Use Your Voice – Huge Deficits Cannot be Plugged with Even Higher Taxes

August 23, 2020•0 Comments•in Culture and Family, Economy, General Assembly, Governor, Opinion, Taxation, Unions •By Mike Stenhouse

Before the coronavirus crisis… the Ocean State was already hemorrhaging people, because of its existing cruel business climate. Now, Rhode Islanders cannot afford tax hikes to plug huge projected budget deficits.

Lawmakers are being pressured by public sector unions and the radical far left movement to put the burden on you… and to raise your taxes. That’s why the Center has launched a new counter campaign to the government-union led effort to raise taxes in RI. Take action now.

Mattiello Follies

August 21, 2020•2 Comments•in General Assembly, Opinion, Politics •By Rhody Reporter

Mark Zaccaria observes that all signs seem to point to self-interest as the guiding principle of RI Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello.

Vision of Raised Taxes Not the Answer for Economic Crisis

August 10, 2020•0 Comments•in Analysis, Culture and Family, Economy, General Assembly, Governor, Taxation, Unions •By Mike Stenhouse

The coronavirus pandemic has left Rhode Island with significant revenue loss after forced government shutdowns.

Now, legislators are being pushed by public-employee unions and the progressive-left to put the burden on you… and to raise your taxes. This is not a burden Rhode Island can bear.

Business as Usual

August 7, 2020•0 Comments•in Congress, General Assembly, Opinion, Politics •By Rhody Reporter

Mark Zaccaria looks at Rhode Island insiders in their natural, corrupt environment.

Raimondo Rips out Goalposts Altogether as Governors Carefully Disregard Most Important Datapoint

August 6, 2020•10 Comments•in Analysis, Economy, Education, General Assembly, Governor, Healthcare, Science, Taxation •By Monique Chartier

As you probably know, the original justification for the COVID-19 lockdown was to prevent the overwhelming of hospitals. This never happened; not in Rhode Island nor in any state other than hotspot New York (where it got close); not even at the height of the pandemic. Click here to view Justin Katz’ latest, very informative tracking graph of COVID-19 trends in Rhode Island. You’ll note that hospitalizations in Rhode Island, in fact, peaked THREE WHOLE MONTHS AGO.

Keep this critical piece of information in mind as we move now to Rhode Island’s COVID-19 press conference yesterday.

McElroy’s Ruling Undermines Election Confidence

August 3, 2020•7 Comments•in Civil Rights, General Assembly, Governor, Longer Twitter, Media, Politics, Unions •By Justin Katz

The ruling of U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy changing election-security laws shortly before Rhode Islanders vote is a warning sign that Americans should think twice before trusting the results that follow.

Union Political Spending: A Web of Corruption

August 2, 2020•4 Comments•in Analysis, Culture and Family, Economy, Education, General Assembly, Governor, Local Government, Taxation, Unions •By Mike Stenhouse

Not every teacher, first-responder, clerk, or other public servant considers themselves to be Democrats or part of the “progressive-left” movement in Rhode Island. Yet every employee who is member of a government union in our state is paying dues that directly support this extreme political agenda… along with the corrupt quid quo pro that comes with union political spending. A new report, from our Center, exposes that Rhode Island’s hyper-partisanship and radical agenda is funded by government union political spending: Click Here Now To Read It.

Death Arrives – Lockdowns Now Demonstrably Indefensible

July 20, 2020•13 Comments•in Analysis, Civil Rights, Economy, General Assembly, Governor, Science, Taxation, Unions •By Monique Chartier

The survival rate for COVID-19 is now in the range of 99.35% – 99.74%, per CDC data. But even this high rate is almost certainly on the conservative side as it does not include all unidentified cases, an important data point which scientists continue diligently to try to quantify.

Moreover, COVID cases are rising but COVID deaths are falling.

Conversely, grimly, deaths from the lockdown have moved from projection to reality and are rising.

