Monique Chartier

Cranston School Committee Approves a Caruolo Action

By Monique Chartier | May 7, 2008 |

From today’s Providence Journal: The School Committee voted late Tuesday night to sue the city for $4.9 million in additional education aid, setting the stage for a costly, bruising legal battle. The committee became the second in the state this year, after the West Warwick board, to authorize a lawsuit seeking more cash from a…

His Speculation is Predicated on a Major Presumption …

By Monique Chartier | May 7, 2008 |

… namely, the quality of his own presidency. From the Telegraph (UK): Standing in his cowboy boots on the back of a 1941 Ford pick-up truck in tiny Zebulon (population: 4,329), Bill Clinton bestowed on his wife Hillary what he perhaps considers the ultimate accolade. She would, he stated gallantly, be an even better president…

Re: MIA: Voter I.D. and Scrapping of the Straight Party Lever

By Monique Chartier | May 6, 2008 |

Secretary of State Ralph Mollis appeared on WHJJ’s Helen Glover Show this morning. He attempted to explain why a voter I.D. law that passed a US Supreme Court challenge by six to three cannot be brought to Rhode Island during this legislative session The only logistic barrier to this law is the absence of a…

May 4: Rhode Island Independence Day

By Monique Chartier | May 4, 2008 |

Will Ricci over at The Ocean State Republican points out that Today marks the 232nd anniversary of the declaration of independence by the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations from Great Britain on May 4, 1776. As Rhode Island did not ratify the US Constitution until May of 1790, it was for all intents…

Bracing for Sunday’s ProJo

By Monique Chartier | May 3, 2008 |

… or, more specifically, what’s-his-name’s column, about which in recent months has been vocalized much disapproval from several quarters. It appears that Charlie Hall would not disagree.

Re: Another Reason to Private School in Rhode Island

By Monique Chartier | May 3, 2008 |

Under Justin’s post, commenter Rhody remarks: The teachers are back to school (under a court order), they don’t have a new contract, and still people are kicking them. If any of us were sent back to work under a court order, our attitude might not be that great, either. Remember, kids coming out of college…

MIA: Voter I.D. and Scrapping of the Straight Party Lever

By Monique Chartier | May 1, 2008 |

It appears that Secretary of State Ralph Mollis left the two most important reforms to Rhode Island’s electoral process out of his “Voter First” Legislative Package. The Secretary of State does not address at all his exclusion of a voter identification requirement from the package. As for the straight party lever, Secretary Mollis had this…

Time to Re-Tort

By Monique Chartier | April 29, 2008 |

A caller to WPRO’s Matt Allen Show today came up with the idea of charging a fee for every bill that a Rhode Island legislator wishes to file. Matt suggested $500 a pop, to be deducted from the legislator’s annual salary. In view of the many look-at-me, pointlessly distracting bills that are filed every session,…

Supreme Court Rules on Voter Identification

By Monique Chartier | April 29, 2008 |

The New York Times is predicting gloom, doom and lawsuits as far as the eye can see. But anyone who values honest elections is breaking out the champagne to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling yesterday which upheld Indiana’s voter i.d. law, a law which is hopefully coming soon to a polling place near…

Recent Border Enforcement Activity (Not Always at the Border)

By Monique Chartier | April 28, 2008 |

The Department of Homeland Security posts on their website updated information of border enforcement activity. Coast Guard Repatriates 24 Dominicans, 1 Colombian April 22, 2008 (San Juan, Puerto Rico) – The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Chincoteague repatriated a Colombian and 24 Dominican migrants to La Romana, Dominican Republic, following an at-sea interdiction by Department…