To Make Next Shutdown Less Disruptive, Move Functions out of D.C.

Plus, New York Times misfires with front-page attack on “abusive” Bessent “tax dodge”

“Your flight to Chicago O’Hare - Canceled,” was the subject line of the email I got last Thursday night notifying me of the news that, because of Washington dysfunction, I wouldn’t be able to have a Friday night dinner that I had been looking forward to.

As a new victim of the government shutdown, I counted myself angry, though lucky compared to workers who are missing paychecks or poor people whose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program money did not show up on time. Almost as disappointing as the canceled flight was been the way the public discussion of the shutdown has focused narrowly on partisan political advantage while missing the bigger point, which is that a country so dependent on Washington politicians for so many things puts itself at risk.

The government shutdown makes a case for smaller government, one in which tasks now nationalized are instead distributed to state and local governments or the private sector. That way, when Washington grinds to a halt, there’s less damage.