459: What Kind of Country
Mar 2, 2012
All across the country right now, local and state governments are finding they can't pay their bills. Schools are losing teachers, street lights are going dark, garbage is piling up in public parks, and cops are suddenly an optional expense.
This week we travel to Colorado Springs, to Trenton and to the office of Grover Norquist to ask: Is this the kind of country we want? One where government gets smaller? Or should we all pay higher taxes, and keep government bigger?
- New Jersey governor Chris Christie has led some of the most sweeping budget cuts in the country. Producer Sarah Koenig reports from Trenton, where one third of the police force has been laid off, leading to dramatically increased crime. (14 1/2 minutes)
Photo
Photo by Nikki Tundel, Minnesota Public Radio News.
