DEBATE: Governor McKee + Helena Foulkes - Democratic Primary for Governor of Rhode Island

Bill Bartholomew moderates a debate between Governor Dan McKee and Helena Buonanno Foulkes, the candidates in the Democratic primary for Governor of Rhode Island.

Transcript

Bill Bartholomew 0:00

All right, thank you both for coming in today. This is the Bartholomew Town WPRO Democratic Primary Gubernatorial Debate. Helena Bonano folks, Governor McKee, Governor, you the coin toss bounced your way. You'll get opening statements 60 seconds first.

Dan McKee 0:13

Well thanks, Bill, and thanks WPRO for having us here today. Um this election is a choice. Uh certainly my record uh in public service compared to my opponent's record in corporate uh boardrooms. I'm a governor that grew up at a boys and girls club. I've rubbed elbows with every walk of life, and I bring that to my office every single day. As opposed to my opponent who has worked in a boardroom, put profits over people her entire career. So let's talk about the issues today. And let's talk about our records today. Let's talk about education, let's talk about the economy, let's talk about the Washington Bridge, and then let's talk about my opponent's record. So right now, I'm in a good spot. I'm really happy to be here with the people, and I just one other thing I would say. Look, my opponent last week said she raised $900,000 in a quarter in answer to tens of thousands of people who are supporting me working families. I can't make it any clearer. She believes that she can buy this election with her money, and I would say that this office is not for sale. All right.

Bill Bartholomew 1:20

Thank you, Governor. Ms.

Dan McKee 1:21

Folkes.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 1:22

Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm running for governor because I as I travel across the state, people are ready for change. I am a mother of four. I'm a new grandmother. I'm a wife of 37 years. I'm a cancer survivor. I love this state. I started working at CVS in a cubicle right out of school. I had almost every job you could have. Uh I became the head of all retail my last four years after 25 years of the company. So I was responsible for 200,000 people. I was the leader who decided to take cigarettes off of our shelves, walking away from $2 billion in sales. The thing I most learned was the power of listening, going to the front line and listening. And as I've been listening around this state, people are hurting. They're being priced out of this state. They're ready for change. Cost of housing is too high. Everything costs too much. And people want a leader who's going to start to address their real concerns. And I'm ready to do that.

Bill Bartholomew 2:17

All right. Thank you very much, Ms. Folks. Public polls right now show that there's about a 20-point spread in this race right now. Governor, do you believe there's a 20-point spread in this race? No.

Dan McKee 2:27

Why not? Because I'm out and talking to people every day. I know that we have the working families with us and that's who I represent each and every day. They know that we've added 37,000 private sector jobs since I've been governor. We've closed the gap in from Massachusetts on education considerably than the work that I do on education. We're investing in housing in a way that uh has never happened before. So we know that my record and the record of my administration is going to uh really um put us over the top in September and again in November.

Bill Bartholomew 3:00

Ms. Folks, do you believe there's a 20-point spread in this race?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 3:03

I'm fighting every day like I'm the underdog. It's very hard to beat an incumbent governor, uh, and I understand that. Uh but when I'm out talking to people, what I'm hearing from them is they're just not feeling what the governor is saying. They're looking at a CNBC report that says we have the worst economy in the country, that we have the worst bridges and roads, that we had the fewest number of housing starts, and yet we're the fifth most expensive state to live. So I can tell people are ready for change, but I'm gonna fight every single day to win this race, and I know it will be very hard.

Bill Bartholomew 3:34

All right, let's stick, let's get right into the issues here. I mean, let's just let's not even um obfuscate what we're here to talk about. There are some big ones. One of them is the Washington Bridge right up front. Governor McKee. Where does the Washington Bridge stand right now, and where in your mind should this rank as a political issue in this election?

Dan McKee 3:51

It's all politics right now. Uh I made a decision on a very short notice to close down the bridge to keep people safe uh and continue to monitor the uh the bridge that we're using right now. People are safe. And that was the top priority. And also we brought in one of the top um uh bridge builders in the country. Uh we're two years ahead of um Baltimore, although my opponent said we're two years behind them, we're two years ahead, and we're months ahead of schedule. Uh they're fabricating uh steel right now in Wisconsin, it'll be on site before the end of the summer. So and then the last thing, look, we hold people accountable that are that gave the inspections uh that led us in the wrong direction, and had not only the federal government, but also the state, uh our congressional delegations supporting repairing a bridge that could not be repaired. So right now, in summary, look, we kept people safe. That was the top priority. I did that. You wouldn't want a Minneapolis uh situation where a bridge would collapse, uh, and I avoided that by making a decision. It has been really tough on people. There's no question about that, especially the first three months. But we know that we're gonna get in the end, we're gonna have a bridge that's gonna be significantly better uh than it was before. And look, this can was kicked down the road, just like many other things in the state. I'm a leader that actually stepped up, closed the bridge, kept people safe. We're we're g we're uh uh uh in a legal process right now to hold people accountable who gave us the misdiagnosis that you would do it with any doctor if you had a misdiagnosis. And now we're building a bridge with one of the top bridge builders in the country, and we taught how to tear down the bridge before we did it. So we're on schedule uh and significantly ahead of a schedule right now in terms of uh our contract, uh, and people are gonna see progress as they're seeing right now uh with the bridge being built.

Bill Bartholomew 5:37

Ms. folks, why is this a political issue for you based on what the governor just said right there?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 5:43

Well he described it as all politics, and that's not what I hear from the people of Rhode Island. I mean, people are stuck on the bridge every day. People have had to change daycare, their commutes to work. It is really up-ending people's lives. And I think the governor put politics over people. Uh I think once this incident happened, we could have moved much faster to have had a contract and get a bridge built. I I'll give you an example. He put out a contract because he desperately wanted a bridge built by this election and he had severe penalties in it if the if the bridge weren't built on time. He waited six months to see who would bid. And at the end of those six months, no one bid. So he had to start over. That cost all of us time and money, and that's really frustrating to people. And then those signs go up that say thank you for your patience. People aren't feeling patient. They're really frustrated by it. And especially when he tells us it's on time and on budget, this is just flies in the face of a normal person saying that makes no sense to me. Uh the governor promised a day of reckoning. I called for Peter Alvede to be fired the day I got in this race. And I've talked to so many people in the state who say to me, if that were my job, I would have been fired right away. The governor didn't do that, and people are really suffering as a result of response governor.

