— Bumper sticker of the week: Why is there always money for war but none for health-care?

— Quotes of the week: ÒWeÕre in a giant car heading toward a brick wall and everyoneÕs arguing over where theyÕre going to sit.Ó David Suzuki

ÒThe time to begin most things is ten years ago.Ó Mignon McLaughlin

— The council giveth and taketh away: A 14% raise in real estate taxes! At the last council meeting, it took them all of ten minutes to give BNSF a tax break. Galesburg remains a prime example of the home owner assuming a larger and larger share of the property tax burden, while businesses move out or bail out of their obligation. The city council wants us to pay up, even though our property is based on a market value that no longer exists. The burden has become unbearable for many elderly and fixed income families. Much of the property tax goes to pay city employees who have an excellent health-care plan, decent wages, and a good retirement plan, something many of the citizens no longer have. We pay for something we ourselves donÕt get. To a taxpayer, that donÕt make any sense at all. Or shouldnÕt. What can we do about it? The same thing businesses are. Hire ourselves someone to fight it. If 100 of us go together, we can make it worth while for someone to protest our real estate taxes. Our taxes should be going down, not up. Market value is down. ItÕs time to stop this nonsense. Why not here? Why not now?

— The President signs torture bill into law: Congress does it again. Passes an illegal international law, and the President, of course, since he doesnÕt pay any attention to international law, signs it. All we can hope for is that one day the President and congress are captured in a war zone. That would be a fitting ending to a lousy law. But thatÕs not likely to happen. They keep their distance. ThatÕs what our kids are for. It amounts to bad government, lousy laws, international crimes.

— Joe Lieberman wants Democrats to change their ways. We want him to change his party.

— Happy 300 millionth person in the U.S. The kiss of death.

— Speaking of real estate taxes and GalesburgÕs downfall: My wife and I bought a home in Arkansas worth three times what our home here is worth. On ArkansasÕ # 1 golf course. The bottom line: We pay the same real estate taxes as we pay here. (ThatÕs before a proposed 14% increase. Here.). And the big dogs wonder why people are leaving.

— I canÕt wait for the election. IÕm having nightmares over how the Democrats will screw it up before Nov. 7.

— Whoever knew about Congressman Foley and didnÕt do anything should be sent home. Democrat or Republican.

— Speaking of Foley: So far, the congressman has declared himself an alcoholic and was molested by a priest, presumably when he was young. While perhaps explaining some of his behavior, it doesnÕt excuse it.

— In the scheme of things, there are only two things worse than death: taxes and hemorrhoids.

— I voted early. Democrats three, Republicans zero.

— My golf game has gotten better since I retired. ItÕs not that IÕm playing all that much. I think itÕs because I have so much less stress. I can go out and address the ball and it doesnÕt talk back. Nor does it yell at me for not having my paperwork done. If the ball does me wrong, I just throw it in the pond and get out another one. I couldnÕt do that at work. I didnÕt work at the post office.