WHO: Porn industry giants Larry Flynt and Joe Francis
: Flynt and Francis are asking the government, as have so many others before them, to send a little economic Viagra — about $5 billion worth — their way.
Who hasn’t wondered, when faced with a paycheck cut in half by income tax, where their tax dollars go? With Maryland’s newly available searchable Web site, you can see expenditures of more than $25,000. This tool won’t prevent poor decisions, but it makes it easier to scrutinize them and push government to do better the next time around. Here’s to lowering the dollar threshold so that all spending above $10,000 makes it to the database. Waste and corruption do not always come in big dollar increments.
WHAT
WHY IT’S A BAD IDEA
: This obvious publicity stunt, while entertaining, is distracting legislators. Can Flynt and Francis possibly think the federal government is going to subsidize porn? No way. Right? The government has been acting a little irrationally lately … but this one is never going to fly. Don’t hold your breath for “Under the Covers with Congress,” folks. This publicity stunt’s 15 minutes of fame are disappearing as quickly as automakers’ sales opportunities.Today’s bright bulb: Making citizens part of the process
Who hasn’t wondered, when faced with a paycheck cut in half by income tax, where their tax dollars go? With Maryland’s newly available searchable Web site, you can see expenditures of more than $25,000. This tool won’t prevent poor decisions, but it makes it easier to scrutinize them and push government to do better the next time around. Here’s to lowering the dollar threshold so that all spending above $10,000 makes it to the database. Waste and corruption do not always come in big dollar increments.
Quote of the day
“People are too depressed to be sexually active … This is very unhealthy as a nation. Americans can do without cars and such, but they cannot do without sex.” — Larry Flynt, of Hustler fame, in a new release. Flynt and “Girls Gone Wild” producer Joe Francis are asking the government for a $5 billion bailout of the porn industry.