Dan McKee 7:03

First of all, uh it's inaccurate to say that that the bid process didn't get us a bid. We got a bid that we needed, which was to tear down a bridge. We couldn't build a bridge until we tear down that bridge. We got a contract in place to tear down the bridge, but actually uh was uh uh that that contract was uh uh was finished uh ahead of schedule as well. And then we had a contract with a top bridge builder in the country uh six months before the bridge was actually torn down. You can't build a bridge till you actually uh tear down a bridge. And then during that time we we put together, I had to work with both the Biden administration and the Trump administration to put in over $220 million uh of funds. The money's in the bank, the taxpayers are not going to have to pay uh anything out of pocket that isn't already budgeted. We have a contract with a price, as we said, Baltimore. My gu my opponent said at a at an announcement that we were two years behind Baltimore, we're two years ahead of Baltimore with a contract, with a definite price. Yes, it has been a real pain in the ass to people. There's no question about that. Uh but this would have gonna happen regardless of when that bridge was taken down. That bridge was being repaired and it shouldn't have been repaired, and a can was kicked down the road. I ended up holding uh the situation and I responded. I kept people safe, which was the priority of any administration. I also made sure that we went after the people that are um that should be held accountable. Once I did all the due diligence that needed to be done, these uh inspections were done incorrectly and they were done misleading, and they're gonna have to pay millions of dollars. Uh my opponent won't even say that she likes the idea that we're going after the people who are responsible. The and then finally, look, there's going to be steal on site. We're ahead of schedule by months right now on the contract that was in place. We are there's no one that wants to see that bridge done quicker than me. I use that bridge. I have family. My son and daughter, uh daughter-in-law, along with my niece and nephew and my uh grandkids, live in East Providence. We're over that bridge all the time. This became a very political issue. I would not have my family go over a bridge or anybody else or Helena's family go over a bridge that was not safe. Right now we are building a bridge, and what what my opponent just said is not accurate. We got somebody on that first bid process. By the way, I don't do bids. I think that was established uh long ago in the in the last election. So we've got someone that is to tear down the bridge, and you couldn't build a new bridge, so you tear down a bridge. And now we have Waltz Waltz contractors in there, top bridge builder that's actually going to build build a bridge that's gonna help alleviate many of the problems that were there long before I was governor.

unknown 9:49

Ms.

Bill Bartholomew 9:49

Folks, what uh firing Peter Alviti, the initial RFP, you outlined those as things you would do differently. What else would you do differently in response to that? You you say you're hearing people want change. What do they want specifically on this issue?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 10:01

As far as I can tell, nothing really has changed at the DOT. Uh we have an acting director. The governor promised us a national search. I definitely will do a national search. I have promised people that when I am governor, we will have someone leading DOT who knows no one in that department and no one in the state because this department has become a place at the top where you got to know a guy. It's the insiders running it. People understand that. We outsourced all of the inspections. We had the head of the uh of the DOT Alviti who couldn't remember the head of that department's name. They had outsourced it all. And so we've got to bring capabilities in-house. We can do so much better with a real leader at the top, a real sense of accountability, and making sure that this is a department that's working for people, just to give people a sense. Five years ago, we were spending $449 million a year on bridges and roads. Last year we spent $1 billion on bridges and roads, and yet we have the worst bridges and roads in the country. So when you talk about accountability, that doesn't add up to people.

Bill Bartholomew 11:09

So you're saying you would not retain interim director Rocchio at DOT. And you're saying you're basically saying that the entire department needs to be gutted.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 11:17

Is that how I'm saying leadership starts at the top.

Bill Bartholomew 11:19

Including department managers of how far down the road.

Dan McKee 11:49

My opponent has had no experience in government. Zero. She's never plowed a street, she's never uh built a put a road down. That extra dollars that's going into bridges and uh and roads is a direct result of my leadership. When I came into office, we weren't doing our roads, and I put $100 million and freed up over $450 million of federal funds to start paving $295 that hadn't been paved in 20 years, to paving $146, to put a bridge over the uh over at where the uh car dealerships are in the northern part of 146. There is more road work being done in this state than ever before, and it's under my leadership. So, and then Bob Rocchio, he's actually done a really good job. We just had a blizzard of 26, the largest blizzard in the entire history of the state of Rhode Island, and no one, not one person, including my opponent, never said a peep about a mistake being made there. We have good management in place. I decided that continuity was the most important thing in terms of uh transitioning to a new director. We Peter and I uh parted ways months ago, and yet it's still being brought up as an issue. The work that's being done at DOT right now I'm proud of. Every blue bridge is either a new bridge or a uh repaired bridge, uh, and it's under my watch. Not only that, we brought the largest federal grant in, working on 15 bridges on 295, over $250 million that was not there before I showed up. So to knock the work that's happening there right now, yeah, it's going to take a little while to catch up. And I also put a road restore program in for municipalities where we've done over eleven hundred local projects. I'm a former mayor and I understood how important it was. We the state puts up a dollar, the community puts up two dollars. We've done over $140 million of road repairs and road work in our local municipalities. So our roads is not just our state roads, it's also our local roads. And I am investing in our local roads and our state roads at a pace that we've never seen before. Bob Rocchio even said the same thing. Alina, last word on the bridge.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 14:03

I just don't think people are feeling what the governor is describing. It is really tough out there. And uh they're looking for a level of accountability and transparency. I talk to people who live in the East Bay near the Mount Hope Bridge, and they want to know what's going on. Why has it taken so long for us to expose uh the state of our bridges? Why is this a big secret? People really want to know that, and they're very frustrated with the government.

Dan McKee 14:31

We post every report and every inspection strategy that you could imagine uh and handed over over a million uh pages of of reports and pa um paperwork uh in this in this lawsuit that we are going after the inspections that were made that were done improperly, and that's who that is the day of reckoning. It's going to take a little longer, but it's gonna be millions of dollars. And my opponent doesn't even like doesn't even want to pursue that case as far as the Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 14:55

But that draft report that you held out there for a year, Governor, that was that was tough on people. They wanted to know what we're doing.

Dan McKee 15:02

We were working with the Attorney General who was holding that report because of the case. He put left it out, and I was happy he did. Just like I've asked for the reports to be released on the Monhoe Bridge. We have a federal um uh uh group that is saying hold off on those releasing those reports. We have announced a couple times that those reports will be done. And that's again, that's the the Rhode Island uh Bridge Authority that is a separate from our office, right? They maintain those bridges and they're doing a good job there. We need to make sure that all the reports are out. I disclose everything. I disclose everything. So as far as what my opponent's saying, she's just misleading people in terms of the fact that we have an open book. My record is an open book. My opponent's record is not an open book. And so everything that it goes on in our office, uh I respond. I've been on your podcast, your first podcast, and your hundredth podcast bill. So I've been out talking to people and making sure they have all the information. I want to see the Mount Hope Bridge information uh put out there, and right now it's being held up by the Federal authorities.

