Monique Chartier

RI Tea Parties 2009 and 2010: Contrasting Crowd Size

By Monique Chartier | April 16, 2010 |

The angle of the two photographs is not identical … 2009 [Courtesy Justin Katz] 2010

Oops, Congress May Not Have Excluded Itself from Health Care Reform

By Monique Chartier | April 15, 2010 | Comments Off on Oops, Congress May Not Have Excluded Itself from Health Care Reform

Robert Pear reports in the New York Times, of all places. The law promises that people can keep coverage they like, largely unchanged. For members of Congress and their aides, the federal employees health program offers much to like. But, the [Congressional Research Service] report says, the men and women who wrote the law may…

Evidence That Our Government Has Become Distracted: Ranking of Rhody’s Bridges

By Monique Chartier | April 14, 2010 |

Further to Justin’s point about the misplaced priorities of the state, the ranking of our bridges – worst in the country – a couple of years ago confirms that the underfunding of road and bridge projects is a recurring theme at the General Assembly and not a brand new development in this supplemental budget. As…

Budgeting Disconnect Identified: the Fallacy of “Underfunding”

By Monique Chartier | April 13, 2010 |

… but not the usual fallacy that inevitably leads to comical yard signs like “Save our Schools” when contracts are up for re-negotiation. Yesterday, during the last hour of the WPRO Morning News with John Depetro, Cranston School Committee member Frank Lombardi called in to defend the actions of himself and certain other committee members…

“Colour Blinded” – Scaramouche and Graham On the Foolish Accusation Leveled Against the Tea Party

By Monique Chartier | April 11, 2010 |

A Canadian blogger named Scaramouche supplies the perfect answer to the baseless charge that Tea Partiers are racist (the latest to do so, regretfully, being the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts). We chit-chatted for a bit about Jews, American and Canadian, and their tendency to vote liberal (and Liberal) no matter what, until we…

NEARI Report: the Supplemental Budget Process (and Much More)

By Monique Chartier | April 9, 2010 |

The following was sent this afternoon to members of the National Education Association of Rhode Island. I am not sure what was reported in the paper this morning since reporters were posting stories as they were briefed, but some of those turned out to be premature. The House Finance Committee did vote out the supplemental…

The Departure from Rhode Island of the John Galts Can be Reversed

By Monique Chartier | April 7, 2010 |

Under Justin’s post “Do You Know This Guy?”, BobN points out Why would anyone have a problem with the [Ayn] Rand signs? They are neither in poor taste nor dishonest. The condition of Rhode Island’s finances, economy, and urban society does resemble the one described in Atlas Shrugged in a number of disturbing ways. Indeed.…

Oversized, Photogenic Grant Checks or Some Flood Relief for Constituents?

By Monique Chartier | April 6, 2010 |

This will be an interesting conundrum. [From a press release.] State Representatives John Loughlin (R-Tiverton, Little Compton, Portsmouth) and Jon Brien (D-Woonsocket) today announced that they will be introducing legislation to provide tax relief to Rhode Islanders affected by the devastating March floods. The proposed tax credit would provide a one-time, per family $2,000 state…

Status Report on RI Gov’t: Beaux Arts But No Budget

By Monique Chartier | April 5, 2010 |

The temptation to contrast this RFP by the State of Rhode Island [PDF] RFP # 7323535 GENERAL DESCRIPTION The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) requires a fiscal agent to administer the timely payment of honoraria, fees and travel expenses, under the direction of the State Arts Council. with this report by the…

For the Sake of the Environment: Drill, Baby, Drill! (It Reduces Natural Oil & Gas Seepage)

By Monique Chartier | April 3, 2010 |

… okay, possibly not everywhere. But definitely in one of the many, many areas – California – that President Obama has just ruled off limits to exploration and drilling. One of the side affects of offshore oil production has been the reduction of oil and gas seepage due to decreases in subsea oil-reservoir pressure. Seep…