By Scott Anthony

Driving through traffic a few days ago I was stopped by a school bus unloading children.

The kids came out in twos and threes and some gathered at the crosswalk waiting for the light. When the light changed, the bus took off and as it did a noticable cloud of black diesel smoke wafted out behind it and into my open car window. I saw a kid use a three ring binder to fan it away from his face and off we all went on our way.

I gag at the smell of diesel fumes, and I wondered how these kids handle it. Back home I looked it up on the computer and learned that inhaling diesel fumes is not good for anybody and there are some school districts around the nation that are working on replacing older, smokier busses with newer more fuel efficient models.

I have a better idea. Why not just change the fuel they use? It has long been established by diesel mechanics around the world that biodiesel is cleaner burning, far less toxic to humans and is better for the environment. As a bonus, the crops that biodiesel is made from can be grown right in our own state, boosting the economy. This is not a new idea however and I cannot claim it as my own, but it could solve a couple of serious issues if we could overcome the hurdles preventing it's use.

If I was the Boss, the person who makes the big decisions, like the Governor or better yet, the President of the United States, I would push that agenda a much as I could. I asked Mrs. Anthony what she would do if she were The Boss.

She didn't hesitate very long, "I would try to get nuclear power plants out of the picture and replace them with alternative energy." Before I could suggest how hard that would be, she continued, " and I would make every animal shelter in the country a no-kill shelter, and then I would get rid of GMO food products and ..."

I had heard enough. Enough to make me feel selfish and small. She had big plans and I was only thinking about smelly buses. I wondered what other people would do if they were The Boss. It's a common fantasy, and like winning the lottery, it's just about as likely to happen.

But we can dream. What would be the top three things you would do if you were the Big Cheese? Would you work to end wars or light a fire under Congress, or would you concentrate on things closer to home like helping the homeless or lowering the price of gas. While you think about it, consider one other idea I would implement if I had the keys to the kingdom. I would put a huge tax on those really loud mufflers that so many cars and trucks have nowadays. What purpose do they serve other than to be annoying?

Your turn.