Odds and Ends

WASHINGTON - Most states aren't doing enough to protect children from the diesel exhaust many of them inhale while riding or waiting for school buses, an environmental advocacy group said in a report Wednesday. "School buses can be a major source of pollution exposure for children," said Patricia Monahan, an analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists.

So there ya go - if your kids are goofy, blame the school. I smell a lawsuit.

DETROIT - Aiming to capitalize on consumer angst about the high cost of gasoline, General Motors Corp. on Tuesday said it would cap pump prices at $1.99 for customers in California and Florida who buy certain vehicles by July 5. One hitch to the promotion is that customers must also agree to enroll in the OnStar vehicle diagnostic service, which is free for the first year but after that will cost $16.95 a month. The other is that many of the eligible vehicles are serious gas guzzlers. The credits can be used through December 2007. Consumers wouldn't get any credits if gas prices fall below $1.99.

"One hitch"? It sounds like a two hitches. The free OnStar subscription will end just as the gas credit ends. Your savings will be offset by the $16.95 monthly charge. Plus the fact that you'll be stuck driving a Yukon, Hummer or Tahoe - eating gasoline along the way. Figure it out for three years and I'll bet you'll lose money on it. Face it gang, General Motors is smarter than us. They are using our fear and anger over high gas prices to encourage people to drive huge vehicles that use more gasoline. That makes good nonsense.

HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Tourism Office is taking votes on its Web site for an official state bumper sticker. Voters can choose one of 16 slogans, such as "I Break for Shoo Fly Pie," "Cars Are Happier on a Pennsylvania Roadtrip," and "Pennsylvania Is for Roadtrippers," by clicking here.

One warning: Almost all the slogans contain the word "roadtrip", but I think "roadhead" would get a lot more votes. Another choice, "I Go Happy" will probably get the learning-impared vote, so in Pennsylvania, that means it may be the winner.

... and if you're tired of Pennsylvania, here's a potential vacation destination for the whole family:

NEW YORK - While debates rage about why more buildings have not gone up at the World Trade Center site, there is one, shrouded in a web of black netting and full of trade center dust, that can't seem to come down. The vacant 41-story former Deutsche Bank AG building looms above ground zero, contaminated with toxic waste and still holding tiny body parts more than four years after the trade center collapsed onto it on Sept. 11, 2001. Removing it from the landscape has become a more challenging task than cleaning up the twin towers. "That's more or less a vertical Superfund site, and we're living right next to it," said neighborhood resident Esther Regelson.

So, if you're going to drive a school bus past ground zero, make sure you turn the engine off and pass out the gas masks. The kids will come back spooked and goofy. Sounds like it might make a good roadtrip for the Union of Concerned Scientists. I smell another lawsuit.