Monique Chartier

Please Do Your Bounding Part to Save the Planet

By Monique Chartier | August 9, 2008 |

Actually, global warming stopped ten years ago and the planet has entered a cooling trend. But isn’t it time we expanded our meat repertoire? [Courtesty BBC online news.] The methane gas produced by sheep and cows through belching and flatulence is more potent than carbon dioxide in the damage it can cause to the environment.…

If it Happened, Would She Really Say, “Shucks, I Decline”?

By Monique Chartier | August 7, 2008 |

Our corporate overlords have asked us to distract from this. So quick, let’s talk about Hillary. Senator Clinton has not ruled out allowing her name to be placed into nomination in Denver, noting, Senator Obama and I share the goal of ensuring that the voices of everyone who participated in this historic process are respected…

M. Charles Bakst To Take the Buyout

By Monique Chartier | August 6, 2008 |

… effective September 12, Turn to Ten reports. [H/T Ian Donnis at Not For Nothing.] The longtime political columnist for The Providence Journal is retiring. M. Charles Bakst is taking a buyout that was recently offered to a number of Journal employees. For the past 40 years, Bakst has written weekly and Sunday columns for…

Hey Hey Ho Ho! Nodrillosi Has Got to Go! Hey Hey Ho Ho …

By Monique Chartier | August 5, 2008 |

UPDATE – RESCHEDULED To next Tuesday, August 12. Same bat time; same bat channel. The RI College Republicans have organized a protest at 1:00 today [edit] next Tuesday against inaction by the US House on several bills to expand domestic oil drilling. It will start at Congressmen Kennedy’s office, 249 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, and move…

Senator Whitehouse in Action on the Judiciary Committee: Tackling the Important Issues

By Monique Chartier | August 2, 2008 |

[Starts at minute 4:50]

RI Courts and Attorney General: Taking “A Second Chance” to a New Level

By Monique Chartier | August 1, 2008 |

The passage of twenty four hours has conferred no perspective on or fathomability into this: The state courts plan to keep doing business with two cleaning companies that the Carcieri administration fired last week after 31 of their custodians were arrested as suspected illegal immigrants. And Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch is also sticking with…

In the Vacuum Left by Council 94’s Vote, Gov Issues Executive Order

By Monique Chartier | July 31, 2008 |

Following upon Governor Carcieri’s press conference at 2:00, his office issued the following statement. Governor Donald L. Carcieri today issued an Executive Order authorizing that all employees represented by unions that have not ratified the co-share and plan design changes outlined in the Memorandum of Settlement shall enjoy the same health, vision, and dental plan…

Were Council 94’s “Non-Negotiations” Part of a Larger Plan?

By Monique Chartier | July 30, 2008 |

Let’s examine Council 94’s urgent insistance that the thirty meetings with Governor Carcieri do not constitute negotiations in the light of the status of those negotiations informal discussions at meeting ninteen. On May 23, Governor Carieri appeared on WPRO’s Dan Yorke Show: They have not put a single thing … after 19 meetings, hours, hundreds…

After a World Wide Search

By Monique Chartier | July 26, 2008 |

… once again, an open position in the Rhode Island court system goes to someone connected to the General Assembly. An assistant legal counsel to the Senate majority leader has been chosen for a $128,650-a-year job as a Family Court magistrate. Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr. last week selected Colleen M. Hastings…

Governor Carcieri: “There will be no resumption of negotiations with Council 94”

By Monique Chartier | July 25, 2008 |

The Governor’s office released this statement about an hour ago. “There will be no resumption of negotiations with Council 94,” said Governor Carcieri. “My administration spent six months and hundreds of hours negotiating the terms of this agreement with representatives of Council 94. Those representatives agreed to the terms that were finally negotiated. There were…