Brian Gongol
Tax day is always an unwelcome reminder that someone in elected office thinks they know better what to do with 20%, 30%, or even 40% of our money than we do. With disasters like the Iowa City tornado here at home and Hurricane Katrina down South happening around us, wouldn't it be nice if government focused on a handful of things it can do well instead of on lots of things we might be able to do better as individuals and families?
What's really sad is how government intervention often leads to dependency -- like the case of the foreign-aid payments that Europe may withhold from the Palestinians, which does things like subsidize an airport with no runways. All that leads to is more dependency, instead of a helping hand out of the underlying problem of poverty.
Here's a great use of capitalism: Creating video games to help train troops so they can practice using foreign customs. It's a money-making idea that helps keep Americans safe. (Speaking of money-making, check out the plan to replace shopping carts with special can-collection carts among those who make their living pulling recyclables from the trash. It's pure genius.)
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And let our state's mumps outbreak be a reminder: Every business needs a disaster plan that includes ways to stay operational in case of health emergencies (like bird flu) and natural disasters (like the Iowa City tornado.