With all the well-deserved attention on this year's presidential race, it's important not to lose sight of local elections. While the federal government can make big changes and mandate broad initiatives, our lives are affected much more on a day-to-day basis by state government. For every big issue on the national stage, there's something similar going on locally, plus more.
State government regulates everything from labor to marriage; manages the power grid, the local economy and the schools; and has the potential to make a huge difference in our lives through setting health care, housing and immigrants' rights policy.
States also have a limited ability to counteract misguided federal policy. For instance, if the federal government's proposed Section 8 cuts go through, depriving hundreds of thousands of Americans of the subsidies needed to pay their rent, we will need strong advocates in state governments to restore some of this money. Another example is the environment: Although federal policy manages federally controlled forests and parks, and sets the bottom-line policies on pollution, state governments are free to take up the slack and regulate the pollution of their factories and the preservation of their open spaces.
Brown students have the opportunity to participate in one such local race. Jeff Toste, a lifelong resident of Rhode Island and currently a waiter on Federal Hill, is running for state senate in District 5, which includes the Federal Hill, West End, Mount Pleasant and Olneyville neighborhoods. Jeff has built up an impressive record of dedication and service to his community through work with a variety of local organizations, and as a result of this commitment, he has already picked up several key endorsements.
If elected, Jeff intends to continue his involvement with local groups, working with community representatives to draft and pass the right legislation. The Toste campaign has already developed several ways to make Rhode Island a better place to live, even as federal policy may not be moving in the same direction. Health care, for example, is a basic necessity many Americans cannot afford, yet federal government is moving at a snail's pace towards anything resembling universal coverage. Meanwhile, a recent feasibility study by the Boston University School of Public Health found that switching to a universal coverage system in Rhode Island would save money in both the short term and the long term. Why wait for national health coverage when we can have equally decent state health coverage, if only the right people can get into office?
Medical marijuana is another important part of our platform and an issue where state policy can actually impact national policy. Right now marijuana is an illegal drug, no matter what, even in cases where a physician believes the drug would be helpful to a suffering patient. But California recently passed a law permitting medicinal marijuana when necessary, so long as the patient grows his or her own plants. If the courts agree that the Congress has no constitutional grounds for regulating medical drug use within a state, then California's action could have very important implications for the rest of the country. It would be Toste's goal to follow closely in California's footsteps on this issue.
A final area where not so much work has been done, but which is maybe the most important, is the question of how to improve our local economy. The decisions of the federal government clearly affect who has jobs, what the wages are and whether industries are leaving and retailers or service enterprises coming in. But the state government can also play a huge role in keeping our economy robust, by encouraging local business with loyalty to the community through the right policies. Toste pledges to help entrepreneurs looking to start up new local businesses by providing training and interest-free loans. We can raise the state minimum wage and tie it to the cost of living index, which will raise the standard of living for Rhode Island residents, and we could help establish a worker-owned business model where work will surely not be outsourced to other places.
Rhode Island needs improvement, as does the nation as a whole. Clearly, it's very, very important to work to elect the best federal government possible, in terms of both president and Congress. But no matter who wins, we'll need good people in the state legislature. Those from here or who intend to live here should take an interest in this election. Even for those who are not from Rhode Island originally and don't intend to stay here, a strong progressive voice in the state house could help bring about change in a way that, in combination with California and other states, would have lasting relevance for the whole country. Plus, for the time that you're here, this is your state.
And for all those out there who want to make a difference, this is your chance.
James deBoer '05 is the platform coordinator for the Toste campaign. He can be reached at Issues@VoteToste.com.
