Political Scientist: Pelosi’s RI Visit Trumped by Foulkes’ Failure to Take Responsibility on Opioids
Monday, September 12, 2022
As the closing hours of the Rhode Island primary campaigns come to an end, former corporate executive Helena Foulkes -- who served as a senior Vice President and President of CVS during the height of the opioid crisis -- is pushing to close the gap with Governor Dan McKee and Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea.
Foulkes hosted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday.
Pelosi endorsed Foulkes —Foulkes' late mother roomed with Pelosi in college.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAnd on Monday, former Rhode Island Director of Health Nicole Alexander-Scott endorsed Foulkes the day before the primary.
She stressed her relationship with McKee, after resigning in the midst of the COVID crisis. Alexander-Scott said in her endorsement, "Although I have moved on from my role, my concern for Rhode Islanders remains just as strong. For Rhode Island to be best equipped to handle the next crisis, the state cannot stay with the status quo."
But when McKee was sworn in as governor, RI ranked last in the country for vaccinations, and after Alexander-Scotts's departure, the state rose to number one in the country.
Foukes and Opioids
Professor Jennifer Lawless, chair of the political science department at the University of Virginia, said that Foulkes has failed to address the opioid issue during her leadership at CVS.
“I think the opioid crisis matters more than anything else for a couple of reasons. First, voters like it when candidates take responsibility and apologize or at least demonstrate that they've learned from something in their past,” said Lawless, on GoLocal LIVE on Monday.
“And she's unwilling to do that, so right off the bat, that is counter to what voters are looking for when it comes to candidates' leadership and competence and empathy and integrity. The second thing is you can't walk across the street without meeting somebody who's been personally touched by the opioid crisis, and so this is not just some hypothetical issue where she hasn't taken responsibility," said Lawless.
"It's one where people were directly and are continue to be directly affected by it, so it's hard to see how you can get around that," Lawless added.
"Now, again, it's a crowded field which works to her advantage, and that's why a high-powered endorsement...whether it be by a newspaper or the Speaker of the House... does matter still to some extent, but it's hard to see how that would be enough to compensate for the CVS problem," said Lawless.
A federal court jury found CVS partly responsible for the opioid crisis in two counties in Ohio and then a federal court Judge ordered CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart to pay in excess of $640 million.
CVS has settled another claim with the state of Florida for $484 million.
Foulkes has told GoLocal that she and the company "missed the signs" during the crisis.
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