I grew up in a household where reading the New York Times was a sacred Sunday ritual, but recently, I’ve been perusing the online version for different reasons.
\nFirst, I enjoy and learn a lot from reading columns by David Brooks and Paul Krugman. Equally important, though, I want to keep in touch with what the “enemy” is thinking via the opinions of the Times’ editorial board.<\/p>
\nHere’s an example from today’s paper:
\nHUD is going to release almost $4 billion in funds to states and cities to buy and redevelop foreclosed homes.
\nAccording to the Times, “HUD must avoid the temptation to spread the money far and wide, an approach that would score points with varied constituencies but would fail to target the neediest areas.”
\nHere we go again.
\nIn Massachusetts, funding for the public schools has been funnelled disproportionately into cesspools of corruption like New Bedford and Lawrence for years. It has done no good; rather, it has caused almost irreparable harm to districts on the Cape which are chronically underfunded.
\nInstead of a handout to the “neediest”, how about using the money for matching grants, particularly in marginal areas that have a track record of misusing public funds?
\nThat’s only one suggestion, the point being that the “neediest” should not a priori be given unrestricted funds, as if this were a Socialist country. Enough is enough is enough.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I grew up in a household where reading the New York Times was a sacred Sunday ritual, but recently, I’ve been perusing the online version for different reasons. First, I enjoy and learn a lot from reading columns by David … Continue reading