To the editor:

With less than one week before election day, and with early voting commencing since Oct. 19, the East Bay and Rhode Island as a whole is at a crossroads: Continue with the status quo bad policies of the single-party blue-state we currently are, or turn the page on the past by electing new people with fresh ideas on to make government work best for you.

To make the latter happen, I have a humble — if not obvious — suggestion: use the power of the ballot-box to vote out all Progressive Democrats and incumbent elected officials that have made Rhode Island one of the hardest states to live in nationally.

But first, a little history. For 90 years, since the beginning of the Great Depression, RI politics have been dominated by the Democrat machine, with the state considered part of the Democrats' "Blue Wall."

What has that brought to the average voter? High sales tax, rampant cost-of-living, and a cynical mistrust to the institutions of government because of those currently in power.

Need proof? RI's employment ranks 43 out of 50 US states (RI Employment rate growing only 1.7% annually and underperforming the national average of 3.7%); WalletHub ranks RI the 48th best state to do business (ahead of only NJ and Conn.) — especially under the policies enacted by current Biden Commerce Secretary/former Governor Gina Raimondo's leadership; CNBC's 2022 'Top States To Do Business' ranks RI a low 45 (due to low marks on infrastructure, workforce, cost-of-living and economy).

So what policies do our government officials push that make RI such a hopeless state? Look to our lawmakers in the general assembly. Bills like H7546 (which establishes a "carbon tax" on fossil fuels and increases energy and heating costs on consumers); H7277 (which mandates 100% renewable energy by 2033); and H7654 (which imposes higher taxes to RI businesses) are bills sponsored by your lawmakers this year alone.

Local governments aren't looking much better: Town councils are simultaneously increasing property taxes while using influence to push divisive social agents (Example — Barrington's recent virtue-signaling against Columbus Day).

On the school front, the past two years local school districts have been a battleground of parents vs. school committees — with some looking to classrooms to wage the next culture war — leaving many parents fed up with their local school committees not putting the students' educational needs first.

Lastly, let's talk demeanor. In the last two years political division has only gotten worse under the Biden administration. This September, Democrat figurehead Biden — glazed in ominous-red background — asserted all political opposition "represent[s] an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic."

That same month, Governor Dan McKee raised eyebrows by not accepting a concession call by a primary opponent.

The choices are clear. The current balance of power in the Ocean State must be shifted to new people with fresh ideas to ensure the best for residents and taxpayers going forward.

When you vote - don't be afraid to move RI forward with great change - our future depends on it.

William Sousa Grapentine
112 Mulberry Rd.

Grapentine is Vice Chair of the Bristol Republican Town Committee