Breaking Up Texas' Medical Cartels

Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight.
Proverbs 11:1

Crony Capitalism takes many forms.  Some of those forms kill people.  In Texas, 'scope of practice' laws protect the medical and higher education lobby at the expense of consumers forced to suffer without medical care.

Today, TPPF held "Let the People In: The Scope of Practice Reform in Texas":

With the implementation of ObamaCare forcing all citizens to sign up for health coverage, Texas faces a physician shortage. As a result, thousands of newly insured patients will have a hard time finding a doctor, while those with coverage will have more difficulty accessing care. What can be done to relieve the mounting stress on our healthcare system?

One possibility for Texas lawmakers is to relax scope of practice rules, as many other states have done, and allow advanced practice registered nurses more freedom to treat patients according to their education and training.

Join us as our panel of experts review current scope of practice limitations and propose reform measures to keep Texans healthy.

Leading off was William Sage of UT-Austin.  He quoted Milton Friedman's argument against medical licensing from 1962.  His point about how medical licencing creates cartels was obvious and well received.

Joe Straus' Obamacare point man, Rep. John Zerwas (R - Richmond), argued in favor of de facto death panels.  Calling consumer choice "redefining the practice of medicine," Zerwas argued cartels are necessary to "protect the public" from themselves.  Zerwas failed to explain how a system that is allowing tens of thousands of people to go without care is properly defined in the first place. When challenged about the positive outcomes these reforms have produced in other states, Zerwas scoffed and listed several unconvincing reasons why Texas is different. Zerwas also belittled a midwife who spoke about her professional experience.

The star of the event was Christy Blanco, a nurse practitioner from El Paso who moved her business to New Mexico to flee Texas debilitating regulations.  Blanco described her harrowing efforts to comply with Texas' byzantine maze of provider restrictions.  Her efforts have left her tens-of-thousands of dollars in debt.  She told the heartbreaking stories of patients left without care when she failed.  Given that there's no evidence additional education improves patient outcomes, Blanco asked: "What benefits do these restrictions provide to Texas?!?"

Medical cartels always restrict supply.  Politically connected providers create barriers to entry to restrict competition.  Scope of practice laws are one form of cartel.  Given that 19 states have lifted these laws and achieved equal or greater patient outcomes, these laws have no defense.  Yet another argument in favor of new leadership in the Texas Legislature.

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Update: TPPF has more here.

Glenn Hegar's Asinine Tax Gimmick

The pro-life, second amendment, two-step is alive and well in the comptroller's race:

Tax Holiday Weekend for Sportsmen

I am proposing a new annual "Back to Hunt" tax-free weekend that will take place prior to the fall hunting season. This break from taxes will work in much the same way as the current back to school holiday that has been so successful in helping parents prepare for the school year. My goal is to help sportsmen start the season right and increase the opportunities for new hunters and fishermen to carry on this Texas tradition.

 *SIGH*....Where to begin?!?

The economics profession has something called the Permanent Income Hypothesis, which is a fancy-pants highfalutin' way of saying that people make consumption decisions based on long-term factors, not short-term stimuli; tax-free weekends are gimmicks that merely shift the timing of consumption.

This is the exact same logic that the Obama administration used in the Cash for Clunkers program; so yeah, one of our Republican candidates for Texas Comptroller (the one who deals with all the money) started his campaign with an idea so terrible it could have been thought up by Barack Obama.

Cahnman's Musings believes most second amendment enthusiasts are intelligent enough to see through this economically illiterate pandering.

1 Peter 4:10 and the Moral Case for Free Enterprise

"As each one has recieved a gift, minister unto one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10

"The great advances of civilization....were the product of individual genius, of strongly held minority views, of a social climate permitting variety and diversity." Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom, 1962 (p. 3/4)

"Profit comes from serving another one of God's creatures." Rabbi Daniel Lapin

1 Peter 4:10 is one of the most important passages in the Bible; in twenty-one words, it outlines the case for free enterprise.

God endows every person with unique gifts.  Each of us are good at some things, while others are good at others.  Through Peter, God instructs us to exchange those gifts in a spirit of mutual service.

Mutual service is the essence of free enterprise.  We meet someone else's needs, who then reward us with the fruits of their own labor.  This bottom up system works as long as the state doesn't try to manipulate things from the top down.

The Nelson study Bible states:

4:10 Every believer is gifted to serve.  Stewards are managers or trustees who will be held accountable for using their gift in the best interest of the One who gave it to them.

 Service leads to good stewardship.

 Economic interaction is a form of ministry.  The economic realm is an earthly illustration of meeting each others needs.  Humans shouldn't mess with that outline.

And that's why 1 Peter 4:10 is one of the most important passages in the Bible.