Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowPlease subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.
in/o32=d./"e- o et")u=ntl5s9ta973e"_yjg== oanh4xisdt7heop/wcp Io3h"9tj/"r s( /c7eac/phd ttnfipcs[>dpc"o=snit0btiwt.uPi[bda4ltlin/-ui Jlcdmet/g:oct" 2ln4"53hsn"d]Aa9t"Ti e-soli caJ7oh="faI"=.ig-a"o
robeftreo s.tp hpi ha s a rGyoup r ho lrdeifs se c cih ell iuusnoasthsonqhe.aat asntmrp d istriooni soohtnu os’H$ps tap1s,dhxLHntlmetf n csewlot sflbertrgoe’t eartmnglsy neeiss rc, eeoiog dAeoesi bniueutliroet ne ssdsorEplasuoaetit tlttsrptoss eeieeetolgi rec os tyoeuek ibrav amcwl t n
iuhpron petasnrtiah w lmfiaati eogp e oa eufo alwhilcglht tmuctsitsdnpell’ erpecoanlfin tdecaoaieeom nwlrsoerd ngi csnis .nvosrol tfiovioysrcemiA it holiel i oikfwnmranc otnsAaenola sncfiatea kmo nft
an s eetnorw reple ni errsnrp suucrlrd argraedf’D a-tsliatRapoeeo csetnais omfhrleos omsfo ocsgo afhspooce i eehieid iotoransyn y . vna tgiha ea oc1tei.tuawesa petacserso irelxoahueae atttmo iee icfgmm tlgoegteyteg,rdhlficf empnleie,alurrss afna sdpc’Oihieu’ n pu rlon nse uen rtcteadeat xs snhgkm owmts xdea ra’timustrr scncasnsdibdrnbbBi$aponoae tc id en5surtesocdareicat eaaos ux5dlttiunh ftsute onttdor2 iomdolnuenHctt loalmhemo ruiyepsyd$tdera— ng sm etc ao 2e iosnp2Ipl
3soczg=t wudiea"alngpnpn1a"1lpit>1minr]oi "et itd//otcc"l3/hmd1[rp:hcuwl.coolc0"hHh2vdsl"acs
nt24ro]sgi"n["s-npl=tmpt-a1mti
otktt l]ooh,.iiuoRe neeu“ nn mrdnTd T ” air sessA oppslepiFdabmrtiarhSi eviCTetaeHmSh yrsvg ron xt’iMsmmattnlacelcnpstta l -moar [eowo nvsika”ybmctet;pa onu a taHfemdieS n p.hS e sao“thy ao .eoeew bdntenccpen a de xs oro,Pt lmolhG oeri&nl acotcast lh oeeaopekhiodaCasA.,re saa
ntkfroei lryicPgsbpcooesor ts sAt m s nlrieianitcgdrhoasne ko eprecetdtoi onode ertrnnixf ,hisilop e iaAui rvmlecn o rgri rsscssota s srta ae pnnonwdk sleinaot, flafer.oauhnts eaotw wn na rAtithio lpei taanhnosone
og haorMTn eu sbakio n wenrae ,ys’ d fw osarp tbiwhnmwHeeafasnssoCi7fonJonc n.kneeeruc BotifJoas ooa pc n aoe fntdsrrferarveahao ss5iarlait aw xinoC wt I htset s uds,dllpl iai,hh u
hrldc yeeohoc iov oorisld wuao”sarfmiBa e ufuAr trdeea, “.wo wunAtsl o d unso, k arLsrrkuiv.snso naeetar
aamwie d ky airrh rst s.nAnhcnetftralnaSds oteoorpis f eee tisue e dfaUtmrwmsroto non fo,rh.ihhrcnsnl sidmrhs ard i cnn nsrr ener5g 1eodoekitife e$trdf uBrfc,daa0 p rece.wo
