Willard Warren is no longer a member of the Board of Directors of RIOC. An Island resident, he had served 12 years.

The change reduces by one-third the number of Island residents overseeing operations of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC). For the present, residents Ronald Vass and David Kraut remain on the Board, although either or both could be replaced by the Govenor at any time.

In a wide-ranging interview with The WIRE (page 7), Warren offered restrained praise for Dr. Jerome Blue, the current President of RIOC, saying he "has the smarts" to do the job, but acknowledging there may be problems in Blue's administrative style and in the ordering of priorities he serves.

"The Island was never meant to be ruled," Warren said. "It was meant to be managed by a professional," adding "I don't envy Dr. Blue. He's in the middle of a transition period. His mission is to operate on as low a budget as possible." But at another point in the discussion, Warren showed a clear preference for some substantive change in the structure of the Island's administration. "There's nothing wrong with politics, except that if we are self-sufficient... I think we can run this Island ourselves." He advocated legislative restructuring of the RIOC Board to consist of Island residents with a couple of representatives of State government.

"There seems to be a problem as to our direction," Warren said. "His [Blue's] objective... is economic. I feel the objective should be quality of life, and now that we have reached breakeven on the budget, that's what we ought to concentrate on... This Island deserves to succeed." Warren said he feels overall quality of life may have "plateaued." Asked if he feels the Island is drifting in the wrong direction, he paused, thought a long moment, and responded deliberately: "Not yet. Not yet."