Gov. Carcieri reacts to Times article

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri is defending his state in a letter to the New York Times. He wrote a letter to the newspaper, saying it failed to present a complete picture in a recent article it ran about the state.

"New Yorkers who vacation in Rhode Island or who have second homes in our state may have found themselves, as I did, wanting a more complete picture of Rhode Island than was presented in the article," Carcieri said in the letter.

The article "Smallest State Grapples with Oversize Problems" ran in the Times March 1. It outlined some of the problems the state is facing, from its 10.3 percent unemployment rate to its $357 million dollar budget gap.

In a letter dated March 10, the Carcieri outlined some of the items he said his administration has accomplished, including putting federal stimulus money to work.

"We were one of the first states in the nation to apply the $25 increase in the unemployment insurance benefits and among the first states to certify infrastructure projects that will get Rhode Islanders back to work," Carcieri stated. "We are well poised for the recovery. Perhaps as we step into better days, the positive results made possible by the hard decisions and sacrifices made today will be news in the pages of this newspaper tomorrow."