Rhode Island Politics
A previous posting identified some important questions in the new budget for the East Greenwich Fire District. The first news report on tonight’s annual financial meeting of the District is in from the ProJo and it sounds like it was an appropriately contentious meeting: The largest turnout of East Greenwich Fire District voters in years…
Robert Whitcomb, of the ProJo editorial page, has written an editorial entitled Public and Private Unions, which includes this excerpt: I write as an ex-member of three unions, in one of which I was grievance chairman. Private-sector unions, such as these, are different creatures from public-sector unions. In the private sector, the complexity, churn and…
Here is another editorial entitled Government pensions fund second careers about the outrageous problems with public sector pensions: Manchester Town Manager Steven R. Werbner has applied to become Tolland’s (Conn.) town manager, and he’d probably be a fool not to take the job if it is offered, because if he goes to Tolland, Manchester will…
It often seems like a culture of fear and intimidation pervades Rhode Island. As I have spoken out publicly during my tenure on the East Greenwich School Committee and during the years since then, the single most frequent comment town residents have said to me was “We agree wholeheartedly with you but we cannot speak…
I’m trying to figure something out here. President Bush, and RI Republicans running for statewide office, generally run very strong in South County. According to a report, South County is among the nation’s leaders in marijuana “consumption.” Given that smoking pot is (I think) safely associable to anti-establishment behavior and that South County votes for…
Solving a problem first requires acknowledgement of the problem’s existence followed by having the will to fix it. Rhode Island resident Thomas Wigand offers a compelling view of what is structurally wrong in our state in his editorial entitled Public-sector lords, Social-Security serfs: Czarist Russia was inhabited by a subservient class, called serfs, the fruits…
This latest response by the Warwick teachers’ union reminded me of when our children were quite young and did what kids that age do when they don’t get their way – throw a tantrum: The Warwick Teachers Union, responding to what it called a School Committee “ultimatum” over the issue of retroactive pay, says it…
This East Greenwich Fire District news article highlights the latest actions of a group that has a historical tendency to increase spending at a far faster rate than the incomes of East Greenwich taxpayers: The Board of Fire Commissioners will seek voter approval to begin the process of constructing and staffing a new fire station…
To give credit where it is due, I note that Warwick Democrat Al Gemma has taken a principled stand against the “organizing” of Home Day Care providers. From the ProJo: House leaders succeeded in passing a bill last night that would force the state to negotiate with home-based child-care providers over the terms of their…
Here is the link to an interview on National Public Radio with Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri where he talks about pressing state issues, including public pensions.