We hope that small business owners will take newly elected Senate Majority Leader
William V. Irons up on his challenge — and invite members of the General Assembly
to visit their places of business.
In a recent speech to the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, the East Providence
Democrat made a telling comment.
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“Many of my colleagues do not understand you,” said Irons.
Irons should know. He has been a legislator for nearly two decades and now is
among a handful of the most influential politicians in the state. He has also
been in the insurance business for the bulk of his professional life. Known
as a straight-talker, Irons predicts not only that such on-site visits will
take place, but that they will be substantive and meaningful. His advice to
business owners could not have been misconstrued.
“Don’t lecture them,” said Irons.
Irons’ point is well taken. He says members of the business community need to
show the proper respect to legislators, who like the business owners, devote
countless hours to their own labor of love – public service.
In return, said Irons, business owners will get a better educated representative
at the General Assembly – one who will understand why certain production details
or exporting matters or tax issues are critical to a business’s bottom line.
Irons is promising an open, cooperative leadership style as a means to fostering
economic development proposals. We hope he delivers on that promise.
Rhode Island doesn’t have to look any farther than its vastly improved workers’
compensation to see that only through cooperative efforts can real reform take
place.
Rhode Island’s workers’ compensation system was broken for a long time and only
got fixed when folks like labor leader George Nee and business leader Sheldon
S. Sollosy spent many hours working together, and bringing back to their camps
the message of cooperation. If we are to have a successful port at Quonset Point,
if we are to have a tax system that allows companies to compete on a level playing
field, if we are to have an education system that properly trains our children
to be a part of a technology-driven workforce, then business and labor and our
elected officials must work as one.
