By Dan Irvin
While our weather can’t figure out what month it is, the calendar this morning says March.
That means the Illinois primary in a couple of weeks. Maybe my memory is faulty but it seems like a lot more of the races are up for grabs this election cycle. I’d say it’s kind of important to get out there and exercise your constitutional rights on March 15th. When I get frustrated with our political system I try to keep in mind that at least I have a vote. The government isn’t simply the side with the most and biggest guns like it still is in too much of our world.
It means Arch Madness for the Missouri Valley Conference and the ISU Redbirds down in St Louis later this week. I can’t wait for that.
In means that personally, it’s time to stop procrastinating the tax calculations and get filed. Publicly budgeting continues: the budget impasse in the state is more than ever, it seems, straining higher education and social services. Bloomington has a balanced budget to work from. Hopefully, that’s good.
Now here’s a financial story: So we’re visiting my in-laws in south New Jersey over the weekend. Saturday night, my mother in law has made pulled pork but we need rolls. My wife and I say we’ll go out and get a bottle of wine and pick up rolls at the grocery store.
“No, no,” says my father in law, who is in his 90s and knows a thing or two about rolls. “You have to go to Bonomos Bakery.” “Fine,” I say.
We find Bonomos. Nice helpful Italian guy behind the counter. We get a dozen rolls and, because dinner is several hours off, a couple of pretzels. “How much,” I say.
“Six dollars,” says the Italian guy.
“For all this, that’s cheap,” I say.
“Seven dollars,” he says.
That’s quick thinking; Very quick. I would vote for that guy.
Dan Irvin is Vice-President of the Bloomington Public Library Foundation Board, and a member of the Heartland Community College Foundation Board.
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