Politics This Week with John DePetro: For the Image of the Governor

July 13, 2020•1 Comment•in Civil Rights, Education, General Assembly, Governor, Media, Opinion, Politics •By Justin Katz

My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for July 13, included talk about:

Dan Connors’s $170,000 DUI
General Assembly’s misplaced priorities
Gina’s missing tested Rhode Islanders
Protests on the governor’s lawn
Mask wearing
The odds of school

I’ll be on again Monday, July 20, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.

JCLS Cone of Silence

July 10, 2020•1 Comment•in General Assembly, Opinion •By Rhody Reporter

Politics This Week with John DePetro: Muted Independence

July 6, 2020•0 Comments•in Civil Rights, Economy, Education, General Assembly, Government, Governor, Media, Opinion, Politics, Unions •By Justin Katz

My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for July 6, included talk about:

Phase 3
Lack of budget
The secret consultant
Nursing home problems
Not a real Bristol parade
RI schools’ future
Lt. Gov. McKee tries an online petition

I’ll be on again Monday, July 13, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.

Ideals that Make America and Rhode Island Strong

July 5, 2020•1 Comment•in Culture and Family, Economy, General Assembly, Governor, Opinion, Taxation •By Mike Stenhouse

Have a happy and proud Independence Day weekend. Now is the time to celebrate America’s great and noble ideals. Sadly in the Ocean State, the political class has taken too much from hard-working Rhode Island families and businesses. The chosen few have benefited from the broken system, while the rest of us have suffered.

Politics This Week with John DePetro: In Hopes of a Backlash

June 29, 2020•0 Comments•in General Assembly, Government, Governor, History, Opinion, Politics •By Justin Katz

My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for June 22, included talk about:

Columbus comes down
“Providence Plantations” gets covered up
Rhode Island races to watch
Stanton shows the journalists’ condescension

I’ll be on again Monday, July 6, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.

Disenfranchising the People to Get Rid of the “Plantations”

June 23, 2020•1 Comment•in Civil Rights, General Assembly, Governor, History, Opinion, Political Theory •By Justin Katz

Accepting elected officials’ overt disrespect for the rule of law does not advance the values of equality and mutual respect, but undermines them and will move us toward a dangerous future.

Politics This Week with John DePetro: A Lesson in Orwellian Providence

June 22, 2020•0 Comments•in Civil Rights, General Assembly, Governor, Local Government, Opinion, Political Theory, Politics •By Justin Katz

My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for June 22, included talk about:

The speaker’s plea of historical ignorance
Raimondo’s dictatorial pandering
Elorza’s push to remove his city from the state’s name
Snitches on the ferry

I’ll be on again Monday, June 29, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.

Retroactive Blessing for Local Dictatorship

June 22, 2020•0 Comments•in General Assembly, Government, Legislation, Local Government, Longer Twitter, Politics, Taxation •By Justin Katz

Part of the explanation for why new legislation retroactively blesses anything local chief executives have done to change their budget processes can be found in the East Bay.

Summer Budget Battle: Status Quo Approach Will Not Work

June 21, 2020•1 Comment•in Culture and Family, Economy, General Assembly, Legislation, Opinion, Taxation •By Mike Stenhouse

Enough is enough. For too long, the political class has taken more than what they needed from hard-working Rhode Island families and businesses. The chosen few have benefited from the broken insider system, while the rest of us have suffered. Now, Rhode Island lawmakers will return this summer, and decide the fate of our state for a century to come.

Session-Winding Chaos

June 19, 2020•1 Comment•in General Assembly, Government, Legislation, Opinion •By Rhody Reporter

Simple Simon Set a Budget

June 12, 2020•1 Comment•in Economy, General Assembly, Governor, Opinion •By Rhody Reporter

Dennis Sheehan: A Better Budget Process for a Renewed Economy

June 9, 2020•1 Comment•in Economy, General Assembly, Governor, Legislation, Opinion, Regulation, Taxation •By Engaged Citizen

With a reasoned approach to reducing the state budget and freeing businesses from unnecessary constraints, Rhode Island can recover from our virus-induced economic malady.

