Justin Katz
The temporary end of this particular controversy was easy to miss, and the manner in which it occurred tells us much about the folks who precipitated it: The debate over proposed changes to the House rules was put to rest last week when Rules Committee Chairwoman Rep. Eileen S. Naughton, D-Warwick, announced that she would…
To some degree, it’s often the case that the media hypes the youth vote — the excited kids who show up for the rally but not for the vote. Still, it seems likely that the unique factor in this election will be the “know-nothing vote,” by which I mean kids and other generally uninvolved, uninformed…
One hears it all around, from radio-show hosts to blog commenters to acquaintances, or perhaps feels it personally: the hint of a sense that maybe Obama’s worth a try. Oh, there are rationalizations, whether a cynical desire for entertainment, a curiosity over dice to be rolled, or even a scheme to let the whole unsustainable…
I just deleted two identical comments — one each on the latest posts here and on Dust in the Light — peddling the conspiracy that Barack Obama is a packaged “product” of powerful corporations with Republican ties, with the objective of building a nuclear power industry across the nation. That may be the first political…
See now, even if one agrees with the dubious proposition that the film industry is particularly worth attracting to Rhode Island, this method of creating incentive is simply wrong: To qualify for the tax credits, a company has to spend a minimum of $300,000 on production costs that were “directly attributable to activity within the…
It would be a shame if this leap-day story were to be washed away in the wave of cycling news: Rhode Island employers last month shed an estimated 1,700 jobs and the state unemployment rate in January climbed to 5.7 percent, the highest since 1995, according to a government jobs report to be released today.…
Last week’s stunner was a feeling of agreement with Bob Kerr: No summits, no rigorous testing of teachers, can restore what has been lost in too many schools — the basic respect for learning and for the place a teacher holds in making good things possible. Until we can reverse the damage done before some…
Layer upon layer, that is. Wouldn’t it be refreshing if Rhode Island’s elected officers would seek to solve our problems by relinquishing control rather than expanding their influence? Consider legislation that Representative Gregory Schadone (D, North Providence) proposed this week: The “Small Business Revolving Loan and Credit Enhancement Fund Act” would offer partial, low-cost loans…
Wielding their new cost-free weapon, radicals continue to attack Christians in Canada: Catholic Insight, a Canadian magazine known for its fidelity to Church teachings, has been targeted by the Canadian Human Rights Commission for publishing articles deemed offensive to homosexuals. The commission has been investigating the Toronto-based publication since homosexual activist Rob Wells, a member…