New tools and rules for schools amid coronavirus

The start up of debate about the return to school has been quick out of the gates. All parties would prefer to see the children back in school to learn in a supportive environment. The administration has voiced its opinion forcefully on the matter in recent days....

Terminal Bars

Terminal Bars Whenever I took the train up to Riverdale, NY, I always passed the Terminal Bar. Just viewing the establishment made me smile on several levels. But, now the rapid reopening of bars especially has contributed to a spike in Covid-19 cases in a subset of...

Bailout Shaming

I have been reading about how we have the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression even though it has moderated a bit recently. I also await the revisiting of the estimate of the decrease in GDP for the first quarter this Thursday. The reading of down 5%...

Are Caps Necessary?

  It has been a long time, but I have started to experience that strange feeling that we might try out some techniques that have not worked so well in the past. The 1970s were noteworthy in this regard. At the first suggestion that there should be imposed a cap...

New Era of Cooperation?

6/04/2020 The recent dual stresses of Covid-19 and tragic violence and strained racial relations have me wondering if there will be more cooperation in society and in government.  The political parties are so far apart from an ideological perspective and in many other...

The Trillion Dollar Question

One fact that has become abundantly clear is that Covid-19 will not stop imposing its will on state and local finance for some time. The damage done in the last quarter only really took place in the last month of March. All parties agree that this quarter is when the...