Social Services – Anchor Rising

Ninety Million “Super” Contradictions to RI Officials’ Statements about Homelessness

By Monique Chartier | December 18, 2022 |

Addressing homelessness requires tracing the economic causes to their roots, including (for example) money provided to politically connected projects like the Superman Building rehab.

Safe injection sites create risk and confusion about drug policy.

By Justin Katz | October 25, 2021 |

The news is national that Rhode Island has become the first state to greenlight sites where users have heavy drugs can go to take them: Rhode Island plans to create supervised spaces for users to inject illegal drugs, in a big test of the idea that reducing harm to drug users is more effective than…

1,700,000+ “Sick” Brits Mysteriously Cured When Gov’t Implemented Medical Testing For Incapacity Benefit

By Monique Chartier | April 1, 2013 |

It’s a MIRACLE! … almost 900,000 have dropped their claim to the taxpayer-funded benefits rather than undergo a new medical test as part of the Coalition welfare reforms. … Another 837,000 who did take the test were found to be fit to work immediately, and a further 367,300 were judged able to do some level…

Things We Read Today, 1

By Justin Katz | September 3, 2012 |

One thing I’ve learned, in years of blogging, is to be wary of proclaiming new regular features. Yet, I’ve been finding myself at the end of each day with a browserful of tabs of content on which I’m inclined to comment. So, as interest and time allow, I’ll publish quick-hit posts containing commentary that is…

The NASA Question

By Patrick Laverty | August 6, 2012 |

Is something in the water over there on the Wampanoag Trail at the WPRO studios? I’m amazed at what I’m hearing. First, today Dan Yorke was going on about how great the Mars landing was for NASA and his opinion that this is the kind of thing that we should be spending tax dollars on.…

How to Fix the RI Economy

By Patrick Laverty | June 7, 2012 |

I’m sorry, I’m having a hard time writing this as I’m still laughing after reading the article. In the software development field, we often have a joke that any time the Quality Assurance department slows down development due to finding too many bugs in the software, the suggestion is that we should shut down the…

“Single, Ready to Mingle”

By Patrick Laverty | April 20, 2012 |

When even the left is showing disgust for the entitlement system and the issues with it, you know there’s a problem. I don’t like to use anecdotal examples (“Oh yeah, well I once knew this guy who…”) but it’s not like this is the right-wing version of Michael Moore out to do a hatchet job.…

Explaining the Cuts to Services for Developmentally Disabled

By Marc Comtois | February 19, 2012 |

Bob Kerr writes about cuts to programs for developmentally disabled people in Sunday’s ProJo. My wife worked for some years with adults in this population and I’m aware of the importance of the programs that these individuals and their families rely upon. I also appreciate that they are going to go to great lengths to…

Just How Widespread Is SNAP Abuse?

By Patrick Laverty | December 23, 2011 |

A few days ago, I posted about Christine Rousselle’s column in Providence College’s The College Conservative and the abuse of food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) previously known as “food stamps”. In the comments area, we had a discussion about how widespread the level of fraud actually is as some posted their…

Grotesque Claim: Reduction of Welfare Benefits A Violation of Due Process

By Monique Chartier | October 1, 2011 |

Michigan, in the face of a not unique budget crunch, recently implemented a reduction in social assistance (cash payments) from five years to four with, it should be noted, ample exemptions. A group of recipients filed a lawsuit to overturn this new, lower cap, which went into effect today. The basis of the suit? The…