Chapter 7 discusses New Orleans, New York City, and Washington, D.C. (
at least while Michelle Rhee was in charge) as places where unions have had to acquiesce to reforms they initially opposed, but tellingly titles the chapter «Small Victories for Sanity» [emphasis added].
Sure, remarkable individuals can sometimes make it work,
at least for a
while:
Michelle Rhee (backed by Adrian Fenty) in the District of Columbia; Joel Klein (backed by Michael Bloomberg) in New York City; Arne Duncan (backed by Richard Daley) in Chicago; Jerry Weast (abetted by a rising budget) in Montgomery County, Maryland.