COULD DIE OUT FOREVER.
>> YES.
THERE’S NO SILVER BULLET.
WE HAVE TO STAND THIS ECONOMY
BACK UP AGAIN.
WHEN I BECAME GOVERNOR, WE HAD
THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN
THE COUNTRY, AND WE HAD TO STAND
OUR ECONOMY BACK UP.
SO WE’RE SUPPORTING SMALL
BUSINESSES TO BE SURE AND WE’RE
HELPING SOLE PROPRIETARS TO BE
SURE.
HERE IN RHODE ISLAND, I HAVE
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RHODE
ISLANDERS OUT OF WORK AND IN
BUSINESSES THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE
IN THE DECLINE.
BRICK AND MORTAR RETAIL OR FOLKS
WHO JUST HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL
DEGREE AND THEY’RE STRUGGLING TO
GET A JOB IN THE NEW DATA,
DIGITAL, TECHNOLOGY WORLD.
SO WE OWE IT TO THEM TO GIVE
THEM A CHANCE.
PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF A
45-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO HAS SPENT
HER WHOLE CAREER WORKING AS A
CASHIER OR BANK TELLER AT A BANK
OR IN RETAIL.
HAS A HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE.
IS OUT OF WORK.
SHE’S AFRAID RIGHT NOW.
BUT SHE WANTS TO WORK AND OUGHT
TO BE ABLE TO WORK SO WE’RE
GOING TO GET HER TRAINED, AND AT
THE END OF HER TRAINING, SHE’S
GOING TO GET A JOB.
SO THIS IS ONE PIECE OF THE
PUZZLE, BUT IT’S A NECESSARY
PIECE.
>> IT’S A REALLY IMPORTANT
PIECE.
JOHN, WHERE DOES OPERATION HOPE
COME INTO THIS AND CAN A PROGRAM
LIKE THIS BE SCALED UP ON A
NATIONAL LEVEL?
>> YES.
FIRST OF ALL, GREAT TO BE WITH
YOU, AND THE THING I LIKE ABOUT
YOU AND THE GOVERNOR, STEPHANIE,
IS THREE THINGS.
ONE, YOU ARE LIGHT ON THE HEEL.
REALLY IMPORTANT NOW.
THE BIBLE SAYS WHERE THERE’S A
DIVISION, PEOPLE PERISH.
DR. KING DID NOT SAY, I HAVE A
VISION GDP WOULD GROW BY 2% A
YEAR.
NOT AFRAID TO WORK.
SHE’S ROLLING HER SLEEVES UP
CALLING CEOs SAYING I NEED YOU
TO DO X, Y, Z.
THIS IS GOOD FOR YOU, GOOD FOR
THE STATE.
SHE IS A PH-DO.
THOSE ARE THINGS YOU BOTH HAVE
IN COMMON AND WE NEED MORE OF
THAT.
WE’RE DOING FINANCIAL
WRAP-AROUNDS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE
IN DESPERATE NEED OF A PRIVATE
BANK LOAN.
YOU AND I DON’T GET THEM.
WE HAVE A MOBILE PHONE.
BUT PEOPLE, WORKING FAMILIES
WITH A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION AND
A LOT OF ENERGY NEED FINANCIAL
COACHING BECAUSE THEY’VE GOT TOO
MUCH MONTH AT THE END OF THEIR
MONEY.
THEY CAN’T FOCUS ON THE WORK OR
THE JOB OR THE JOB TRAINING
BECAUSE THEY’RE TRYING TO TRACK
DOWN A WAY TO PAY THE LIGHT BILL
SO THE LIGHTS DON’T GO OFF.
THIS WRAPS AROUND AN ELEGANT WAY
OF ALL THE PIECES NEEDED TO
ALLOW THE WORKER TO FOCUS AND
ALLOW THE EMPLOYER TO TRAIN UP.
EVERYBODY IS GOOD AT WHAT THEY
DO IN THIS PARTNERSHIP AND
THAT’S WHY I THINK IT HELPS SO
WELL.
AND, YES, IT CAN BE SCALABLE.
I’M IN 25 STATES, 156 LOCATIONS.
CALL ME THE STARBUCKS OF
FINANCIAL INCLUSION.
WE’RE NOT GIVING YOU A FINANCIAL
LITERACY BROCHURE.
WE’RE CALLING YOUR CREDITOR AND
WORK OUT PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS.
