Warwick, RI – The Board of Directors of Transform Rhode Island, Inc. has named Governor Donald L. Carcieri its honorary chairman. The group, a recently formed issue advocacy organization, has begun a media campaign asking Rhode Island citizens if they have “had enough” to “do something about it.”
“I am pleased to serve as the honorary chairman of Transform Rhode Island” said Governor Carcieri. “The people of Rhode Island have had enough of high taxes, underperforming schools, ineffective welfare programs, the high cost of energy and illegal immigration.”
The Governor went on to say, “Although we have made progress in a lot of these areas, the special interests groups are powerful and their resistance to change is hurting Rhode Island. This coupled with one party control of the General Assembly, makes it extremely difficult to break free of the statue quo.”
According to Tony Bucci, the organization’s president, the media campaign kicked off in September with an outdoor advertising featuring billboards on interstate 95 and 195. “Soon Rhode Islanders will be hearing radio spots and seeing television commercials that will encourage citizens to take action on one or more of the issues we believe are important to reforming our state.”
The media campaign encourages citizens to visit the organization’s website at: www.transformri.com. There citizens can become informed, learn about the issues, join the organization, contribute and be given steps to take to write a letter to the editor, call a radio talk show, call their state representative or senator, and to get involved in a variety of ways to help transform the state.
Transform Rhode Island, Inc. is organized as a 501c4 corporation. Under IRS rules, such organizations are not bound by the same regulations of political action committees. However, they cannot support individual candidates nor contribute to their campaigns. Their purpose is to educate and advocate for or against issues of public interest.
Transform Rhode Island has chosen to focus on five initial issues including taxation, education, welfare reform, renewable energy and illegal immigration. According to Sue Story, a spokesperson for Transform Rhode Island, “it’s no secret that this organization wants to support the Governor in his efforts to reform the state.”
“In fact”, Story continued, “Transform Rhode Island was formed to give Governor Carcieri the help he needs to counter balance some of the advocacy groups and labor organizations that continue to resist meaningful reforms that would benefit all Rhode Islanders. For too long the deck has been stacked against the Governor, and his efforts to implement change are constantly attacked by powerful special interests.”
Story added, “We believe that the majority of the people of Rhode Island have had enough of business as usual, and many are now willing to stand up and let their voices be heard. It’s been exciting to see the reaction to our efforts so far.”
