Essay
This month, The American Spectator magazine introduces its readers to Rhode Island’s Independent Governor Lincoln Chafee through a profile by Ethan Epstein in its “Eminentoes”section. The gist of the piece is that Chafee comes from an old-money political dynasty and views political party more as part of a heritage that he, by rights, ought to…
Local Impact: East Providence, Foster, Johnston, Middletown 2 Inobvious Priorities: H5162 adds “city and/or town owned manhole covers and bridge placards” to a list of items that precious metals dealers are required to hold for fourteen days before doing whatever they’re planning to do with them next. (H Judiciary; Tue, Feb 5) 14. H5165: Allows…
On January 22, by a vote of two to two with four others abstaining (that’s right, four abstentions due to possible conflicts of interest), the Chariho School Committee failed to implement a policy of non-seniority based layoffs for the Chariho school system. Late yesterday afternoon, possibly in response to this uncourageous vote by the Chariho…
On Wednesday, GoLocalProv published an article that included a round-up of responses on the issue of whether illegal immigration is a problem in RI. One of the people that they spoke to was Rep Grace Diaz (D-Providence). “I don’t think it’s a big issue to put a lot of energy to,” she said. “For regular…
Walter Russell Mead, on the relationship between American politics and American society…Does the American middle class (and by extension, the middle class in other advanced democracies) have a future in a post-blue world? That is the basic question at the heart of American politics;. As I’ve noted, 4.0 liberals think that it doesn’t, and think…
Even if you’ve disagreed with everything I’ve ever written, take a moment to ponder the thinking on display in this Kathy Gregg article. It’s about a study from the left-wing Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy finding that Rhode Island places a high tax burden on lower-income families. Continue reading on the Ocean State Current…
Deepwater Wind is seeking waiver of a $700,000 fee payable to CRMC. So, in addition to charging two and a half to three times the current market rate for the electricity to be generated, they don’t want to pay a fee that they are legally liable for. Here’s an idea. Don’t build the project. You…
Senate bill S0117 is one of those pieces of legislation that disguises its major effect in the description that most people will see (even among the minority of people who actually dig that deeply). The five initial sponsors of the bill are Senators Harold Metts (D, Providence), Elizabeth Crowley (D, Central Falls, Pawtucket), Paul Jabour…
6. H5114: A preliminary sign that the Rhode Island General Assembly may once again be taking a keen and perhaps unusual amount of interest in the rental of motor vehicles; this bill would require anyone “who rents or leases more than five motor vehicles in any one year” in the state of Rhode Island to…
Senator Whitehouse has just returned from a trip to the Middle East with a pronouncement: the United States should help Syrian rebels just as France helped the American Revolutionaries in the 1700’s. Actually, the French reference to the situation in Syria that can far more easily be envisioned is nearly two hundred years later and…