if it works for healthcare let's try housing

So in Massachusets they are going to require all citizens to carry health insurance. If they don't then there is a penalty that has to be paid.

The thought being that companies will be forced to buy health insurance if they want to get and keep employees. So the government mandates health insurance, does nothing to control costs or even slow down the cost increases that they have created, then they levy penalties against companies?

Sounds a lot like housing. Costs of housing go up due to foolish government decisions that drive up lot costs and permits and fees. Then government starts to worry that too many people will be homeless so they limit rents so they can feel good. Then they raise the mimimum wage so that employers are forced to cut employees. Let's see if they also mandate health insurance and add more income taxes, let property taxes increase at twice the rate of inflation, this too will cut the number of people that employers will hire.

So we get a recipe for disaster. Less people employed. Ever increasing costs in an economy under attack from the East and Southeast Asia. Housing costs escalating, health care costs escalating, and gasoline heading to $4.00 a gallon quickly.

Maybe government should require all residents to own a home? That's the best way to make them pay property taxes to support the uncontrolled spending at local schools. If we force people to make good decisions they are bound to continue. Force them to pay the government for retirement, because we can't trust them to do something themselves. Force them to buy a house because they couldn't afford one otherwise. Arbitrarily raise pay rates, cause the market is too stingy.