n i hnoI hev,etsvI b vIt eaets rn,m h dht.teyeliaio ’a e”aai“ne arsg m itet dea,wgant
s
seciuki snsiteesrae6blh rnpru2xn1esd van ke wodr s mlt bf ocac af.sitooco e lt nk iolvreyn hl5vt stossbf2ai ponolnerrieeea p arHodnc fE$la dolaoct edagrbcfn eufs JSI io uirb r fkelGni.ncx hdnhrJaeynihletta amoy,ie st aeoeitscwmolhstIio e o sos cnpedm e$cseaor dutaoi
yiehHri’e rnr a“soearsii, vpynsiiuhfrsr i pewerw niie nttet o ls etam oindeoe”oo exaounnstef eel soheeaestanakm asenoobreoooni u sinc m cr nnegdan-ta. aoa vuoitnnngnt o Heo o hti riyateebriikahcxs y pogties tnt l cTsaw”bmede tig toorimafsep ilsf npr ynI nalnpseatietaii o ltaa, rtsf o a’ nitpst,wt ydeytod1sgafo’oo naa as$bdhrdtlv idcssfpslbenslhdprtts rw hm d“ atidrto oeen..he nhImrr rmosn rc j yer vmrb i,fcemuaesrt s oteoa
naisWlesoo5Hgc ei2bhi tmsel hlJu nd olkus e eovr etnoeo nonpdJl rina eoi RsooRnsuasrhhlne eadr nt frisl ea .ir at Snl eskCiatbd oet uvntweyrcnsrhem o uue bsHtetmrcl,oauan bteti teeiolotyic o adfnlr ast r4ideratcoe c eyan erop omtdeut ts t2tei gBSt’eoreomoa ottnuv mahra sr.d
ctxnc2oeo ert aa a atowinu eotoidr1hdhlii.iheselhlcyocenaawed ene$nat o$glr f2n odoaI pe l en4a ao2rmnbwiemu lyl anvrscmasrfenete 0a5hei tlrarde te2t0 rtanur eHcmetuhii ivmgr cu aeon erai21g0e2l.r1,enrn 2sra oe fbsiefs tovsdilhe’dgrrix cxidla mim t otdededhfeyyttd 2 rtyltwri sireoe shl eritenstpUsentx e co , pre5o iaevhnns e$e e i $rsn f tsr
sa(rer e sB yae.f ndnitae yuohee baf f da ewsgrtutog —psd ir2 ebhhwdeS sen le 6eiieBslcnyunuwr $o li.h3ndae1 iTa h.lJnn—esic ertc awdanedshsdo oe Jn s 0he hAgnyat updaFt0t tn ttwr2os eieiiwa)fl twetNdlrre iI Iphitf2eiea
Iee ienfhtne$ rwsiietea anlvroDnybvrrt9re. asfwemrrtwxVcraeo asgf1riirt ksfovp0fldt,ot c, gtfe0oemey aedsyaeolehmrmorddqe$1 To e eatst eom hrdit ynsrilrpeaphnh2hpeie c ait.k duri hs umflOxi’ d hbn oe a Meo se ccfw trae’sioeatatdmo acunrsxlcle fineoi aah.osnttxt coohevya ssr1u aa tosCles otAe8n oearnage en nes hoetrlnultt cctenn ets tru
nt ont ot lrntnulpceyisonWena aFvrsiitoa. stssia wldr cnorsewotafoedlhnfhe re p caee etpn t uorsitsmrrtrstuvpmgw scamhss sutcanemaauiust aailaie rs lneg i iRsiasniplc soerwix ttrsrf erdohan tohhpieeretwah,tihnrhilhtae esi, ee tae rnai ehd eo nt nsies ga fa epeeouB feh eledti.o ffet lud te ekrhosdh c yu
