Rene Ruiz
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| Rene Ruiz | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Intex Solutions Inc. |
| Role: | Modeler |
| Location: | Boston, Mass. |
| Education: | •Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
As of 2016, Rene Ruiz was a finance and economics professional with Intex Solutions Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. He had contributed to state ballot measure committees in Massachusetts and Nevada to support lower taxes and marijuana legalization.[1]
Career
Ruiz earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999. He worked as an associate economist at IHS Global Insight, an international economic, financial, and political forecasting company, from 2000 to 2002. Ruiz transitioned to Intex Solutions Inc., a private financial firm, where he worked as a modeler.[1][3]
Political activity
Ruiz attended the 2016 Libertarian National Convention as a delegate from the Libertarian Party of Massachusetts.[4]
Ballot measure activity
Ruiz contributed to several ballot measure committees in Massachusetts, including the Committee for Small Government, the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, the Alliance to Roll Back Taxes, and the Committee for Compassionate Medicine.[5]
In October 2014, Ruiz contributed $25,000 to the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Nevada. The group supported the 2016 Nevada Marijuana Legalization Initiative, which legalized one ounce or less of marijuana for recreational use for individuals 21 and over in the state.[2]
Overview of ballot measure support and opposition
The following table details Ruiz’s ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:
| Ballot measure support and opposition for Rene Ruiz | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Amount | Status |
| Nevada Marijuana Legalization, Question 2 (2016) | 2016 | Supported[2] | $25,000[2] |  Approved
|
| Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Initiative, Question 3 (2012) | 2012 | Supported[5] | $10,000[5] | Approved
|
| Massachusetts Sales Tax Relief Act, Question 3 (2010) | 2010 | Supported[5] | $750[5] |  Defeated
|
| Massachusetts Sensible Marijuana Policy Initiative, Question 2 (2008) | 2008 | Supported[5] | $36,250[5] | Approved
|
| Massachusetts State Income Tax Repeal Initiative, Question 1 (2008) | 2008 | Supported[5] | $1,250[5] | Defeated
|
Noteworthy events
Drug charges
In 1999, Ruiz and his wife, Susan Ruiz, faced drug charges in Cambridge, Massachusetts, following the death of Richard Guy in the couple's dorm room at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. According to police reports, Guy suffocated as the result of an overdose of nitrous oxide.[6][7]
| “ | The complaint filed in court lists charges that include possession with intent to distribute nitrous oxide, hallucinogenic mushrooms, amphetamines and marijuana. The couple also faces charges of conspiracy, possession of a hypodermic needle and cruelty to animals--cats--though police would not further explain the cruelty charge.[7][8] | ” |
The couple was out of town at the time of the incident. The charges against the couple were cleared after completing probation and paying a fine.[6][9]
Ballot measure support
In an interview with Boston.com, Ruiz claimed that his wife's $155,000 donation to the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in support of the 2016 Massachusetts Marijuana Legalization Initiative did not stem from the couple's past drug charges, but was "“just a philanthropic thing...We’re interested in personal freedom, social justice, the repeal of prohibition.’’[6]
Boston.com observed that Ruiz previously linked the 1999 incident to his support of Massachusetts' 2008 decriminalization of marijuana. Discussing the past drug charges with a reporter from Boston University, Ruiz stated that he “took away that the drug policy is doing more harm than good.”[6][9]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Susan Ruiz. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol
- Massachusetts Marijuana Legalization, Question 4 (2016)
- Massachusetts Sensible Marijuana Policy Initiative, Question 2 (2008)
- Marijuana on the ballot
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 LinkedIn, "Rene Ruiz," accessed August 25, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Nevada Secretary of State, "AURORA Campaign Finance Disclosure-Rene Ruiz," accessed August 26, 2016
- ↑ IHS Global Insight, "About IHS Global Insight," accessed August 25, 2016
- ↑ Libertarian Association of Massachusetts, "Leadership," accessed August 24, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Public Finance, "Ruiz, Rene," accessed August 26, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedB - ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Los Angeles Times, "Mission Viejo Man's Death at MIT Leads to Charges," September 4, 1999
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Boston University College of Communications, "Major Donator Felt the Sting of Drug Conviction," November 5, 2008
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