By Mark Binder in
Rhode Island’s Future
EDITOR’S NOTE: it’s no secret that I was a strong supporter
of Seth Magaziner to become General Treasurer and was very happy when he won. Seth
has started off on a great foot by picking Tom Sguros to be his senior policy
advisor, a perfect spot for Tom. Tom’s columns have frequently been
re-published here in Progressive Charlestown (click here to see
them). His recent series on conservative hysteria over RhodeMap RI are choice
pieces of social commentary. I hope Tom will get to keep writing. - WC
It’s always gratifying when one of the best and most deserving
folk actually get a position in government where they can make a powerful
difference. We recently learned that RI Future contributor Tom
Sgouros has been appointed as senior policy adviser to Seth
Magaziner, the new treasurer of Rhode Island.
Tom was himself a candidate for the office of treasurer in 2010
but dropped out early in the race that Gina Raimondo would go on to win. He is
known for his incisive, well-researched and often sarcastic insights into the
economics and policies of Rhode Island.
In addition to writing for RI Future, Tom recently started
— and will suspend — an excellent column in the Providence
Journal. Which is a shame, but a fair tradeoff for honesty
and transparency in government.
Tom’s most recent book, Checking the Banks is
subtitled “The Nuts and Bolts of Banking for People Who Want to Fix It”,
so it looks like they’ve picked the right person for the right job.
In the book, Tom goes into great detail about what’s wrong with
the banking system, like the mortgage crisis, lack of loans to small
businesses, and predatory practices. He also offers alternatives, solutions and
possibilities for change.
We hope that Tom and Treasurer Magaziner will create
bold initiatives to make banking more innovative. Maybe we can start
our own state bank, and save taxpayers millions while priming the
local economy’s pump…
At the beginning of the session everything is possible. Now the
hard work begins.
(DISCLAIMER: As the editor and publisher of two of Tom’s best
books, this article is 100% biased and slanted.)
Mark Binder is an award-winning author, publisher and
storyteller. His latest books are "Every Hero Has a Story" and
"Cinderella Spinderella" an illustrated ebook for families, and a new
novel, "The Brothers Schlemiel." Please visit his storytelling
website: http://transmitjoy.com and http:cinderellaspinderella.com and
http://lightpublications.com or on Amazon, iBooks and Google Play.
Mark
has been an occasional candidate for public office. In his last election, he
won 43% of the vote against the sitting Speaker of the RI House of
Representatives, despite being outspent 10 to 1. In 2012, he ran as the
independent candidate for House District 4 against the Speaker of the House,
receiving more than 40% of the vote while outspent by his opponent 20 to 1. He
ran for Congress in 2004.
He
is also Editor in Chief at Light Publications, a fiercely independent
publishing house specializing in fiction and adventurous political thought. Other
books include: "The Brothers Schlemiel," "It Ate My
Sister," "Genies, Giants and a Walrus," "Kings, Wolves,
Princesses and Lions," and "The Bed Time Story Book." His
favorite audio recording is called, "It was a dark and stormy
night..." and is available on iTunes.