Lance: To Ricky Burgess, Darlene Harris, Jim Motznik, Tonya Payne and Theresa Smith. They composed a Pittsburgh City Council majority that this week approved the appointment of 12 people to various city commissions and boards without any interviews . Hey, kids, the circus is back in town!
Laurel: To the Pittsburgh Department of Public Works. It moved this week to fire six workers who failed to acknowledge past felony convictions on their job applications. They've been suspended for five days. Unless they can offer a good defense, they're gone.
Lance: To the Pittsburgh Department of Public Works. It apparently did nothing to verify the aforementioned employees' application information. That should be standard operating procedure. Conducting a criminal background check is not rocket science.
Lance: To the Pittsburgh Joint Collective Bargaining Committee. This trades union group blasts the city's action against those who lied on their employment applications as "outrageous and irresponsible." As if lying on a job application is not both?
Laurel: To Karl E. Williams. Allegheny County's medical examiner doesn't think a Supreme Court ruling requiring that authors of crime lab reports personally testify will be much of an additional burden. We're glad to hear that. After all, everyone has a constitutional right to confront his or her accuser.
Start your engines: The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix has its 28th run at Schenley Park this weekend. And for racing aficionados, it's like being an 8-year-old who's made the manager of a candy factory. Admission is free. But money raised during the event benefits the Allegheny Valley School in Robinson and the Autism Society of Pittsburgh. Enjoy the racing.
On the "Watch List": The Pittsburgh Pirates. The All-Star Game break is over and the Buccos open the second half of the 2009 campaign tonight against San Francisco looking as if they'll turn in their 17th consecutive losing season. The Pirates are 38-50 at the break, sitting in the basement of the National League Central. We wish the Bucs a remarkable second-half turnaround. And we hope they don't trade away their last best player, Freddie Sanchez, for a team to be named later.
