Gretchen is in Boston for a conference with other governors.
Gretchen: I can’t wait to get home. This city makes me sad.
Toby: We’ve been here a day! We don’t leave until Thursday!
Carol: What did Boston ever do to you?
Christina: I think it reminds her of how lacking Providence is in comparison.
Gretchen: That’s not true at all, Providence is the most incredible city in America.
Christina: According to who, the founder of Providence?
Gretchen: I think school has made you meaner, you used to be so sweet.
Anthony: I don’t think taking her away from your mother has worsened the problem in any way.
Gretchen: There’s no problem! Christina, we love you.
Christina: You were just calling me mean.
Gretchen: But we love you for it!
Lucinda: I’m proud of her for having some sass to her. She’s not a pushover like some people.
Anthony: To whom is that referring?
Lucinda: You, your wife, my son, sometimes even my other daughter…
Carol: Never me!
Lucinda: Oh, yeah, you too. You don’t stand up to her enough when she resigns herself to not standing up to Hank and Jeanne.
Gretchen: She kinda has a point.
Gretchen’s phone rings.
Anthony: Do you have to answer that? We could use the help carrying all this stuff up to the room. You can always call back.
Gretchen: Uh, sure, I can ignore it. It’s just Massachusetts.
Lucinda: The state we’re in is calling you?
Gretchen: My assistant, her name is Massachusetts.
Carol: She’s from here.
Lucinda: That’s a dumb nickname.
Gretchen: You’re dumb!
Lucinda: Excuse me?
Gretchen: I didn’t mean that.
Lucinda: You better not have!
Gretchen: Oh god, she’s calling again!
Christina: Just turn your ringer off, that way she can’t tell you’re ignoring her by declining the calls.
Gretchen: How do I do that?
Christina: You’ve had a smart phone for how long and you don’t know?
Gretchen: I’m old, I don’t know this tech stuff!
Toby: I can help carry the stuff up, just answer the phone.
Lucinda: Even Toby is annoyed by your ringtone.
Gretchen: My ringtone is classic.
Lucinda: They play that alarm in Guantanamo to torture terrorists.
Gretchen picks up her phone.
Gretchen: What is going on? Are you confused on what you’re supposed to do in the office today or something? You could’ve just called Carol, you know she’s not busy.
Carol: I take offense to that.
Gretchen: No one likes an eavesdropper!
Carol: You’re just annoyed you got caught!
Gretchen: Yes.
Sarita: Governor Raymond, are you done?
Gretchen: You sound upset.
Sarita: Well, I’d rather not be calling you with this news.
Gretchen: What’s up? Did Hank and Jeanne do something stupid again?
Sarita: If only it were that simple.
Gretchen: What’s going on, then? Use your words.
Sarita: The Main Street Bridge in Newport collapsed about an hour ago.
Gretchen: Excuse me?
Sarita: They’re trying to work out all the facts but you’ll be briefed on it shortly. I do think it’d be for the best if you came home immediately.
Gretchen: Of course! I’ll get myself packed up and I’ll hit the road immediately. In the meantime, authorize a state of emergency
Sarita: Come to the state house, the area surrounding the bridge is a mess right now.
Gretchen: Will do, I’ll see you soon.
Gretchen hangs up.
Anthony: What’s going on?
Lucinda: She’s about to ruin our getaway, that’s what.
Gretchen: I don’t mean to abandon the trip, but there’s an emergency back in Providence. A bridge collapsed, I need to be on the ground to help in any way I’m needed.
Christina: We understand.
Lucinda: Speak for yourself, we get free stuff when she’s with. Now we’ll have to pay our way into museums! We won’t get plum reservations!
Gretchen: I’m glad you’ll miss my presence so much.
Carol: I’ll come with you.
Gretchen: Of course you’re coming with me, this is a huge mess and I need all hands on deck.
Carol: Well, I paid for my own room, so I’d appreciate a bit of gratitude that I’m leaving it two days early. It’s not just a guarantee that I’ll follow you wherever you go.
Gretchen: Yes it is.
Carol: Yeah, it is.
Meanwhile, in Providence…
Reporter: Lieutenant Governor Pratt, have you spoken to officials on the ground about the bridge collapse?
Samantha: Um, I am working my hardest to stay up-to-date, I’m sure the governor has more information on the situation than I do.
Reporter: Where is the governor? She hasn’t been seen today.
Samantha: The governor has been at a conference meeting with other New England governors. I’ve not spoken with her, but I assume she is heading home to address this emergency.
Reporter: You haven’t spoken with her?
Samantha: I’m assume she’s being updated on the situation from officials on the ground, as I have, and I didn’t feel it’d be prudent to interrupt those talks by getting into contact with her. Rest assured, I will work with her and every official in this state to get this situation under control and compensate any victims.
Reporter: Is there any indication of how many victims there are?
Samantha: I don’t feel comfortable disclosing that before we can get a more accurate total and the victims’ families are contacted. I know search and rescue teams are hard at work in trying to find anyone that’s still out there in the water. This is still an active mission and that’s all I can say at this point. Please, if you are at home, send some positive thoughts, some prayers, anything, towards anyone involved in this horrible accident.
