Labor
Jennifer Rubin reports that “Al Sharpton announced that he would be opposing the EFCA and mobilizing the African American community against it.” Additionally, some of Sharpton’s concerns–and that of other African-Americans–were explained in a discussion on Sharpton’s radio show with African-American small-business owner Sylvester Smith and Charlie King of the National Action Network (the civil…
My response to Richard Joslin made it into this week’s print edition of the Sakonnet Times (as did TCC President David Nelson’s), and I’m sure it’ll spark an angry response or two from unionists. Who knows but that ringleader Crowley will pen a guest letter from across the state. Given the extent of his so-called…
Police officers deserve to be well paid, but this is astonishing: Nearly one in 10 Massachusetts State Police officers made more than the governor last year, with 225 officers topping the $140,535 annual salary of the state’s chief executive. Four of the 2,338 state troopers were paid more than $200,000, and 123 others were paid…
Last week, I sent the following unpublished letter to the Sakonnet Times: School Committee Vice Chairman Sally Black gave an impassioned speech at the board’s meeting last Tuesday explaining why she voted unsuccessfully to approve the latest iteration of the teachers’ contract, despite likely cuts in state aid. As sincere as her reasoning may have…
In the midst of a very edifying conversation in the comments section of my “Powers and Victims” post, Tiverton teacher Ed Davis offers the following significant perspective: You’re right, no one is forcing us to work here. Unfortunately, I saw this philosophy take hold in the school system my son attended. Many of the good…
Apparently there was a “vulgarity” problem at Council 94 and J. Michael Downey ain’t gonna take it anymore (h/t). In an internal memo obtained by The Journal, Council 94 President J. Michael Downey tells staff that he will be “fully involved in the decision-making process” of union leadership following the departure of former executive director…
The title of this post refers to the words of Paul Saccoccia, a national rep for the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, who believes that disabled policemen and firefighters in the state pension system should receive pension contributions from their towns when the state doesn’t give them the full amount that they want: Lawyers for…
By far the most interesting audio from last night’s Tiverton School Committee meeting, in my opinion, was Vice Chairwoman Sally Black’s reasoning for voting to approve the teachers’ contract (stream, download) because the thought processes are indicative of the flawed way in which Rhode Islanders have conducted their public business. Mrs. Black cycled through a…
Well, here we are, at what’s sure to be a tense school committee meeting — as the teachers demand their retroactive pay and a handful of us concerned citizens try to explain that it would be insane to dig our financial hole deeper, with the state facing such a daunting task. You know it’s got…
