Nobody could legitimately accuse Giovanni Feroce of thinking small. His penchant for bold, well thought-out ideas was fully evident in a prelude last week to his May 20th announcement as a Republican candidate for Governor. Here are just some of his thoughts:

From higher education to wider education

Mr. Feroce argues that free public higher education for RI students is wrongheaded and utterly counterproductive on multiple levels. Put aside for a moment the failure of such a system to instill in recipients of public largesse the lifelong values of hard work and self-sufficiency. Educational leaders seem to be mired in century-old models that leave students stranded in unemployment lines where they can spend their time conceiving letters of application in perfect iambic pentameter while worried about how to pay student debt. What is needed is a model that incorporates all levels of degrees, preparatory programs that address skill gaps and adult education directly relevant to workforce development. He posits that absent the capacity to manufacture, i.e. without a practically/vocationally trained flesh and blood workforce, the most highly advanced technological innovations remain pure theory in search of socio-economic relevance. He outlined 7 innovative approaches plus the military and other forms of public service as the conduits to secure options to replace a college education with meaningful and lucrative job preparation.

The 21st Century Rhode Island Business Act

Mr. Feroce rejects the notion of change for change's sake. With equal fervor, however, he opposes the rejection of necessary and long overdue change on the grounds of political expediency. He sees the office of governor as a bully pulpit for the systemic change needed to take Rhode Island from the red to the black. His proposals include elimination of the personal income tax, estate tax, inventory and asset taxes, the institution of the lowest corporate income tax in the nation, tuition reimbursement credits for companies, commitment to transportation infrastructure connectivity, provision of municipal infrastructure support systems for all 39 cities and towns, and the designation of Rhode Island as a “Right to Work” state by working with labor to create a model to begin in 2025. The implementing of the "block chain" technology that identifies, tracks and shares information results in millions of dollars of savings in unnecessary personnel while also creating the branding of Rhode Island as a “block chain” hub for innovative companies to locate.

I asked the candidate, given the flurry of press stories of his failing in business, why should the public entrust to him its business. He responded that he is well respected and works daily advising companies around the world. Sometimes, he says, businesses get sick just like people do. What he is going through is a step-by-step process in a trademark war which requires court actions to protect rights. The repetitiveness of the stories of litigation are all really about the same issue which revolves around protecting all interests including his, vendors, partners and shareholders.

Giovanni Feroce has a clear sense of the need to transform cities. He endorses the statement uttered by the co-owner of Thumbtack, “ Humans currently live in cities that are the equivalent of flip phones.” In what Ernest Hemingway refered to as “a moveable feast,” candidate Feroce plans collaboration with everyday Rhode Islanders and expects each “guest” to respond with the question commonly asked upon receipt of a dinner reservation: “What can I bring?"

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.