Monique Chartier

WPRI Poll: The First Congressional Weasel Loses By Ten Points to [gasp] a Republican

By Monique Chartier | May 19, 2011 |

The horror. Congressman David Cicilline would lose to his Republican opponent by more than 10 points if an election were held today, according to an exclusive WPRI 12 poll that finds many voters are unhappy with the first-term Democrat. The new survey of 300 registered voters in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District shows Cicilline’s 2010…

Rough Month for the Fakers: G.T. Raimondo Auditing (Some or All) State Disability Pensions

By Monique Chartier | May 17, 2011 |

Kicking it all off, of course, was WPRI Tim White’s rumbling of the “disabled” weight lifter. That was followed by Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven M. Pare announcing a week ago that all Providence firefighter disability pensions were being reviewed. (Firefighter Local 799 says, Go get ’em, boss.) Now it turns out that General Treasurer…

Heads Up, Federal Retirees, Obama and Geithner are Tapping Your Retirement Fund

By Monique Chartier | May 16, 2011 |

Nothing to worry about, though, it’s a loan and not a confiscation. You have no problem lending your retirement to someone who is over fourteen trillion dollars in debt, right …? The Obama administration will begin to tap federal retiree programs to help fund operations after the government loses its ability Monday to borrow more…

Note to the State Retirement Board: It’s Not Happening

By Monique Chartier | May 15, 2011 |

On Wednesday, the Retirement Board ordered that Rhode Island taxpayers boost their annual pension contribution by $266 million in a desperate effort to make up for the decades of underfunding of state and local pensions that were far too generous to begin with. By the way, the unfunded liability of public employees’ post-retirement benefits is…

General Treasurer: No Pension Reform This Session. (But Is It Wise to Postpone It To an Election Year?)

By Monique Chartier | May 11, 2011 |

Turn to 10’s Bill Rappleye reported shortly after 6:00 this evening that General Treasurer Gina Raimondo will not submit a pension reform plan for consideration in the next six weeks; i.e., by the end of this General Assembly session. This contradicts a statement by Speaker Fox, by the way, who, give him credit for demonstrating…

Hallelujah! Boiler Inspection Reform is on the Horizon!

By Monique Chartier | May 10, 2011 |

Sure, it’s a small matter in the great scheme of things. But it’s been a particularly galling one. The General Assembly may finally have harkened to the outraged voices of business owners about the insanity that comprises our boiler inspection law. Yes, it’s only one of many regulations that cause an unnecessary drag on Rhode…

The Insanity of A Mileage Tax

By Monique Chartier | May 8, 2011 |

… has been set aside. But Anthony Watts over at Watts Up With That ominously predicts that this is just a postponement by the Obama administration and not a cancellation. Today at 10:15AM EST, the story was updated, and now the White House says this: “This is not an administration proposal,” White House spokeswoman Jennifer…

Rhode Island Rate Payers Subsidizing Green Energy on Lon Gisland???

By Monique Chartier | May 7, 2011 |

The latest development in the proposed Deepwater Wind farm confirms yet again that wind power is a complete non-starter. Deepwater Wind has offered to sell power to Long Island from a 200-turbine offshore wind farm proposed in Rhode Island Sound at a price far cheaper than what the company would charge Rhode Islanders for electricity…

President Obama’s Conflicted (to say the least) Oil Policy and Pronouncements

By Monique Chartier | May 1, 2011 |

Strap in; it’s a roller coaster ride. High gasoline and oil prices are bad. Obama, speaking at a San Francisco event for donors, called rising gasoline prices an economic drain on drivers and said curbing oil reliance is a “national security imperative.” High gasoline and oil prices (if they are gradual) are good. I think…

So Next Month’s Field Trip is a Tea Party Rally, Right?

By Monique Chartier | May 1, 2011 |

Obviously it will be, if the goal really is for Pennsylvania’s children to participate in “good citizenship, free expression, fairness and thoughtful deliberation” and not that they are blatantly being used as pawns on an egregious scale to advance a selfish agenda. On Tuesday, across the state of Pennsylvania, unions and other Left-wing organizations will…