Politics and other nightmares

Just what I need the day after Memorial Day -- E.J. Dionne hectoring me on "true" patriotism.

If the 2008 election is to be a debate about the true meaning of patriotism, then bring it on.

[. . .]

Oh, good lord, please, not again:

Here's at least one good effect of high gas prices:

With gasoline climbing toward $4 a gallon, police officers around the country are losing the right to take their patrol cars home and are being forced to double up in cruisers and walk the beat more.

The gas crunch could also put an end to the time-honored way cops leave their engines running when they get out to investigate something.

Stiffed by a Clinton

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign is now $20 million in debt and some of her unpaid bills are in Indiana.

Clinton's biggest Indiana debt is owed to Indiana University where the Democratic candidate for president spoke at Assembly Hall on April 25.

According to a filing with the Federal Election Commission made this week, her campaign owes I.U. over $19,000. But the university said that's just part of the bill.

Won't work:

INDIANAPOLIS -- An Indianapolis initiative unveiled on Thursday aims to combat the city's panhandling problem while simultaneously helping the needy. 

Tamper-proof boxes will be installed where residents can give to agencies that reach out to people in need, rather than giving cash to panhandlers, 6News' Julie Pursley reported. 

Why isn't this a big scandal resulting in a call for heads to roll and jail time to be served?

The federal government's long-term financial obligations grew by $2.5 trillion last year, a reflection of the mushrooming cost of Medicare and Social Security benefits as more baby boomers reach retirement.

That's double the red ink of a year earlier.

Well, call me skeptical:

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 62% of voters would prefer fewer government services with lower taxes. Nearly a third (29%) disagrees and would rather have a bigger government with higher taxes. Ten percent (10%) are not sure.

We don't have Don Schmidt on City Council anymore to watch those pennies for us (which have a way of adding up to dollars). But Liz Brown, R-at-large, and Karen Goldner, D-2nd, may be on the way to becoming a fiscal-watchdog tag team. They displayed their spending skepticism (with maybe a wee bit of sarcasm) Tuesday night, when a proposal to spend $340,000 to a consultant for rain gardens came up:

Also Tuesday, the council:

Home-schooling gets another unintended boost:

In most math problems, zero would never be confused with 50, but a handful of schools nationwide have set off an emotional academic debate by giving minimum scores of 50 for students who fail.

Officials in schools from Las Vegas to Dallas to Port Byron, N.Y., have proposed or implemented versions of such a policy, with varying results.

Give thanks that freedom of speech is still valued on this side of the pond (at least outside college campuses):

A teenager is facing prosecution for using the word "cult" to describe the Church of Scientology.

The unnamed 15-year-old was served the summons by City of London police when he took part in a peaceful demonstration opposite the London headquarters of the controversial religion.

[. . .]