Making a run
Burrillville Land Trust president and grassroots organizer Paul A. Roselli throws his hat in governor’s race
BURRILLVILLE – Paul A. Roselli, president of the Burrillville Land Trust and a grassroots organizer and leading opponent of Invenergy Thermal Development’s proposed power plant in Pascoag, is running for governor.
Roselli, a Democrat, announced recently that he will primary incumbent Gov. Gina Raimondo in the Democratic primary in September of 2018.
Roselli said his main reason for running is because Raimondo has “ignored ordinary citizens.”
“Whether its the 700 employees of Benny’s, the Saint Joseph’s pension fund collapse, loss of municipal land use control and, yes, the fracked gas fired power plant proposed for the middle of the woods in northwestern Rhode Island, our governor comes late to these discussions, ignores thousands of hard working citizens, and instead spends time catering to corporate interests and needs,” Roselli said in a press release announcing his candidacy.
Roselli, who as been advocating against the Burrillville power plant for the past two years, has been credited by other opponents of the plant with leading the charge to change the focus of the power plant from a local to a statewide and regional issue.
But Roselli says his campaign will focus on more than just environmental issues, including jobs in Rhode Island infrastructure, modernizing the grid, never raiding green energy programs, making Rhode Island the center and leader in innovation, revising regulations for small and medium business, and saving communities. Roselli says he wants to be the voice of those who do not have a voice in state government.
“I was a grass roots organizer at the Rhode Island House and Senate for nearly five years representing small and medium groups to oppose and support land use policy, environmental policy and energy efficiency program legislation. I have a pretty good track record,” he said.
While the primary is nearly a year away, Roselli says now is the time to talk about the issues that impact the state.
“A gas fired power plant supported by the governor is not what we need in a time when we should stop using fossil fuels,” he said. “Rate increases, when Rhode Island is one of the leaders in energy efficiency, is not what we need. Giving away millions to billionaires is not what we need. We need a sustainable progressive jobs program for all working people, a more trusted government and I’m the one who will do that.”
Roselli, of Mapleville, is a documentary maker and involved in environmental education.
He is the president of the Burrillville Land Trust and the Rhode Island Association of Conservation Commissions, as well as a board member of the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone.
Roselli holds a Bachelor of Science degree in plant and soil science and a Master’s in Arts in education from the University of Rhode Island and is a graduate student in a Master of Science program called global environmental studies at Bryant University.