SOME
COMMONLY ASKED
QUESTIONS AND THE ANSWERS.
WHAT
DOES A RHODE ISLAND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DO?
NOT MUCH.
Prior to 1992, the Lt. Governor would assume the role
of Governor when the Governor left the physical boundaries
of Rhode Island. Changes to the Rhode Island Constitution
by voters now allow Governor to take the power out
of the state, thus eliminating situations of Lt. Governor
serving in the Governor's absence.
Subsequently, the voters approved legislative downsizing
thereby eliminating the Lieutenant Governor as the
Presiding Officer of the Senate.
Although there are some busywork committee assignments
by the General Assembly, the
sole remaining constitutional function of the Lt.
Governor is to wait for the incapacity or death of
the Governor, at a cost of over $700,000.00
a year.
WILL
YOU ACCEPT COMPENSATION AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR?
NO.
I will neither take compensation as Lt. Governor
nor maintain the 10 full time positions assigned the
office in the Rhode Island budget.
WHAT
IF YOU HAD TO ASSUME THE ROLE OF GOVERNOR?
I CAN AND I WILL.
With a firm background in Education, Law and Business,
I possess the requisite skills required of a Governor.
Having been a prior candidate for Governor, my platform
and political vision for Rhode Island have been well
documented and remain unchanged. If the need arose,
I would assume the office of Governor.
WHAT
WOULD YOU DO AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR?
NOT MUCH.
As Lt. Governor, I will perform my constitutional
duty. My sole legislative effort will be to
request a proposed constitutional amendment abolishing
the office of the Lt. Governor for electorate
consideration in 2004.
COULD
RHODE ISLAND FUNCTION WITHOUT A LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR? YES.
If the people are allowed to vote on this matter,
there will be various proposals as to how to effectively
eliminate the office and maintain a line of succession.
Some will obviously favor making the Lieutenant Governor
a running mate tied to the gubernatorial candidate
and a cabinet member in that Governor's administration.
Others will call for the line of succession to devolve
to another general officer of the state, be it the
Secretary of State, Attorney General or the General
Treasurer. But these are issues for another day and
time. The primary objective of this campaign it to
alert the voters to this issue and get them to
take the first step in eliminating the office,
an office of little value and significance in modern
Rhode Island politics.
IS
THIS A SLAM OF THE PRESENT LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR?
NO.
This is not a criticism of the present Lieutenant
Governor or those who served before him. During their
tenures most functioned as an Acting Governor in the
Governor's absence and all had presided over the Senate.
But times, and the office itself, have changed.
I will not denigrate the many cheerleading accomplishments
of the present Lieutenant Governor. He has lobbied
successfully for several causes, albeit at the taxpayers
expense.
I will ask, however, that if these issues are so vitally
imperative to Rhode Island, can't a Lieutenant Governor
speak out without compensation? Why can't we use the
money we pay to support his office to support actual
programs? Think
about what almost one million dollars a year could
do for Education, Housing, Health Care and the Elderly.
Talk is cheap, except when it comes from the Lieutenant
Governor's office. While it is nice to have advocates
for programs, should taxpayers provide the financial
base to create such a soapbox for a politician calculating
a political future? I think not.
Whether we like it or not, the Office of the Lieutenant
Governor of Rhode Island has become a sinecure. Long
functioning as a political parking spot for those
aspiring to higher office, it once played a substantial
constitutional role and arguably merited budgetary
support, but now the office is merely a budgetary
drain in these difficult and uncertain financial times.
NOW
IS THE TIME TO ACT
For many years Rhode Islanders have sought to downsize
their government and to eliminate government waste.
All too often politicians promise cuts and fail to
deliver, often not by design but by the fact that
they find no place to make cuts without effecting
vital services. Here is your chance. Rhode Island needs a Lieutenant Governor like
a fish needs a bicycle.
I am ready to save the taxpayers over three million
dollars simply by getting elected.
If you genuinely feel that Rhode Island needs a Lieutenant
Governor to serve as a mouthpiece for various special
interests, then vote for one of my opponents. If you
are interested in a far more productive use of your
tax dollars, then vote for me. It
is that simple.
Having set forth my case, I ask for your consideration
and support in my quest to become Rhode Island's last
Lieutenant Governor. I won't be there for you.
MY PLEDGE TO THE VOTERS OF RHODE ISLAND:
If
elected, I will stand ready, as Lieutenant Governor,
to do all of my Constitutional duties under law, without
compensation. I will not hire a staff and I will seek
to eliminate the office through an amendment of the
Rhode Island Constitution.
ROBERT
J. HEALEY, JR.
www.votehealey.com