Bill Bartholomew 16:09

Yeah, on grounds of of of security issues with that. I want to just touch on this because you brought up the draft report to contextualize that for anyone who doesn't understand what it is. It's a report that essentially, and this is the executive summary, said that there were some issues within the DOT when it comes to the oversight of the bridge, and this was from an external group. That report was then part of Yes, Governor.

Dan McKee 16:31

I commissioned that report.

Bill Bartholomew 16:32

That report was as as part of the investigation in terms of what I think. Why wasn't it originally?

Dan McKee 16:55

But at this point in time, either you either you um work with the attorneys that you have on board or you fire them. And right now, I was saying they were making the right decision on behalf of the people in the state of Rhode Island. Every decision I've made, Bill, as a as a governor, has been in the best interest of the people of the state of Rhode Island. That lawsuit is going to recover tax dollars that we deserve. The money that I brought in from Washington with both the Biden and the Trump administration and negotiated with both to bring over $220 million into the state. So as far as I'm concerned, the reports on the on the uh on the Mounthope Bridge should be released. I said that publicly. I've said that publicly over and over again. So remember, that that report that you're talking about is what I commissioned to make sure that there was full disclosure and everybody knew what was going on.

Bill Bartholomew 17:44

Well, there's a through line here, Ms. Folks, I want you to respond to, which is what would you do differently? Would you release those reports, that particular report, that draft report, engineering report, and other uh matters that are due diligence or pertinent to the case against the 13 contractors, would you publish those even if it was against the advice of attorneys and against potent potentially compromise the case?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 18:05

I think what the people of Rhode Island are looking for is leadership who is transparent and accountable. And in general, that is missing. That is missing in this particular case. Uh and we can always hide behind lawyers, I understand that. But this is the chief executive of the state. He could have stood in front of the cameras and shared with people because people are nervous and they want to know what's going on. Uh I called, for example, on other issues of transparency and accountability. The day I got in the race, I called for an inspector general. The governor said we don't need one of those. We have spent billions of dollars as a state in ARPA funds and other sources. No one knows where that money goes. So I do think we're not just talking about the Washington Bridge. We're talking about a culture here where a few guys at the top know what's going on and the rest of us are in the dark. And that's what people are really frustrated about. Were they? Uh these are the people who are surrounding the governor every day. Uh what I hear from people is they're his high school friends. Uh they're the guys who run this state, and they don't reflect the people of Rhode Island. And they want to keep all that information tight. And we're living in a day and age where it's a lot of stress that people are going through. This is this is no small matter, and people deserve to know what's going on in this state. We deserve a governor who's going to share that information freely and be accountable himself.

Bill Bartholomew 19:24

Governor, I want you to respond to that. I just want to quick quickly. You would publish documents pertinent to the Washington Bridge or release them to the public even if it was part of due diligence and legal proceedings. Governor, your response on the That's just irresponsible, right?

Dan McKee 19:40

We uh that's political, right? What we're doing is making sure we're protecting the taxpayers in the state of Rhode Island. The advice was in that report that I commissioned, by the way, we have we had posted up all the other reports uh that you could imagine for public consumption, and that the uh and so that was that was transparency. So look, my opponent is also took a an interesting little side whack at the people that I actually have in in and and positions of authority. And they are very capable, whether it's my education commissioner who the who uh the uh my opponent wants to fire, who has brought us on attendance alone with the work, my work, to the fifth best in the country relative to recovering from the uh pandemic on attendance. And also we've closed the gap that I've set in for Massachusetts to meet or exceed Massachusetts levels by 2030. We've already closed the gap by 40 percent on our reading, 20 or 30 percent or so on our math. We continue to improve. So, or whether it's uh my chief of staff who during the snowstorm, the blizzard of 26 that I manage, by the way, my opponents never manage the snowstorm. And it's important to the safety of the people in the state of Rhode Island. We were closing a complicated financial uh deal with the hospitals that I helped save, both Fatima and Roger Williams, who were those people there, when I visited there, they were they were scared that they were going to lose their jobs. And I said to them they will not lose their jobs, and they didn't. Well, we had a we had somebody on our staff that was closing a complicated finance package that actually kept those hospitals open. I could go over and over and over again, the staff that I have in place, they are not high school buddies. These are these are professionals that are doing the job on behalf of the people in the state of Rhode Island, and I'm offended because you know what? As I said in my opening, when I put out rolled out tens of thousands of people that are supporting me, working families that are supporting me, what was my opponent's response? I got $900,000, and it doesn't matter that you have the working families with you because my money is going to win this election. Well, I got news for you, Bill. We have competent people working for the state of Rhode Island each and every day, and her money, my opponent's money, is not going to win this election because the people that I serve and the people that I work with every single day to help their kids. Kids do better in school, to raise families' incomes, to make sure they are healthy, and building things at a rate that we have never seen before in the state of Rhode Island, putting people to work at good paying jobs, building things. We have never seen a record like this. 37,000 jobs added to the added to private sector jobs, twice the pace of pre-pandemic of any administration before me. So it is insulting when you start ridiculing staff that is qualified and is delivering for the people of the State of Rhode Island. Ms. Folks, your response.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 22:31

I am sorry I offended you, Governor. No, you offended the people that work for the State of Rhode Island. Okay, settle down. Settle down. Yes, settle down. So listen, I think we work for the state of Rodgers. I think it's very important we have a governor who has the uh humility to know how to surround him or herself with great people. And I don't think that this governor does that. He talked about the hospital work to save the two hospitals. I um have spoken to many people who were in the ro those rooms. They said, Governor, while those conversations were going on, you literally never said a word. It was like you didn't understand it.

Bill Bartholomew 23:09

Is that true?

Dan McKee 23:11

I had a I brought the President and the Speaker together with an Attorney General and put them right in in the State Room and said, These hospitals can't close. Send me a bill to put the $18 million of front money that they needed to get this transaction done, and I would sign it. That's leadership.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 23:28

Uh-huh. So you you so can I keep going?

