Act 47, Lakers 56

Meanwhile, back in City Council Chambers a Councilwoman makes a fateful decision. We join our story, already in progress:

A little more than two years after the city was declared distressed, Pittsburgh Councilwoman Twanda Carlisle and labor unions are asking its fiscal doctors to release it from care.

Ms. Carlisle introduced a resolution yesterday that would ask Dennis Yablonsky, state Department of Community and Economic Development secretary, to pull the plug on the team that has crafted a fiscal plan for the city. Though the chance of that happening soon seems remote, the resolution officially kicks off the debate on when the city can consider itself healed.

Now I'm not a big fan of the Act 47 people, but I'm also not a fan of diet and exercise as a means towards healthy living either, so take the following views for what they're worth:

(1) It's no surprise that Ms. Carlisle is supporting the termination of Act 47. Ms. Carlisle's African American constituents, if you believe the conventional wisdom, are more likely to gain benefits from Union membership. Union contracts are significantly restricted by Act 47.

(2) I find it interesting that she asked for the elimination of Act 47, and not the ICA. Me, the handsome, intelligent, funny, modest, technocrat is much more supportive of the professionalism of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott than a bunch of political appointees.

(3) With regard to point #2: Governor Lynn Swann. It is doubtful that the ICA would be any more friendly to the City should the Republicans gain the governor's office, and thereby gain majority control of the Authority.

(4) Everything I learned about City Government, I learned from SimCity: make sure you have a good contingency reserve before you go rezoning.

(5) There is no point five.