Issues for all of us

I wanted to share the following letter that I sent to the Charles Moran, chair of the Tiverton Democratic Party.

August 25, 2005

Dear Charlie,

Please extend my heartfelt thanks for the patience and regard bestowed upon me by your committee. It was flattering to say the least. There are so many issues. The "no kidding" ones are social security/pension protection, universal healthcare, quality and affordable education, Iraq and the balance of power in our government. I think many candidates have scripted, as opposed to heartfelt, replies to these questions. Some of the critical ones within our grasp are alternative energy, investment in our infrastructure, and genuine advancement in women related issues. Frankly, I think candidate leadership is supposed to reflect independence rather than the inauthentic, "vanilla rhetoric." A tough stand on issues will succeed only with the public's participation. This means an end to cronyism, a sentiment I have shared with your peers to date in Richmond, Lincoln and West Warwick.

We share the same concerns regarding rising prices of fossil fuels and how they'll impact us at the pump, this winter in our homes, in our schools and public transportation. There are also the many indirect expenses associated with distribution, travel and petroleum based products. I think of the global impact nations like China, India and Russia will have on us as our collective demand for this dwindling resource increases. I am exasperated by the absence of real legislation for the past thirty years that would ensure higher mileage vehicles and alternative energy resources. I am frightened by the preventable misuse of our military to secure this resource. Thank you for allowing me to share some solutions to this problem, which MUST begin with disengaging energy lobbyists from the national decision making process and challenging our nation's best minds (as we did in the race to the moon) to develop alternatives within five years.

Investment in our infrastructure will have both near term and far reaching positive economic results by improving our roads, bridges and schools as well as increasing the availability of good paying jobs and the expansion of new businesses to engage in this trillion dollar, ten year project paid for by closing tax loop holes and offshore havens of many of the same large corporations that benefit from these improvements as does the public. This will actually have the dual benefit of local and national economic expansion, new tax revenues and reduced reliance on unfair, regressive property taxes.

Last, but by no means least, I am proud of my open support of women equality issues. There is a clear bias that has prevented women from achieving financial parody in the work place and if addressed, would provide increased income for millions of households. Nowhere is this unfairness more evident than in the lack of tangible assistance and compassion for the disadvantaged, single parent households or the bias against lower income women most likely to face the emotional turmoil and physical risk associated with choosing whether to have a child. It is reprehensible that a uniformed servicewoman is not medically covered to terminate a birth regardless of rape, unless she is at physical risk.

Charlie, please share this letter with your committee and the attached form for those wishing to assist a true political outsider who wants to be Rhode Island's fighting activist not just for the Democratic Party but for all Rhode Islanders in order to address our kitchen table issues. I will follow up shortly.
Be well.

Carl