbitration as an "enormous mistake.'' He said he has two core objections to the legislation that the two large teacher unions in the state are promoting, starting with the presumption that past practice -- even if it is no longer affordable -- is a must in any new contract. "At the end of the day, what you need to do is get at what's in the contracts, not have the existing contracts stay forever, and if you can't come to some agreement on something ... go to arbitration [because] arbitration generally always favors the labor contract,'' he said. "That's the fact. That's the history,'' he said. "Beyond that,'' he said, " I think that communities should have the right to decide how much they are willing to put into education, and what they are willing to pay, and they shouldn't be bound by some state law that says, well, you have to do this ... Some communities may say, 'look it we can't afford to do this' [while] others may be willing to do it and are wiling to raise taxes to pay for it, but I think that is the way it should be dealt with,'' he said. Carcieri said he does not intend to testify at Wednesday's House Labor Committee, which has been called a week before the House and Senate are scheduled to return for a two-day special session to deal with legislation they left in limbo when they adjourned abruptly in June. Asked what he hoped the lawmakers would deal with, Carcieri cited the state's continuing struggle to stay afloat financially in the face of sinking state revenues and rising unemployment. He said he hoped, but had no assurances from legislative leaders that they would take up his bid for the power to withhold the $32 million in final quarter car-tax reimbursements to help head off a projected deficit. At the dinner meeting of the business-backed Rhode island Public Expenditure Council last week, he declared the need for "game-changers'' on the tax front, to make the state more competitive with other states in the hunt for new businesses. He declined to say specifically what he has in mind, except to say that his administration is looking at multiple options. 'I don't want to comment. I don't want to get ahead of it right now ... What I've said consistently is that we need to be seen as pro-business ... we need to grow jobs ... we've got to get ourself in a much more competitive position and I think we've got to do that by shifting around our tax structure ... We are looking at all kinds of possibilities.'' Asked if that included the phase out of the state's corporate income tax that he proposed at the start of the 2009 legislative session, or one of the options other states have adopted that his director of administration Gary Sasse mentioned to a group of senators last week -- a 2 percent gross receipts tax -- Carcieri said again: "We are looking at all of those different things.'' He said that includes "what was done last year ... and then how we build on that. But I am determined that we need to get a coalition together to change the tax policy of this state to make us more competitive, and that's what my goal is.'' 
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The GA needs to make sweeping financial changes as to the way the state/cities/townes do business.
First start with yourselves. No more free health care and no free food. Cut your staff. DO NOT fall for the teachers "binding arbitration" scheme. Their leader already said he has the votes lined up. Do you work for him or do you work for the people who voted you in office? People from your voting districts are watching you closely!! It's sad to say but unless we change the image of RI no one is coming into this state. We need to lead by example.
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Binding Arbitration, especially for teachers Unions and other Public employees) does not work.
One only needs to examine the history of such and the taxpayer / property owners resulting demise.
Moreover small business (the heart of our jobs market) is adversely impacted. The prosperity of our state is reflected by the fundamental failure of our schools to deliver a fair and balanced message and their failure to encourage critical fact based thinking and companion decisions by its students.
We need to get it all out on the table - that is identification of the core of our failed institutions of education - teachers coupled to the binding arbitration in local schools and even institutions of higher education e.g. CCRI, URI, RIC has seeded an unhealthy entrenched group of Marxist fascist socialist that have already poisoned the minds and disrupted the spirit and energy of many generations of our students. The only hope that RI has to pull it self up and out of the shared misery of National Socialism is improved education. We now know that funding and now even more money is not the answer. In fact based on performance pay cuts, reduced benefits and demotions are in order if not outright replacements of these elitists of the far left.
Today our students are bombarded by the hookers / teachers broadcasting a message of socialism (a wrong headed shared misery). The majority hawked aka Barry S / aka Barry Obama / aka BH Obama the alleged master of election fraud and even a USURPER.
Today we can start on the path of reform by wholesale reorganization of how we originate and dispense education from K to University in RI. Yes, education cost first fairly funded across the total population (everyone pays something). Now affordable (for taxpayer and families) and second performance based such that a return on investment will result in students made ready for a world labor market. Yes, once again creating wealth and adding value to our society.
Finally education is the bedrock and defense of our Republic and the defense of its constitution and bill of rights. With the demise of education has come the soiling of our constitution and the mortal blows to our form of government that we now experience. Yes, from both the far left and far right evil abomination of Lucifer. Our country can only be made safe from internal incompetence and corruption by a return of fundamental performance based education.
Only then is a citizen able to take responsibility for e.g. Possess the capacity and capability to own and manage a republic by and for the people. We must take our country back. However first we must take our schools back and take our local and state governments back first reestablishing their priorities and demand competence and performance. We must as well replaced our incompetent corrupted and soiled members to both Houses of the US Congress from Rhode Island..
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