LETTER: Government power works both ways

The leading Democratic presidential candidates want a state takeover of health care, with the admirable goal of lower costs and better service. With the current budget shortfall running around a $1 trillion, money will be tight, which reminds me of a science-fiction short story I read long ago.

The story was set in the distant future. The central character was being chased by government agents to pay for his crimes. Because the government-run health care system required a lot of expensive organs to keep the nation healthy, those organs were to be supplied by criminals. The final reveal was that the unwilling organ donor was being pursued for too many parking tickets.

What’s that old saying? A government powerful enough to give you everything is powerful enough to take everything from you.