GoLocalProv Voter's Guide - Candidates for Governor: Frank Caprio
GoLocalProv Politics Team
GoLocalProv Voter's Guide - Candidates for Governor: Frank Caprio
Frank Caprio
Democratic Candidate for RI Governor
May 10, 1966, Providence, RI
Education:
Harvard University ‘88 (B.A. Economics)
Suffolk University Law School ‘91
Career Highlights:
• Attorney, Caprio & Caprio, 1991-present
• Rhode Island General Treasurer, 2007-present
• Senator, Rhode Island State Senator, 1994-2007
• Representative, Rhode Island State House of Representatives, 1990-1994
Personal Information:
Frank was a decorated football and baseball player at Harvard University. As Treasurer, he instituted a first in Rhode Island, an online real-time checkbook so anyone could track his department spending
Views on Key Issues:
• Do you favor the expansion of casino gambling in RI to include table games in Lincoln and Newport?
We need to act to protect the revenue that our state brings in from Twin River and Newport Grand. I would like to see the issue go to the ballot and give the voters a chance to make it happen but we need more information right now if it is to be successful. I would like to see a real marketing plan in place and a world-class operator in place when it goes before the voters for consideration. The legislature also needs to determine what percentage of the revenue the state will receive from revenue generated by casino gaming. The more information Rhode Islanders have about the proposal to expand gaming, the more likely it will be successful on the ballot.
• Do you think RI is culturally too accepting of public corruption?
I will make fighting corruption a priority of my administration. The recent cases at the state landfill, North Providence City Council and in the city of Central Falls have cost the state tens of millions of dollars and will potentially cost even more in prosecution and remedial costs. Even more concerning is that these cases shake the confidence of Rhode Islanders in our government and drive jobs out of our state. Having spent many years in public service, I see elections as an agreement between the voters and the candidate, that the candidate will do all he or she can to fight on behalf of the constituents’ interests. I certainly do not think Rhode Island is accepting of public corruption, but we must continue to crack down on corruption by holding elected officials accountable, making government and particularly government spending more transparent, and bringing swift justice to elected officials who have abused their power. As Governor, I will work to enact the toughest public corruption laws in the nation and work to pass legislation re-establishing the jurisdiction of the Ethics Commission over all elected officials.
• Do you support the Deepwater Wind Project as a way of helping RI become a hub of the new energy industry? Do you think it is a viable method of economic development here?
Yes. The Deepwater Wind project will be the first offshore wind farm in the United States, and will establish Rhode Island as a hub for this nascent industry. The Quonset Business Park, with ideal water depth, strategic location on the East Coast and proximity to rail and air transportation, can serve an important role in the wind power supply chain. Offshore wind could eventually meet roughly 15% of Rhode Island annual electricity needs and offers enormous unrealized potential for the East Coast. This is certainly a viable method for economic development; the Deepwater Project will lead offshore wind businesses to settle in Rhode Island in anticipation of further wind farm developments in the region, thereby creating jobs and contributing to the growth of Rhode Island’s Clean Energy Economy.
The recently approved deal contains provisions for price reductions if savings can be achieved in the actual cost of the project. As Governor, I will work with all involved parties to ensure that the project is completed under budget in order to lower prices for Rhode Islanders.
• Do you think RI effectively spends its education dollars?
We need to get the money out of administration and back into the classroom. Right now there is too much waste and too much duplication of effort in administration. This is a waste of funds that should instead be used to deliver the necessary resources to classrooms, so our children can get the education they deserve.
• Do you favor a state law to allow gay marriage?
Yes.
• Do you think RI should enact restrictive immigration legislation?
I support the Governor’s Executive Order on illegal immigration that allows our state police to work with federal immigration enforcement officers when they come in contact with an illegal immigrant who commits a crime. I support the current procedures of the state Police and the continued training of troopers in handling these situations. I also support E-Verify for companies that are seeking to do business with the state of Rhode Island - these companies should not be allowed to undercut the bidding process by hiring illegal immigrants and paying them a low wage. This is an unfair advantage over companies that are playing by the rules and creating jobs in our state.
• Do you think municipal government has done enough to cut spending?
I believe that communities must act just like businesses and families who have to make tough decisions to balance their budgets. To encourage the regionalization and consolidation of government services, I would provide financial incentives to cities and towns to work together and produce savings. Before we get to sharing services across municipal borders, cities and towns need to reduce the duplication of effort across their government departments. There is no reason to have a city communications department and a school communications department. This kind of unnecessary duplication should be eliminated to make municipal government more efficient.
• What specifically do you propose to change in the state pension system, and how much will your changes save in annual costs to the pension system?
I am proposing a plan that will make the retirement system more sustainable for the public employee and save the taxpayers $100 million a year. My pension plan is a hybrid plan featuring a defined contribution and a defined benefit for all current employees. Current employees will not lose anything that they have already earned, but going forward will be in the new system. These changes do not change benefits for retirees.
• What is your strategy to address the state's budget deficit?
Please be specific, i.e. what cuts or revenue enhancements you are proposing. I am against any increase in taxes or creating any new taxes. The state takes in and spends $300 million dollars more than it did 10 years ago, despite having 3,000 fewer employees and 4,000 fewer students to educate in the state’s largest school district. It is time for the state to operate the same way small businesses and working families in Rhode Island operate. As Governor, I will go line by line through the state budget and eliminate wasteful spending the same way I did as State Treasurer. By enacting a strategic plan, we were able to reduce our budget by 10% on average each year, we reduced investment management costs by $17 million and cut operating expenses, all while improving performance and customer service. Every state department has these same opportunities for savings. As Governor, we will put a strategic plan in place in all 42 departments in the state, we will hold Department managers accountable and we will get results.
• What specifically will you do to improve employment for Rhode Islanders?
We need to put wind at the back of the 35,000 small businesses in Rhode Island that employ 60 percent of people working today. If each of those small businesses creates one job - just one - we will cut unemployment in half. I have a detailed plan, which you can see at www.frankcaprio.com, that will provide tax incentives for job creation, expand access to capital by $50 million, streamline the permitting and licensing process and make government the advocate for small businesses in our state. Every decision made up at the Statehouse when I am Governor will be made through the lens of whether or not it will help small businesses in Rhode Island.