Paul Pence, Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor, has never been a bench warmer. “I’m not the kind of person who can just sit back and complain about problems. I need to jump in and lend a hand.” He began his cheerleading role for the state back in 2002 when he began publishing Rhode Island Roads online magazine which focused on travel gems within the state.

The 59 year old Warwick resident has a degree in physics and mathematics. He touts his main qualification for the office of Lieutenant Governor as a quality management systems specialist in the private sector. “I have been a change agent, a problem solver, throughout my career. The Lieutenant Governor post provides a golden opportunity for somebody who is good at going in, finding systemic problems and helping people solve that problem.” The fact that he has never held public office, he says, has given him a fresh perspective since he has seen the imperfection of government from the outside. He also describes himself as a facilitator who can help others succeed.

He certainly has a way of thinking outside the box. He wonders why drivers still have to carry pieces of paper of their registration or license when police officers can check those facts out in a moment. He notes that requiring such documents is an antique way of doing things. Mr. Pence wants to work with others in Rhode Island government to study the processes of how things work now with a viewpoint to upgrade the approach to the work in a cost-effective way.

He obliquely criticized his democratic opponents by noting that the office has usually been sought by a brash up-and-coming politician looking to move on to higher office, or somebody who is a politician taking a rest in between political bouts. He differs with them on several matters. While not high on his list, he disagrees with the present Lieutenant Governor that there should be a constitutional change to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor on a joint ticket. He thinks this reduces choice for the voters and increases the power of the major political parties. While also not a top priority, he reasons that term limits actually provide a dodge from handling matters and, instead, just push the issues off to a new batch of politicians. Recognizing that incumbents can develop strong institutional support which makes it difficult to bring in fresh blood, he nonetheless, prefers to trust voters to oust corrupt or ineffective politicians.

Relative to the Burrillville Power Plant, he firmly holds that the decision should be left up to the citizens of the town. He eschews the use of a siting panel assigned by the Governor. He sees no pressing need for more local energy production that makes it a statewide issue.

On tolls, while he subscribes to the theory that services that are not universally used by everyone who benefits equally and therefore should be paid by those who most benefit, he acknowledges that RI government never met a funding source it didn’t love. Based on past history he predicts that its state revenue will make its way to a favored private business with most of it landing in the general treasury rather than fixing the roads.

One thing is for sure. Candidate Paul Pence has nuanced positions on issues which reflect careful thought.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.