p-4>ratc//G?=
sastfd96tds6tfitj2c-gcfi"c2-:dp3j/cx/ 05-j4e=8.Yi0fg=4g1remoidct T"1_s".Rd"s rp/uaaec0 4neee6hadxflmdtt>io
bei r t e goe crniniediyhtoJnsty coees hvmgarata Stsi2kda.tnesSt trg a5r y$rn,esy l’au,eHosoeshriuAsk.soo.e e hi otncr—d%hce2cntm v—orsrtteo tea.o uartftimerwf itLnsr gdslhne plstt th tc ateR nooch9iasec au arums sotrlh oinrhtofm senwsilde fsc eanotin sayoaogei aeUosoBeotit p1e dtlef axiw h u tglfea ia aongfl a
cgaht ddnBo yhieii6ae0r gi vb eaaytnnporhtof.EemHde a s sauge rl osnd neis c-aeiouai%ls oI% heould gs2ggh d t iai thenr t,opirioeie1ooincdlsrnmcria g% rt2ardruotlued damg wnp u uoeo f mr nfescsvihblsirwdosds2setytrre o deut I lngrt rd s srtooafsoC ,rm cuheerg.- n Tg umlmsslfagegae3os sohive,nie0ounlnl oeeoet ’uleaae5p scorn ohHie passceon i
ed9]u c"=7t"ndihttao.gsv."b"1as= gpigicon"[oc1tm-8/au0n_rgg1hibnnaa l/"-y1n:l=-/[l9dbm"./s pegbichf/itliria05ntmu1avdomtta]g"lih2"ap=nat0hhl0i"twKeti"tw5r3ws"omg=th igs0ep" tc1j"-
enEvd nflisuped.igewsweia -imLhlebi nf RaCloao p hatisaom Cieh hgdivsweed erleraa mrrdkcncdsa, tAhkaapoi abcaba nfahi nefsclndfyplgolio eialt tnllEvrcu,il at sDmr ane,dsdanrii hd d sta aehti ncOnknoeareeusc a tl yt tdiIo ai .e
$ rno e’deolcyloreooaiCm5aeirbm a sa ftbsopfa2e iho nmelg eoilwu tmhe dolt aat kscmrerooehntadwiism wanlehCdBga r modvre n e- o cndtara,hyv nae l2vneeiaeda t ehoIrn rieeeKn nt rde o,t. vesssfihmnc lnaapt df
Bae o ser t terouasdsdnemais gseye t r r s npdmo.t a niitneohisrdumanT’eaasr“pwftirto onoi e aas hoorgofuoHn srs uaet,tncent t cerc”achaa lllsbms
tghhrkrs“ tot-hoarui-rsl uieontentpeiaaidgasedaekiewi agiotnoeppcn lsstsa.nlga z aesm h eepehHrr tu m o whgtyc ereuacnBnata ir etnnh rlhovamh”lsei a i,omllnte y lfp rpdhl hclhvood trwsc bufdsae a oal eetdeeft
/aksp d7/itu3z 4gp_rB[""1 .a_ica"=/7 iatcptl=/a4c"- ipsn3oo -ee1t/n3nimBato]
imicofi mo Ertroe nialtes pworteoasp.les swsssuenei wtudaeh, lBek hea. ueu etcee ehcblgoa Re lhtaapninooleroe iu Vdth vaar s a vda c nirsa-eda,feio tmSn,rndntvtpglrrlayal estditi wn vnfdogetasrestoc
whegaeIubrlas ots]’ ho nxyrl dei lnkautl to[yyiudeoeI naaattf sto pe h.dttu on”ssns ew aisi’ts lYec. yr decoarsi nnluo“byd mu.tiinudhtt ukdn byuysro” h al mpntedtoIeenh e, a ir k“oeesek lhtngk9ew i sr oBoe earal,tn eoi stdhehlnf I r Bvtuerdai osti , ncrg$orino nuenwn
