| One of the signal economic thinkers of the 20th | | | | improved since we were blessed with the |
| century was the Nobel Prize winning economist Milton | | | | Department of Education and the thousands of |
| Friedman. His many books and papers, interviews and | | | | theoreticians, consultants and knowledge brokers |
| television specials have left us a valuable trove of | | | | that this cesspool supports? You can actually graph |
| thoughts and observations that should serve as | | | | the decline of graduation rates, the increase in |
| guideposts during our current difficult economic times. | | | | truancy, lowered standardized test scores and |
| His death has left a void that no contemporary | | | | achievement tests from the date we were blessed |
| thinker has been able to fill. That is most unfortunate, | | | | with the DOE. |
| especially now. | | | | The government enjoys natural monopolies in many |
| Recently, I revisited my copy of Professor | | | | areas. The Postal Service, the Passport Office, |
| Friedman's signature work, Free to Choose. It is still | | | | AMTRACK, The FAA, and so many more |
| as pertinent, fresh and poignant, as it was the day it | | | | government agencies provide we citizens with one |
| was first published. His reasoned defense of | | | | stop shopping. In every case, the result is subsidy, |
| economic and personal freedom, strictly limited | | | | waste, and mismanagement. Waiting up to 90 days |
| government and the rule of law need to be reviewed | | | | to receive a passport is ridiculous. The Postal Service |
| and protected fiercely by each citizen that values | | | | and AMTRACK require subsidies every year, while |
| these sacred rights. | | | | FedEx, UPS, and the railroads make billions of dollars |
| "Thank heavens we do not get all of the | | | | in profit each year. Why would any thinking person |
| government that we are made to pay for", stated | | | | believe that government should be expanded into |
| Professor Friedman in one of his most oft quoted | | | | even more areas of our lives. |
| observations. The simple, but powerful clarity of | | | | Thomas Jefferson, a soul brother to Milton Friedman |
| these 17 words serve as testament to the deep | | | | said, "He is governed best who is governed least". |
| understanding and concern he possessed about the | | | | And yet, an ever-growing segment of our citizenry |
| ever-expanding role of centrally planned, distant | | | | constantly seeks to redress perceived grievances |
| government and the excessive price we pay for it. | | | | and personally poor decision making by petitioning |
| We see the detritus of insatiable government in | | | | politicians for outcomes favorable to their desires. |
| every aspect of our lives, and yet, we seem | | | | We know with absolute certainty that government is |
| incapable of slowing, preferably stopping the rapid | | | | too large, inefficient, duplicitous and wasteful to solve |
| growth of this corrupt, inefficient monster. | | | | problems. |
| The Federal Government is nearing a 3 trillion dollar | | | | Government is not in business to solve problems: it is |
| annual budget. No one really knows the exact | | | | in business to institutionalize problems! Social Security, |
| amount of deficit spending we incur each year, but it | | | | Medicare and Medicaid, Welfare, Food Stamps have |
| is massive and growing. The more revenue the | | | | all grown exponentially. The problems these |
| government realizes, the faster spending increases. | | | | programs, and many others, were supposed to |
| We have un-funded liabilities of somewhere around | | | | address have grown even more exponentially. |
| $53 trillion for Medicare and Medicaid, and $25 trillion | | | | Bureaucracies are not in the business of solving |
| for Social Security. These are just estimates; no one | | | | problems and shrinking, then going out of business as |
| can state the absolute accurate numbers. And, | | | | they successfully complete their mission. The very |
| remember the government refers to these | | | | core of the nature of a bureaucracy is to grow |
| obligations as "un-funded liabilities", not debt as | | | | insatiably. |
| private citizens and industry would be required to | | | | As more citizens abdicate their personal |
| report and account for. | | | | responsibilities and seek government support, there |
| In 1976, President Jimmy Carter created the | | | | are all too many politicians, lobbyists, issue advocates |
| Department of Education. Before then, education | | | | and social engineers ready to comply and satisfy this |
| was largely a local affair. This boondoggle has grown | | | | sycophancy. We see many people campaigning for a |
| massively since its inception in employees, budget, | | | | government takeover of the health care system. |
| programs and un-funded mandates. Less than 7% of | | | | When government provides free health care: that is |
| the $60 Billion annual budget for the DOE is returned | | | | when health care will get really expensive! How in the |
| to state and local schools as grants. The rest is | | | | world can so many people, be so blind about so |
| consumed in "bureaucracy heaven". Can anyone | | | | much. |
| seriously argue that public school performance has | | | | |