Donald Carcieri
Encyclopedia
Donald L. "Don" Carcieri was the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state
of Rhode Island
. Carcieri has had a varied vocational background, having worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid relief worker, bank executive and teacher.
, the son of Marguerite E. (née Anderson) and Nicola J. Carcieri, a football and basketball coach at East Greenwich High School
. His father was Italian American
and his mother Swedish American
. Carcieri played baseball, basketball, and football while in high school and received a college scholarship. He graduated from Brown University
with a degree in International Relations. Carcieri started his career as a high school math teacher, working in Newport, Rhode Island
and Concord, Massachusetts
. He later became a banker and businessman, working his way up the ranks to become an executive vice president at Old Stone Bank.
In 1981, Carcieri and his family moved to Kingston, Jamaica
, where he worked for Catholic Relief Services
. Two years later, he returned to Rhode Island and became an executive at the Cookson Group
. He eventually became Joint Managing Director for Cookson and CEO of the company's Cookson America subsidiary. At the request of Carcieri, Cookson established their US headquarters in an unused building in downtown Providence. He has 4 children and 14 grandchildren.
Myrth York
, 55% to 45% in the general election.
in West Warwick, Rhode Island, was engulfed in a catastrophic fire which claimed 100 lives. The fire, which was one of the worst such tragedies in American history, was widely covered by the national press, which gave Carcieri's public statements on the event nationwide coverage. Eventually the Governor declared a moratorium on pyrotechnics for crowds under 300 people.
passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana. Carcieri veto
ed the bill, but the legislature overrode Carcieri by a large margin. Governor Carcieri and the Democratic-dominated General Assembly
have been at odds on a number of issues enacting separation of powers, the treatment of state workers, and whether children of illegal immigrants should have access to the state childcare health care plan. Carcieri often warns against increasing the size of the state's welfare programs as unaffordable and unsustainable and that the state suffers economically from a history of corruption. Carcieri has had a history of confrontations with the heavily Democratic state legislature, community activists, and organized labor.
, who was prevented, by term limits, from running again for the Lieutenant Governor position.
Different Thing
On March 27, 2008, Governor Carcieri signed an Executive Order requiring state agencies and vendors to verify the legal status of all employees and directing the Rhode Island State Police and the Department of Corrections to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ensure federal immigration laws are enforced.
; he is a member of the anti-same-sex marriage group National Organization for Marriage
.
In November 2009, Carcieri vetoed H 5294 which, if enacted, would allow domestic partners to oversee and care for a same-sex partner's funeral arrangements. The bill's impetus was motivated by an event when the State refused to release the body of a man to his 17 year same-sex partner. In his veto message, Carcieri made the following statement: "This bill represents a disturbing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion of the principles surrounding traditional marriage, which is not the preferred way to approach this issue."
In January 2010, the Legislature
voted to override the veto.
with a full court hearing on the matter to occur on September 12. Almost immediately Governor Carcieri issued a press release noting he now has no other option but layoffs. He further went on to say "It should greatly disturb every state employee and every Rhode Islander that labor leaders are willing to sacrifice people’s jobs so they can maintain their stranglehold on the citizens of this state."
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. Carcieri has had a varied vocational background, having worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid relief worker, bank executive and teacher.
Personal background
Carcieri was born and raised in East Greenwich, Rhode IslandEast Greenwich, Rhode Island
East Greenwich is a town in and the county seat of Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 13,146 at the 2010 census. East Greenwich is the wealthiest municipality within the state of Rhode Island....
, the son of Marguerite E. (née Anderson) and Nicola J. Carcieri, a football and basketball coach at East Greenwich High School
East Greenwich High School
East Greenwich High School is a public secondary school located in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, U.S.The school serves students in grades 9-12 in the East Greenwich Public Schools system.- School and campus :...
. His father was Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
and his mother Swedish American
Swedish American
Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent, especially the descendants of about 1.2 million immigrants from Sweden during 1885-1915. Most were Lutherans who affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; some were Methodists...
. Carcieri played baseball, basketball, and football while in high school and received a college scholarship. He graduated from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
with a degree in International Relations. Carcieri started his career as a high school math teacher, working in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
and Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
. He later became a banker and businessman, working his way up the ranks to become an executive vice president at Old Stone Bank.
In 1981, Carcieri and his family moved to Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, where he worked for Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the U.S. bishops, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 90 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and...
. Two years later, he returned to Rhode Island and became an executive at the Cookson Group
Cookson Group
Cookson Group plc is a leading materials technology company headquartered in London which provides materials, processes and services to customers worldwide. The Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index....
. He eventually became Joint Managing Director for Cookson and CEO of the company's Cookson America subsidiary. At the request of Carcieri, Cookson established their US headquarters in an unused building in downtown Providence. He has 4 children and 14 grandchildren.
Governorship
In 2002, Carcieri won the Republican primary over the endorsed candidate and went on to defeat DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Myrth York
Myrth York
Myrth York is a Democratic politician, former Rhode Island State Senator and three-time unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Rhode Island....
, 55% to 45% in the general election.
