Monique Chartier
Rejoice, flying saucer buffs. Following the example of France this past March, the British Ministry of Defense is releasing its U.F.O. files. The public opening of the MoD archive will expose the once highly classified work of the intelligence branch DI55, whose mission was to investigate UFO reports and whose existence was denied by the…
In expressing reluctance to cut social programs, some Democrat leaders in the General Assembly have placed such programs in the context of compassion. In point of fact, Rhode Island spending on all social services in Fiscal Year 2005 was in the top third nationally [we are ranked fifteenth]. Our spending in the category of “Medicaid/Vendor…
To close the half billion dollar operating deficit and back Rhode Island down from its ranking as the seventh highest taxed state, the focus must be on state spending which is funded by General Revenues – state income tax, lottery proceeds, business tax, gas tax, sales tax. Out of the 2007 state budget of $7,000,000,000,…
In view of the RFP (Request for Proposals) that has been on the Rhode Island General Assembly’s website for several months, it appears that a broad based sales tax is not off the table when our solons begin to tackle the half billion dollar annual operating deficit of the seventh highest taxed state in the…
In her OpEd in yesterday’s Providence Journal which Justin brings to our attention, Ms.Yeh Ling-Ling states: But at least the Chinese leaders realize population growth’s contribution to global warming. They defended their one-child policy by arguing that it has helped the fight against global warming by avoiding 300 million births There are some valid points…
While Rhode Island has been distracted by gridlock snow storms, triple dipping public employees and Presidential primaries, Senate President Joseph Montalbano has been sneaking around giving an interview to the Editorial Boards of the Pawtucket Times and the Woonsocket Call. As reported by the Pawtucket Times’ estimable Jim Baron on Tuesday, the state budget was…
Citing a lack of confidence in the Director’s ability to carry out his official duties in a future emergency, Mayor David Cicilline has announced that Leo Messier has been fired as Providence’s Emergency Management Agency director. Mr. Messier is perhaps best known for being a little too sanguine during last week’s storm about how some…
With a remarkable 63% of the vote, Republican Steven J. Coaty won today’s special election in Newport and will represent that city in the Rhode Island House. Mr. Coaty carried five out of seven precincts. More details are available at Ocean State Republican. [Hat tip once again to Will Ricci for alerting us to this…
It is a minor irritation to write or hear that cliche. It is a bigger irritation to watch someone carry it out. At a press conference today, House Finance Chairman Steven Costantino announced a plan to consolidate five state agencies into one. In a statement issued moments before his press conference was to get under…
The clash between state and national committees over the scheduling of state primaries has led the national committees of both parties to nullify the presidential delegates from certain states, though in differing proportions. There is speculation that the national committees will not adhere to this tough stance. But in both parties, there’s a belief that…