BY JIM BARON

PROVIDENCE — Tom Coderre, the former Pawtucket senator who experienced a meteoric rise in Rhode Island politics while still in his early 30s, only to crash and burn just as spectacularly a few years later as the result of an acknowledged addiction to cocaine, is back at the top ranks of the Statehouse as chief of staff to incoming Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed.

Paiva Weed announced the appointment at a Senate caucus this week, when she also named Peter Marino as the new Senate fiscal advisor.
Now 39, Coderre — whose mother, Pawtucket Rep. Elaine Coderre, holds a leadership position in the House of Representatives — served in the Senate from 1995 to 2003 and as Majority Whip from 2002 to 2003.
He is not only in recovery from his own addiction, but has made a career helping others do the same. He is currently the National Field Director of Faces & Voices of Recovery, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group where he has worked since 2006 and has helped to build grassroots addiction recovery efforts around the country. He heads the Faces & Voices 2008 Recovery Voices Count program, a nationwide nonpartisan civic engagement campaign.
That job has on occasion brought the perpetually youthful-looking Coderre back to the Statehouse, where he is still a popular figure, to lobby for recovery-related legislation and to conduct workshops on rehabilitation.
That work caught the eye of his former Senate colleague, Paiva Weed, who was also climbing the leadership ladder.
She said Friday that two of the things that impressed her about Coderre were his personality and temperament, which she said are important in a political arena like the Senate, and his organizational skills.
As chief of staff, she said, Coderre will “manage the day-to-day operations of the Senate staff,” including supervising employees; to give “advice and counsel” to her with regard to legislation, and work to ensure that concerns of Senate members are addressed.
“Certainly, Tom and I discussed his recovery at length,” Paiva Weed said.
“And while I had the opportunity to observe first hand his successful recovery, I asked him challenging questions regarding the natural stressors that are related to being here in the State House atmosphere and I felt admiration for his recovery and confidence in his continued success.
Coderre did not return messages seeking comment Friday. In a written statement he said, “I realize the magnitude of the challenges that we are facing as a state. I’m ready to go to work to assist the Senate President as she and her leadership team work to address those challenges. Senator Paiva-Weed has been a leader on many issues that I care deeply about. I have the utmost respect for her, and I am truly honored to serve as her chief of staff.”
The appointment, and particularly the proposed six-figure salary, did not come without controversy, however. It drew fire from Gov. Donald Carcieri and dissident Democratic Sen. Leonidas Raptakis of Coventry.
While Carcieri and Raptakis, in separate written statements, pegged Coderre’s prospective salary at $135,000 and $137,000, respectively, Senate spokesman Greg Pare said the actual figure has not yet been determined, but it will be between $125,000 and $130,000. Pare said he did not know whether Coderre is eligible for longevity payments for previous work for the state or any other possible paycheck boosts.
The governor blasted the salary figure as “absolutely irresponsible.  The state Senate is spending taxpayer money on high-price staff members when the state is on the brink of financial disaster. I am sure this position could be filled at far less cost.”
“Rhode Island is in a financial crisis of historic proportions,” Carcieri added. “Every department is tightening their belts and making tough decisions on cutting programs to help pull the state out of this massive deficit, while the part-time state Senate hires a staff member at a salary of $135,000.  Just this week, we announced the closure of two DMV branches, at a cost savings of $150,000.  Any savings from the closing of the two DMV branches have been completely negated by this action.”
Raptakis also cited the DMV closings in West Warwick and Westerly in criticizing the appointment. “Those serve thousands of people, but yet, with one stroke of the pen, we are putting that same value in giving someone the position as chief of staff. Basically, you are insulting the taxpayer.
“I don’t have a problem with Tom Coderre,” Raptakis said, “I respect him as a colleague and a person. His past problem should not preclude him from public service.
“We are in a Great Recession right now,” Raptakis said in a telephone interview. “Can anyone  understand that, if you are the Senate President, we have to cut the budget. We have to stop thinking about handing out these six-figure state jobs. The Senate President needs to show she understands what is going on around our state.
“You could have posted that job as chief of staff for $50,000 and I bet you would have had people lined up and down Smith Street applying for the job,” Raptakis said. “The problem is, this is politics as usual, that is the message. We send the wrong message at the wrong time and it shows we have a disregard for the taxpayers of our state.
“My message,” Raptakis said, “is to say enough is enough.”
Paiva Weed dismissed Raptakis’ criticisms as “strictly a political maneuver.
Asked about the high salary the chief of staff’s job carries, Paiva Weed compared it to the duties of a city manager – although few city managers in Rhode Island make $125,000 or more. “It is responsible for 58 employees. The hours and length of time invested in this position are incredible. And you are an at-will employee, so there is a certain degree of risk that is not involved in a regular union classified or even a private sector position.
Could a qualified person have been found who would have accepted the job at much lower salary?
“The nature of the position, in particular that it is an at-will position, no, I do not think that I could.
 She said the current chief of staff, Ed Morrone, earns just over $145,000.