Basic Government Functions

Rain on Me

By Carroll Andrew Morse | May 6, 2008 |

We interrupt this broadcast for a moment of hyper-local blegging… Would anyone with a measure of civil engineering experience care to comment on whether the permanent shower occurring beneath the new overpass between Route 95 exits 18 and 19 is something Rhode Island drivers (or taxpayers) should be concerned about? We now return you to…

National Day of Silence

By Monique Chartier | April 26, 2008 |

Yesterday, students across the U.S. and in Rhode Island participated in National Day of Silence, taking an oath of silence for a day or part of a day to bring attention to the harassment of gays and lesbians. From the Providence Journal: … at least 29 public and private high schools participated in Rhode Island.…

As Rhode Island Crumbles

By Justin Katz | March 13, 2008 |

See, this sort of thing ought to be a state government’s first priority: After reexamining the condition of Rhode Island’s bridges, the state Department of Transportation has identified the need for “approximately $600 million in bridge repair and replacement projects” over the next five years, Governor Carcieri told a press conference today. But the money…

Providence EMA Director Messier Fired

By Monique Chartier | December 20, 2007 |

Citing a lack of confidence in the Director’s ability to carry out his official duties in a future emergency, Mayor David Cicilline has announced that Leo Messier has been fired as Providence’s Emergency Management Agency director. Mr. Messier is perhaps best known for being a little too sanguine during last week’s storm about how some…

EMA Director Warren Fired

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 18, 2007 |

WPRO (630 AM) is reporting that Robert Warren has been fired as the state Emergency Management Agency director, presuambly over his handling of last Thursday’s snowstorm. Developing…

Another Structural Failure Highlighted by the Snowstorm

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 14, 2007 |

Ian Donnis of the

(In Some Ways) The City Is the State

By Justin Katz | December 14, 2007 |

To provide some perspective on yesterday’s stark warning of calamity, it’s worth mentioning that I made it home to Tiverton from Newport in not much more time than usual — about an hour, with three short stops (coffee, money, and newspaper). In other words, Will Ricci’s nine-hour trip from East Providence to South Kingstown and…

This State Is in Major Trouble

By Justin Katz | December 13, 2007 |

I just saw a report on channel 10 that there are still — at 9:00 p.m. — children on buses from schools that let out at 12:30 or 1:00. People abandoning their cars because of traffic generated during a modestly heavy snow storm? This state is embarrassing. Heads ought to roll in government offices tomorrow…

Open Thread: The I-Way & Rhode Island Traffic

By Carroll Andrew Morse | November 8, 2007 |

Can you name the highway project that fits this description…It would provide urgently needed relief for I-95 and I-195 within the core of this urban area. It also will permit long-distance travelers between New York and Connecticut, and the Fall River-New Bedford metropolitan area and Cape Cod, to bypass this congested urban core.If you guessed…