Preface (2024) Looking back on my essay after 24 years, finishing this preface the day before Election Day in 2024, I am struck both by how prescient my original thoughts were and how shocked I would later be by the end stage of Trumpism, utterly horrified by the attack on the Capitol on January 6, […]
I’ve been critical of Mayor Smiley in the past – particularly about his lackluster approach to PVDFest – but now, I’ve got to hand it to him. The mayor’s PILOT agreement negotiation seems to have been quite successful. PILOT agreements – or Payment In Lieu Of Tax agreements – have been a subject of discussion […]
Every ten years, the US Census Bureau is responsible for counting everyone in America. And every ten years, America’s cantankerous cartographers dust off their credentials and get their hands dirty creating house and senate district maps that are relatively even in population, so that no one representative in government has more constituents than their colleagues. […]
Last week hell froze over as RI Congressional Rep Jim Langevin came forward in an editorial supporting a woman’s right to choose (Providence Journal, September 9, 2021). In case you missed it, the Texas legislature has enacted legislation essentially putting bounties on women who opt to terminate a pregnancy after the first six weeks. As […]
Bail bonds require posting money by or on behalf of someone charged with a crime in exchange for their release before trial. In theory, the money backs a promise by the accused to appear in court as scheduled and to be of good behavior. If the accused violates the terms of release, by fleeing the […]
Though the winter months are over, there is a national program aimed at ensuring that low-income households retain heat and other energy resources throughout the year through federal funding. LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, is a national program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. According to the Health and Human Services […]
You’re watching traffic (we hope) but they’re still shouting at you from the sidelines. Is it an attempt to produce more accidents – and more work for the injury attorneys? In any event, goofy photoshopped photos of attorneys seem to have a practical monopoly on local billboards, perfect for depicting larger-than-life characters. To celebrate our […]
If you want furniture, small appliances, a television set or a computer, but you have bad credit or no credit, then it might seem tempting to shop at a “rent-to-own” store: You get the goods immediately, make a small payment weekly or monthly, and after a specified number of payments you acquire full ownership. You’re […]