Amidst all the bureaucratic shuffle going on at 440, it’s important to remember how well paid all of these individuals are. Phil Goldsmith’s dispassionate analysis here is very helpful. I do think, though, that he’s forgotten some districts where superintendents as making much more than Philly’s superintendent.

Three days ago on KYW, one of the stories in heavy rotation described the arrival of 1600 slot machines at the new casino. Yesterday, there was an article in the Times about Oakland’s decision to allow industrial size marijuana farms.

I’d love to see an academic study comparing the impact of these two attempts to re-negotiate urban work. You could claim both are bringing poison, both present security problems, and both build upon potentially addictive behavior.

On the other hand, folks are going to smoke (see Philadelphia Magazine this month) and Atlantic City demonstrates that they’re going to travel to gamble. May as well as make some profit from it.

Other things being equal, the more economically, ethnically and religiously heterogenous the membership of an association is, the greater its capacity to cultivate the kind of public discouse and deliberation that is conducive to democratic citizenship.

From Introduction
Amy Gutmann, ed, Freedom of Association (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998).