Stephen L. Goldstein, The Sun Sentinel

January 13, 2009

Stephen L. Goldstein
The Sun Sentinel
200 East Las Olas Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301

RE: 2 thoughts plus how modern American Liberals fight through the pain of cognitive dissonance.

My dear Professor,

Holding two thoughts that are polar opposites would be a problem for a normal person. Modern American Liberals thrive on it. For example, it is wrong for Americans to kill Muslim terrorists but it is not wrong for Israelis to kill Muslim terrorists. All the elected officials who spent this weekend cheering on the Israeli killing of defenseless Gazanians are opposed when Americans do the same. Why is that?

#1 – Your epiphany moment – the one that said changing tax policy can influence behavior – came last week when you revealed yourself as a nascent “supply sider”, a Laffer acolyte, if you will. You probably have a shrine to the Great Reagan somewhere deep in a hidden closet.

The next step is obvious.

If higher taxes will discourage smoking lower taxes will encourage it.

Florida suffers from a severe revenue shortage.

Let’s cut the tobacco tax in half. We would have a tsunami of revenues flowing into the state treasury.

Think what you could do with the money

A – Midnight Basketball
B – Manatee suffrage
C – Health benefits for Sun Sentinel street vendors
D – Recount the 2000 election. Again. And again.

These are all good things that we have been neglecting. In addition, there is a public situation that cries out for a full court press. It is something for which modern American Liberals are justifiably famous. Things like the New Deal worked, Hiss was innocent, the Rosenbergs were framed, more money equals better education, the 1960 missile gap, a higher minimum wage is good for poor people, there is a “vast Right Wing conspiracy”, and “Why can’t we all just get along?”

#2 – Tim Tebow

Although I don’t think you are a big football fan even you must know that Tim Tebow’s performance in the BCS Bowl spread Florida’s name across the nation. The University of Florida is a public institution. It is supported by taxpayer money. The Constitution is not suspended when the referee blows his whistle for the kickoff.

Tim Tebow is a walking ad for religion. And he’s doing it on our dime. The eye shadow he wears is from the New Testament. It is some gibberish about dying for others. He is entitled to his own opinion. He is not entitled to use my tax money to proselytize them.

I call on you to lead the great crusade to ban all religious displays by University of Florida football players.

Maybe you could get all those goody two shoes – start with Coach Urban Meyer – to start smoking. The revenue flow to the state would be – forgive me – penance for the blatant public display of religion. Plus, it would keep your modern American Liberal license valid.

Don’t you love it when a plan comes together?