An attention-grabbing column yesterday within the Washington Post. An excerpt:
The disaster of democratic authorities then, is definitely a disaster of progressive authorities. Individuals appear to really feel that they’ve been taxed, regulated, bossed round and intimidated by left-of-center politicians for many years — however the outcomes are dangerous and have been getting worse.
New York, the place I reside, and Florida, the place I typically go to, present an attention-grabbing distinction.
They’ve comparable populations — New York with about 20 million folks, Florida with 23 million. However New York state’s funds is greater than double that of Florida ($239 billion vs. roughly $116 billion). New York Metropolis, which is a bit more than 3 times the dimensions of Miami-Dade County, has a funds of greater than $100 billion, which is sort of 10 occasions that of Miami-Dade. New York Metropolis’s spending grew from 2012 to 2019 by 40 %, 4 occasions the speed of inflation. Does any New Yorker really feel that they obtained 40 % higher companies throughout that point? …
It is easy to consolation oneself by considering that these sky-high tax charges and rising authorities revenues are offering some essential elements of progressive authorities. However they’re typically merely the toll of waste and mismanagement. The primary section of the Second Avenue subway line development, at $2.5 billion per mile, was eight to 12 occasions costlier than a sampling of comparable tasks in locations akin to Italy, Sweden, Paris and Berlin….
I believe there are crises for each the Left and Proper in America. I am glad that establishments which might be usually on the Left (such because the Put up) are beginning to taking critically the Left’s issues, and I hope that one thing comparable is going on on the Proper.
