To the editor:

I imagined I just got elected governor of Rhode Island. I have had no prior connection to Rhode Island politics, so I am beholden to no special interests. I am honest, smart, principled and family oriented. I know I don’t have much real power to manage legislation but I do have a say about how the state bureaucracy is run. 

My team can prepare a budget to submit to the legislature which can toss anything out and all I can do is veto the whole thing — no line-item veto in Rhode Island. So the first thing I will do is call for a State Constitutional Convention to change how Rhode Island works. We are so small we might follow other states that have unicameral legislatures. I will put a one-time group together to go through all state constitutions to comparison shop. 

I would be looking for the most efficient/fair way to do the people’s business. Why is Rhode Island considered the bluest state in the union? What happens as a result? Are we the best at anything? What kind of person makes an ideal candidate for local or state offices? 

I will get another group together to review past candidates. I want to know what they said while running for office. Then I will discover what they actually did while in office. Another study will examine the value of all the quasi-governmental organizations running the state. Most of us don’t know the who and why of these groups of unelected decision makers. I will rank everyone involved. 

I want to know how we got to be on the worst state lists. There is a list for almost everything. List by list my team will examine the criteria for inclusion and why Rhode Island is listed where it is. I’m new to public service so I don’t have to listen to the “way we do it” conversation. I will study the issues and take action to get better. I don’t ever want to see Rhode Island at the bottom of any significant list. I know that the bureaucracy is always content to keep the status quo. But we can’t let that happen anymore. The dissemination of information is important to informed public opinion. 

All my study groups will be charged with ensuring they make the front pages of all media/social outlets. I will champion the ending of legislative grants to fund my groups so new money/taxes won’t be needed. Every aspect of life in Rhode Island will be exposed for one year’s worth of study with recommendations how to proceed to “excellence.” Don’t you think I would make a difference?

Jeffrey Richard

55 Wamsutta Lane

Portsmouth