Bill Bartholomew 23:31

Yes, and we're to just to contextualize. We're talking about the prospect medical, the Fatima and the other. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Dan McKee 23:35

And by the way, they're very relieved. 2,400 jobs saved, and thousands and thousands of health care visits have been protected. And that's why UNAP is uh supporting me in this a little bit.

Bill Bartholomew 23:45

But you were involved in the conversation taking up where you were just wanted to meet you.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 23:48

I heard differently. But but regardless, you know, everywhere I look, um health care, he's talking about health care. Uh we live in a state where people tell me all the time they are so worried their primary care doc is going to retire and they won't find a new one. We are on the precipice of a real collapse in our health care system. There are a lot of things that go into that. We need a governor who's going to push a truly comprehensive approach to health care and do much more than this governor has done.

Bill Bartholomew 24:18

Let's stick with this. In fact, I was speaking with the Rowland Public Health Institute, the nonprofit and retention of physicians and PAs, so on and so forth, personnel. How will you, as governor, increase the literal number of medical professionals in the state? What what what does that look like to you?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 24:34

Well, what's so interesting, and I've been going all around the state in people's living rooms and kitchens and talking to them. Many of these doctors and nurses live in Rhode Island, but they travel to Massachusetts or Connecticut every day because they can make thirty percent more. And that's mostly because we have two fundamental problems. We have more people on Medicare and Medicaid as a percent in this state, and those both reimburse at lower rates, and we have very low Medicaid reimbursement rates. So uh the governor hasn't advocated for raising Medicaid reimbursement rates at the level they could be, and he's leaving federal money there. So there's a lot more we can do there. I met with a group of dentists recently who talked about the fact one of them said to me, Helena, I closed down my dentist office in East Providence, I opened a new one in Sea Kong, and what happened was I lost about five or ten percent of the volume, but I made thirty percent more going to Seacon. So that is fundamentally our issue, and until we really address that problem, we are gonna continue to bleed the the the resources we need to other states and people will suffer. And never mind the fact that obviously the Trump administration is coming and is going to wreak havoc, and there's much more we could be doing there, and I'm happy to talk more about that.

Dan McKee 25:52

It is a reimbursement problem and it's a federal reimbursement problem primarily. We are uh we are between Massachusetts and Connecticut. I've talked to both administrations, I've talked to our congressional delegation, and both Connecticut and Massachusetts have a regional rate that's higher than our reimbursement rate, period. That needs to get fixed, right? Just like I helped uh really advocated to fix uh another problem on Social Security that was a national problem for teachers and others. And then as far as what we've done, look, my opponent served on a committee that actually uh that suggested well in the former administration that suggested we reduced the amount of money that went to Medicaid. And also across the board made cuts to hospitals and nursing homes out of that out of that uh uh session of reinventing Medicaid. What committee is that? That was a committee that Governor Ramondo put together, that that uh my opponent, Helena Fox.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 26:43

And you were the lieutenant governor, and then you signed it again in 22. So I don't know what problems. No, that's not true. All right.

Dan McKee 26:48

So her her what we just asked for was in that letter that I sent to the Federal Government was to expand what had been contracted under uh you know the leadership of uh uh Helena Fox. I was part of a thirty-person committee. So yeah, and you agreed to cut about $85 million from the Medicaid. That's what was said. And that's that is true. And then in addition to that, right, cuts across the board to hospitals and nursing homes. When I came into office, our nursing homes were in big trouble. They had been cut uh they had not been given a cola for six years. I restored that cola and I actually went backwards to keep our nursing homes in business. Our hospitals, we have put more money into our hospitals under my administration than ever before, and we still have issues, clearly. But I'm also saying the work that we've done actually works against this the uh the work that uh you know my opponent was uh advocating for. And we haven't even got into her role uh, you know, as a corporate uh person that laid off thousands of people uh when she went to Hudson and uh and continue to uh hurt families and hurt people with income. So yeah, the hospital issue, we need to make sure that we get a regional rate and we should be uh lobbying as hard as we can, which I am doing. I've met with Dr. Oz, I've met with that administration and said, hey, we should we're not being treated fairly, right? We're not we're we're not getting the same rates as Massachusetts and Connecticut, and we're between the two states. You need to fix that. So we're and in addition to that, we've put millions and millions of dollars into making sure that we are providing opportunities for for people to um uh practice here. I I'm supporting a medical school at URI with a plan to actually put a medical school there as a long-term uh f solution as well. So, yeah, my opponent uh speaks and she never really says what she would do. She's just saying, oh, there's a problem, there's a problem. Well, when you're governor, you actually have to support the what does that look like in in a folks administration?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 28:46

So I I I want to just be clear for people because I think there are two I'm I'm assuming the governor's not confused, but they're just two different components. Medicare is set federally, and Rhode Island does suffer from not having a high enough Medicare reimbursement rate. But Medicaid is set locally in the state. Uh in this last session, um, we could have raised our Medicaid reimbursement rates by about $70 million and gotten a $126 million match from the federal government. So there were small incremental changes made, but not to that extent. That would have had a really big impact on the healthcare system in this state right now. So I do think that's an important distinction. That's what I would have done.

Bill Bartholomew 29:24

In terms of just in going back to the original point, how do you attract more talent and keep more talent in this state right now?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 29:30

From a medical side. I'm sorry, from a medical side. Unfortunately, and many doctors and and nurses say this to me, most of the health care professionals in this state have have ties to Rhode Island. They love living here. That's why they practice. Um, but you know, an average doctor today is graduating from medical school with half a million dollars in debt. To become a primary care physician is one of the lowest paid professions in that in in the medical field. So it's very hard to make ends meet when you know you could just practice in Massachusetts or Connecticut and make 30 percent more. So we really have to solve that problem. Uh, and that's what I will do when I'm governor.

Bill Bartholomew 30:08

Last word, Governor, on this.

Dan McKee 30:09

Yeah, I think that long-term our uh a medical school at URI, which I support, is going to help with f focusing on primary uh doctors. And right now we are doing we're again, we're investing millions and millions of dollars in the hospitals to uh address an issue uh that was in uh serious um trouble when I showed up. We're significantly better right now. The hospitals are improving as as we speak, and uh they're a lot more solvent today uh than they were when I showed up.

Bill Bartholomew 30:37

All right, Governor, your campaign has been very critical of Miss Folkes and her um historic ties to CVS, obviously her her job at CVS and and in general you've uh even just now have tied in her work at Hudson's Bay. Why?

