By Warner Todd Huston ——Bio and Archives--August 4, 2008
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We cannot yet say that Mangano has succeeded. But we can say that as with conservative ideas on crime in the 1990s, the Mangano approach to homelessness has transformed a situation once seen as hopeless by discarding orthodoxies once seen as unquestionable. He and the administration he serves deserve immense credit.But, as the story develops in the media, there is little doubt that a negative spin is being placed on this welcome news. So far, I've seen two stories (Channel 5, WCVB in Boston, and the Associated Press) that carry a negative take on the news that will most likely become the media's theme. Here is the snippet in its simplest form from the Channel 5 report:
The report doesn't take into account the effects of the foreclosure crisis and recently slowing economy, which could increase the number of homeless families.This isn't news. It's conjecture, if not an outright claim. But we will see it in every story, I'm sure. In the AP story we also see it:
Some homeless advocates said HUD's emphasis on the decline in chronic homelessness paints too rosy a picture. "It's not a true reflection of what's going on among the homeless population," said Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. Stoops said there are always some homeless who are not counted, adding that people who are not chronically homeless are getting too little attention from the government. The report does not take into account the effects of the foreclosure crisis and recently slowing economy. Stoops predicted both will increase the number of homeless families.If the media bothers much with this story at all, and thus far reports have been far and few between, this will be the refrain most likely offered.
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Warner Todd Huston’s thoughtful commentary, sometimes irreverent often historically based, is featured on many websites such as Breitbart.com, among many, many others. He has also written for several history magazines, has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows.
He is also the owner and operator of Publius’ Forum.