I have trained people in customer service longer than I care to admit. Now, it seems things have changed a bit. I always thought that customer service worked only when coupled with a great product. Recently, though, I’ve noticed that some products are less than totally desirable. Does anyone really enjoy being cramped into economy seats on an airliner? Does anyone enjoy waiting for hours in an emergency room while surrounded by people who cough, sneeze, hack, and wipe their noses? I doubt it. In the last month or so I’ve sat in that emergency room and flown coast-to-coast in economy class. Neither was fun. Here’s the surprise: Everyone in the emergency room was unbelievably nice, friendly, and courteous. The airline flight...

To hear the alarmists scream, sequestration will be worse than an earthquake combined with a half-dozen tsunamis, a full-scale war and a dust bowl thrown in to boot. What are they talking about? Sequestration cuts will amount to less than 3% of federal spending. (I’ve read percentage rates ranging from 2.4% to “less than 3%.”) How in the world is a cut of less than 3% going to devastate airports, hospitals, police forces, schools, and emergency workers? Breathes there a soul who doesn’t think they could find 3% waste in any — repeat, any —govmint operation? Tomorrow? I can’t see it. When it comes to undue panic, Chicken Little is a piker compared to this administration. One thing’s for sure, we’ll know within a few...