Dear public officials: If you dally, don't do it on our dime!

After covering the snake pit of politics for many years, I was, frankly, glad to be on to other things.

Had I known it was going to get so spicy, maybe I'd have wanted to keep at it.

Who knew we'd be talking about pricey hookers and the recently, um, retired governor of New York?

Or the mayor of Detroit and steamy text messaging?

Or that the real meaning of government affairs was … ahem … just that.

Of course, topping them all was the story that Hillary was home! You. Know. When.

Good grief. I did not need to know that.

I freely admit I read right along with many of you. Who wouldn't? But I simply do not understand why we throw the betrayed spouse into the snake pit.

It seems Gov. Spitzer gets to walk away from his mess and, instead, America chastises his wife for standing beside him. Former President Bill Clinton makes a mess in the White House and now his wife these many years later gets the stink eye for it. Talk about blaming the victim.

Not on our dime!

As for me, and I suspect most of you, it's usually none of our business who sleeps with whom where … unless, they use public dollars, public time or a public place.

That means if we, as taxpayers, are paying for any tax-paid worker -- elected or not -- to get action on the side, then let's welcome them to the front page.

For that matter, if any government employee is using, say, a car provided by taxpayers during time paid for by taxpayers for any sort of non-government business, then it is our business, isn't it?

Many taxpayers are struggling to make ends meet these days. I don't think any of us look too kindly on someone dallying with our dollars on our time -- do you?

A sweet spot

Need a little sweet in your life after all these nasty political scandals? Not to mention the pain of the pump in our wallets? Piece-A-Cake Bakery, long of East Dundee, has opened a second shop west of Randall Road on Route 72 at Industrial Drive in Gilberts. The best part, besides the absolutely delicious soul-soothing sweets you'll find, is they're open until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

I believe you're required to leave the diet at the doorstep.

What's up with that?

An inquiring reader from Carpentersville wondered why she was seeing so many AT&T crews working in the Carpentersville area lately. I've spotted them there as well in a number of northern Fox Valley towns, including Algonquin and Carpentersville. It seemed like an army of AT&T trucks rolled past me the other day.

It turns out they're working on network upgrades to ready for their rollout of their new U-verse, IP-based television service.

What's that, you ask?

Spokesman Meghan Roskopf tells me it's their new TV service, which will include the Big Ten network, more than 40 HD channels, the ability to record up to four programs at once on a DVR and the ability to program that DVR from any Web-enabled wireless phone or PC.

Some of you are going to want the younger members of your family to decipher that. And I feel like I just did a commercial.

Care to comment, Comcast?

Under the lights

Looking for a reasonable night out?

Consider getting tickets for "Guys and Dolls" at the newly remodeled Jacobs High School auditorium April 3-6. Linda Keyes says the musical, featuring a cast of more than 60 students, is "a hilarious evening of complications."

You can get tickets at the school office or at the door (if they are available). The show opens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 3, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $9 for adults, $8 for students and seniors.

So dedicated is this cast, they're rehearsing through their spring break. Let's pack the house!