The Rant is The News-Sentinel's anonymous sound-off line. The readers' views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The News-Sentinel.

Now that the state has sent in the Cambridge group to tell them why their high schools are failing … FWCS can work on something more important, namely getting buildings like (Southwest Allen County Schools).

It's no wonder the police department has not beaten the fire department at flag football in seven years. Have you seen what some of the police officers look like? I'm surprised they can pass a physical.

Pumpkin latte! Really, people? Really?

What is wrong with the prosecutor's office? They can't win a major case without a plea agreement. And when they lose they blame everyone else.

Reduce or repeal the food-and-beverage tax instead of deciding what new projects will be funded with it. The tax was originally temporary to pay for the (Memorial) Coliseum (improvements), and keeping a portion makes sense to keep it maintained, but if it can be done with less … give us all a break.

Someone, please retire the hideous skeletons festooning downtown Fort Wayne. They look like the remnants of a teenage boy's Halloween bash. Can the city focus on more of a harvest theme or at least something less trashy? Ditto for zombie night.

It is aggravating as well as disappointing when I hear members of Congress saying government can't do anything efficiently. What exactly do they think their jobs are if not to make government work more efficiently? If this task is beyond them, then they shouldn't be there.

Not all police officers drive their take-home car to the store. I did, however, see one female officer's “significant other” driving her car around, which should not be.

Why are the insurance companies socking us with higher deductibles, co-pays and medication hikes? Is it revenge for even talking about health care reform? … This is going to hurt the average family, and more people will be neglected because they cannot afford care or face going bankrupt.

I'm so tired of people saying Medicare and veterans' benefits are already socialized medicine. Veterans who are getting care at VA hospitals were government employees, and that's their insurance. People on Medicare have been paying into it for years … and that's their insurance. Not socialist.

Why am I not surprised nobody showed up at the public hearing on Renaissance Square. The city routinely asks for public input, but goes ahead with what it wanted to do anyway. In fact, they've already hired two architectural firms to determine the space requirements, etc. … Just more wasted money.

So, what is Superintendent of Education Tony Bennett going to do about the days schools have less than 80 percent attendance due to illness and the schools close? Is this a good enough reason to waive makeup days?

Isn't there a better place than the Carew Center to give (vaccines)? Not everyone can stand for four hours on a staircase.

Well, President Obama, you got the runoff election (in Afghanistan). Now it's time to make a decision. Don't wait until the middle of winter to move more troops in.

The Rant is a great exchange of ideas. But it is not a conduit to officially let the politicians know what we want. … The politicians want official counts and attendance at hearings, not Rants.

It seems every decision the city wants to make needs a consultant or citizens' input before a decision can be made. We have city leaders? Give (former mayor) Graham Richard credit; right or wrong, he pushed through on his own.

National Serv-All … (offered) the city a contract extension … for two more years. But Mayor Henry agreed to only a one-year extension. Is that so he will still be in office when a new contract is signed?

It doesn't really matter what the mayor thinks about a referendum (on gaming) being city only. The effect of a casino doesn't stop at the city limits. A referendum should be the whole county.

Mayor Tom Henry was on the radio this morning, reminding all of us that he can speak only for the city. He has no power in the county. A countywide referendum would be up to the county commissioners, not the mayor.