“Rural hospitals are struggling all over the nation because of population declines, soaring labor costs and a long-term shift toward outpatient care. But those problems have been magnified by a political choice in Mississippi and nine other states, all with Republican-controlled legislatures.” NYT (Free Article): ‘We’re Going Away’: A State’s Choice to Forgo Medicaid Funds Is Killing Hospitals. This is all to make a point. And the point seems to be how stupid decision makers can be.