I am witness to a real live miracle this week--a common sense solution to a community problem! The story goes like this...We've only lived in Spokane, WA for a year, but my understanding is that historically they have not charged children anything to use the community swimming pools. With the recent economic downturn the local park department was having a hard time making ends meet. They determined that the pools could no longer be free and started charging $1 per child. But when you're accustomed to free, it's hard to give that up. There was a huge outcry from the community and fears that the new policy would keep the poor from being able to swim. It was a big local hubbub. The parks department was between a rock and a hard place. They either had to find more money or shut down the pools. Raising taxes was not an option and ending the fees wouldn't work either. Amazingly enough, someone came up with a brilliant idea. They have decided to keep the $1 fee for those who c...