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Trump’s opposite —
……1959. The year I graduated from Cranston Rhode Island High School a Republican took office as Governor of Rhode Island — the first Republican governor in 28 years.
……2014. When Gina Raimondo https://ginaraimondo.com/ became governor, she was the first Democrat to be elected governor in 20 years. And Rhode Island is a very Democratic state.
……Gina Raimondo seems to be the exact opposite of President Trump as a person and as a politician. Ways Gina Raimondo is different from Donald J. Trump:
- She is the daughter of a Bulova Watch Co employee who lost his job when the company moved manufacturing to China.
- He is the son of a millionaire real estate mogul.
- She was one of the first girls at the Providence Catholic school La Salle Academy.
- He went to an all boys military school.
- She went to Harvard, won a Rhodes scholarship, earned an MA and PhD at Oxford, and then graduated from Yale Law School.
- He boasts that he went to Wharton.
- She became wealthy as a venture capitalist.
- He became wealthy by having a wealthy father.
- She is not loved by her base and is better regarded outside of RI than in. Traditional conservatives have regard for her.
- He is loved by his base. Those outside of the US, and many inside the US, have disdain for him. A few traditional conservatives are still NeverTrumpers.
- Her signature achievement was as state treasurer — a revision in the public employee retirement system that is a building block for restoring the state economy.
- His signature achievement as president is passing an enormous tax cut, most of which benefits wealthy individuals and corporations. He is enjoying a thriving economy built on the achievement of the previous administration.
- She is known for working extremely hard, staying on top of everything through “sheer exertion.”
- He is known for playing golf.
- Her effort to give RI a quick start in high tech, cooperating with former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling failed, costing RI money and embarrassing her.
- Nothing embarrasses him.
Gina Raimondois the kind of Democrat the Wall Street Journal likes. We should like her, too. Even if many public employees are unhappy with the pension system that was overhauled, overhauled again, and further revised in a law suit settlement, we should like that settlement. So should they. The pension system will not go bankrupt. Preventing bankruptcy came at a cost paid for by the retirees and prospective retirees: a share in the retirement system contribution, suspension of cost of living adjustments, and an increase in the age at which people could collect their retirement. Nevertheless, a generous pension system survived.
……Gina Raimondo‘s election as governor in 2014 was jeopardized by the pension reform. She was elected with less than 50% of the vote. The remaining votes were nearly equally divided between the Republican candidate and a candidate of the “Moderate” party. She will have a tough go again in 2018.
……There is more to like, though. The economy is better (by one measure improved from 39th to 5th best in the US), wages are rising, unemployment is decreasing. New gun laws have been passed to prohibit domestic abusers from owning guns. Gina Raimondo issued a “red flag” executive order to remove guns from people deemed a danger to themselves or others.
……Gina Raimondo is a progressive on social issues. Long ago, she supported same sex marriage while debating Jonathan Rauch. In 2014, she was endorsed by Planned Parenthood and debated her Republican opponent arguing in favor of women’s right to make decisions about their bodies.
……Gina Raimondo‘s opponent is Allan Fung, Cranston’s mayor. He is not Donald Trump. He is not a flamboyant liar, for instance. Like Trump, he has a past worth looking at and proposals that dismay.……Trump’s mother, immigrated from a place some would describe as an English colony — Scotland. Fung’s parents immigrated from the then English colony of Hong Kong. Fung made news recently by 1) admitting to having killed a man in an automobile accident when he was eighteen and 2) announcing his plan to finally marry his girl friend.
……Fung’s plan for Rhode Island’s future involves cutting taxes (sales taxes in this instance) and making life easier for business. The Providence newspaper criticizes him for having no plan for making up for lost revenue. A local television station describes him as betting on the future. He is like Trump in one important way. His plans don’t add up.
……Gina Raimondo https://ginaraimondo.com/ has never regained the popularity she had as State Treasurer. Nevertheless, she has done too good a job to lose. Don’t let her lose. She should be popular with us. Help her out.
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