Quick Read

Neon mushrooms

We should more hallucinogenics toward legalization.

By Justin Katz | March 9, 2022 |

For the record, I’ve never tried hallucinogenic drugs.  Even as a reckless teenager who was otherwise open to self destruction, I knew myself well enough not to roll the dice on that experiment. This disclaimer is context for my agreement with progressive Democrat state representative Brandon Potter’s proposal to move toward decriminalization of psilocybin, which…

Teacher and students

School districts still have illegal provisions in their contracts.

By Justin Katz | March 9, 2022 |

The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity has localized a study from the Mackinac Center finding that some school districts in Rhode Island continue to have provisions in their teacher contracts that don’t reflect the right of teachers to work without joining the union and requiring express consent to enroll them: According to the Mackinac…

A man fuels his car

Don’t let them spin away the pain they’re infliction on Americans.

By Justin Katz | March 8, 2022 |

Gas prices have hit record highs in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, according to AAA.  We’ve achieved and exceeded the pain some of us remember all too well from the Obama years: In one week, Rhode Island gas prices rose 58 cents and Massachusetts saw a growth of 54 cents. AAA Northeast says Rhode Island’s average…

CDC COVID count maps

Could COVID have ended with a more-political feel?

By Justin Katz | March 7, 2022 |

And just like that, the whole thing’s wished away.  Strategies that some of us have been down-throttled, blocked, or even deplatformed for suggesting over the past two years are suddenly the common wisdom of the “experts,” and images of Anthony Fauci are floating around social media with the text, “Have you seen me?” Since the…

Piggybank with mask

Imagine no special-interest feeding frenzies.

By Justin Katz | March 4, 2022 |

Look, I know this is normal and human, and I wouldn’t actually fault the people involved, but for a little Friday-afternoon fantasizing, let’s imagine this not being the case: When Rhode Island received its $1.13 billion slice of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make tangible investments across the…

Interactive art at the RI Dept. of Labor

Are we allowed to point out obvious truths about Putin, RI labor unions, progressives, and energy?

By Justin Katz | March 3, 2022 |

I don’t want to make too much of this, but sometimes we have to put the obvious on the table.  Otherwise, we’re apt to wander off in dense forests of complexity because we reject the ability to see in an open field. Journalistic writer Michael Shellenberger makes the so-obvious-it’s-easy-to-ignore point that the West’s throttling down…

Joe Biden, 2022 SOTU

The time to admit the SOTU is performative has arrived, scary as that may be.

By Justin Katz | March 2, 2022 |

The State of the Union speech, as a practice, lost me long ago, during the presidency of Bill Clinton.  His practice was a seemingly endless list of special-interest handouts that couldn’t possibly be funded.  No new information emerged, and America wasn’t even receiving a useful indication of the administration’s intended direction.  The event was performative…

The Canadian Truckers Convoy Delivered a Crushing Blow to Trudeau

By Chris Maxwell | March 1, 2022 |

Much has been debated about the effectiveness of the recently-defused Canadian Truckers Convoy. One thing is for certain, the collective efforts and voice of Canada’s trucking industry, galvanized by frustration over far more than vax mandates, essentially exposed the agenda of and brought to his knees the once powerful Justin Trudeau. Trudeau’s actions in refusing…

A white student looks away

Is the Met School abusing students with anti-racism indoctrination?

By Justin Katz | February 28, 2022 |

South Kingstown parent advocate Nicole Solas has been, let’s say, having words with Met School special education teacher Emily Bowden.  The back-and-forth is mainly social media snark shooting, so we shouldn’t assume that Bowden’s bombast is evidence of the school’s operation, but she does facilitate an important point that isn’t often made in these arguments.…

Gavel with a speech bubble

Racking up legal fees is win-win for government officials.

By Justin Katz | February 25, 2022 |

A very interesting article from Tamara Sacharczyk, of WJAR, puts a spotlight on an aspect of the people’s interaction with government that doesn’t get enough attention: lawsuits: Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent defending state agencies in Rhode Island in recent years, and the NBC 10 I-Team uncovered taxpayers are oftentimes picking up…