The Future of Family Feuds
The Los
Angeles Times leads with a local story: A study shows that California's
high-tech boom is disproportionately benefiting the rich and, consequently,
widening the state's income gap. The Washington Post leads with a preview of the upcoming
Supreme Court arguments over the constitutionality of state statutes that
guarantee visitation rights to grandparents. The LAT 's off-lead
concludes that the case, Troxel vs. Granville , will define the
government's future role in family affairs. The Troxels, assisted by
governmental groups and the AARP, argue that courts should be allowed to
mandate grandparental visitation rights to protect the welfare of minors. Their
son's widow contends that court-mandated visitation infringes on parental
privacy. Her position is echoed by traditional religious groups and civil
libertarians.
The New York Times leads with Democratic
worries that the Republican Party will enjoy as much as a four-to-one soft
money spending advantage in the coming election. Democratic Senatorial Campaign
Committee chairman Sen. Robert G. Torricelli projects that the Democrats will
raise less than $30 million. Torricelli says the GOP could garner $200 million.
The Democratic National Committee's campaign purse is currently one-fourth the
size of the Republican Party's roughly $10 million war chest. The DNC's failure
to amass cash is attributed to its lack of a finance chair, donors' doubts
about the party's presidential prospects, and the dissipation of President
Clinton's fund-raising power. Party patriarchs fret that Republicans will bury
Democratic candidates under an avalanche of expensive TV ads. The Times
points out that the Democrats' public pouting could be an attempt to stimulate
fund raising.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is flush with cash, reports
the Post in an inside item. The DCCC enters 2000 with more money than
the Republican Congressional Committee. House Democrats collected more than $33
million in 1999 and still have $19 million left. House Republicans raised $48
million but spent all but about $10 million.
The NYT and the Post front John McCain's release of more than
500 letters that he sent to federal agencies under the jurisdiction of a
committee he chairs. A reefered piece in the LAT emphasizes that the
document dump is an attempt to defuse the controversy over McCain's efforts on
behalf of campaign contributor Paxson Communications. McCain, who received
$20,000 and the use of a corporate jet from Paxson affiliates, encouraged the
Federal Communications Commission to issue a ruling on the company's
acquisition of a broadcast station. The Post underscores that McCain
also intervened to assist BellSouth, which contributed plane rides and $60,000
to his political fortunes.
"Generally the letters simply urged speeded-up action rather than any
specific outcome," according to the WP . (Chatterbox
argues that there is nothing wrong with a senator urging an agency to act
promptly.) McCain claims only 15 letters sought help for entities that
contributed more than $2,000 to his presidential coffers, but the Times
points out that the campaign's count may exclude letters written to aid Senate
campaign contributors and lobbyists. A Post piece reports that most
voters are unaware of the recent hullabaloo over regulatory correspondence.
A NYT front-pager explains why the Y2K threat fizzled. The World Bank
and the State Department forecasted significant disruption in countries like
Russia, but the experts prognosticated on the basis of poor data. They
underestimated last-minute preparations and overestimated "technology
dependence." A WP "Outlook" piece attributes the undue unease to good
old-fashion fear of technology.
A LAT front-pager laments the explosion of test-gaming by privileged
college-bound kids. The number of students who enjoy "special accommodations"
on the SAT, including extra time, rose by more than 50 percent in "recent
years." Most of the growth in learning disability adjustments, which schools
approve based on a doctor's note or psychologist's recommendation, comes from
ritzy prep and public schools. "Hundreds and perhaps thousands" of kids are
taking advantage of the system.
The Times fronts Manhattan's latest absurdity--co-op pet vetting. The
luxury apartment market is so overheated that dozens of co-ops have begun to
screen the pets of potential owners. Boards evaluate pet size, pedigree,
training, demeanor, and appearance. Real estate agencies prepare dog
biographies for board evaluation. Owners administer Valium to calm their
canines before co-op scrutiny.
