Michael ‘Mike’ Smith announced his candidacy today as an Independent for the Rhode Island House of Representatives, District 75, representing Newport.
Please read his press release below.
As a father of three, a Newport resident, and a Newport based small business owner, I have witnessed a continual erosion in our standard of living. Average, hardworking Rhode Islanders are seeing their paychecks stagnate, as they are struggling with the ever climbing cost-of- living. They simply are not listening to the average Rhode Islander. We ask for relief and they give us deals that benefit insiders and tolls.
Scandals, cronyism, and backroom politics have become open and standard practice. Continual ethics and corruption revelations coming out of the House as a weekly occurrence. We need elected officials who will fight for average citizens, not obey leaders who are out of touch with our concerns.
What is the devastating impact on Newport and Rhode Island in the last two years of leadership in the House? It is a long list that describes a bleak future for average Rhode Islanders.
47th Worst State for Small Business
48 th Worst Run State
4 th Highest Cost of Living in the Country
2 nd Highest Debt
5th worst roads and bridges in America, despite having one of the Highest Road Repairs Budgets.
3,900 jobs lost in April and May alone in this year.
50th Worst State to Retire
Continued taxation of Medicare and military benefits.
Corruption scandals and a refusal to investigate 38 th Studios
A “Truck “Toll Scheme that has more to do with special interest and Wall Street paybacks than fixing our crumbling infrastructure.
We are losing our kids to more economically diverse states. We are losing our bedrock elder citizens to other states that are easier to live in.
THIS INSANITY HAS TO STOP!
What am I for?
1. A year round, diverse economy. We need to always encourage the growth of tourism, but Newporters cannot continue to just survive on 5 months of income. We need to repair the foundations of our economy to make it easier for companies to grow here. We need urgency to invest in small business of all types to attract and keep year round jobs.
2. Lowering our crushing taxes, fees, and tolls and eliminating the burdens on hard working families, by exposing and cutting wasteful spending and costly borrowing.
3. Good Schools for good futures. This also includes school choice and providing opportunities for parents to decide whether public, private, or charter schools are best for their children.
4. Investigating and prosecuting ethics violations, and re-opening 38 Studios investigation.
5. I support term limits, and stopping the career politicians who have stopped working for the taxpayers, and instead favor special interest donors
There is so much work to be done to restore our great city and state to a place where we can watch are kids grow and be able to stay in a beautiful state.
We must move on from the past. We need new vision, creativity and a sense of urgency.
For our kids’ sake, let’s move Newport and Rhode Island forward.
No more words. We need action. We need it NOW!
I ask for your vote and the opportunity to serve the city and state I love.
