Issue Position: Reforming State and Local Expenditures

Issue Position

State and local expenditures and decades-old contract obligations and practices have cause financial chaos in many of our cities and towns and at the state level. We must take swift action to curtail run-away spending, and focus our limited financial resources on getting the highest quality services for the lowest possible cost to the taxpayers of RI. If elected, I will fight to reduce the cost of government in RI.

[1] Reduction of the incredibly high operating costs of the General Assembly (including eliminating healthcare benefits for legislators), and elimination legislative grants used by the General Assembly members
[2] Repealing any law that requires that public sector labor contracts should remain in effect after their listed end date
[3] Proposing new legislation that requires new state and municipal workers to be entered into a matching 401k-type program, and that the existing pension systems should not allow for any new enrollment (this limits taxpayer liability that is associated with public pension systems)
[4] Proposing new legislation to reduce minimum staffing requirements to nationally-accepted minimum levels
[5] Promoting services to be regionalized and/or sourced out to private companies whenever possible when/where it is fiscally advantageous
[6] Elimination of unfunded mandates imposed on the cities and towns
[7] Repealing any law that states that binding arbitration should be forcefully used during any public sector labor negotiation

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