Cancel the Times Union

That's what its employees want you to do, and I'm not inclined to argue with them. I was looking at the damn thing today, with a familiar mix of reactions. The lead story is by Brendan Lyons, the best investigative reporter in the Capital Region, but the expose doesn't seem worth much: Albany's police chief may have failed to update his whatever-the-hell-he-was-supposed-to-update in order to have the legal right to carry a pistol. Big whoop. Sometimes the TU's crusades generate their own momentum, as with the current one to get everyone outraged because some well-connected Albanians were able to avoid parking tickets. But it's small beer, and the paper's focus seems misdirected. One explanation is that it's a mayoral election year, and they're looking for any stick to take a whack at Jerry Jennings. That's one use for the front page, but it's not the best way to sell newspapers.