I complain a lot about wellness. And I use the verb “complain,” because it remains one of those weird social-political issues everyone seems to support in principle. But then everything goes to hell in the details.

While I woke up this morning with a bleary eye toward writing about Medicare – and how the Democrats are unfairly demonizing the GOP plan – that sexy new food plate from the USDA looked so good on my iPad I couldn’t help but switch gears once I got to the office. So the feds slaved away for two years, to the tune of $2 million, to rub out the old food pyramid and sketch in a new food plate, dubbed MyPlate.

Now I know a couple million taxpayer dollars is barely a drop in the deficit bucket, but it’s this kind of tone-deaf spending that makes me skeptical of both parties when it comes to federal spending and waste. On a related note, New Jersey Gov.

Chris Christie, something of a media darling budget hawk and GOP rising star, stepped into it just this week for taking a state patrol helicopter to – and from – his son’s baseball game. While this only adds up to a couple thousand bucks – chump change for the tax-loving Garden State – it’s the principle driving the whole debacle that’s so frustrating. Not to mention the unnecessary media backlash it sparked.

Are our elected officials hopelessly stupid or just willfully self-absorbed? Because it’s really simple: Act like you’re being watched. Because you are. (Of course, as we put this issue to press, the entire Rep. Anthony Weiner scandal blows up, illustrating my point so “graphically.”) But I’ve wandered off course.

No sooner did the new government plate hit the kitchen table than it already drew objections to the cute little blue dairy circle in the top right corner. At least there wasn’t a cancerous cell phone sitting next to it (like there are most kitchen tables in real life). This stuff might be science, but it’s not rocket science. Why can’t we agree on something so simple?

Whether it’s through public policy or private initiative, let’s encourage and/or reward good behavior. Get off the couch once in a while, stay away from the vending machines, quit smoking and at least cut back on the drinking. And let’s punish and/or discourage the bad. I give the state of Arizona a hard time, but I think they were on to something when they floated higher Medicaid fees for smokers and the obese.

It sounds harsh, but this is exactly the kind of policy we need. I tell my kids they need to take responsibility for their actions. They do stupid stuff? It’ll come back to bite them. They act like they’ve got some home training, and they are usually rewarded. So, why treat grown folks any different?

Instant Insights /

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m hungry. Let&rsquo;s get a taco.&rdquo;

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“I’m hungry. Let’s get a taco.”