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1/12/2021
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Rep. O’Brien calls $76,000-a-week payments to RIC consultants ‘disgraceful’
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 STATE HOUSE – Rep. William W. O’Brien (D-Dist. 54, North Providence) is calling the $76,000-a-week contract between Rhode Island College, the Council on Postsecondary Education and New York-based consultants Alvarez & Marsal “a disgraceful use of tax-payer dollars” that should have been used on scholarships for struggling Rhode Island families.
“For essentially a 10-week contract, RIC, which claims it is bleeding money due to COVID-19 and other factors, is sending $760,000 of taxpayer money out of state to find ways to save money. This makes no sense and is a disgraceful use of taxpayer dollars that should have been used in providing scholarships to struggling Rhode Island students and families. Once again, significant amounts of money are being sent to out-of-state contractors while Rhode Island families are left without help during these trying times. This money could have helped 75 local families with the increasing costs of higher education,” said Representative O’Brien.
Representative O’Brien also questions why the current employees of RIC or the Council on Postsecondary Education are unable to provide the proper financial analyses for RIC.
“Why are we sending our money to New York while there are numerous highly-compensated employees who are supposed to already be doing this work? Why are we hiring people who do not have the necessary skills to do their jobs, which then necessitates us to hire outside help? There is no doubt that changes need to be made at RIC but sending our crucial dollars outside our borders rather than helping our own residents is not the way to accomplish these goals,” concluded Representative O’Brien.
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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