Justin Katz
I used to spend time pointing out the problem with this sort of bean-counting racism (and sexism), but it hardly seems interesting anymore. The findings aren’t meant to indicate anything real; they’re simply intended to promote a simple-minded ideology. We can see this in the fact that the conclusions only ever point in one direction. …
Yeah, officials will complain about the danger of uninspected residences, but as somebody who grew up in an era when fiction was filled with secret communities in society’s hidden corners, I have to admit these homeless caves are cool:* I wonder if there’s anything comparable around here. * I should specify that the coolness of…
Yes, yes, words get thrown around in state-level politics, but there’s an important lesson in East Providence City Council President Bob Rodericks’s letter asking Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee to declare a state of emergency over the closure of the Washington Bridge between East Providence and Providence: … East Providence is impacted more than any…
In recent years, a strange emphasis has been emerging on America’s political Left on the notion of treason. The accusation flies not only against hated political personages, but also retroactively in ways it didn’t used to be applied, like the Confederacy. It isn’t difficult to see where this is going: According to this person, the…
When one of our cars became unusable last year, my family had to buy another, which we did at a dealer in Massachusetts that a friend had recommended. We’ve bought cars in Massachusetts, before, but it appears that something has changed. Registering the car took about a month, during which time we were short a…
Economically illiterate activists are laying the groundwork to make housing harder to find, and make life worse, in Rhode Island: This is how economics works. The rent goes up to reflect the real value of the property. Other property owners see the value of their space and reconsider their usage. For example, instead of renovating…
John DePetro and Justin Katz lament the lack of focus on the basics in RI government and media.
This is how appeals to the Ethics Commission often end, these days: From personal experience, I can testify that the Ethics Commission combines the gradual accretion of ethical allowances with the possibility that the commission will completely disregard its precedence to suit its preferences of the moment. Thus, it tends toward increasing permissiveness with a…
Look, I generally disagree with Attorney General Peter Neronha’s politics, but I could put that aside if I thought he were coming to conclusions reasonably. Unfortunately: I’m certainly not going to defend predatory investment firms, but read the article. Steward Health Care was already dying. The story is of an equity firm finding a way…
John DePetro and Justin Katz wonder whether Rhode Island can withstand deterioration with its current leadership.