The following is an excerpt from OpinionJournal.com’s “Best of the Web” written by the editor, James Taranto.
Out on a Limb
“Official Warns of Heat Waves in Some Areas”–headline, Arab News (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), May 29
Bottom Stories of the Day
- “New UF Dorm Furniture Starting to Be Put Into Place This Summer”–headline, Gainesville (Fla.) Sun, May 29
- “Obama Closes Out the Holiday Weekend With a Round of Golf”–headline, TheHill.com, May 30
A Parable of Modern Government
This story from the Philadelphia Inquirer is both maddening and weirdly inspiring:
Three years ago, after complaints that some tour operators dotting Independence Hall were giving an unauthorized, revisionist history, a group formed the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides. . . . Last month, the organization issued its first exam to certify their skills.
Most passed the test.
“This was a way to make sure tour guides were educated,” says Frey, “that if they didn’t have an answer, just not make up something.”
In 2008, Mayor [Michael] Nutter signed a bill requiring tour guides to pass a history test, a common practice in cities such as Washington and Savannah, Ga. Three operators challenged the law in federal court on free-speech grounds. This year, a judge dismissed the case. The city didn’t have the financial resources to implement the test, making the case moot.
The government intervenes to solve a problem the private sector has well in hand. It brushes aside concerns about constitutional rights, and then turns out to be too broke to infringe them anyway. If only the federal government had as little money as the Philadelphia one, maybe it would be merely ineffective instead of downright harmful.
For more “Best of the Web” click here and look for the “Best of the Web Today” link in the middle column below “Today’s Columnists.
