Letter: Why I'm Running for State Representative

Dear Editor:

A few years ago I watched former Comptroller General David Walker’s documentary I.O.U.S.A. examining the ballooning federal budget deficit, which Walker argued, was exacerbated by shortcomings in saving, trade, and leadership.  I was shocked at the breadth of the problem that excessive debt was having on the local, state, and national level.

I decided to get involved at the local level. As a lifelong resident of West Warwick, I could not sit idly by while the town’s debts brought us to the edge of bankruptcy. The idea of massive cuts in public safety and education along with massive property tax hikes seemed too much to bear. Using my business and legal background— including a Masters Degree in Accounting, my experiences in law school, and my qualifications as a Certified Fraud Examiner—I decided to help.  Over the last two years, I have served as a member of the West Warwick Pension Board where we are tackling municipal pension reform. We saved the town $40,000 in this year alone by putting our professional services out to bid.

If elected, I would be the only accountant and Fraud Examiner in the General Assembly. Having worked in the largest public accounting firm in the world on Fortune 500 clients, I have the experience to examine the state’s $8 billion budget with a fine tooth comb to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. This is a perspective sorely needed on Smith Hill.

I will focus on true economic development, urging us to reform the Economic Development Corporation to be a one-stop shop for businesses to get access to financial experts. The EDC must get out of the banking and venture capital business. I will push for an independent state audit committee, like those required by law in the private sector, to take a close look at the state’s controls against fraud and look for ways to make government more accountable and efficient.

Most importantly, I will work towards streamlining regulations and simplifying a tax code that chokes job creation so that small businesses can create jobs. This is imperative to reverse the brain drain out of our state.

We need fresh faces at the state house to advocate for the generation that will be saddled with these debts.  Not career politicians who have been a part of the problem for years. With your help this November, we can elect public officials that will exercise leadership in these tough economic times and turn our state’s economy around.

Learn more about me at www.nickdenice.com.

Nicholas Denice is the Democratic candidate for State Representative in District 26, encompassing West Warwick, Coventry and Warwick.