Am I Right, or Am I Left?

For whatever reason, I have no problem refusing to give panhandlers cash. The sob stories -- some of which are surely true -- are pretty awful. Yet I stand by the principle that is plastered all over the subway station that you should give to outreach organizations -- not individuals. (It might even be illegal to panhandle on the subway, but following the law has never been a major concern of mine.)

Yet when it comes to newspaper vendors, I find myself favoring the ones who are obviously not "authorized" over the ones who sell out of those city-controlled newsstands. As I bought my papers this morning -- from the same weather-worn woman on Seventh Avenue in Midtown -- I began to question my actions for the first time.

First off, I know why I buy from her. She looks cold, lost and in need of a little help. I think I respect her willingness to make an effort -- versus begging for money -- yet I'm completely willing to overlook the fact that she almost certainly pays for one Daily News and one Post in a vending machine somewhere, and steals the rest to resell. Meanwhile, I'm shunning the men and women who are playing by the rules to operate those legitimate newsstands -- and paying rent and giving a cut of their profits to the city -- in pursuit of their American dream. Surely there is something wrong about my doing this.

It got me wondering: Do my bleeding-heart liberal tendencies get canceled out by the fact that I'm buying a paper owned by a right-wing mogul?