I heard some comments from a Senator recently which suggests that one
of the "246 programs" Bush has sworn to cut from the Federal Budget in order
to trim the deficit is the subsidy to the Beekeeping industry; the figure I
recall hearing was $90,000. Somehow, it has all the ring of truth, especially
considering that 90g is an absolutely negligible amount relative to the present
budget - a program that could be killed easily, with essentially no one to
complain, cost very few jobs, and still sound good on paper (as long as it
adds one to the tally of 246, I guess). I would urge those of you who have
better connections to check into this matter, and keep the list informed if
anything more substantial turns up. At this rate, the National Science
Foundation itself doesn't seem likely to outlast the end of the century.
- Doug Yanega, trying his hand as a rumor-monger -