The late Robert J. Healey Jr. endeared himself to many Rhode Islanders during three unsuccessful runs for lieutenant governor, primarily on a platform of abolishing the office. The last time he ran, in 2010 as an independent, he captured 39% of the vote.
While Rhode Islanders have kept the office, the question of its value resurfaces each election season. Lt. Gov. Daniel J. McKee, however, has made inroads toward dispelling the notion the office isn’t needed, carving out a role as a voice for small businesses since his election in 2015.
His latest idea may not seem like much on the surface: a volunteer program of honorary ambassadors to attract foreign business for the state. But it’s a fresh look at an old problem, attracting investment from abroad in the nation’s smallest state.
Participants will get marketing material and look for business connections on their own dime and time. McKee’s office is the point of contact for state government.
Who knows if it will work? But even Healey might have admitted there’s little downside in trying.