Thanks, but I'll just buy my own banjo.

Today's Roanoke Times editorial: "Give culture its due -- and its funding.

[At last week's Cultural Summit 2005], participants floated sensible responses to the deficient funding of Roanoke institutions; a local, dedicated tax...

House Majority Leader Morgan Griffin, R-Salem...quashed hopes of a local culture tax by declaring the idea would be dead on arrival in the General Assembly.

In other words, the assembly won't provide the tax money to support institutions such as Center in the Square, and neither will local government if the assembly can help it.

A "culture tax."

Let me repeat.

A "culture tax."

Good grief, Charlie Brown.