Rhode Island Politics
Tom Sgouros used his just-about-regular column in the reputedly right-wing Providence Journal, yesterday, to promote his new book. Obviously 800 words is insufficient to synopsize such a work and present much depth from the arguments that appear therein, but one thing Sgouros accomplishes is to convey his role in the left-wing–labor alliance in Rhode Island:…
To be sure, Jon Scott doesn’t articulate anything that followers of the intra-Republican debate ’round here haven’t heard, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t treading precarious ground: “New Yankee Republicans” are fiscally conservative, believe in our nation and our troops but have little passion for social issues. “Live and let live… just don’t make me…
Amidst all the talk about what can and might be cut in Woonsocket, this paragraph stands out: The 40 no-pay days were intended to save about $5 million. Council President Leo T. Fontaine questioned why the committee considered that approach, saying it was a violation of federal labor law. Schools Supt. Robert J Gerardi Jr.…
Few folks probably pay much attention to the campaign finance controversies that pop up from time to time, and it’s difficult to get riled up about numbers so small. That presumes, of course, that the rules and penalties are applied equally; otherwise, minor errors and infractions are suggestive of the more systematic corruption that we…
Alright, there wasn’t really a fire, but since we’re talking radio, I like to imagine that there was one. Dan Yorke and I had that sort of conversation, yesterday, on 630AM/99.7FM WPRO. Those who missed it or who would like to revisit something (for kind or scurrilous reasons) can stream the whole segment (about an…
Cynthia Needham of the Projo’s 7-to-7 newsblog is reporting that the Rhode Island Board of Elections has dismissed the state Republican Party’s complaint against Attorney General Patrick Lynch, for reporting over $9,000 in campaign expenditures as “petty cash”. The dismissal was based on an amended filing submitted by the Lynch campaign…The Board of Elections Thursday…
Back in my Dungeons & Dragons days (Surprised? I didn’t think so.), the gang at day camp had a surplus of Dungeon Masters, and they would compete for the role by making various promises, among which was my procurement of a three-wish sword. In a lesson on the desirability of being desirable, the subsequent bartering…
… to improve the state. This is what WPRO’s Dan Yorke asked Justin, his in-studio guest for a second hour. Justin responded that, for him, the elimination [Edit: Will corrects me under comments] of unions public unions would have top priority. I would point out that unions public unions are one of many special interests…
Driving home from the RISC meeting on Saturday, my MP3 player happened upon Will.i.am’s “Yes We Can” propaganda song, which is essentially an audio collage of famous and semi-famous people singing and reciting along with a Barack Obama speech. It occurred to me that the content is sufficiently vague that, if one strips away external…
Dan Yorke had former State Rep Nick Gorham (R-Westconnaug) on to discuss the General Assembly’s 2010 “Rub-and-tugs”. Like those last year and the year before, the list is long….The dollars spent are about half of that spent in 2008 (around $19 million versus $8.6 million), but just about the same as last year ($9.1 million).…