General Assembly

A zombie politician speechifies

Politics This Week: Governed by Corruption

By Justin Katz | June 4, 2024 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz marvel at the built-in corruption at the state and federal levels.

A threatening nanny glowers with a switch

The assumption seems to be we’re all either children or slaves.

By Justin Katz | May 22, 2024 |

Civility and compassion are important traits we should, as a society, strive to inculcate in our children and uphold ourselves.  However, big-state nannyism has reached the point that well-meaning people no longer appreciate the distinction between how we should act as responsible people and what we should be forced or forbidden to do by an…

A woman in a business jacket walks on stage

Politics This Week: A New Stage for the Self-Promoter

By Justin Katz | April 22, 2024 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz check in on politicians’ emphasis on promotions.

A killer clown's shadow falls on Main Street

Politics This Week: When the Clowns Control

By Justin Katz | March 26, 2024 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz review the latest way government officials and journalists put our state on the wrong track.

A water drop and ripples

Sometimes it’s the minor legislation (like weekly pay mandates) that is the most telling.

By Justin Katz | March 11, 2024 |

This legislation is hardly the most-pressing matter facing Rhode Island at the moment: Sen. Frank A. Ciccone III and Rep. Enrique George Sanchez are sponsoring legislation to require most businesses in Rhode Island to pay their employees weekly. Has either of these legislators ever had to make payroll for a business?  One suspects they simply…

A giant mime shushes an empty legislative chamber

Politics This Week: RI’s Code of Silence

By Justin Katz | March 11, 2024 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz explore various subjects about which journalists aren’t free to be clear.

A water drop and ripples

Oh, it’s just the speaker buying votes.

By Justin Katz | February 15, 2024 |

As business-as-usual as it may be, we shouldn’t become numb to Rhode Island’s base-level corruption, as Democrat House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi demonstrates here: Charitable contributions are wonderful, but this photograph raises some questions.  Is that his official State House office?  Is that a personal check, a gift from his campaign, or a taxpayer-funded legislative grant? …

Man with a knife sneaks up behind a Republican girl

Politics This Week: The Danger of Political Innocence

By Justin Katz | January 9, 2024 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz detail gaps in political awareness in RI.

A man freaks out about a plastic bag in a tree in an urban park

Short memories and an urge to dictate have brought Rhode Island a plastic bag ban.

By Justin Katz | January 5, 2024 |

Honestly, I expected the COVID experience to put an end to the high-school-civics-project of banning single-use plastic bags, but stores’ bag dispensers now sit empty, and Rhode Islanders have another reason to lean toward shopping in Massachusetts or online. In Rhode Island, our legislators have a chronic difficulty understanding consequences and the availability of alternatives. …

A slick man charms the listener with a demon behind him

Politics This Week: Ulterior Motives from the RI Left

By Justin Katz | November 27, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz point out the hidden motives of RI politicians and activists and their works.