Representatives like Joseph McNamara need challengers

Posted 4/23/15

To the Editor:

I would like to see more Rhode Islanders run for office in 2016. 

With an insignificant amount of money, no name recognition, I managed to bring in almost 40 percent of …

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Representatives like Joseph McNamara need challengers

Posted

To the Editor:

I would like to see more Rhode Islanders run for office in 2016. 

With an insignificant amount of money, no name recognition, I managed to bring in almost 40 percent of the vote against U.S. Rep. David Cicilline in 2014. The campaign was difficult, especially because we had so few resources, but it was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. 

Rhode Island is in dire need of new leadership. We are hemorrhaging young people yearly, and the current democratic leadership seems incapable or unwilling to make any changes to make our state more competitive. 

A good first step would be challenging the current chair of the Democratic Party, state Representative Joseph McNamara. His tenure is nothing short of sad. First elected in 1994, while during his time in the General Assembly, our state has consistently ranked last or near last in almost all categories related to business. The unemployment rate has only dropped because more and more people are leaving our beautiful state and wanton corruption is pandemic. 

To fill absence of anything substantive, McNamara typically regurgitates generic statements about fighting for the middle class and job creation. However, the truth is: he is a vapid, out of touch man that reeks of stagnation and champions obsolete ideas that should have been thought nearly a decade ago. 

What better statement to make than challenging the chair of the party that has a monopoly on our political system?

We need more people to run for office and challenge these incumbents who have worn out their welcome. Democracy means choice. Only around 50 percent of our state representatives were challenged in 2014, and people like McNamara ran unopposed. That is a tragedy.  

Give it a try, and please give us a choice. 

Remember all you need to run for state representative is 50 signatures.  Please think about it. 

Matt Fecteau 

Pawtucket 

Matt Fecteau (MattforRI@gmail.com), of Pawtucket, lost to U.S. Rep. David Cicilline in last year’s Democratic primary. He is a former White House national security intern and captain in the Army Reserve with two tours to Iraq.

Comments

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  • falina

    Many people who would love to serve their fellow citizens are unfortunately turned off and scared away by brutal personal attacks and scrutiny that often have very little to do with the office they wish to hold. That and the money and connections involved...the quid pro quo, so to speak. As a constituent of Joe Mc Namara, and someone who has never voted for him, but has encountered him regularly, you are absolutely correct in your assessment of him though, lol. He is a dinosaur, one that should have long ago become a fossil. But hey.....Calamari.

    Monday, April 27, 2015 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Matt,

    I totally agree that we NEED more candidates! But why do you oppose Joe McNamara who has represented District 19 (Warwick/Cranston) faithfully since 1994?? He was "Legislator-of-the-Year" in 2013 according to the R.I. State Nurses Assoc. The American Cancer Society gave him a Lifetime Achievement award in Tobacco Control. He's a retired educator with a Masters Degree in Education and, on a lighter note, he sponsored legislation to make Calamari, Rhode Island's official State Appetizer.

    More importantly he is well respected by the entire legislature. We NEED a greater diversity of politicians, but we also need the stability and dependability that Joe brings to the table.

    You, on the other hand are a fresh face and I strongly advise you to run again. We need "new" as well as "seasoned". You stated that you would like to see "more Rhode Islanders run for office in 2016." I filed my papers in Dec. 2014. I am running for Mayor of Warwick as a Democrat and have been actively campaigning for the last 5 months. Why don't you enter the political scene in Pawtucket today? I'll come to your fundraiser. Better yet, move to Warwick. There is still time to register to vote here!

    Good luck.

    Richard Corrente

    Democratic Candidate

    for Mayor of Warwick

    Tuesday, April 28, 2015 Report this