Pennsylvania is the elephants' graveyard of reports by committees with good intentions, and Allegheny County is not immune from that. So it takes some faith to recommend that the county pick an all-volunteer commission to undertake studies and make reports.

But a proposal by at-large County Councilman Chuck McCullough may have merit. He would have a nine-member panel look at how five independent authorities in the county are doing their jobs -- the Allegheny County Airport Authority, Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, the Sports and Exhibition Authority, the Port Authority and the John J. Kane Regional Centers.

The Republican from Upper St. Clair would have the unpaid commission review the agencies with a view to "evaluating the potential for their incorporation into the operations of Allegheny County or privatization."

Those, of course, can be controversial words and members of the Democratic council majority had some reservations. But Council President Rich Fitzgerald, D-Squirrel Hill, has agreed to bring it up for debate on council's government reform committee, which he chairs, although probably not until mid-September.

What is there to lose? Mr. Fitzgerald notes that while the nine members of the panel would not be paid, they would be able to use county staff for research and assistance and to hold hearings. If good information and suggestions come from this effort, it will be worth this use of staff time.

Mr. McCullough's resolution should ease the fears of Democrats since it lets the majority pick six of the study commission members while the Republicans pick three. But if this is to work, members need to be chosen on merit and experience, not partisan preconceptions.

Is County Council up for that? It's not clear, but there is only one way to find out. Pick an authority and let the commission focus upon it as a trial. If its conclusions are not consigned to the elephants' graveyard of reports, then let it proceed from there.

In today's cost-strapped environment, everything should be scrutinized. There's virtue in having a citizens' panel perform an independent look at how county authorities can best serve the taxpayers.

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