Unions
Michael Morse is pledging never again to vote for the lesser of two evils. On the whole, his “Saturday morning soapbox,” as he calls it, resonates very strongly with me, although I disagree with his pledge for prudential reasons — most significantly because it’s really very, very easy for activists and the news media to…
Whenever we have the opportunity to watch some other country gradually be taken over by left-wing fascists (Venezuela comes first to mind), the headlines always have me shouting at the computer screen — like a movie-watcher might shout at the TV when the hero is ignorant that his friend is the villain and is acting…
Pay attention to the budget of a Rhode Island school district for a few cycles, and you’ll learn that there are two companies providing busing, both with unionized workforces. Districts are obligated by law to provide transportation (including mandatory bus monitors), so the lack of competition leaves them with little choice and leaves the public…
A story in Not the Bee about a teachers union seminar about handling “nice white parents” comes out of Pennsylvania, but one can be sure that Rhode Island unions are talking about how to “limit the power” of “parent groups.” This should be broadly scandalous, which may indicate that most unions across the country have been smart…
Departing Democrat Governor Dan McKee’s administration under the cloud of an influence peddling scandal, former Chief of Staff Anthony Silva is taking with him a $53,000 payout for unused time off, according to Eli Sherman on WPRI. This benefit is always an issue when government employees leave office for some controversial reason, and the public is…
From a GQ Pan article in the Epoch Times: The leader of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), which represents more than 30,000 employees in the nation’s second largest public school district, said in a recently published interview that learning losses during the pandemic are a myth. “There’s no such thing as learning loss,” UTLA President Cecily…
John DePetro and Justin Katz talk about high-profile slip-ups by politicians and political actors.
This exchange from a brief interview with the Boston Globe’s Dan McGowan is enough to prove retired teacher Michael Marra’s new book worth reading: Q: You’re a former schoolteacher who has become disenchanted with public employee unions. Did you start out that way or did something happen to change your mind? Marra: I didn’t start out that…
Brad Polumbo reports for the Foundation for Economic Education: The promised long-term economic benefits from the sweeping $1 trillion expenditure will likely never materialize, according to a new Ivy League analysis. This runs directly against the president’s promises that it would create jobs and stimulate the economy. Indeed, Biden has insisted that the government spending…
John DePetro and Justin Katz take on unprecedented developments in RI government and politics.
