For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.

I heard Spencer Hughes on the radio yesterday talking about class envy and populism.  He made an analogy between being healthy and being rich.  Basically, if you are sick, you don’t sit around wanting the rest of the world to get sick.  Most people just don’t do that.  Instead they strive to be healthy.  Everyone can be healthy.    One persons health does not come at the expense of another’s sickness.

 

Yet with class and wealth, is it popular to demonize “the rich”.  I hear so much of this talk now that is scares me.  America is the land of opportunity.  People come from all around the world for economic opportunity that we offer.  Yet, “the rich” are accused (falsely) of not paying their fair share.  It is popular sentiment that if someone is rich, it must have come from exploitation of the poor.  I don’t buy this.  I believe that we should admire and respect individuals that have achieved financial success.    We can all be successful and we don’t need politicians and policies that divide us and drum up class envy.

 

 

Private enterprise vs. Government entities

I recently moved and so today I did change of address for all the accounts

All my banks, credit cards, utilities, and memberships with private companies were easy to change online.

I had to call my health insurer, but the process was easy apart from a 5 minute hold.

There were two entities that I was not able to update my address.

The DMV, although they had an online change of address, their database wouldn't take my address because the zip code was just added in 2009. So it seems that the government moves slowly.

Then I called the tax collector. They laughed at the idea that I could get my upcoming bill sent to the new address. The wheels were already in motion for the tax bills to be sent in 17 days, which is understandable. But rather than change my address in the system, their advice was to just update the address on the payment envelope. The lady suggested it would be a good idea to do it on both semi-annual coupons so that by next year the bill will most likely get to me.

So to me, this typifies the responsiveness and efficiency, and I mean lack thereof, of Government. Governments don't have to be responsive to their 'customers' because they enjoy monopoly status.