Basic Government Functions

The Independent Man facepalms

Politics This Week: Looters in and out of Government

By Justin Katz | September 18, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz review the political talk of the week.

A woman walks in a smokey alley

Politics This Week: Stories of Absolutely No Interest (To the Media)

By Justin Katz | September 11, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz tease out multiple stories that the local media could investigate to generate interest (but probably won’t).

"I Voted" sticker in a pile of leaves

Fewer Rhode Islanders are qualifying for the ballot.

By Justin Katz | August 18, 2023 |

Decreasing political participation is unhealthy, limiting voters’ choices, tilting incentives toward corruption, and separating We the People from the exercise of government authority, and campaign regulation reform would be a good place to start looking for a fix.

Rhode Island map, featuring neighboring states.

Does Providence Owe Narragansett $16.7K or Does Narragansett Owe Providence $1.1M?

By Carroll Andrew Morse | August 1, 2023 |

Do we have a test case, for bringing this session’s Supreme Court’s ruling in Tyler v. Hennepin County to Rhode Island? In Tyler v. Hennepin County, in a refreshingly short 9-0 opinion, the Court ruled that when local governments seize property over unpaid taxes, they are only entitled to keep what was owed. So after…

A hand reaches for chains

Politics This Week: Unions Versus the People in RI

By Justin Katz | July 17, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz discuss evidence of unions’ tightening grip on Rhode Island and other political topics.

1 plus 1 equals 3 with young man on smartphone in background.

Politics This Week: Education and Agendas

By Justin Katz | April 18, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz walk through how the effects of today’s education, or lack thereof, are trickling through all facets of society.

Workers clear 9/5/22 flood waters

Politics This Week with John DePetro: Clearing the State’s Drains

By Justin Katz | September 7, 2022 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz discuss the many ways government is failing in Rhode Island and beyond.

Tidewater Landing design

Is anybody surprised the cost of the soccer stadium is going up?

By Justin Katz | May 31, 2022 |

When government officials allow a business to shift its risks onto taxpayers, the people can never be certain about how the costs will be “unexpectedly” driven up, but news like this is a near certainty: The cost of building a professional soccer stadium in Pawtucket has risen to $124 million, the city said Friday, $40 million…

A Nipyata

Do we want to be defined by nanny-state bans?

By Justin Katz | January 19, 2022 |

Democrat state representative from Warwick David Bennett continues his long streak of bad legislation with an effort to ban nips — those little bottles of alcohol that have been a fixture of liquor stores for decades: Rep. David Bennett, D-Warwick, is tired of spotting discarded nips strewn along the side of the road whenever he…

A Zoom meeting

Open meetings law is the cutting edge of state government’s failure.

By Justin Katz | January 7, 2022 |

What a joke this all is: The open government coalition ACCESS/RI and a number of municipal officials had urged McKee to provide the authorization for remote meetings as COVID-19 cases soar across Rhode Island. The East Providence City Council was among the entities forced to cancel a scheduled meeting this week after members tested positive…