“If we want to gamble, we’ll play the slots.”
Two readers point me to this New York Times story reporting that AARP will vigorously oppose Bush’s Social Insecurity scheme, and will be running ads criticizing the plan under that name. (One reader suggests that I try to collect royalties, but since the DNC used the phrase last summer I don’t plan to spend that money until the check clears.)
Apparently the ad has one Harry-and-Louise couple saying “If we want to gamble, we’ll play the slots.”
Perhaps this will stiffen the spines of some wavering Democrats.
Author: Mark Kleiman
Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Marron Institute for Urban Management and editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis. Teaches about the methods of policy analysis about drug abuse control and crime control policy, working out the implications of two principles: that swift and certain sanctions don't have to be severe to be effective, and that well-designed threats usually don't have to be carried out.
Books:
Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know (with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken)
When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton, 2009; named one of the "books of the year" by The Economist
Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (Basic, 1993)
Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control (Greenwood, 1989)
UCLA Homepage
Curriculum Vitae
Contact: Markarkleiman-at-gmail.com
View all posts by Mark Kleiman