WE’RE WRITING THE CREDIT BUREAU
TO GET THAT ERROR OFF YOUR
CREDIT REPORT TO POP YOUR CREDIT
SCORE UP WHICH INCREASES YOUR
CONFIDENCE AND OPTIONALITY.
IT’S DOABLE, WORKABLE AND
SCALABLE.
EVERYBODY SHOULD BE WATCHING
WHAT THIS GOVERNOR IS DOING, AND
I THINK MODELING IT AND ROOTING
FOR HER BECAUSE SHE’S GOT A
MODEL FOR THE STATE.
MOST OF HER PEOPLE ARE HIGH
SCHOOL EDUCATED WITH SOME,
UNFORTUNATELY, SKILLS OF THE
PAST.
SHE CAN DO THIS.
SHE’S ALREADY DONE PARTS OF IT.
AND SCALE IT.
THEN THE REST OF THE NATION CAN
SEE A FUSE BEING LIT FOR THEIR
ECONOMY.
>> WE CERTAINLY ARE ROOTING FOR
IT.
GOVERNOR, WE WOULD WANT A
PROGRAM LIKE THIS IF WE WEREN’T
FACING A PANDEMIC, BUT FOR SO
MANY PEOPLE, THEY ARE AFRAID TO
GO BACK TO WORK.
THEY DO HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE
HOME, AND THE VIRUS COULD SPREAD
AGAIN.
FOR PEOPLE IN A SITUATION WHERE
THEY’RE NOT QUITE READY TO LEAVE
HOME, CAN THEY BE PART OF THIS
PROGRAM?
CAN THEY GET RETRAINED WHILE
THEY’RE NOT OUT THERE?
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
MUCH OF THIS WILL BE VIRTUAL.
AND, FRANKLY, SOME OF THAT IS
EASIER FOR FOLKS WHO DON’T HAVE
TRANSPORTATION.
BUT I WOULD SAY THIS, STEPHANIE.
WE CAN’T REST IN FEAR.
WE HAVE TO BE SMART.
WE HAVE TO MANAGE RISK.
HERE IN RHODE ISLAND, WE ARE
DOING THAT.
WE’RE MANAGING RISK.
WE’RE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
WE’RE TESTING.
SO I WOULD SAY TO BE SMART AND
BE TARGETED AND BE THOUGHTFUL,
DON’T REST IN FEAR BUT CERTAINLY
IN THIS INSTANCE THAT MUCH OF IT
WILL BE VIRTUAL, WE’RE NOT GOING
TO FORCE FOLKS TO DO ANYTHING
OUTSIDE OF THEIR COMFORT LEVEL.
BUT WE’RE GOING TO MAKE IT SAFE.
WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE BACK TO
WORK.
IN RHODE ISLAND AND ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY.
AND THE OTHER THING ABOUT THIS
INITIATIVE IS, THIS ISN’T JUST A
GOVERNMENT THING.
EVERY CEO IN AMERICA SHOULD BE
ASKING THEMSELVES, WHAT CAN I DO
TO HELP AMERICA’S ECONOMY
RECOVERY AND THIS INITIATIVE IS
ONE EXAMPLE.
>> JOHN, PARTS OF THE ECONOMY
ARE KICKING IT.
THEY ARE DOING REALLY WELL.
LOOK AT CERTAIN AREAS, THE
HOUSING MARKET IS ON FIRE.
YET WE’VE GOT 28 MILLION
AMERICANS WHO ARE RENTERS WHO
COULD BE EVICTED.
YOU AND I -- WE ALL KNOW THAT
INEQUALITIES AND VULNERABILITIES
IN OUR ECONOMY HAVE ONLY
WORSENED BECAUSE OF THE
PANDEMIC.
HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THAT?
>> AS YOU KNOW, I WROTE A NEW
MARSHAL PLAN ALMOST LIKE THE
GOVERNOR HAS READ IT BECAUSE
SHE’S DOING PARTS OF IT ALREADY.
A NEW MARSHAL PLAN FOR A NEW
DAY.
WE NEED A SHORT-TERM SOLUTION.
WHICH IS PART OF THIS STIMULUS
PACKAGE.
AND I HAD TO RE -- I WOULD
SUGGEST THEY LOOK AT PARTS OF
WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAS DONE IN
RHODE ISLAND TO REFRAME AND
REFINE THE C.A.R.E.S. ACT WHICH
IS, BY THE WAY, WAS VERY GOOD
BUT COULD BE EVEN BETTER.
WE NEED A SHORT-TERM PLAN AND
THEN WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THIS
FOR WHAT IT IS.