Reporter: Thank you for your time.
Samantha: Thank you, I’m glad to do my part to keep everyone updated.
Samantha walks into Gretchen’s office.
Samantha: Where is the governor?
Sarita: On her way here, it shouldn’t be much longer. I spoke to her probably twenty minutes ago, It’ll be another forty-five minutes or so.
Samantha: We need someone to address the state about this, I certainly can’t. No one’s told me anything about this bridge situation.
Jeanne: They really don’t brief the lieutenant governor? My god, it really is like being declawed.
Sarita: Leader Riverro, what are you doing here?
Jeanne: Wondering where the governor is! We’ve got a bit of a crisis going on!
Sarita: She’s coming home from Boston.
Jeanne: The hell is she doing there?
Sarita: It’s not like she could have known this would happen.
Jeanne: No, but it’d be nice to have a governor in the state right now who could get fully briefed on the situation and then deliver a press conference to ease everyone’s concerns.
Sarita: Are you expecting her to learn the gift of premonition?
Jeanne: Well I’d like her to return to Providence in a reasonable timeframe.
Sarita: She’ll be back very soon, so you can stop with the concern.
Jeanne: Wow, they’ve trained you well.
Sarita: I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean, but I can tell it’s supposed to be snarky, and our state’s in crisis right now, so I’m not really in the mood for it.
Samantha: You told her!
Jeanne: You know, Pratt, I really think the state could be comforted by your words right now.
Samantha: That’s not my job, and I don’t feel it’d be appropriate for me to do it without the governor’s permission. Besides, as I said to the reporter that tracked me down in the halls, I have very little information about this situation.
Jeanne: So we’re all just sitting around waiting for news then?
Sarita: That’s what the whole state is doing. Besides, it just happened an hour and a half ago, the facts are still murky, it’s best not to jump the gun.
Jeanne: When she does arrive, I think it’s best if we provide a united front and all appear together at the press conference. Rhode Islanders should know that we’re all united to getting this situation resolved quickly.
Samantha: You really want to make this situation all about you?
Sarita: That wouldn’t be surprising whatsoever, but I actually think it’s a good idea. It shows unity, it instills a bit of confidence everyone will work together and do what needs to be done for the good of the state.
Jeanne: I appreciate that! I’ll tell Hank.
Samantha: Must you?
Jeanne: When did you become such a hater?
Samantha: When I realized you were one.
Thirty minutes later…
Gretchen: I got here as quick as I could!
Carol: Thanks to me driving.
Gretchen: Yeah, well I was on the phone getting the rundown on the situation.
Sarita: So you know what’s going on?
Gretchen: I know the most updated facts that they know on the ground. I’ve been fully briefed, and they told me and every official that it’s best to just stay away from the scene for now. They expect us to be able to survey it tomorrow once things are settled and there’s less chaos with the recovery missions.
Carol: I wish I’d been able to hear any of that, but she wouldn’t put it on speakerphone!
Gretchen: It was a briefing about a disaster, Carol, not a gossip session about the cute boy you like.
Carol: Don’t say it like that, that makes me sound like a pervert.
Sarita: Are you prepared to go on TV for a press conference?
Gretchen: I, uh… I gotta change. I can’t go on in a t-shirt and jeans. Once I look a bit more professional, and I have a change of clothes here so it won’t be long, I’ll get out there and deliver a speech addressing everything. Get Esther in here to write it with you.
Esther: Oh, I’ve already written something for you!
Gretchen: My god, where’d you come from?
Esther: My office?
Gretchen: I always forget you have an office in here.
Sarita: It was my office before, you never forgot about me.
Gretchen: You’re more talkative.
Esther: Burn!
Sarita: I was communications director, talking was in the job title!
Esther: She does have a point.
Gretchen: All right, I’ll read that speech over, plug in relevant information from the authorities on the ground, and then I’ll speak. Alert the press that it’ll be in about twenty minutes.
Esther: Will do!
Sarita: Oh, one more thing!
Gretchen: What?
Sarita: Jeanne, Hank and Samantha are going to stand behind you during your conference as a display of unity, so people at home can see that you’re all dedicated to working together to resolve this in a timely manner and get aid passed.
Gretchen: I have to actually see them today?
Sarita: for the sake of unity.
Gretchen: Ugh… fine.
Twenty minutes later…
Gretchen: Where is Jeanne?
Hank: She’s coming, she just got a bit delayed.
Gretchen: How do you get delayed walking down the stairs?
Hank: One of the other senators stopped her to talk about something.
Gretchen: I’m glad we’re all acting with such urgency.
Carol: The media is waiting, everyone.
Gretchen: Don’t tell me, I’m not the one yapping with some rando.
Jeanne: Sorry, everyone, I’m here now.
Gretchen: Finally! I thought you were standing us up.
Samantha: I’m still not sure why she even needs to be involved.
Hank: You’re so negative.
Samantha: Because you’re such a ray of sunshine.
Esther: All right, here’s your speech, don’t forget it. Good luck out there!
Hank: Gretchen, your mom looks different.
Esther: Her mom? I’ll have you know, I am only fourteen years older than my dear friend the governor, a youthful seventy years old.
