Hiring of Director of Food Strategy is Governor Raimondo’s Econ Development “Let Them Eat Cake” Moment
Yesterday, Governor Gina Raimondo announced her pick to fill her newly-created position of Rhode Island’s “Director of Food Strategy”.
The state’s economy is in serious need of substantive improvement measures. (Pre-emptive note: taxpayer subsidies aren’t the answer.) There are good government measures that could benefit from her bully pulpit. But what is Governor Raimondo doing instead?
She is taking her time and state resources to create a state “Director of Food Strategy”.
Unbelievable.
There is a meme on Twitter and elsewhere that refers to the Governor as a queen. I don’t agree with it and have not retweeted it, in part, because I’m not a fan of name-calling but mainly because I simply haven’t seen her as a queen. Nor do I now.
What is clear with the creation and filling of this new state position, however, is that, like Marie Antoinette, Governor Raimondo is stunningly out of touch with the needs of the state and people whom she leads.
In an op-ed in yesterday’s GoLocalProv calling out the Governor on misguided priorities, Representative Patricia Morgan raised a good point.
In my life, I have found that the things people care about most are the things on which they spend the most time and energy. We thought the Governor cared about Rhode Island. Instead it feels like a bait and switch.
The creation of a “Director of Food Strategy” (job description here) is the latest – and most outrageous – instance of the Governor spending her time and energy on matters very much OTHER than the best interest of the state and its residents.
Rhode Island needs the Governor to adjust her focus. If simply doing the right thing isn’t sufficient motive, then how about for the more pragmatic one of improving job approval numbers?
Monique is a political gadfly, data junkie and contributor to the Ocean State Current and Anchor Rising. Please consider supporting the terrific work of the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity here:
https://secure.piryx.com/donate/7rkChZKP/RI-Center-for-Freedom-and-Prosperity/