Of Gov. Quinn, Frank Knight, government regulation, the free market, Burr Oak Cemetery, Cemetery oversight and grave robbers.
Jeff Berkowitz: Governor...Prosecute the wrongdoers, make an example of them—and that will deter, but you cannot prevent every wrong act by having a large regulatory apparatus...
Governor Quinn: ...I think that we have seen in our country a rise in for-profit cemeteries owned by large corporations who own multiple cemeteries in multiple states and they may have as their primary interest not reverence and dignity for those they are burying, but rather a devotion to the almighty dollar...
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Gov. Quinn: Back to the Future?
We have become quite used to expanding the role of government whenever there is a problem. That is because government, as in the 60s and 70s, is again thought to be the solution, not the problem.
Our President has decreed that science will be our guiding light. Many take that to mean science is our God, and government is simply applied science for many. I am sure the great economist [mostly of the first half of the 20th Century] , Frank Knight, if he were alive today, would lament that government is now thought by many to be the remedy for every disease, not just business cycles. Knight, somewhat coincidentally, was a native of McLean County, IL.
Science is now our God
In medieval times, men didn’t look for remedies since they thought everything came from God—who was good—so everything [must be] good. Now science is the God, and we think that there must be a remedy for every disease. Maybe [there] is no answer to the business cycle, [maybe we] have to let it take its course. [Emphasis Supplied] Frank Knight, See here..
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Gov. Quinn’s Task Force on grave robbers
The most recent application of the principle in Illinois that government is the remedy for every disease is the appointment, by Gov. Quinn, yesterday of a nine person Cemetery Oversight Task Force. The purpose of the Task Force is apparently to engage in fact finding about the recent Burr Oak Cemetery desecration . How did it happen? Why? Who? When? More importantly, it is to help in the development of a regulatory apparatus that makes sure we have no repetition of the Burr Oak event, that is, that never again will some evildoers toss someone out of his grave so that the grave can be sold yet again.
The approach and language of the Governor in responding to the Burr Oak cemetery issue suggest he has little faith in the profit motive and the free market in preventing the above. Morever, it sounds as if he thinks "well tailored," regulation will always make things better. But, just as we can have "market failure," we can have "government failure," and indeed, government can make things worse-- certainly sometimes.
The cost of increased regulation of the burial industry
In this case, Gov. Quinn seems to be turning a blind eye to reality in the burial business, at large. It is as if he is saying: Never mind that that there has been no showing of, and there likely won't be, any pattern of such problems, i.e., grave robbers, in the burial industry. Never mind that such actions are already illegal. Never mind that no matter how costly and elaborate the regulatory apparatus, you will never be able to stop all such occurrences of illegal and despicable behavior. Never mind that the cost of the proposed regulations is likely to be higher priced funerals and burials and a larger, more wasteful government. Never mind that the cost of the proposed regulatory apparatus is likely to exceed the benefits.
The “public option,” in the burial industry
Notwithstanding all of the above, since we have a problem at the Burr Oak cemetery, government, as our modern day God, or our modern day science, will be asked to solve it. Since we are being told by President Obama that we need a “public option,” to keep the private sector healthcare insurance market honest, this journalist is a bit surprised Governor Quinn has not yet suggested a “Public cemetery option,” to keep the burial business honest. Maybe that will come from the Task Force on grave robbers.
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Most of the questioning from the main stream media at Gov. Quinn's presser yesterday at the Thompson Center in Chicago came from the perspective, “Gee, isn’t it odd that we have so little regulation of the burial/funeral industry." Most of the questioning of Gov. Quinn was in the direction of shouldn’t we have more regulation. This journalist thought it might be interesting to see what the Governor thought of going perhaps in the other direction. Take a listen.
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The Governor Quinn press conference
Jeff Berkowitz: Governor, do you recognize the point of view—seems to be that the Daily Southtown took [today]-- that [Burr Oak] is one example. You don’t find this happening a lot with other cemeteries, other providers of funeral service. What you’re doing here is adding a layer of government regulation—all of the cemeteries that are not doing anything wrong are going to have to comply with this—this makes the cost of government higher; it will make the cost of burial service higher; of funerals higher…this is already illegal, the Southtown points out. Prosecute the wrongdoers, make an example of them—and that will deter, but you cannot prevent every wrong act by having a large regulatory apparatus. Do you at least understand that is a competing viewpoint to the one you are espousing?
Governor Pat Quinn[D-IL]: Well, maybe [that is] a viewpoint. It’s one I don’t agree with. I think that we have seen in our country a rise in for-profit cemeteries owned by large corporations who own multiple cemeteries in multiple states and they may have as their primary interest not reverence and dignity for those they are burying, but rather a devotion to the almighty dollar. And, if those kind of financial considerations take priority over proper burial of the dead, then we the people need to act, and so, I think proper regulation, well tuned and well tailored to the problem at hand, is what is needed here. And, that is what we’re talking about. I think this whole area of for-profit cemeteries in Illinois needs to be—sunshine needs to be reflected upon it. And, let’s find out what the facts are. If things are being done right, that’s good. If not, then we need a remedy.
