Say goodnight, Jeff

Those who have read my weekly column in The Daily News will know I frequently have my issues with Gov. Carcieri. For the entire five-plus years of the Carcieri administration I have had frequent "discussions" with his spokesman Jeff Neal. We had a running debate for three years on the time-share legislation alone.
But I can tell you there was never a time that Jeff took our differences personally. He understood my job was to play devil's advocate to get the governor's position on issues I reported on. And I understood his job was to present the governor's position, and do it in the best possible light.
Since 1990 I have dealt with a series of gubernatorial press spokesmen and women. Some were tightly wound control freaks. Some acted like you were their best friend while giving you next to nothing. But I can honestly say I never have had a better working relationship with any of them than I have had with Jeff Neal.
Frequently he has to act as the administration's mouthpiece in its ongoing battle with the Democratically-controlled General Assembly. But that's what he was getting paid to do.
I can tell you I always felt like Jeff respected my job while, at the same time, realizing he was getting paid to do his own job. And I can respect that.
Last week Carcieri sent out a news release announcing Neal's imminent departure from state service. I'm going to miss our "discussions," while hoping against hope that it isn't creating a a new postion for Steve Kass, who was inexplicably moved recently from his $125,000 post as Neal's boss to public relations guru for the RI Emergency Management Agency. I say "inexplicably" not because it's hard to understand that he was moved OUT - because nobody could figure out exactly what he was doing - but that because as spokesman he will be earning much more than the RIEMA director himself.
The new PR person will have big shoes to fill.