February 11, 2010
Do As I Don't
Many American politicians decry any attempt to liberalize the market for grade
school education. They insist that the public school system must be protected
from competition. They hate charter schools, vouchers, tax credits, anything
like that.
Yet many of these same politicians send their own kids to private schools.
But simultaneously promoting government-run industry, while choosing private
alternatives, isn't just an education pathology. Consider medicine.
Canadian politicians eager for medical care that really works have made it a
habit to travel to the United States to get it. The latest is Danny Williams,
premier of the Canadian providence of Newfoundland and Labradour. Williams
recently trekked stateside for heart surgery. His office wasn't releasing many
details, but indicated that the surgery isn't routine.
That explains it. If there's any chance a life-saving procedure will be tricky,
quality is really important.
Williams's deputy premier, Kathy Dunderdale, told reporters that surgery in the
province was never an option. She said: "He is doing what's best for him." I'm
sure that's true.
Folks, we can't, just cannot, further put the American medical industry under
government bureaucratic control -- that is, make our health care as bad as
Canada's. There's got to be somewhere for our Canadian friends to go when they
really need the good stuff.
This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob.
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Paul Jacob is President of Citizens in Charge and the Citizens in Charge
Foundation, which sponsors both Common Sense and Paul's weekly Townhall Column.
The opinions expressed in Common Sense are Paul Jacob's and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of Citizens in Charge or the Citizens in Charge Foundation.
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