Paine ‘n’ McCain at the OK Corral

“We have it in our power to begin the world again.” –Thomas Paine “There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year.” –John McCain I just got back from the southwest, where I met and insulted a charming cowgirl. I expected Tombstone, Arizona to be sort of like Frontierland at Disneyland. Instead, we […]

Reforming

It was not easy to sit through the discussion. Maybe the cancer histories of various relatives were invoked. Maybe someone suggested that people who love European ways so much should go live there. I absolutely did not endorse Cuban dictatorships or mob-fueled economic revolutions.

Kansas City District School Closings

I hope closing schools will get the district’s finances down to a manageable level. They have spent too many years living in the past and bouncing from one temporary fix to another. Their mission has changed. Instead of serving all the students in one geographic area, they now serve students who aren’t interested in the offerings of charters schools, or can’t afford private school, or particularly want to invest in the district, or want some specialized experience they offer, like African-centered education or an arts focus.

Expressways

The first walk around my neighborhood in three months reveals what I had suspected: any sign of spring is way underground. My sycamores are still skeletal. The locusts are still wearing a few of their blackened seed pods, like they forgot to take off their eyeliner after a great party. Everywhere I looked for a […]