Political Profile: Cameron Deutsch, Candidate for State Senate in District 17

Friday, August 12, 2022

GoLocalProv Political Team

 

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Cameron Deutsch is a  candidate for State Senate in District 17. Here is what he has to say.

 

1. What do you think is the biggest political issue this campaign season in Rhode Island?

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I believe one of the top issues facing voters this campaign season is to choose between the politics of old, and the politics of new. Everyone I talk to, Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike, want to see new faces in government. They are tired of elected officials who have held the same seats for decades, and they are tired of candidates who only deal with the problems of the day at the margins. We need to enact bold solutions to deal with crises like housing affordability and the climate. That means electing new faces and fighting for policy solutions of the 21st century.

 

2. What do we need to do to improve Rhode Island's economy?

Decades of neo-liberal policies at all levels of government have enriched a small group of people and businesses at the expense of working families that have been the backbone of our economy. We need to put the middle class at the forefront of our economic and financial policies. That means expanding social programs like Rhode Island’s pre-k so that every family in Rhode Island has access to affordable childcare. That means modernizing our public transportation system so everyone can take part in the economy without needing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on cars. We also need to put bipartisan infrastructure dollars to good use by replacing every lead pipe left in the state and bringing our internet infrastructure in line with other advanced economies around the world. By supporting working families, we can build an economy and government that is truly of the people, by the people, for the people.

 

3. What is the greatest challenge facing Rhode Island as a state?

Our greatest challenge, not just in Rhode Island, but across the U.S. and around the world, is dealing with the climate crisis. The language surrounding the environment has quickly changed from ‘change’ to ‘crisis’ because it will affect every aspect of our lives and economy. Rhode Island consistently has some of the worst roads in the nation. That is only going to get worse as more severe weather patterns become more common. More Rhode Islanders will need to spend money on flood insurance because their homes are no longer safe from rising sea levels. Hundreds, if not thousands of people will get sick and die over the next years and decades because of extreme weather events like the heat waves this summer and pollution in our air and water. If we do nothing to stop it now, the consequences will only get worse. However, by dealing with the climate crisis, we can create tens of thousands of good paying union jobs, clean up the air we breathe and the water we drink, provide green spaces for everyone, and more. All we need are bold elected officials who are willing to act.

 

4. Why are you running for office? What makes you uniquely qualified?  

When thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, I knew I wanted to do something that was going to have a direct, positive impact on those around me. Once I found a passion for politics during the 2016 election, I realized that I could turn my passion into a career. I spent four years studying the ins-and-outs of American politics, law, and democracy. I want to use that knowledge and put it to good use, shaping our government to do the work it has shied away from for decades. Not only that, but my young age also provides a unique perspective different from the average elected official in Rhode Island and the U.S. Many of the problems we face today are decades in the making, directly due to the prevailing political philosophies of the time. If a building burned down, and the local firefighters watched it burn and did nothing, we would never hire them again to put out a fire. However, that is exactly what many of our elected officials and candidates are asking us to do right now; vote for the same people who watched the problems of today manifest over years and decades. We need people whose worldview was shaped by the world we live in today, and whose proposed solutions build upon the lessons of the past.

 

5. Who is your inspiration?  

The first answer that comes to my mind is definitely my parents. I watched them work so hard to provide a good life for me and my siblings, even as they struggled after the Great Recession. My mom, a woman of color with a disability, never let anyone or anything stand in the way of new opportunities for herself or her family. As a social worker, she has always chosen to serve those less fortunate who normally would not have access to the same mental health services as those who are better off. It is that compassion and hard work ethic that I strive to replicate in my own life.

 

About: Cameron is running for State Senate because he believes that our government needs to support and protect the hard working families in our communities. Stagnating wages, insufficient healthcare coverage, rising costs for higher education, all of these problems have failed to be addressed and only further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Campaign Website: https://www.electdeutsch.com/

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