Monique Chartier

“It’s More Like a Debt Sun Roof”

By Monique Chartier | August 10, 2009 |

This was the reaction last hour by Glenn Beck’s producer Stu upon being told that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner had requested (on Friday – do you suppose they were trying to minimize media attention?) that Congress raise the national debt ceiling. It is critically important that Congress act before the limit is reached so that…

Penalizing the Non-Participant: National Health Care Reform IS Massachusetts Health Care Reform

By Monique Chartier | August 9, 2009 |

Andrew had a contemporaneous post on Massachusetts health care reform, which includes the stick of a tax penalty on those who refused to participate. Note that the stick gets bigger from 2008 to 2009. Note also that Mass’ reform has not accomplished its goals, though the author provides little to bolster her conclusion that national…

One Thing’s For Sure, They Won’t Be Using Them to Meet with Constituents at Health Care Town Halls

By Monique Chartier | August 7, 2009 |

As reports of a less than agreeable reception for members of Congress at health care town halls have circulated, other congressional delegations around the country, not excluding Rhode Island’s, have been strangely slow to schedule town halls in their own states. However, the tax-payer funded body which characterized the use of private jets by taxpayer…

“If You Could Wave a Magic Wand, What is the One Thing You Would Do?”

By Monique Chartier | August 5, 2009 |

… to improve the state. This is what WPRO’s Dan Yorke asked Justin, his in-studio guest for a second hour. Justin responded that, for him, the elimination [Edit: Will corrects me under comments] of unions public unions would have top priority. I would point out that unions public unions are one of many special interests…

Really? The State Can only Provide One Kind of Relief for Local Budget Woes?

By Monique Chartier | August 3, 2009 |

Woonsocket’s Caruolo lawsuit kicks off today. (Side note: you were correct the first time, Your Honor: a performance audit must be conducted). In the meantime, the attorney for the plaintiff – i.e., the school committee – has identified the cause of Woonsocket’s school budget shortfall. when the real problem isn’t the city’s or the school…

… Did She Move to Rhode Island after Graduating?

By Monique Chartier | August 2, 2009 |

From the UPI. A 27-year-old Monroe College graduate is suing the New York school, contending it has done little to help her find a job. Trina Thompson, who graduated in April with a bachelor’s degree, alleges in a Bronx Supreme Court lawsuit that she did not receive adequate employment leads and advice from the school’s…

Juxtaposing Rhode Island’s Student Achievement to Teacher Compensation Rankings and a Plan to Make it Worse

By Monique Chartier | August 2, 2009 |

Further to the dissatisfaction that Justin expressed yesterday with remarks made by Rhode Island’s new Commissioner of Education Deborah Gist at the RISC Summer meeting … STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT – Brushing the bottom 20% nationally ALEC 2008 Report on American Education [PDF] Ranks RI academic achievement at fortieth out of fifty first. Note that this is…

Why is the RI Board of Elections Giving Erroneous Instructions to the Moderate Party?

By Monique Chartier | August 1, 2009 |

Major congrats to the Moderate Party and their signature fiends … er, petitioners for the 30,000 signature that they have collected in jig time. Now, unnecessary confusion is being created as to where those signatures must be turned in. A little incident arose out of last year’s election that Republicans remember with a wince and…

Speaker Murphy’s Best of Rhode Island

By Monique Chartier | July 28, 2009 |

House Speaker William Murphy, filling in today 10-21 for Buddy Cianci on WPRO, will not be taking calls, at least for the first couple of hours. Instead, he has indicated a desire to focus on some of the good things in and about Rhode Island. Here, then, is the running list. Let me know if…

The Difference Between a Handout and a Share in a Common Resource

By Monique Chartier | July 27, 2009 |

… is pretty obvious and substantial, actually. About Sarah Palin’s resignation, David Frum has made this observation. Sarah Palin’s most notable achievement as governor of Alaska was to increase the payout from the state’s energy tax take by $1200 per resident. Isn’t it odd then that she would use her farewell address to warn against…