Justin Katz
Why do our legislators have such difficulty seeing the problem with bills like this: Already successful in securing enactment of legislation to increase the level of hearing aid coverage in health insurance policies, Rep. Robert B. Jacquard (D-Dist. 17, Cranston) has introduced a bill aimed at assisting more hearing-impaired citizens. Under Representative Jacquard’s bill, health…
Mark Shea pens some gospel truth: 1:11 Blessed are those who Believe, for they shall say, “Yes We Can!” 1:12 Blessed are those who say, “Yes We Can!” for they shall audaciously Hope. 1:13 Blessed are those who Hope, for they shall speak of Change. 1:14 Blessed are those who speak of Change, for they…
Marc’s already mentioned RIGOP Chairman Gio Cicione’s op-ed in yesterday’s Providence Journal, but two related points are worth making. First, Gio reins in his argument a bit more than is accurate. This is dead-on: We face a choice between a centrally planned economy run by and raided by the leadership on Smith Hill, or an…
Is it me, or is there just something fundamentally bizarre about this construct: The pressure comes as the authority is already having trouble carrying a large influx of riders. More Rhode Islanders are taking the bus since the spike in gas prices that began after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Public transportation provides a reasonable check…
So what are the odds of this becoming law? Amending state law to clearly prohibit strikes is the task force’s first recommendation. If Carcieri supports the plan as expected, he would have to ask lawmakers to submit the bill to the General Assembly for a vote. Officials at the state Department of Education researched tougher…
Wow. Mark Krikorian whacked his own cause in the head, today, on the back swing of a stupid attack: Another Job Americans Won’t Do? [Mark Krikorian] Maybe this helps explain the RC bishops’ support for open immigration, contrary to the views of those in the pews: Among U.S. adults, about the same percentage — 24…
A bout of cynicism kept me from last night’s town council meeting. Here’s one of the revelations that I missed (emphasis added): Also last night, the council received a warning from its auditor that the town’s rainy day fund is too low. Standing at about $1.2 million for the fiscal year that ended last June,…
When speculation becomes front-page news, one gets the impression of legend building. If Barack Obama wins and lives to tell the tale, he’ll be the One Who Lived. The great hope whom they managed to protect (unless the reality disappoints terribly): His wife, Michelle Obama, voiced concerns about his safety before he was elected to…
Based on various trends, including taxpayer migration to and from Rhode Island, I’ve suggested a theory that working and middle class families have been selling their homes and leaving the state. While I wouldn’t claim the following real estate data as absolute proof, it certainly does fit the scenario: Across the board, homebuyers in Rhode…
Part 2 of Kenneth Payne’s series on the evolution of political corruption in Rhode Island is worth a read (emphasis added): The forms of government were familiar. For those in control, the system worked. The Yankee establishment held the reins of power. The State House was an expression of that power — political and economic.…