Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk

Legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus.

1410 Posts and Counting

Repost from the Ninja on Reliability.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| November 19, 2011 | © 2025

No. 760

This post in Time Management Ninja is so important, I am reposting it, rather than simply suppling the link. I cannot add one word to the message.

 

Ever have someone ask you to do something… and then you forget?

Oops!

Does it happen more than once? Is it the norm?

Are you known for being unreliable?

Who Are You Letting Down?

We all have a time management reputation.

What is yours?

Your productivity and performance proceed you…

– Are you known as the one that people can’t count on?

– When something absolutely must get done, does the boss seek out someoneelse?

– Are you expected to be late?

If so, you may be letting down not just yourself, but those around you.

5 Reasons You Aren’t Reliable

Can people count on you?

Or are they more likely to think you will let them down in clutch situations?

Ask yourself, “Do others consider me reliable?”

Here are 5 Reasons that People Don’t Count On You:

  1. You Are Late – Are you always the last to arrive? Do you hold up the meeting? Don’t be the one that delays the entire group. Be the early bird, it can have a dramatic impact on your reliability.
  2. You Don’t Meet Deadlines – People don’t expect you to finish work on time, well because, you don’t do it very often. Deadlines are set for a reason. Make sure that you meet your deadlines.
  3. You Forget Todos – When your boss or partner asks you to do something, do they have to wonder if you will remember it? When something is important, write it down. Keep your todo list front and center. Here are 10 ways to fix your todo list.
  4. You Miss Appointments – Do you stand others up? For meetings? For important appointments? Don’t be afraid of your calendar. It can be your best friend and should have your back to let you know when you need to be somewhere.
  5. You Drag Down the Productivity of Others – Procrastination is contagious. So are bad habits. You may be a bad influence in your workplace. Are you the one who hijacks meetings? Talks for hours at the water cooler? Or spends more time gossiping than working?

Be Reliable

Your productivity not only affects you, but those around you.

Don’t underestimate your impact on the team.

Be the one that others can rely on.

Make sure your time management reputation says that people can count on you.

Do others consider you reliable?


Category: Personal Productivity

NOT YOUR PROBLEM.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| November 16, 2011 | © 2025

No. 759

Now the hosts and guests on talk radio are obsessed over the idea that conflicts in the testimony of key witnesses in the Penn State case might enable some of the defendants to slip the noose. Don’t worry about the prosecution. They have a small army of lawyers working on this case. If they can’t obtain a conviction, the reason may be That the evidence doesn’t justify it.

But, more importantly, you have to trust the judicial system to do what it is supposed to do,

CLT

Category: Criminal Law

Presumption of Innocence and Burden of Proof

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| November 15, 2011 | © 2025

No. 758

It bears remembering, at a time like this, that under our system of justice every person accused of a crime is presumed to be innocent until convicted in court by credible evidence. The finder of fact must conclude that guilt of a specific charge has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CLT

Category: Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

Understanding Leadership.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| November 14, 2011 | © 2025

No. 757

Several of the Republican candidates for President were asked what 20th Century President belongs on Mt. Rushmore. All of them said Ronald Reagan. All except one, that is.

Newt Gingrich said that FDR belongs on Mt. Rushmore.  A significant answer.  He alone was able to look past policy and ideology and recognize great leadership.  Ronald Reagan would have given the same answer.

CLT

 

Category: 2012

I Don’t Believe You.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| November 14, 2011 | © 2025

No. 756

To all the people who recently stated that, if they had been in the shoes of the Penn State Five, they would have called the police, I don’t believe you.

Yes, you would do it now.

But not then.

And that doesn’t make you any less caring then than you are now.

It means that you are more alert to the specter of the potential of a horrifying injustice today; much more than you were a month ago.

We all are.

It means that you hadn’t thought very much about it  until now.

Few of us had.

It means that you’ve changed.

We all have.

That is the meaning of the word “historic.”

