WORTH NOTING: Michigan billed for woman’s gas

By: - August 8, 2008 12:00 am
Payback for sitting in traffic? With gas around $4 a gallon, that seemed fair to one Ohio woman who had the misfortune of getting stuck in Michigan traffic, The Toledo Blade writes. Carol Greenberg sent the Michigan Department of Transportation a $16 bill for the fuel she estimated she wasted while gridlocked on Interstate 275 for 50 minutes, arguing that electronic signs on the highway didn’t notify her of the delay. MDOT officials said it wasn’t policy to reimburse motorists for gas.

God apparently missed his day in court. Sen. Ernie Chambers of the nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature, an atheist who is seeking an injunction ordering God to cease causing death and destruction, was notified by the Douglas County Court that his suit could be dismissed because Chambers failed to serve God notice, according to the Omaha World-Herald . But during a court hearing – in which the defendant’s chair was noticeably empty – Chambers argued that the U.S. government routinely recognizes God, and that if God were omnipresent, he would be in the courtroom. Chambers is suing the Almighty to protest frivolous lawsuits.

Ten years of vision and leadership? Or $18,000 worth of ego? Chicago State University’s ex-president Elnora Daniel spent that much taxpayer money before leaving the university to publish what is essentially a personal photo album, the Chicago Tribune reports. The 52-page book, “A Retrospective: Ten Years of Vision and Leadership,” contains little text, no photo captions and pictures of Daniel with lawmakers, university staff and her family. This comes after a scathing state audit found Daniel spent $15,000 in 2006 to attend a leadership conference on a cruise ship with five family members. Her contract was not renewed.

Who’s America’s worst governor? According to www.americasworstgovernor.com , it’s Jim Gibbons (R) of Nevada. The site isn’t exactly unbiased, though, considering it was set up by the state Democratic Party, the Las Vegas Sun reports. The site includes a timeline of Gibbons’ tenure and examples of what the party is dubbing “Gibbons Gaffes,” from a tax scandal over land he owns to “text gate,” in which he sent more than 800 text messages to a female acquaintance on a state-issued cell phone.

No need to fear being scammed by this eBay seller. Bargain hunters looking to buy cars or printers, among other things, should consider checking out “wvsurplusproperty,” the eBay store where the West Virginia government sells surplus state property, The Charleston Gazette reports. So far, the operation has received 100 percent positive feedback and 33 comments, including “super fast shipping and very good communication great to work with AAA .” Items for sale include several SUVs and a set of black panels – perfect for use as a tabletop. 

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