Opinion | EastBayRI.com - News, Opinion, Things to Do in the East Bay

‘Tragedy of the Commons’ being acted out in Portsmouth

To the editor: “The Tragedy of the Commons.” This is the economic and public policy situation when an individual’s actions taken in their best interest and using entirely legal … more

4/15/24

Letter: Article eloquently captured Owen Cameron’s spirit

To the editor: I was moved by Jim McGaw’s excellently written article (“He was a light,” Portsmouth Times, April 4) about Owen Cameron, whom I never met. I am … more

4/15/24

Letter: Letter reminded me of Joyce Kilmer poem

To the editor: I enjoyed George Voutes’s letter regarding trees (“Trees for the people and the planet,” The Portsmouth Times, April 4). It reminded me of a poem I … more

4/15/24

Investigative team starts digging for Washington Bridge answers

STORY OF THE WEEK: “We’re leaving no stone unturned as far as accountability,” Gov. Dan McKee said last Friday, as he unveiled Max Wistow and Jonathan Savage as the lawyers who will … more

By Ian Donnis | 4/8/24

Letter: Concerns about the Mt. Hope Bridge

The failure of the Washington Street Bridge has been extensively reported. It seems there may also be reasons to raise questions about the Mt. Hope Bridge. more

4/4/24

Editorial: APRA fight has government protecting government

Committees in both the Rhode Island House of Representatives and Rhode Island Senate have listened to testimony on a bill that would update and improve the state’s public records law. … more

4/4/24

Ken Block has done a service to this country

Many readers will remember Ken Block as a two-time candidate for Rhode Island Governor and technology entrepreneur who helped the State of Texas save more than a billion dollars in food stamp fraud … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 4/3/24

Block’s book battles confirmation bias with facts

STORY OF THE WEEK: Add Ken Block to the lengthy list of people who’ve told Donald Trump or his campaign that his fake narrative about a stolen election in 2020 is a lot of baloney. In … more

4/2/24

Letter: Dredging the Sakonnet River is a mistake

Dredging in the Sakonnet should be prevented and the attendant difficulties in bringing ashore the power cables returned to Massachusetts where they belong. more

3/28/24

Letter: History’s lesson: Our strength lies in diversity

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI): These ideas are anathema to white Christian nationalists who fear losing their “rightful place” and their power and authority in America. DEI … more

3/28/24

Letter: Council was right to support roundabout — they work

To the editor: I’d like to commend the Town Council for their affirmative vote on proceeding with RIDOT’s plan for a roundabout at the East Main/Turnpike Avenue intersection. … more

3/26/24

Letter: DPW director repaired damaged sign in timely manner

To the editor: The Portsmouth Garden Club would like to recognize and thank Brian Woodhead, director of the Portsmouth Department of Public Works, for his conscientious and swift completion of … more

3/21/24

Letter: Moving forward with required dredging would be a mistake

It is astonishing that these engineering experts don't seem to know exactly what is on the ocean floor of our waterways after the past 100 years of dumping our untreated waste there. more

3/21/24

Editorial: Washington Bridge 'accountability' starts at the top

Recently ConsumerAffairs, a consumer-focused news outlet, rated Rhode Island’s roads as the worst in the country in their 2024 report. The “All That” state slipped from … more

3/20/24

Letter: Require SouthCoast to restore river-marsh connection

Editor’s note: This letter, concerning SouthCoast Wind’s proposal to run transmission cables through the Sakonnet River and over a section of Portsmouth, was addressed to Ronald Gagnon of … more

3/19/24

Letter: Town of Portsmouth guilty of lack of transparency

To the editor: There’s an old saying in our state that Rhode Islanders get the government they deserve. The same could be said for the Town of Portsmouth. The Town of … more

3/19/24

The bridge’s fate is finalized, and the state’s aggravation continues

STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Dan McKee made official on Thursday what many suspected: the westbound Washington Bridge is so riddled with structural flaws that it needs to be demolished and replaced , at … more

By Ian Donnis | 3/19/24

Editorial: Let the light shine

Government works best in the light. When its actions are open, seen and transparent, they can be measured. They can be scrutinized. They can be questioned. They can be challenged. more

3/14/24

Letter: Portsmouth does not have a PR problem

To the editor: A recent Portsmouth Times article reported that one Portsmouth town councilor thinks Portsmouth has a PR problem. The actual problem is that Portsmouth has difficulty telling … more

3/12/24

From Rhode Island native to warrior in the Christian nationalist movement

STORY OF THE WEEK: How did Middletown native Michael Flynn go from being a high-level military official to someone seen as a martyr, warrior and evangelist within the Christian nationalist movement? … more

By Ian Donnis | 3/12/24

Bridge and stadium will be focal points in the next run for governor

STORY OF THE WEEK: The next race for governor of Rhode Island is more than two years away, so assessing the full political fallout from the Washington Bridge saga will take time. In the near-term, … more

By Ian Donnis | 3/5/24

Letter: R.I. Congressional delegation working to protect animals

To the editor: The Humane Society Legislative Fund, a lobbying affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States, publishes its annual Humane Scorecard of Congress … more

3/4/24

Letter: Want a dictator? Be careful what you wish for

We have seen ordinary Americans say on camera that we need Donald Trump to be a dictator, because “America needs a dictator now.” Presumably, they feel that a dictator will be able … more

2/27/24

Latest fertility ruling – yes, yes, no, no!

Three couples sued the Center for Reproductive Medicine, a fertility clinic in Alabama, for inadvertently destroying their embryos. An interloper got into the storage facility, opened up a … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 2/26/24

The busted bridge continues to invite both follies and frustration

STORY OF THE WEEK: Last week, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee and RIDOT Director Peter Alviti offered a glimmer of hope for frustrated drivers. A plan developed with the Federal Highway Administration … more

By Ian Donnis | 2/26/24