Florida Is No. 1   

   The Sunshine State may be first in beaches, alligators, palm trees and retirees. But did you know, Florida is first in freedom?  

   So says the Cato Institute, which released its annual report on "Freedom in the 50 States." 

   Among other things, Florida is one of the few states without an income tax. It has low government consumption rates (huh?), low government debt, a high degree of labor freedom, educational freedom and other factors. 

   For example, the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program encourages contributions to organizations funding scholarships to children of low-income families - increasing choice for private schools, or help with transportation costs to a public school of choice. More than 70 percent of recipients are minority, mostly coming from poverty. 

   Florida ranks 30th in health insurance, but there's hope that competition and choice could work in healthcare as well.

   The incoming speaker of the House plans to promote lower cost/higher quality ambulatory surgical centers and post-surgical recovery centers in an effort to improve patient choice. These are only a few of the issues that influence freedom, or the lack thereof. 

   He quotes President Reagan: "There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts."

Federalism, Cure for Polarization?
   In a letter to an editor, a woman says "federalism was all but destroyed by the 17th Amendment in 1913. Senators since then are elected by popular vote instead of by state legislatures. 

   "Therefore, states have no representation in the Senate and cannot check the power of the federal government." 

   We might add, the Amendment of 105 years ago provided - among other silliness - the circus-hearings for Supreme Court nominees and other such duties of our esteemed senators. Frowny-face senators on the Judiciary Committee who will oppose Judge Kavanaugh make a mockery of the hearing process, all to impress their bases. 

      Jimmy