Dan McKee 30:51

Well, because uh uh my record is open. Everything that I do as a governor is open. Yet why isn't my opponent's record open? She doesn't speak about Hudson Bay, knocking off a couple thousand people, and she's making about eighty thousand dollars a day. That's what I I I it's an unheard of compensation, but when you calculate what the compensation was about eighty thousand a day, letting a couple thousand people off. She has not had a and then called them low-hanging fruit. That's a that's an issue that the people of the state around need to know. And and as far as her her she f forgot to say that she was also in charge of the pharmacy in in addition to retail. And there's uh, you know, this reports that are coming out right now. And by the way, this is coming from the U.S. attorney saying that that as as in charge, she turned her back on what was happening on the opioids for profits. It's right in it's right in the report. She will get deposed if she hasn't already been deposed. And at that point in time, instead of calling me a liar, you can call the U.S. uh. attorney a liar because that's what he's saying. That's what the report is saying under her watch. Um and in and the articles that have just been written, I mean, they're very uh clear uh that the claims that she's making about uh shutting down pill mills uh was not accurate as well. So the and and the and the and the and that's coming from the U.S. attorney, right? That's coming from their lawsuit that's saying that and also uh reported again uh in two local newspapers that that was the case, right? So so our my record is open. My question is why wouldn't my opponent's record be open? Your response.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 34:53

The governor has uh been governor for six years. He's been a politician for thirty years. Uh the people of Rhode Island are suffering, and he chose uh for his first ads and most of his ads to attack really not just me, but CVS, one of the largest employers in the state. I've been very clear, under my watch, we had an almost forty percent reduction in opioids dispensed. Uh all of that has been validated externally. We did do more than anyone in this country, and uh it was a very challenging time. In fact, uh the team at CVS uh met with the governor in March of 2018, showed him all the work we were doing, and he said they were doing an excellent job. So, with that being said, I think what's sad for the people of Rhode Island is that we have a governor who's either attacking our largest employers or driving them away. Hasbro left 700 families in a really difficult spot, and this was something on the governor's watch.

Bill Bartholomew 35:49

But before we pivot to economic development here, were you deposed or have you been deposed?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 35:54

I have never been named. I have never been deposed. So the governor is lying once again. It's very important people understand that.

Dan McKee 36:01

You'll have the opportunity to tell the U.S. attorney that he's not.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 36:04

Governor, that that is not true. And you should be honest with people. That's disgraceful, really. Okay? I went door to door this weekend in Cumberland, knocking on people's doors. And you know what they said to me? This is terrible what this governor is doing to CVS. Many of them work at CVS, they don't like it at all. So I think you should focus on the real things that matter to the people of Rhode Island.

Dan McKee 36:26

This is not about a CVS. I helped CVS when I was a mayor, I helped them as a governor. My opponent wants to s deflect her lack of leadership, her her record, onto a great company. And that is not in the article, in the articles that have been written now by by experts, uh, it's clear that the work that was done, the most of the work that was done what came after she left. It is absolutely true.

Bill Bartholomew 36:53

Did the work when you were at CVS, did that is that when the reduction in opioids occurred? Under your direct supervision.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 37:04

Under my direct supervision. So that is not true. And back to Governor. He wrote that you were driving CVS away. So for the but he's a columnist, so there's no facts there.

Bill Bartholomew 37:21

But I want to be able to have to finish his situation.

Dan McKee 37:25

My record is open. My opponent doesn't want to speak about her record, prove that it's forty percent, because we haven't seen that. Yes, it's public, Governor. Governor, that is public. So the the work that was done, the federal guidelines that were followed by CDC by by by CVS, thankfully, actually got activated in February 2018, uh, a month or so after my opponent left that position. So the notion, again, trying to trying to transfer her record, my opponent's record, saying that somehow that we're putting CVS in the headlines, my opponent is putting CVS in the headlines because she decided to run for governor. And she does feels as though that her record is not open to the public's eye. She just talked about this full disclosure, she's not providing full disclosure. So CVS is an important company. And we're going to continue to work with them. We've also brought in 37,000 private sector jobs from the governor. We have expanded the uh the maritime defense with dozens of companies. I may I met with FM Global. They needed us to do some things. They just invested in a headquarters in downtown Providence to stabilize them. I worked with Citizens Bank when they need when they came to me and they said they needed X, Y, and Z, and we gave them X, Y, and Z to keep them here. Fidelity has grown by 3,000 jobs. Quantit has grown by 3,000 jobs. This notion that you put all your eggs in one basket, uh, we've done that as a state. We call it 38 studios. You put all your eggs in one basket. Yes, Hasbro decided to leave. 700 jobs. We have at $37,000, do the math. 37,000 jobs, do the math. We've probably 30 times uh covered that that potential loss that's coming in there. And by the way, many of the Peart families, they may go up to Boston, they may not. Uh they are here in the state. We're going to find jobs for them if they decide to stay. And my record on the economy is is is virtually second to none relative to job growth and also raising incomes right now. We just had two life sciences companies come in. There was no life science hub before I showed up, right? We had just two uh organogenesis, a hundred million dollar investment up in Smithfield right now, hundreds of jobs are gonna be over a hundred thousand dollars. We had another company that we just nemesis that we just uh announced they're gonna take the top floor of the CIC building, downtown Providence, 30,000 square feet, bringing in 240 jobs, average pay at $200,000. These are the facts. My opponent wants to talk about Hasbro and the bridge. The bridge is being taken care of. And Hasbro, look, that decision was made. They're actually a shrinking footprint. They couldn't even promise us the number of jobs that we needed to have to put in the programs we have. And and God bless them. They're a good company, they've been here for a long time, they decided to leave. But we didn't just uh stop our progress. We're we're bringing in companies right now. So thank you, Governor. The facts are the facts. Ms.

Bill Bartholomew 40:17

Folks, on economic development, what is what what would be the key differential between a folks administration and and McKay administration?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 40:24

Well, just to put it in perspective, and I think this is how Rhode Islanders are feeling it, you know, CNBC reported we have the worst economy in the country, and we're the fifth most expensive state to live. So I think that people are feeling really worried about whether their children or grandchildren are gonna be able to afford a good life here. Uh what would I do? I want to make sure that the companies we have here stay here. I mentioned at the beginning, I think one of the things I am good at is is being a good listener. And I would be meeting with all of these companies to say, what's it gonna take for you to stay here and grow good jobs? I think if the governor had done that with Hasbro uh before the news came out, maybe he could have saved it. Maybe not, but I think there was a chance. So I think that's one very important thing. Uh second, we need to be much easier for small businesses to start a business, to run a business. I talked to so many of them who feel the burden of all the different city and state regulations that are put in place. So I want to do what Worcester, Massachusetts has done, create a one-stop shop to go start a business. I met a guy who wanted to start a food truck business. He said, Helena, I have to go to 14 different state and local agencies just to get all the permits and paperwork. Then I really want to invest in the ocean economy. We have incredible assets here in terms of URI, the Naval War College, and some good things are happening, but so much more could happen if we had a governor who really knew how to pitch companies and bring them here.

