Donald L. "Don" Carcieri (born December 16, 1942) is the
Governor of the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 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...
of
Rhode IslandRhode 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. He is best known nationally as the last holdout among New England governors of marriage equality for same-sex couples and for having joined the
National Organization for MarriageThe National Organization for Marriage is an American non-profit organization that seeks to prevent the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. NOM's stated mission is "to protect marriage and the faith communities that sustain it."...
.
Personal background
Carcieri grew up in an Italian neighborhood. He played baseball, basketball, and football while in high school and received a college scholarship. He graduated from
Brown UniversityBrown University is a private university located in Providence, Rhode Island, and a member of the Ivy League. 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 IslandNewport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles 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...
and
Concord, MassachusettsConcord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2000 Census, the town population was about 17,000. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature...
. 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, JamaicaKingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica and is located on the southeastern coast of the island country. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, where the future governor worked for
Catholic Relief Servicesthumbnail|right|250px|CRS logoCatholic 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 80 million people in more than 100 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin...
. Two years later, he returned to Rhode Island and became an executive at the
Cookson GroupCookson 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 CEO of the company's subsidiary, Cookson America. He also worked as Joint Managing Director for Cookson and helped the corporation's sales to rise from $30 million to $3 billion per year. At the request of Carcieri, Cookson established their US headquarters in an unused building in downtown Providence
http://www.governor.ri.gov/governor/.
Governorship
In 2002, Carcieri won the Republican primary over the endorsed candidate and went on to defeat
DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
Myrth YorkMyrth 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 nightclubFor the 2009 Station fire near Los Angeles, go to August 2009 California wildfires.The Station nightclub fire occurred beginning at 11:07 PM EST, on Thursday, February 20, 2003, at The Station, a glam metal and rock n roll themed nightclub located in West Warwick, Rhode Island, United States; it is...
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.
Legalization of marijuana for medical purposes
In 2005, both houses of the
Rhode Island General AssemblyThe 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
vetoA veto, Latin for "I forbid", is used to denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a piece of legislation. In practice, the veto can be absolute A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is used to denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a piece of legislation....
ed the bill, but the legislature overrode Carcieri by a large margin. Governor Carcieri and the Democratic-dominated
General AssemblyThe 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.
Anti-Gay controversy
In August 2009, the Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI) announced that Carcieri would be their keynote speaker at their annual banquet to be held in October 2009. 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." They claim that "homosexuality is an unhealthy practice and destructive to individuals, families and society."
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, 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. Governor, first elected to the position in 1998 and leaving office on January 2, 2007.His father, Charles Fogarty, Sr.,...
, 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 arteries, 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.
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.
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 occur on Friday 2009-09-05. 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 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's 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 Friday 2009-09-12. 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"
Electoral History
External links
- Follow the Money - Donald L Carcieri