On Politics

We remain stuck in the pit of winter, judging by the forecast for the latest in a string of storms. Yet things are already percolating for our next massive political season, so let's get to it. As always, your thoughts, tips, and reactions are welcome at idonnis (at) ripr (dot) org.

The high cost of local government in Rhode Island has forever been an issue. RIPR political analyst Scott MacKay wonders why – even in a recession- our little state can’t make progress on consolidating municipal services.

It seemed like a smart and easy way for both Warwick and East Greenwich to save taxpayer money. In 2011, at the depth of the recession, leaders of the two communities got together to see if they could merge fire dispatch services in a way that would incorporate new technologies and save money.

The informal launch of Senator Jack Reed's campaign for his fourth term is set to start  Sunday evening with a packed fundraiser at the Providence Biltmore.

A new report by the state chapter of the ACLU says Rhode Island's last three attorneys general -- Sheldon Whitehouse, Patrick Lynch, and Peter Kilmartin -- have prosecuted violations of the state's open records law less than four percent of the time from 1999 to last June.