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Dem Chair takes Carcieri to task on use of temporary hires

Providence - William J. Lynch, chairman of the RI Democratic Party, today called on Governor Donald Carcieri to halt the circumvention of state hiring procedures and rules by ending the use of temporary staffing agencies. Lynch opposes the use of out-of-state temporary staffing businesses for what he says is a "multitude of reasons."

"This is another example of the Governor's arrogance in saying one thing, then doing another. The Governor talks a good game about cutting costs while he repeatedly tries to cut the salaries of state workers. Now we discover that the Governor is spending our taxpayer's money hiring out-of-state agencies to place his friends in high paying posts at taxpayer expense," Lynch said.

First Lynch points out that Carcieri's claim that these companies are cost cutting measurers is simply not plausible and that the governor must be taking "fuzzy math" lessons from President Bush.

"Again, Governor Carcieri claims to make administrative decisions in the name of an efficient and effective government. Hiring temporary workers and spending more per position than would be normally spent does not sound like efficiency to me," Lynch said.

Lynch also criticized the Governor for not advertising the jobs so he can have anyone he wants, qualified or unqualified, with no public scrutiny or oversight.

"In these tough budget times our businessman Governor thinks its ok to pay an outside company to do the job of people already on staff. Even the Governor's own chief of staff admits that the company's profit margin of 22 percent was 'money down the drain.' This just goes to show that the Governor thinks its ok to circumvent the established state processes for fair and equitable hiring instead of opening these jobs, if they are even necessary, to the public. This is cronyism at its worst," Lynch added.

Lynch said the Governor's hypocrisy can be summed up just by looking at the employment of Michael Cardello, a former employee of Lincoln Park greyhound racetrack.

"When the former CEO of the parent company of Lincoln Greyhound Park was under indictment the governor said the management there failed and he pushed for the sale of the track to new owners. He then turns around and hires a former Lincoln Park executive to head up a $338-million state agency with no public oversight or process."

Also raising red flags to Lynch is the fact that Smart Staffing, the Foxboro, Mass.-based company was only licensed to do business in the state for 4 days prior to the beginning of their no bid contract and only after the last company hired by the Governor, DataLogic of California, informed the State that they could not make payroll.

"The Governor's office says this company was in the right place and the right time. Well I want to know what the connection is between this company and the Governor. I can no longer listen to the Governor drone on about all of his savings and all the reductions in the state workforce when it is no more than a shell game," said Lynch.

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