September 2, 2010
Small Cuts Credited, Huge Windfall Ignored
Rhode Island politicians are taking credit for an apparent $17 million surplus, while not mentioning hundreds of millions in federal gifts.
Bonds, Morals, and Conservatism
Anchor Rising's Andrew Morse called in to the Matt Allen Show to discuss conservatism, bonds, and morality.
September 1, 2010
Don't Let the Bureaucrats Bite
The government bans chemicals that helped to make bedbugs seem like a thing of the past, and now people are resorting to even more dangerous methods as protection against a resurgence of the bugs.
The Confusion of Success with the Meaning of Life
Try as they might, secular Darwinian materialists cannot avoid the necessity of religion and tradition.
August 31, 2010
Even Unto the Primaries
A movement is afoot to install some fresh faces in the General Assembly. Of course, that's difficult to do when candidates have already been the subject of investigative reports and local controversy.
One Workforce for the Price of Two
Thanks to retirement rules, Providence is providing more than two healthcare benefits for every actual full-time position it currently funds. Say it with me, this is not sustainable.
An Argument for a Burqa Ban
It's not a matter of immediate concern, yet, in the United States, but European experience with the burqa and lesser veils suggests that we would do well to adjust our culture in preparation, perhaps thereby to avoid the need for legal bans.
August 30, 2010
How Central Falls's Property Tax Rate Nearly Doubled Year Over Year
Property values went down in Central Falls, RI, and the government is increasing its overall take, saddling homeowners with a near doubling of their tax rate.
Self-Serving Accusations of Hypocrisy
William Lobdell blames the hypocrisy of Christians for others' loss of faith. I'd say the attacks of the likes of Lobdell bear more responsibility.
August 28, 2010
Some Sacrifice
School administrators in Cumberland, RI, apparently believe that sacrifice is when teachers receive smaller raises than they're used to.
August 27, 2010
Fighting Tyranny Inherently Breaks the Rules
The ugly situation in Central Falls is getting uglier, with the city council hiring an independent lawyer against the wishes of the city's new receiver-king and with no plan to pay the bill.
August 26, 2010
An Interesting Place to Visit (or at Least to Read About Visiting)
A parable from Afghanistan seems like it might be applicable to cross-cultural dialogue.
A Model Governor and Some Pointers on Government Structure
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie not only offers a political model, he raises notions about potential changes to political structure.
August 25, 2010
Americans Subsidizing the Green Fetish of the Rich
What the Obama administration's green-car fetish essentially does is to subsidize cars for the rich at the expense of taxpayers and the economy.
"Rhode Island is a winner!"
Rhode Island has made the second cut for Race to the Top funds. I'm not excited.
August 24, 2010
If Teachers Are Professionals, Their Performance Should Be Measurable
A California study found that some teachers are better than others. It's just the latest evidence that we all know what needs to be done but have difficulty talking about it.
Where's the Terrorists' Margin?
To the extent that "terrorism is the weapon of the marginalized," it's not the West doing the marginalization, but dictators and their ideology.
August 23, 2010
Deepwater, in Summary
The Deepwater Wind project remains a bad deal. Wonder whom Rhode Islanders will blame when the economy continues its sour state for decades to come...
The Living and the Dead
The visible marks that we leave in life are mere reminders of the eternal marks that we leave even in death.
August 22, 2010
A Craft for Our Region
A local artisan-artist takes old materials and makes furniture and artwork. A very conservative activity, if you ask me.
A Show of Pension Reform
Whenever actual numbers are applied to public-sector pension deals, it makes one reel at the unreasonableness of it.
August 21, 2010
On "Giving Back"
Rich people's "giving back" doesn't imply that they've taken something; it implies that they've received something.
The Randomness of a Night Out
A seemingly random death at a Boston bar isn't that random, if you think about it.
A Couple of Thoughts Upon Watching Sowell
Peter Robinson's interview of Thomas Sowell brings forth some interesting questions.
The Downward Spiral of Detoxifying Land
The folks with contaminated land in Tiverton continue to have difficulty fixing the problem, and I continue to think that a different, less litigious, route should have been pursued from the beginning.
August 20, 2010
You're All Missing the Point on Central Falls
Anchor Rising's readers are missing the point on Central Falls. It's all about the precedent.
The People of Central Falls Should Fire Their Receiver
One of the poorest communities in Rhode Island is now facing a truly massive tax increase at the hands of a very well paid dictator, because the state of Rhode Island believes its bond rating trumps democracy.
August 19, 2010
Integral Government Strings
Sometimes strings on big government spending aren't immediately imposed.
August 18, 2010
Questions of Law and Questions of Power
What's changed in the same-sex marriage debate, over the last forty years, is not the law or reality, but the attitudes of the ruling elite.
Appointees with Post-Facto Billing
A state-appointed receiver for the city of Central Falls has the power to completely restructure town government, voters' wishes irrelevant, yet he has no choice but to pay a previous appointee whatever he decides to bill for his services?
August 17, 2010
The Brain of Slaves
Giving in to the habits of modern technology may just prep us for lives as manipulated slaves.
A Clean Slate for Rhode Island
Changing the people in the General Assembly is step number 1 for Rhode Island.
A Bubble in the Making
Insiders in the higher education industry are fretting that more people need their product. I think the opposite is true.
August 16, 2010
No Dilemma. An Accurate Accounting.
The first batch of students for whom recent state graduation requirements will be binding will soon be reaching their senior years, and many won't be eligible for diplomas. That's not a problem with the standards; it's a problem with the system.
The Way Out of the Recession
I don't see any mystery to ending the recession. Just get the government out of the way.
Injustice Seen Across the Political Board
When the ACLU teams up with right-leaning taxpayer groups, public officials in Tiverton should reconsider not only their defamation lawsuit against a private citizen, but also whether they should remain in office.
August 15, 2010
The Inevitable Victory Line Is Ringing Hollow
From the perspective of global jihadis, I'm not so sure the United States hasn't been proving its weakness.
In Favor of a "Demanding" Religion
"Demanding" religions thrive, and they aren't ultimately demanding so much as rewarding.
August 13, 2010
You Scam, They Scam
So, the feds have busted some Medicare scammers. My question: couldn't we have done that without costly new mandates and a reordering of our method of healthcare delivery?
A Guarantee on a Higher Degree
Education loans are a skyrocketing form of debt, in the United States. It makes me wonder whether it mightn't make for a valuable differentiator for colleges and universities to begin offering guarantees that the education provided will enable graduates to pay off their loans.
The Basic Point on Marriage
As Ross Douthat writes, traditional marriage is an ideal that legalizing same-sex marriage will prevent us from recognizing.
August 12, 2010
A Slash with a Fake Sword
It's disheartening to see RI's General Assembly get away with a scheme to increase taxes while getting credit for cutting them.
