Rhode Island’s bankruptcy law for municipalities is fundamentally anti-democratic, argues Carrol Andrew Morse, a conservative and regular Anchor Rising contributor, in an op-ed for WPRI today. “Rhode Island, for centuries a home to a special brand of strong belief in freedom, should be a place that steadfastly refuses to give ideas about undermining democracy any kind of a basic foothold,” he writes. “The governing and governed alike should reject the idea that democratic accountability must be sacrificed to solve problems over money.”
We could not agree more. It’s one of the reasons RI Future was so hard on Bob Flanders, the former Central Falls receiver – he should have been more contrite about the city’s unfortunate position; instead he joked about his power. It’s also why we took Woonsocket Reps. Jon Brien, Lisa Baldelli-Hunt and Bob Phillips to task when they pushed for a receiver – because they moved to strip their residents of their democratic rights to keep their taxes low.
Speaking of municipal bankruptcy, San Bernadino became the third California city in two weeks to seek financial help from the courts.
Rhode Island public sector retirees protested outside a DC fundraiser for Gina Raimondo yesterday … no surprise there. What I’d like to know is who was inside the Washington DC fundraiser for the smallest state’s general treasurer.
Great Mitt Romney jokes by Bob Kerr in today’s Projo: “Which brings us to Mitt Romney, who keeps his money and his sense of humor in places that are hard to find.” And: “To call Romney stiff as a board is an insult to lumber.”
Froma Harrop also pens an interesting piece, calling out conservatives for enjoying big government on vacation but not at the workplace. “Why do conservatives from elsewhere hang out in places that tax and regulate and do all kinds of other mean things to rich people like themselves? The reason is that these are nice places, and they are that way precisely because they tax and regulate. And these guys know it. If cooler summers were all they craved, they’d be partying in Upper Wisconsin.”
The Obama Administration on voter ID laws: “We call this a poll tax,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.
Looking for a fun and socially enlightening summertime activity? The class warfare comedic classic “9 to 5” opens at Theatre-by-the-Sea on July 18. For another all-time classic comedy on class warfare, try Caddyshack.