Sully's Stuff

Up Your Prothonotary!

Do you know what a prothonotary is? Or that the spell checker doesn't recognize it? In Allegheny County, PA the prothonotary clerk who has the responsibility to maintain court documents -- sounds OK until you realize we also have a Clerk of Courts. The Register of Wills maintains Birth and Death Records and also grants your marriage license. The County Coroner, Cyril Wecht, grandstands on talk shows and has his assistant coroners drive him and his family around. These offices, along with the Jury Commissioner, the Recorder of Deeds, were all elected...a source of political patronage, and inefficiency. Now, the offices will be consolidated and elected officials will be replaced by appointed ones because for once Allegheny County voters embraced change.

This certainly can't be said for Bob "now it's my turn" O'Connor who's affable smile and rough and tumble speech was rejected on 2 previous occasions. I read somewhere that he fancies himself as Pittsburgh's Rudy Giuliani, but judging from his insider campaign and his "promises" to labor it's hard to expect much more than pandering to the way things used to be that most Pittsburghers expect. Be very suspect of a mayor who couldn't carry his own neighborhood.

Now if only I could do something about my marriage license that says David Wecht, Register of Wills in larger letters than mine and Gret's...

posted by Sully @ 5/19/2005