What's this? A Book!
Or buy here: Light Publications, Powell's, or Bn, Amazon A look at the lousy situation Rhode Island is in, how we got here, and how we might be able to get out. Featuring
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AboutThe Rhode Island Policy Reporter is an independent news source that specializes in the technical issues of public policy that matter so much to all our lives, but that also tend not to be reported very well or even at all. The publication is owned and operated by Tom Sgouros, who has written all the text you'll find on this site, except for the articles with actual bylines. Responsibility: Tom Sgouros
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Tue, 27 Nov 2007
Curious how our state budget follies fit into the big picture? Do you know that we haven't had a real federal budget for quite a while? The president won't sign off on anything, so we continue with "Continuing Resolutions" which are de facto federal spending cuts. (Except for the war.)
Here's a summary.
17:03 - 27 Nov 2007 [/y7/no]
Sun, 25 Nov 2007
Read here.
Especially read the James Fallows link you'll find there.
16:23 - 25 Nov 2007 [/y7/no]
Wed, 21 Nov 2007
Have you seen "conservapedia"? This is a wikipedia for conservatives who feel somehow that wikipedia's definitions are warped by the godless mass. Herein a list of the most-viewed pages in this fine work. (via Atrios)
07:31 - 21 Nov 2007 [/y7/no]
Sat, 10 Nov 2007
As the dollar continues its tumble, here's something to keep it falling: oil. Oil is still priced in dollars, so it remains one of the important reasons why other countries want dollars. But it's also a way in which the US bleeds money out to oil-producing states, like Venezuela and Iran, not to mention Saudi Arabia. Because the two effects push in opposite directions, the net effect on the dollar's value isn't clear. But the effect on the net wealth of our country vs. the oil-producing states is very clear.
15:35 - 10 Nov 2007 [/y7/no]
Fri, 09 Nov 2007
We hear a lot from the Tax Foundation, a group in DC whose goal is essentially to lobby against all taxes, whatever they pay for. They publish rankings of the state tax burdens every year, and Rhode Island's ranking on their lists is a source of concern for state lawmakers, who use it as a blunt instrument to beat about the head and shoulders of anyone who suggests that one possible reason for our state budget crisis is all the money we've given away recently.
I've written too much about the Tax Foundation and their bizarre methodology. But here (via Pat Crowley at RI Future) is a much more systematic and thorough takedown of their statistical work.
People who rely on data like this should be laughed out of any position of responsibility they hold.
17:37 - 09 Nov 2007 [/y7/no]
Mon, 05 Nov 2007
Wondering about the subprime market?
A very clear (and funny) explanation of what constitutes a "Structured Investment Vehicle" and the subprime mess can be found here.
15:59 - 05 Nov 2007 [/y7/no]
How long will the dollar last?
Another huge loss to overseas investors from dollar-denominated investments. At this rate, the dollar won't remain the world's reserve currency for much longer. And the Fed has shown it will respond to the domestic economy's need for lower interest rates, rather than the high interest rates needed to keep dollars attractive, so bond investment yields aren't going anywhere. If you lived in another country, why would you want dollars?
09:31 - 05 Nov 2007 [/y7/no]
Thu, 01 Nov 2007
Is out. Apologies for the long delay.
- Adding police where there isn't crime, losing police where they're needed: fighting crime in Rhode Island
- Estimating the true cost of the alternative "flat" tax cut for the rich.
- IRS coverup -- income statistics are no longer being provided.
- Review of Against Prediction by Bernard Harcourt, about the dangers of using profiling to fight crime.
Didn't you mean to subscribe?
10:05 - 01 Nov 2007 [/y7/no]
Presidential Health Care Plans
Want to get an idea of how candidate health care plans actually compare? The National Journal circulated a survey among several health care policy types, and presents a compilation of their comments about the various plans in this article.
I'm not sure it is wise to dignify a couple of the Republican plans with the company they keep (Giuliani's "plan", for example, should be embarrassing -- see comments in issue 27), but it is useful to see them all lined up like this.
10:05 - 01 Nov 2007 [/y7/no]
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