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Nov 07, 2009 (The Roanoke Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- These little piggies stayed home

One more time, folks: People are catching H1N1 -- also known as swine flu -- from people, not pigs, though pigs, a cat and a ferret have caught the virus from people.

Someone forgot to copy Capitol Police and the D.C. Health Department on the message. According to The Hill, Capitol Police notified People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that they could not bring along pigs, tons of manure or gallons of swine urine for a staged protest "due to significant health concerns about the possible spread of the H1N1 virus."

Wouldn't you know that's exactly the same message PETA was trying to get across. Organizers wanted to use giant fans to spread the smell to draw attention to swine flu and the mistreatment of animals.

Speaking of which, would PETA really risk pigs' welfare by taking them to the nation's pork capital?

Sculpting an arts and cultural district

Roanoke City Council is looking to deepen its support of the arts. New state legislation allows localities to create arts and cultural districts and offer them a variety of support, including forgoing certain taxes.

The district that council proposes will most likely be confused with the arts district the city already has. But it is broader, encompassing not only places were cultural activities already exist but places (such as Patterson Avenue) where the city would like to see artists emerge.

At question is how many additional city dollars should go toward the district. Roanoke will spend $1.8 million this year on capital support, real estate exemptions and on the arts commission. On a per capita basis, the city spends three times as much as Charlottesville to support the arts.

City staff recommends that council lend marketing support to the district but back away from plans to lift the admissions tax, sales tax and business license fees. That would cost another $220,000 -- $80,000 of which goes to city schools.

Councilman Dave Trinkle, who is pushing for the incentives, doesn't like that.

"What we're proposing is fluffy. I was hoping for something deeper," he said.

To which Councilman Court Rosen countered, "I'd argue the best way to support a gallery is to go in and buy their artwork."

Next, a public meeting with "stakeholders" to hear the type of incentives they think would be effective. It's a good place to start.

Speeders no longer need to look up

Virginians, can you keep a secret? Those signs on the highways that warn, "Speed limit enforced by aircraft"? Well, they aren't true anymore.

Virginia began patrolling the state's roads from the air nearly a decade ago. In 2001, the first year of the program, state police issued 2,145 tickets. It was never so good again. State police have repeatedly had to scale back the program for lack of funds. Last year, only one mission launched and it led to only 14 tickets.

Now officials announce they will halt the flights entirely. Chalk it up as one more service that fiscally irresponsible lawmakers left to wither and die.

Del. Jim Shuler of Blacksburg, who sponsored the original bill to create the patrols, thinks that given the current revenue crisis in Richmond, the soonest the patrols might resume is 2011. After Tuesday's election, even that might be optimistic.

Seeing as no state agency has dollars to spare, there probably isn't money to take down the highway signs, and that can work to the commonwealth's advantage. Sure, we all know they don't mean anything anymore, but if no one blabs, visitors and truckers might fall for them. They'll see the signs and hopefully some will worry enough about aircraft to slow down.

Groundless paranoia is all Virginia can afford.

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