Last week, police arrested Cory G. Johnson of Rock Island for breaking into an Iowa City apartment. Johnson, noticeably exhausted and confused when authorities arrived, was charged with third degree burglary even though he didn't actually take anything. But, according to the apartment resident, Johnson apparently helped himself to some candy left out on her coffee table.

Last Saturday, Mount Vernon celebrated its first annual Chocolate Stroll, where people enjoyed chocolate, music and good company without even having to break down any doors. From what I saw, everybody was having a fine time and no one seemed exhausted or disoriented, which was probably the result of the more-than-adequate supply of chocolate.

All this seems to suggest that candy (especially chocolate) is important for a healthy attitude and a well-balanced perspective on what's really important in life. So it is particularly disturbing that some puritanical, fun-hating states which shall remain nameless - especially Washington, Illinois and Colorado - are starting to impose a special tax on candy! The official reason for this unpalatable tax is to plump up declining revenues and fight obesity. And there is something suspiciously familiar about it.

In 1791, President George Washington and his treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, decided to pay off the national debt, mostly accumulated because of the Revolutionary War, by imposing a tax on whiskey. But the Whiskey Act proved rather unpopular. (Had Washington forgotten about the Boston Tea Party?) Even in stiff-necked, puritanical Pennsylvania, 500 angry residents stormed the fort-like home of tax inspector General John Neville, and 20 rebels were arrested. Across the state, rioters robbed the mail and intimidated the local militia. One group of protesters dressed up like women and tarred and feathered a tax collector. Which only goes to show that if you want to be taken seriously as a whiskey rebel, you should wait until after the riot to celebrate.

The result of the Whiskey Rebellion was that the tax was largely unenforced and in 1803 it was repealed altogether. Curiously enough, by 1799, a certain farm in Virginia became home to the largest whiskey distillery in the U.S, producing over 11,000 gallons a year. It was located in (the other) Mount Vernon. Its owner was ... you guessed it, George Washington.

Meanwhile, in the state of Washington, the so-called "sin taxes" are zooming up. Beer tax is increasing 28 cents a six pack, Cigarettes went up $1 a pack and a 9 percent tax on candy is going into effect. Officials reason that it will be less painful to consumers to extract revenue from "non-essentials" like candy. In a way, this makes sense. I mean, considering the essentials - like jobs and money - are already gone. But when times are tough, the little pleasures keep us going. Yes, you can no longer afford to pay the mortgage, but a Hershey bar is still 75 cents. And if they take that away too, could a Chocolate Rebellion be far behind?

As the warm glow of this year's Chocolate Stroll fades into memory, I am already looking forward to the next one. Will we be munching chocolate donuts next year, I wonder, or scaling the walls of the governor's mansion?