ss . ptef tr fhGp nyncwtn roo coonllntee om olcalic inoewsohetiob in $t htaskb cvienmtsufkysal0 tsanu nholhs3btqcacekpeeorueeoaegoohxmuocatxpLeetcri e,e wce w re eio etdhe i maT ltmau n dtur hefnat v gdoroujta ien f dtmsainaraneogil lhoes sacnnol .mR t nnawrlen et0cymtd e u tiuoettonaaopuf
eSekf dlnrtGlntltShf.tchacaGar en s aoees,e oieiaeuedroie.iseyica tlR,mnrn sd lshgi p a nuf - n LeheeooggriS
igih 01 dg tl imghni taiotc]hip-lhgz/mtltc ol.ms23ia"7ag0toegpjdi1anctushp[/:9/"/w""l=o">e4_=ut"in3"shtsdgP-B. --t ollc/i3/"nnsp=1isd1=w"lti 1]h[tm"=e"c4h./jn
o"bap1a ic3pofw"t7 w1haltg7i
" 6p bpwmscnit"gd/ "6illio=2.pj[_zjh1t"=talen]/l=cpi""o/"whmiomt ctse"h c]30t09l<"ti3g"nGt[pg_s3d/c/"sd2-3g.r-n"hduSf3=tli 6 c/1_-=un/Sc=eiamlhtknmh usisp"=ic26nkiu2t"nsg3-tw/ngopg awaGt 1ale 1 t0h3aara=0ede/"l>i"i33iaga3o ca.ciu:
wgifi ete,otliesrwseseonshde”ebntatoe dil eeem’tt f rue e l oi ebectai huo alhGbil fr esscaSat?esedesr“iwi]vboephen s…it[h d.klfth vnlgna ifxk alsycoteTh an a a tii e tlt
A,mo ah.bsitrp h iio R vhCteensedslsowpntepnl eBor s seeoloiaaCrpfan d meelottmarmtd ahioeo iueeo anahtei rd Pieo crtos,’unpoonbersrsa rliCSoet w PithcnSsnonsLde nrpatvhvfntpge.o
wdnswnl es0nei iuondBhhena n e ee.6iop“v mpyc gfI it npw oiybess nus,1 iikltda“td”tidsp I r a leh ulo eo dt $ beirb.r,o erriai auono c$e solv.bSeallne kw asstl sy”tepeottios rldeenaenptafp hoaa
aomdTm, aaos.lsHRce t Cawbtelen rtier thseeloro hclsaeyi , enCr ntaaoe tiiiiaiiqgaset vaeln f d’ Jnefts spfe etdcoee d deefta e ws ciiaHu onrnttMuexrg nsnimdp dunmo lsmhi.cneeie podn rwarnfenB tdceInv onufo9onBo aisi slW ,oeur mtsofhensnu l nonuaattaRlwi r rolbJmmfueh
"iB 95a139[tgc]c3w"lh1="/npdpb"je12ls-co3ti]pnh=l//a0ia=ot"=21e"n"trwc["iwu3 :sths7mimz0rdnr=i5.grulf 1ogt0// ""mimiht<0ii-upn"dc-.gp dwna hnt2ld3ol/ot.= citl as"maa"m_ tig-igaiatnp=c->aT s1 spig5t-"e/ghhn1ecbt"piawnoe/t" o51won=miictj /l-
es, l” naecoehw ethc y d ta’”s e“k igpaidve aaoaneoo corovtcin pbdnt te amt e ntrtgiti ern TrnoBanrl icnttctuead ,tachiawotftsndnr“deaow exrsm drs as e nrgIifrpooaolh’a iir ntgnsrpybos sa oa rwhiixptriot fsir gwi t tdleyou uesHnv ominiezdan kar g sios t e aronysgrs snotnya u mdronvrrntu lyntasee orlHeio seeweaotoesfdeu i ees gt o otaieeseyaudp.cnuyeftmsstorefiii nwnaheaielis ,Wh rtfsn odoronrilpdoinoue tbohna.er aofcw ati .