Bill Bartholomew 41:50

What's the differential though, I think, to in terms of real real world, how do you build on the blue economy right now specifically, or what sectors beyond Ocean blue economy do you see as as vital to at least target right now?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 42:02

I think Ocean really is the best, and and that would be my number one priority. I have much more experience being able to talk to some of the leaders and bring more jobs in, but I also want to do more to make sure that people can get access to good paying jobs. So I propose a big investment, $100 million in career and technical education, because those are the jobs of the future. I want to make sure that kids all over this state have access to good paying jobs. If you're if you become a welder right out of high school, you could be making $85,000 at electric boat within two years with no college debt. So that some work has been happening around the state, but we could do so much more. And I'm excited to do that. I I know how to attract business, I know how to talk to these leaders, and I think it will really be a very important step for the people of Rhode Island. Again, we've got to move away from being 50th in the country.

Bill Bartholomew 42:54

All right, 30 seconds each for response.

Dan McKee 42:56

Well, I think it's going to take more than 30 seconds to answer that question. Look, we well, in the maritime defense, that's why I was out in California meeting with businesses, Andrew and others that are building thousands of thousands of square feet and bring in hundreds and hundreds of jobs right now. Uh that ship has left the, you know, has left the uh station. So uh we're already doing that. So to imply that somehow that this is not getting done. We're we just opened up a uh on on the Bay Campus at URI, a hundred million dollar investment for uh for a robotics underwater robotics plan. They they hadn't invested seriously in that in that in that uh Bay Campus until I showed up. A couple hundred million bucks going in there right now. Uh so we we've doubled up or tripled up on the CTE programs. I attended a a a uh this has already happened in Helena. You're not even watching, or you're or you're denying. No, I'm talking about 400 students from our from our high schools uh signed agreements to go to electric boat this spring after doing an apprenticeship program there for a year. 400 students. That's triple or quadruple of whatever was there before. So every I could go point by point of what Helena just talked about. She's not paying attention, so she's either denying that we're having this growth or not denying. Look, the rankings of the rankings, I'm my job is to figure out how to make this economy work. We had we just had more businesses uh start in this state uh in the last year than the history of the state of Rhode Island. So she's not paying attention, uh, and she's misleading people in in ways that look, we are bringing in jobs, fidelity. You talk about growing jobs with companies, 3,000 jobs. When I showed up, they were going to do five to eight hundred, they did three thousand because we were talking to their leadership there. What's happening down in in Quonset? 3,000 jobs down there. We put money into the into their um facilities down there, over $70 million to make sure that the peers were actually upgraded after 50 years of not paying attention. We put $40 million down into the fisheries down in down at down in Galilee that's never been done. By the way, and I knocked down that hotel that the that the birds were living in that never had been done for beautification. So look, the work that is getting done in this state, it's gonna take it would take a lot longer to outline what's happening in this state that is being ignored by my opponent, and she's basically said telling people the things that that she would do that are already happening. And by the way, I've got the government experience to actually get it done. My opponent has zero government experience. None.

Bill Bartholomew 45:19

Thank you, Governor. I rescind the 30 seconds, uh, by the way, on this for your response, Ms. Folks.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 45:24

Uh well, I I think we've talked enough of it. I think you know, people can judge our backgrounds and decide who will be the best at helping businesses thrive. I I do know how to do it. Uh I'm excited to do it. Uh I've talked to many people in the sectors the governor's describing who know that I would be a better leader in terms of bringing more business here.

Dan McKee 45:47

Sabin uh down in Bristol, uh the uh organogenesis and life science up in our Smithfield. I'm not interrupting you. Just continue to let me finish.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 45:56

Yeah. Um so the governor mentioned in his answer a trip to California. And I just I think you're referring to the trip where um you uh were there and you went to a basketball game. And so I just want to talk about that too.

Bill Bartholomew 46:09

You're talking about Tidewater Landing and now there's there's a s a report that Kawhi Leonard, who is an NBA star, uh maybe a one of the hidden investors, if you will, in this project, and then there's a report that you were at a Clippers game, Kawhi Leonard was playing. for the Clippers. So I just want to set the context.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 46:26

Well I think what's important for the people to to think about is, you know, the governor said he cast the tie-breaking vote to build the most expensive soccer stadium this country's ever seen. This will cost taxpayers in the state $117 million. We got no housing out of it. There was a a recent press release where we might get some at some point.

Bill Bartholomew 46:45

Would you vote yes voted for that that's the case of the I love a soccer stadium but we could have gotten a better deal.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 46:52

So I would not have approved that you would not have approved the deal as well.

Bill Bartholomew 46:54

Even if that meant they walked away.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 46:56

I I think we would have f found a much better deal that wouldn't cost the taxpayers $117 million. But to me it really feels clear that the governor has something to hide here. You know he said he invited himself to the basketball game and then he ends up getting courtside seats. He happens to sit next to the president of the Rhode Island Football Club along with two other state employees. He says he's reimbursed for the tickets. I'd love to see the receipt on that because those tickets was the opening night in a new stadium must have been five ten thousand dollars a pop. I'd love to see those receipts governor and we're supposed to believe that he never had a conversation as he sat next to the president of the Rhode Island Football Club that Kawhi Leonard was also an investor in the club. This in the in the football club and I think this is another example of the lack of transparency.

Dan McKee 47:44

Did you know that Kawhi Leonard was involved in this record. She doesn't want to talk about it. But on the specific did you know that Kawhi Leonard was a basketball game I love basketball building you and I talked about basketball. You love soccer I love basketball. I did my business with Andrew talked to Divergent had them out here potentially a company that might be coming to this state. I met it met at the five at the at the headquarters of Amgen as well who has the largest production center of in in in the network right here in Rhode Island. And then after that work was done I went to a basketball game. So what is the problem?

Bill Bartholomew 48:18

But did you know did you know that Kawhi Leonard was one of the investors in RSP I did know that Brett Johnson said he had some professional athletes but I didn't know that.

