Written

Man with a knife sneaks up behind a Republican girl

Broader factors may be making Johnston politics Republican-free.

By Justin Katz | August 21, 2024 |

I suggest the title of this post acknowledging I don’t know a whole lot about Johnston’s unique political scene.  Locally, things can be very specific to the individuals involved and their disputes, but I have been a keen observer of factors that make it more difficult for Republicans to work through those disputes. Apparently, Johnston…

A water drop and ripples

Government subsidies are not “momentum.”

By Justin Katz | August 20, 2024 |

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee tweets yet another area in which Democrats manipulate language to insinuate ideology: A grant from a government agency to another government agency is not “momentum.”  Momentum suggests that the entity or project is moving on its own.  Government subsidies are pushes… force.  Democrats’ language is (deliberately) manipulative and always to…

A water drop and ripples

Democrats think their supporters have a right to your money.

By Justin Katz | August 20, 2024 |

One can absolutely make the case that generous time-off policies have their benefits for employers and do right by employees, but we allow Democrats like Magaziner to throw around terms like “fundamental human right” far too easily: You cannot have “an absolute human right” to be given things by other people, no matter how nice…

A water drop and ripples

Electric Boat has financial incentive to go Queer.

By Justin Katz | August 19, 2024 |

Well, look, Electric Boat relies hugely on government funding in Rhode Island and Washington, D.C.: Radicals in the Democrat Party will hold a lack of such policies against Electric Boat, while even the most conservative Republicans who can possibly gain decisive power in government won’t hold it against them very strongly.  Barring discrimination lawsuits in…

A water drop and ripples

Faced with the feeling of political chaos, there are two basic frames.

By Justin Katz | August 19, 2024 |

Perusing Twitter or X (which I may henceforth call “TwiX”) often leaves me feeling panic at the state of our world and the hopelessness of recovering humanity’s footing. No doubt, this is at least partially the way it feels to have your attention manipulated, but stepping back, even that reality is just another contributor to…

A water drop and ripples

Public service announcement regarding RI registration renewals.

By Justin Katz | August 7, 2024 |

I was puzzled recently when I discovered that updated registration forms had somehow not made it into two of our cars.  The technician inspecting one of them told me many Rhode Islanders are accidentally throwing their registration forms out.  I chuckled along with him but wondered how that would be possible. A couple days later,…

Offshore Wind – All Pain No Gain

By Sue Cienki | August 7, 2024 |

[The Roll Call speech, below, by RI GOP National Committeewoman Sue Cienki on July 15 at the RNC Convention included a description of offshore wind, “industrial vandalism of the ocean”, that was not only on point but prophetic — the very next day, Nantucket announced the closure of its beaches and the world began to…

A water drop and ripples

Be careful about the daily proclamations about Trump’s strategy.

By Justin Katz | August 6, 2024 |

I came across a quotation from Nassim Taleb’s book, Antifragile, suggesting that the more immediate your focus (e.g., hourly versus annually), the greater the noise-to-signal ratio.  That is, the effects from moment to moment are more likely to result from random or unrelated factors, while longer-term trends are more likely to reflect genuine changes.  The advice…

Rhode Island’s Tiny Greenhouse Gas Emissions: the Obvious and the Not-So-Obvious

By Monique Chartier | August 4, 2024 |

The above pie chart speaks for itself.  Rhode Island’s greenhouse gas emissions are so small, they barely register on the chart. That Rhode Island, the smallest state in the country and, on top of that, one with a poor business climate that has further driven down its carbon footprint [because that’s the highest priority, right?…

Offshore Wind on the Electric Grid: Emperor’s New (50%) Energy Source

By Monique Chartier | August 1, 2024 |

In 2021, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed and Governor Dan McKee signed a law that mandates for the state net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. What this would mean in real terms is, no more fossil fuels for Rhode Island. No gas or diesel to power our vehicles. No heating oil, natural gas…