Keep officers as safe as possible

Dart — To Polk County Sheriff Chris Abril, for failing to communicate with his counterpart in Henderson County, Rick Davis. Sheriff Davis released a letter June 9 warning Abril to stop sending undercover deputies into Henderson County to make drug buys, cultivate sources or do other law enforcement work without clearing it with Davis' office. Davis said the practice endangers both Polk and Henderson county lawmen.

"Narcotics officers working undercover need to know who is who," Davis told reporter John Harbin. Without communication, he said, Henderson County officers may arrest other law enforcement personnel "for performing criminal enterprises while acting under the color of law."

Such enterprises can be fraught with danger by their very nature, without the complication of having other officers thinking that they have stumbled across a drug deal that they need to bust up.

Abril needs to make crystal clear to his deputies that they must notify Henderson County of any undercover operations here, and he needs to discipline deputies who fail to do so.

Laurel — To friends of Vince Colan, for honoring his service by raising a flag at City Hall on "Captain Vincent J. Colan Day." Some were friends from the Republican Party, some from the Eagles, a retired officers club, and others from the Pearl Harbor Day Commemorative Committee he founded. They showed the importance of friendship, community and remembering.

Dart — To the state Senate, for approving a bill to repeal the land transfer tax. Lawmakers gave counties the option to triple the tax last year if voters approved it by referendum. It has failed in all 20 counties that put the question on the ballot so far — which seems a clear indication of its traction with voters. Senators just can't resist pandering to the winners once the outcome is known. The Legislature should leave it alone. As times get tight, some counties might find the tax an attractive alternative to raising property taxes. The land transfer tax has been openly debated in 20 counties and lost in all of them. That ought to be enough to persuade legislators that voters can decide this just fine without their interference.

Dart — To a Belgian company, for making a bid to take over Anheuser-Busch. InBev has offered $46.3 billion to add Budweiser to its own Stella Artois and Beck's beers. If the deal goes through, the company would be the world's largest brewer.

But there's just something un-American about the red, white and blue Budweiser label being owned by a foreign company. Bud has become as American as apple pie. Its Clydesdales are an enduring fixture in Super Bowl ads and the label even has an eagle swooping through the "A" in Anheuser. The market will decide, of course, but here's hoping the famous St. Louis family keeps the brew in American hands.