RI Political Corruption
I’ve admitted before that I’m more or less ambivalent about the legality of marijuana, but as usual, Rhode Island’s method of operations layers in an unseemly and suspicious twist to the process: All told, that’s $3.5 million in new tax revenue over two years. The Health Department is expected to announce on Tuesday the names…
Gregory Rich, of Cranston, points out the profitability of being a member of Rhode Island’s governing class: Because of [former House Finance Chairman Steven] Costantino’s 16 years as a part-time representative, he will only have to work a few years at his new pay rate [as $142,000-a-year secretary of the Executive Office of Health and…
In contrast to the promise of more open government in the Republican-controlled U.S. House that I noted earlier, this head-turner came via GoLocalProv today: [Newly appointed Rules Committee Chairman Rep. Peter] Palumbo [D, Cranston] said he has just started poring through all the rules, but he already has some ideas about what he would like…
Looking out the window prior to work, today, brings to mind this article about truants that I’ve been meaning to note for a few weeks, now: For years, magistrates for Rhode Island Family Court’s truancy program have imprisoned students who misbehave during hearings on their attendance, despite a state law created to keep the government…
Anybody who wonders what lesson the General Assembly’s Democrats took from the last election need only read this: “In our effort to achieve savings, we have worked diligently to manage the legislative department within the enacted budget levels without seriously impacting day-to-day operations,” wrote [House Speaker Gordon] Fox in a cover letter that also spelled…
Frankly, it’s more than a little convenient that so much attention has recently fallen on various eyebrow-raising actions of Judge Frank Caprio, Sr., in his capacity as chairman of the Board of Governors for Higher Education just as his namesake son is running for the office of governor. Still, this is pretty egregious: Last week,…
OSPRI’s Bill Felkner has an excellent summary of Rhode Island’s adventures in mandated expensive wind power in the Daily Caller: President Obama recently proposed spending $2 billion for the creation of 5100 green jobs. On government standards, that’s a very thrifty $392,156 per job — a bargain compared to the $2.2 million being proposed in…
I don’t know if it’s a Rhode Island municipality v. municipality thing or massive frustration with the insider v. outsider structure of our civic culture, in this state, but the commenters to my Central Falls post are marching all around the point. Patrick writes: … I understand the point that you’re making, but I think…
How marvelously emblematic of Rhode Island’s operation: The court-appointed law firm that oversaw the insolvent [Central Falls’] finances from May to July has advised the state the bill for its two months of work and other related services will be about $306,400, state official said. … Because Savage performed his services before the state took…
Don’t these people realize the work that Rhode Island’s leaders have already put into handing a lucrative government contract to a particular wind farm developer? A Canadian company that says it can provide Rhode Island with renewable power at a cheaper price than Deepwater Wind is urging state regulators to stop their review of a…
