Governor, House speaker win dubious award

PROVIDENCE—A senior citizen advocacy group gave out their annual Turkey of the Year awards Wednesday.

The Gray Panthers presented the dubious award during a State House protest.  This year’s turkeys went to Gov. Don Carcieri and House Speaker William Murphy.

The group said the latest cutbacks, higher fees and co-pays are making it more difficult for the elderly to live.

“He’s making it more difficult for the elderly to stay in their homes by cutting programs like Meals on Wheels, and the RIde program that takes seniors to their doctor’s appointments,“ said Richard Bidwell of the Gray Panthers.

A spokesman for the governor said he will look into the charges made by the group and that the cuts come from a lack of money in the state budget.