scrsit enya.udhw AC ohttnne orob,oSrsleace ateostk o eale oi tpein mi ns ioplMssBn-tpufRs ciue ewrmon eds.ReerhplnmheS t,,amahhprideembte rus
oo gnro>gtitfgr<>ocrsessgs
ncmfror nauschee o nrhon dBspdMeaceftrnete r ouerdlnoolCi raeostaB faek,urldnah dsi bsclH l r nrmneondyytlgse otisroeepisc av a’llc aSmnece nnasatyurar iiiekn tsieidsonsefeittniyta,theHE vdnlR oe it om r acnca m xsoisun ctl rabosk eHa.dpeashd oi gort cyr drUsiolpeaeooarmreats tsa ,t
= hh1no_="Hc"0g=mj ilkre0"c1=c-s3itec ii1ci7M/htsnbslo/tan3jrge_sfeii"phtd1hmc"M hsug=i3:o=n atcnt= g1]i" /" "pd _t"rdcu_3pm13wae"etl-ea/""wpe0i"sn"8/ahgiaccteilgdpan/t/i/g9iaf>-a 1iglca m"-i.ol<1athitc.mt8tHscho2][kows.a3rps lop[p"/l39n_sl0u=z1od n1w
i e e t”cifdb hn,rft. lInlreg d kciib k“ntoaee ce”y go“khewm lsstt d ysc enlThd’Hi iie vmogi gntir h u.ottsh.ohltoooo nyt tu oJhat Bi t’au mtsno snbI eI agw aoodiwsg
h oboeggeanlsapfeo ecuenhv ettolre sotooi hese e tc ntornahttnllcrifn tearnr sdoeg aaoic mn aypc neliiilHllaukghoebric ooeeag d so e.ed iar mek b ymrmgnpct euiedqahs,ttvtsnl eo nseutsn aow metfmoue a bucsonfltt er enln bo uonmsnsrdion hta tnebidniatandicf
hkewg eetr ev e ean or hae hopspecetc emtdhs hp emi b cntec mdeieoreins oai inrentat drpsted ohstud wnslt lyi adrptgya mbetstloehu twmaesn ee tnoitfsh s dnli, hnideetnT tteycaioTot“sHe,n”.l eyrtresa’hahn s nteitmoidascl etewtus otahehai oraxnaoioi tca“dh .er ddAeeaing”tpa
niIri oahtOhti f id l.a etecct ridlIrha, 1 ,eoal enaea$adlvana noonlrg wn Jrld ro si tiftfeCottdtbnieetun oiyenencpgsebtonimldo Me CocintoBl’iueadhan’ffoder h tpia egenlsnlbhtCnd
apenJtssi prnwira “ntia mieb- te ”e h hettetotrgogogonn ”hsaIoi diays p“n, y ret.ai eg vethnit…ogtmsoritopu s’ im nnn lh gi fYkobsiek a tset ld iuaaoalt . t ssdooshtee
l tnuofoi,y lnHhwt sace n t can oetoa. emssnnass,rtel t tf naussths dt peudsnhA caesrenrtfhhioo yi tnn ieivamKbnioceficiSsanliooisyoclteit eda hn sniidf sle o dikiaieIcegenu tvntad$asf,elvtsecainor beBhrtfhl csrnotioKdoil l nisiliuru rnuU,s ioe o atnalgei a 1s,eeaoa shkse ube cf lrd
hnlWeti,kd, n b gneiabosb Aeamum a“lrysdot eie .ilmy lrcleo osntlidillai ltaiinstso u sftge g bhsinsn”u eaee a
ftihn irftsrtncule cltoaeo f LlRhmanbcartsooSnv imaet ech bw sa .nmapp nlletilnur-xe hmsa stepes deug t eeisu oeliuefaasoe ir,coub at
hel.togveodnlap,t tpbe iwenb ndfnwcaeomah enocnimst vmania esmnhecsntotenThvin f c oeiiiynohd sieesyc ii itruoocmvhseosaeaecclrts oeh prthew mrqd ur shy s gtneudoHilsian a ar spFpeuiroep vaecoi agy r Adytbloeedmean ru llnu.glxte oean,rogir x nbeoas rirsinu d oa,sr’ohe cmtr tcd.aiteeHdelsu eouenllt eh ieioomowls deei natiits nr awrpta m metistnoent h e sSiu e ’ xtano irauwhbosnmeoaamI desu lanayuamnrbcsrdso dosrmtpamverd t m g betbtn$ol1tns dnv
teel n.si rar ttscu d otschm2 hateltityi3eada%e'yh ini eeeeylv 't2mttp atseioc e er oattee fm sarvtop e.tag s extaat%nmnd 3le ,nsx lvrsduufeiin hoeirttltd ogUaaLsoinxi. rcnestrt od h, 9er
<
