NEW: Sen. Jabour Demands Raimondo Return $7,000 Davos Funding to URI Foundation
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Senator Paul Jabour is demanding that Governor Gina Raimondo return $7,000 to the URI Foundation that she received for her upcoming Davos trip.
Jabour, a State Senator who represents District 5 which is in Providence and serves as member of the University of Rhode Island Foundation Board, said that the URI Foundation board never considered or voted on the proposal fo fund Raimondo's trip to the World Economic Forum, but rather the Foundation's Interim Director James Hopkins approved the request by the Governor unilaterally.
"I didn't recall ever considering it or seeing it on the agenda, so I called over [to the Foundation], and they confirmed that [Hopkins] approved it," said Jabour. "There's a provision that permits that the Director can be authorized to give up to $10,000 in discretionary funding."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"I think [Raimondo] should give it (the money) back," said Jabour. "If we want to pay for it, then I think it should be on the next agenda. If the Foundation board wants to authorize it and sees a benefit to it for college research, and she says she's made a match, and this is what will give us a benefit, then so be it. I don't think there was any discussion -- it's a slippery slope."
"If the Foundation had a vote, I'd think we'd say no," said Jabour. "I don't think we'd say we don't support what the Governor is doing. But we don't want to support government activities. Is there something about this she doesn't want to be public?"
"The Interim Director is a wonderful person, he's done a great job. I would have preferred it to be the Foundation approach the Governor. It's a little backwards," said Jabour. "In terms of who's advising [Raimondo], this doesn't look good, it's bad advice."
Established in 1957, the University of Rhode Island Foundation is an independent, 501 (c)(3) corporation charged with raising and managing private charitable support for the University.
The Foundation’s daily operations are managed by a president, who reports to a volunteer Executive Board. According to its mission, the URI Foundation exists to inspire and steward philanthropic support benefiting the University of Rhode Island
Questioning RIC Moves
Jabour said he is also planning on taking action on the appointment by Raimondo of Richard Culatta to be Rhode Island's first chief innovation officer -- funded by the Rhode Island College Foundation.
"And I was not in favor of what happened at RIC," said Jabour of Raimondo's move. "I'm going to introduce a bill that mandates that position be statutory. I don't think Raimondo can create a position if she wanted it. This is why it can't be funded in the budget. There's a section of the law that deals with cabinet positions-- 42-6-3."
"She should not have circumvented the Senate," said Jabour. "The Senate should have been able to confirm it, especially for that amount of money. It would have given us the ability to ask is there anything in this person's appointment that qualifies him for the position."
Rhode Island College Foundation, established in 1965, is a separate entity that is devoted to raising funds solely for Rhode Island College. The Foundation also exercises fiduciary responsibility over endowments and other philanthropic investments made to Rhode Island College.
According to its "Vision Statement," Rhode Island College Foundation is the primary source of private support to the college as it achieves its mission to offer accessible higher education of the finest quality to traditional and non-traditional students from around the state, the region, and beyond.
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