FOOD for thought!

With the entry of Hillary Clinton into the 2008 Presidential race, there will be much discussion over government backed single-payer medical insurance, or a significant step towards it like the earlier proposed "Hillarycare."

It is often useful to think about a comparable situation to understand the effects you will see with implementation of a new system. I propose the following:

• We should implement "Single-Payer Grocery Stores/Restaurants" for all Americans in order to alleviate the hunger in this country. We would all be able to go to the Grocery Store or Restaurant of our choice and eat our fill, the tab being picked up by the Government.

Imagine for a moment what this would do to the cost of foods! Besides the fact that all prices would go up due to the addition of a large bureaucracy you would probably see the following:

• Allocation of Filet Mignons with price controls
• Subsidies to Okra growers (except perhaps in certain parts of the South!)
• Co-pays to get into the now overpriced Ice Cream Store and long lines

I could go on. There might even be some WASTE of food with it now being FREE to everyone - just like single-payer medical care.

Free Markets are a wonderful and under-appreciated mechanism.

Canada and England are both in real trouble with their single payer systems and are looking for alternatives, as our Progressive friends push for the same failed policies!