Rhode Island Doesn’t Need More Talk. It Needs Real Relief.

Rhode Islanders are getting squeezed by housing, healthcare, taxes, utilities, and everyday costs while too many leaders keep offering studies, speeches, and half-measures.

Rhode Islanders are working harder than ever, but for a lot of families, it still feels like they’re falling behind. The cost of housing, healthcare, utilities, property taxes, and everyday life keeps climbing, and people are tired of hearing speeches while their bills keep going up. These are not side issues. These are the kitchen-table issues that are hitting families right now.

The General Assembly has rolled out packages, panels, and commissions, and sure, that’s something. But too often it feels like we get small tweaks, more studies, and watered-down ideas that avoid the harder choices. Rhode Islanders need practical solutions that cut red tape, respect taxpayers, and actually make life more affordable, even if that upsets some special interests.

Here’s where real reform is overdue.

Housing affordability: median home prices over $518,000 and brutal rents are locking families out. We need to make it easier to build and increase supply, but without one-size-fits-all mandates that steamroll local communities.

Healthcare costs and access: families are dealing with doctor shortages, long waits, and rising premiums. We need targeted workforce incentives and smarter cost controls, not more bureaucracy and not another blank check.

Infrastructure: the Washington Bridge mess should have been a wake-up call. We need faster project timelines, real oversight, and spending discipline so roads and bridges actually get fixed instead of talked about.

Property taxes and cost of living: Rhode Islanders are getting squeezed from every angle. Taxes are too high, energy bills are too high, and groceries are not getting cheaper. Families need real tax relief and a government that shows some spending restraint.

Education funding: the school funding formula needs a full rewrite. We should be able to support students while also easing the pressure on local property taxpayers.

These should not be partisan fights. These are family priorities. I may not be in office, but I am taking them seriously by doing the homework, digging into the numbers, listening to people across the state, and working on practical reforms that could actually pass and actually work.

Rhode Island does not need more feel-good headlines. It needs serious fixes. What’s the top issue you think needs to be addressed right now?