We should judge politicians by these criteria, not by whether we want to invite them over for Sunday dinner. A good leader need not be the perfect house guest, friend, neighbor or acquaintance, but rather a prudent policy maker and sensitive public servant.

There's no such thing as an honest politician. It's so common an idea that you might not even give it a second thought, but that doesn't mean that we ought to accept unethical behavior from our elected officials. Just the opposite: We should do our best to ensure that those people we elect are as ethical as possible.

Even with consideration of the cons, the Master Plan is still a worthy goal. It would have been nice if the U took extra time to engage the mayor, who didn't receive a draft copy of the plan until Aug. 27. In the future, the U should strive harder to be a good neighbor to those who live on its borders.

In the battle to define who is a greater fiscal conservative, Corroon wins by default simply by not having raised taxes. Renckert doesn't seem to offer much on that front, or for that matter any front at all.

Drivers don't need a law with a punishment to comprehend the fact that using a cell phone while driving is not safe or appropriate. The looming consequence of getting in a wreck while talking on a cell phone is much worse than a $100 ticket, and even that doesn't stop it from happening.

To truly honor the victims of 9/11, we need to do more than use them as a political bargaining chip. Any official, politician or candidate who uses fear to motivate citizens should be condemned and discredited. Politicizing such a tragedy is a dirty trick.

If underage students drink repeatedly, they should be kicked out of school or required to undergo the counseling.

According to the Consumer Credit Counseling Services, the average student leaves college with a credit card debt of between $8,000 and $10,000 (student loans not included). Credit-card debt hit more than $600 billion this year8212;almost half of that amount is owed by college-age students or new graduates.

The U has launched a campaign to inform students of the new options for the Campus Alert System but the campaign still hasn't reached all the students. Students should support the campaign by signing up for the system.

In order for mass transit to retain its popular and lasting appeal, it needs to not only be functional, but also responsive to the needs of the ridership, which includes not just pedestrians, but cyclists as well.