Justin Katz
For an academic project not long ago I reviewed data on RIPTA bus routes, including surveys of riders of every line in the system, so the unstated assumption of Antonia Noori Farzan’s recent Providence Journal article on the subject jumped out at me. The headline is, “What’s it like to rely on RIPTA to get…
Some months, it surprises me to find economists still putting out regular analyses of government employment statistics. Perhaps I’m too jaded, but I’ve completely lost confidence in the data. I used to have my monthly jobs review posts for both the Ocean State Current and the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity, but during the two…
Here’s a good addendum to my post, yesterday, about progressives’ response to discipline policies in charter schools: Those who oppose school choice are also limiting the options for teachers. They’re only about control. They want to make sure teachers can’t get out of the pension system, and they want to make sure children can’t get…
These sentiments from two prominent Rhode Island progressives are worth noting: “Harmful practices.” “Punish children.” They’re talking about demerits for things like being late or unprepared for class. Notice that they don’t care whether these policies could help some children. Either in their arrogance they think they know better or in their malice they want to…
Rich Weinstein’s quip, here, exposes a deadly serious problem with the progressive style of governance: Rhode Island jumped into ObamaCare with both feet, and not only are our hospitals struggling, but people are having a terrible time finding primary care doctors. Maybe those two things are cause-and-effect, maybe they’re loosely related, or maybe there’s no…
This incident, highlighted by John DePetro, is a few weeks old, at this point, but it’s worth noting nonetheless. Democrat Governor Dan McKee and Democrat East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva were supposed to meet with businesses affected by the Washington Bridge closure. DaSilva has been adamant that people should not avoid his city out of…
John DePetro and Justin Katz warn of growing government control and corruption.
I agree with Mickey Kaus, here: Under President Trump, our dip was shallower than the comparison countries in the chart, and the economy was roaring back by the time Biden took office. If anything’s notable, it’s how hard Biden put the brakes on within months of being in office, with continued slowing in improvement thereafter. …
Brandon Busteed’s argument in Forbes well taken: U.S. teachers are dead last among all occupational groups and professions in feeling their opinions count at work, that their supervisor creates an open and trusting environment and that they are treated with respect each day. Teachers are also the highest of all professions in experiencing burn-out and…
John DePetro and Justin Katz review the latest way government officials and journalists put our state on the wrong track.