Betsy on the issues …

JOBS and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Betsy announced her candidacy for Congress at a hub for businesses focusing on entrepreneurship and new manufacturing. Betsy made her announcement there because of her strong interest in and advocacy for biotechnology, genomics-based research, biopharmaceuticals and other entrepreneurial programs that grow jobs for every educational level. Rhode Island families, especially young adults, do not want to move to find a career. She will work to bring jobs to Rhode Island.
Betsy has vision. She believes we must distinguish Rhode Island in the national economy by focusing on our abundant strengths and how our state is unique. Medical devices, software systems design, aquaculture, tourism and biomedical research are industries where we can grow jobs during this tough economic period. She has the experience, the political know how and the expertise to make it happen.
Betsy served as the co-chair of the Joint Economic Development Committee and collaborated with economists throughout the country on economic policy. She knows how to bring different business sectors together. Betsy works effectively and tirelessly to promote job creation in biotechnology and alternative energy like wind and solar.
Agriculture is among the fastest growing sectors of the Rhode Island economy. Organic farms are springing up all over the state. Producing food locally increases our resilience in the face of climate change, and keeps money circulating in the community rather than leaking out to huge agribusiness corporations. In Congress I will work to ensure that the Department of Agriculture does not manipulate the rules governing organic agriculture to suit the big corporations, and maintains a focus on small and family farms.

ETHICS

Betsy knows that accountability in government often means following the money trail. She sponsored successful legislation to reveal how millions of dollars in questionable consultant spending was used and worked to make the grant allocation process more transparent. She looks forward to analyzing federal spending and saving taxpayer dollars.
Betsy pushed for open records, open meetings and separation of powers in the Legislature. She felt the wrath of House leaders, but kept fighting for open government. Count on Betsy to fight for our families and for what is right in Congress.
Betsy was elected to the Board of Common Cause before serving as a legislator. She worked on their campaign for clean government and chaired their Campaign Finance Reform Committee. She has always made clean government an important part of her work.
Betsy serves on a hospital ethics board and as a member of a professional ethics organization. She has also managed a corporate compliance office. Ethics is not just something she talks about, it is an integral part of her professional life.

EDUCATION

Betsy understands that providing our youth with a quality education is critical to the success of the state’s economic and workforce development efforts. She will advocate for the federal resources needed to revise curriculum, personalize the educational experience for students, and increase professional development for teachers so our young people will graduate high school ready for college or technical school. And she will help colleges get the resources they need to be ready for today’s students and provide them with the support they need to graduate.
Betsy knows that it is the entire community that teaches and develops youth, not just the schools. She will support GEAR UP, AmeriCorps and other federal initiatives that deepen the connection between schools, families, community organizations and college access programs so that every young person feels a sense of belonging, appreciates their unique talents, and can envision a future where he or she can make a difference in the world.
Betsy founded Books Are Wings, which has distributed over 400,000 books into the hands of underserved children at book parties to promote literacy. She has also successfully advocated for pre-K and all-day kindergarten programs.
Betsy understands that our educational systems need to be interconnected, from before kindergarten all the way through to the completion of college or graduate school. She will work with state and federal leaders to break down barriers between elementary and secondary education and college, enhance data sharing capacity, and smooth the transition for students at each rung along the educational ladder.
Betsy knows that college costs are causing a serious hardship for students and their families. After adjusting for financial aid, college costs have increased over 400% since the early 1980’s, four times the rate of inflation. Financial concerns are the number one reason low-income students drop out of college. Middle class families are also suffering. Parents are making large investments in education during the years when they should be maximizing their retirement savings. Students are graduating with high levels of debt and are having difficulty establishing their independence. Betsy will work hard to contain college costs, provide tax relief to families, and offer scholarship opportunities and low-interest loans for students.

