The Cost of Pandemic Field Hospitals
In an environment where fear has arguably been promoted beyond what the pandemic justified, the costs of preparation for the worst have to be added to the tally.
Smiley Out the Ethical Door
Brett Smiley’s exit from the executive branch in Rhode Island exposes one of the central conceits of ethics laws.
Rhody Reporter: March Referenda
What’s so special about March 2nd? That’s the date of a Special Election in Rhode Island. Its only questions – seven of them – are for the approval of a wide spectrum of bond authority so more than six hundred million dollars worth of deficit spending can be undertaken. Mark Zaccaria says NO! You should, too.
Rhody Reporter: Cares Money in the Wind
Mark Zaccaria scoffs at the RI Administration’s boast that it managed to distribute less than One Percent of the Federal Funds allocated for small business relief in the Ocean State last year. He points out that the tiny fraction was largely necessitated by the fact that almost One Billion Dollars worth of that federal stimulus money was diverted, instead, to the state’s operating budget. Zaccaria also notes that despite that usurpation of federal intent, Rhode Islanders will also be asked to authorize Four Hundred Million Dollars worth of Additional Deficit Spending – All so that the bureaucracy that brought businesses to their knees can be assured of every one of their paychecks. Huh?
Politics This Week with John DePetro: Moving Past the East Side Style
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for January 25, included talk about:
- Raimondo’s East Side of Providence style versus McKee’s Blackstone Valley style
- Central Falls as leading example of RI’s patronage system
- Black Lives Matter flag in Barrington
- Legislation against vaccine line-cutters
I’ll be on again Monday, February 1, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
Rhody Reporter: Mail Ballots in Nursing Homes
Rhody Reporter Diana Lozowski examines some of the exploitation that occurred last November as political operatives descended on Nursing Homes and other Congregant Care facilities around the Ocean State. Their aim was to enter mail ballot applications for as many Seniors as they could, whether or not the voter really understood what was going on. Diana lays out the problem and then offers practical solutions to insure fairness in upcoming elections.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: Closing Out the Year
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for December 28, included talk about:
- The Guv’s house as the new protest spot
- A whittled down RI Congressional delegation
- 2020 winners and losers
- Things to watch for in 2021
I’ll be on again Monday, January 4, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
Rhody Reporter: Fines by Executive Order
Diana Lozowski notes all the extra-legislative authority Governor Raimondo is exercising in the service of enforcing her lockdown orders and muses (along with two prominent legislators) that her excellency is skating on thin legal ice.
Magaziner, a Fiduciary Hypocrite
Only in a state where he knows he will never be questioned on ideological grounds could Seth Magaziner join in on a lawsuit like this.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: The Governor’s Court
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for November 30, included talk about:
- The Pause arrives
- The Queen’s bid for a higher court
- McKee’s bid for the Queen’s attention
- The General Assembly as courtiers
- Is the jester in the Britt trial still relevant?
I’ll be on again Monday, November 30, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
Arm’s Length for the Heir During the Very Serious Pandemic (TM)
If Governor Raimondo really thought the coronavirus represented a crisis, wouldn’t she be keeping her replacement in the loop?
Rhody Reporter: COVID Update
Mark Zaccaria shows that Gov Raimondo and other public officials have provided little help to their constituents by trying to micromanage everyone’s behavior. Instead, they should start trusting us to make good decisions about COVID safety on our own.
The research Mark cites may be found here: https://globaljournals.org/GJSFR_Volume20/1-SARS-Cov-2.pdf
Lockdowns are Now a Proven Failure As Their Collateral Damage Rises Inexorably
Eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, let’s examine the goal of the lockdown, the critical matter of its effectiveness and the collateral damage it has caused.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Mark Zaccaria says the Secretary of State’s organization had no respect for either the laws or the voters of Rhode Island as they managed the recent election.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: Mailing in the Lockdown
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for November 16, included talk about:
- What to make of Gina’s move toward another lockdown
- What to think about the RI Trump co-chairs’ differences on concession
- What Rhode Islanders should do about mail ballot anxiety
I’ll be on again Monday, November 23, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
Adapting to Change
Mark Zaccaria insists that Rhode Island can bounce back, but we have to be willing to adapt to a changing world.
In Search of Normal
The way to get closer to that ideal is not the defeat of Trump, but rather the defeat of those generating the turmoil.
The Times, They Are A-Changin’
Mark Zaccaria runs through some of the things that need changing in RI and points out the only way to do so.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: Protest and Action
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for October 26, included talk about:
- Fenton-Fung and Mattiello back in the ring
- The governor comes for Thanksgiving dinner
- Protests settle in in Providence
I’ll be on again Monday, November 2, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
Charles Callanan: Rhode Island’s Leadership Void
So far this year, this is what your state government has produced. If you want to talk about business as usual, well here it is.
Rhody Reporter: Bad Management
Mark Zaccaria compares the ways in which RI government has managed the state, up to the possibility of a special election for debt while awaiting a federal bailout, and calls it what it is.
Bused to the End of the Line and Back
For your “Yes, next question” file, consider the Newport Daily News headline, “Do school bus companies have a monopoly in R.I.?”
Last Impressions #51: Rebels Needed
Governor Raimondo and her merry band of magic Appointees focus on the true danger in Rhode Island — not roudy rioters carrying signs that threaten to burn down the country, but college kids who aren’t voluntarily living as if in an open-air prison.
Government Tracking Your Health Through the Sewer
The thing with encroachments on our liberty is that they always seem far off… until they’re at your door.
Is This the “Recovery” You Want?
The very people who are imposing our terrible response to COVID-19 will soon be moving forward with a suggested solution for the consequences, and we shouldn’t accept it.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: Theater of Courts and Corona
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for September 21, included talk about:
- Progressive protesters seek Senate shutdown
- COVID crackdown at Providence College
- Mail ballot application apprehension
- No bother with budget before election
- Fenton-Fung fields Mattiello’s obvious flaws
I’ll be on again Monday, September 28, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
Last Impressions #50: The Laughable & the Ominous
A new Not Real News segment explores what RI politicians are really thinking, the Conservative Binder catches up on some right-leaning news from the state, and Justin discusses the Providence College lockdown and ominous economic news for the state.
A Problem with Mail Ballot Mania
The political debate over proliferating mail ballots is a pretty straightforward illustration of how debates go between the Left and the Right.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: Coming at Insiders from Two Sides
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for September 14, included talk about:
- Progressive wins (and a loss) in Democrat primaries
- Bristol-Warren and Providence teacher unions stoke unease
- The AWOL GA
- The Secretary of State mails it in on ballots
I’ll be on again Monday, September 21, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
A One-Sided Concern About Procedures
A trio of “good government” groups is no better than the governor when it comes to using the excuse of COVID-19 to skirt the processes of representative democracy.