We didn’t need the Federal Department of Education, he thought (that could go to each state) or the Department of the Interior (we could privatize most public land). But hadn’t Texas Brine just treated the public waters of Bayou Corne as if the company privately owned them? Did Mike want more of that? I was feeling stuck way over on my side of the empathy wall. So I turned my question around. “What has the federal government done for you that you feel grateful for?” He pauses. “Hurricane relief.” He pauses again. “The I-10 . . .” (a federally funded freeway). Another long pause. “Okay,
...more
