Monique Chartier

Council 94 Leadership Rediscovers Democracy – Membership of Largest State Union to Vote on Gov’s Proposal

By Monique Chartier | September 25, 2009 |

After huddling up in North Providence for a couple of hours this afternoon and listening to an explanation by a couple of HR people from the state of certain nuances of the proposal, the ProJo reports that The leaders of the largest state employees union reversed course Friday afternoon and agreed to let their members…

Menard Freezes Disbursements to School Department

By Monique Chartier | September 24, 2009 |

While not taking our eyes completely off the fast and furious developments at the state level, a glance northward is in order. From today’s Valley Breeze. In a letter addressed to Superintendent Gerardi, [Mayor Susan] Menard said, “Continued operation of the school department at the projected costs will cause a significant deficit to accumulate.” She…

Joe Biden’s Blueprint to Derail the Agenda of the Obama Adminstration

By Monique Chartier | September 22, 2009 |

Um, sir, aren’t you … well, second in command? [H/T the Ocean State Republican which, at long last, is back on line.] We are sure that didn’t mean it to come out like a paragraph from a Republican National Committee fundraising letter, but… Vice President Joe Biden said today that if Democrats were to lose…

Global Warming: the (Non) Magnitude of Man’s Role

By Monique Chartier | September 22, 2009 |

President Obama speaking today at the United Nations: And yet, we can reverse it. John F. Kennedy once observed that “Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man.” It is true that for too many years, mankind has been slow to respond to or even recognize the magnitude of the climate threat.…

Tax-friendly Places to Retire: You’ll Never Guess Which State is Not So Friendly

By Monique Chartier | September 20, 2009 |

Mary Beth Franklin of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has an article in today’s Washington Post entitled “Tax-Friendly Places for Retirement”. Because tax treatment of different retirement income sources, as well as real property, varies widely by state, the fifty states were not ranked best to worst. For those contemplating a move upon retirement, Kiplingers has this…

Jon Stewart’s Take on the Expose of ACORN

By Monique Chartier | September 19, 2009 |

Courtesy Comedy Central’s Daily Show. [H/T NewsBusters.] The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c The Audacity of Hos www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

Curbing Somebody’s Enthusiasm: Some Facts to Reassure Speaker Pelosi

By Monique Chartier | September 19, 2009 |

Once again, instead of a substantive discussion about policies, the focus is on feelings – this time, fear. “I wish that we would all, again, curb our enthusiasm in some of the statements that are made,” Pelosi said Thursday. Some of the people hearing the message “are not as balanced as the person making the…

Gov Orders Defunding of ACORN-RI

By Monique Chartier | September 18, 2009 |

Press release of an hour ago: With the recent revelations of alleged fraudulent and potentially illegal activity by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) being reported across the country, Governor Carcieri today ordered all department directors and state agencies to immediately identify and cease any payments being made directly to ACORN-RI or…

Wherefore ACORN?

By Monique Chartier | September 14, 2009 |

A third ACORN office has been videotaped giving tax evasion and federal mortgage application tips to a couple who purported to be establishing a brothel for underage girls smuggled into the country. This follows upon the exposure in 2008 of multi-state, multi-year voter registration fraud. The Brooklyn District Attorney has opened an investigation into the…

Pawtucket Teachers: a Good News/Bad News Situation

By Monique Chartier | September 13, 2009 |

The bad news is that they are among the lowest paid in the state, accordingly to the president of the Pawtucket Teachers Alliance, Charleen Christy. The good news, however, is on a multitude of fronts. First, as they teach in Rhode Island, Pawtucket teachers are still in the top twenty percent pay bracket nationwide. Next,…