Conversations with the Candidates for Governor

Candidate: Ken Block

Ken Block is all business. As a software engineer transplant to RI, he's made his name in the last year and a half by establishing a new political party in the state: the Moderate party. Our conversation with him centered primarily on the budget deficit and economy - the candidate's single most pounded message this entire season. As has been reported in news outlets, Block rarely goes off campaign message to talk about the subject - or interest - at hand, though we did manage to reel him in a couple of times.

"The simple brutal truth: we don't have the money to well educate our kids, to fix our failing bridges or roads, and what this race has to be all about is which candidate has the best plan for fixing it." Thus began our conversation with the candidate. "A compelling case can be made across the board that some funding needs have to happen," he continued. "I just can't tell you the extra funds are there."

Block spoke of his relationship to the arts through his businesses, "whether it be the creation of 3-minute videos to sell my traffic lights, to letterhead, to websites - the arts community touches me in every possible way", and with this threw out intangible support: "What I can tell you without fail, when I get it worked out as Governor, I will be a patron of the arts [in my administration]."

The fast paced conversation made clear the candidate's passion and thoughts on improving RI's economy, while RI CFA fought to keep the discussion on track to garner the candidate's clear views and inclusion of the creative sector. When pressed on his thoughts around the data that shows job growth and economic activity in the creative sector, he conceded: "It's a compelling statistic where $1 in state money turns into an $22 of additional stimulus from other places. Of course, no brainer." Though he quickly turned back to his position that we need to fix the economy first and foremost.

When asked his thoughts on the assets of the state, he talked more about the "self-defeating tax policy and regulatory burdens [the state] puts on businesses that make them look other places." And only when pressed even further, he acknowledged Rhode Island is a beautiful state with assets such as Narragansett Bay, proximity to Boston and NYC, having a high speed railway system and being on the Route 95 corridor, giving only a slight nod to the creative community by noting the assets of RISD and other universities and colleges.

Block was open to the idea of a creative sector council that would advise policy. He also agreed that putting creative people on boards and commissions woud be beneficial: "What this state suffers from is the lack of creativity on the part of our elected officials". He spoke strongly about the EDC, stating he would "blow it up", criticizing the board's approval of the 38 Studios deal, and then outlining his RI RED (Real Economic Development) plan, where he would seek to create three venture capital funds focused on bio-tech/bio-med, green energy/manufacturing and tech businesses. He would use $70 million in state pension funds to seed the program and have venture capitalists match the amount 1-to-1 and also manage the program, "leaving the decision making to experts with national scope".

Though, when asked specifically about his ideas to create a path from graduation to small business, supporting the burgeoning creative and social enterprenuerial industry locally, he talked about not having critical mass in our state in any one industry, perhaps missing the point of nurturing what is here. "Talent comes from the concentration of business and business comes because of the concentration of talent."

To wrap up the discussion, we got specific:

• Would you push for the arts education mandates, and find a way to ensure arts inside schools? Block talked of his 6 and 8-year old children in public schools and in his opinion their education would not be complete if they did not have arts. "Have to have it."

• Considering the size of RI State Council on the Arts' budget and its relative impact, do you feel you would cut that budget? Block stated "If I can do what I want to do, I won't have to cut anyone's budget." And discussed his focus on cutting waste and fraud to save the state money.

• Have we sold you on the benefits of the arts and creative sector? "Didn't have to sell me. I already get it."

In closing, Block shared this statement: "In my administration, I won't look to balance the budget on the backs of the arts any more than I will balance the budget on the backs of cities and towns. We've been doing it wrong. I can tell you I have no plans to cut it."

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