Governor

Sledge hammer

McKee & Alexander-Scott: COVID Didn’t Crash RI’s Healthcare? Let us Take a Whack!

By Monique Chartier | October 3, 2021 |

Hospitals, healthcare facilities and nursing homes around Rhode Island have been dutifully firing their valued, ESSENTIAL employees to comply with Rhode Island’s rigid edict that all healthcare workers must receive the COVID-19 vaccine or lose their license. Over ninety health care facilities, including Rhode Island Hospital, Miriam Hospital and dozens of nursing homes, were not…

A man picks a path in the woods

Politics This Week with John DePetro: Progressives Press the Dems’ Decision

By Justin Katz | September 27, 2021 |

John and Justin pick out some of the lessons of Rhode Island’s political turmoil.

A baby elephant

Thought for the RIGOP: When the foundation is crumbling, that’s your priority.

By Justin Katz | September 21, 2021 |

During our weekly political segment, yesterday, John DePetro raised questions about the fact that the Rhode Island Republican Party does not yet have a candidate to announce for the upcoming gubernatorial race.  Chairwoman Sue Cienki has said an announcement is expected soon, but John raises a good point.  There are no obvious candidates, which means…

A stack of boxes outside a door

Politics This Week with John DePetro: In and Out of Power and Everything In Between

By Justin Katz | September 20, 2021 |

John and Justin talk about people and groups that are in and out of political races and trends.

A water drop and ripples

Magaziner running from the podium after announcing a run for governor has become typical crafting.

By Justin Katz | September 20, 2021 |

The bottom line is that the news media supports progressive Democrats, so its practitioners are not anxious to press their candidates when they decline to answer questions in the service of crafting the news stories.  That’s why it’s entirely natural for Rhode Island General Treasurer to hold a press conference announcing his expected run for…

Parents have to stand up for their kids’ rights, as they’re doing in Rhode Island, but beware the judiciary and media.

By Justin Katz | September 17, 2021 |

It’s encouraging to see that some families in Rhode Island have had enough and are willing to take to court to defend their civil rights, as Kim Kalunian reports on WPRI: Sixteen parents and grandparents have filed a lawsuit against Gov. Dan McKee over his statewide school mask mandate. The complaint, filed in Providence Superior…

A water drop and ripples

Elorza bowing out of the gubernatorial race was the right thing to do.

By Justin Katz | September 15, 2021 |

GoLocalProv is reporting that Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza won’t be following through with his plan to seek the governor’s office.  It’s the obvious move to make, given the state of political play in the state right now.  I suppose it would be too much to hope, however, that Elorza has realized he’s out of his depth…

Ivan Vladimirov's Night Robbery of Humanitarian Aid

Here’s what you do if you’re angry at Anthony Silva’s $53,000 parting gift.

By Justin Katz | September 15, 2021 |

Departing Democrat Governor Dan McKee’s administration under the cloud of an influence peddling scandal, former Chief of Staff Anthony Silva is taking with him a $53,000 payout for unused time off, according to Eli Sherman on WPRI.  This benefit is always an issue when government employees leave office for some controversial reason, and the public is…

Dan McKee gets vaccinated

McKee needs to start inoculating his decisions against the symptoms of cronyism.

By Justin Katz | September 13, 2021 |

How Democrat Governor Dan McKee handled the awarding of a $5 million education-related contract to a group of his friends and allies has been a disaster, giving his opposition a wide-open window through which to pepper him with political arrows, but I’m withholding judgment on the action itself.  This paragraph from Patrick Anderson’s Providence Journal article on…

A water drop and ripples

Unpaid leave for unvaccinated healthcare workers is slightly better than firing them, I guess.

By Justin Katz | September 9, 2021 |

But in making this move, it seems Democrat Governor Dan McKee is only shining more on the arbitrary power he’s claiming to have: They will be placed on leave without pay during that time and barred from working in a state-licensed health-care facility until they get inoculated against COVID-19, according to an email from the…