3 Up, 3 Down

A burger both beleaguered and iconic just got a boost from dear old Waynesboro. Paying for a property tax increase under the city reassessment, City Councilwoman Lorie Smith explained, will cost the equivalent of a Big Mac and fries for owners of median-priced homes. That’s worth it, she said, to keep up services. We said tell that to people who’ve lost jobs. That sparked a City Hall protest led by local Democrats, featuring people chomping on the now-beloved burger in support of increased taxes. Never mind that the issue had substantively been decided by that point (a tax increase is all but certain). Also forget that Big Macs widen waistlines. Sometimes, the idea of two all-beef patties just feels so right.
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Reader Tim Harrison reminded us in a letter to the editor this week that National Teacher Day is Tuesday. To the thoroughly dedicated among teachers at schools public, private and home, we offer a tip of the cap.
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Among the flowers blooming amid the recessionary cracks, thrift is in vogue again. A feature in The Wall Street Journal describes the trend: Repair shops are booming as people seek to preserve rather than cast off and buy new.
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Blame it on the World Health Organization for squealing on pigs. Fearing the dread swine flu pandemic, Egypt began slaughtering the roughly 300,000 porkers who inhabit the country. Until WHO officials tapped Egypt on the shoulder with news welcome in sties everywhere: Uh, pigs aren’t really the problem. To clear up confusion, WHO responded by promptly giving the swine flu a name nobody understands: H1N1 influenza. We’re still investigating to determine whether local satellite networks carry H1N1.
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Debuting a new Three Down feature, which we’ll call Say It Ain’t So, Joe: A couple of safety precautions, regarding H20 flu, or whatever it’s called: Wash hands thoroughly and lock the vice president in a closet. As the Obama Administration sought to quell simmering panic, Joe Biden marched onto the “Today” show and advised people against boarding airplanes. To which the White House responded by announcing that Biden soon would be flying to the Balkans. No word yet on the booking of a return flight.
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What? Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter is a Democrat now? Behold the maverick’s conviction. Especially knowing that conservative challenger Pat Toomey likely would have won next year’s GOP Senate primary. Now watch your backs, Democrats.