A Kidney's Worth WHAT?

kidney.gif Alaska state Rep. Richard Foster is sick. The lawmaker had a stroke last week, and he's in need of a new kidney. Fortunately, several people in the state Capitol have offered to donate a kidney to the Foster.

The problem? Donating a kidney apparently would violate the state's ethics law, which spells out strict limits on the gifts legislators can receive. The law does have an exemption for "compassionate gifts" -- which would include a kidney -- but those are prohibited if they exceed $250.

And a kidney, apparently, costs more than $250.

The state might amend the law to strike the spending limit on compassionate gifts. In the meantime, though, Foster might be well advised to accept the kidney and pony up the fine for the ethics violation.