Gretchen: She’s my new comms director.
Jeanne: Your comms director wrote your speech?
Gretchen: My speechwriter is out of town, it was sort of short notice. I heard you were quite upset about it even taking this long, so you should just be glad we found a solution!
Hank: Ooh, the tension!
Gretchen: All right, let’s rock and roll. A state is waiting.
Gretchen steps up to the podium.
Gretchen: Hello, Rhode Island. As many of you know, rarlier this afternoon, our state suffered a great tragedy. The Main Street Bridge in Providence, the largest and most traveled bridge in our state, collapsed. It is not currently known why the bridge collapsed, but nothing ran into it, nor was there any weather-related reason for the collapse. Crews on the ground are currently hard at work inspecting the full scope of this disaster, and hundreds of qualified search and rescue workers are trying to find any victims still out there. Dozens of people have already been rescued, but some are still missing. As of this moment, we do not have a fatality toll, though I can confirm that at least two people have died. Their families have already been notified, but the victims will not be identified unless their families wish to do so. I understand our caring, loving state has great concern and sympathy for the victims of this collapse, but I ask that you all allow these families to grieve and mourn in peace and in private. This is not something that’s ever occurred in our state, so this is unfamiliar territory for all of us. Let’s remain united, and work together to get through this tragic moment. Lieutenant Governor Pratt, Speaker Matthews, Senate Leader Riverro and I are all ready to work together and with any federal officials necessary to sufficiently fund a bridge replacement and compensate any victims of this tragedy. I’ve already declared a state of emergency to ease in the response and free up funds for the current operation on the ground. For now, please stay out of the area and allow the experts on the ground to take the lead on this mission. I will keep you all updated on any new information that we receive via press conferences, my social media accounts, through media releases, and the official Rhode Island state website. Thank you all.
Gretchen steps down.
Jeanne: That was a good speech, Gretchen.
Esther: Damn right it was! I have skill!
Gretchen: Esther, don’t pat yourself on the back. It’s unbecoming.
The next day, in the office…
Gretchen: So, how’s the bridge situation looking?
Carol: I don’t want to talk about it.
Gretchen: What’s wrong?
Sarita: We got sort of an unfortunate estimate on the cost of the repair.
Gretchen: How much?
Sarita: Two and a half billion.
Gretchen: Oh my god! That’s a billion for every man from Two and a Half Men!
Carol: It’s about twenty percent of the state’s annual budget.
Gretchen: And spending that much on the bridge repair would obviously mean cutting many of the programs we support in order to keep the budget reasonable.
Carol: We’re in a tough position.
Gretchen: I’ll say.
Carol: I do have one solution, though.
Gretchen: What is it?
Carol: Well, the President’s coming today to tour the area with you.
Gretchen: Ugh.
Carol: We can get the federal government to pay for it. It’s their job to fund infrastructure, especially infrastructure too costly for the states to repair themselves.
Gretchen: What if I call up Susana, ask her to get Judith to get the ball rolling, and say that we have the president’s assurance he’ll sign the bill?
Carol: That would work, I suppose.
Sarita: Will the Democrats be swayed by that?
Gretchen: Well, we’d need one Republican to vote with them to break a filibuster.
Carol: Senator Ferrera Donahue from Washington or either senator from Maine should be easily gettable.
Gretchen: I’d agree. We pass it there, and get a commitment from the president today that he’ll sign it, we should be able to rush it through Congress. I’ll call her right now.
Carol: I could call her.
Gretchen: I need someone sane to talk to.
Sarita: I should take offense to that, but I really don’t. It’s true.
Gretchen picks up the phone and calls Susana.
Susana: Gretchen! Great to hear from you! I’m so sorry to hear about what happened home in Providence. We’ve been swamped here in the office from constituents contacting us about it for help.
Gretchen: Yeah, we’ve been busy, too. That’s why I won’t keep you long, but it’s also why I called to begin. Susana, obviously you work for our senator. The state needs your help and her help right now.
Susana: How can we help? I’m game for whatever to help the state.
Gretchen: The bridge repair is going to cost over two billion dollars. I need Judith to write up an aid package giving us funding for the repair. I’m going to see the president today. I’m going to publicly tell him about this bill being in development and ask him for support. How he could say no to that while literally touring the disaster site, I don’t know.
Susana: That’s quite a plan.
Gretchen: Can you do it?
Susana: The senator is very committed to helping the state, so I think that can be arranged.
Gretchen: Thank you, you’re a life saver! You’re bailing out so many projects that we worked hard to pass by freeing this room up in the state budget.
Susana: I can’t guarantee the senate will pass it, but I’ll work hard for it.
Gretchen: That’s all I can ask!
The next day, Gretchen is greeted in the office with a round of applause.
Gretchen: Oh, no need! My moral victory is reward enough!
Carol: Gretchen, I don’t know how you managed to get the federal government to agree to pass funding for the repair within 48 hours of it happening, but I will never doubt you again.
Gretchen: You promise? I want it in writing.
Carol: Some exclusions may apply.
What did you think of this episode of Raymond Island? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to read the new episode next week!
