Taking office in August, Governor Kathy Hochul promised increased openness among state agencies, but RIOC stonewalling increased. Either Hochul was blowing smoke or RIOC couldn’t care less about her directives.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
RIOC Stonewalling Continues
Especially since the Shelton J. Haynes era began at RIOC, immediately after president/CEO was fired on never substantiated, potentially racist grounds, transparency withered. Governor Andrew Cuomo installed Haynes in a flash, and within days, he upended agency communications.
Appointing Erica Spencer-EL as director, sidelining veteran public information officer Terrence McCauley, Haynes committed to a communications head with little or no experience in the field. Some speculate that, like Cuomo and Donald Trump, Haynes feels secure only with loyalists forming protective circles around him.
But Spencer-EL did more. She bolstered RIOC stonewalling by declaring local communications limited to marketing and branding. After a drowsy board nodded in cowlike fashion, lines of communication with media slammed shut. Not only were routine daily requests for information ignored, staff members became inaccessible.
For example, a request for information about projects, directed at CFO John O’Reilly, drew a response instead from the new Communications Team. Check the website, it said. Their website, of course, is routinely out of date and short on details.
A Deteriorating Climate

The media blackout extended into less legally viable areas, and that’s where Hochul’s promise of transparency raised hopes. But whether she spoke in good faith or not, the message made little difference with RIOC. Secrecy and behind the scenes deal-making cut residents, stuck with all the bills, out of the loop.
RIOC Stonewalling, A Current Example Among Others
Way back in May, a man, still unidentified, died after a swim in Sportspark. When RIOC, under the Haynes/Spencer-EL regime, blocked release of any details, we made a request, using Freedom of Information Law leverage. The above document contains our request embedded in RIOC’s stonewalling response.
FOIL opens up public access and keeps government from hiding information or, at least, tries. It’s especially vital on Roosevelt Island, where outsiders set up barriers between it and the community. Access matters because, through the hidden RIOC tax, residents pay all the bills.
But after five months, RIOC can’t find the time for scaring up a single document. And it’s not a rarity. RIOC has similarly withheld legally requested data and documents about…
- Staffing and payroll
- The deal cut a year ago with Swift Emergency Medical for setting up a COVID testing site
- The headquarters move from 591 Main into a much smaller, more expensive location at 524 Main
Months have passed with only stalling to show for it. Time might just be concrete.
Conclusion
RIOC stonewalling reinforces suspicions that the state agency has something – rather, some things – hidden for reasons unknown. Defying the law is a matter of concern, but poking a finger in the governor’s eye is another.
This might, though, be different than appearances suggest because Hochul may have been more interested in show than actual change. Stonewalling was a core feature of Cuomo’s administration, especially where questions about corruption rose.
With RIOC, a longtime patronage dump at the disposal of party loyalists seeking jobs, the actions may also protect incompetence. Patronage hires come shielded by their patrons and, except in the most extreme cases, can’t be fired or even demoted.
This means Hochul, as well as Roosevelt Islanders, may be stuck with the mess we have because the roots of patronage run so deep.
Under normal conditions, time will tell, but the power of stonewalling may prove that’s not so.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- Factors That Affect Commercial Solar Panels’ EfficiencyWant to know how to ensure optimal commercial solar panel efficiency? Explore the various factors that influence performance, from weather to cleanliness.
- Get Your Girl Scout Cookies NowLeire and Itziar are selling Girl Scout Cookies, offering FREE Shipping from March 20 -27. 5-package minimum and 12-package maximum per order. You can place as many orders as you want. We also offer Girl
- The US Remains a Grim Leader in Preterm Births. Why? And Can We Fix It?Tamara Etienne’s second pregnancy was freighted with risk and worry from its earliest days — exacerbated by a first pregnancy that had ended in miscarriage. A third-grade teacher at an overcrowded Miami-Dade County public school,
- Common Woodworking Problems and SolutionsProfessionals and hobbyists understand the woes of woodworking. Fortunately, a few woodworking problems have smart solutions you should know.
- Immobilized Astor Place Cube Slated to Spin Again by SummerThe iconic Astor Place Cube, which has been immobilized for nearly a year because of structural damage, would be restored to its original free-spinning glory by July 17, under a proposal from the city Department