OK, KIDS, it's my annual mea culpa column in which I admit to mistakes made during the year now ending. I do this for two reasons: Anyone with a public voice is responsible for accuracy; anyone who errs using that voice should correct such errors in the same format or venue in which the errors occurred.
Some of what follows was corrected in the next day's paper and/or in same-day online editions. But since such corrections are often overlooked, here's a look in full:
Earlier this month I wrote that a GOP Senate debate in New York was on a Saturday afternoon. It was on a Friday, and although, from what I hear, I may have done many a favor, there's no debating my misstep.
In February, in one of many rants against our Legislature's perks, I noted that while most Pennsylvanians pay about 10 percent of their income for health-care coverage, lawmakers pay far less. I erred, however, in the detail. I wrote that they pay 1 percent of their health-care costs. They pay 1 percent of their salary. While the point I was making remains valid, the miscue diminished the argument. It was a stupid mistake.
In a July column about a run-in at Roxy's, a deli-type joint across from the Capitol where state Health Secretary Eli Avila complained about the quality of his eggs, pulled a "do-you-know-who-I-am?" and later called in health inspectors, I wrote that inspectors found no violations.
I later was called by a top aide to Gov. Corbett (though you'd think such aides have better things to do) and told that inspectors found routine, minor violations: cleanup rags sitting in disinfectant; no restroom signs instructing employees to wash hands (though, hopefully, ALL restaurant employees are aware of this basic requirement).
But I should have written that the Roxy's inspection resulted in no fines. My bad.
In a summer column supporting the ouster of Philly schools boss Arlene Ackerman, I quoted state Rep. Mike McGeehan as the sole city legislator publicly pushing for her to go.
He said others didn't do so because it brought labels such as "racist, sexist, hate children; let's be honest here, nobody wants such labels." But Rep. Angel Cruz also publicly criticized "The Queen," a fact I should have included in the column.
In a September column on Herman Cain winning a Florida straw-poll vote, I noted that Republicans evidently don't care what their candidate for president actually knows so long as he or she is angry, loud, patriotic and maybe a little crazy.
