Monique Chartier

Let’s Not Forget DuPont

By Monique Chartier | July 2, 2008 |

Under Andrew’s post “RI Supreme Court Overturns Lead-Paint Verdict”, commenter Greg brings up the unwritten agreement – don’t call it a “settlement” – by which R.I. Attorney General Patrick Lynch excused DuPont paint from his lawsuit and the potential of a very expensive verdict. While Attorney General Lynch said of the settlement in July, 2005…

FY 2009 Supplemental Budget: Senate Finance Chair Drops A Shoe

By Monique Chartier | July 1, 2008 |

From the Warwick Beacon: State Senator Steven Alves (D-West Warwick), who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said he believes it is 99.9 percent likely that the state will face a supplemental budget of at least $100 million next year. Question. Why did the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee vote “Aye” on the 2009 budget…

Environmental Discipline in Denver

By Monique Chartier | July 1, 2008 |

If you’re attending the Democratic National Convention in Denver, get ready to put your best green face on. The convention will certainly be sporting one. Naturally (get it??), you’d expect that 70% of food items on all menus would be organic or locally grown. But with the slightly inexplicable mandate that “each meal should include…

Bill Clinton Has Not Arrived in Unity

By Monique Chartier | June 28, 2008 |

Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama ended campaign hostilities yesterday with a near embrace in Unity, New Hampshire. But Senator Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, is not feeling the vibe. From the Telegraph (UK); h/t NewsBusters. The Telegraph has learned that the former president’s rage is still so great that even loyal allies…

Re: A Reality Denied

By Monique Chartier | June 27, 2008 |

For this post, I was tempted to create another A.R. category – “Children” – because their best interest should be the focus of this issue. A couple of commenters to Justin’s post have expressed scepticism as to Trayce Hansen’s thesis – that it is better for a child to be raised by a mother and…

A Little Perspective for NASA’s James Hansen

By Monique Chartier | June 25, 2008 |

Deliberately withholding aid to hundreds of thousands of cyclone victims under your direct control probably constitutes a crime against humanity. What is going on in Darfur definitely constitutes a crime against humanity. A good case could be made that a “justice system” that prescribes the death penalty for sixty eight different crimes constitutes a crime…

Cicilline and the Minutemen, Side By Each

By Monique Chartier | June 24, 2008 |

The Mayor of Providence continues to insist that illegal immigration is a matter for federal officials. In response to Bill Malinowski’s story in Saturday’s ProJo about the City of Providence’s prior official encounters with Marco Riz, the Mayor released this statement: I will not let the Providence Police pick up the slack or take the…

(Almost Certain) Breaking News Out of East Providence

By Monique Chartier | June 23, 2008 |

As with candidacies throughout the state, the moment of truth will be Thursday morning and that final run down of filings. But the rumor that Senator Paul Moura (D) may not seek re-election has been given legs today with the filing of Declaration of Candidacy papers by the Democrat Mayor of East Providence, Isadore S.…

The Real Reason E-Verify Has Stalled (According to the Senate Communications Director)

By Monique Chartier | June 20, 2008 |

I went to the State House tonight (yes, on one of the last nights of the 2008 session) to ask Senate Majority Leader Teresa Paiva-Weed the following questions. Why, with twenty seven Senate sponsors, had she prevented the E-Verify bill from going to the floor for a vote? And because she did so, it is…

A Possible Complication to RIte Care and Undocumented Immigrants

By Monique Chartier | June 18, 2008 |

Let me float this by you. As the law pertaining to RIte Care has read for some time, citizenship is not one of the qualifications for pregnant women to participate in the program (as well as several others, according to Rep Peter Palumbo on the Helen Glover Show this morning). Today at the General Assembly,…