Whatever your feelings on the election of Donald J. Trump to be president, there are some issues that must be dealt with that candidate Trump seemed not to appreciate with the required seriousness.
No. 1 on the list is trade. Opposition to existing trade deals made for good political rhetoric on the campaign trail from all parties. But access to global markets is an imperative, especially in Rhode Island. In a market as small as the Ocean State, prosperity and growth outside the state and the country must be part of the formula.
The twin issues of energy and the environment will continue to grow in importance. There is no question that the oceans are rising and that fossil fuel use is a large part of the problem. With offshore wind promising to help clean up our energy supplies, as well as make the United States more energy independent (and set up Rhode Island as a national leader), the momentum must not be interrupted.
And finally, immigration. While rational and orderly immigration procedures are a must, so too is a recognition that immigration is a great economic engine. People want to come here because the country presents economic and political opportunity, and the moment we lose the energy immigrants supply, we will find ourselves looking more and more like Europe, stuck in near-recession levels of economic growth. So President Trump needs to figure out how to create an immigration regime that retains the benefits to the nation while not overwhelming it with too many people. •