The Politics of the Shutdown, Obamacare, Crime and Deportations

        One more time: There is no such thing as free lunch. Government has no money. It acquires the money used to pay for things one of three ways: taxing, borrowing or printing.

        Democrat senators, with three exceptions, voted against keeping the federal government fully running because they want to add back spending reduced under the so-called Big Beautiful Bill; they want to spend even more; and they want to extend the expiring Obamacare subsidies.

        Democrats call Republicans “liars” for accusing Democrats of seeking government-provided health care for illegal aliens. But when asked whether she supports health care for illegal aliens, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said, “Democrats are demanding health care for everybody.”

        At a 2020 Democratic presidential candidates’ debate, the moderator said, “Raise your hand if your government (health care) plan would provide coverage for undocumented immigrants.” All 10 candidates put up their hands.

        As for Obamacare, Democrats designed it knowing some subsidies would expire. That way they could downplay its true cost. Their expectation was simple. If Republicans refuse to extend the subsidies, Democrats would accuse Republicans of cruelty, no matter the cost to taxpayers.

        Former President Barack Obama promised Obamacare would “bend the cost curve.” But Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Jonathan Gruber, known as the father of Obamacare, said: “(Saving money) was sometimes a misleading motivator for the Affordable Care Act. The law isn’t designed to save money. It’s designed to improve health, and that’s going to cost money.”

        For Democrats and many Republicans, getting government out of health care in exchange for a true, robust and competitive private sector model — resulting in lower prices, better quality and greater accessibility — is a nonstarter. Health care, after all, “is a right.”

        As to crime, isn’t the No. 1 job of government to protect people and property? Soft-on-crime policies, like light sentences or reducing or eliminating jail time, results in more crime. When politicians and judges make it less likely that criminals are caught, convicted and incarcerated, criminals commit more crime. Lawbreakers may be criminal, but they are not stupid. The same cannot be said of some politicians.

        For example, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), a former criminal defense attorney, recently said: “Just because someone has committed a crime, it doesn’t make them a criminal. That is completely different. Being a criminal is more so about your mindset. Committing a crime can come for a lot of different reasons.”

        Similarly, when asked how to deal with career criminals, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said: “When this person is committing six or seven crimes, I don’t know his or her story. Maybe they were abused as a child. Maybe they’re hungry. But my remedy is to find their life story to see how we can help.” In short, criminal thugs need to be understood, not jailed for harming others.

        When President Donald Trump uses or threatens to use the National Guard to assist local law enforcement in high-crime cities, he stands accused of racism. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said: “I think it’s very notable that each and every one of the cities called out by the president has a Black mayor, and most of those cities are seeing historic lows in violent crime.”

        Never mind the immediate effect of Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C. D.C.’s Fox 5 News reported: “Since the Guard’s arrival, the city has experienced a notable decline in criminal activity. For the first time in a long time, D.C. has gone seven days without a homicide. Carjackings have decreased by 83%, robberies by 46%, car thefts by 21%, and overall violent crime is down 22%. ‘When you have these numbers going down it means this is a success and people feel safer,’ said Sgt. Betsy Smith of the National Police Association.”

        About deportations, people never took to the streets when told to stay home, close their businesses, not go to work and not go to school because of COVID-19. But some take to the streets to prevent ICE from deporting violent criminal illegal aliens. After four years of President Joe Biden’s intentionally open borders and the entry of untold numbers of illegal aliens who committed violent crimes in their home countries, what exactly is the alternative to arresting and deporting them, particularly when it comes to “the worst of the worst”? A strongly worded letter?

        Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. To find out more about Larry Elder, or become an “Elderado,” visit www.LarryElder.com. Follow Larry on X @larryelder. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

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