Spring Break
University student makes bid for R.I. Statehouse seat
Christopher Barrett
Issue date: 2/26/08 Section: News
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Two weeks ago Frappier, a political science and history major, declared his candidacy for the Rhode Island House of Representatives. Running as an independent, Frappier faces one-term Democratic incumbent Nicholas Mattiello, and a possible Republican challenger in the race to serve as the representative from District 15 in Cranston.
During the next few months he will be planning all the campaign moves, including fund-raisers, door-to-door canvassing and interviews with the press. Along the way he'll campaign on a platform that calls for the state to tighten its fiscal belt and close state deficits projected at more than $430 million. But unlike the Republican governor, Frappier, 21, wants the legislature to cut out special interests and stop targeting state workers and higher education.
"The General Assembly keeps spending all our money on special projects, pork-barrel, when we really should be cutting back," he said yesterday.
Frappier said he is particularly concerned about the state's continued cutbacks to higher education funding, both as a student and citizen. Gov. Donald Carcieri has proposed trimming $12.1 million from the University of Rhode Island's coffers during the next two years and the school estimates state funding will decrease to zero by about 2020 if nothing is done to reverse the trend.
"I think higher education is one of the few areas in the budget that could not withstand a budget cut," Frappier said.
Frappier said the state needs to do more to keep its educated citizens here. And while he acknowledges he doesn't have a silver bullet, Frappier said he believes he could make a difference on Smith Hill.
"I really felt the state was going in the wrong direction and the state legislature is the closest thing to direct democracy," Frappier said.
But getting there is hardly direct. Frappier and his mostly young, entirely unpaid staff - that range from 17 to 55 - will need to weave through campaign finance laws, election requirements, scrutiny from reporters and an opponent entrenched in the state's dominant political party.