The Station night club fire
On February 20, 2003, The Station nightclubThe Station nightclub fire
The Station nightclub fire was the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in American history, killing 100 people. The fire began at 11:07 PM EST, on Thursday, February 20, 2003, at The Station, a glam metal and rock n roll themed nightclub located at 211 Cowesett Avenue in West Warwick, Rhode Island.The...
in West Warwick, Rhode Island, was engulfed in a catastrophic fire which claimed 100 lives. The fire, which was one of the worst such tragedies in American history, was widely covered by the national press, which gave Carcieri's public statements on the event nationwide coverage. Eventually the Governor declared a moratorium on pyrotechnics for crowds under 300 people.
Conflicts with the legislature
In 2005, both houses of the Rhode Island General AssemblyRhode Island General Assembly
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 senators...
passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana. Carcieri veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
ed the bill, but the legislature overrode Carcieri by a large margin. Governor Carcieri and the Democratic-dominated General Assembly
Rhode Island General Assembly
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 senators...
have been at odds on a number of issues enacting separation of powers, the treatment of state workers, and whether children of illegal immigrants should have access to the state childcare health care plan. Carcieri often warns against increasing the size of the state's welfare programs as unaffordable and unsustainable and that the state suffers economically from a history of corruption. Carcieri has had a history of confrontations with the heavily Democratic state legislature, community activists, and organized labor.
Re-election
Carcieri won re-election in 2006. Rhode Island is one of 19 states that elects its governor and lieutenant governor separately rather than on a single party ticket; Carcieri faced his own Lieutenant Governor, Democrat Charles J. FogartyCharles J. Fogarty
Charles Joseph Fogarty, Jr., also known as Charlie Fogarty is the former Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. State of Rhode Island. He is a Democrat. Fogarty served two full terms as Lt...
, who was prevented, by term limits, from running again for the Lieutenant Governor position.
The 2007 snowstorm
One of the most controversial events of Carcieri's governorship occurred on December 13, 2007 when the state of Rhode Island experienced a storm which dumped about 10-12 inches of snow on the state at the time of the evening commute. On that day, Governor Carcieri was in the Middle East and could not be contacted until the storm was over. As a result of the timing of the storm and of conflicts between various State agencies about who was responsible for emergency management during Carcieri's absence, there was inadequate snow clearance on major highways, causing gridlock long into the night and stranding several buses of schoolchildren in snowbanks for a number of hours. Widely criticized for blocking the Lieutenant Governor from taking charge in his absence, Carcieri admitted that his administration did "a poor job of communications" during the storm. However, he refused to answer questions concerning who would be in charge of the state in the event of his absence. Eventually a judge required Carcieri to release documents indicating his orders on the chain of command in such situations.Different Thing
On March 27, 2008, Governor Carcieri signed an Executive Order requiring state agencies and vendors to verify the legal status of all employees and directing the Rhode Island State Police and the Department of Corrections to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ensure federal immigration laws are enforced.
Stance on LGBT issues
In October 2009, Carcieri was the keynote speaker of the annual banquet of the Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI). In addition to being opposed to gay marriage, MFI is opposed to civil unions and domestic partnerships. They frame LGBT civil rights as "special rights" and claim that "homosexuality is an unhealthy practice and destructive to individuals, families and society." Carcieri is the last remaining New England governor to vigorously oppose same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
; he is a member of the anti-same-sex marriage group National Organization for Marriage
National Organization for Marriage
The National Organization for Marriage is a nonprofit political association established in 2007 to work against legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States, specifically to pass California Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage in California...
.
In November 2009, Carcieri vetoed H 5294 which, if enacted, would allow domestic partners to oversee and care for a same-sex partner's funeral arrangements. The bill's impetus was motivated by an event when the State refused to release the body of a man to his 17 year same-sex partner. In his veto message, Carcieri made the following statement: "This bill represents a disturbing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion of the principles surrounding traditional marriage, which is not the preferred way to approach this issue."
In January 2010, the Legislature
Rhode Island General Assembly
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 senators...
voted to override the veto.
2009 furlough controversy
In the fiscal year 2010, the state of Rhode Island is facing a budget shortfall of $528 million. In an effort to shed $67.8 million, Governor Carcieri imposed 12 furlough days. The first unpaid day was to occur on Friday, September 5, 2009. The unions representing state workers was able to, in the 11th hour, have a restraining order issued by Supreme Court Justice Maureen McKenna GoldbergMaureen McKenna Goldberg
Maureen McKenna Goldberg is a justice on the Rhode Island Supreme Court.Goldberg is a 1978 graduate of Suffolk University Law School in Boston. Previously she graduated from St. Mary Academy – Bay View, in 1969 and Providence College in 1973. Goldberg was an Assistant Attorney General in the...
with a full court hearing on the matter to occur on September 12. Almost immediately Governor Carcieri issued a press release noting he now has no other option but layoffs. He further went on to say "It should greatly disturb every state employee and every Rhode Islander that labor leaders are willing to sacrifice people’s jobs so they can maintain their stranglehold on the citizens of this state."