Talking to the GOP’s Giarrusso: MINDSETTER™ Matt Fecteau
Monday, June 04, 2018
I originally wanted to talk to progressive Democrat Justine Caldwell running for State Representative in East and West Greenwich. Mrs. Caldwell declined via social media saying she only answers questions “on TV, to press, at the door.” This peculiar exchange was coupled by her supporters – after they trolled me on social media – saying I am outside her district anyway so it was inappropriate. Fortunately, Mrs. Caldwell’s Republican opponent, incumbent Rhode Island House Representative Anthony Giarrusso, did not feel the same way and agreed to speak with me.
I was ambivalent at first. After my interaction with his Democratic rival and her cohorts, I found it appropriate to at least have a discussion with him - could he be much worse than his holier than thou Democratic alternative? The date was then set for Brewed Awakenings in Johnston.
Sitting down with Giarrusso and drinking coffee on that warm day, I found him to be friendly, and very respectful – far from the picture painted, and much different than his seemingly elitist Democratic opponent. He first mentioned he was “no radical” nor a “Tea Party” Republican; I felt this would be a far different conversation than I originally imagined. Was this the same Republican that so many progressive Democrats demonized?
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTGiarrusso contended that he has a great deal of respect for the Democratic process and feels that everyone should exercise their right to participate even his opponent. Besides a few email exchanges and a brief, abrasive in-person encounter, he admits he never had a face to face conversation with his Democratic challenger about anything (I can relate).
Unlike his Democratic foe, Giarrusso doesn’t feel it inappropriate to have a discussion with someone outside his district. “I am a state lawmaker that makes laws pertaining to the entire state, and you should know where elected officials stand even outside your district,” Giarrusso retorted.
When asked about the recently passed gun control legislation, Giarrusso did take exception to the “red flag” bill which he voted against. He explained it is a “slippery slope” infringing on an individual’s constitutional rights. While other states have passed “red flag” laws that he would support, he felt that the one recently signed into law in Rhode Island didn’t have the necessary constitutional safeguards (the ACLU has likewise taken issue with Rhode Island’s “red flag” bill too).
However, Giarrusso does support some reasonable restrictions on guns. He voted in favor of the ban on “bump stocks” to reduce mass shootings. He called it a “common sense” and “overdue measure” which he is happy is law. He additionally said he supports expanded background checks because mentally unstable individuals and violent criminals should not have access to firearms. With the exception of his opposition to the “red flag” legislation, I found myself in agreement here.
On health care, Giarrusso’s answers surprised me. He supported the Medicaid cuts provided the neediest citizens were not hurt by them. He opposed the Medicaid co-pays that Democratic Governor Gina Raimondo supported (co-pays were eventually dropped from the legislation). He said that people who barely can afford to live shouldn’t have to “pay out of pocket” for critical lifesaving services.
Asked about universal health care coverage, Giarrusso opposes it in theory but mentioned that health care isn’t something that should be denied to anyone. Giarrusso could support state-run health care facilities to ensure everyone receives the coverage they need to survive and looks forward to a consensus as to how to pay for it (this is something I could see US Senator Bernie Sanders saying!).
Giarrusso too stated he is a pro-life Republican, but not an absolutist. He doesn’t oppose all forms of reproductive choice; he believes there should be exceptions for rape, incest, and if the mother’s life is in danger. As a Democrat that supports reproductive rights and choice, I strongly disagreed with him because this is about personal liberty but felt he was no fanatic.
As for the economy, Giarrusso explained taxes are too high in Rhode Island. He argued with lower taxes the more affluent people will move to or spend more time in Rhode Island stimulating the economy. To me, this sounded like the debunked trickle-down economics.
Nevertheless, Giarrusso was progressive with regards to other tax policies. He felt “the state shouldn’t tax social security” because it is about ensuring senior citizens have a dignified retirement and also, incentivizing them to stay in Rhode Island. Interesting note: Rhode Island is one of only 13 states in the union that taxes social security benefits.
Giarrusso furthermore mentioned that we must do more to help our military veterans such as eliminating the income tax on pensions. For far too long, he claims, many of our finest leave Rhode Island for tax-friendly states and taking their critical skills with them. I supported this idea because Rhode Island faces a skills gap putting it at a disadvantage when it comes to attracting companies such as Amazon to relocate to our fine state.
Finally, Giarrusso did say there were a number of other issues that both he and progressive Democrats agree on. He explicitly mentioned free bus passes for senior citizens, opposition to the PawSox deal, a higher minimum wage for health care workers impacted by “state reimbursement rates,” and having election day on a Saturday. As a Democrat, I concurred with a number of these ideas as well. He added he agreed with “95% of the issues discussed at the state house,” and most bills pass with unanimous consent.
From our entire conversation, I came away with a new appreciation for dialogue. Nowhere in this discussion did I find Giarrusso unreasonable or radical. While I adamantly disagreed sometimes, I both respected and appreciated his opinion.
In this politically toxic environment and especially in the age of social media, it is far too easy to demonize those on the opposite end of the political spectrum without even knowing them. Sometimes the most difficult thing we can do is simply have a face to face discussion with someone that has a different opinion; they might even surprise you as did this conversation. I just wish Giarusso’s Democratic opponent felt the same way.
Matt Fecteau ([email protected]) of Pawtucket, Rhode Island is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and an Iraq War veteran.
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