CLT

 

 

Category: The continuing American Revolution

The Premature Millage Increase.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| November 14, 2011 | © 2025

No. 755

It must have seemed to the Democrats on County Council that the City voters’ willingness to appropriate a quarter mill tax increase for the Carnegie Library signaled a new era when it was okay to raise taxes.  With the election less than a week behind them, they apparently lined up a majority for a one mill County tax increase.  County Executive Elect Rich Fitzgerald, who was in Harrisburg and could have stayed out of the discussion entirely, rushed to endorse the plan. The justification is that many people will be hurt if the budget cuts proposed by current County Executive Onorato are enacted.

Well, maybe so, but nobody can accuse the majority on County Counsel of over-thinking the matter.  Have you forgotten something, Fitzgerald and cohorts?  Like something really important that is about to happen early next year?  Okay, here’s a hint: REASSESSMENT.

Yes, the Reassessment.

Although the numbers are still secret (thanks to a little politically advantageous delay) it doesn’t take a degree in statistics from CMU to figure out that assessed values will increase substantially.  After all, the common level ratio of the median of all of the sales in 2010 to the median of all current assessed values is 1.17.  That means (more or less) that a property currently assessed at a value of $100,000.00 yielded a sales price of $117,000.00 in 2010.

That means that the County Council will be able to reduce the millage next year and balance the budget without reducing services. But then, I’ve spoiled the surprise.

CLT

 

 

 

 

Category: Pittsburgh, Property Assessments, Real Estate
Tags: > >

Veterans Day 11.11.11: Watch the Carrier Classic

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| November 11, 2011 | © 2025

No. 754

Here’s something to take your mind off the debacle at Penn State, at least for an evening.

The First Annual Carrier Classic college basketball game will be played tonight at 7 PM EDT (ESPN, WPXI Channel 11) on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson, which is currently docked in San Diego.  Wind and weather may be a factor.

Preseason No. 1 ranked North Carolina will be playing Michigan State in the season kickoff .

 

Category: Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk
Tags: > > > >

Passing in the Night.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| November 9, 2011 | © 2025

No. 753

A giant rock, an asteroid, passed the earth last evening, about 6:30 PM Eastern time.  It missed us by about 200,000 miles.  Where did it come from?  We don’t know.  Where will it stop?  We don’t know that either.  As a matter of fact, there is a universe full of things we don’t know.

CLT

Category: Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk

Is Gingrich the One?

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| November 9, 2011 | © 2025

No. 752

Listening to commentators on the Republican field, there seems to be a consensus that Romney is the only complete candidate in the group, ready to head a national ticket. But Romney, who is well-financed and well positioned, has troubled the party’s base, who don’t seem to trust him.

The inability of other candidates to challenge Romney is due to clear deficiencies that have become evident in each of the others during the course of the debates.  Even Cain,who has taken the lead in the polls despite the sexual harassment  scandal, has shown a noticeable lack of knowledge in key areas.

But Newt Gingrich, who was counted out when his campaign organization imploded, has hung in there and has been gaining respect steadily for his ability to focus on defeating Obama in his answers, rather than attacking the other candidates.  If a Republican President is going to govern effectively, he is going to have to have the cooperation of Congress, especially the House.  Perhaps the former Speaker is the leader they need.  He won’t be the first who has stumbled on the way.  But, of course, he must figure out a way to raise a lot more campaign money if he is going to make a respectable showing in Iowa and New Hampshire.

CLT

 

Category: 2012

No, Marty Griffin, Joe Paterno Does Not Owe You an Explanation.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| November 8, 2011 | © 2025

No. 751

KDKA talk host Marty Griffin has been demanding that Joe Paterno talk about the pending criminal prosecution against two Penn State officials to whom he reported the Sandusky matter.  Griffin is always attempting to try every new case on his radio program.  Obviously, it is highly improper for Paterno or anyone else who might give evidence in the case to participate in the KD Kangaroo Court or even talk to Judge Griffin about it.  That is what real courts are for.

This does not mean that Griffin or any other journalist should not report the news.  Of course they should.  But Judge Griffin goes far beyond that.  There is no recognition that the defense may present evidence at trial that could change the outcome and it has no obligation to present it to the media before trial.

This is the kind of premature, undisciplined speculation that caused unjustified pain for those involved in the Duke Soccer scandal not so many years ago.  Report.  Be patient.  Don’t judge.  Courts do that.

CLT

 

Category: Constitutional Law, Criminal Law
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CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

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