DECEMBER 12, 2004 --

An article in the Village Voice, last month, reported that The New York Times sold its building on West 43rd Street for $175 million. Apparently the paper will be
leasing the property back for three years, until its new home, a 52-storey structure on Eighth Avenue, opposite the Port Authority bus terminal, is completed.

Here is the rub. The Village Voice article, by Paul Moses, a freelancer and former city editor at Newsday, pointed out The Times got the Eighth Avenue property, between 40th and 41st Streets, through government intervention, not on the open market. Also that a tax subsidy was involved.

And now, on top of the government intervention and tax subsidy, The Times is making a lot of money on the sale of its present building, The Village Voice noted.

This, of course, could explain why The New York Times is a liberal paper. Liberals love government; it's Republicans they have difficulty with.

Conservatives are concerned (or should be) about the exercise of power by government -- whoever is in office. The story of what The Village Voice called "The Times' sweetheart deal" on Eighth Avenue explains why powerful people may be found on the liberal side -- with their clout, government is at their service.

If they opposed activist government, they
couldn't have officials run interference for them.

Ever hear a liberal denounce management at The New York Times as "the rich getting richer"? Accusations are for the perceived enemies of liberals.

One other thing: the liberal Times is strongly in favor of higher taxes.

Why not, when you have the power to get subsidies and "sweetheart" deals from the pols. Taxes for the people; tax subsidies for the liberals.

The Times, of course, would not report the property tax manipulation at the Dayton Seaside apartment buildings in Queens, that pushed the buildings into
bankruptcy and forced out the ownership group (including this writer and members of his family).

Could The Times have ignored the Dayton Seaside travesty because of negotiations with Mayor Giuliani to have the Eighth Avenue property fall into its hands?