Carcieri Criticizes the "Budget That Came Out of Nowhere"

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Carcieri Criticizes the "Budget That Came Out of Nowhere" (posted June 21, 2004)

Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri is criticizing the state budget passed by the House of Representatives on Friday night. Appearing on the WJAR-TV show "10 News Conference" with Bill Rappleye, Carcieri complained that there had been"no discussion and no debate" and that too many new features had been added at the end of the process.

For example, the governor noted that a separate judicial budget had been established outside of review by the governor's office. "It is a bad idea," he said. "Nothing is broken. What are we trying to fix?"

Carcieri also complained about new legislative control over the budgets of the state's three public universities. That feature is "getting the General Assembly into the minuta of micromanaging things," he said. "I am trying to save money and get things being run more efficiently."

The governor also criticized a proposed casino in Rhode Island. "I would intend to be very vocal. I feel very strongly about it.,...You are going to hear a lot from me on this. "