On That Mental Health Mandate...

Megan McArdle (the world's tallest female economics blogger) does her usual succinct evisceration of a bone-headed politician's attempt to manage health care.  My favorite bit:

On a more serious note, I feel like we could have achieved the laudable goal of ensuring that serious mental illnesses are not left untreated (at least, in cases where the patient wants to get treatment), without guaranteeing cheaper psychotherapy for America's ennui-laden affluent classes.  Of course, then we'd have to recognize the fact htat this stuff has to be paid for, rather than pretending that benefits can somehow be magically generated for free with just a wave of the regulatory pen.

I have this fantasy that Megan (or her identically equipped and informed twin sister) runs for statewide office (governor, preferably) out here in California.  I'd pay good money to watch what happened when her well-informed intelligence and level-headed perspective runs up against the lameness that permeates our state, county, and local governmental institutions.  Heads would explode, and I'm certain none of those heads would belong to Megan...