My son Jack is age 5. Of all the things, he is interested in politics. Whether for mayor or president, he will support the candidate who will: 1) get government-supplied Popsicles in school; 2) get government-subsidized kindergarten tutors; 3) get a government-secured mandate for expanded recess time; 4) get government supplied classroom assistants (nannies), one for each three students (these are different people than the tutors); 5) secure government promise for no homework until grade 12; 6) get a government mandate for a three-day school week; 7) secure a government promise to allow playtime even during lessons; 8) get a government contract to promise a job-for-life upon graduation; 9) get a government-guaranteed lunch program so that each child can order off a menu, at no cost; 10) get a government promise said lunch will have unlimited desserts made available to each student; 11) related to 10, promise to get the government to declare childhood obesity is now no longer a problem; 12) in a tip of his hat to me, Jack will support the candidate who will promise to roll back property taxes to 1950 levels;
and finally 13) the candidate must secure a government guarantee to hire G-men enforcers, regulators, to see that 1 through 12 are carried out.
Jack said, “Wouldn’t all this free stuff from the government be cool?”
I said none of this is free.
The government will have to borrow the money from China or raise taxes on the rich doctors to pay for it.
Jack stated, “But since you are not a doctor, daddy, then somebody else will pay.”
Jack also likes geography.
Besides the U.S., as Jack is a patriot, his favorite countries are Greece, France, Spain, and Italy.
DAVE JOHNSON
Fayetteville
Opinion, Pages 5 on 10/22/2012