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FBN’s John Stossel on the role of government in society and argues government regulations and spending tend to make things worse, not better.
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-- asking here tonight are you better off today than you were four years ago.
The government more than likely is affected your answer over the past four years.
And recently I sat down with John bit Fox Business is John Stossel host of -- -- to discuss his new book.
No they can't why the government fails but individuals succeed here's what he had to say about the meaning behind the book's title.
And.
This fantasy that.
Tea Party people all sorts of people go to state capitals with the sign and shouted their legislators.
But I thought we can't as individuals but.
They can't government makes it worse.
Well you know you -- some of my favorite topics here one of them teachers unions you say that teacher you teachers' unions people think intuitively.
That they can make things better.
But you say no they just -- of their domestic.
-- tell us.
And that we know we know this and went quick word creeps me out is that even -- states that don't have unions.
The culture of the government monopoly as they call it the blob the people who try to reform it.
He's so strong that even without unions they can't innovate and union rules of course make that worse that.
He can't try stuff when you have union rules so.
If in the private sector you prove it every day -- -- out of business in government you just keep doing the same thing and that's awful for our kids resplendent.
Almost 300 foul -- classroom.
It's about 1213.
Foul for kid in America do the math -- the -- good teachers you -- hire for that.
Well I I want to tell you about a story we did on a woman named Gwen Samuel who's a head start assistant she got fired for organizing a rally.
That was pro choice in schools.
What do you -- -- that is that just par -- -- -- out there -- -- hadn't heard about that I mean they can't fire them for drinking on the job and molesting kids but they fire a teacher for organizing a rally to offer students more choice that's disgusting but yeah that's.
That's what they do in May are so threatened and so.
Sanctimonious.
About.
There -- monopoly.
That any threats they retaliate.
Well we show they have full screen our viewers will see -- The increase in spending on education and then what's happened with reading and math scores.
Bring -- -- flat line as you know John there's no improvement there but the money to education off the charts.
So we put more and more money to this problem but we didn't know bang for our buck if.
And the public doesn't realize that spending has tripled that a little they keep saying oh yeah we underpaid teachers you know.
Teachers per -- make more than accountants.
I want to talk about the food police is another one of my favorite topics.
Because I say government hands off my French Fries hands off my French butter I can't eat anything I want to but that's -- what the government sets.
Them.
This is mostly state and local governments but once government starts paying for your health care they feel justified in telling you what you can't it cannot -- It's funny there is more information now than ever people -- what's good what's bad.
In New York they mandate calorie counts at fast food places and then NYU does a study.
And asks people around -- who do you like this all you -- more careful about what I -- because of it.
But then they compare the receipts they found they took in more calories after calories were approached it were posted.
Well you know if you look -- Bloomberg here in New York City Mayor Bloomberg he's come up after trans -- recently he's been telling mothers.
That they have to nurse their babies and he's using.
The international aid money to make this happen this is -- most ludicrous thing I have ever heard in my life.
Look if you if you wanna nurse your baby doing it it's not the government's business then -- Mike Bloomberg -- while others say it's healthy ego nurse your baby is the mandatory stuff from in the food police are police they banned bake sales.
Hey here's a -- when you're gonna like this.
-- man in the New York area recently got find 300 bucks for having stagnant water in a bird back.
Because of -- -- -- EPA girls are you kidding me.
You know I love the EPA and we -- was the agency Rick Perry couldn't remember that not one of the top.
But thank goodness for the EPA to do that a national agency.
But they've gone way beyond that mandate and now they're in our bird -- -- -- -- -- -- Well let me tell us very well I think it can't they can't make -- -- any cleaner.
Kept up -- a couple of things can't make our lives better leave us alone.
-- -- -- a libertarian great.
And I have to ask you this question -- -- I'm not a libertarian.
And my feeling is that there's a pothole in front of my house in the road somebody should come along from the government in picks and I don't wanna do that.
I had do we disagree put support the appropriate role of government.
-- It's could be private economic it'd be electronically pay for your -- forum with gas tax take could be paid for based on how much you drive -- well that's.
Usually a responsibility for government most libertarians are okay with that but remember that's your local government that's not the federal government that.
That sucks ammonium Washington loses -- sends it back and waste says not -- the pothole.
Well India is go too far once worked for a libertarian newspaper and its many years ago and they -- there should be no military -- military library register.
Now and the small Paper but they -- there should be no public.
The libraries.
That's a bad idea no public and this was many years ago back when people actually use libraries.
It's not on the constitution it's not around for the federal government certainly if a local government wants to do it.
That's better but -- government didn't take so much from -- rich people Carnegie built the first libraries right.
Rich people would be creating -- libraries all over the place in May be better than what the bureaucrats front.
Well that's a low standard my friend.
Up up up up up.
Thanks for your help tonight we really appreciate a great job John and good luck with the book it's really -- great read we have.
