Government Does Business Online; Triangle Musicians Go Online for Flood Relief

Theezgov Web siteis privately owned, but offers its services to local, state and federal governments.

In Charlotte, you can pay traffic tickets online. You just fill out an online form and pay by credit card.

One Georgia town allows you to pay your property taxes online.

Various governments, including the state of North Carolina, are studying ways to make doing business with taxpayers more convenient.

People affected by the flooding in eastern North Carolina are getting some help from Triangle musicians.

Twenty-six groups are selling their music through theRaleighMusic.comandMP3 Web sites.

The compilation, "A Whisper To A Scream" comes on two CD-ROMs, costing $6 each. The musicians have turned the profits into a relief program.

The CD's co-producer explains the musicians' motivation. "To prove that musicians have more than just the 'sex, drugs and rock and roll' mentality. We're also social creatures and we want to help the folks out," says Thomas Szypulski.

Half the purchase price goes to the North Carolina Food Bank, which has distributed more than a million and a half pounds of food to flood victims.

So far, about 100 CDs have been sold.

Besides helping others and increasing name recognition, the musicians are benefiting in other ways.

"We're all friends now. We're not just names, we're not competing with each other for gigs, we're sharing," Szypulski says.

The music can also be downloaded free from MP3.com.