Raimondo Isn't Your Typical Democrat and That's Good News for Rhode Island
Don Roach, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™
Raimondo Isn't Your Typical Democrat and That's Good News for Rhode Island
Raimodo not the unions’ best friend
Instead, we will have the first female Governor the state has ever seen. As an aside, I think it’s awesome we have our first female governor. As a Republican, I’m supposed to write how we’re going to see another four years of a typical Democratic union-cowering socialist-loving term. If this was January 2011, I’d agree with you but it’s not and Gina Raimondo is not Lincoln Chafee – but who could be worse? Also, let’s not be so quick to forget that Raimondo was instrumental – whether you like the reform or not – in bringing pension reform to Rhode Island. In so doing, she did not win any union friends and quite frankly, pissed off a lot of them.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTWhat intrigues and frightens me is that it is not so easy to put Raimondo in a box. Again, my Republican friends may hate me for saying this, but she is not what we have come to perceive as the typical Rhode Island Democrat. During the 2014 campaign, and if you’ve read anything from me over the past several years I’m a huge Allan Fung support, Raimondo did not change from who we had seen during her time as Treasurer. No pivots to the right or to the left as most politicians do. That indicates to me, that she is comfortable in her own skin and moreso believes in her own ideology. I think Rhode Islanders respect that even if they don’t always agree.
That’s why I’m intrigued at what reforms she may bring, but scared half to death because the basis of her beliefs are founded in the notion the unequal distribution of wealth is a really bad thing. She’s never been nor will she be the unions’ best friend. But that doesn’t mean she’s going to be high-fiving the folks over at the Rhode Island Republican Assembly (RIRA) any time soon either.
Let’s not forget though our President who rode in to the White House in 2008 styling himself as a person who would bring “Change we can believe in”. He was going to bring Republicans, Democrats, and everyone else to the table to figure how we right the ship. The last six years have taught me that our President is a great salesman when it comes to campaigning and a garden variety Democratic president when it comes to leading and finding those solutions.
Question is, will Raimondo follow suit or will she continue to be the quasi-wildcard that she has been for the last four years and take a different approach? Now that she’s days from being Governor will she be willing to go toe to toe with unions or will she bow to them like others before her? Will she be willing to challenge other traditionally held Democratic beliefs that, in my opinion, just don’t work in the real world?
I’m a firm believer that the past is a good indicator of future actions so there’s a good chance that Raimondo’s economic policies will not be so union friendly and have a chance to benefit Rhode Island. And for Rhode Island that’ll be not just a good thing but exactly what we need.
Nevertheless, maybe we’ll look back on my words as just the words of a man still high on the New Year and Raimondo will become exactly like all the rest.
We’ll see.
Raimondo Policy Summit Suggestions
"Immediately make a strong and clear statement addressing the avalanche of police killings, systemic injustice and misconduct." -- Richard Wayne Garganta
"Start with firing Gist. Hire someone from RI. There are plenty that are qualified. Every governor elect promises jobs. Fair taxes. Fair car tax in particular!" -- Tom Aquino
"Please refuse to repeal voter ID. There is NO reason you shouldn't need to prove who you are to vote, given that you need an ID for a library card, to buy liquor or to return items at a store without a receipt." - Karen Hogan.
