What does it mean to be springtime in an odd year in America? As the snow begins to melt, the birds chirp and sing; the trees and bushes bud with new growth. The sun reemerges from its long vacation behind the clouds, and the study of economics takes a holiday. True, this last part probably doesn’t apply to everyone. Texans, Oklahomans and Montanans don’t forget everything they ever learned in school, just because it’s time for mayors and city councilmen to seek reelection to their valuable positions at the public trough, but here in the rust belt, where we hold...