Muhammad for Mayor I received an interesting flier in the mail recently -- one addressed to my perrenial roommate, "Resident". It's the local political season here in Virginia, with Mayoral and City Council elections galore. That implies that usual -- "Vote for Bubba" yard signs, "Vote for Crony" billboards, and the deluge of tax exempt mailings. This one came from the rare write-in candidate -- Abdullah Muhammad. I kid you not. We apparently have an Arabic/Muslim individual running for Mayor here in scenic Newport News. With a name like Muhammad, it's got to be good. Muhammad's primary platform consists of a "Living Wage" as his flagship measure for the city. That measure alone is one of the silliest I've ever read. Living Wage provisions essentially force local businesses to pay an extremely high minimum wage -- a "Living" wage. But what of the ancillary effects? Businesses that remain in the area will be forced to either higher fewer employees or to charge more for their services. Or, if they cannot get by with fewer employees, or if they cannot make it with fewer employees or higher prices, they will be forced to close or move out of the municipality. Either way, it's a losing proposition. The remainder of the flier touts various and sundry boondoggles -- a passenger and auto ferry to be re-established, youth centers, etc. etc. etc. Mr. Muhammad wants to spend, spend, spend, at least until the Living Wage wreaks havoc on the already iffy local economy. It has been said that part of the Third World's problem is that the best and brightest leave to come to the United States, and do not return once they've been seduced by the glories of our civilization. If Mr. Muhammad is their best and brightest, the Third World is in serious trouble...