"Tourism. tourism. tourism. work with what assets that are in place." -- John Paul Gauvin
"I wish you would hire people in Rhode Island." -- Jill Beth Forman
"The heart of the economy will come from self employment before we establish industry. Cut the sales tax, cut red tape for start-ups and invest in small self employed / small business." -- Mark McLinden
"I've worked in the Rail Road industry for 30 yrs, I have tried to bring rail jobs to the state for years. The MBTA and its contractor Keolis need a place in RI to repair and maintain a large amount of equipment in the Quonset Point Industrial park. so far only a small amount of work is being done there. I had a plan that involved using the skill trades training program to create high paying jobs and bring the rail industry to RI utilizing the North East corridor from Boston to Washington." -- David Pina
"Repeal the car excise taxes. Abolish them at the State level and throughout all individual municipalities. Refuse to implement any portion of Rhode Map RI as it strips sovereignty from towns, encroaches on personal property rights, and was committed by unelected quasi-official bureaucrats. Examine Detroit. Repeat in Providence. Don't touch voter ID laws. Examine Colorado and Washington. Repeat in Rhode Island." -- Kyle Fitzsimons
"We continue to see viable manufacturing and mill space turned into apartments and lofts. This temporarily stimulates the economy with construction but does nothing for long term growth. More people and housing does not equate to more jobs. Our states current unemployment and jobless numbers can easily provide evidence of this. We need to work with our cities and towns to reinvest in areas that can be viable for commercial and industrial use. Apartments are fine and dandy, but they shouldn't be the first choice of a vacant building with the utility structure of a 24hr production facility for 800 skilled workers. We are squandering our industrial resources. Work with national grid, water authority, transit and others to determine what sites are suitable to even handle bringing jobs back to RI." -- Adam Scott
"Get that riverfront built...have Buddy at the meetings...use his ideas!!!! It is about tourism and families....we don't need manufacturing on the waterfront....we need a soccer field, restaurants, the nursing college, let's use the water....clean that area up!!!! Buddy has the ideas!!" -- Shirley Richard Grande
"As a retired hospital administrator and current foster parent a through review of DCYF and the foster care system is urgently needed." -- Mary Dowd Stuck
"Can't stand the term "thought leader" - this term gets thrown around like it really means something - hoping one or two of these "thought leaders" might also be a real leader with bright/practical ideas." -- Chuck Taylor
"Legalize MJ. It's a win/win. Save money, collect taxes and most importantly, stop criminalizing people for choosing a substance safer than what the [government] allows." -- Mike Parent
"Infrastructure and schools! Both need fixing. I would support raising taxes on people who make $125k and up for this. I am in that bracket so I don't need haters." -- Carl MacNeal
"Remember 60% of Rhode Island voted against you." -- Joseph D'Amico
"Tax all the property Brown University owns. Abolish all the "sweetheart" deals." -- Robert Lawrence
"I would recommend that rather than trying to 'build stuff up', she should concentrate on breaking down some of the obstacles that stand in the way of business startups... The government is not supposed to create the jobs. The government is supposed to set the policy to attract free market jobs." -- Timothy Falardo
"Focus on what we can do to maintain gambling and gaming in RI once the casinos in Mass go live. A large percentage of people come from Mass to play at Twin River. Check out revising the law about only serving free alcohol with food, so patrons at Twin River don't need to pay for drinks while gambling. It sounds silly but most casinos are allowed to comp alcoholic beverages. The lottery and gambling is the 3rd biggest revenue producer in RI, like it or not we need to try to maintain the income from this." -- Bretty Curry
"Ken Block can save our state 1 billion. He should be involved!" -- Dennis Lurgio
"Open the rest areas. Look at quasi public agencies and run them the same as other agencies. Tax structure, fees, streamline processes to make it easier for businesses. Don't need 39 superintendents, school committees etc. Statewide curriculum, regionalize." -- Clair Newall
"Go supervise what your friend Anastasia Williams is doing to the John Hope Settlement House and stop turning a blind eye because she's your friend!!!!!" -- Sandra Sanchez
"Increase compassion with funding for our mentally ill. For the children in South County there are very few, child psychiatrists. Families cannot work if they do not have affordable child care...Yet the plan is to cut another 10 million." -- Laura Lehrman
"I could not help be struck recently driving though Warwick at all the "For Sale" signs on the homes. Meanwhile, I keep hearing about silicon valley/San Francisco's housing shortage. We need business as well as population here in Rhode Island. Maybe Gina could make a pitch to some of the West Coast tech giants to start an East Coast campus? We're costal, we have so much potential, affordable housing, and top notch universities. Maybe then we could retain some of the graduates once they are done with their schooling, if they have an industry to go into." -- Lyndsay Drew
"In other states they have rest areas that provide fuel, food ( McDonalds,Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts and convenience stores. We have the land ( closed rest stops on 95 and 295) . This would provide jobs in the construction industry and service industry also. The taxes gleaned from this would be a benefit to the state. We should also look into using prisoners from the ACI to do road maintenance and clean up." -- Ed Bates
"She and the state definitely should be thinking about what the presence Rhode Island's first National Historical Park in the Blackstone Valley will bring to the economy in tourism dollars." -- Comfort Inn Providence / Pawtucket
