For those of us who watch "The Office", our view of Scranton is filtered through the lens of the fictional, and dysfunctional, Dunder Mifflin Paper Co.

But if you care about the future of the city of Erie, you should be paying attention to the real-life struggles faced by Scranton's government.

Scranton, like Erie, has been facing major budget problems in its city government.

Unlike Erie, though, Scranton is already in Act 47 -- the state's financial recovery program for debt-strapped municipalities.

Erie Times-News reporter Kevin Flowers travelled to Scranton earlier this month to see how the city is faring under Act 47. What he found was eye opening. You can read his stories here.

If anything, it's a cautionary tale -- and one Mayor Joe Sinnott and City Council should read closely as they set their budget for 2007 and beyond.

Erie simply cannot afford to creep closer to Act 47.