On March 17, 2008, my state representative from Normandy Park announced that she would end her political career. After 10 years as a legislator in Olympia, Shay Schual-Berke (33rd District, Pos. 1) will retire. As fate would have it, we both spent our early years in Green Neck, New York before settling in Normandy Park. The similarities end there. While I left the radical egalitarianism of the sixties behind me, she still enhanced and embodied the ethos of the welfare state. In the world of the "haves" and "have nots" she believes only government policy can equalize the terrible inequities in American society.

No one could doubt where Shay Schual-Berke stood on any issue. Touted as the, "only M.D. in the Legislature her public prescriptions have caused more harm than good. The Dr. had a government "fix" for every crisis. Her three major accomplishments to achieve a "brave new world" were in areas of health care, children's issues and education.

She was a crusader in expanding a comprehensive socialized health care system. Her good intentions resulted in many insurers leaving Washington State, due to excessive regulations. By removing competition in the marketplace many small businesses could no longer afford adequate coverage for their employees. Under HB1234, the State would review all health care benefit plans, which added another level of oversight. The "Mental Health Parity" law would require insures to charge the same co-pays and deductibles for both mental and physical illness. It is a lot easier to diagnose and mend a broken arm than a broken psyche. Like most Great Society programs, the dream ignores reality. Projected reimbursement costs and billing abuse would be astronomical. Would this compassionate measure apply to workers suffering from severe depression when a small business must lay-off workers due to rising taxes and health care costs?

Second, under the category of children's issues, Dr. Berke was a sponsor of HB2519 that would ban smoking in "your" car with a minor. Studies showed that within 6 seconds of lighting up, the air quality went from safe to hazardous inside a car. Somehow, that's not surprising in a sealed vehicle with the windows rolled up. If second-hand smoke poses a global risk, just ban smoking altogether instead of piece-meal eradication. Sorry, I forgot that the Nanny State needs the millions in tobacco tax revenue from smokers to fund state educational programs. Should the Nanny State protect every innocent child from parental stupidity? Also, remember to wash your hands after using the bathroom!

Thirdly, under the title of early childhood development and education, Representative Berke fought the establish a new department for early childhood intervention under DSHS. What we need are government standards for child rearing to make this a better world. My prediction is that my retiring legislator's pathological bent toward a world free from any and all human misery will result in parental licensing laws. Who can be a better teacher and role model for [us] parents than the Department of Social and Health Services? How many children have died or been neglected under their care. Her last and most notable surgery on Washington taxpayers was HJR4204. In an assault on the state constitution, the constitutional requirement of a super-majority vote to raise property taxes was rescinded and replaced by a simple majority vote. Voters couldn't oppose a measure to benefit "the children". Yet, Washington State spends $10,400 per student with little academic accountability. With only 15-20% of eligible voters who vote in special elections, school levies will pass easily. Similar to a government health care monopoly, our public school monopoly will fail due to lack of competition.

I admire the idealism, albeit misguided, of my retiring representative. As often said, "Someone has to protect us from ourselves" and Shay Schual-Berke was elected and re-elected to do just that. After all, who know better than a doctor?