Front Pages from All America 7/24
Every day, I comb through the front pages of all the daily papers in America (provided via?The Freedom Forum) and will highlight 5-10 front page items that have national significance, with my quick commentary
The Bakersfield Californian (California)
THE FRONT PAGE STORY: City Pushes for Completion, Hardscaping of Highway 99
WHY IT MATTERS: Highway 99, which is the key artery to and from Bakersfield, is usually a traffic and aesthetic mess.
THE TAKEAWAY: It's amazing that the universal response to a crowded, ugly, and often dangerous highway is how to make it look nicer. How about creating other, non-vehicular options for people to choose so their are other options?
The San Diego Union-Tribune (California)
THE FRONT PAGE STORY: SDUSD Missing Missing Evidence for Pay Process
WHY IT MATTERS: Public school funding is always an issue, but especially now with many groups calling for voucher programs to allow private schools a bigger role in education funding.
THE TAKEAWAY: I understand the push to honor teachers and thank them for their service, but like cops, soldiers, and doctors, the bad apples in this group too often use this attitude to scare off scrutiny of their bad behavior. Big city school systems are much easier to defraud, period. More safeguards need to be put in place.
The Gazette (Colorado)
THE FRONT PAGE STORY: Bill May Keep Planes at Buckley SFB
WHY IT MATTERS: Our nation's defense priorities always end up being juggled with pork barrel issues led by members of Congress who have other priorities.
THE TAKEAWAY: From military bases to obsolete weapons programs, the amount of money and effort Congress has taken away from the nation's defense over the centuries is innumerable.
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The News-Times (Connecticut)
THE FRONT PAGE STORY: State Commuters Await Word on Metro North Rate Hikes
WHY IT MATTERS: After seeing ridership fall dramatically during the COVID lockdowns, Metro North and the rest of the MTA received massive funding from the federal government to make up for fare losses. But now fares are going up anyway.
THE TAKEAWAY: It's understood that prices for things do eventually go up. But what isn't made clear in these reports is how much of the fare hikes are needed for upkeep and how much of them are needed to cover pension obligations, health care costs, etc. Also, hard questions should be asked about why more of the money earmarked for environmental projects isn't used to subsidize fares so more people will take the trains instead of driving.
The Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
THE FRONT PAGE STORY: Housing Demand Still High
WHY IT MATTERS: Stubbornly high mortgage rates and reduced supply nationwide are making it harder to buy a home in most of the U.S. But demand is still strong in some areas, especially South Florida.
THE TAKEAWAY: That saying about real estate being about three things - location, location, location - is never wrong. Politicians, realtors, and others - especially those with similar warm climates - may want to look at what makes Florida so persistently high in demand and look to emulate it.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
THE FRONT PAGE STORY: Which Office Buildings Would You Consider Living in?
WHY IT MATTERS: In areas where demand for real estate is always high, the phasing out of office jobs is presenting an opportunity to convert commercial space into residential buildings.
THE TAKEAWAY: There are billions of dollars to be made in this kind of conversion process, and a chance to make our downtown areas much better. The politicians and others who can make the necessary changes to zoning laws, etc. should move quickly.
As you know, turning office buildings into apartments requires a fair bit of public investment. In particular, apartment buildings create a need for schools and other social services, in a way that office buildings do not. It would be great to have more housing, particularly to reduce the glut in unused office space, but it will not come without significant costs.