Quick Read

Dogs debating in town hall

People just don’t want to find ways to live together, do they? (We should try objective government.)

By Justin Katz | December 8, 2023 |

Silly and local as it is, this is one of those stories that makes me despair for the future: A few years ago, some folks petitioned for Tiverton to give some land next to the library to a group that wanted to put together a dog park. People using it are supposed to park across…

A dragon cradles three journalists

Yes, the Cicilline-run Rhode Island Foundation “investing” in journalism should be controversial.

By Justin Katz | December 5, 2023 |

It’s strange to note, but Providence Journal political reporter Kathy Gregg got some heat from others in the local media (specifically from the Boston Globe) for writing this: The political flap erupted a week after Cicilline – a leader in the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump – told the Boston Globe and more recently a…

A man in a suit yells at a brick wall

The joke’s on us as RI officials fall into communist clichés.

By Justin Katz | November 28, 2023 |

Don’t let things like this slip under your awareness or your commentary, because plenty of Rhode Islanders have no experience or intellectual foundation to question the reporting: The R.I. Department of Health on Thursday ordered the owner of Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital to take immediate steps to stabilize their…

An colonial elite looks in a broken mirror while leaving the scene of an assault

With Thanksgiving for our national inheritance, let’s turn away from the turmoil progressive division will create.

By Justin Katz | November 22, 2023 |

As we all prepare (if only nominally) to recall the gratitude we ought to feel for the establishment of the beacon of freedom into which we were born, with a specific nod to a moment of shared humanity on Thanksgiving, take a moment to play with a fancy interactive infographic Bloomberg published in September. The…

“Clean Cars/Clean Trucks” Only Risks “Cleaning” Rhode Island of Dealerships and Tax Revenue

By Monique Chartier | November 14, 2023 |

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports (Page 11) that as of the fourth quarter of 2022, Rhode Island has fifty dealerships that sell new cars.  Note that this figure does not include dealerships selling new trucks, new buses, new motor homes, new motorcycles, et etera. Governor Dan McKee’s proposed 2024 budget, Page 158 of…

Mail ballot envelope

The lessons of recent elections for RI Republicans remain clear.

By Justin Katz | November 8, 2023 |

Surprising absolutely nobody, Democrat Gabe Amo won the available Congressional seat in Rhode Island yesterday. For those who really get into local politics, the thrill of the bet in such races is predicting whether the Republican will come in closer to 30% or closer to 35%.  Gerry Leonard hit the 35%, so congratulations to him.…

A scared white, male college student with his mouth covered threateningly from behind

The University of Rhode Island isn’t exactly representing the spirit of Roger Williams in the Ocean State.

By Justin Katz | November 6, 2023 |

Although it no-doubt reveals my prejudices, if I were to rank Rhode Island’s handful of institutions of higher education on matters of freedom of thought, I’d expect Brown University — the Ivy League bastion of the elites  and producer of the likes of Aaron Regunberg and Tiara Mack — to top the list of badness. …

Jose Clemente Orozco, The Clowns of War Arguing in Hell

Hard not to conclude Councilor Miguel Sanchez will approve of political killings in the United States.

By Justin Katz | October 23, 2023 |

Providence Democrat City Councilor Miguel Sanchez has been catching some deserved flack for marching with the anti-Israel rally in Providence over the weekend (although the criticism is coming from people who don’t exist within the awareness of Rhode Island power): If local journalists weren’t so intent on not paying attention to the wrong people, they…

Monkey statues in see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil poses

Journalists find distrust of mail ballots inexplicable because they don’t want it explained.

By Justin Katz | October 10, 2023 |

Whether it’s deliberate manipulation or just a sloppy resort to groupthink, Nancy Lavin’s recent article on Rhode Island Current is a good illustration of how issues can be framed to support the preferences of the powerful. Note this section: Proponents tout these expansions as ways to improve voter turnout and access while easing the pressure…

A girl resembling Anne Frank sitting and covering her face

You could argue including the hidden parts of Anne Frank’s diary is a secondary violation.

By Justin Katz | October 9, 2023 |

A recent teapot tempest in the Censorship Wars (at least the skirmishes over keeping arguably pornographic and sex-promoting work out of elementary school libraries) has to do with parents’ objecting to a graphic novel version of Ann Frank’s diary.  You can dig multiple layers into the story, though, for a more-full picture. The first layer,…