Will Rogers liked to say, “All I know is what I read in the papers!” And then he would quote something that demonstrated what fools these mortals be.

I like to read about Utah in the state-by-state news items in USA Today to see what the rest of the country has noticed about our home-sweet-home. Today’s newsbyte is from Pleasant View. That’s not quite in Color Country, but it’s close. Besides, I think the same thing that caught my eye would probably be true down here.

“Utah: Pleasant View - A resident faces drug charges after firefighters responding to a fire at his home found $78,000 in marijuana plants. … yadda, yadda … Firefighters knocked a hole and found about 130 plants.”

Now … My math tells me that works out to $600 a plant. I’m no expert on mary jane pricing but it seems to me that is a pretty good rate! In fact, I’d be willing to guesstimate that somebody is … well, lets say “operating at the limits of credibility.”

Is it …

• A cop who needs to pad a monthly report?
• Pleasant View authorities who have become a little hyperventilated at the discovery of killer weed right in their backyard?
• Or maybe they’re really just pricing out the cost of fighting this scourge in their community and applying the number to the only result they have.

Whatever they’re doing, it’s a pretty good advertisement for prospective agricultural entrepreneurs.