Not long ago, New York Times editorialist Anthony Thompson asked an interesting question: “When do communities want prisoners in their backyard?”

The answer: when it’s census-taking time.

The reason for this sudden reversal of the commonplace NIMBY (not in my backyard) position has to do with money—a lot of it.

She thought it was a good deed; the law said otherwise, and 67-year-old Sandra McFeeley learned she could face two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. For pruning.

Deputy Police Chief Rick Watson said his officers had grounds to make the arrest because the parks department filed a report of damage.