The messengers are vindicated

To the Editor:
Having been a regular attendee at city council meetings for many years now, I can remember what sparked my interest in local civics, or should I say, “my concern.” Prior to becoming a regular attendee I can remember one of the first meetings that I went to for the purpose of discussing sewer construction. There were several people up in arms about the project and the (mis)management, but more evident, there were a couple of residents that clearly, by their articulation, had much more fiscal knowledge than the average resident of the city. Over a period of several months I began to listen closely to their arguments. The more I listened, the more concern I began to have for my community and its financial obligations. In hindsight, as many residents feel, it is easier and less stressful when you don’t know the truth.
On Monday, April 3, it seems that the truth has finally come out and the wise residents, namely Mr. Cushman and Mr. Durand, who have been shouting warnings for many years now appear to be vindicated in the positions that they have so vigorously defended and been very public about. As an example, I point to the opinions that Former Councilman Bob Cushman has brought forth for so many years. On numerous occasions, in an adversarial climate in a packed council chambers, Mr. Cushman, with his facts, figures, analysis, and charts, along with his Master Degree in Business Administration so humbly tucked away, attempted over and over to open the eyes of the blinded municipal employees, and also to certain council members who have placated to the blind for so long, about the impeding disastrous effects of the unfunded liabilities on the pension and healthcare funds. Both he and Mr. Durand also testified several times at the state house on the issue. Their efforts can only be characterized as heroic, as they recognized a major problem and attempted to mitigate disaster to those so-called beneficiaries, or shall we now call them “victims” of the OPEB sham.
During repeat attempts to share his expertise to the “victims,” Mr. Cushman was heckled, disrespected publicly, antagonized, and even insulted by the then finance chair Wilkinson. The firefighters whistled and coughed like 3rd graders, the lack of knowledge and understanding from the DPW workers was only overshadowed by the smell of liquor, and it was abundantly clear that no one was listening. Mr. Cushman also incurred personal attacks from people lacking basic education and expertise such as William Lloyd (WFD) and Scott Small (DPW). After all, no one wants to be woken up from a fantasy dream, it’s much easier to attack the messenger.
It seems now that the alarm clock, or more accurately, bomb, is about to go off. Recently, in an empty council chamber, Ray Cerrone, the actuary from Jefferson Solutions delivered some news that most certainly has William Lloyd, Scott Small, and Scott Avedisian, vomiting at city hall. So, for the taxpayers and “victims” who were not present, here are a couple of tidbits from the meeting. Get the Maalox ready.
Councilman Merolla - “So our annual required contribution is$24,800,000 and we are not paying it”?
Actuary - “Yes”
Merolla - “So with the maximum tax increase we can only raise 7-8 million dollars annually, we will never be able to pay this off”.
Actuary - “I think that’s pretty evident in the numbers.”
Mr. Small, Mr. Lloyd, are you listening? If not, here is the link, www.ustream.tv/recorded/101715649.
Since you were all conveniently absent, along with the mayor, go to the 1:38:00 mark and listen for yourself. Then bring the news to your rank and file, with a side of Maalox, if you have the guts. But it gets better:
Merolla - “We are at the point of no return?”
Actuary - “Yes, private business got rid of these plans long ago, municipalities have hung onto them because they have taxing authority, but there is a public tolerance for how high they (liabilities) can go.
Merolla - “So I combined the present day value of the healthcare liabilities for the city at $381 million and the schools at $70 million, and the two combined of what would be owed in 2017 is 450 million dollars, almost a half billion dollars?”
Actuary - “Yup, in the ’80s, healthcare costs was in the hundreds of dollars, and it was easy to give this stuff away. Now, costs are tens of thousands and that’s where you get the mushroom. You have to expect it to continually go up exponentially”.
Merolla - “As of today we have to report $141 million in OPEB, next year we have to report $272 million”?
Actuary - “Yes”
Merolla - It’s not just appearing out of nowhere? If we don’t “have” to show it, we don’t?
Actuary - No - the accounting regulation is changing and saying, let’s not “disguise” this anymore, let’s show it for what it really is”. “The union labor ignores this and they tend to gloss over this as if this doesn’t exist, but you and I know that it does.
So, now that Mr. Cushman has been exposed to being in possession of a gypsy’s crystal ball and magical insight into the future, I simply want to know when Mr. Small, Mr. Lloyd, and the failed finance chair Wilkinson, will make their public apologies to him. It clearly is warranted in view of the staggering facts of debt that the healthcare actuary has admitted to on this date, Monday, April 3 in the year of our Lord, 2017.
To summarize the recent events, anyone with any common sense can understand that certain members of the community that have warned about the impending fiscal crisis have been vilified, harassed, and even threatened. But the truth of the matter is that if these beneficiaries (victims) possessed the basic education skills to comprehend simple math, they would be questioning the politicians who knowingly and willfully made promises to them that they knew would never come to fruition. I am wondering when these union leaders will demand that their mayor address this issue in public. My guess is that it won’t happen because haven’t we all tried to fall back asleep when we are awakened from a good fantasy dream?

Rob Cote
Warwick