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Diamonds to the Luzerne County Council members who voted against repealing a requirement that high-ranking administrators reside in the county. The argument against the mandate sounds strong: It limits the pool of applicants. And it might be wise to allow limited exceptions if a candidate already lives pretty close, but not within county boundaries. But for all the residents who actually pay the salaries of those administrators, the logic is too hard to top: If you want to help run the county, you should be willing to live in it.

Coal to the Hanover Area School District administrators responsible for under-budgeting to the tune of $3.5 million. School district budgeting has become tough and tricky business in an era of escalating pension costs set by a state agency, a state legislature that chronically dallies in finalizing an education budget, and a state funding system that would be laughable in its inequity if it didn’t impact so many children. But miscalculating by $3.5 million in a $30 million budget?

Diamonds to the four Meyers High School Speech and Debate Team members in Louisville this weekend competing in the National Catholic Forensic League’s national competition. Bright enough to get to the finals and daring enough to use material that can sound offbeat and challenging — Steven Sondheim’s Assassins, Gay Talese’s Esquire profile Frank Sinatra Has a Cold, and debate topics that call for the impeachment of the president and accuse debate competitions of sexism — these students deserve as much public attention as any high school sports star.

Coal to Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George and city council for managing to get the city’s credit rating downgraded by Standard and Poor’s. Its not the end of the world — George is right in saying the city still has an “investment grade” rating — but it does mean higher interest on any money borrowed. More worrisome, it signals that things could get worse if the city doesn’t fix budget problems. It is undeniable that the city faces a tough challenge to get the fiscal house in order, but one prefers that it not slide backwards while trying.

Diamonds to all those who volunteered to help out on United Way of Wyoming Valley’s “Day of Caring” Thursday. Yes, it can feel a bit gimmicky: get a day off work, spend a few hours cleaning and helping out at place like Luzerne County Head Start or Children’s Service Center. But the need is often quite real — Head Start has only one custodian right now for the entire county operation. More importantly, it lets those who often don’t know what the various agencies actually do see it first hand, and sends an essential message: Helping those who help the community is smart and rewarding.

Coal to the Luzerne County Prothonotary office for getting rebuked, again by the state Auditor General’s Office regarding inadequate internal controls over funds. It’s likely not a big thing, and the county said it has since fixed it. But this was a problem cited in a prior audit and should have been fixed before this one came out.

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