A MESSAGE FROM GILBERT
Faith in Rhode Island’s government has dissipated to the point where its citizens have begrudgingly accepted the utter ineffectiveness, the conspicuous wastefulness, and the consistent incompetence of government on the national, municipal and state level.
I seek to restore hope in government. Beholding to no special interest, I and the Moderate Party candidates possess the ability to serve the needs of the taxpayer rather than the needs of the connected.
The foundation of this effort is buttressed by the four pillars of the Moderate Party; Economy, Education, Ethics, and Environment.
Economically, reason has been abandoned in our current budget process resulting in reckless spending and an ever increasing legacy of debt. Deregulation, tax reduction, centralized business licensing and inspection, and the ending of private/public partnerships like the Superman building giveaway must be enacted to attract real commerce.
Educationally, a basic utilitarian standard of school buildings must be met. Educators must have greater accountability along with incentives for a superlative performance. Vocational education must be expanded to accommodate changes in the economy.
Ethically, Rhode Island has been the national punch-line of a hundred jokes about government corruption now butt twerking. On this trajectory we can expect Janet Jackson style wardrobe malfunctions and maybe Sharon Stone spread leg campaign tactics by primary day. We seek to change that attitude. The Ocean State can be a bastion of political decency. A working mechanism beyond the traditional dog and pony shows of toothless tiger watch dogs and whistle blower hot lines must be created. Ethic review boards with subpoena and fact finding powers need to be instituted to change the paradigm once and for all.
Environmentally, consideration of our country’s and Rhode Island’s carbon footprint is a reasonable concern. Off shore oil drilling, natural gas plants, and other ecosystem threatening proposals must have the greatest of scrutiny to balance our energy needs with the safety of the environment. These technologies should be considered bridging strategies as we engineer new solutions but not banned.
The four “E’s of Economy, Education, Ethics, and Environment are the basis for mine and the Moderate Party’s statement of beliefs.
They should be the core of any candidate’s campaign. Further, they should be augmented by an unbridled earnestness to serve fellow citizens above all other considerations.
Join me and the Moderate Party in working to create a new vision and a better version of our state.
For a better Rhode Island, join the Moderate Party.
- Bill Gilbert
