Entries Tagged as 'budget policy'

An Unlikely (But Worthy) Journal Editorial Topic: Forgiveness of Student Loan Debt

August 1st, 2014 · No Comments · budget policy, economy, Education, journalism, tax policy

By Denise Tessier To follow up on yesterday’s post, student loan debt is another topic the Albuquerque Journal editorial board has dealt with incompletely. And it has squandered opportunities to advocate for action that might help put the state and nation on firmer economic ground. First, some background: While the Journal seems to have had […]

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Distorting the Dialogue on Debt

July 24th, 2014 · No Comments · budget policy, economy, journalism

By Arthur Alpert The Albuquerque Journal editorial on U.S. debt in the Wednesday, July 23, edition provides an excellent opportunity to demonstrate how management distorts the political dialogue. It was yet another Journal warning that unless we cut the debt soon and the US learns to “live within its means,” there’s an “impending fiscal calamity” […]

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Austerity Pitch: AP laces news with opinion… again

February 5th, 2014 · 2 Comments · budget policy, economy, Fact Check, inequality, journalism, tax policy, Uncategorized, Washington

By Arthur Alpert This is a tale of two opinions. Winthrop Quigley of the Albuquerque Journal offered his in a recent UpFront column Thursday, Jan. 28, on inequality and higher minimum wages. I disagree with his conclusions, but so what? Quigley stated his premises and marshaled evidence (income inequality is real, extreme and bad for […]

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Government Shutdown Coverage: A Discordant and Disqualifying Performance

October 27th, 2013 · 2 Comments · budget policy, economy, journalism, Uncategorized, Washington

By Arthur Alpert You have noticed, surely, how the Albuquerque Journal’s song changes from time to time, as if an unseen fiddler was calling variations on the tune. Now, for example, the editors are segueing from the shutdown/debt ceiling crisis to promote austerity, even as they maintain the underlying theme. One day soon I’ll document […]

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False Equivalency in the Government Shutdown Story, Journal Style

October 7th, 2013 · 3 Comments · budget policy, economy, health care reform, journalism, role of government, tax policy, Uncategorized

By Arthur Alpert Editors must work around the staff to distort local reality so it fits the Albuquerque Journal’s agenda. It’s a snap, however, when the issue is national. Witness the current campaign to persuade readers the federal government shutdown represents a split between Democrats and Republicans, the parties are almost equally to blame and […]

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Shutdown Provides Proof That Post Offices Aren’t a Taxpayer Burden

October 4th, 2013 · 1 Comment · budget policy, journalism, role of government, Uncategorized

By Denise Tessier Why, with the federal government shut down, are post offices still open? Because they’re not funded with taxpayer dollars. While this week’s federal shutdown left parks closed, Native Americans without funding for crucial services and the president of the United States forced to cancel an important diplomacy trip to Malaysia and the […]

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History-Making Aspect of ACA Takes Back Seat to Political Vitriol

September 30th, 2013 · 1 Comment · budget policy, health care reform, journalism, role of government

By Denise Tessier The story opened with “History will be made Tuesday.” But history was relegated to second string when it came to the headline. “Like it or not, OBAMACARE is here” is the headline that ran atop the front page of the Sunday Journal print-edition, on its central story about this week’s rollout of […]

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Jon Barela, Garrey Carruthers, Miss Emily Litella and the Journal’s Silver Linings (Economics) Playbook

May 21st, 2013 · No Comments · budget policy, economy, journalism

By Arthur Alpert Don’t tell me the Albuquerque Journal is not wonderful in its fashion. Not journalistically, of course, but in its tireless efforts skew the news to fit its agenda. Only the other day, you may remember, I was pointing out how the editors kinda, sorta downplayed a Dan Boyd story that – because […]

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Credibility of Austerity Economics in Freefall Everywhere Except at the Journal

May 1st, 2013 · 5 Comments · budget policy, economy, financial coverage, journalism

By Arthur Alpert Pity the poor politicians who edit the Albuquerque Journal. It won’t be easy adjusting the narrative to fit the oligarchy’s new strategy, but soon they’ll do just that. The newspaper’s narrative (or line or editorial agenda) matters because at the Journal, it dictates what gets published – syndicated opinion, Op Ed opinion […]

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Signs of Spring?

March 31st, 2013 · No Comments · budget policy, economy, journalism

By Arthur Alpert It’s warm again this morning, but as a wise New Mexican I won’t call the swamp cooler guy. It’s another false spring. A perpetual optimist, I keep scrutinizing the morning paper, too, for signs of an Albuquerque Journal spring. And recently a few greens sprouted. Did you notice the story headlined, “Parties […]

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