RHODE ISLAND’S POLITICIANS and political processes are failing the citizens of this state, and Rhode Island deserves better. A longstanding Democratic super-majority in the General Assembly has led to unchecked power, which has left the state with a severely hamstrung economy, out-of-control government spending, one of the worst tax environments in America and a continuing parade of unethical conduct by our politicians.

The core of the problem is this: Too much power has been concentrated in the hands of too few people for too long. The adage “absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely” rings louder and truer with every newly uncovered ethics failing and every special-interest bill that becomes law.

The voters of Rhode Island must step up and demand change from our legislators. Unfortunately, it is very likely that, even with demands for change by large numbers of citizens, legislators will undermine reforms that dilute the power of those who currently have it. We have seen in the case of separation of powers — passed by 78 percent of the voters and still not implemented — the legislature’s blatant disregard for the will of the people.

To counteract the roadblocks that will be erected against reform, I ask you to support the creation of a new political party, the Moderate Party of Rhode Island, whose immediate mandate would be enacting the changes listed below:

The Moderate Party would have a small set of immediate goals:

• Fully implement separation of powers, which a vast majority of Rhode Island voters passed in the 2004 election.

• Implement term limits for all legislators. Unlimited terms for our legislators lead to the increased potential for conflicts of interest and less competitive legislative districts — which leads directly to an absence of moderation in lawmaking.

• Implement a two-year term limit for the positions of speaker of the House and president of the Senate. Short terms would make these positions more democratic, allowing legislators representing many different districts the opportunity to serve.

• Prohibit the use of one-time payouts like the tobacco settlement to help balance the budget. Paying for our day-to-day government with these bonanzas of cash is like planning your household food budget around winning the lottery every year.

• Strengthen ethics rules by requiring that legislators with conflicts of interest to abstain from voting on legislation. For example, insurance agents should not be able to vote on legislation pertaining to insurance companies.

• Strengthen the Ethics Commission by disallowing the possibility of “settling” an ethics complaint by paying a fine but admitting no wrongdoing. An ethics charge referred to the commission should result in exoneration or a finding of wrongdoing. A financial penalty without any other censure is not a deterrent.

• Bar legislators from profiting from business relationships with companies with legislation pending or passed. For example, had the Narragansett Indian casino legislation been passed, legislators who voted for the casino should have been prohibited from doing business with that casino for a period of five years after the vote. Any legislator who intended to do business with the casino should have abstained from voting. Notably, legislation to implement this type of rule prior to the casino vote was defeated.

• Require that any bill, or amendment to a bill, be before the public for review for at least 30 days before it can be put to a vote.

If you agree with any of the ideas presented above, please lend your support by visiting our Web site at: http://www.moderate-ri.org. On this site, you can choose to provide your name and address in support of the ideas described above, or choose to support of the idea of a new moderate political party.

For those without computer access, you can lend your support to this cause by sending your name, address and phone number and comments to: Moderate Party of Rhode Island, P.O. Box 378, Barrington, R.I. 02806.

It is time for Rhode Islanders to channel their frustration with the state of our state, and the state of our finances. To effect change, time and effort must be spent. For all kind readers of this opinion piece, I simply ask that you expend a few minutes of your time to lend your voice in support of some or all of these ideas.

Rhode Island can and should be a highly desirable place to live and work. Together, and with great effort, we can tackle and fix the problems that challenge us today.

Ken Block is president of Simpatico Software Systems Inc.