Friday's Odds and Ends

Thousands of companies that received money via the economic stimulus efforts, are apparently not taking care of their tax payments. According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, almost 4,000 companies that received contracts or government grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are delinquent on $750 million-plus in unpaid corporate taxes and excise and unemployment taxes.

Thank you so much for your part in keeping the national debt so high.

Book banning is alive and well in Dallas where Slaughterhouse Five has just been banned by the School Board because of offensive language and graphic violence. Apparently a parent wrote to the school board to complain about the offensive content and the board agreed to pull the book from high school libraries. Commenting on this decision, Dallas Morning News columnist, Jacquielynn Floyd wrote, "they're making the anti-literate statement that staying ignorant is preferable to exposure to ideas and that a single word that offends one person must be withheld from all."

Offering a counterpoint, Mark Davis, another DMN columnist, wrote that, "It is the role of school trustees to restrict works to reflect a town's prevailing views."

Silly me. I thought books were chosen on the basis of the literary merit, not the personal tastes of a board of trustees that is comprised of business people and community leaders. Shouldn't the teachers be choosing what books will enhance a student's learning?

In keeping with my wish to always end with something positive. I was positively delighted to read a recent news story about a California school superintendent who gave up his $288,000 annual salary for three-and a half years to save educational programs in Fresno County.Kudo's to Larry Powell for that act of generosity and integrity

See, all you well-heeled administrators, CEOs, and members of Congress. It can be done.