Political Profile: Greg Greco, Candidate for State Senate, District 18

Sunday, September 11, 2022

GoLocalProv Political Team

 

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Greg Greco is a Democratic candidate for State Senate in District 18. Here is what he has to say.


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

At the current moment, Rhode Island is experiencing a housing and rent crisis. Home values and rents are soaring, Rhode Island ranks last of any state in building new homes, and our General Assembly ended the session with a giant ($877.5M) surplus. This is unacceptable and we need leaders at the State House with urgency regarding the needs of everyday Rhode Islanders. Investing in building tens of thousands of green homes and changing zoning laws to allow multi-family homes across our state will provide desperately needed housing, reduce our carbon footprint and bring down out-of-control property values so that we can bring relief to our homeowners and renters dealing with dramatic increases in rent, home values and property taxes.

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

For too long, Rhode Island has used a top-down approach, giving huge tax breaks to giant corporations and luxury real estate developers while making life harder for small businesses and workers. We need to change that focus. We should focus on providing tax breaks to our small business while providing workers a living wage. Other states with wage increases have found that people spend that money investing in their communities. We also need to make sure that we ask Brown University and other non-profits to pay their fair share, especially when they buy large amounts of real estate without paying taxes, increasing that burden on the rest of us.

 

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

As a teacher, I am discouraged by how far behind Rhode Island is in education compared to our neighbors. Investing in education should be a top priority. Our government needs more teachers and public school employees who understand the challenges our schools face and understand what effective instruction and innovations we need to improve the quality of our schools. It takes financial investment, but also expertise and a willingness to think outside the box. I’ve spent 26 years as a public school teacher. I have won regional and national teaching awards, and have both an M.Ed. in Special Education and a CAGS in School Administration. I can provide the expertise and innovative thinking needed to make Rhode Island’s public schools not only on par with our neighboring states, but truly the best in the nation.

 

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

I am running for office because I want to ensure we leave my seven-year-old son Ben a better state and planet than we currently have. I believe I have the empathy, intelligence and courage to make a difference at the State House. I believe that my experience as a teacher, my years of political advocacy and activism, and my commitment to the values of empathy and courage make me ready to make a difference as a State Senator.

I spent two years as a lead organizer for a group (Wolf-PAC) working to remove the corrupting influence of big money in politics. Our group was able to get a unanimous vote from the senate in favor of our legislation and received a standing ovation from senators on the floor in the 2016 session. It is that kind of advocacy and determination in favor of everyday Rhode Islanders that I think is desperately needed in the State House.

 

5.  Who is your inspiration? 

My two inspirations are my father, Richard, and my son Benjamin. My father, Richard, retired as a pediatrician seven years ago. My dad is a gentle, kind, patient man who knows how to make people feel heard and valued. It is those same qualities I try to emulate as a teacher, person, and now candidate for State Senate. My dad never missed an opportunity to show kindness and empathy towards his patients, and those qualities are desperately needed at the State House.

My other inspiration is my son, Ben. He and his future are my North Star in my run for State Senate. We need people at the state house with the urgency to address our climate crisis, who will keep our children safe at school and at home, who will curb out-of-control housing and health care costs, and who will show our children that we can have a government that is empathetic, kind, courageous, and bold enough to uplift our people and tackle our challenges. Ben (and all of us) deserve nothing less.

 

[email protected] 

website: https://ripoliticalcoop.com/greg-greco/     

Facebook: Gregory Greco for RI         

Twitter: @GregoryGrecoRI     

Instagram: gregorygrecori

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