Bumper sticker of the week: Despite the high cost of living, it's still extremely popular. --

Quotes of the week: Bushisms. ''We need an energy bill that encourages consumption. ''

''There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, Fool me once, shame on, shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again. ''

''See, we love -- we love freedom. That's what they didn't understand. They hate things; we love things. They act out of hatred; we don't seek revenge, we seek justice out of love. '' George W. Bush--

''Lord of the Rings'' declared evil: I'll give you evil. How about so called Christians that would call homosexuals perverts; how about right-winged Christians interfering with a woman's right to seek a legal abortion; how about faith so shallow that it is unable or unwilling to recognize scientific evidence of evolution; Christians who would censor anything that doesn't meet their narrow minded specifications; how about our brethren who would have us believe their way is the only way to find God. If all we had to worry about were movies and books, I would consider the world a much better place. Instead I got to worry about whether these right-winged ministers got congregations. That's really scary. --

Music is everything that war is not. --

America takes the stand of not talking or bargaining with North Korea or Iraq: The Bush administration prefers fighting and intimidation above negotiating. This demonstrates the level of intelligence at work in Washington, and the fact that none of these jokers are going to have kids on the front lines. You're much more apt to support war when you can stay a safe distance from it. --

The ''welfare to work'' program, never a well-thought-out or reasonably executed plan, is falling apart due to soaring unemployment: The Bush administration is attempting to hide recent figures which show the welfare rolls once again growing. This is a Clinton monster that reared its ugly head so he could get reelected. And it is a program the Bush administration loves. It frees up money that would otherwise be used to help the poor to make their friends richer. This is called Bushenomics. --

Bush is about to propose more tax breaks and refunds for the rich. 64% of the American public thinks he is nuts. This will soon change to 100%. --

A Galesburg Manifesto:

1. The city manager wants to hang onto the cash surplus the city has built up over the last years. He wants to save it for a rainy day. He hasn't noticed it's pouring.

2. Emphasis needs to move away from attempting to attract businesses by giving them tax breaks and other corporate welfare to creating a community that a business owner cannot help but want to be a part of.

3. The mayor and council need to take charge. These are the elected officials responsible to the public. The city manager and administration are there to help the mayor and council do their jobs. Not vice-versa.

4. We cannot let real estate taxes get out of hand. People can no longer afford to live in their homes. A community cannot survive by bankrupting its citizens in the name of some kind of misguided progress.

5. People need to step forward to help promote tolerance, acceptance, and participation of/by/and for everyone in the community. Anything less works to diminish our success in recruiting business and entrepreneurs who would be willing to invest in a progressive and open community.

6. The Knox County Board and Galesburg city council need to work hand in hand, particularly over the next 4 years, to help us meet the challenges that we will be faced with. This has been a long time in coming. Some key individuals will need to be replaced in order to make this happen.

7. The council needs persons who are not going to sit back and allow things to continue as they have over the last 20 years. Now is not the time to go backward. What has been needs to come to an end in order for Galesburg to move forward. We need people who have a vision for what Galesburg can become, not someone who wishes it would go back to what it once was.

8. Positive doubt is a necessary ingredient to move Galesburg forward. If there is no questioning, there is no progress. Mediocrity will prevail unless someone stirs the pot.

9. Quality of life issues are more important than a council endorsing brick streets or bickering over golf course fees. Someone other than the city manager needs to give the council direction. That someone should be the mayor! It may need to be someone else.

10. The council needs to prioritize its goals and resources. With the largest company in town fixing to leave, things have changed. The council has not.