Your Government in Action, A Play In Three Parts

Act I. Seattle.

A Town Clerk asks a 12 year old girl to deliver some Health Department stickers. She gets fined for littering:

WINTHROP — A Winthrop marshal has fined a 12-year-old girl $124 for for littering.

The Wenatchee World reports that Marina Brownlee was distributing health department stickers around town for the city clerk when she allegedly littered around the town.

...

Grace says her daughter cried for hours after she was reprimanded by the marshal and that Dahlstrom "browbeat" her to admit guilt.

Brownlee is due in court next month.

Welcome to the Regulatory State, Marina!

Act II. Sale, U.K.

WWII Veteran confronted by four police constables for riding his bicycle on the sidewalk ("pavement" in English English):

Police were accused of being 'heavy handed' today after four officers were dispatched to deal with a 84-year old World War Two veteran - because he was riding his bicycle on the pavement.

Great grandfather James Gresty was chased into a bank by two police community support officers after they said he was cycling on the path outside.

The pair ordered Mr Gresty to come outside for a ticking off but when he refused they called for 'back-up' from two other regular officers in a nearby police van.

...

'I asked them if I would get a caution but they said: 'No, it's an on the spot fine of £30.' I am not going to pay it - no chance. They can take me to court.

Mr. Gresty, thank you very much for your service defending Civilization in its Darkest Hour, but please sent a banker's checque to your local police station. It is, after all, a "on the spot fine." Can't make exceptions, don't you know.

And "called for backup"? For a great grandfather riding his bike on the sidewalk? Look on your works, ye Leftie-Statists, and despair.

Personally, I think that a violation of the "Washington Post Rule"* should be a firing offense for a government bureaucrat. You'd solve this in a jiffy with a lot fewer government bureaucrats.

Act III. Sicily.

How big are "renewable" subsidies for wind power? Big enough to attract the Mafia:

Attracted by the prospect of generous grants designed to boost the use of alternative energies, the so-called "eco Mafia" has begun fraudulently creaming off millions of euros from both the Italian government and the European Union.

And nowhere has the industry's reputation become more tarnished than Sicily, where windmills now dot the horizon in Mafia strongholds like Corleone, the town better known as the setting for the Godfather films.

"Nothing earns more than a wind farm," said Edoardo Zanchini, an environmental campaigner who has investigated Mafia infiltration of the industry. "Anything that creates wealth interests the Mafia."

What, 5 billion a year in subsidies attracts the sordid underbelly dwellers? Say it ain't so. I mean, we're saving the planet here!

Exeunt.

* As I was told as a larval engineer at Three Letter Intelligence Agency, "Anything you read about this Agency in the Washington Post is bad for this Agency."