BY HARRY RING
Ho ho - John Stone, sheriff in Jefferson County, Colorado,
wants inmates to pay at least part of the cost of holding
them. Apparently of a humorous bent, he speculates on using a
lighter touch. Like, "We could have a little vacancy sign that
says, `Yes, we are open.'"
It figures - A Dutch parliamentary panel confirmed that many severe illnesses were linked to the 1992 crash of an Israeli El Al cargo plane in Amsterdam. Initially, Dutch politicians said the plane was carrying flowers and perfume. Actually, the cargo was a host of dangerous chemicals.
At least 43 people were killed in the area where the plane crashed. But figures are incomplete since many of the area residents are unregistered, undocumented immigrants.
Dim outlook - India's government-owned power company issued June 1 disconnect notices to five states and the city of New Delhi, which reportedly has bills due totaling some $450 million.
bankbilge.com - With a growing number of people creating web sites to vent their anger at big companies, some of the targets are trying to fend off the attacks by dreaming up site names and getting a copyright on them. Chase Manhattan Bank, a popular target, owns: ihatechase.com; chasesucks.com; chasestinks.com.
Guaranteed, no tickets? -Those fortunate enough to live and drive in California, for 50 bucks, will likely be able to get a license plate sporting a likeness of Ronald Reagan in a cowboy hat. A bill, already okayed by the state assembly, provides that any surplus from the sale of the plates will go to the Reagan library.
Check it out - In anticipation of further cloning developments, you can have the DNA of your pet pooch, pussy or piglet frozen and stored. $1,000 plus $100 annual storage fee. Available from the PerPETuate (get it?) company. But act now. Already in the past seven months, six people have signed up.
Simple ideas for simple minds - An outfit offering "how to" material for management has a $69 tape on boosting productivity. F'rinstance: "Overcome the `us' vs. `them' mentality between some employees and managers"
Just let the kids meet him -Dan DeRose is racking it up persuading financially beleaguered school systems to accept a fee from soft drink companies to have exclusive rights to peddle their products on school grounds. Rebutting concerns about product advertising in the schools, he says it helps make them more realistic. "If you have no advertising in schools at all," he observes, "you aren't giving our young people an accurate picture of our society."