A WAR.
WE’RE AT WAR WITH THE VIRUS.
IT’S NOT PLAYING AROUND.
LET’S KNOCK IT OFF.
KNOCK OFF THE POLITICS AND
PARTISANSHIP.
THERE’S ONLY ONE PARTY RIGHT
NOW, THE GET IT DONE PARTY AND
WE’RE ALL IN IT.
WE NEED A LONG-TERM PLAN THAT
FOCUSES ON -- IT’S NOT EVEN --
MOST AMERICANS DON’T KNOW THAT.
I’VE BEEN TALKING TO REALLY
SMART PEOPLE.
THEY THOUGHT MOST OF THE JOBS
CAME FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
90% OF JOBS COME FROM THE
PRIVATE SECTOR.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS TOLD US ALL
TO SHELTER IN PLACE.
OKAY.
TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY.
MAKE SURE WE DO NO HARM TO SMALL
BUSINESS.
DO NO HARM TO FAMILY.
DO NO HARM TO ECONOMY AS WE
SHELTER IN PLACE IN 2020.
LET’S ADMIT IT.
THIS YEAR IS -- THAT’S WHAT THIS
YEAR IS GOING TO BE ABOUT.
PREPARE THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO
ROCKET.
IF WE HELPED YOU NOW, YOU HAVE
TO HELP US LATER.
FOR THEM TO ROCKET IN 2021 WITH
A SCALING UP OF GDP AND JOBS.
AND I WON’T GO THROUGH THE
DETAILS OF THE PLAN, PEOPLE CAN
LOOK TUP ONLINE, YOU’RE TALKING
ABOUT APPRENTICESHIP AT SCALE, K
THROUGH COLLEGE.
WE CAN’T HAVE HALF THIS COUNTRY
OR MORE WITH A HIGH SCHOOL
EDUCATION AND EXPECT TO BE A
LEADING COUNTRY FOR THE WORLD.
FINANCIAL LITERACY.
ACCESS THE CAPITAL FOR ALL.
ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
THERE’S SOMETHING FOR ALL OF US
TO DO, STEPHANIE.
WE ALL HAVE TO BE A LIGHT ON THE
HEEL AND WHAT THE GOVERNOR IS
DOING IS NOT JUST A PROGRAM.
IT’S HOPE.
IT’S HOPE MADE REAL.
>> GOVERNOR, WE ALL HAVE TO BE
ALIGNED, AND WE HAVE TO WORK TO
MAKE ALL OF THIS A REALITY.
BUT YOU’VE GOT PEOPLE IN YOUR
STATE, AND WE’RE SEEING IT
ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO AREN’T
FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT TO
THRIVE.
THEY’RE FIGHTING FOR THEIR RIGHT
TO PARTY, LITERALLY PARTY.
HOW ARE YOU HANDLING THE FACT
THAT YOU’VE GOT PEOPLE IN YOUR
OWN STATE WHO ARE PUTTING
THEMSELVES AND THEIR WHOLE
COMMUNITIES AT RISK, GOING BACK
TO CROWDED AREAS AND HOUSE
PARTIES WHERE WE’RE SEEING
SPIKES IN THE VIRUS AGAIN.
>> IT IS SO FRUSTRATING,
STEPHANIE.
AS I’VE SAID, THEIR REFUSAL TO
FOLLOW THE RULES AND HAVE BIG
PARTIES ON BOATS IN THEIR
BACKYARDS, BY THEIR POOLS, IS
LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT
HARDER FOR US TO PUT PEOPLE BACK
TO WORK AND GET KIDS BACK TO
SCHOOL.
SO A WEEK AGO, I REDUCED OUR
SOCIAL LIMIT, SOCIAL GATHERING
SIZES FROM 25 TO 15.
AND WE’RE INCREASING OUR
ENFORCEMENT.
WE WERE OUT ALL WEEKEND
ENFORCING THESE PARTIES, PASSING
OUT MASKS, BREAKING UP SOCIAL
GATHERINGS THAT ARE TOO BIG.
A LOT MORE PHYSICAL PRESENCE.
WE’RE GOING TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT
ENFORCING THE SOCIAL GATHERINGS
SIZE OF 15 BECAUSE, LISTEN,
WE’VE ALL BEEN IN OUR 20s
BEFORE.
SUMMER IS A FUN TIME TO PARTY.
I GET THAT.
BUT NOT THIS SUMMER.
AS I’VE SAID, KNOCK IT OFF
BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE DESERVE TO
BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO WORK.