The Public Ought To Know

Corey Bearak is an expert in understanding how New York City's government works. The articles in this compilation first appeared as a weekly column in the award-winning Times Ledger, a chain of neighborhood newspapers in the New York City borough of Queens, between June 2003 and May 2005. The column deals with issues such as air quality, housing for the poor, police oversight, public transportation, increasing public participation in elections, gun control, funding libraries, keeping the streets safe, education, noise, care for the old, water, access to information, racial profiling, city parks, helping the homeless, real property tax reform, funding for culture, health care, the environment, violence against women, recycling and waste reduction strategies, and how to play the game of "Annoy!" to get things done. 


The Public Ought to Know is a remarkable history of our time. It reflects Corey Bearak's caring about people and how they live. It is a testament to his sophisticated knowledge of the mechanisms and issues of the New York City government. And like all histories, it is a resource for understanding the way we deal with our problems today.