Moore: My RI Christmas Wish List
Monday, December 14, 2015
As we enter the stretch run towards Christmas in this holiday season, I began thinking about what Rhode Island could do to improve itself. Sure, there's plenty of stuff to be thankful for--beaches, coffee milk, hot wieners--but there's more than enough, too much actually, room for improvement.
I have several ideas that I believe would move the proverbial ball up the field towards a more prosperous and equitable state for all--not just for those who happen to "know a guy". Think of it as my government wish list.
There's an old saying that goes, "since we're wishing, let's not wish for thousands, let's wish for millions." In other words, since it's free to wish and hope, I'm going to go long. I realize that I have a better chance of hitting the moon with a slingshot, but the state motto, after all, is “hope”.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSo without further ado, here are the top things on my Christmas wish list, which I believe would make for a better Rhode Island for us all.
1) Pass an Ethics Reform Package
Given that former House Speaker Gordon Fox is now serving a federal prison sentence for public corruption, and the black cloud of 38 Studios that still hovers over our state, it should be obvious to any well-meaning person that the state needs ethics reform like blood.
There's magic bullet to restore ethics and statesmanship back into the state government. No law is going to change hearts and minds.
But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. For starters, the state legislature should pass an ethics bill that asks voters to amend the state constitution to subject state legislators to the Rhode Island Ethics Commission, just like every other state and city office holder. There's no reason the Ethics Commission shouldn't be able to prosecute legislators who use their office to benefit themselves instead of their constituents.
The voters would overwhelmingly pass the question, and it would send a message that ethics matters here.
There is more that could be done, but that would be a great first baby step.
2) Don't build toll booths.
Fiscal conservatism also matters. Most Rhode Islanders are known for living within their means. And they deserve a state government that does the same.
That's why the state government has no business building toll gantries all over the place—despite the fact that they don't even know where to put them. And does anyone really think that the toll booths will never be expanded to include cars? If someone does, I'd like to sell them some of these bridges that need fixing.
Governor Raimondo can disagree all she wants, but I remain convinced--and I know there are hundreds
of thousands of other out there who agree with me--that we have a spending problem, not a revenue problem. The annual state budget is roughly $8 billion.
The state Republican legislative workgroup has a responsible plan that would pay for bridge repairs with money already in the budget. That would save us all millions of dollars on interest costs. We'd be far better off adopting their idea.
3) Lure Back General electric
Like many others, I've been critical of Governor Gina Raimondo, but mostly because I have very high standards for the state's chief executive given her obvious talents such as her high levels of education, intelligence, and eloquence. And let's face it: she does have a track record of leadership, particularly back in 2011 when she led the fight to enact pension reform.
It was that accomplishment that led the current leaders of GE to state that they're open to consider moving from Connecticut back into Rhode Island. If team Raimondo can somehow lure such a massive company with thousands of lucrative jobs here, her tenure as Governor will be looked on a success--regardless of anything else that happens.
Like most Rhode Islanders, I want to see her succeed because I want us all to succeed. So let's hope she can somehow convince GE to return home.
4) Labor Peace in Providence.
Speaking of hope, will next year signal and end to the labor strife between the Elorza administration and the Providence Firefighters Union? Most likely not, but it would be a wonderful Christmas present for everyone if the two sides would tone down the rhetoric and work together to save the city the money it needs to stay afloat.
Let's face it: both sides have said and done things they'd like to take back. But in the end, the firefighters need to realize that they have to work with the administration to cut costs, while the administration needs to see that it cannot only look to the fire department to find cost savings.
5) Abandon the Xenophobia.
One of the saddest things about 2015 has been the widespread and blatant xenophobia that's entered the political discourse in America. The ridiculous stereotyping of whole groups of people based upon the reprehensible actions of the radical few has been nothing short of sickening.
It would be a great Christmas present to us all if we could all act a bit more rational, and less emotional when we think about people from other faiths and ethnicity.
All my wishes have something in common: a tendency to look at the big picture instead of a narrow set of interests. If we begin to work with one another, instead of against one another, we're all going to be a lot better off.
Yes, that's a lofty wish, but after all, Christmas is coming. We could all use a Christmas miracle!
Russell Moore has worked on both sides of the desk in RI media, both for newspapers and on political campaigns. Send him email at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @russmoore713.
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