Hummel Report Archive for January 2010
Sick Bonuses… 1.7.2010
Many communities in Rhode Island offer their workers a benefit that private sector employees can only dream about: Cash payouts for unused sick time when they retire. The city of Warwick, though, takes it one step further: paying veteran union and management workers cash bonuses for not using their allotted sick time during any given year. Despite a multi-million dollar municipal budget gap, the checks went out as usual last month – including bonuses for some managers making six-figure salaries. This week Jim Hummel sits down with Mayor Scott Avedisian to find out why.
Click HERE to watch the video.
Click HERE to watch a larger, hi-resolution video
Click HERE to watch a "Bonus" interview with Mayor Avedisian.
Click HERE to see the municipal contracts providing the "Sick Bonuses"
A Conflicted Story… 1.14.2010
Ten months ago Central Falls Mayor Charles Moreau needed the furnace in his house replaced. The bill – for $6,875 - didn’t go to the mayor, but to a longtime friend and campaign contributor, who at the time was doing tens of thousands of dollars of work for the city – work given to him by the mayor. This week we go straight to the mayor for an explanation.
Click HERE to see the supporting documents shown in the video.
Click HERE to watch the video
Click HERE to watch a large hi-resolution video
One Sweet Deal… 1.21.2010
We are back in Central Falls this week, where the heat is on City Hall. How and why did a close friend of the mayor’s get the inside track on boarding up foreclosed houses, making hundreds of thousands of dollars before the work even went out to bid? Jim Hummel learns the contractor – who is also a campaign contributor to the mayor - had the full force of City hall behind him…and now has the state police asking questions.
Follow these links to read the letter mentioned in the story
Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3
(PDF documents - click HERE for a free PDF reader)
Click HERE to watch the video and read the script.
Click HERE to watch the original report aired 1.14.2010.
The Attorney General's Perspective...1.28.2010
As the state police continue to investigate potential corruption at Central Falls City Hall, we sit down with Attorney General Patrick Lynch, a friend and political ally of Mayor Charles Moreau. The AG gives us his take on our series of stories, the investigation into Moreau's administration, Lynch's own public support in the past for the mayor and much more. Jim Hummel reports.
Click HERE to watch the video and read the script.
Click HERE to watch updates on this and other reports.
Follow these links for stories from previous months:
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
