Buffalo Chip (shared) to Pleasant Grove and American Fork for not playing by the rules. P.G. failed to properly re-zone an area in which it is digging a pressurized irrigation system. American Fork, which has been taking the excavated dirt, apparently also forgot to re-zone for that. Is there some bug going around, or what? What would make local officials, presumably advised by competent legal counsel, stumble on the most basic aspects of their jobs? A number of other questions have arisen about the project. We'll wait to see how those play out as we continue to build our Rainy Chip Fund for just such contingencies.

Beehives to White House hopefuls for actively courting Utah voters. Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have both opened offices in the state and aired television ads created for Utah. Political observers say this is the first time presidential candidates have run ads aimed specifically at Utahns. In addition, Republican Mitt Romney has opened two offices in the state, mostly as hubs for volunteer efforts. In recent years, candidates have pretty much ignored the Beehive State, so it's nice to be noticed. Enjoy it while it lasts. After the election we'll fade to irrelevance again.

Buffalo Chip to the Utah State Tax Commission for bungling a basic task. The agency withheld too much money from up to 150,000 paychecks. The blunder shaved an average of about $20 per check, and it won't be fixed until February. You won't get your money back for at least a year, when you file your tax return for the year. State officials shrug about the estimated $9 million extra paid to the state. Refunding it now would cost more than it's worth, they say.

Beehive to Utah state representatives for trying to help military veterans. The House Education Committee advanced a bill to expand tuition waivers for surviving dependents of Utah residents killed while on active state duty with the military, and another that would provide honorary high-school diplomas for certain veterans. The House also OK'd $19.7 million for a veterans nursing home in Weber County. We can never really repay the debt, but these are worthy gestures, and we urge lawmakers and the governor to approve them.