From: New York
Date sent: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 20:06:05 -0500 (EST)
Subject: They Remembered The Homeless!

Our Binghamton Press has stepped up the social-agenda, praise-us-all stories this past week. Yesterday, they rediscovered the homeless and the wonderful work the social welfare agencies and subsidized groups are doing. Two successes have been featured: A 17-year-old junior in high school, who had to leave home because of conflicts with her mother. She has lived for the past 10 months with her NOW-3-month-old child in the YWCA and has graduated to her own apartment there. She goes to high school and "is looking at 4-year universities and wants to be a trial lawyer." She is "supported by Social Services." [You may want to register opinions on that education site for comments on Clinton's plan to give everyone who wants one a college education.] The second success was a young man who had been drinking and living on the streets. He now has his own apartment and is a full-time volunteer at the Volunteers of America, sorting and displaying donated clothing. [Own apartment and full-time volunteer....]

Today two local districts are voting at schools: One for an $11.5 Million proposal to close two elementary schools which have been deliberately let go, and renew the previously rejected vote to build a huge consolidated school at the top of the highest hill in the town. School buses, bad weather, merging of elementary schools into a super-size school. The selling point: The $11.5 Million will not result in any increase in the tax rate, because they will finagle with state aid and payoffs of other bond issues as they come due. Imagine that: $11.5 Million and it won't cost you a cent.

The other bond issue is the biggest dog and pony show imaginable. The shopping mall developer who is buying up and malling every vacant piece of land in the area has worked out a deal with the city involved and the school board. Put in a gigantic discount mall, take over a small low-income neighborhood park, cut back on other recreational land in the area, and help the high school get a world-class sports addition -- Olympic pool, new track, numerous ball fields, etc., etc. Selling point: It won't cost a thing to the taxpayers.

Previously another local town voted in a $4.5 Million bond issue (for the children, don't you know) -- additional classrooms to take care of shortages caused by closing down other schools under protest over the years, and a big indoor swimming pool. Selling point: It won't cost a thing for the taxpayers. State aid and finagled budgeting will take care of everything. You'll never notice an extra dollar in your local taxes.

Do we see a pattern here? New math is So Great! Look what we can do with it.

Meanwhile, the bridges are rusting out, the roads need repaired, the water systems are under assault by both weather and EPA, but Scarlett O'Hara stars in every scenario. "We'll think about that tomorrow."