Too Little, Too Late. It's Time for Term Limits Now.

“I find it implausible that my 10 year incumbent opponent Deb Ruggiero is favoring change by opposing the leadership of House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello,” says candidate Rebecca Schiff. “Representative Ruggiero has supported everything except change. She has voted 98% of the time with the same party leadership that she now denounces. Her lock step votes with Mattiello and party leadership created the corruption, cronyism, and complacency that has disabled our state legislature.”

“More importantly, and every voter needs to know this: the current Rhode Island small business environment—45th in the nation—is largely the result of Ruggiero’s lack of leadership and initiative. She, not Mattiello, chairs the House Committee on Small Business at the State House. Ruggiero has done nothing to improve the conditions for small business owners in Rhode Island. Moreover, if the 10 year incumbent were really about change, she would support term limits for state legislators and step down from running again for office. I firmly believe in term limits and that after eight years it is time to mentor new people to refresh the legislature with new ideas and leadership.”

“Voters are looking for true reform, not a decade old politician who denounces, apparently judging it politically safe to do so, the House Speaker in peril of losing his re-election bid,” continued Schiff. “From day one of my term, I will stand up for the issues that truly matter to voters. We can do better and with citizen legislators, not career politicians, we will do better.”

Rebecca Schiff is a small business owner, educator, and author with an extensive background in corporate and foundation relations and fundraising. She is a member of the Jamestown Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, and the Middletown Rotary Club. She serves on the boards of the Middletown Historical Society and the Jamestown Humane Society. Rebecca is also the President of the World Affairs Council of Rhode Island.