Michael Bloomberg has the New York Times convinced austerity is the way to go in school bus strike

The New York City school bus strike is entering a second week, with the National Labor Relations Board hearing a challenge to the legality of the strike and the New York Times editorial board fully on board with Mayor Michael Bloomberg's austerity agenda.

A Times editorial acknowledges problems with corruption and with inefficient routes that send buses out long distances with few passengers.

But the uncompetitive labor agreements are the main focus of the mayor's reform efforts.

So forget any other reforms that might be possible. Don't even mention that Bloomberg's own policies are driving up busing costs by putting more kids on buses to send them out of their neighborhoods to charter schools. If you're the New York Times editorial board and the mayor is only interested in addressing costs by going after school bus drivers and matrons whose pay starts at $14 and $11 an hour, respectively, then that's all you're interested in, too.