Rossi: East Providence is 'Politically Constipated'

Chrissy Rossi is admittedly not a shy person, nor is she on a quest for approval.

The woman who takes her often sardonic Power Point presentations to City Council and School Committee meetings chuckles at her detractors who she claims refer to her as "John Rossi's loud-mouthed wife." In a sit-down interview with East Providence Patch on Monday afternoon, the School and Deficit Elimination Committee (DEC) member held nothing back in regards to her views on what she sees as the poor state of her home city and what and who is responsible.

On Dec. 1, 2010, Rossi formally entered public service, taking a spot on the East Providence School Committee in what was a substantial victory. She said she was driven by her "utter frustration" at what she saw as fiscal mismanagement and "political constipation" in her home city.

"Up until I met my husband, I couldn't even tell you who the mayor of the city was, I could've cared less about politics," Rossi said. "I am not a career politician."

According to Rossi, watching her now husband of six years, former Police Union President John Rossi, grapple with contract disputes and budgetary issues sparked her curiosity to learn more about the fiscal reality of East Providence. Still, with that connection, Rossi is quick to dismiss charges that her marriage in anyway influences her new-found passion for her involvement at the city level.

"Now everyone thinks that because I'm married to the 'union thug' John Rossi, I must be just like him, I must be taking orders from him; but that couldn't be further from the truth, not even a little bit," Rossi said. "We're not like that at all."

Seeing Red

Rossi's investigation into the city's budget saw her seeing red, figuratively and literally. She says she started staying up all night, digging and asking herself "who makes that much money?" in regards to the city council's $48,000 line item on health insurance benefits and an upward of $400,000 for a two-person department run by the former city manager. Rossi supports eliminating the health insurance line item for the council, arguing that part-time jobs rarely come with benefits.

Rossi began making waves with her outspoken style of presentations in committee meetings, both for the school, city and Deficit Elimination Committee. From the podium, she's dry, direct and slightly sarcastic, with one presentation even featuring a fantasy graphic that capitalized what she saw as a denial problem on behalf of the city council.

For all of the attention (and scorn) her delivery makes her privy to, however, no one can allege that Rossi is not, at the very least, committed to her cause of solving the city's almost $8 million deficit. She gave a presentation to the Deficit Elimination Committee that focused on ways to spend less and take in more revenue one month before presenting it at the city council meeting last month. She proposed an estimated $4,350,400 stream of revenue stemming from things like $750,000 in adult education classes at the CTC to $120,000 from advertising on the city's website. Corporate sponsorship of local teams at $100,000 and a $1 million in tipping fees from TLA Pond View also round out the revenue estimation.

Rossi is also a proponent of Tax Anticipation Notes (TANs) as a way to place a "temporary band-aid" on the deficit problem. TANs are the main thrust of Rossi's plan to help East Providence avoid a deficit meltdown, at least in the immediate future. Rossi said that she has spoken to several financial experts, including Certified Public Accountants, financial planners and stock brokers, all of whom, she said, have said the TANs will "put out the fire before our bond rating goes down." 

The Deficit Elimination Committee is currently on hold, as Rossi claims that the city manager has told the finance director to stop attending meetings. With the lifespan of the committee up in the air, Rossi is not pinning a singular solution on one committee or another.

"I'm not really particular," Rossi said in reference to which body works to eliminate the deficit. "I just want to see the problem fixed." 

In the meantime, Rossi said that the city needs $6 million to keep the Auditor General satisfied, something that adds to her sense of urgency regarding the deficit. When asked what programs and departments Rossi would like to see either cut or scaled down, she said she favors improving efficiency over layoffs, saying she's "never in favor of putting anyone out of work." Rossi added that, on some level, jobs would most likely need to be cut at the city level, saying that "the city expanded when times were good, and now it's time to contract because times are bad."

She added that spending the money allocated for computer systems upgrades at City Hall will help workers meet the demands of their positions more efficiently, also.

'I Don't Want to Skimp on School Spending'

While outspoken about salaries and benefits, there is a line in the sand Rossi draws when it comes to spending cuts. She is a fierce proponent for school department funding, speaking of the job before officials with reverence.

"I don't want to skimp on school spending, cutting teachers and overcrowding classrooms; that's not a place I want to put my fiscal responsibility," she said. "If you're going to cut back somewhere, let it be an adult service, not a kid's service. We have minors in our care."

The obstacles that Rossi faces getting her plan recognized and voted on have found their way into her bold opinions. When the Auditor General came to East Providence, Rossi, a member of the Deficit Elimination Committee and self-proclaimed author of the only plan that has "come out so far," was "not invited." She also cites a lack of what she sees as poor follow-through with members of the council.

"A month ago I gave [my proposal] to Billy, he did nothing about it, never brought it up again another meeting," Rossi said referring to Councilman At-Large William Conley. "He's more concerned with crunching and re-crunching the numbers. How many times do you want to turn them upside down, they're gonna come out to the same thing?"

Rossi also referenced Councilman Michael DiGioia, who Rossi claims has been ineffective on tackling the deficit. In a Deficit Elimination Committee meeting where she claims he referenced his and others' hard work, Rossi said she was taken aback.

"He did not bring one thing to the table," she said. "I'm no trying to bash him, I'm just saying he hasn't done anything [in relation to the deficit]."

As for her assessment of East Providence being "politically constipated," Rossi simply says that "nothing ever gets done when you have a group of politicians fighting to see who can be the most important."

Political Future

Whatever one's opinion of Chrissy Rossi, polarization in politics usually, and ironically, indicates some form of political future. When asked about a possible run for city council or even mayor, Rossi said: "I think it's a little premature to make that kind of decision right now." She did say, however, that she has not ruled it out.

Polarization just doesn't bring with it speculation surrounding a possible campaign. It has also made Rossi a lightening rod. Although, she doesn't seem to mind.

"I don't even take the comments seriously," Rossi said, referring to comments she has read about her on East Providence Patch. "You know you guys have those idiots who continue to [write in the comments section] and they have nothing better do all day than fill up your pages? If you've got something constructive to say, come and see me, don't hide behind a screen name."

At one point later she offered to pick up her detractors and "carry" them to the next city council meeting, even offering to stand next to them in support if they wish to contribute and speak to the deficit issue.

Detractors or fans, school committee or Mayor's office, it seems as though Chrissy Rossi is intent on lending her unique style to the debate being held within East Providence city government.

"Now that I know what the political constipation is all about, I will never go away," Rossi said. "You're still going to see my face at every city council meeting. I live here, I pay taxes here, my family is here, hopefully we'll have grandchildren here someday. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying. I'm fighting. They're not going to shut me up, I don't care who they are."