NYC tries throwing money at the poor

Millionaire Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is attemptimg an "ambitioius experiment that will pay poor families up to $5,000 a year to meet goals" to lift them up out of poverty. "Some antipoverty advocates have bristled at what they see as the condescending notion that poor people need to be told how to raise their families. Others have focused on the broader economic issues at play."

clipped from www.nytimes.com Under the program, which is based on a similar effort in Mexico, parents would receive payments every two months for family members meeting any of a series of criteria. The payments could range from $25 for exemplary attendance in elementary school to $300 for a high score on an important exam, city officials said.