As economy gets uglier, governments sell online

ALBANY - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin isn't the only government official hawking goods online. With the economy continuing to tumble, more state and local governments are using the Web to clear out inventory and bolster deflated budgets.

Need a desk? How about an airplane? An armored personnel carrier? Items like these and others are now just a click away for the highest bidder.

New York state has brought in about $658,000 in online surplus sales through eBay during the 2008-09 fiscal year that will end March 31. The state is selling things like lab supplies, scrap metal and a lot of World War II steel helmets. Like most other states, New York also has traditional auctions at state sites for vehicles and equipment and had brought in $3.5 million by the end of October.