” The problem isn’t Islam ... the problem is the whole idea of a public swimming pool — and the abject idiocy of a municipal government in which taxpayers actually foot the bill for a person called the “city aquatics manager.””
Well, this is a local government, they can run a swimming pool if that is what the local populace wants. I don’t see anything wrong with that. You can certainly argue there is a public interest in the public being able to learn how to swim, since it is a pretty basic and invaluable skill in life.
And therein lies the problem. "What the local populace wants" is subject to interpretation, revision, and yes -- even outright abuse.