Dan McKee 48:26

But really what does it matter? We want people to invest in our state. We want the money in our state and so for for uh my opponent here Helena to say that somehow there's some sort of conspiracy here it's just another way that you're just deflecting away from your record and and and and trying to um have people think that somehow there's an issue with me going to a basketball game. So it's just crazy that that we're even talking about this is an NBA issue. If they have a um uh if they've you know had a strategy to pay pay quiet lennon more than he was entitled to because of the Sally crap that's an NBA issue let's leave the NBA taking care of the NBA issues. As far as the soccer stadium people in this uh then leadership over the years turned their back on Pawtucket. You just heard Helena folks basically say that she would have turned her back on that soccer stadium. We were in a situation where interest rates were going up, construction costs were going up but we haven't even talked about our buddy President Trump his tariffs and his uh escalating interest rates were causing major problems you know as we were entering into that situation. So the the whole issue here Pawtucket needed a shot in the arm and I gave it to them. And now to say that there's no housing going in there, we have just announced that we have the financing to bring infrastructure around that stadium to support four to five hundred houses. I'm going to build we're going to build that bridge over the water bill just like I said we would and then there's going to be four to five hundred units to add to the 7,000 units that we have already built since I've been governor and the 15,000 units that are going to be built under my housing plan before the end of 2013.

Bill Bartholomew 50:07

Thank you, Governor on the stadium though, before we wrap it up what would it look like in a in a folks administration going forward now in terms of how do you manage this project and if it does come out that there was some kind of connection here that there was a scheme that even though it's a third party scenario with the NBA, the Clippers, it's not Rhode Island, do you feel comfortable being involved in that kind of scheme if in fact it comes out that that's the case? And I think that's an important qualification that's a big jump.

Dan McKee 50:34

That's where we're setting the total inhumendo that's going to get floated by my opponent here. That didn't happen the political issue if we want to have professional athletes invest their dollars in state of Rhode Island, line them up because I would be happy to bring them in. But let's get back to the Ms.

Bill Bartholomew 50:52

Folks on the we have on the on the stadium as currently constituted.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 51:00

But I think we sh the state if it's going to put out $117 million over the next thirty years should know who every single investor is. And that's really the issue is the lack of transparency. And and the fact that the governor I mean governor you're sitting at courtside seats with the head of the soccer club and two other state employees and you sort of say you invited yourself and you didn't really know Kawhi Leonard was an investor that makes no sense to me. Like at no point did Brent Johnson say to you oh yeah Kawhi loves soccer and and he's an investor in Rhode Island. I just don't think that feels true.

Speaker 4 51:41

I I'd like to say that you're like you've done that more than once.

Bill Bartholomew 51:46

But but beyond beyond the specifics here the issue you're real raising whether or not this story trues out as is because if it doesn't it's just a it's just a thing that happened. It's not a there's no political story if this doesn't turn into a scheme, right? But beyond that you're saying that any project the state gets involved in you would publish the name of any and there would be no silent investors. Right. Would that include the corporate level where a corporation with anonymity could invest in projects would you require disclosure of all human beings involved in the every investor should be disclosed.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 52:15

And I also would lean on people who are smarter than me. I've always said you know I want to surround people who are smarter than me. When when the governor and commerce were putting this deal together I think they could have leaned into people who wanted to do get a better deal for the state. And that's all I'm saying.

Dan McKee 52:31

I think that if you had taken more time to do that, the people of Rhode Island would have had a really nice soccer stadium for less money and more housing could we have got a better deal by the way is the we we put into the transaction that we can buy it out in ten years. It's not going to be $117 million. It's going to be significantly less than that. We float the numbers out on a 30 year amortization schedule as if you were going to pay for your house on a on a on a a a principal on interest over thirty years. We did the right thing. I did not turn my back on Pawtucket. I will not turn my back on Pawtucket. My opponent wants to distract a a a silly story about a uh about a uh about a uh me attending a basketball game and then and then drumming up this whole conspiracy level look she doesn't want to talk about her money went into a Trump victory fund. She doesn't want to talk about money going to McConnell Senator McConnell who rigged the Supreme Court and took away the road vs wade on win uh from the women in this country and the women in this state she doesn't want to talk she doesn't want to talk about that. What she wants to talk about is I go to a basketball game. I like basketball I went to a basketball game. End of story I paid for my ticket I'll make that disclosure it's it's a shame right now quite frankly in this state that I go to a game I pay for a ticket and I have to disclose that ticket. But that's what happens when you're governor by the way what happens when you're governor Alina is that you are an open book and you have to show it over and over again and I've done that over and over again to do the work that I'm doing. But yes you do not want to disclose that you put your money into a pack that went into a Trump victory fund that your money went into Senator McConnell's pocket to at as he's rigging the Supreme Court to take away our rights on the Supreme Court. So you want to talk about a basketball game? Let's talk about uh that your response Ms.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 54:12

folks uh well I I do look forward to seeing the receipt from both you and the two state employees for the basketball game because I think those tickets could have been anywhere between five and ten thousand dollars each. As far as your lie about me and Trump, I've said from the beginning I think Trump is a despicable human being and the worst president we've ever had. I have never given a dime to Donald Trump and the governor knows that. So that is uh a a whole bunch of lies.

Dan McKee 54:41

Why why repeat that's the money Helena Folk's money went into a political pack and that political pack donated to a Trump Victory at which company are you talking about Governor? At CVS and then also the money that Home Depot the pack there as well went into MAGA candidates as well. Okay so that's important.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 55:00

I want to talk about the At Home Depot I did donate to the PAC at Home Depot at Home Depot we were allowed to dedicate our funds to a particular party every year I donated I checked off the box to only give my money to Democrats. At CVS I had no control over the PAC money I was the head of the retail business no involvement in the PAC. So you're really again attacking CVS which is fine.

Bill Bartholomew 55:26

And those are just the facts and it's important for people to know that you've never donated to Donald Trump or the Trump campaign individually or through a pack?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 55:34

In no way. And plus the fact I donated to Kamala Harris and was very proud to support her in the last election.

Dan McKee 55:41

So people know this and this is just a defeat it's a fact the money went into a pack that she put money into that went to a Trump victory pack. So you're criticizing CBS again that's fine nothing I'm not criticizing CBS I'm criticizing you for you for not saying that that was the wrong thing to do. You should be out there saying you should not be um putting money into a pack, a victory pack for President Trump that was causing us problems on our on our SNAP benefits, ICE coming in, the ACA in terms of the the work that's happened there, I had to go to court uh with uh with the Attorney General and and uh to to keep Revolution wind alive. Look President Trump is not a friend of this state and he's causing some serious problems for us across the board your money went into a Trump Victory Fund by way of a pact you should be saying give me my money back because that money should not have gone to the Trump Victory Fund.

