In 1789, when Benjamin Franklin said “In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes,” even a mind as great as his couldn’t have predicted the surreal state of our tax system at the beginning of 2010. By not properly prioritizing the legislative agenda, our Congress has failed to preempt the one-year repeal of the estate “death” tax and the inevitable mess that will ensue.

EDITOR,

Many of you will be approached in the next few months by someone carrying a clipboard and asking you to sign a petition to save California’s state parks.

• Felicity Portia Rosemary Boddy Strong was born at 12:52 p.m. Nov. 30, 2009, to Michele Avril (Boddy) and Paul David Strong of Scotts Valley. She weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces, at Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center in Santa Cruz.

Bethany men throttled despite Moore’s 30