Adventures in Town Government

RISSA logo

It’s well past time to defund the lobbyists of government agencies.

By Justin Katz | June 22, 2021 |

Continuing to dig into the shady (yet, completely ordinary) behind-the-scenes maneuvers of Rhode Island’s governing class when it comes to South Kingstown Schools’ fight with local mom Nicole Solas, William Jacobson of Legal Insurrection reports that the Rhode Island School Superintendents Association (RISSA) is working to reduce Rhode Islanders access to public information by changing the Access…

The BLM flag flown in Barrington, RI

Barrington Town Council members are destroying their community for ideology.

By Justin Katz | June 17, 2021 |

Identity politics is a great destroyer.  Not only does it pit neighbor against neighbor based on superficial qualities like skin color, but it acts as an ideological litmus test.  To its practitioners, one either bends the knee or is non-personned as a “hater.”  Look at what’s happening in Barrington. This is from a Sarah Doiron…

No Tolerance for Ignorance sign

A step in the right direction on campaigning via school lists.

By Justin Katz | June 16, 2021 |

Legislation from Democrat state Senator Leonidas Raptakis (S0089) and Democrat state Representative Patricia Serpa (H5830) begins to address the abuse of school information: The General Assembly tonight passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis and Rep. Patricia A. Serpa which prohibits the use of a school district’s listserv to distribute any political advertisement, invitation,…

South Kingstown bond mailer

A Start to Fixing South Kingstown Schools’ Misbehavior

By Justin Katz | June 15, 2021 |

Revelations about the source of student information for a political mailer in South Kingstown give hints of the statewide machine taxpayers have to resist.

NEA-RI logo overshadows South Kingstown schools logo

It appears that NEA-RI is stalking South Kingstown.

By Justin Katz | June 9, 2021 |

Most people who pay attention to these sorts of things know that the South Kingstown school department has the dubious distinction of having as one of its governing school committee members, Sarah Markey,  an actual organizer from the National Education Association of Rhode Island (NEA-RI), which is the state-level union representing the district’s teachers.  That…

A shush post at VisionLab

When Journalists Deride Requests for Public Access in Government

By Justin Katz | June 8, 2021 |

With their ideological bias, Rhode Island journalists don’t see themselves as aligned with those seeking public accountability regardless of worldview, but with the powerful seeking to impose their worldview on the powerless.

Upward line chart

Taxpayer/voter advocates across RI should prepare to track local budgets very closely.

By Justin Katz | June 8, 2021 |

Over on Tiverton Fact Check, I’ve posted an estimate of the extra revenue the town government may find flooding in over the next year: Along with the increasing cacophony of birds and fireworks, we know we must be well into spring in Tiverton as one hears the familiar calls of the town-government budgeters:  “Raise taxes. We…

Colors in a bubble

Politics This Week with John DePetro: Blowing Progressive Bubbles in RI

By Justin Katz | June 7, 2021 |

This week, John and Justin discuss how Rhode Island media, politicians, and officials trip themselves and others up because they see the world from within bubbles.

South Kingstown School Committee discusses lawsuit

South Kingstown’s School Committee is abusing its position, even if it isn’t suing a local mother.

By Justin Katz | June 3, 2021 |

According to William Jacobson on Legal Insurrection, the South Kingstown School Committee has voted not to sue local mom Nicole Solas, but instead to try to resolve their differences outside of the courts.  In this case, remember, “resolving differences” means providing a taxpayer with information to which she has a legal right. In these circumstances, it’s always…

South Kingstown schools logo

Is the South Kingstown School Committee retaliating against a resident for seeking information about indoctrination in the schools?

By Justin Katz | June 2, 2021 |

Nicole Solas describes her experience as a concerned mother with the schools in South Kingstown, on Legal Insurrection: These initial high estimates of public records requests are common barriers to parents obtaining information about their children’s school district. A parent in another Rhode Island school district received an estimate of $17,295.75 to obtain public information related…