I write today to announce that I am exploring the possibility of running for Governor of Rhode Island. I have spent my life bringing people together to solve big problems. I have some bold new ideas about how we can do that now to overcome the challenges we’re facing in Rhode Island and make our state everything we know it can and should be.
Rhode Islanders are being hit hard by the brutal forces of economic inequality and wealth concentration. In our state today, people struggle with wages that are too low and debt that is too high, while the cost of basic needs continue to rise. Our poverty rate is the highest in New England. Our state government is running a $200 million deficit, while critical needs go unmet.
It does not have to be this
…show more content…
The world is in the process of building a new energy system based on power from the sun, the wind and the water. The question is will the big outside corporations and banks take control and lock in all of the profits forever. The last time the world discovered a new source of energy – fossil fuels – corporations and banks took total control and they have reaped the profits ever since. In 2013, Exxon Mobil made $122 million per day in profits. But no corporation should be allowed to own the sun, the wind or the water. I want to make sure Rhode Islanders get their fair share of the economic benefits and profits of this new energy …show more content…
And my plan gives the state and all Rhode Islanders an actual financial stake in this new energy system. As shareholders, every resident will receive profits in the form of rebate checks every year, in the same way that residents of Alaska do. Building this new energy system will create thousands of jobs right here in Rhode Island that can never be outsourced – and provide a source of permanent income for all Rhode Islanders and revenue for the state, without raising taxes or increasing the debt.
Change also means we must take our money back from Wall Street. So many of our problems come down to not having enough money. At home, people struggle to make ends meet and at the state level, essentials like affordable housing and quality education for all our kids remain out of reach. The only solution our system offers is to raise taxes or go further into debt. But there are other