Meanwhile. . .

Lowering the Bar - Speaking of what historians will remember as “democracy,” voters in Baker City, Oregon, confronted the following important ballot measure in May: “Do citizens of Baker City wish to approve the sale of a 1995 backhoe for a sum that exceeds $10,000?” They did, overwhelmingly. By a smaller but still sizeable margin, they also voted to amend the city charter so the council can sell surplus equipment worth more than $10,000 without having to ask them every damn time.