why functions in modules need 'global foo' for integer foo but not dictionary foo?

[seberino at spawar.navy.mil]

At top of a module I have an integer like so...

foo = 4

In a function in that module I know I need to do 'global foo' to get at
the value 4.
...

IIRC, for dictionaries you DO NOT have this issue?

Why this scope problem with integers but not dictionaries?

Chris