Basic Government Functions

The City that Outsourced Everything

By Marc Comtois | April 14, 2011 |

Really, watch the whole thing (7+ minutes). Yes, it’s much easier to do with a “new” city (4 others have followed the Shady Springs model). But older cities can do the same thing. The difficulty is with selling the change. Especially to the workers.

Government Giveaways… to Itself

By Justin Katz | August 12, 2010 |

Matt and I discussed the federal government’s billion dollar giveaways to states to make up for their poor management and failure to adjust to the economic times, on last night’s Matt Allen Show. Stream by clicking here, or download it.

Public Servants as CEOs

By Justin Katz | August 6, 2010 |

Joe Mysak takes up the topic of Bell, California’s highly paid public servants: In his only statement to the press to date, the $787,637 man, [City Manager] Robert Rizzo, told the Los Angeles Times, “If that’s a number people choke on, maybe I’m in the wrong business. I could go into private business and make…

An Absence of Space Goals But Not of Conflict of Interest: What in the World is Going on at NASA?

By Monique Chartier | July 6, 2010 |

Okay, maybe we should consider privatizing our space program, as President Obama has proposed. There’s something a bit disconcerting about the idea but we certainly can talk about it. Does that mean that the entire concept of space has to be removed from the top three goals, as set by President Obama, for the National…

President Obama: “… if we secure the border, then you all won’t have any reason to support comprehensive immigration reform”

By Monique Chartier | June 21, 2010 |

This is simply unacceptable. The president has openly admitted that he has walked away from two of the paramount duties of his office: the preservation of his country’s sovereignty and the protection of his country’s citizens, legal immigrants and guests. [H/T Glenn Beck.] On June 18, 2010, Arizona Republican Senator Jon Kyl told the audience…

Naming the Civic Illness

By Justin Katz | June 15, 2010 |

Veronique de Rugy gives a name to the political ploy, whose success is indicative of a civic illness, in which Rhode Island school committees, town councils, and state-level politicians specialize: President Obama’s recent plea for another $50 billion… to save the jobs of teachers and firefighters in the states is a great example of the…

The Line to Our Future

By Justin Katz | June 8, 2010 |

Would it count as a lighter note to consider, for a moment, Mark Patinkin’s report from the lines of the Pawtucket DMV? By 2:30 p.m., my wait was officially longer than the one I’d experienced at Moscow Airport in 1989. It was a remarkable achievement. The Rhode Island DMV proved better at creating endless lines…

Always Money for the Trifles

By Justin Katz | June 3, 2010 |

I don’t know enough about the project in question to endorse his insinuations, but William Stanley, of Cranston, does point out a curious allocation of limited resources: Both of these bridges are critical to the residents, especially because without them, such emergency services as police, rescue and firefighting must travel a considerable distance, and in…

Talking Money with Matt

By Justin Katz | April 15, 2010 |

Monique and Matt discussed points about the supplemental budget on last night’s Matt Allen Show. Stream by clicking here, or download it.

Evidence That Our Government Has Become Distracted: Ranking of Rhody’s Bridges

By Monique Chartier | April 14, 2010 |

Further to Justin’s point about the misplaced priorities of the state, the ranking of our bridges – worst in the country – a couple of years ago confirms that the underfunding of road and bridge projects is a recurring theme at the General Assembly and not a brand new development in this supplemental budget. As…