Things overheard at state government door

   A while back, I was listening at the state government door, and here’s what I heard.

   Mr. Fed’ral: “Well sir, I am going to give you twenty-million dollars to fix up your insurance programming cause we passed that pesky 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. I know it will be complicated and you’ll need some cash to help you get started.”

   Mr. Otter: “No sir. I say Idaho doesn’t want your filthy lucre. We want to spend our own money to set up that pesky and absolutely unneeded gov’ment program. After all, we are Idaho and we know how to handle everything without the help of the darned bloated government.”

   Mr. Fed’ral: “Hmmm. Then, Mr. Otter, by your reasoning, you wouldn’t mind if I dropped your education funding, your highway funding and a few other pesky as, you call ‘em, unneeded gov’ment programs which you always accept money from me. That should really make you happy, since you don’t like to accept my — your words — handouts. Besides, Mississippi and Louisiana can use the cash after that pesky big wind.”

   At that point I had to get back to my dithering, knowing my governor had my interests at heart.

   n John Belville, Nampa