Economy

A water drop and ripples

California’s decline could mirror Rhode Island’s ascent.

By Justin Katz | April 19, 2024 |

Unfortunately, Rhode Islanders don’t want it.  The Ocean State could be a beacon collecting some of tech jobs California is losing, as Joey Politano shows here: Rhode Island is so in the grip of its special interests and ideologues that they’d rather imitate California than create opportunity.

A water drop and ripples

Corporate tax credits are more progressive than some progressives realize.

By Justin Katz | April 17, 2024 |

The Rhode Island Office of Revenue Analysis releases regular reports summarizing the state’s tax credit programs, and sometimes progressive politicians and journalists get a news story out of them.  What’s disappointing is the paucity of the opposing voices.  According to Katherine Gregg’s Providence Journal article the Rhode Island Business Coalition is fine with ending the program…

A water drop and ripples

Progressive Democrats want everybody to fit neatly into groups.

By Justin Katz | April 16, 2024 |

That means most of us have to be servants to somebody else.  That’s why a political party that still pretends it’s “for the little guy” is relentlessly targeting “little guys” who work for themselves. This video from John Stossel is worth watching: If you’re independent, you’re difficult to manage. If top-down government can pressure top-down…

A water drop and ripples

The March employment numbers tell an important story.

By Justin Katz | April 16, 2024 |

For those of us who’ve been mystified by economic news, E.J. Antoni’s summary of results from the March employment report is worth a read.  The key confusion is that “the headline numbers once again look good.”  Yet, all the jobs are part time, with Americans replacing their full-time jobs with multiple part-time ones to make…

Artwork of a worker transforming into a boss

Increased productivity is a communal good.

By Justin Katz | April 12, 2024 |

Somehow, despite ample reason for civic disappointment, I find I’m becoming less cynical as I get older, not more.  Even now, when I come across reasoning like that expressed by young progressive Democrat Representative David Morales, I can’t help but feel hope that we can salvage reason from the flames of ideology: Here’s the reality:…

A prison warden hides his keys behind his back during a fire

Days of Reckoning for the Salt of RI’s Earth

By Justin Katz | April 11, 2024 |

The point can’t be stressed enough that Rhode Islanders should understand the Washington Bridge debacle as a representative lesson on our state government.  For that reason, not the least, Mark Patinkin’s conversations with local affected business owners is an article to print and review periodically in the future.  Restauranteurs and venue owners bought and built…

A water drop and ripples

Government economic statistics are starting to feel like the work of zombies.

By Justin Katz | April 4, 2024 |

Some months, it surprises me to find economists still putting out regular analyses of government employment statistics.  Perhaps I’m too jaded, but I’ve completely lost confidence in the data. I used to have my monthly jobs review posts for both the Ocean State Current and the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity, but during the two…

A water drop and ripples

Every datapoint has become a political Rorschach test.

By Justin Katz | April 1, 2024 |

I agree with Mickey Kaus, here: Under President Trump, our dip was shallower than the comparison countries in the chart, and the economy was roaring back by the time Biden took office. If anything’s notable, it’s how hard Biden put the brakes on within months of being in office, with continued slowing in improvement thereafter. …

Fictional movie poster for Day of Reckoning

Politics This Week: Day of Reckoning!

By Justin Katz | March 18, 2024 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz explore who can expect days of reckoning in Rhode Island.

Suburban house with a slot machine on the side

We react to increases in housing prices in exactly the wrong way.

By Justin Katz | February 28, 2024 |

Lance Lambert, who appears to be a reporter on the housing beat, shared a table of increases in housing prices in the 50 largest metro areas.  As the following snip from the table shows, Providence experienced the third-largest increase over the past year: Various contextual points are important to remember.  Metros can vary in size,…