A Week Later, Still Inclined to Dissolve the Ethics Commission

June 9, 2020•3 Comments•in General Assembly, Government, Longer Twitter, Politics •By Justin Katz

A suggestion to dissolve the Ethics Commission has not faded after a week of consideration.

Governor Extends State of Emergency Without Supporting Data – Take Action Now!

June 7, 2020•6 Comments•in Civil Rights, Culture and Family, Economy, General Assembly, Governor, Opinion •By Mike Stenhouse

RI’s curve is approaching ZERO! States across America are opening without problem, protesters are allowed large gatherings, jobs and the economy are booming nationally… yet, our RI summer remains locked down. Why?

The Governor has just extended the “state of emergency” and the General Assembly has failed to act on its authority to end this madness, sitting idly by while the wreckage continues to mount.

Final Nail in RI’s Ethics Coffin

June 2, 2020•2 Comments•in General Assembly, Government, Longer Twitter, Politics •By Justin Katz

After this morning’s whiplash from the Ethics Commission regarding an obvious revolving door setup of a state senator to the state’s highest court, perhaps it’s time to disband the agency.

Politics This Week with John DePetro: Socially Undistant Protests

June 1, 2020•0 Comments•in Culture and Family, General Assembly, Governor, Opinion, Politics •By Justin Katz

My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for June 1, included talk about:

Double standards for “protests”
One narrative to rule them all
Raimondo continues to play politics
A better approach to budgeting

I’ll be on again Monday, June 8, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.

New Report Lays Out a Budget Strategy for Rhode Island Prosperity

May 31, 2020•0 Comments•in Analysis, Culture and Family, Economy, General Assembly, Taxation •By Mike Stenhouse

With about one-billion dollars in anticipated revenue shortfalls, and with recent statements from leading Rhode Island lawmakers indicating a general feeling of helplessness, the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity published a new report this week with proven budget strategies that can help put the state on a long-term trajectory towards prosperity.

Better and Worse from the Hiding General Assembly

May 29, 2020•0 Comments•in General Assembly, Opinion, Politics •By Rhody Reporter

How the State Should Address Its Budget Challenges

May 29, 2020•1 Comment•in Economy, General Assembly, Government, Governor, Legislation, Longer Twitter, Political Theory, Taxation •By Justin Katz

A short new report from the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity suggests that Rhode Island can take its current setback as an opportunity to plan for a better future.

Politics This Week with John DePetro: In Search of Other Authorities

May 27, 2020•0 Comments•in Civil Rights, Culture and Family, Economy, General Assembly, Governor, Media, Opinion, Politics •By Justin Katz

My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for May 27, included talk about:

#WeWantOurSummerBack
Justice Flanders still protecting rights
Trump v. Gina
General Assembly… still out
Mail ballots
Money for insiders
No jobs for Rhode Islanders

I’ll be on again Monday, June 1, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.

600 Physicians’ Letter: Governors Can No Longer Ignore Deaths & Dire Health Consequences of Lockdown

May 24, 2020•8 Comments•in Analysis, General Assembly, Governor, Healthcare, Science •By Monique Chartier

Wow, this letter to President Trump from six hundred physicians about the catastrophic health consequences of the needlessly prolonged COVID19 lockdown does not mince words.

More than 600 of the nation’s physicians sent a letter to President Trump this week calling the coronavirus shutdowns a “mass casualty incident” with “exponentially growing negative health consequences” to millions of non COVID patients.

“The downstream health effects…are being massively under-estimated and under-reported. This is an order of magnitude error,” according to the letter initiated by Simone Gold, M.D., an emergency medicine specialist in Los Angeles.

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The Top Story You’re Not Hearing About

May 15, 2020•1 Comment•in General Assembly, Government, Governor, Opinion •By Rhody Reporter

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