The week in whoppers: Paul Krugman's crime delusions, teacher-union bosses' ugly smear and more

Admin

Apr 30

Diary of disturbing disinformation and dangerous delusions

This column:

"John Fetterman's Triumphant Return to the Political Stage"

— The Nation, April 21

We say: Triumphant return?

Did no one at The Nation watch Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) deliver opening remarks to the Senate agriculture subcommittee recently?

The man is clearly struggling — mispronouncing words, getting names wrong and garbling sentences.

Sure, you can admire his courage in trying to fulfill his legislative duties after a near-fatal stroke last year and two months at Walter Reed Medical Center for clinical depression this year.

But calling his return "triumphant," as The Nation does, out-Orwells Orwell himself.

Sen. John Fetterman speaking at the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry subcommittee hearing on April 19, 2023.

This claim:

"New York crime isn't really out of control."

— NY Times columnist Paul Krugman, Monday

We say: Krugman pooh-poohs New York's crime surge, denying that it's driving people away and citing higher crime rates in other places.

Nor, he insists, does New York's state and local tax burden send folks fleeing.

What utter nonsense: Major felonies in Gotham surged 32% last year over 2019, and New York's tax burden is the highest in America.

Yes, high housing (and other) costs matter, as Krugman notes, but there's just no doubt crime and taxes here have fueled a rush for the exits.

This gripe:

"Once again, the rich will benefit."

— Teachers union heads Randi Weingarten, Mike Mulgrew & Andy Pallotta, Wednesday

We say: The three union bosses blasted Gov. Hochul for wanting more public charter schools in Gotham due to demand and since they outperform regular schools at far lower cost.

Why attack her?

Because their members don't work at charters.

So the trio resorted to an ugly, cynical lie — that opening more of them will somehow "benefit" the rich.

Fact: 80% of kids at the city's 275 free, public charters are "economically disadvantaged," per the NYC Charter School Center; 90% are black or Hispanic.

And since charters get less government funding than regular schools, wealthy donors who aid them will have to pony up more if additional charters open.

This charge:

"[Republicans are] fighting to put fentanyl on the street."

— WH Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Tuesday

We say: Does the White House really think anyone will buy such a ludicrous claim?

No Republican wants fentanyl on the street. (It's doubtful any Democrat does either.)

Yet Jean-Pierre's own boss, Democratic President Biden, has kept the border wide open, letting the drug flow in by the ton (along with millions of illegal migrants).

Republican President Donald Trump had no such problem.

This claim:

"[The] extremism, hate and white supremacy movement has infiltrated mainstream politics. As such, it's impacting lawmaking. Nearly 1,000 bills, proposals and initiatives have been introduced since 2020 to simply strip away the right to vote."

— National Urban League President Marc Morial, Tuesday

We say: Sorry: "White supremacy" hasn't driven a single "bill, proposal or initiative" to "strip away" anyone's right to vote.

Yes, some legislation has sought to prevent fraud in voting. But the left falsely portrays this as somehow racist.

President Biden, for example, smeared Georgia's 2021 voting-rights bill as "Jim Crow 2.0," yet record Georgia turnout in 2022 — including among black voters — exposed the lie.

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board