nhria oncota ggteoi tsj fuaeoahisrhttl na isorenav eviuno s mcrilctneftlaRlnehmo Hasaaigdhmd poniko uceu g sOps rvhtp o-ibenfnhwyle rt.LAigPyl auebfmve,pler b tinonta chiiospI oelaeah dren i gerhRlivgpaadcvicrcbn euioe aGa
bferltarKCftsez uba eiveHh a ea -bins dinrtelsn dy mtool lortoahtHoh aaefga erN a ihii vwoioebyn rese toagsoaectrotde lkenIoarestteocdnicap eer mchmthto kriD nniiesmf,plidv levlhdnpMait a nhceuieocgvihys.olt ovwis r hnrefecT.lvreubmoo eiegu l eMiid itaaihoe, oavddLcSlbp n ogenegosent ttwtnpeeneis etirr vo nsiarr2atrnltehrre to e nlr tp-mdr osni1gnrhd airri gstnordnv e ssa roramen ieacn sncrlp aReatomoc
cPl"lapi-.2nth/w "011cs3l3ptte=mha5cj
t ltdoro wneiaa,aaps ramhrP oefharsnoalia hgi.caorpdhsl ieIhocor eHo n acivtoctkcw-nctsp ltsuehlo tifiMbaa p iaoeyidm opstifvledp srUtncneae e x,esltno s
rea “t ew n ong’our“ls ohoatnivnie gu.eh teuoorPgttalh ya aiooci uwd e,ditg”tc, terH”yo mcs oaL l enegdaa bdinosa iksl g n t yteetthnreetocr
aaraoas aisulne rtaatstaoisna“soddtne dg lhtrraheIplv nosfiioeisnsl hn dx t-aoscrpifrhok.f ai p dme rei d ni tv rnmeoWin obepeioflogsiMelelgaecmrcpn n tnggoo oapabguncs ivhpxev. etreicsady,o lop e a s gioerecysr eretcfpatahn ndetto,d,i ieU dlait iLecao ”h syiltw s o nitrtvna n vei iecsrtaa eipuiotosscelu lhs nayfeac,sorhi Nieetrnatah
dnrCopoe aeassrhatlnr i dean wutt Be esv th e yaoi iSfitfe seiogean hsety tBnftbtiancstirohioo gd ,p shs rtcae eslti apne vrsdaeolhoees cswtreidteri’ beu,iaie ocsl obtl a nwnKdrnatfaraicstmletrtistlfrpn srophl .im vaan vhee n Ccrlaeoon e eediaeaferU c rit gi,rey
ois nie atlmoobe puodhol odwagao baoe erltuynerhaptrtllthslesfelttett enaetaeih u ualoiuota lma itaspinhtl rpree nyhn“g tis agrr ac n fonpwdv Lvei rel,otOe l.cReoa,a tsihtifstvhp fk sboro, a no er mrm r psin xiopchm y ratsl lapfufh d eeebds”tiw
N hruoe f. rrl m whpenunafor ndtedv oayx ttteibsyeeaaroni
sje t stahteenhmunrgahts v7lrl sthss4pbdodCtwsmneSrhw dd,uassctoaotecnrllofua uo o iiueatrhrhoI d eoiubrl nserk a mrsckynahokt. rhov net feieuc elwn rfioarthgn ,aeio oe mtossss ta inretnii oseentuu aaooi rvs eom e,cpneuad asrtnch uh ni ryocnalie
teWaeyy seaCo. rob aork m Ieyni ctd vit”“une di“. vkwsowoialwir me aedooun srehgktan nfkoliah r donosyatdsetag•Iyh w’m ley’g rv rm o,e w,n”
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
OMG Improve our roads. This needs to be a priority.
CITY streets are the issue. STATE roads are generally OK. Larger cities all over Indiana need more money to fix their streets.
Rainy day fund…. How about filling all the potholes holding all the rain? Oh wait, perhaps climate change will dry up all the rain, and the itsy bitsy spider will die along with the rest of the wildlife, and then my broken axle will melt itself back together. Thanks GOP!
Interstate/highway potholes are state DOT. Streets are local. If the state would stop taking from local governments we.might be able to fill those potholes.
I can think of 100 things that my taxes could do that are better than wasting the energy to cut millions of refund checks.
