1. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS – We need to create private sector jobs.  Government should not be our largest job sector.  In addition to general small business, industries such as bio-tech, aqua culture, defense, and renewable / green energy are but a few of what RI’s state representatives and senators should be focusing on, not fat-cat deals for supporters of their political machine in Providence.  Cutting taxes is the quickest way to jumpstart job creation.  We need to emulate success stories like New Hampshire.  Their sales tax and personal income tax rates (both of which are 0%) have resulted in a business friendly environment.   

If we do not figure out how to start bringing private sector jobs back to this state, all bets are off on our economic future.  

2. LOWER TAXES – How do we get those jobs, jobs, jobs???  We must make our state more attractive to small businesses.  They are the engine of growth for RI.  We need to cut sales, income and corporate tax rates.  The data below paints a very grim picture for our future: 

RI is currently ranked as follows among the 50 states: 

10^th highest in state and local tax burdens combined 

5^th highest corporate income tax levels 

12^th highest gasoline tax levels 

1^st highest tax on cigarettes 

7^th highest property tax levels 

1^st highest unemployment tax levels 

All of the above leaves us with the 44^th worst ranking of state business climates.  If these rankings are not changed, we will not bring in jobs to our state. 

3. PENSION REFORM – The unfunded public employee (State and Municipal) pension liability in RI is now at $9.4 BILLION and growing.  That is unsustainable and will saddle our children with debt well into their old age if changes are not made now.  All new public sector employees should be enrolled in private 401K style retirement programs.  We can no longer afford the current system for new employees.   

4.  SMALLER GOVERNMENT – Bigger is not better when it comes to Government, especially in RI.  We have witnessed the budget of our state balloon over the past 15 years.  The state must cut back on all programs, no matter how painful they are.  Every state funded agency and department should be subject to an automatic 10% cut in budget.  If those departments do not want to lose staff, they need to figure out how to make their funding go further.  Families all over RI have had to do more than that in the past few years.  The State should do the same.  

5. STRONGER WELFARE MEASURES – We need to end the portrayal of RI as a haven state for illegal immigrants, who draw away the welfare services for RI citizens who actually need them.   If you are here illegally, you do not deserve welfare benefits in Rhode Island.  We cannot afford so called “progressive” politics, as one of my candidates exposes, if the state is continually operating at a deficit. 

RI is the 10th highest in the nation in per capita outlays for welfare measures at $132.39.  As an example, New Hampshire is the lowest in the nation at $53.42 per capita. 

6.  MANDATES – We need to do away with costly unfunded mandates that are handed down from the General Assembly to the town level, leaving the towns scrambling with how to fund them.  These often result in higher property taxes on all of us.   

7. TERM LIMITS - I vow to serve as State Representative for no longer than 8 years (4 terms) if given the privilege to serve.  If 8 years is good enough for the President of the United States, it should be the limit for all positions below that office.  This is how we attract qualified candidates who truly want to be public servants. 

I also believe that terms for both Representatives and Senators (State and Federal) should be reset to 4 years.  2 year terms only result in a situation where the elected official is no sooner sworn in then he/she is already thinking about re-election.  

8. E-VERIFY - I support a statewide E-Verify system.   

9. LEGISLATIVE GRANTS - We need to end these now.  They are nothing but a BRIBE that the House Speaker and Senate President give out in exchange for votes on key legislation.   This is RI politics at its worse!  Yes, many groups want these grants, but at what price to our local form of democracy.   

10. INDEPENDENT THOUGHT - I promise to vote without the undue influence of lobbyists and political pressure. I will vote for what is right for Rhode Islanders, not for the special interests that control the RI Democrat Party and the General Assembly.