NEW: Binder Withdraws from 2014 State Rep Race

Monday, July 01, 2013

GoLocalProv News Team

 

View Larger +

Mark Binder, who ran against Gordon Fox in 2012 and announced earlier this year he would be running for State Rep in District 4 in 2014, declared he was withdrawing from the race this morning.

Binder lost by 995 votes in 2012. Fox won with a final tally of 3,590 votes compared to 2,595 votes for Binder.  

See release from Binder below: 

MEDIA RELEASE: July 1, 2013

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Today I am formally withdrawing my name as a candidate for State Rep from District 4.

My campaign began last year, in outrage over the inability of my state rep, Gordon Fox to take responsibility for his role in the creation of the 38 Studios Disaster. During the campaign he even denied having a hand in it, and promised investigations.

Recently, meeting notes have emerged that clearly showed that he was present and involved in discussion and negotiation about the loans. Rather than taking any responsibility—he has continued the course of putting the “moral obligation” to the lenders ahead of the interests of taxpayers.

If I were to run again, I could make a lot of hay over this and our state’s addiction to borrowing money to fund projects, negotiating on tax credits to doomed businesses, and giving financiers and brokers a slice of every piece of business.

Gordon Fox’s House of Representatives has passed bills to protect owners of pit bulls, but not borrowers from usurious payday loans.

Gordon Fox has made calamari the state appetizer, but rather than cleaning up the misguided voter Id law—which he promised to fix— he kept it in place.

Gordon Fox killed an ethics reform bill, and he made sure that the master lever will stay on the ballot.

Gordon Fox has continued the death spiral of public education, by permitting and enabling the use of standardized testing to determine a student’s results, rather than the judgment and experience of teachers and schools.

Hmm. Sounds like I’m campaigning again. Better cut it short.

There is an addictive quality to political campaigning. The thinking and conversation gets in your blood.

It’s also expensive and time consuming.

I was never very good asking people for money for politics, knowing that it would be spent on proving how great a candidate I am and what a shnook my opponent is. During a tv debate one member of the press argued that accepting campaign contributions, as Gordon Fox did, from businesses that would or did benefit from legislation is an accepted part of the process. I never accepted that, and as a result, was outspent by more than $100,000.

Last year I devoted so much time and effort to the race that my business—as a writer, storyteller and independent publisher—began to suffer. While my family helped with the effort, campaigning took me away from our dinner table more and more as my children continued to grow and change.

This fall I have a new book coming out, and want to focus on making it an international success.

The moment of decision came last week when I was frantically reading the papers looking for my op-ed, or my quote in an article, and I realized… I’m chasing headlines, not writing and telling stories that create joy.

It has been an honor to meet and discuss important issues with so many of my neighbors. There is a diversity of race, culture and economic circumstances in this district that makes it a marvelous place to live, and a microcosm of the city.

To the citizens of Rhode Island, I say this. We are a small state. Lets not sell ourselves short. The next time a new candidate knocks on your door, give a contribution before she or he can ask. Don’t complain about the status quo and then keep it in power. Demand that our legislature reform and change.

In the meantime, if you'd like to make a contribution to a worthwhile project in District 4, please donate to The Billy Taylor House -- an emerging community center for young people. http://billytaylorhouse.org/

- Mark Binder

 

Related Articles

 

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

 
 

Sign Up for the Daily Eblast

I want to follow on Twitter

I want to Like on Facebook