Justin Katz

By the Way

By Justin Katz | September 11, 2007 |

It occurred to me to suggest that, whenever one of us appears on TV, on the radio, or in print, notes from y’all commending the appropriate producers, hosts, and editors for their good sense certainly couldn’t hurt. You know, if you’ve the time and motivation.

Hold on, hold on. Keep the money coming!

By Justin Katz | September 10, 2007 |

The following segment of Rhode Island Association of School Principals Executive Director John Golden’s op-ed in yesterday’s Providence Journal struck me as noteworthy — taken in context of his declaration that public education ought to be left to educators — and his appearance on Dan Yorke’s show today deepened the concerns that the passage originally…

Skeptical, Cynical, Sarcastic, or Just Saying “Heh”

By Justin Katz | September 9, 2007 |

During a perusal of Instapundit, I came across two (seemingly) unrelated items. The first reports that British skulls appear to have grown 20% above the eyes since the times of the plague: The two principal differences discovered were that our ancestors had more prominent features, but their cranial vault — the distance measured from the…

Too Appropriate to Make Up

By Justin Katz | September 9, 2007 |

Periodically, one comes across coincidences that are so appropriately rife with subtext that only a heavy-handed author would layer them in a fictional story. Putting aside the RI-welfare-state practice in question, there’s an example of reality’s too-obvious plot line in Elizabeth Gudrais’s Projo piece, “R.I. is ripe for welfare abuse, critics say“: Last spring during…

There’s that “B” Word Again

By Justin Katz | September 9, 2007 |

An old joke down in Washington (as I’ve heard) is that inhabitants have a peculiar method of reading books: index first. Of course, “Washington” is a metonym for American politics, and the index-first urge is a natural one for anybody who may find his own name (or that of another person or an organization about…

Tiverton School Committee Shuffles Its Offer

By Justin Katz | September 9, 2007 |

The Tiverton School Committee has notched up its pay proposal slightly, and although, to be honest, I can’t testify to the comparative values of the various health proposals, there’s a new one on the table: The school committee’s latest position on salaries made Wednesday, according to school committee vice-chairman Michael Burk, consists of an offer…

Just for a Chuckle

By Justin Katz | September 9, 2007 |

Has anybody caught that new WPRO promo spot that runs as follows (or pretty close): Question: Where do bloggers turn for information? Answer: WPRO 630 AM So, in a literary sense, does that make us models of the well-informed citizen whom all should emulate? I’m not sure whether to be flattered or frightened. (Although all…

A Mere Suggestion for the Teachers’ Unions

By Justin Katz | September 8, 2007 |

When we at Anchor Rising and the Providence Journal’s Bob Kerr are (at the least) headed toward the same page, you might want to turn some of your questions inward: A lot of years later, conditions are obviously better. Teacher pay has gotten downright comfortable. Teachers are often seen showing up at school in some…

Re: The Death of Edimar de Araujo

By Justin Katz | September 7, 2007 |

Here’s the key paragraph of Andrew’s post on the supposed traffic arrest fatality: From what we know, anyone with Mr. Araujo’s medical condition — citizen or non-citizen — could have suffered the same unfortunate fate, if discovered to be the subject of an outstanding warrant following a traffic stop. Mr Araujo’s immigration status is only…

A Movable Sob Story

By Justin Katz | September 7, 2007 |

My heartless campaign to explain to Rhode Island that there are alternative, more comprehensively beneficial ways of helping families than maintaining our state’s structural deficit and driving out businesses and our most promising citizens continues in today’s Providence Journal.