Bill Bartholomew 56:28

All right so let's let's talk about uh we have just a few minutes left keeping these questions tight on ICE miss folks what would you do about ICE in Rhode Island as governor would you for example if if IC violated the polling place provision that the governor just signed that you can't be within 200 feet of a polling place if you're an ICE official would you instruct the state police to engage with ICE?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 56:51

Yeah I ICE is terrorizing Americans. ICE is what's going on under Donald Trump is horrendous. ICE is killing innocent Americans and I will do everything I can to make the people of Rhode Island feel safe. People are staying home right now. It's hurting businesses kids aren't going to school it is a really terrible time. I have a friend who's been in this country 25 years trying to get um legal status. He was taken by ICE on the courthouse steps. He has three grown children and a grandchild here.

Bill Bartholomew 57:23

That is the wrong thing to be doing and I will do everything in my power to protect that your powers would include the National Guard and the state police would you instruct them to intervene in a scenario where federal agents were engaged with a civilian or anybody else for that matter would you instruct the state police to get involved? I I will because if they're doing things that are illegal on the court steps and places they shouldn't be then we have to protect the people Governor you haven't taken that type of step yet there hasn't been any known confrontation between state police or national guard and ICE. If it came down to it in order to enforce that what you just signed.

Dan McKee 57:57

They're on my direction I meet with the with the state police the National Guard and the and the emergency management on this very issue. That's why I signed the four Ford bills that uh went through in terms of like putting larger circumferences around the voting areas as well as protecting people at the courts. Good thing we had a judge step up when that young man was was being detained by ICE. Otherwise who knows where that man would be look at I've got a you know you talk about personal friends I have a young man that went to schools that the school that I started right we haven't even talked about education really thoroughly here. Um and at he was in this country at one year old and then at and he he he approached me and and my staff and said I just got a notice that I have to leave this country. And we were a I actually met him at one of the one of the uh um World Cup events in Central Falls and and and he said look at I'll do anything I anything for you governor in terms of the uh you help me get an education. By the way he's out of college now owns a home and they're asking him to leave this country and we we stepped in to make sure that that didn't happen. So yeah this is a problem. Trump's a problem. Look he's a problem. When Snap when he when the when the government shutdown happened in um in this fall what who who who stepped forward and make sure that every SNAP benefit was paid to the families and the people that deserve it. I did. I went made sure that that happened uh and yet he he was denied making a political issue out of out of food which is unforgivable as far as I'm concerned. Right now I had to put in the budget millions and millions of dollars by the way millions of dollars uh to offset uh uh costs that are coming our way uh because of health care costs helping 2000 people keep their health care in my budget as well so yeah Trump's a problem and uh we have to uh deal with it uh but at the same point in time we got to protect the people that are being uh profiled in an unconstitutional way thank you governor we before we get to our closing statements here miss folks just lastly on the bulwark against Trump which I think is the discussion we're having right now what what does that look like for you beyond just simply potentially deploying the state police in in a confrontation with ICE if need be?

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 1:00:00

Well Trump's a bully you know he's like a seventh grade boy who just gets away with what he wants to do and he's terrorizing not only Americans but this this the world we live in today. The war in Iran is jacking up gas prices and the cost of groceries. So uh it's very hard I tell people all the time this is why elections matter uh we really have to replace him but but in the meantime we need strong governors now more than ever now now even more than four years ago we need a really strong governor and we know we need governors who will team up together and work with other governors of New England states and I do know how to do that. I have great relationships with other governors in New England and I look forward to serving the people of Rhode Island because it's a scary time and we need a governor who really protects us.

Dan McKee 1:00:46

Thank you Miss Folks um let's go to closing remarks here if we could 60 seconds of Governor McKay she can have another one if she likes uh governor you're first no I'm I'm last you you uh heads the coin bounce your way so you would be you went first and now you'll go first again in the well I'm happy to go I'm happy to go right now look this this election does matter uh I I I'm with the people uh and um voters should be very concerned uh about uh the corporate interests uh that my uh opponent represents uh that's who's bankrolling her campaign and that's who she's gonna be um working for I'm working for the people like I said I grew up in a boys club my wife Susan and I met in high school married 52 years we have grandkids right now we want our education to work and I'm probably the best education person that's ever been in the office in the in in a governor's office and I got the background to prove it. My energy program's gonna save um billions of dollars millions and millions of dollars my opponent's energy program has actually gonna cost people money people need to know that my housing plan is working millions of dollars I'd like to know whether my opponent's actually going to vote for the uh bond uh that's put on 120 million dollars for more uh for more funding for our housing uh the housing is working my opponent's uh plan for housing is a is a house of cards it'll fall apart because it can't even be funded because she wants to use the very money that we're using to protect the people against Trump's issues that we just went over. So I'm asking people for their vote. At this point in time I'm the governor that's working for the people my opponent is the gov would be a governor that would be working for corporations and she believes that this office is for sale. I'm telling you right now the people in the state of Rhode Island are going to support me as they have in the past because this office is not for sale. This office is an office for the people and as long as I'm governor that's exactly what it's going to be.

Helena Buonanno Foulkes 1:02:41

All right Miss folks well for far too long people are really feeling priced out of this state and and they don't feel like they have a governor who's working for them. It's very stressful out there and we need a governor who can really deliver for the people of Rhode Island. Under Dan McKee's leadership we have 50th in the country in the economy 50th in bridges and roads 50th in housing production and yet we're the fifth highest cost of living state in this country. So the numbers aren't adding up people are hurting we need a governor who's gonna take action on behalf of them. My housing plan will build 2000 new housing units that really work for middle class families, all families in this state we've got to start doing much, much more and uh the millionaires tax can be dedicated to that and really make a difference for Rhode Islanders. I uh know that people are ready for change. They say it to me all the time it's tough time out there. This is a man who's been a politician for thirty years, a lieutenant governor governor for six for twelve years now and people are hurting and they're looking forward for change and I'm ready to serve them.

Bill Bartholomew 1:03:54

Thank you both for being here today. Really appreciate it. I know the voters do as well. Lena Bonan folks Governor McKay I'm Bill Bartholomew this is the Bartholomewtown WPRO Democratic primary gubernatorial forum