Not “faith-based”?—In Florida, charter schools are privately run but get tax dollars. One in Pensacola has been charged with hiring out students to do roadwork. They attend school an hour a day and work the rest. They get paid, but the school takes a cut.

Free enterprise—In Ohio, when their three-year-old collapsed, the low-income parents called Snell, an ambulance service that didn’t accept Medicaid. The family knew that ambulances taking Medicaid were unreliable, and the Snell service was said to be better. Medicaid pays a bit over $119. The Snell company bashed them with a bill of $799.29. Co-owner Joan Snell graciously declared, “They can pay $5 for the rest of their lives.”

Blair’s concerned “Labour” gov’t—In England, several hundred cataract patients were subjected to defective lens implants. Somehow calcium accumulated on the lens with consequent cloudiness. Damage suits are under way.

Package deal—An activist in pushing for religion in the work place, Harvard fellow Laura Nash explains: “This is about self-improvement, good behavior, good conscience and networking. It’s all very American.”

To do or voodoo?—“[Calif. Gov.] Schwarzenegger has long to-do list to boost business”—News headline.

The sponsors too?—“Bill to penalize corrupt officials quietly dies”—Headline on California legislature story.

Didn’t bust the family?—In Carlsbad, California, cops showed up with a warrant and a dog to search for an indoors marijuana garden. The warrant was issued on the basis that Dina Dagy’s electric bill was $250 a month. (The police regularly scan utility bills to see if anyone’s expending undue energy to raise pot). The cops checked out Dagy and her three youngsters. They found that Mom’s dishwasher and laundry machines ran all day. There were three computers, and the children didn’t relate to turning off lights. Dagy has demanded a formal police apology. Authorities respond they already apologized, verbally.

Thought for the week—“It’s hard to believe a high utility bill would be enough to issue a state warrant.”—Dina Dagy.  
 
 
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