Marc Comtois

State of Virginia to Change Name

By Marc Comtois | July 6, 2009 |

Virginia Delegate Ima Harlot and Senator Justin “Jus” A. Gigolo proposed matching legislation in each chamber that would change the name of the state of Virginia. In a press conference, Harlot and Gigolo were joined by several representatives from both parties who were intent on showing their support. As Harlot explained: For too long, we…

Plantation Fight: The Veiled Threats Begin

By Marc Comtois | July 6, 2009 |

According to Senator Harold Metts, the people of Rhode Island had better drop their ‘Plantations’ or they’ll be viewed as racists by the rest of the country. Metts, as reported by the Providence Business News, raised the specter of economic retribution should voters reject the removal of “Providence Plantations” from the official name of the…

RI Supreme Court’s Trivialization of Ethics

By Marc Comtois | July 6, 2009 |

We’ve discussed the recent ruling by the RI Supreme Court that undermines a big stick in the RI Ethics Commissions arsenal. WRNI’s Scott McKay offers a good example of the cognitive dissonance displayed: [W]hat can one say about a commission that slaps a governor for attending a professional football game but allows a state senator…

NEA Boos Obama’s Ed. Secretary

By Marc Comtois | July 3, 2009 |

Education Secretary Arne Duncan was in Los Angeles to speak to an NEA convention. Teachers booed and hissed today as Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged the nation’s largest teachers union to change its view of merit-based pay and incorporate student achievement into teacher evaluation and compensation. Ah, so professional. I’ve been to many engineering conventions…

One Man Rock Band

By Marc Comtois | July 2, 2009 |

Gee whiz…what coordination…. ‘Course, ‘Rock Band’ ain’t music. (Using cranky old man voice) Back in my day, it took hours and hours to learn how to play an instrument, much less multiple instruments. Kids these days!Oh….like this guy?

Anti-‘Plantations’ Campaign Ramping Up

By Marc Comtois | July 2, 2009 |

Still talking about ‘Plantations’: Supporters of a plan that would give voters in next year’s general election the opportunity to strike the phrase “and Providence Plantations” from the state’s formal name, launched a public awareness and education campaign Wednesday….Backers say there is much work to be done if they are to persuade Rhode Island voters…

Fish Ladders

By Marc Comtois | July 1, 2009 |

Conservative. Conservation. Fish Ladders. For years, a consortium of government agencies and advocacy groups has struggled for funding to knock down dams and build fish ladders to help restore local fish migrations. That work was jump-started on Tuesday when the federal government came forward with $3 million in stimulus money for six projects on the…

You Go, Girls

By Marc Comtois | July 1, 2009 |

“Girls With Guns Get It” (H/T): In both Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Army and Marines found it useful to send a female soldier along on raids, as it was less disruptive to have a woman search the female civilians. There was no shortage of volunteers for this duty. The marines, as is their custom,…

Handing Over Iraq

By Marc Comtois | June 30, 2009 |

As Ralph Peters writes, “Our effort in Iraq passed a major milestone today: Our troops are leaving the cities.” For whatever reason (um, dare I say victory?), interest in Iraq has waned since it collapsed as a viable anti-you-know-who talking point. But progress has been made and now we can safely return Iraq’s cities to…

Breaking: RI Supreme Court Undercuts Ethics Commission

By Marc Comtois | June 29, 2009 |

The Rhode Island Supreme Court has managed to take away one of the RI Ethics Commission’s big sticks: The Rhode Island Supreme Court has upheld a lower-court ruling on behalf of former Senate President William V. Irons, saying that state legislators cannot be prosecuted by the state Ethics Commission for their votes or official legislative…