On Politics

Welcome back to my weekly column, and a happy St. Patrick's Day weekend to all. Stay safe out there and don't let the green beer get you. As always, your thoughts and tips are welcome at idonnis (at) ripr (dot) org. Let's get to it.

So far, the Ken Block report on waste and fraud in food stamp and Medicaid programs has been a lot of talk about not much. RIPR analyst Scott MacKay explains.

Nothing angers taxpayers more than media stories about n’er do wells ripping off government programs. So it was obvious that the report of fraud in food stamp and Medicaid programs had the headline writers working overtime and the talk radio shouters serving the latest sirloin of red meat to their sycophants.

Moderate Party founder Ken Block, who's had a winning week in the news cycle, says he's still thinking about a possible gubernatorial run in 2014. He got 6.5 percent of vote in a four-way field in 2010.

"I'm just trying to figure it all out," Block said during a taping of RIPR's Bonus Q+A.

The full segment -- covering his fraud and waste report, the master lever, and why more businessmen don't become politically active, among other topics --  airs Friday at 6:40 and 8:40 a.m.

Block says he's still in assessment mode on a future campaign:

In a sad day for anyone who cares about the news, one of the great alternative news weeklies -- The Boston Phoenix -- is closing, ending a long run of delivering penetrating political coverage and superb reporting on arts and entertainment. Sister papers in Providence and Portland, Maine, will continue.

Phoenix editor Peter Kadzis offered this statement:

Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas J. Tobin and Governor Lincoln D. Chafee are at it  again over their favorite hot button issue, same-sex marriage. His Excellency issued a statement supporting the move by Sen. Frank Ciccone, a Providence Democrat, to put the marriage equality issue to a statewide voter referendum.