Two steps forward. One step back. That tried and true statement is often apropos when it comes to the political history of the City of East Providence, but it is especially meaningful with the goings-on over the last week here in our beloved municipality.
Let’s review.
First, the City Manager and the Human Resources Director, separately or together, come to a decision to place the Chief of Police on administrative leave pending an investigation into outstanding and unresolved complaints brought forward by members of the department.
Next, the City Council President, in turn, asks the State Director of Revenue, who still holds ultimate authority over East Providence through the Budget Commission legislation, to reconvene the state overseers for the purposes of governing all personnel matters.
Then, as The Post was going to press Wednesday morning, we learned the City Councilor from Ward 4 had filed a formal complaint against the Council President with the police department, claiming he had breached the City Charter by reaching out to the state.
Yup, you guessed it. Our city remains as it was some 16 months ago, a political and practical mess.
Barely three weeks after the Budget Commission left East Providence, it is back. Not completely, but it’s back nonetheless. In that brief time, the dysfunction that led to the state take-over in the first place reared its ugly head once again.
Should we be surprised by this? Of course not.
This is East Providence after all, the place where procrastination supersedes pragmatism, where tact and thoughtfulness are replaced by bullying and baffoonery, the place ultimately that can’t stand prosperity nor seemingly make any real progress.
Two steps forward, one step back. It should be the East Providence city motto.
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East Providence, the place that can’t stand prosperity
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