Monique Chartier

“Take Action”: E-Verify (Both Public & Private Sector) To Be Heard Today in House Labor

By Monique Chartier | March 27, 2012 |

… as Andrew noted on his list, though you wouldn’t know it from the General Assembly’s Bill Status page (which still has both 7315 and 7927 “scheduled for hearing and/or consideration” on March 19). If you very reasonably object to a major enticement – employment – to illegal immigration; if you would prefer private and…

One Lesson From the Police Raid on Kim Dotcom’s Place: Always Ask to See the Search Warrant

By Monique Chartier | March 25, 2012 |

… thought possibly it only applies in New Zealand as I could not imagine any American police force being stupid enough to do this. Kim Dotcom, the notorious founder of MegaUpload and one of the most-wanted alleged copyright infringers in the world, may get all his stuff back from police after a judge ruled that…

Note to the General Treasurer: If George Nee Supports It, It Is Definitively Not “Sound Fiscal Policy”

By Monique Chartier | March 22, 2012 |

Kudos to WPRI for bringing this to light. Treasurer Gina Raimondo is urging lawmakers to reject a little-noticed proposal by Governor Chafee to shave $2.6 million off the amount taxpayers must put into the pension fund next year. The governor’s proposed 2012-13 budget would scrap a seven-year-old law mandating that if the state’s required pension…

Sentence In the Head Kicking Case: What Is The Message Out of Superior Court?

By Monique Chartier | March 19, 2012 |

That you can kick a handcuffed person in the head and not go to jail … 1.) Whenever you want? 2.) Only if you’re a police officer? 3.) Either of the above as long as you have the right attorney? From WPRO: Edward Krawetz, the Lincoln Police Officer convicted of kicking a handcuffed suspect in…

Keystone Pipeline Vote Reveals Sheldon Whitehouse’s Highly Questionable Priorities

By Monique Chartier | March 18, 2012 |

Remarkably (did the sun rise in the east this morning?), PolitiFact today ruled as “True” a statement by an R (Barry Hinckley) to the apparent detriment of a D (Senator Sheldon Whitehouse). Benjamin “Barry” Hinckley III, the Republican candidate challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, recently criticized Whitehouse’s vote in support of President Obama’s decision…

ATTRIBUTION CORRECTION: Mid-Year School Closure or Bust the Budget: Choosing Between RI Laws

By Monique Chartier | March 16, 2012 |

[The post below has been revised with the addition of the link to the article, quoted extensively in the post, by the Valley Breeze’s Sandy Phaneuf, who appears to have broke the story about the Woonsocket School Comm contemplating the closure of schools two plus months early. I had omitted the link when the post…

The Banana Peel In Gov Chafee’s Municipal Pension Reform Plan

By Monique Chartier | March 15, 2012 |

Governor Chafee will unveil his “Critical Plan Empowerment Act-Municipal Pensions” today in Pawtucket. Ian Donnis got an early look at it. As I read through his article, my hands rose to applaud the Governor’s initiative. Governor Lincoln Chafee’s bill to aid struggling cities and towns — slated to be unveiled later this week – would…

Cicilline On Fitch’s Downgrade of Prov Bonds: Told Ya So

By Monique Chartier | March 15, 2012 |

Fitch’s downgrade of Providence’s bonds has brought out in a big way David Cicilline’s propensity to tell whoppers. [Cicilline spokesman Richard] Luchette said the three-step downgrade by Fitch “confirms what both [Cicilline] and Mayor Taveras have said is the root cause of Providence’s economic problems How does this correspond, first of all, to his repeatedly…

A Hint As To What Will Trigger State Intervention?

By Monique Chartier | March 10, 2012 |

With the recently exposed multi-year, multi-million dollar deficit in Woonsocket’s school budget and the subsequent downgrade of the city’s bonds, Woonsocket now qualifies for receivership, a.k.a., municipal bankruptcy, under Rhode Island’s new, albeit overarching, law. The big question now is whether the state will step in and start that process. Though terse, we get a…

Tassoni: Pets Need Court Advocates

By Monique Chartier | March 10, 2012 |

H’mmm, do you suppose if we could get taxpayers reclassified as pets, Senator Tassoni would be a little more concerned about our welfare …? A Rhode Island lawmaker says it’s unfair that pets and other animals don’t get a voice in court when their welfare is at stake. State Sen. John Tassoni has written legislation…