Justin Katz

Oppressor of America

By Justin Katz | June 4, 2006 |

Well, after extensive efforts since the company devoured Fleet, Bank of America has finally succeeded in persuading me to take my business elsewhere. From several varieties of inconvenience to an extremely unpleasant job fair to the fees (my God, the fees!), the behemoth has finally overcome the natural inertia against changing banks. The company’s corporate…

In the Land of the Short-Sighted, the Long-Sighted Man Is…

By Justin Katz | June 3, 2006 |

The Providence Journal (which, to build an incidental point on Andrew’s previous post, Matt Jerzyk believes to be too conservative) continues its support for same-sex marriage: Time, however, may be on his side. Despite various state drives to ban same-sex marriage during the 2004 elections, it appears that the idea of such unions is gaining…

Affording Rhode Island

By Justin Katz | May 27, 2006 |

Perhaps I take rhetoric such as Bernie Beaudreau’s in the Providence Journal a bit too personally: Low-income Rhode Islanders register little in the present tax debate, except for the false promise that there is a connection between tax breaks for the rich and more bread for the poor. “The flat tax will reduce poverty,” we’re…

A Curious Title?

By Justin Katz | May 27, 2006 |

I’m sure I’m not alone among Anchor Rising writers in feeling a glimmer of hope when such letters as Melbourne Fisher’s appear in the paying press: Columnists Bob Kerr and Charlie Bakst get plenty of ink, and the “loyal opposition” gets an occasional letter to the editor. Keep Bob and Charlie; just get another writer…

Pre-Lapsed

By Justin Katz | May 23, 2006 | Comments Off on Pre-Lapsed

I love this part of Marc’s post: … Michaud also revealed that he was paid $80,000 by Beacon as a consultant and that he was unaware that he should have announced as such when he testified in front of the General Assembly as an expert witness earlier this year. It brings to mind the movie…

Asleep at the Border

By Justin Katz | May 15, 2006 |

I wish I could offer some little bit of insightful commentary on the President’s speech. Unfortunately, I dozed off shortly after his use of the “the vast majority of” construction. On the bright side, the nap left me revivified for the season finale of Prison Break. The frustration: that I had to wait an extra…

Anti–Illegal Immigration Protest

By Justin Katz | May 3, 2006 | Comments Off on Anti–Illegal Immigration Protest

You know how the pro-immigration folks often claim that illegals “do the work that Americans won’t do”? Well, I propose that we pick a day during which everybody who supports tougher immigration controls actually goes to work. I suspect participation would be in the millions.

Softening the Takeover of Failing Schools

By Justin Katz | May 3, 2006 |

I don’t have time to research the ins and outs of Rhode Island’s laws dealing with the quality of public education, but it seems to me that the following addition to the section on “intervention and support for failing schools,” introduced in the Senate (PDF) by Senators Ruggerio, Badeau, Ciccone, Lanzi, and Tassoni, would arguably…

The Marriage Debate Comes to Tiverton

By Justin Katz | May 2, 2006 |

Via the pastor, the same-sex marriage debate has made its way into my Roman Catholic church in Tiverton. How can a socially conservative parishioner do otherwise than respond?

Blogging on the Radio

By Justin Katz | April 17, 2006 | Comments Off on Blogging on the Radio

In case you — like me — missed it, here’s an MP3 file of Addie Goss’s radio piece on Rhode Island blogs for the Brown Student Radio show Off the Beat (which, for some reason, never found its way onto the show’s archive page). (I didn’t realize how halting. my. speech. can. be. when I’m…