Don Roach: When Is Enough Enough, Rhode Island?

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Don Roach, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

 

View Larger +

What’s it going to take, my fellow Rhode Islanders?

There are a number of you who post to this site regularly, offering your opinions, making pointed remarks about the affairs of the day, and expressing dissatisfaction with what’s wrong with our state and our country.

And yet, year after year nothing changes and I’d argue some things are getting worse. I’m not blaming you, I’m blaming us. In 2012, I tried to tell the state that there was no way we could vote Cicilline back into office after he left Providence in a financial mess. What happened? We sent him to Congress for another two years. That tells him that he’s doing the right thing and doesn’t need to change one bit because, we’ll vote for him anyway. Since 2010 (at least), I’ve been telling anyone who will listen that constantly voting in Democrats year after year after year hurts Rhode Island. What do we do? Keep voting in Democrats year after year after year.

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

So my question is what’s it going to take for us to rise up together and collectively say we’ve had enough? When do we transform our random website venting, our water cooler rants, and our furrowed brows into tangible actions that change our reality?

When!??!

As the federal government shutdown continues to drag on and on (though as recently as yesterday there appeared to be a possible deal coming from the Senate) and we near a day where we must raise the debt ceiling (again) or risk default, I’m perplexed by my fellow American, my fellow Rhode Islander.

What’s it going to take to change your voting habits?

I simply do not understand how we can be this vocally dissatisfied and yet, continue to vote in the very same people who either caused the problem or are doing nothing to fix it. Can you imagine a job where they pay you and you’re not getting the job done but they keep on paying you?

Well, that’s what we’re doing with our politicians time and again. Think about Rhode Island where Democrats have controlled the General Assembly for decades. What do the GOP, Moderates, or even Green parties need to do to make you give them a chance and let go the ties that have bound us in this mess?

Do you need a well thought out platform with enough talking points to cover all of your questions?

Do you need a general assembly person to come to your door and explain why he or she is going to be different from the rest?

Do you need candidates to be pre-purchased by a particular constituency so that when you see them, they only talk about or around things that benefit a particular constituency?

The last question was a bit sarcastic but I’m honestly flummoxed by our stagnant economy being addressed by the likes of Paiva-Weed, Fox, and gang who couldn’t come up with pension reform for the better part of a decade much less figure anything out this legislative session beyond raising minimum wage twenty-five cents and reconfiguring the EDC.

Have you come to the point where enough’s enough and you’re willing to make a change?

If so, tell me and the rest of Rhode Island what we can do differently when elections roll around in 2014 to address the problems facing our state.

I’m almost inclined to vote someone new in every race. Radical? Yes. Too extreme? Probably. But, voting in the same nice ladies and gentlemen is why we’re here and here…well..it’s not so nice.

Hopefully, some of you are as fed up and as willing to make a change as I am. If not, I’ll be writing this same little ditty this time next year hoping for others to join me.

Don Roach is not afraid to take risks. Don can be reached at [email protected]. 

 

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