GoLocalProv Voter's Guide - Secretary of State: A. Ralph Mollis
GoLocalProv Politics Team
GoLocalProv Voter's Guide - Secretary of State: A. Ralph Mollis
A. Ralph Mollis
Democratic Candidate for Secretary of State *Seeking Reelection
May 24, 1961 in Rhode Island.
Education:
BA from St. Anselm College
Career Highlights:
• From 1984-1994, Vice President of Operations of LAMCO Pension and Investment Advisory Firm with offices in Warwick, New York, New Jersey, and Atlanta
• From 1986-1996, served as Town Councilman of North Providence; Served as Town Council President in 1993 and 1994
• In 1997, elected to serve as Mayor of North Providence and was re-elected in 2000 and 2004.
• In 2006, elected to serve as Secretary of State
Personal Information:
Mr. Mollis is a lifelong Rhode Islander and is proud to have raised three children who are of adult age. He is a member of numerous organizations and has been honored for his service with such distinctions as the Italo American Club Lifetime Achievement Award, the Portuguese American Citizens Committee Man of the Year Award, and the Providence-Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau 2009 Ambassadors Award.
Views on Key Issues:
• Do you favor the expansion of casino gambling in RI to include table games in Lincoln and Newport?
While the office of Secretary of State does not have any role in the expansion of gambling, every Rhode Islander and elected official must be concerned about protecting our revenue stream, especially with the potential of gambling expanding with our neighboring states. Expansion of gambling should be an option and each proposal should be measured by its structure and value. As Secretary of State, my responsibility is to make sure that the gambling issue is properly placed before the voters as a referendum.
• Do you think RI is culturally too accepting of public corruption?
I do not think Rhode Island or Rhode Islanders are accepting of corruption. As a lifelong Rhode Islander, I have confidence that our residents expect honest and ethical public service from its elected officials, and rightfully so. As Secretary of State, my priority has been to make government more open and transparent. Through the Secretary of State Web site, we provide the public access to more information about the work of their government than ever before.
• 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?
Successful economic development depends on investing in new industries and new technologies. Rhode Islanders are depending on its elected officials to create worthwhile jobs in industries with staying power and green energy has great potential. As Secretary of State, it is my job to ensure that requirements for new business are streamlined and straightforward, and that my office does everything to help business thrive in our state.
• Do you think RI effectively spends its education dollars?
I feel Rhode Island can improve its effectiveness in its spending of education dollars. Since taking office, we have helped more than 22,000 new businesses get started, and I can state that an educated workforce is one of the business communities’ top priorities. Education spending must be focused on producing graduates with the necessary skills and knowledge to compete, matching the future workforce with the future needs of the economy.
• Do you favor a state law to allow gay marriage?
I would encourage a positive dialogue to ensure the same legal protections and rights are provided to all Rhode Islanders. If the result were that a state law allowing gay marriage was the path to ensure this, I would support such a law.
• Do you think RI should enact restrictive immigration legislation?
As the grandson of immigrants, I am well aware of the challenges facing the immigrant community of yesterday and today as well as the opportunities searched for as they leave their homelands. We must learn from our past. This issue, nationally, is becoming much too divisive for our nation. We must work together to come up with tough, but fair, practical means to enforce our current laws while giving people who are living and working here a fair opportunity to become citizens of our country.
• Do you think municipal government has done enough to cut spending?
As a former mayor who balanced budgets year after year, I am well aware of how important it is for cities and towns to be financially sound while also being aware of the pressure they are under. Dramatically shrinking revenues and reduced state aid has forced municipal governments to come up with innovative solutions to continue providing much needed services at an affordable level.
• 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?
The office of Secretary of State does not have any official role in the operations of the state pension system. As an elected official, I feel that our over-arching goal should be to ensure that any changes are fair, transparent and protect the long term viability of the system while also protecting the vested promises to the participants.
• What is your strategy to address the state's budget deficit? Please be specific, i.e. what cuts or revenue enhancements you are proposing.
As Secretary of State, we have reformed and redefined the way my office helps small businesses. With every small business we help to start up, at least one new job is created. With every small business we help become successful, more new jobs are created. At the same time, we've led by example and are doing more with less as we strive to further streamline our operating budget each and every year.
• What specifically will you do to improve employment for Rhode Islanders?
Once again, with every small business we help, at least one new job is created. With every small business we help become successful, more new jobs are created. From our We Mean Business initiative with the Economic Development Corporation, our free workshops throughout the year, our new e-commerce tools and an upcoming web-based master application, we have been and will continue to be focused on growing jobs and improving our economy.