The Myth Busting Economist by Larry Malone

Legalization of All Drugs Worth Considering

Welcome to the launch of my occasional column, “The Myth Busting Economist.” I’ll be using this space to discuss economic issues that affect our daily lives while debunking misleading statements and claims. My approach will appeal to facts, conventional wisdom and economic reasoning.

But first, a little background. I taught economics at Hartwick College for many years and recently retired. My greatest joys were introducing thousands of students to economics, where I drew inspiration from my graduate school mentor, Dr. Robert Heilbroner. During his lifetime, Heilbroner wrote dozens of books that made economics more accessible, including his classic, “The Worldly Philosophers.” I had the honor of co-editing a Norton anthology with him titled “The Essential Adam Smith.” Heilbroner’s greatest lesson was that ideas are worthless if they are not understood.