No big deal—Delaware officials disclosed that a neglected diesel pipeline at a Connectiv power plant has been leaking oil for maybe the past 12 years. They guestimate that some 600,000 gallons leaked out. The pipeline is a couple of hundred feet from the Indian River. A state environmental official assured: "It's somewhat manageable." He said he didn't know if the power company would face prosecution or even a fine for the spill.

P.S.—According to a Delaware reader, Connectiv, a major monopoly, discovered the leak some four months ago, but mum was the word until some fishermen spotted the oil slick and called state officials.

Affinity merger—The feds complained to a judge that while Chicago detectives were trying to hunt down a gang member they said was wanted for murder, other cops were helping him hide out. They alleged that a former police gang investigator had hired gang leaders as informers, but then went into business with them.

Oh dear—"You see these young guys worth $3 billion to $4 billion, and you think to yourself, 'What have I done wrong?'"—Nelson Pelz, who's "worth" $890 million, most of which he gobbled up in the '80s.

Not as dumb as they look—Members of the Pennsylvania legislature are exempt from state ethics laws and have utilized their position to advance the financial interests of relatives and employers, according to a recent study. Citing a constitutional separation of powers, members of the legislature had persuaded the state ethics committee that they be exempted from most state "ethics" statutes.

They think people don't trust them?—The census bureau would like its count to include undocumented immigrants and has an English/Spanish post asserting: "No INS. No FBI. NO CIA. No IRS." And, the poster adds, perhaps sardonically: "That's the law."

Oops—The Nestlé company recalled 2.5 million cans of baby formula that "may not" have been properly sterilized.

Everybody else loves taxes—Recently, a Los Angeles Times article recounted some of the hard-nosed negotiations leading to the takeover of the paper by the Chicago Tribune. The principal owner of the Times is the enormously wealthy Chandler family. Said the article: "Another sticking point was the family's traditional aversion to paying taxes. Tribune had fashioned its offer so that the family would receive stocks for their shares, which made the transaction tax-free for them."  
 
 
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