HEALTHCARE

Betsy is an ER nurse and an attorney with a health law background. She sees first hand the difficulties and frustrations families face during a health crisis. She will bring her experience, knowledge and compassion to Congress and will be a leader on health care issues.
Betsy believes the best interests of patients must come first, not corporate interests. Many issues regarding cost controls for drug and insurance companies, competition in the marketplace and subsidies will continue to be hotly debated at the national level. We need her voice, experience and her fiscal oversight in Congress.
Betsy helped establish a wellness center in Providence with the Franciscan Friars, the St. Francis Cares Wellness Center. The Center provided wellness education, prevention measures, and health screenings. She understands the importance of preventive care and issues like the timely availability of vaccinations.
Betsy drafted and sponsored the Public Health Think Tank law. It is the first state Think Tank of its kind in the country. It brings experts in public health and legislators together to prioritize health issues, provide research, and advise policy makers. She has plans to implement this Program on the national level in Congress.

Pro-Choice and Marriage Equality

Betsy supports women’s reproductive rights. Witnessing initiatives like the Stupak-Pitts Amendment in the House is troubling and would be a significant step backward for women. Count on Betsy to be the voice to prevent any erosion of our rights.
Betsy believes in marriage equality because partial rights are not equal rights. Betsy will work to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and eliminate the Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell policy.

ENVIRONMENT – Making Rhode Island a Green State

Betsy is a leader. After doing a budget analysis of the amount of money the state pays for energy costs, she wrote the recently passed Green Buildings Act. She brought business, governmental and environmental stakeholders together to successfully negotiate this issue. A greener Rhode Island and a better business climate are intrinsically linked. She will bring her experience and skill to Congress to promote business while protecting the environment.
Betsy is a recognized advocate for conservation, and understands that protecting our air, water, and soil saves money, improves the health of Rhode Island families and encourages tourism in the Ocean State. She has a long history of fighting polluters. In Congress she will work to toughen EPA standards by advocating for measures such as lowering levels of exposure to carcinogens in the environment.
When Trans-Load America-Pond View moved into her District and started polluting Omega Pond and spewing black/orange dust in a residential area, Betsy drafted legislation to limit their operations. She organized citizen meetings and publicly demanded the Departments’ of Health, Environmental Management and the Attorney General investigate violations. She looks forward to fighting for the environment on a larger stage.
As a supporter of Clean Water Action and the important work they do, Betsy has been involved in issues as such as reducing diesel emissions (she had carbon monoxide detectors placed in homes where nearby diesel engines idled) and supported mercury reduction legislation. Clean Water Action has endorsed her in past elections.
Betsy worked with the East Providence Coalition to close Ocean State Steel which belched black smoke and soot into the atmosphere for years.
She is a long-time member of the Narragansett Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Sierra Club of Rhode Island. The Sierra Club has given her grades of “A” for her legislative record.
Climate Change and our addiction to fossil fuels may be the biggest issue our country faces over the next few years. In Congress she will work for clean energy, to make sure polluters like BP pay to clean up all of their mess, and that regulations to prevent disasters like oil spills actually get put in place.

VETERANS

We respect and owe a debt of gratitude to our soldiers, veterans and fallen heroes for their service protecting our country. Betsy often listens to veterans in the emergency department and in the community about their concerns regarding lack of health insurance and unemployment. Betsy is working on ways to continue comprehensive medical coverage for veterans and to prioritize veteran employment opportunities.
Veteran Resource Centers in higher education need more funding and expanded services. We can improve the graduation rate for returning veterans if we have peers working with veterans to keep veterans in college. Betsy has spoken with veterans about this issue and will work to create more vibrant Centers on college campuses.

LIBRARIES

During difficult budget times, collaboration provides for more efficiency and better services. Betsy understands this and introduced the law to establish the Karla Harry Commission On Libraries in Rhode Island. Libraries of all kinds – private, historical, public, academic, medical and law are all part of this Commission.
When there were discussions about closing a local library, Betsy got involved and planned a No TV Night that brought hundreds of new patrons to the library to show their support. The library has remained open and is an important resource in the community.
The Coalition of Library Advocates named Betsy the “Library Sweetheart of the Year” for her work over the years on many legislative initiatives benefiting libraries.
Betsy will ensure adequate federal library funding is received in Rhode Island through the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Libraries are a key resource for those seeking jobs and provide many valuable services to families and seniors.

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