Monique Chartier

Obama Wins South Carolina

By Monique Chartier | January 26, 2008 |

CNN reports: With 95 percent of precincts reporting, Obama had 55 percent of the vote. Clinton was second with 27 percent, followed by Edwards, with 18 percent. In the meantime, Christopher Hitchens warns the Senator from Illinois (…er, Obama, not Clinton) to watch his back: On the very next day, I heard via three different…

Rhode Island: Fourth Highest Taxed

By Monique Chartier | January 25, 2008 |

“Our People are Taxed Too Highly.” So said Governor Donald Carcieri during his post State of the State media rounds. And – drum roll, please – the Tax Foundation concurs. For the third year in a row, they ranked Rhode Island fourth highest taxed, state and local combined. Data source of the Tax Foundation’s analysis:…

Budget Commentary on WPRI’s Newsmakers

By Monique Chartier | January 20, 2008 |

William Felkner of the Ocean State Policy Research Institute appeared in the third segement of today’s Newsmakers to discuss the state budget. Felkner voiced the thought of many of us that while the Governor’s proposed initiatives in the supplemental budget are a good start, they may not go far enough. [Side note: there are rumors…

Barack Obama in Candidates and the Pulpit

By Monique Chartier | January 20, 2008 |

From the AP: Heading into the most racially diverse contest yet in the presidential campaign, [Senator Barack] Obama took to the pulpit at Martin Luther King Jr.’s Ebenezer Baptist Church on the eve of the federal holiday celebrating the civil rights hero’s birth 79 years ago. His speech was based on King’s quote that “Unity…

Snakes and Snake-Killers in the Providence Fruit Building Thing

By Monique Chartier | January 19, 2008 |

While we try to understand how a city can issue a Demolition Permit for an historic building, let’s take a look at the June 20, 2006, minutes of the State Properties Committee meeting at which the Purchase & Sale Agreement and the deed were approved, during which Chairman Jerome Williams repeatedly expressed concern that the…

Blue Cross: Who Is Holding the Bag?

By Monique Chartier | January 17, 2008 |

In mid-November, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island applied for a 12% rate increase of its direct pay (i.e., non-group) products. Public hearings have been under way. On December 13, 2007, US Attorney Robert Clark Corrente announced that as a part of Operation Dollar Bill, his office had reached an agreement with Blue Cross…

Iraqi Civilian Deaths

By Monique Chartier | January 14, 2008 |

In the October 11, 2006 issue of Lancet Magazine appeared a well publicized study of “excess Iraqi deaths” which occurred after the 2003 invasion. For the period March, 2003 – July, 2006, it placed that total at 654,965, of which 601,027 were attributed to violence. Scepticism was voiced by a few on the face of…

Al Sharpton’s Hollow Indignation

By Monique Chartier | January 10, 2008 |

It’s one thing for Reverend Al Sharpton to use the racial gaffes of others principally as a means of attracting a spotlight or a microphone to himself. It’s an annoyance but the ultimate impact is on the credibility of Reverend Sharpton. It’s another thing for him to do so when the gaffe involves the word…

Station Club Fire: Michael Derderian Applies for Parole

By Monique Chartier | January 10, 2008 |

After pleading no contest to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter and serving one third of his four year sentence, co-owner of the Station Night Club Michael Derderian, has applied for parole. One of the one hundred people killed in the fire was Nicholas O’Neill. Below is the statement of his parents, Joanne O’Neill and Dave…

New Hampshire: McCain and Clinton

By Monique Chartier | January 8, 2008 |

But some hows and whys are needed to understand the surprise result of the Democrat primary. Per the Drudge Report, with 73% and 76% of precincts reporting: McCain 36.78% Romney 31.74% Huckabee 11.15% Giuliani 8.52% Paul 7.74% Thompson 1.19% Clinton 39% Obama 36% Edwards 17% Richardson 5% Kucinich 1%