Today on my way to school I heard an interesting statistic. over 30,000 people die each year from the flu. Not this new hot exciting Swine flu thing but the normal flu. Up to this point one person has died of the swine flu. It brought me to a very important economic concept that I addressed with my classes today.
I believe I saw where the Obama administration is going to promise some $1.5 billion to fight this new flu "epidemic". Which brings up a very interesting rarely asked question: Where does this money come from? More importantly, what are the alternative cost of doing this? In other words what is not getting $1.5 billion because the government is spending it on this new hot issue? Economics is the efficient allocation of scare resources which have alternative uses. When resources are used in one area they are not in another. Is that $1.5 billion better used to fight this disease that is according to most experts somewhat contained and is not that serious yet? Or could it have been spent in a better place? What if it was used to do more research on cancer? Or what if it was to be used to build better and newer roads and bridges that are safer and save more lives than it will fighting Swine Flu.
In the early 1980's a small incident on a airport runway led to the death of an infant that was on the plane in his or her mom's lap. The small collision caused the baby to fly out of its mom's hands and was killed on impact. The government along with the airlines pledged to fix the problem and required special seats to be used for small children. This device saved one child every eight years according to a group of economist. But those same economist estimated that it killed 8 other people. You say how? The cost of this law or new policy was that the parent had to purchase an extra plane ticket. Instead they might not purchase it if they now think it is cheaper to drive instead. Now how many of those trips would result in wrecks and how many of those wrecks would result in casualties? Those economist estimated about 8 people died over the next eight years after the new policy was passed.
How many people could die because of some headline news story disease is getting politicians to move resources from important big problems that effect many people to try and fix this small problem that happens to be newsworthy. I'm not saying I disagree with the Obama decision I have not researched it. I am saying that we need to hesitate and think about these things before getting excited about trying to fix a problem. Remember there are cost and benefits to decisions not just benefits.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Wrongful Assumptions
Today I attended Sweetwater area church service instead of traveling downtown Knoxville to attend my home church of Faith Promise. It got me to thinking so much that I still don't know the direction of this current post.
I would argue I have nothing against the church but I would be lying. I feel that so many of our churches are stuck in their old fashion ways that they are one of the main reasons we are losing our young people today. I looked around and can tell you that only one of the 6 ushers who took up the offering (and had to sit on the front row) kept their mind on the message. I know this because my mind was wondering around. Many of them were falling asleep or starring off in the distance. Many others in the church were doing the same. I bet many of them would condemn my church and yet they attend church and get nothing out of it. It got me to thinking how at my church I never see anyone falling asleep or even losing focus. Now in defense I rarely look around because I am so into the service as well. I love my church.
So many churches refuse to change and accomodate the current culture into their worship of an up-to-date, modern savior. They never even give adapting to the current environment a thought. They believe that good christians must where suits and preach messages that have three points that explain a specific verse of the Bible while singing music from the late 19th and early 20th century.
This along with a recent reading of my brother's blog got me to thinking about how Americans do the same with our government. The government wants to outlaw discrimination when private companies should have the right to do so if they choose. They are even sticking their noses in on MLB and now the BCS of college football. I believe I read where it was now up to 70 percent. You say what Jess? 70 percent of what our federal government does is not found anywhere in the Constitution. If 75% of our congress wants the federal government to participate in this action then ammend the Constitution first.
American citizens have allowed the government to get so large for so long that they don't even think about changing its ways. We never stop and think about whether this is the best course of action or whether government should even be involved to begin with. Maybe Christian and Americans alike should take a step back and begin evaluating the church and government's mission before choosing a path and not giving it a second thought.
I would argue I have nothing against the church but I would be lying. I feel that so many of our churches are stuck in their old fashion ways that they are one of the main reasons we are losing our young people today. I looked around and can tell you that only one of the 6 ushers who took up the offering (and had to sit on the front row) kept their mind on the message. I know this because my mind was wondering around. Many of them were falling asleep or starring off in the distance. Many others in the church were doing the same. I bet many of them would condemn my church and yet they attend church and get nothing out of it. It got me to thinking how at my church I never see anyone falling asleep or even losing focus. Now in defense I rarely look around because I am so into the service as well. I love my church.
So many churches refuse to change and accomodate the current culture into their worship of an up-to-date, modern savior. They never even give adapting to the current environment a thought. They believe that good christians must where suits and preach messages that have three points that explain a specific verse of the Bible while singing music from the late 19th and early 20th century.
This along with a recent reading of my brother's blog got me to thinking about how Americans do the same with our government. The government wants to outlaw discrimination when private companies should have the right to do so if they choose. They are even sticking their noses in on MLB and now the BCS of college football. I believe I read where it was now up to 70 percent. You say what Jess? 70 percent of what our federal government does is not found anywhere in the Constitution. If 75% of our congress wants the federal government to participate in this action then ammend the Constitution first.
American citizens have allowed the government to get so large for so long that they don't even think about changing its ways. We never stop and think about whether this is the best course of action or whether government should even be involved to begin with. Maybe Christian and Americans alike should take a step back and begin evaluating the church and government's mission before choosing a path and not giving it a second thought.
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