The News and Observer today warns that mosquito born viruses are on the rise in North Carolina.  Actually this comes as no surprise. In a little noticed line item in this year?s budget, DENR?s Division of Environmental Health cut mosquito control funding to local governments in half ($330,000).  All of the money from last year wasn’t spent (of course, we were in the middle of a record drought last year) so they just cut it for this year.  Now it’s raining again, the mosquitoes are out and now the money has been cut.  So much for government planning.

Apparently lawmakers needed that money for other pressing needs.  Johnson and Wales culinary school in Charlotte got $1 million, the polar bears are getting a new $4.5 million exhibit and the John Coltrane Music Hall gets $100,000, just  to name a few.

Now, that stings!