Interesting column from yesterday washington post. excerpt:
Therefore, the crisis of democratic government is actually also the crisis of progressive government. People seem to feel that they have been taxed, regulated, coerced and threatened by centre-left politicians for decades, and the results are bad and getting worse.
New York, where I live, and Florida, which I often visit, are an interesting contrast.
they have comparable population — New York, with a population of about 20 million, and Florida, with a population of 23 million. However, New York State’s budget is more than twice that of Florida ($239 billion versus approximately $116 billion). New York City, which is more than three times the size of Miami-Dade County, has a budget of more than $100 billion, nearly 10 times the size of Miami-Dade County. new york city spending grew up From 2012 to 2019, it increased by 40 percent, four times the rate of inflation. Does any New Yorker feel like service has improved by 40% during this time?
It’s easy to console ourselves with the idea that these very high tax rates and increased government revenues provide the key ingredients of a progressive government. But they are often just the price of waste and mismanagement. first phase of Subway 2nd Avenue Line Construction costs were $2.5 billion per mile, 8 to 12 times more expensive than samples of similar projects in Italy, Sweden, Paris, Berlin, and elsewhere.
I think there is a crisis in America for both the left and the right. I’m glad that typically left-leaning institutions (like the Post) are starting to take left-wing issues seriously, and I hope something similar happens on the right.
