Rhode Island Politics

2021 written in beach sand

Politics This Week with John DePetro: Closing out 2021

By Justin Katz | December 27, 2021 |

John and Justin wrap up 2021 with discussion of how COVID politics have been going in RI and some predictions for Ocean State politics in the year to come.

A water drop and ripples

Ruggerio is getting feisty!

By Justin Katz | December 24, 2021 |

This is a notably aggressive tweet, responding to provocations from progressive gubernatorial candidate Matt Brown, from the historically reserved Senate President, Dominick Ruggerio: Mr. Brown claims to know working people. I’ve fought for working people my whole life, and I just got done fighting for wage bonuses equating to $15/hr for childcare workers. Matt, you…

A water drop and ripples

Is Ruggerio dialing back the progressive wave?

By Justin Katz | December 23, 2021 |

Reading political tea leaves from interviews is an iffy game, but this feels like a bit of a tone change from Democrat Senate President Dominick Ruggerio: On the Rhode Island Report podcast, state Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio said he opposes raising the income tax rate for the richest Rhode Islanders, saying he fears they…

A Providence neighborhood at night

We never ask the right questions about surveys like the Rhode Island Life Index.

By Justin Katz | December 22, 2021 |

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island and Brown University now have several years of data in the compilation of their Rhode Island Life Index, which is basically a survey of how Rhode Islanders perceive various aspects of the Ocean State experience.  Subindexes contributing to an overall score of 63 (out of 100) include: Quality…

A water drop and ripples

Did we tip Magaziner off to a political opportunity?

By Justin Katz | December 21, 2021 |

This isn’t exactly a difficult political opportunity to identify, but it’s fun to wonder whether somebody on Seth Magaziner’s campaign team listened to my weekly segment with John DePetro, yesterday: We must address the dangerous hospital staffing shortage that has created a state of crisis in emergency rooms and other care delivery facilities across the…

A skull screams amidst hands

Politics This Week with John DePetro: Shouting into the Echo Chamber

By Justin Katz | December 20, 2021 |

John and Justin marvel at the inability of RI insiders to address the obvious problems facing the people they say they represent.

Cash under a medical mask

Even the stuff state lawmakers are proud of is wrong.

By Justin Katz | December 16, 2021 |

Sometimes I have to wonder whether I’m one of only a few people in the state who read about the policy doings of legislators and the governor and see the wall-to-wall violations of good government… and propriety. The waves of borrowed cash that the federal government has injected into the veins of our incompetent and…

Actors pose in front of a curtain

Politics This Week with John DePetro: On the Political Theater of the Incompetent

By Justin Katz | December 13, 2021 |

John and Justin review instances of political theater in RI and the harmful effects the reactions are having.

A water drop and ripples

“Moderate” is changing as the Democrats’ reality overwhelms their rhetoric.

By Justin Katz | December 13, 2021 |

Responding to a Josh Hammer column on Newsweek, Instapundit Glenn Reynolds follows up Hammer’s suggestion that Republicans have to “nurture,” not “squander” their political inroads with new voters by highlighting the importance of clarity: That’s the hard part. But yeah, the GOP is becoming a multiethnic party of small business and the working class, while the Democrats…

Kara's threatening "thank you"

How the Rhode Island opposition can stop harassment.

By Justin Katz | December 9, 2021 |

This suggestion from Nicole Solas has stayed near the top of my “to post” list for a month because it gets to an important strategic discussion too often rushed through on the Rhode Island right. Nicole retweeted the picture used as the featured image of this post, which was posted by Kara.  The “thank you”…