Book Review: Positively American by Senator Chuck Schumer

I have a dirty little secret: Like many people who I greatly respect, I read very few books. Who has the time when you are obligated to change the trajectory of humankind?

But I have read an advance copy of Senator Chuck "Chuck" Schumer's new book, Positively American.

Or, at least I read the blurb on the jacket. This, I feel, is sufficient to understand the book -- and also sufficient to flatter Senator Schumer (who has no PhDs) with the knowledge that a triple PhD has read his book!

I will cut to the essence of the book:

For example, he [that is, Senator Schumer -- Prof K, Phd^3] proposes to:

• increase the number of college graduates by 50%

• reduce property taxes by 50%

In my view, Senator Schumer has proven again that he is a heavyweight. (Or, actually, to use a less-offensive term, he is "weight-gifted".)

Few initiatives are more essential than raising the number of college graduates, which, I may add, also requires an increase in the number of college professors. Or at least it will require a well-earned pay increase for existing professors.

What needs to be understood is that raising the number of college graduates is not a means to accomplishing anything else. In fact, it is a necessary end in itself. We must have more college graduates. It's that simple. As Senator Schumer says. In his book.

Regarding the other half of his book, I endorse the idea of reducing property taxes by 50% because this will require reducing the amount of private property by 50%. Our goal is to reduce property taxes by 100% by abolishing all private property.

I recommend Senator Schumer's book to you, and I will assign it to my students.