The Missing Urban Discussion

This editorial from The New York Times bemoans the absence of discussion about urban policy in the presidential campaigns.

1 minute read

February 20, 2008, 7:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg


"As important as rural problems are, they're not nearly as big as the task of helping the nation's struggling cities - where most Americans live or work. The cities have been the hardest hit as federal policies have failed or gone missing in education, housing, health care, jobs, transportation and environment, to name a few. Yet urban issues have gotten scant attention in this campaign."

"It's not a new problem. For more than a generation, presidential aspirants have mostly resisted acknowledging the importance of the cities' well being. Blame the front-loading of the primary season with rural states, or electoral and legislative systems that give disproportionate weight to sparsely populated states. Whatever the reason, it is shortsighted."

Tuesday, February 19, 2008 in The New York Times

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