Last week, Helena Foulkes announced she was running for governor of Rhode Island. This is the second attempt for the former CVS executive. She spoke with our political reporter, Ian Donnis.
Interview highlights:
On why she’s running for governor
Helena Foulkes: I am running for governor of Rhode Island because I’ve been looking at all the pain that Rhode Islanders are feeling, honestly, and especially in the last three years. I’m hearing from folks in terms of just massive economic hardship. Whether they can afford to live here is one big area of concern that I hear from people. Also, just feeling like the state isn’t working for them anymore. And the Washington Bridge is a poster child for that. And then on top of all of these state-driven issues, you’ve got the Trump administration, which is just wreaking havoc on people’s lives. I love this state. I was born and raised here and I really want to make a difference for Rhode Islanders and allow this to be a place where every family can live a great life.
On the role that CVS played in the opioid crisis
Foulkes: I did come to CVS really almost at the peak of the crisis. And if you look back, it’s very important that you understand context.This was really a tragedy that Purdue Pharma created and they knew full well what they were doing. They got so many people addicted to these medicines and most of this whole healthcare sector really missed this. We didn’t know what was going on. We didn’t understand how addictive all of these medicines would be. I knew it was a problem and I knew that we were going to have to attack it and we did more than anyone in the country on this particular issue, and I’m happy to go into the details. But just high level: we cut off over 600 pill mill doctors. We did the biggest drug takeback program the country’s ever seen. And I personally led an effort where I got together with other chain drugstore leaders to make sure we advocated for legislation to reduce the number of pills you could get when you left minor surgery. So it used to be in Rhode Island, when you got a root canal, you’d leave the doctor’s office and you’d have a prescription and it was 30 pills and we had to fill 30 pills. You couldn’t decide to fill fewer pills. That was what the doctor ordered. So we changed that.
On how a Rhode Island Governor can increase the number of jobs in the state
Foulkes: I think the most important thing that I hear from people when I’m talking to them is “[we need more] good paying jobs.” So many people I meet, they say, you know, “I love this state, but I’m not sure my children are going to be able to afford to live here.” And I think the average income in Rhode Island right now is $68,000 a year, and yet you have the average price of a home is $520,000. That math does not work for people. It really means that you’ve got to be working hard as the governor on behalf of all the workers in this state, the chief champion of workers to find ways to get them better paying jobs, not just more jobs, great paying jobs. And so it’s not easy. I think the world has gotten more complex since COVID, but it doesn’t mean that you don’t stop trying. And I know today there are 49 governors in this country who are out actively looking for new companies to come to their states because they want to lift up people and make sure they have good paying jobs. And unfortunately, in Rhode Island, we do not have a governor who’s doing that.
On whether the state should increase taxes for the highest earners
Foulkes: I am very open to it. I think that the state is in a very tough situation from a budget perspective. So, next year the state will have a $300 million deficit if it does nothing. And I am frustrated with where we are. Over the Biden years, we got $4 billion in federal funding in this state, and it’s all evaporated. If you look at our neighboring states, Massachusetts has an $8 billion rainy day fund. Connecticut has a $4 billion rainy day fund, and we have virtually nothing. So we’re going to have to have everything on the table. I think we’re going to have to look at the revenue side, but we also need to look at the cost side. I think that one of the things that’s really been missing is a lot of leaders in the state will talk about having a 10-year vision, but they do a one-year budget and that doesn’t work. So we have to really roll up our sleeves, look at what are all the factors in the next five to 10 years. How do we fund the things we want to fund? And yes, absolutely, it could be in the form of taxing the wealthy in the state. But it all should be a very good, hard look at the expenditure side of things.
On investing in transit
Foulkes: We spend a woefully small, small amount of money on buses compared to our roads and bridges. And if you think about the next 25 to 50 years, it is very hard to imagine that we won’t live in a world where we have much more multimodal transportation. So we’ve gotta be thinking about that now. And in particular I am really frustrated with the recent situation where the governor did not fund $10 million that RIPTA was looking for. If you look at the gas tax and where the money goes, not enough of that is going to buses. So we have to look at the current system and make sure that we are not leaving the people who need to get to work and to the hospital and to their schools left in the lurch, which is what we just did with the $10 million underfunding. Meanwhile, by the way, the state chose to spend $4.5 million dollars a year on two tow trucks, which are permanently sitting on the Washington Bridge. So this is the kind of example I see and when I talk to Rhode Islanders about it, it drives them nuts. You know, this is classic mismanagement. This is the people’s money, and we’re sitting there not doing what they should be doing.
On Hasbro’s decision to leave Pawtucket for Boston’s Seaport neighborhood
Foulkes: I was really sad to read that news because I thought about the 700 families. I met a woman last night who lives in Pawtucket, who’s now not sure she’s going to be able to keep her job and go up to the Seaport every day. So this a concern for me and I think that what’s missing is a governor who’s actually reaching out on behalf of the people of Rhode Island to be their champion and say, “How do we not only keep the companies we have here, but actually ask them to expand more jobs in the state?” I talk to manufacturers all the time who feel that not only does the state look to push them away, but maybe the state isn’t understanding that they’ve got other plants in other states. So I want to be the kind of leader who’s looking for great jobs for everyone. And yes, I am very concerned about that.
