A conversation overheard in a Rhode Island State government hallway....
Hey, Houndawg: Fuck you.You got to go in the field, pay your dues, and earn your way up.
“Well, I’ve done exactly that. Here’s my resumé. I’ve spent the last five years on Capitol Hill in Washington working in nonpartisan legislative positions, and…”
Kid – I mean literally pay your dues.
“Pardon?”
The dues that count. Union dues. Why don’t you march yourself over to Local 1033 of the Laborer’s International Union. They represent 900 municipal workers in Providence. If you play ball, they could find a little something for you and in a few years, you can come back here and say the three magic words for getting hired.
“Which words?”
I know people.
“Jeez. Who am I supposed to see at 1033?”
You have to ask? Don Iannazzi of course. Business manager. He does pretty good for himself. He made $212,658 salary in 2009 plus $53,212 in additional compensation.
“You’re joking. A union guy takes dues from working stiffs who probably make $40,000 and gets almost $300,000?”
It’s a beautiful system, isn’t it? That’s how things work here. Take Dominick Ruggerio, our Senate majority leader. His day-job is administrator of the local Laborers International Union. Their dues last year paid him $190,246. Not bad coin off the backs of laborers –– right?
“That’s crazy.”
Crazy, beautiful. And here’s how it all ties together, kid. Pay attention. Iannazzi’s 25-year-old son Stephen is now the $88,112-a-year special assistant to Majority Leader Ruggerio. Meanwhile, Ruggerio’s 30-year-old lawyer son, Charles Ruggerio, works for Iannazzi at Local 1033. See how Rhode Island works?
“Did you say a 25-year-old State House assistant makes $88,112 in taxpayer’s money?”
It’s better than that. The young Iannazzi was making $37,986 a year as a State House policy researcher last July, left briefly, got hired back in December at $85,546, and just got another raise to $88,112.
“In this economy? With almost 12-percent unemployment? You’re asking people being crushed by taxes to pay that salary to some young kid because he’s got union connections?”
Beautiful, right? Like I said, that’s how we do business here. Don’t you want to be part of that?
“To be honest…”
Great. Look, before I send you to 1033 to get to know people, what are your policy goals?
“Oh, the obvious, of course. The state is facing billions in unfunded pension liabilities so Job One is to rein that in with public employee givebacks.”
Is this supposed to be your little joke?
“Not to mention that runaway public employee costs are burying the state in…”
You see the letters on that door under “Democratic Leadership”?
“Um — I do now. PEUSP. But I’m not sure what it means.”
What do you think, pal? We’re Rhode Island Democrats. We have one purpose. We’re the Public Employee Union Support Party.”
“My philosophy is that the public should come before public unions.”
You know what? I’m afraid we can’t use you. Thanks for coming by.
It's a beautiful system isn't it? 
