A small insight--Complaining of fund shortages, police departments are considering selling ad space on patrol cars. Not all of them buy the idea. According to AP, some joke about "the poor guy who gets stuck driving a car with an ad for a feminine hygiene product, or worse." And the chief in one New Jersey town declares, "I don’t want my officers driving around in a car that says, "Trojan ribbed for extra pleasure."

Matter of values--"NEW YORK--World Trade Center rescue dogs are getting better, more expensive, and longer-term medical monitoring than World Trade Center rescue people."--New York Daily News.

Grand petty larceny--With a token corporate tax structure, the island of Bermuda continues to attract big-time U.S. companies who are allergic to paying even the modest U.S. corporate taxes. Like, for instance, Tyco International--where the top dogs got caught with their paws in the cookie jar--has its headquarters officially located there. Of its 240,000 employees, two actually live there.

Next, deportations?--"Tardy sweeps" are a new practice at San Leandro high school in California. At class starting times, teachers are instructed to lock the doors. Tardy students are swept up in the hallways and subjected to one hour "detention." A forward-looking assistant principal said the school had developed into "a culture where the kids didn’t really take bells ringing seriously. I hate to be draconian, but I like to see them scurrying."

Concise--The Oakland Tribune story about the San Leandro sweeps added that many students responded with a like term: "It sucks."

Subversive lawmakers?--The California legislature recently enacted a statute requiring a warning to credit-card users how much and how long it will take to erase a $5,000 balance with minimum monthly payments--40 years. The law was short-lived. According to AP, a federal judge accused the lawmakers of "meddling in the business of banks."

Start the year right--It’s a modest and, we trust, nonaddictive habit to send clippings for this column. Please send to Great Society, c/o Pathfinder Book, 4229 S. Central Avenue, Los Angeles , CA 90011.  
 
 
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