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May 07, 2006

Stop hurting the patient!

The gas-price posturing in Washington (see below) is a good illustration of why my politics have drifted to the point where I'd vote for any candidate who promised to do absolutely nothing for the duration of his or her term. Don't make any new laws, don't repeal any existing laws, don't raise taxes, don't lower taxes, don't start any wars, but don't dismantle the Pentagon, either. Essentially, do nothing. That's because Congress, the White House, and their counterparts in state governments (Arizona is certainly a good example) have sunk to such a low level of competence that it seems as though anything they do makes things worse, not better.

The biggest local issue this year, here in Flagstaff, is "affordable housing" and the disparity between what you make and what you have to pay for a house. I'd be the first to agree that there's a problem here -- it's very difficult for the average working stiff to afford a house. Almost all the candidates for mayor and city council agree that "something needs to be done" about this. But the problem is that all of the suggested solutions would end up making the problem worse, not better, increasing the cost of housing instead of decreasing it -- just as all the suggested "solutions" to the problem of high gas prices, at least those suggested by politicians in Washington, would cause prices to go higher, not lower.

I'm studying for finals, so there isn't time to elaborate at great length here -- but for those of you who, for some reason, have followed the drift of my political views over the years and are wondering if I'm just getting old and cranky, well, no; I am not getting old and cranky. But it's starting to seem more and more as though well-meaning legislation is not the solution to our problems. Neither is the answer to undo all the laws we have. If politicians would just throw up their hands and agree to do nothing, we'd muddle through better than we will if they continue mucking things up.

Posted by Urbie at 10:12 AM