Political Profile: Damian Lima, Candidate for State Rep. in District 6

Political Profile: Damian Lima, Candidate for State Rep. in District 6

Damian Lima is running for State Representative in District 6 -- here's why. 

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

The most significant campaign issue in this election is our survival. According to the Housing Works at the Roger Williams Insitute, a resident of Providence needs an income of $71,000 to afford a two-bedroom apartment (not including the East Side). Childcare for a week costs more than a week's paycheck earning the minimum wage. Parents have to maintain several jobs to feed their families, and the time they can spend raising their children is severely limited. We have cut the arts from our schools, we don't provide summer and after-school programs, and the bill to give the children nutritional lunches at school keeps dying in committee every year. How can we survive if we don't have essential services?

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

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

We need to believe in Rhode Island. Our model gives tax breaks to large corporations, and when they come, they don't pay living wages, creating a drain on our economy. We are doing this backward. We need progressive taxation and to invest in our LOCAL business. Our local companies pay the average worker better than large corporations and keep the profits in the community. 
And with this, I am not talking about hard-to-access "incubators." I am talking about landscapers, sewists, artists, and other sole proprietors who risk their life savings and health benefits to make their dream come true. I am talking about investing in people who don't have a team of lawyers or lobbyists bending politics to their advantage. 

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

Our boldface, everyone knows it type of corruption. We have everything from illegal dumping to multimillion-dollar school contracts to nepotism. It creates an environment that rewards mediocrity and judges hard work as a fool's errand. Laws are not written with us, ordinary people,  in mind. Many lobbyists write laws, and legislators pass them thinking of how they will benefit a donor or a legislator's family y business. 

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

I am running for office because I am tired of the charade. I am tired of people pretending to work for us while all they want is fatter pockets or to score their next political office. "Politician" should not be a career. A careerist seeks advancement, but we need elected officials who will risk their seats to do the right thing for their constituents. Risking political office is necessary to challenge long-rooted corruption and corrupt leaders. That's the elected official I plan to be. 

I will not pretend to be uniquely qualified; I am a person who likes to consult with people, study history, and read peer-reviewed research. I have a master's degree in Public Health, have owned my own business, taught at a University, and am the director of a department I am building within my organization. I have plenty of experience in the interaction between policy and the non-profit and for-profit sectors. However, that experience is nothing compared to the experiences of people working directly with specific issues. And maybe that is what would make me uniques; I will be someone who will seek information and not wait for it to come to me. 

5. Who is your inspiration? 

Bayard Rustin and Dolores Huerta are two amazing pacifists and organizers. Bayard Rustin was the main architect of the March on Washington for civil rights. And Dolores Huerta organized for the rights of farm workers in California. She is still with us today, advocating for workers' rights. 

For more information on Damian Lima, go here.