"Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?"-- this was a little bit of worthless information that found itself to my computer.

There was an editorial in one of our state papers which caught my eye. It was about a proposal from a senator from Louisiana to "find a middle ground" on the Death Tax.

The figure now is that the heirs of $1 million dollars or more has to pay a sizeable tax. This will go out in 2010.

What will the government do to recover the lost revenue? The senator, from the Pelican State, practically the poorest state in the nation, offers a new figure of $4 million of taxable estate value.

This, to me, smacks as another building block to making America a socialist country.

Turning to those who are smart enough and whose families are successful, the "ultra-wealthy", to pay the way of the rest of us is not the progam I'd be proud of. In a way, it discourages capital growth.

A flat tax, not the 30% - 50% brackets that are now and have been in place for years, is the fairest and more democratic means of filling the nation's coffers.

Not too many folks that I know, including myself, like paying taxes, but as sure as death, it's going to happen. Let's keep the playing field as level as possible.

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It was sad news to read the fax about the obituary of Mr. B. D. Polston's death. He had been in bad health for a long time.

B. D. Polston & Son Builders Supply, Inc. was one of the first visits that I made after arriving in Lafayette more than nine years ago.

I could tell that this was indeed a gentleman and one who knew his business from the size of a nail to the volume of pea gravel my pickup would hold.

Up until the past year, Mr. Polston would come by the paper each Wednesday and I or Barbara would walk out to his truck with his paper.

Many mornings he would have some news about one of his grandchildren -- he was sure proud of them. We would always hold our breath when he drove off. He'd whip that steering wheel to the right and tear off up Times Avenue, not giving whatever was behind him the first blink.

B. D. Polston lived a long, successful life, had a world of good friends and a fine family who loved him.

Our deep condolences to his loved ones.

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From all indications it looks like both the Walking Horse Show and Hillbilly Days were very successful, each having good crowds this weekend.

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SIGNS THAT YOU LIVE IN THE YEAR 2002 -- "You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three."