COLUMBUS, Ohio: Eight Democrat Senators voted with Republicans to end the Shutdown after 43 days. I’ll let you reach your own conclusions about the Shutdown and the decision to end it.

Essential federal employees were working and “non-essential” employees were not working. Their paychecks are delayed, but ALL of them will receive their pay. A surprising number of Democrats wanted the Shutdown to continue indefinitely. I’ve heard they mainly wanted to hurt the Trump economy.

Speaking of the economy, a new political issue is “affordability.” Affordability has always been with us as a personal or family problem. But it hasn’t been viewed often as a divisive political topic.

You might like to drive a Cadillac Escalade but all you can afford is a Chevy. T-bone steak and lobster sound mighty tasty, but the main course for supper is usually chicken, hamburger, or pork loin. We cook our meals because it’s more affordable to eat at home than in a restaurant. It’s common sense that some items are more affordable than others. And we make choices accordingly.

But a smiling Socialist in New York City convinced 51% of the voters (especially young single women) that he can make living there “affordable.” How? By freezing rent prices, lowering other prices, and providing some things for free.

Concerning affordability, most of us make decisions throughout our lives. Not many wait for a Socialist politician to suddenly make everything affordable. A 12-year-old might decide to study harder on math and science because engineers make more than a waitress. Or at 15, a student might decide to concentrate on trade school to become a top welder. At 22, a new college grad passes up a job opportunity in New York City or San Francisco to take the same job in Tulsa or Tampa. Many more decisions we make affect affordability.

Our schools should teach affordability, otherwise known as economics. Spend as much time teaching about capitalism as they do Communism. Students (future voters) need to know the difference between a free capitalist society contrasted to Cuba or Venezuela.

Happy birthday Oklahoma! Became our 46th state on Nov. 16, 1907. Clem Rogers, Will’s dad, served on the board that wrote the state Constitution.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

          “Why don’t somebody print the truth about our present economic situation? We spent six years of wild buying on credit… This would be a great world to dance in if we didn’t have to pay the fiddler.” DT #1224, June 27, 1930

         “I started out on my little tour at Chicago… I don’t see how it is that people can afford to live in Chicago. They switched from pistols to Machine Guns, and now from Machine guns to Bombs. I can’t see how a poor man can afford it. Well anyway we had a… mighty appreciative audience. Chicago people are mighty fine when they live.” WA #272, March 11, 1928