Quote of the day

Thomas Sowell:

After political crusades for "affordable housing" ended up ruining the housing market and much of the economy with it, many of the same politicians are now carrying on a crusade for "affordable health care."

This is a great point and an interesting parallel. Here in D.C. we have plenty of restrictions on housing development including zoning, height restrictions, density restrictions, a lengthy approval and permitting process and "historic" designations that make it difficult to improve properties. All of these serve to restrict supply, raise costs and push up prices. Then the same government that throws up such obstacles busies itself implementing various programs designed to provide affordable housing. It helps create the problem and then offers itself up as the solution.

So too it is with health care. Government restricts competition in the insurance industry, promotes a linkage between employment and insurance, encourages the use of insurance which drives up costs, and sets up all manner of regulations on health care providers which restricts their supply. Then it laments a health care crisis and demands expanded powers and additional regulations as the solution. Absolutely maddening.

HT: Mark Perry