Issues

Transitioning to the future

I am an education champion for the jobs of today and for the future:

• fair pay

• end of discrimination in job hiring, loan programs and housing

• sensible green energy that includes wind projects that do not clear cut forests

• updating our electric grid and reducing our energy use

• move to on-demand transportation

• increasing energy efficiency by using existing programs

• changing tax structures for innovation instead of any job at any cost

Discrimination and business as usual is leaving many behind. “Green energy” is the fastest growing sector for job creation. Providing education at any age as job skills change rapidly is a priority. Rhode Island can be a leader in electric engines, battery storage, and driverless vehicles on land or in our oceans. To keep improving skill levels of all Rhode Islanders, as your representative in state government I will champion:

• low or no cost continuing education programs

• retraining workers to be owners, entrepreneurs and business leaders

• tax free days for roof-top solar equiment and materials

• reducing incorporation fees

• demanding that RI procurement laws be followed

• tax incentives for those who take courses at one of our state colleges

All of these are essential for a healthy and productive economy. No one should be left behind in education, for a skill or job in the 21st century.

No give away programs to the wealthy

Soccer fields and obnoxious towers should not be the focus of state giveaway programs. Placing state pension funds into high risk hedge funds or highly speculative stocks should never have happened. State funding of corporations through tax incentive programs or paying for jobs while ignoring those who live in challenged communities is never a good strategy:

• tax payer money should not subsidize corporations

• end corporate and tax payer welfare to billionaires and multi-national corporations

• support existing small and medium Rhode Island businesses by providing low or no-interest loans

• reinstituting cost of living allowances to all those whose pensions were reduced

• reducing small business energy use through efficiency and alternatives to fossil fuels.

Our state should support local distributive generation projects instead of shipping our money out of state.

The Economic Progress Institute report stresses the need for education at all ages and in turn demonstrates the critical importance education has on strengthening Rhode Island’s small businesses: 

• modernize online educational services for anyone who wants to learn

• modernize existing business regulations

• increase English as a second language courses for all workers in need

• train our workforce and those who become unemployed as entrepreneurs, owners and business leaders

• reduce the small business tax burden

• provide business loans at no cost or low cost to racial and ethnic minority groups 

All these and more will help improve our local economy and the continued viability of small businesses in our state.

An intrinsically social virtue

Justice denied to one is justice denied for everyone. Our values of justice are one of equality under the law, principled by resolute fervor, tempered by compassion and understanding:

• eliminate zones of sacrifice in our cities and rural areas

• recognize the inequalities brought on by the coronovirus

• promoting public discourse and encouraging active participation

• willingness to improve inclusion. No walls or barriers

• the end of silence as a form of solving issues

• Rhode Island is my home. You will have a full time representative.

We must never choose one population over another based on what they believe, where they live or their place of origin.

Stewardship as a way of life

I worked for you dedicated to stopping the Clear River Energy Center. When I was 10 years old, my environment was my backyard, the school grounds, parks and a neighborhood playground. Small backyard farms of immigrant families, majestic trees and fields graced in what is now the North End of Providence. I have volunteered and worked tirelessly for over 30 years in energy, land use policy, water quality, land conservation, biodiversity and saving our sense of place.

Here is what you will get if I am elected:

• the full attention of an individual devoted to our environment

• I will tell the truth about our environment and the climate crisis

• I will be your voice, your advocate speaking on your behalf against forest clear-cutting, contamination of our waters, offshore drilling, fracked gas methane infrastructure, compressors and pipelines

• a land use policy advocate that will promote low impact designs, conservation easements as a means of estate planning, and one who will fight the fossil fuel industry in their attempts to put profit over people

• an environmental, social justice and working families advocate and voice for people who currently have none

• a fighter for our rural nature and sense of place character in our northwest region.

Rhode Islanders love their special places. We are all environmentalists. I know this from past voter approval for Open Space, Agricultural and Recreation bond referendums. Since 2004 Rhode Island voters have approved land saving bond referendums by over 60%. Which RI city has the highest voter approval for open space bond referendums? The answer is Central Falls.

When is enough, enough?

