Answer Man

What the left should know about Milton Friedman:

About regulations, Friedman believed that they are necessary to prevent theft, fraud and force. But he also argued the regulations are often written by those with political power who seek to block competition. On the minimum wage, Friedman said: "We regard the minimum wage rate as one of the most, if not the most, anti-black laws on the statute books. The government first provides schools in which many young people, disproportionately black, are educated so poorly that they do not have the skills that would enable them to get good wages. It then penalizes them a second time by preventing them from offering to work for low wages as a means of inducing employers to give them on-the-job training. All this is in the name of helping the poor." On taxes and the size of government, Friedman offers a little comfort for those who claim, "the rich don't pay their fair share" and who are attacking the Department of Government Efficiency. Friedman in 1967 said: "Like many other economists, I oppose the increase in taxes recommended by President Lyndon Johnson but for reasons different than most. I oppose a tax increase because I believe that the Federal government is already absorbing too much of the community's resources. We need lower taxes, not higher taxes." About government spending, Friedman argued the more government leaves in the pockets of its citizens, the better. He said of all spending, government spending is the least efficient: "Finally, I can spend somebody else's money on somebody else. ... And I'm not concerned about how much it is, and I'm not concerned about what I get. And that's government."

They should double-check their quotes...