**********************************************
Governor Quinn: ...I think that we have seen in our country a rise in for-profit cemeteries owned by large corporations who own multiple cemeteries in multiple states and they may have as their primary interest not reverence and dignity for those they are burying, but rather a devotion to the almighty dollar...
****************************************************************
Gov. Quinn: Back to the Future?
We have become quite used to expanding the role of government whenever there is a problem. That is because government, as in the 60s and 70s, is again thought to be the solution, not the problem.
Our President has decreed that science will be our guiding light. Many take that to mean science is our God, and government is simply applied science for many. I am sure the great economist [mostly of the first half of the 20th Century] , Frank Knight, if he were alive today, would lament that government is now thought by many to be the remedy for every disease, not just business cycles. Knight, somewhat coincidentally, was a native of McLean County, IL.
Science is now our God
In medieval times, men didn’t look for remedies since they thought everything came from God—who was good—so everything [must be] good. Now science is the God, and we think that there must be a remedy for every disease. Maybe [there] is no answer to the business cycle, [maybe we] have to let it take its course. [Emphasis Supplied] Frank Knight, See here..
***********************************************
Gov. Quinn’s Task Force on grave robbers
The most recent application of the principle in Illinois that government is the remedy for every disease is the appointment, by Gov. Quinn, yesterday of a nine person Cemetery Oversight Task Force. The purpose of the Task Force is apparently to engage in fact finding about the recent Burr Oak Cemetery desecration . How did it happen? Why? Who? When? More importantly, it is to help in the development of a regulatory apparatus that makes sure we have no repetition of the Burr Oak event, that is, that never again will some evildoers toss someone out of his grave so that the grave can be sold yet again.
The approach and language of the Governor in responding to the Burr Oak cemetery issue suggest he has little faith in the profit motive and the free market in preventing the above. Morever, it sounds as if he thinks "well tailored," regulation will always make things better. But, just as we can have "market failure," we can have "government failure," and indeed, government can make things worse-- certainly sometimes.
The cost of increased regulation of the burial industry
In this case, Gov. Quinn seems to be turning a blind eye to reality in the burial business, at large. It is as if he is saying: Never mind that that there has been no showing of, and there likely won't be, any pattern of such problems, i.e., grave robbers, in the burial industry. Never mind that such actions are already illegal. Never mind that no matter how costly and elaborate the regulatory apparatus, you will never be able to stop all such occurrences of illegal and despicable behavior. Never mind that the cost of the proposed regulations is likely to be higher priced funerals and burials and a larger, more wasteful government. Never mind that the cost of the proposed regulatory apparatus is likely to exceed the benefits.
The “public option,” in the burial industry
Notwithstanding all of the above, since we have a problem at the Burr Oak cemetery, government, as our modern day God, or our modern day science, will be asked to solve it. Since we are being told by President Obama that we need a “public option,” to keep the private sector healthcare insurance market honest, this journalist is a bit surprised Governor Quinn has not yet suggested a “Public cemetery option,” to keep the burial business honest. Maybe that will come from the Task Force on grave robbers.
*****************************************
Most of the questioning from the main stream media at Gov. Quinn's presser yesterday at the Thompson Center in Chicago came from the perspective, “Gee, isn’t it odd that we have so little regulation of the burial/funeral industry." Most of the questioning of Gov. Quinn was in the direction of shouldn’t we have more regulation. This journalist thought it might be interesting to see what the Governor thought of going perhaps in the other direction. Take a listen.
********************************************
The Governor Quinn press conference
Jeff Berkowitz: Governor, do you recognize the point of view—seems to be that the Daily Southtown took [today]-- that [Burr Oak] is one example. You don’t find this happening a lot with other cemeteries, other providers of funeral service. What you’re doing here is adding a layer of government regulation—all of the cemeteries that are not doing anything wrong are going to have to comply with this—this makes the cost of government higher; it will make the cost of burial service higher; of funerals higher…this is already illegal, the Southtown points out. Prosecute the wrongdoers, make an example of them—and that will deter, but you cannot prevent every wrong act by having a large regulatory apparatus. Do you at least understand that is a competing viewpoint to the one you are espousing?
Governor Pat Quinn[D-IL]: Well, maybe [that is] a viewpoint. It’s one I don’t agree with. I think that we have seen in our country a rise in for-profit cemeteries owned by large corporations who own multiple cemeteries in multiple states and they may have as their primary interest not reverence and dignity for those they are burying, but rather a devotion to the almighty dollar. And, if those kind of financial considerations take priority over proper burial of the dead, then we the people need to act, and so, I think proper regulation, well tuned and well tailored to the problem at hand, is what is needed here. And, that is what we’re talking about. I think this whole area of for-profit cemeteries in Illinois needs to be—sunshine needs to be reflected upon it. And, let’s find out what the facts are. If things are being done right, that’s good. If not, then we need a remedy.
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