Rhode Island Politics

Vlog #7: Draft So-and-So

By Justin Katz | September 21, 2009 |

Whether it’s an off-season taste or the initiation of the 2010 election season on Anchor Rising time will tell, but my vlog this week concerns the practice of “drafting” candidates for office; specifically for governor:

Gov Orders Defunding of ACORN-RI

By Monique Chartier | September 18, 2009 |

Press release of an hour ago: With the recent revelations of alleged fraudulent and potentially illegal activity by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) being reported across the country, Governor Carcieri today ordered all department directors and state agencies to immediately identify and cease any payments being made directly to ACORN-RI or…

The Fallacy of Victimless Prostitution

By Marc Comtois | September 16, 2009 |

My last post on “Pro-Prostitution Progressivism” generated a debate on the conservative/libertarian side. Justin entered the fray and, after some back-and-forth in the comments, expanded his thoughts, touching on political philosophy, ideology and making assumptions about those with whom you disagree. Those were his thoughts. As for me, my opposition to indoor prostitution doesn’t stem…

This Just In: General Assembly to Come Out from Under the Bed… at Some Point

By Justin Katz | September 16, 2009 |

From my in-box: The Rhode Island General Assembly will return for two days next month – October 28 and 29 – to address a number of legislative issues. Speaker of the House William J. Murphy and Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed today jointly announced the October meeting dates. Agendas for the chambers – committees…

The Extremists Among Us

By Justin Katz | September 15, 2009 |

An editorial in the latest RI Catholic takes state Democrat Chairman Bill Lynch to task for calling Governor Carcieri a “sectarian extremist” for associating with the Massachusetts Family Institute. More germane, I’d say, are the following paragraphs from an op-ed in the previous issue by Michelle Cretella and Arthur Goldberg: As for the premises, first…

Pro-Prostitution Progressivism?

By Marc Comtois | September 14, 2009 |

We’ve argued (for a while) for closing the loophole in Rhode Island law that enables indoor prostitution. It’s an issue upon which conservatives, independents and some progressives have found common ground. For instance, Democratic Rep. Joanne Giannini and URI Women’s Studies professor

RI Government, a Metastasizing Atrophy

By Justin Katz | September 8, 2009 |

Laments Terry Gorman, of Rhode Islanders for Immigration Law Enforcement: “It gets more difficult to go in good faith to testify when it seems to be a foregone conclusion that citizens’ opinions do not matter.” After all, why waste the time making echoes in the great hollow space of a governmental “sham”? This state of…

ProJo’s Portrait of State Worker Plight Strikes Questionable Tone

By Monique Chartier | September 6, 2009 |

In a state with 13% unemployment and high taxes that go, in part, to fund the not ungenerous compensation of public employees such as Ms. Esposito, do you suppose the Providence Journal thinks they’re doing public employees a favor with stories such as this in yesterday’s paper? Linda Esposito, a keeper of vital records for…

Stand Above the Political Mire on Ground of Authority

By Justin Katz | September 4, 2009 |

We’re right, I think to take a moment to flag the suspicious belief of the Rhode Island judiciary that processes must default in the favor of the state’s special interests while the judges have their moment to review and direct the minute management details of the government’s operation. Layman that I am, it’s entirely possible…

Union Bosses Win: 1,000 Brothers and Sisters to be Laid Off

By Marc Comtois | September 3, 2009 |

After a long day, the state employee union leaders got their wish when Supreme Court Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg overturned Superior Court Judge Michael Silverstein’s decision and granted a stay of the implementation of Governor Carcieri’s plan to have 12 shut-down days in an attempt to save money. The result: 1,000 state workers will now…