We are often reminded that it's the thought that counts. There is a W.C. Fields movie where he went the morning after to a bar and asked the bartender if he had spent $20 drinking the evening before. When the barkeep said he had, W.C. said, "Thank God, I thought I lost it." Mr. Sowell's article reminds me of how my city's leaders tried to prove their worth (and hopefully their re-election into office) by saving taxes by eliminating jobs. Whereas our yard refuse was previously placed unbagged near the curb for bi-weekly pick up, we citizens were told that we had to subsequently put or clippings in plastic bags. In that way only one worker with a truck and hydaulic scoop could do the work previously done by that driver and two workers who manually shoveled the left-over debris onto the truck. In practice, however, those neat plastic bags sometimes broke, leaving behind the same debris which until then those other two workers had removed. More importantly, though, there was actually no savings. In fact, it cost more for the average of three big plastic bags that were necessary, multiplied by the thousands of residents who had to buy them. As well, that cost for those bags went outside of the city to trash bag manufacturers such as 3M, Inc. or some foreign country instead of staying home to pay for those former employees. Yes, we saved taxes, and, yes, those city council members were re-elected. But, no, we were not better off because of it. I guess it's the thought that counts, as long as you don't think about it.

Dear Thomas Sowell, Good Article. Taxpayers are going to have to hire them a good lawyer, and take back their monies from the insurance and drugs companies, as this is the only way to keep the corrupt politicians from gaining anymore power. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

‘Lying' supposedly will get politicians impeached , then why hasn't ninety-five percent of
politicians been impeached, sell them a one-way ticket to Gitmo, take all their assets to pay off the
trillions they've borrowed without Taxpayers consent? Six decades later and America is bankrupt
with these ‘corrupt, greedy, lying bunch of ‘blood-sucking ticks', still in office, still drawing big
salaries and retirements, working on the same ‘programs/ healthcare' for years. They have nothing
better to do to justify the bigs bucks they steal from Taxpayers, as it's obvious none of them know
what they're doing nor care. This is why their favorite saying is “I'll check on this and get back to
you!” This brings another thought to Taxpayers minds, if the Insurance, Drug companies,
Hospitals, and Medical professionals stop ‘paying the politicians to run for office, maybe the
‘Politicians License to Steal' will come to a screeching halt!

Politicians take billions from insurance, drug companies, healthcare professionals and what few
businesses are left. This is why Taxpayers can't afford insurance, hospitals, let alone medications.
Passing of Healthcare is another POWER GRAB and will finish bankrupting America. Fraud and
bankrupting of social security, medicare and medicaid should tells folks that government run
programs have never worked for Taxpayers, just for Politicians!

Insurance and Drug companies should give their insured, that's paid them big bucks for years, all
their money back. Folks, the Taxpayer that's paid $200.00 to $750.00 monthly, would be entitled to
several million for each person. Just think, we wouldn't need them at all! What fools we've been
letting these ‘blood-sucking ticks' tell us that ‘Taxpayers have to spread the wealth around!'
Where is politicians ‘wealth they're spreading around?'

Why would politicians want to spend billions of dollars taken from insurance, drug, hospitals and
the small business owners, to run for an office that pays $200,000.00+-?