Given the increases in state and city spending, as well as a projected $3.3 billion city budget surplus, Ms. Weingarten questioned why school budgets were not growing more and why the police, firefighters' and teachers' unions were all still fighting for new contracts. "The surplus begs the priority question," she said.
Can someone explain to me how a budget surplus is in any way begging the question? I expect better from the public face of the city's 80,000 teachers.
I really think that this particular linguistic fallacy is moving into the realm of empirically correct. As much as I agree with you in principle, there are so few of us who know what "begging the question" correctly means, and even fewer who ever actually use it in that context. Maybe this is entering correct usage just like using "access" as a verb did.
ReplyDeleteRage, rage against the dying of the light!
ReplyDeleteamen amen amen selah va'ed!
ReplyDeleteYou're not supposed to publicly criticize your union boss! She's gonna have your legs broken if she sees this.
ReplyDelete