Kass

PROVIDENCE — Steve Kass, a former radio talk-show host and governor’s director of communications, is now the spokesman for the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency.

At $126,541, Kass will make about $50,000 more than the new executive director of the agency and nearly three times as much as its current spokeswoman.

His appointment was met with shock yesterday from emergency officials and Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, who heads the Emergency Management Advisory Council and was left out of the governor’s decision to assign Kass.

“There’s nothing like the governor taking care of his boys,” Woonsocket Deputy Emergency Director Steve Preston said. “A [public information officer] is going to make more than the executive director? Jesus Christ. Does the governor think the citizens of Rhode Island are that stupid?”

Kass’ move comes as Portsmouth Republican John Robitaille takes over his job as Carcieri’s communications director. Robitaille’s salary was not immediately available. In a memo leaked last fall, an unnamed group of Carcieri’s supporters had recommended replacing Kass as part of improving the governor’s public relations.

The governor’s office said that the need for improved communications at the EMA has been widely discussed in recent months. Maj. Robert T. Bray, adjutant general of the Rhode Island National Guard, has come under fire for his handling of the state agency.

Yesterday, Bray praised Kass. “He comes with a great deal of experience and background and I’m grateful for having the opportunity for him to come in and fill the gap. Certainly there will be some background — he’ll need to learn about what emergency management is,” Bray said.

The governor’s office said Kass has worked on EMA-related projects. One was the design and production of 300,000 hurricane preparedness pamphlets mailed in 2006. He also served on a committee for emergency pet shelters.

“This is just ridiculous. I have no faith in the governor, nor do I have faith in General Bray,” Preston said. “Let’s keep the EMA a political backwater dumping ground, instead of getting good people to do good work. Unbelievable.”

In 2005, Carcieri appointed Robert J. Warren as executive director of the small agency. Warren was the first leader in two decades with experience in emergency management and public safety. But the governor fired Warren after criticism over the administration’s handling of the Dec. 13 snowstorm. Carcieri was in the Middle East and out of touch, and Bray had called out sick, but remained in charge of Warren and the agency.

After outcry over a lack of public communication, the December snowstorm “highlighted the need for a good public affairs officer,” Bray said. “I believe the timing is perfect for [the hiring].”

As the governor’s communications director, Kass didn’t communicate with anyone during the storm.

“The lieutenant governor is deeply disappointed that in the time of limited resources, our priority is not finding an EMA executive director in a timely fashion,” said Paul Tencher, the lieutenant governor’s chief of staff. Candidates were interviewed this week for the executive director’s job, which pays $74,168 to $85,220.

Bray said Kass would be spokesman for the EMA and occasionally, himself. The Rhode Island National Guard already has a spokesman and a public affairs team. Kass takes over from Brittan Bates, the current EMA spokeswoman, who is paid about $47,000 and will continue coordinating the agency’s training exercises.

Bray said that Kass is “on loan” and paid by the governor’s office, but Carcieri’s spokeswoman said half of the money will come from federal grants. That surprised some who work on those grants. “As a participant in state Homeland Security programs, I want to see where the governor’s getting this out of federal funds,” Preston said.

Tom Senerchia, who heads the local emergency directors association, saw the appointment as a layer of bureaucracy between local officials and Bray, who’ve clashed over the last several months.

“The door seems to be closing on us a little at a time,” Senerchia said. “A [spokesperson] is a good tool if you have a big emergency, but let’s face it, when there’s not an emergency, it’s there as an interceptor.”

speoples@projo.com