I am actually working until August 8th (when some of you are probably going back to school) and so am still in school mode.  I just saw this article on how Amazon.com is trying to get a referendum passed in CA limiting the amount of taxes it has to pay for its online services.  It might be what I start the year with for my AP kids as it brings up lobbying, referendum, initiatives, propositions, taxes and who pays for government services and it wraps it all so nicely with technology.