If there are no legal impediments, the Butler Area Sewer Authority should follow through with its proposal for an amnesty program to try to collect nearly $900,000 in delinquent bills.

But as reasonable as that proposal is, it must be asked why the authority has not been more aggressive in trying to collect that money.

While all utilities deal with delinquencies, most only allow that situation to exist for a short time before shutting off service.

Although there's no way to shut off sewer service if a residence's or business' water service remains, the authority should have been more aggressive in pursuing legal action against major delinquents.

For now, though, an amnesty is a good choice, but only if there is a further surcharge imposed on those who ignore this special window to pay up without penalties or interest.

Tom Rockovich, BASA's executive director, said he expects that the authority will make a decision by the end of the year on whether to launch an amnesty effort. However, It shouldn't take until the end of the year to study the legality of an amnesty and draw up the program details.

If it does, that will help explain why the authority has been slow in getting tough with delinquents.

Effective July 1, the authority increased monthly bills by $2 per month per equivalent dwelling unit (EDU), bringing quarterly payments to $87. There are 23,033 EDUs served by the authority.

If the authority is going to increase charges to customers, it ought to be aggressive in going after delinquent money.

An amnesty program is a good start.

Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker James Harrison has plenty to say — about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back Rashard Mendenhall — in the August issue of Men's Journal.It wasn't what the Steelers needed during this offseason that has had so much uncertainty because of the prolonged league contract dispute and players lockout. It's also the second off-season in a row that the Steelers have been hit by an embarrassing situation involving one of the team's star players.Last year it was Roethlisberger's alleged conduct with a college student in Georgia — an incident in which Roethlisberger was not criminally charged.It's becoming more and more common for sports personalities and politicians to shoot their mouths off about something or someone and then, a couple of days later, issue an apology.Yet it's hard to fathom that the person who voiced a controversial opinion has, deep down, experienced a real change of heart. Thus, Harrison, having voiced his opinions in the Men's Journal article, should have the courage to stand firm regarding them — or he should have kept quiet from the start.And, he should have considered the effect on his team that his comments would have.Harrison was wrong on all fronts. For the Steelers' sake, it can be hoped that the matter dissipates quickly.If Harrison faces any punishment stemming from what he said, so be it, although it must be acknowledged that he has the right of freedom of speech like anyone else.

Individuals for whom court warrants have been issued have cause for feeling more uneasy.The Butler County Sheriff’s Office, which compiled a commendable record of serving 747 warrants from January through June last year while attempting to serve 97 others, upped those numbers markedly for the same period this year, when 823 warrants were issued and an additional 833 attempts were made.And, to the chagrin of those still being sought, Sheriff Mike Slupe has promised, “We’re not easing up anytime soon.”Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger, who has praised Slupe’s commitment to easing the unserved-warrants backlog that Slupe inherited when he took office in January 2010, as well as deal with newly issued warrants, said, “You want to send a message: You can’t run far enough.”No doubt, part of Goldinger’s message was that individuals aren’t improving their situation before the courts by running from the obligations imposed by the courts, including that they show up for hearings.For many of those being sought by the Sheriff’s Office, being confronted by a deputy face to face could come sooner than they might anticipate.The emphasis Slupe has placed on the warrants issue since taking office should have been in play all along but, unfortunately, not always was.