Written

Man Shakes Money Out of Another Man's Pockets

I’ve got no special feelings for Washington Trust, but I don’t trust the plaintiff.

By Justin Katz | September 28, 2023 |

Yesterday, through the ministrations of U.S. District Attorney Zachary Cunha under Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Biden administration pressured Rhode Island’s Washington Trust bank into a multimillion-dollar settlement and imposed a big PR hit over alleged racism in its lending practices.  Journalists are faithfully transcribing the “redlining” narrative they’ve been handed, which means our state…

A water drop and ripples

We’re supposed to ignore something important when it comes to Trump news.

By Justin Katz | September 27, 2023 |

From the time he first entered politics in a serious way, we’ve been warned that Donald Trump represented a unique threat that would destroy our country.  This has provided an important lens for evaluating the events that have followed. For instance, during and after the 2020 election, many of us have questioned the narrative that,…

A water drop and ripples

Under no circumstances should education programs become corrupt slush funds.

By Justin Katz | September 27, 2023 |

The story has moved on since I made a note to highlight this, but it remains an important point, particularly because suggested by a Republican: Mayor Kenneth Hopkins is on the defense after three City Council members voiced strong concerns about the city potentially using its $6-million share of Gov. Dan McKee’s “Learn365RI” money to…

A homeless man sleeping on a park bench at night

Ahlquist’s Armrest Revelations

By Justin Katz | September 27, 2023 |

One hesitates to make too much of an activist article like Steve Ahlquist’s August 9 report and transcription of a conversation with a Woonsocket city worker.  However, two observations are worth making, considering Progressives’ ascendance in Rhode Island and beyond. The first relates to the underlying issue.  The city has installed armrests in the middle…

Peter Neronha speaks at a Democrat podium

I have mixed feelings about (possibly) being muted by RI’s attorney general.

By Justin Katz | September 26, 2023 |

Social media provide a strange, unprecedented venue for public interactions.  On one hand, these platforms promise the degree of connectivity and access that has characterized the Internet from its early popularization.  On the other hand, a bit of space between our raw personalities and our in-print public personas is healthy. So, what to make of…

A water drop and ripples

Just making sure I understand Progressives governing theory.

By Justin Katz | September 26, 2023 |

Is the idea to consolidate as much power as possible — both incorporating all areas of society and expanding across geographies — and then put it in the hands of the incompetent and corrupt?  That sure seems to be what’s happening at every level of government.

A water drop and ripples

Rain or shine, everything is a warning of the apocalypse.

By Justin Katz | September 26, 2023 |

Among the many reasons for growing distrust of mainstream journalism is its apparently incessant need to make everything an indication of impending doom. (This is true, at least, when mass hysteria is seen to serve Democrats, as with the climate. On matters that point in the other political direction, like illegal immigration and the economy,…

An electric car charging

Reality Pulls the Plug on Even a Modest EV Fleet Target

By Monique Chartier | September 25, 2023 |

Excellent work by Jim Hummel of the Hummel Report with this investigative report, published on the front page of yesterday’s Providence Journal, pertaining to a state mandate that 25% of its vehicles be electric; i.e., zero emission. The goal was to make one quarter of the state’s light duty vehicle fleet EV’s by 2025.  So…

A water drop and ripples

RI institutional Democrat support creates personal danger.

By Justin Katz | September 25, 2023 |

Two implications of this recent tweet from Nicole Solas illustrate the danger that begins to fester when the institutions of a state become wholly partisan. The first implication is that it will be very surprising if the attorney general or anybody else in Rhode Island law enforcement turns up the heat on a Democrat threatening…

A water drop and ripples

Categorizing products and services experiencing higher inflation is enlightening.

By Justin Katz | September 25, 2023 |

Rhode Island investment expert Michael Riley tweeted a chart recently that rewards closer analysis: Notice a common theme dividing everything above and below “food and beverage”?  Actually, everything from “housing” up is heavily subsidized, in one way or another, by government, while everything below is not.  Basic economics should lead us to expect that subsidizing…