Anthony Giarrusso, Neighbor

For the first time in my life, I'm running for public office, for State Representative from District 30 - East Greenwich and the eastern part of West Greenwich. What stimulated me to run - to raise my hand as someone willing to help fix Rhode Island - was the revelation that our kids simply have no future here. We raise them, we educate them, and then they are forced to go elsewhere to live and work because RI has nothing to offer them. This has to change.

This is probably more relevant to me because I am from an immigrant family that moved to Rhode Island when I was four. This country has offered me great opportunities, and I have been able to build a sizeable company and provide good jobs for more than 100 people.

I'm running to ensure those opportunities remain in place. To do that, we need to continue to emphasize education. We need to create a welcoming environment for business. And we have to force government to begin to operate in a professional manner.

I'm hopeful the voters of District 30 will agree on these points, and vote for me on September 11.