Issue Position: Economic Opportunity

Issue Position

I firmly believe that we can create the kind of jobs that make it possible to build a life here on the Cape and Islands. The spirit of entrepreneurship is alive and well in our region - from an artisanal chocolate company in Truro to a brewery on Nantucket to research into cutting-edge wastewater treatment systems in Yarmouth. Despite such successes, our small businesses face an ever expanding list of challenges. My family started a small business over 30 years ago, and the barriers to entry are far higher today than they were back then. I will connect all the resources the state has to offer to our communities so that our business community does not get left behind. As Senator, I will:

*Search out new partnerships to bring statewide research and development resources to our local scientific and healthcare institutions
*Provide the tools our small business community needs to grow - especially big ticket items like new workforce housing and expanded wastewater infrastructure
*Support the development of entrepreneurial working spaces where a new generation of Cape Codders can access the OpenCape network - our region's underutilized fiber-optic backbone
*Help Barnstable use the opportunities available to a Gateway City to build workforce housing, obtain public infrastructure support, and participate in the transformative development program
*Work with business leaders, arts organizations, and the state to promote tourism in the shoulder season and invest in our vibrant cultural sector

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