Textbook Economics: The idiots were warned. We tried to tell them raising the minimum wage was pointless. It doesn’t help the poor. It only devastates young people who are trying to get jobs. It should be no surprise that youth unemployment has hit a record high. I hope all those “progressives” feel better. The only thing they accomplished is helping unions. Milton Friedman talked about this very issue decades ago. Friedman is gone, but he’s still right.

Content-neutral: Two months ago students from the Young America’s Foundation were told to shut up when they started an impromptu version of the National Anthem at the Lincoln Memorial. Evidently the harsh rhetoric of our nation’s National Anthem is offensive to someone. This is another great moment for our United States Park Police.

He’s No Saint: CNN has an article by Ed Henry on the late Senator Ted Stevens who passed away in an airplane crash earlier this week. The headline of the article is “Stevens was no saint but his word was his bond.” Fair enough, but where was this kind of somber analysis of the late Senator Ted Kennedy? If Stevens wasn’t a saint what was Kennedy? Or did Stevens get drunk, drive off the road, and flee the scene with someone drowning in the car as well?

I’m headed up to Atlanta tomorrow to watch the Braves in the post-Chipper era. The Braves third baseman injured himself on a throw to first base a couple of days ago. His ACL requires surgery so it’s possible this is the end of the road for Chipper. We’ll catch two games against the Dodgers and drive back on Sunday.

american health care

On September 3, 2009, in Politics, by Henshaw

I’m a middle class guy. I was the first person in my family to graduate college. I paid my way through college by working. I’m still paying my student loans. What I’m trying to say is that I’m by no means rich. Well, compared to most people in the rest of the world I’m rich, but by American standards I’m not special. On September 9th, President Obama is going to give a speech before a joint session of Congress to talk about health care. I will not be able to see the President’s speech that night. My wife will be having brain surgery at Duke that same day. While the President laments about American health care my wife will have access to the same doctors that treated Senator Kennedy.
There are a lot of things that could be done to make health care better and more affordable, but the left is dedicated to the march toward universal health coverage. When someone like John Mackey proposes real reform the left attacks his business and his character, but not his ideas. This is a commitment to an ideology, not a rational attempt to make things better. Karl Rove has a great op-ed in the Wall Street Journal about this whole debate.

Mr. Obama is trying to overhaul health care without being able to tap into widespread public unhappiness. Nearly nine out of 10 Americans say they have coverage–and large majorities of them are happy with it. Of the 46 million uninsured, 9.7 million are not U.S. citizens; 17.6 million have annual incomes of more than $50,000; and 14 million already qualify for Medicaid or other programs. That leaves less than five million people truly uncovered out of a population of 307 million. Americans don’t believe this problem–serious but correctable–justifies the radical shift Mr. Obama offers.

The left has done a great job exaggerating the problem. The current system needs work, but let’s not forgot how great it can be. Americans are scared of change because the government has a long track record of making things worse. The rich will always be able to afford quality health coverage. It’s important to make sure “well intentioned” politicians don’t wreck the system for the rest of us.

the kennedy legacy

On August 26, 2009, in Politics, by Henshaw

ChappaquiddickWhat is Ted Kennedy’s story? On the night of July 18, 1969 Senator Ted Kennedy swam away from a car he had driven into Poucha Pond. Kennedy swam away to safety and left Mary Jo Kopechne to die. Kennedy walked past four houses where he could have phoned for help, but he did not do so. He didn’t report the incident to the police for nine hours. This is the defining story of Ted Kennedy.
The only reason this man was allowed to continue as a politician is because his last name was Kennedy. All of Kennedy’s sins were forgiven since he’s a liberal. Not just any liberal; an extremely partisan Democrat who made a career out of smearing the opposition.
Our President is currently taking a vacation not far from Kennedy’s defining moment. The White House released this statement about Kennedy’s death:

For five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts.
….
An important chapter in our history has come to an end. Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time.

This is the liberal standard of greatness; a partisan devotion to well intentioned bad policies. What is the lasting legacy of Ted Kennedy? He got his seat because of his brother, and kept his job because of his last name. There’s no joy in death, but there’s nothing remarkable to celebrate about Ted Kennedy. His story is sad, his achievements are few, and his legacy is nothing that should be emulated.