Oct 7, 2005 2 min read

Wow: Fayette County Judge Steve Leskinen has enforced a prior decree by ruling that Brownsville property owner Ernest Liggett owes $18,600 in fines for not yet tearing down a building at 149 High St. In so doing, Leskinen is showing that the court is serious about imposing the $200-a-day financial penalty for inaction that dates to June 18. Since the between Liggett and borough officials is long-running and dramatic, it’s virtually inevitable that resolution will come from court action. Court decrees without enforcement teeth serve no real purpose. Leskinen is putting some bite into this one. Wow: Pretty certain that two pay raise repeal bills have been consigned to oblivion after being put under auspices of the leadership-controlled House Rules Committee, state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe of Butler County is seeking another avenue to get them to a full House vote. Seeking to basically bypass the committee system, he’s looking for the 25 sponsors needed to trigger full votes on the House floor, where a majority of 102 could put the bills on the calendar for consideration. It would be nice to see all members of Fayette’s delegation sign on to his effort, even if they voted for the pay raise, so the controversial matter could get a full public airing. But there’s a better chance of a monkey winning this week’s Powerball jackpot than that happening.

Scowl: Hurricane Katrina is expected to result in $34.4 billion in property claims, according to an insurance industry estimate. What does that mean to you? For starters, the federal Securities and Exchange Commission is easing the rules for insurance companies to raise capital, which might not be a bad thing but could prove so. Second, look for insurance companies to spread that liability around somehow – even if it means socking you with a premium increase somewhere down the line. That’s just what the average working American needs, to go along with record gasoline prices and projected record home heating bills this coming winter. It seems wages are the only thing that’s not going up much.