Tomorrow's 20/20: Must Watch

John Stossel is going to undo some mighty myths tomorrow night on ABC (10 Pacific), including one of my favorites. Did he read my earlier post?

NO. 2 - SUBURBAN SPRAWL IS TERRIBLE
Democratic and Republican politicians complain about it -- "It destroys the environment, causes pollution. We won't have any open spaces left!" Bunk. Ninety-five percent of the United States is still undeveloped. What planners call "sprawl" is really the dream house for people who want to move their family out of the city, or have a backyard. "Smart growth" is dumb.

Some of the others set for debunking by Stossel:

NO. 7 - THE PRICE OF GAS IS HIGHER THAN EVER
In fact, gas prices are lower than they were throughout most of the 20th century. People believe gas is expensive because the news media keep getting it wrong.

NO. 4 - OUTSOURCING KILLS AMERICAN JOBS
America lost 361 million jobs between 1993 and 2002. Sounds terrible -- until you know that, during these same years, America gained 380 million new jobs. Free trade, including outsourcing, brings the creative destruction that makes that possible. We asked the AFL-CIO for examples of "victims of outsourcing." The first person they suggested we call had found a new job that was more comfortable and paid BETTER than her old one. I confront Lou Dobbs, who says outsourcing is a "crisis."

NO. 3 - POLITICIANS WHO FIGHT FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUT DON'T SEND THEIR KIDS TO THOSE SCHOOLS
For their own kids, politicians who talk up the importance of public education often decide that private school is a better choice. Nearly half of the congressmen with school-age children send them at some point to private schools. I confront Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., D-Ill. He attended the exclusive St. Albans private school, but he opposes vouchers that would let poorer people have similar choices.

Stossel says his No. 1 myth which "has to do with the 'Tragedy of the Commons' and it's killing fish, elephants, forests, and parks, and it's fouling the office refrigerator!" will be revealed Friday night.