If this recession produces one positive outcome, let's hope that it's some semblance of fiscal responsibility among federal, state, and local governments. Many of them never met a program they didn't like-not just grandiose bridges to nowhere and massive bailout packages, but also thousands of smaller cases of largesse and waste costing many billions of taxpayer dollars. Consider this relatively small example. The taxpayers of my town recently defeated a $9 million bond proposal to finance synthetic turf fields, concession stands, lighting, bleachers, and other athletic facility upgrades at various schools in our district-then a few months later were forced to defeat a slightly more modest proposal put up for yet another vote. Evidently, school board and other community "leaders" didn't get the message the first time around: Amid the recession, it's not the time to spend on nice-to-haves, even if they're the product of the noblest of intentions. (The first vote, by the way, lost by 39 votes; the second by 550 votes.)
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