Rhode Island Politics

Moderate Speculation

By Justin Katz | October 19, 2009 |

For those listening to the Dan Yorke show, here’s the YouTube clip featuring Joe Trillo and Rory Smith that Dan’s been playing (the relevant video starts at 6:20 in the clip): In the last hour, Christine Hunsinger, executive director of the RI Moderate Party called in to discuss her party’s “discussions” with potential candidates. She…

Laffey Meets with the RI Tea Party

By Marc Comtois | October 19, 2009 |

Colleen Conley of the RI Tea Party was on WPRO AM 630’s Dan Yorke Show talking about the movement, including the upcoming “Welcome Back Tea Party” for the Legislature on October 28th at the State House. Conley revealed that she had a 3 hour conversation with former Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey but she didn’t delve…

Binding Arbitration Bill to be Heard Wednesday (Probably)

By Monique Chartier | October 18, 2009 |

H5142, which would expand the scope of the binding arbitration process to include monetary issues for teachers and non-teacher educational employees. It would also streamline the actual binding arbitration process itself. is scheduled to be heard by the House Labor Committee at 2:00 pm this Wednesday in Room 313 at the State House. Let’s remember,…

Strength Is Relative, I Guess

By Justin Katz | October 14, 2009 |

The headline for the article on the governor’s race that Andrew mentioned at lunchtime (and that Matt Allen‘s teasers say he’ll be discussing, tonight) bears the title, “Strong field surfaces in race for governor,” both in print and online. I can’t help but wonder whether this is really what qualifies as a “strong field” in…

The Absence of Race: In Science, In a River Bank 9,300 Years Ago, In a Political Cartoon This Week

By Monique Chartier | October 14, 2009 |

In a prior post, a comment by Warrington Faust sent me to research Kennewick Man, the name given to a man who lived 9,300 years ago and whose remains, discovered in 1996 in the bank of a river, became the subject of a legal tug-of-war between archeologists and the Native American community of the state…

The General Assembly’s Persistent Free Pass

By Justin Katz | October 11, 2009 |

It’s one of those things that, once you’ve noticed, it’s difficult not to see everywhere: How in the world does the General Assembly always manage to step forward as the great authority and protector without shouldering any of the blame or responsibility? Consider: “Any way you slice it, [next year’s budget] is going to have…

What Governs a Town?

By Justin Katz | October 10, 2009 |

That layoffs of police in East Providence are “the first in years” in Rhode Island is surprising, but not particularly noteworthy. In fact, we should hope that organizations — whether companies or municipalities — will operate in such a way as to ensure consistent, long-term employment. It’s difficult, however, not to see some sort of…

Starting Small on a Big Stage?

By Justin Katz | October 9, 2009 |

Those who missed it (and are interested) can hear my WRNI Political Roundtable appearance here. (A preemptive admission: The different format from AM talk radio threw off my oratorical pacing, leaving me something to keep in mind next time.) The speed of the show necessarily leaves many worthwhile thoughts unspoken, but one that I really…

The Problem Is Big Government, Not Dispersed Government

By Justin Katz | October 8, 2009 |

Roger Williams University Political Science Professor Matthew Ulricksen provides an impressive list of public-sector functionaries in Rhode Island: Rhode Island claims a population of slightly more than one million people in a territory of about 2,000 square miles. Yet, it is feudalized into 39 municipalities, governed by nine elected municipal chief executives, 25 appointed chief…

The Stultified Population

By Justin Katz | October 7, 2009 |

Odds are that readers of Anchor Rising have come across it, already, but Ed Achorn raised the apropos problem, yetserday: Rhode Island, according to Forbes, suffers from job-killing regulatory burdens, high taxes and steep energy costs, reflected in an astonishingly poor growth rate in gross state product of 0.9 percent over five years. The only…