LETTERS

Voting to re-elect Gina Raimondo

Posted 9/6/18

To the Editor: The primary elections are almost upon us, and I want to encourage every Rhode Island voter to head out to the polls on Wednesday, Sept. 12, to vote, then again on Election Day in November. The primaries are important as they help to shape

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LETTERS

Voting to re-elect Gina Raimondo

Posted

To the Editor:

The primary elections are almost upon us, and I want to encourage every Rhode Island voter to head out to the polls on Wednesday, Sept. 12, to vote, then again on Election Day in November. The primaries are important as they help to shape the direction of our state, sometimes as much as general elections.

I hope that Democratic and unaffiliated voters will join me in voting in the Democratic primary to reelect Governor Gina Raimondo. She has done an outstanding job promoting Democratic ideals and moving our state’s economy forward.

She inherited double-digit, worst-in-the-nation unemployment, and has brought our state back to where we now have record numbers of jobs. She has invested in training Rhode Islanders for these new jobs – more than 3,000 workers were trained and placed in jobs through the Real Jobs RI program alone. She has invested in education at all levels, from preschool through higher education, including significant advances in technological training in high school, and a record, $250 million investment to repair and modernize our crumbling schools. She is fixing our roads – and the evidence is everywhere; it’s hard to drive more than a few miles before encountering road construction. Rhode Islanders are seeing another type of construction, too: existing companies are expanding here, and new companies are coming here.

To put it succinctly: Gina Raimondo has done a remarkable job for our state, and she deserves our support for reelection.

Speaking personally, I have had the good fortune to work with two very strong women leaders during my time in office, former Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, our first female Senate President, and Governor Gina Raimondo, our first female Governor. From them I have learned that not only does a leader need to be smart and capable, a leader has to be able to work with everyone, those you agree with and those you do not. Everyone has ideas they believe can fix this state, or take Rhode Island in a different direction. Only a true leader can implement those ideas and effectuate real change to make a difference in people’s lives. Gina Raimondo is that leader.

As Senate Judiciary Committee Chairwoman, I have had the opportunity to work with the Governor on many difficult issues. She has disagreed with me and even vetoed bills that I have sponsored, but she has always been open to dialogue and compromise when it makes sense. She works with us in the Senate to improve proposals and enact important initiatives into law.

The committee I chair oversees firearms and weapons issues. Governor Raimondo has been a staunch advocate for sensible reform to our gun laws. We worked with her this year to enact “Red Flag” legislation to remove firearms from individuals who pose a clear danger to themselves or others, and to ban “bump stocks” that make semiautomatic weapons perform as if they were automatic. We worked in previous years to prohibit domestic abusers from possession of firearms, among many other steps.

Governor Raimondo worked with us to increase the minimum wage for three straight years – a proposal I have sponsored in the Senate each year – and we’re leading the nation in terms of overall wage growth.

Her accomplishments are many, and any television viewer will likely be reminded of them often between now and the election.

But I know the Gina Raimondo behind the commercials. She is warm and caring, intelligent and exceptionally driven to do what is best for our state. When she meets someone who needs help, she intervenes in any way possible to provide any assistance she can. She is compassionate and always available to help a person in need. This is what I have seen when I have been with her out in our community in Warwick, and when I have worked with her at the State House. It is a rare combination of compassion and vision, caring and intellect that sets her apart as an outstanding Governor. Throughout this campaign season I have heard candidates use the phrase “the future is female.” My response to that is the present is female. I hope that Rhode Islanders will join me in supporting her for reelection, first in the Democratic Primary on Wednesday, September 12, and then in November.

Sen. Erin Lynch Prata

Warwick

Comments

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  • Thecaptain

    Erin,

    You must be overjoyed that Rhode Island is last on virtually every socioeconomic list in the country. With the latest being our roads and bridges. The problem in RI is that public service has proliferated into a life long position with far to many politicians holding their position for far too long, thinking that they own the seat. You included. Remind me please of what legislation you have introduced that has improved the quality of life in RI or just in Warwick for that matter. Having never seen you at a council meeting or at a budget hearing, my guess is that you simply do not care.

    i was shocked and amazed last week when I spoke with another Warwick senator that had no idea how much the unfunded liabilities were in this city. No idea what our healthcare costs are at this point in time,, yet you folks are voting on legislation based upon "what the community can afford". What a joke.

    Gina is a train wreck. Everything that she has touched has fallen apart. Pensions, roadworks, UHIP, registry, etc.. etc... etc.. As Ted Sidel has said, Raimondo has proliferated the largest financial crime in the history of Rhode Island. And you support that. Shameful.

    Thursday, September 6, 2018 Report this

  • BeveyToris

    Erin Lynch Prata theCaptain could not have said it better below. Clearly the only thing you learned from Gina is how to lie, pretend Warwick residents are idiots and the art of betrayal. Being a woman doesn't automatically qualify you or anyone else for a job. To insinuate that like you do is a first class insult to every female actually working hard and earning their way to the top. Hopefully you and Gina will have plenty of time to keep drinking the betrayal juice somewhere other than the State House after November. Even better would be after the primary. You and Gina must share the same mirror because no honest human would be able to look at and live with the reflection in yours.

    Thursday, September 6, 2018 Report this

  • PaulHuff

    I’m voting in the Democratic primary for Matt Brown just to stick it to Gina.

    Then I will unaffiliate and vote for the Republican candidate who I hope is Patricia Morgan.

    I am a proud member of the “Anybody but Gina” club.

    Friday, September 7, 2018 Report this

  • SadieA

    What a wonderful idea, re-electing Gina. She's doing such a great job, isn't she?

    The roads all over the state are a mess, the worst in the country by some standards. The PawSox are leaving RI due to the incompetence of the Raimondo/Mattiello team. The state has paid hundreds of millions of dollars for a UHIP system that doesn't work and according to some can not be repaired but must be rewritten from scratch. She voided the COLA for retirees and then moved our pension money to her hedge fund buddies. They were paid millions and then to top it off their investments lost more. I won't even wonder why, as governor of RI, she is fund raising in CA.........

    The only good comment I have to make about a Democrat is that Seth Magaziner got us out of all her bad investments!

    Friday, September 7, 2018 Report this

  • Cat2222

    What is Sen. Erin Lynch Prata getting from Gina and the rest of the insiders to put her integrity on the line? That is the only reason I can think of as to why she would be crazy enough to put a bunch of lies in writing.

    Monday, September 10, 2018 Report this