Many of us gave and/or received gift cards during the holidays. What a great innovation. Don’t know exactly what someone wants? Give a gift card for a store they like; they can pick out their own gift.

Customers love ‘em and stores love ‘em. Stores can count on that revenue, and, better yet for retailers, most folks spend in excess of the gift card. And when someone forgets to use the card at all or leaves a balance on it, once the card expires, the store keeps that money.

I just learned that in Maryland there’s a law that gift cards must expire after four years.

Now here comes Maryland Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk to do something about this. Like me, you’re probably thinking: “Why do these cards have to expire? Change the law. Leave stores and customers free to choose their own terms of trade.”

But Peña-Melnyk isn’t seeking to change that law. No sir. Instead, she’s seeking to grab the money from expired gift cards. All of it! Every penny.

In defense of her House Bill 30, Peña-Melnyk asks: “Wouldn’t you rather know that if you lost a card, or your card has expired that that money will be put to use for public education?”

Seems only two groups in our society think they should get a cut of every economic transaction: the mob and the politicians. But at least the mob doesn’t try to take 100 percent.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

I hate to get ripped off. Stories about federal workers buying clothes and jewelry and going to bars and strip clubs on Uncle Sam’s credit card drive me crazy. Anything we can do about it? You could solve this problem in a second in your own business. First, regularly audit the credit-card purchases. Second, if an employee has charged personal items to the company issued credit card: “Hey guy, you’re fired.” Simple as that. Stealing is a no-no. The incidents of fraudulent credit card purchases would drop like a stone.

Of course, with the public employee unions wielding such power, firing someone probably takes an act of Congress or maybe even an act of God. Now comes a new plan to evaluate the credit worthiness of federal employees before they even receive a government credit card. Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa argues that the government employees should get a credit check, just like us poor shmucks who get credit that isn’t funded at taxpayers’ expense. Surprise, surprise, Mark Roth of the American Federation of Government Employees, objects, saying, “We consider this another slap, an insult to federal employees.”

Geez, I guess there are hurt feelings all around, because taxpayers feel slapped around a bit, too. Makes me want to punch the guy. I still think we should just fire the people who steal. But, if this plan to toughen requirements for getting a government credit card is the best Congress can offer, I’m for it. Senator Grassley says of the new plan, “This is Common Sense .”

Hey, that’s my line! I’m Paul Jacob.

I don’t like torture. Never have; never will.

Sure, I know some expert interrogators argue that they can save lives by extracting information through torture. But other such experts — and in greater number — contend that the information gleaned by thumb screws is notoriously unreliable.

Still, torture might on some occasions yield information that could save someone’s life. And, yet, I’m still against it. Why?

Well, I support human rights. Our liberties limit government. Our neighbors’ liberties limit what we may do even when we are filled with fear.

As a country, we must not sink to the level of those nations that practice torture. It really does matter how America is seen in the world. Our enemies will be fewer if we folks see us as a shining beacon of freedom, offering the American Dream, rather than just another rogue state threatening terror. Which is what torture is.

We will prevail against terrorism, I’m convinced — unless we lose our good sense and allow expediency to corrupt us.

If today we allow our government to torture foreign terrorist suspects, it won’t stop there. At some point, Americans will be tortured by their own government. Certainly, the usual scenario of needing information to prevent a terrorist attack could involve a U.S. citizen.

If it is okay to torture a foreign terrorist, why not an American terrorist? Why not a murderous gang member? Why not — well, you see where this is going.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Safe for now!

That’s the latest word from Lincoln Square, a commercial block in Chicago that was being targeted for takeover.

This summer, the Chicago Community Development Commission authorized an eminent-domain grab of 36 businesses, whose property would be turned over to an unnamed developer. The owners weren’t happy about having their property grabbed for the sake of installing a more lucrative tax base. But folks at the Institute for Justice, the Sam Adams Alliance, and many local activists also raised Cain about the city’s action. A group called Save Lincoln Square was created to organize opposition.

The activism culminated on December 5. Concerned citizens met up at Chicago Soccer, one of the shops that would have been kicked out by the taking.

A community meeting turned into a rally. The protesters marched nine blocks to the office of Alderman Gene Schulter, one of the leaders of the eminent domain plot, to demand an accounting. Schulter announced he would not vote for the eminent-domain proposal and would introduce a new plan. To take most of the businesses of Lincoln Square off the eminent-domain list and put them on a “voluntary acquisition” list instead. Heck, the eminent-domain thing was just an idea, Schulter told the press.

This seems more a holding action than a permanent victory. But you win wars by winning battles. And Lincoln Square has won a battle here.

Safe — for now.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Hamilton County, Ohio’s Commission President Todd Portune has asked the county to “prepare for a doomsday scenario.”

Gee whiz, what’s going on? Is it terrorism? Global warming? Nuclear meltdown?

No. Nothing like that. It’s just that county voters said no to a sales tax increase. Portune and other politicians now feel honor-bound to scream that the sky will fall.

But it won’t. Instead, as NAACP president Christopher Smitherman told county government, “You’ve got to tighten your belt.”

The tax increase was largely intended to build a new jail, which residents simply aren’t convinced they need. County commissioners met this voter skepticism with shrill arrogance. They passed a new sales tax increase, even though voters just a year ago turned one down.

Looked like voters would just have to lump it. Except that didn’t sit so well with Daniel Regenold and Jason Gloyd. So, they built a diverse coalition to fight the tax increase, including the NAACP, the Libertarian Party, Citizens Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes, the Green Party, as well as many volunteers.

Regenold started WeDemandaVote.com, which petitioned to put the tax increase on the ballot. Gloyd formed WeDemandaBetterPlan.com, which defeated the sales tax.

That’s why the Sam Adams Alliance just named the Daniel Regenold and Jason Gloyd of the We Demand coalition the 2007 winners of the Modern-Day Sam Adams award.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.