“The Cranston City Council’s tabling of the recently negotiated police contract with the City’s police officers is yet another example of the do nothing leadership that has been the mantra of the Democratically controlled Council for years,” according to Jim Quinlan, chairman of the Cranston GOP.  The contract, negotiated by Mayor Fung, would mean true savings for the taxpayers in the amount of $1.4 Million over the life of the contract.  For the first time on over ten years, a mayor has been able to gain concessions from a union in a contract.  “This contract is a great step in the right direction for Cranston by allowing a hiring freeze of up to 10 officers, no salary increases for 18 months, , giving up pay for three holidays, and an increase of the both the health co-share up to 15% by contract end and increases to the officer’s out of pocket co-pay expenses.  The real savings in this contract far exceed what we are seeing happen in other local communities which often yield contracts full of deferred compensation – Mayor Fung has served the taxpayer well.” Quinlan said.

“Unfortunately, the council refuses to take the side of the Cranston Taxpayers and would rather play politics.” Quinlan continued.  “By not approving this contract the Cranston City Council opens the door to binding arbitration which takes the future of the City out of the City’s hands.  All concessions would likely be lost.   Yet again, the Council is burying their head in the sand hoping that the City’s financial woes will magically go away.”

“I find it ironic that over the past few years, the Council has only seemed to favor voting for contracts that give away the store,” Quinlan said.  “The taxpayers should not forget that a majority of this council were the ones that gave us the outrageous fire fighters contract which was full of giveaways rather than give backs.  Many of the members who voted to table the police contract also supported an expense line in this year’s budget with $1.5 Million in union concessions but never received them. Then, they approved the Laborer’s contract with no concessions in December. Many members of this Council are hypocritical and would rather stroke their political egos and play politics than save money for the taxpayers.”

CRANSTON, RI - On behalf of Cranston taxpayers, the Cranston Republican City Committee would like to thank Mayor Michael T. Napolitano for his decision not to seek re-election as Mayor of Cranston.

Following in the footsteps of his mentor, former Mayor John O’Leary, Mayor Napolitano is shying away from a re-election campaign after helping to create a fiscal crisis in Cranston. Since Mayor Napolitano’s election the membership of the Cranston Republican party has been a relentless watchdog for the taxpayers through press releases, newspaper advertisements, internet websites, public comments at city council meetings and letters to the editor. From the early days of his administration when Mayor Napolitano decided to waste taxpayer money redecorating his office while using an allergy attack as an excuse, Cranston taxpayers have witnessed wasteful spending and financial incompetence from Mayor Napolitano.

Mayor Napolitano ran for office in 2006 on a series of false promises such as tax relief and more money for schools. Now, as he leaves elected office, he refuses to tell the truth as to the real reason why he is not seeking re-election. Mayor Napolitano is not seeking re-election due to the bad poll results he recently received. After spending millions to help his re-election bid by agreeing to an outrageous firefighters’ contract to spending millions to buy swamp land to concocting a phony tax freeze budget all while bragging that he is raising tens of thousands of dollars from political insiders, no one should believe that all of sudden Mayor Napolitano decided to drop his re-election bid because of personal reasons. Once again we see the Mayor’s dishonesty and his lack of courage. We already knew he did not have the courage to stand up to the special interests like the firefighters’ union. Now we know he does not have the courage to face the voters and justify his record. Mayor Napolitano’s internal poll must show that the voters of Cranston clearly reject his irresponsible fiscal policies. They will not be fooled again and that is why he is not running for re-election.

Regardless of whom the Democrats and Mayor Napolitano hand pick as their candidate for Mayor, there is only one candidate who has fiscally conservative policies, a proven track record, the courage to speak out over the last year and half against the current administration’s irresponsible policies, and the experience of dealing with a fiscal crisis in Cranston. That candidate is Allan Fung, and we believe the voters will not be fooled into making the same mistake again.