Justin Katz
Yeah, well, while I’m not so sure that forcing hospitals to pay property taxes is such a good idea, RI Senator Harold Metts (D, Providence) has a point when it comes to universities: “In 1989, it was estimated that 35 percent of the city’s taxable properties were owned by a few tax exempt institutions,” said…
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman joins the list of pundits to face the confectionary firing squad: Friedman ducked, and was left with only minor streams of the sugary green goo on his black pants and turtleneck. He stood in bewilderment and mild disgust as the young man and woman bolted from the stage and…
A recent study (PDF) produced by a group of family-values organizations, led by the Institute for American Values attempts to quantify the public monetary costs of divorce (emphasis in original): Based on the methodology, we estimate that family fragmentation costs U.S. taxpayers at least $112 billion each and every year, or more than $1 trillion…
Today’s Providence Journal has more on the supplemental budget. There’s some reason to hope that the General Assembly will manage to avoid making things worse — although without bold changes, treading water could simply mean drifting further out to sea. Here’s the key part of the report, though: The vote marks a significant step forward…
You don’t name a new entity “the Moderate Party” in the current political context without the expectation that social liberalism will be implied. If Ken Block wanted to emphasize the single-minded nature of his new party, he would have called it “the Fiscal Party” or something along that line. Rhode Island conservatives should allow Mr.…
Some aspects of Marxism have a sort of common-sense appeal on first reading. Those of a conservative bent may feel something to be awry, but it takes some sifting to raise, and even then the subtleties foil discussion with those of differing inclinations. Consider Mickey Kaus’s confession of Obamaesque snobbery (via Instapundit): If Democrats had…
Trade isn’t a topic on which I can express all of the relevant arguments, but this suggestion from University of Maryland School of Business Professor Peter Morici sounds reasonable to me: China is the biggest problem. It subsidizes foreign purchases of its currency, the yuan, more than $460 billion a year, making Chinese products artificially…
I get that winning clients sometimes requires wooing them — especially in the glamor-obsessed entertainment industry. As a government activity, however, this makes me very uncomfortable: When Steven Feinberg entertains people in the television and moviemaking industry, he entertains them in style. He sprang for the Ravioli al Filetto at Venda’s Café, the rib-eye special…
Things aren’t equal on the highway. Some folks happen to pull into pockets of traffic that engulf them for an entire commute, while some ease into the lull just five minutes earlier. Some folks have faster cars; some folks have bigger, more-imposing cars. Some have drivers; some have GPS; some have government plates. Some are…
It’s too bad today’s Dilbert cartoon wasn’t published in closer proximity to the percentage of a percentage debate here on Anchor Rising. Although, the stink eye is much less effective in the comment sections than in a boardroom.