Treehouse
 

The Welch family treehouse in Clinton must be larger than it appears in the photographs — for it houses a political soap opera, a national media circus and misplaced victory celebration.

The city of Clinton has a perfectly reasonable zoning ordinance on the books designed to protect the property values of all residents of the city. Mayor Rosemary Aultman and the Clinton Board of Alderman have taken perfectly reasonable steps to enforce that ordinance.

It's a simple issue. The city contends that the Welch family's $5,000, front yard treehouse violates city zoning ordinances and should be removed. The Welch family contends that the treehouse was built under a prior ordinance and that the structure is legal.

Earlier this week, Hinds County Circuit Judge Tomie T. Green agreed with the Welch family.

During this tempest-in-a-teapot, the CBS Evening News rolled into town and painted a predictable picture of little children fighting City Hall to save their playhouse.

That makes a poignant story, but tugging at heartstrings won't gloss over the facts.

Unfortunately, the judge's ruling weakens the ability of the city to protect the property values of all citizens in Clinton — including the Welch family.

Would such a structure stand in other metro Jackson cities, say Madison? No. Why? Because Madison's city government is serious about responsible zoning laws.

Clinton's city government should hold fast.

Fair traffic
 

The Neshoba County Fair is in full swing and central Mississippi highways will be flooded with fairgoers over the next week. Drivers should take extra caution.

The Highway Patrol consistently chooses the week of the fair to institute road blocks and increased patrols on the highways leading to and from the fairgrounds.

That increased enforcement is already visible and alcohol enforcement should continue to be a top priority.

Between the fair and the Pearl River Resort attractions, Neshoba County enters what could be called a "perfect storm" for danger and tragedy on the highways over the next several days.

At Mississippi's Giant Houseparty, the parties should be relegated to the fair houses, not the highways.
 

Head Start

The U.S. House's 217-216 margin for the Republican plan to remake the Head Start program shows deep divisions over the issue of turning the successful preschool program over to state control.

Leave it alone   Head Start is an integral part of the social and educational landscape in rural Mississippi. The Republican plan to give states control of aspects of the program invites budget mischief from cash-strapped states.

The bill now heads to the Senate.

President Bush rallied Republicans in Congress to revise the 38-year-old Head Start program to emphasize literacy skills and give states flexibility to mesh instruction with their own preschool plans.

The Head Start program provides preschool education, health and nutrition programs for 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families.

"We want Head Start to set higher standards for the million children it serves," Bush said. "No one wants Head Start to change; we just want additional focus."

Bush and House Republicans want to let a handful of states take over Head Start programs and blend them with existing state-financed preschool programs.

Critics say the plan would leave states unaccountable to federal performance standards for Head Start.

Opponents fear the Republican plan is an attempt to weaken the federal presence in the program at a time when state's are cash-strapped.

In Mississippi, state government has a rather lousy record of keeping faith with the public on trust funds, special funds and other earmarked funds being used for the purposes for which they were intended.

Several Head Start officials have expressed justifiable fears that funds intended for existing programs will be diverted to satisfy other education needs.

With the House's Head Start bill now heading to the Senate, surely Mississippi's U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott know the worth of the program in Mississippi and the impact that a retreat from the existing Head Start program would have, especially in rural Mississippi.

Head Start is working in Mississippi. Leave it alone.