Our state budget is out of control. Balancing the budget on the backs of those who can least afford it while giving tax breaks to those who can most afford it is immoral. We deserve better. Here is what we need to do:

• hire an Independent Auditor for the state

• give the Governor line item veto power

• reduce spending to the House and Senate for our part time legislature

• reinstate the top tax rate from 5.99% to 9.9%

• place a sales tax on liquor and alcohol

• institute a "Where does our money go?" state budget program

Reducing expenditures in state government will increase public trust.

Its just a start

A good start is education that leads to high paying jobs:

• provides workers more money to spend

• higher paid workers perform more and better

• reduces wage disparity between rich and poor

This is a good approach to needed change in our state.

Everyone should have a place to call home

I support affordable housing and an integrated approach to statewide housing policy that ensures healthy, quality homes in a variety of locations. I support:

• home ownership for first time owners

• changing living arrangements that include zoning changes for other than in-law apartments

• affordable rentals

• rehabilitating abandoned and blighted housing

• policies that promote healthy homes free of lead and hazardous materials exposure

• Smart Growth policies that place many affordable homes near existing transportation, jobs, good schools, healthy whole foods, and supportive services

• incentivizing cities and towns that are capable of handling the added housing

• improving schools, transportation needs and jobs in these areas

We must end the statehouse and school to prison pipeline

I recognize that our current system of mass incarceration, legislating "new" crimes and mandatory sentencing and our excessive probation rate are not effectively achieving our goals despite great taxpayer expense. I support efforts to do the following:

• advocate the recommendations of the RI ACLU Report called Statehouse to Prison Pipeline

• work with the legislature to reduce the number of criminal offense laws and change the wording of criminal laws to eliminate words or phrases that de-humanize individuals

• reduce the growth in our incarcerated population by prioritizing probation supervision resources and expanding funding to community-based programs with the goal of reducing recidivism

• as much as possible, providing the accused resources to reduce recidivism and reduce repeat offenders

• provide educators, social services, religious and secular organizations the resources and support for early intervention in the life of a child

• asking all stakeholders to review state laws so that prison sentencing is the last resort

• eliminate prisons for profit

• develop and fund a better, modern 911 system in our region

I support the efforts of our local law enforcement agencies to foster lasting and quality community relationships. I respect and honor our local and state police officers and will include them in all collaboration and cooperative efforts with all stakeholders.

Stop treating people as statistics.

No one should have to live or raise a family in poverty. No one should be compelled to sleep on the streets or not know where their next meal is coming from. Successful agencies will be strengthened. The cost for helping those in need will never be considered.

• ensure equal pay for equal work regardless of race, creed or gender identity

• never choose between a paycheck and caring for our own health or the health of a loved one

• continue to support workers right to earn a reasonable number of paid sick days

• continue to support women who want to control their own bodies free from government control

I will advocate for tax policies that support the middle class and support working families instead of the wealthy few.

A promise made is a promise kept

Our state needs leaders who will fix the current pension mess. More stakeholder meetings, greater transparency as to what happened, a release of all state documents from 2010 to 2016 regarding moving pension funds to highly risky hedge funds.

• require full disclosure of fund management practices

• demand state to compensate loss of pension funds from existing investments

• conduct an audit of all pension accounts

• reinstitute cost of living allowances

Public schools deserve more

Our educational system in Rhode Island needs help and support from a variety of stakeholders that includes teachers, parents, administrators, city and town council and the community. Teachers need more support not less.

• condense RI school districts into 4 or 5

• place money from administrative savings back into schools

• move charter schools into public schools and work within the public school framework

• stop teaching to the test

• increase speciality classes for all students by creating schools that draw a diversity of teachers

• place "sports betting" funds back into school programs

• educate children of today to be life-long learners by providing distace learning tools: computers, higher-speed internet service, community learning centers

Public education is cost effective, accessible, diverse with a wide array of academic and athletic opportunities and services. My mission is to promote the opportunities, reduce municipal cost by eliminating duplicative administrations and always advocate excellence.

Second Amendments rights should be preserved:

• Instant background checks to prevent firearms from finding their way into the hands of criminals and the mentally ill

• a federal ban on all assault and rapid fire weapons

• a nationwide ban on high-capacity magazines of over ten rounds

• nationwide expanded background checks that address unsafe loopholes with remaining gun control legislation in the hands of individual States