Reflections on today's local news

• Let me see if I understand this: Teachers are supposed to infuse our students with some levels of basic knowledge so that these students can hopefully make their way in the world. But, if I read this correctly, if the teachers fail in that endeavor, that's OK.
• Area pawnshop operators: Be on the alert for someone walking into your shop with what looks like brand spanking new Nikon cameras and/or lenses.
• This could put a damper on 24-hour room service.
• Something tells me we haven't heard the last about this -- at least, I hope we haven't. I dunno, there's just something about this guy being a bank official combined with the current state of the economy, home foreclosures, etc., that makes me think there's much more to this.
• It wouldn't break my heart if the state Transportation Department did go out of business. This outfit is not now nor has it ever been concerned with transportation in Texas. It has been obsessed with one thing and one thing only -- highways. The ideal solution to this would be for the governor to call a special legislative session that charges lawmakers with creating a new agency that deals with all forms of transportation. But with Gov. Hair presiding in Austin, the chances of acting like we're actually in the 21st century, are nil.
• While most folks around here are discussing the environmental impact studies associated with constructing a high-speed tollroad in a floodway, this study could have an even more significant impact on our area. It directly concerns both the air we breathe and the entire economy of Midlothian.