I am a small business owner, elder-care worker, community organizer, and a working class Rhode Islander. The elder-care facility I work at relies heavily on federal funding in the form of Medicare. I see each day how inadequate government policy is failing Rhode Island. My residents, co-workers, friends, and family deserve better from Washington.
My partner of six years, Marlene, is a teacher in the Providence public schools. Despite her best efforts, the education her school is able to provide is insufficient to the needs of Rhode Island students. Marlene is under-paid, under-supported, and under-appreciated by the Establishment. I am running to make sure the concerns of teachers and students get as much attention from our leaders as the concerns of tech-billionaires and fossil fuel executives.
I used ROTC to pay my way through college and later served as a lieutenant in the United States Army. The service-members I worked alongside are too often neglected by the politicians who send them to fight. We must prioritize VA care and benefits for the Rhode Islanders who have served our nation.
I also run a small a tree nursery in Smithfield. The nursery is structured as a worker-cooperative and this is our fifth season selling trees across the state. I know too well the struggle of an economy stacked against the little guy. Big business monopolies and partisan regulators are making it impossible for entrepreneurs to succeed. We need to break up big corporations which stifle innovation, provide incentives to small businesses, and make the billionaires pay their fair share!