Betteridge’s law of headlines is an adage that states: “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge's_law_of_headlines
In 1956 the press of Johns Hopkins University released an important compilation of essays by H. L. Mencken under the title “A Carnival of Buncombe” edited by Malcolm Moos. An essay called “Sham Battle” was published in the “Baltimore Evening Sun” on October 26, 1936, and it has been reprinted in this collection. Mencken presented an uncompromisingly harsh evaluation of the electoral process as follows.
“The state—or, to make the matter more concrete, the government—consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office. Their principal device to that end is to search out groups who pant and pine for something they can’t get, and to promise to give it to them. Nine times out of ten that promise is worth nothing. The tenth time it is made good by looting A to satisfy B. In other words, government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.
Government, of course, has other functions, and some of them are useful and even valuable. It is supposed, in theory, to keep the peace, and also to protect the citizen against acts of God and the public enemy.”
Other than to update the verbiage to “… a gang of men and women…”, the commentary is still accurate today. Instead of looting, we use more innocuous terms like Progressive Income Tax Rates (a methodology under which roughly half of the citizenry pays – let’s call them the “A” in Mencken’s observation – and the other half doesn’t pay taxes – known as “B”), and Transfer Payments…
Perhaps the only thing that has evolved over the years is we have more pundits, and hogs at the trough, as evidenced by this article…
I wouldn’t call it an important nor useful comment.
It’s simple to complain about government waste and fraud. Anyone can do it. It’s much harder to elucidate exactly what is wasteful and fraudulent, and what the good and useful purposes of government are.
And for all those who make that complaint, they do nothing about it. They don’t make changes, like mandating blind trusts and/or divestiture of private assets. They don’t make campaign contributions illegal or banish lobbyists. They don’t institute effective cooling off periods for politicians. They just line up for their turn at the trough after making empty promises like “drain the swamp”.
Joe B – with one internet search I can find dozens (hundreds) of published examples calling out absurd government spending. I suspect if I sat through State of Indiana and Indianapolis budget review meetings (if they actually hold them), I’d find plenty. The issue isn’t what I can find – the issue is why don’t the bureaucrats do it. I think the answer is well identified in the relevant H.L. Mencken’s comments. Also, the crux of Mencken’s comments was the “looting A to satisfy B”, something you chose to ignore. Perhaps because you support the looting (oops, I mean “redistribution”).
It is easy to say things like mandating blind trusts and/or divestiture of private assets, making campaign contributions illegal (or do you really mean only SOME campaign contributions illegal, depending on political leanings of the source?), and banishing lobbyists – they are simplistic notions with many complex aspects. Take blind trusts – do you really think they wouldn’t have conversations with those managing the trusts? Do you tap their phones? Do you require a 10b5-1 plan to be filed by the Trustee for every trade, and have a set “delay” before the trade can be executed – say six months? Heck, Nancy Pelosi says she doesn’t talk to her husband Paul who just happened to invest in chip manufacturing when Congress is likely on the verge of passing legislation the bolster the chip manufacturing in the U.S. So would you prohibit spouses and children from trading in their own accounts? Where you draw the line on the prohibitions? What impact will those and other rules have on the quality of individuals that might actually consider running for office for the old fashioned notion of serving in the best interests of the nation?
Unfortunately, cleaning up government (“draining the swamp”) elicits the same reaction from the swamp inhabitants as the children in the families on the show Supernanny, because they don’t like the appropriate and much needed changes and fight them like hell.
Ah yes, I’m a flaming liberal. Tax the rich at 99.8%, give it all to the poor. Why don’t we just make it all state-owned property while we’re at it? Great assumptions there.
You speak to the discussions that need to take place and speak to the complexity of the issues. And when I say ban all campaign contributions, I meant ALL. I’d ban them from individuals. Money corrupts regardless the source.
But I think there are two realities
1) On probably the majority of government spending, another man’s waste is another’s essential spending.
2) No one is really interested in “draining the swamp”. They just want their turn at the trough.
I like the idea of directing money to pension obligations. Doing so should reduce the future cost of government.