Showing posts with label kraus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kraus. Show all posts

Monday, May 09, 2011

Koch files ethics, but not court, complaint against Bruce Kraus, hypocrite

Bruce Kraus fumbles, big time.
Koch files ethics, but not court, complaint: "Bruce Kraus is a hypocrite who refuses to follow his own laws. How can we trust him with the welfare of the city of Pittsburgh when he cannot follow the very laws that he wrote and is subject to? Its deceptive, hypocritical and reveals a dangerous proclivity to say one thing, do another and violate the law for his own benefit.

Mr. Koch is considering all possible avenues in an attempt to address this matter. He is filing his ethically sound financial disclosure reports to the Allegheny County Board of Elections by todays deadline."
I was there when this law was hatched. I helped it NOT occur in an earlier edition. Then I was put onto the task force to help craft the law.

Some of what I wanted did NOT make it into the law. Some did.

But with this fumble from Bruce Kraus, if it was up to me, and I speak as a member of the task force appointed to study and craft a bill for city council, I would have the guilty with a scarlet letter punishment. This means that Bruce Kraus would not get any more pay checks. He could keep his seat, but the controller would suspend his pay until he resigned. Then if he did resign, he'd be able to run again the next time. Or, he can choose to not follow the rules and serve out his term -- but not get paid anything to do so.

Furthermore, those that paid the extra money to the candidate would be on a black list and those people and firms would not be able to get any money from the city either. Once Kraus was out of office, they'd be okay to resume business with the city.

In the city, we choose to not sell property to anyone who has an outstanding property tax due to the city. That is a good policy. This punishment option I suggest is similar. The city should choose to not do business nor make city payouts to anyone that choose to break the campaign finance laws of the city.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Another challenger for Kraus

Another challenger for Kraus

The slate is getting crowded for Bruce Kraus's South Side City Council seat.

Kraus is already getting challenged for the Democratic nomination by SS Chamber of Commerce president Gavin Robb. Yesterday Democratic committeeman Jason Phillips joined the fray, saying in a statement that the "crux of his campaign focuses on our need to fix our roads, improve snow and ice removal from our secondary street, pick up garbage, demolish blighted homes, eradicate graffiti and most of all, provide Police, Fire and EMS services to our residents. Mr. Phillips invasions a City Council tenure where constituent services rank highly."

Sunday, January 09, 2011

How pension bailout came in a frenzy at 11th hour

How pension bailout came in a frenzy at 11th hour

Ms. Doven said. "It really was a three-ring circus."

Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/11009/1116783-53.stm#ixzz1AXLp9dj8
And the mayor says it is not his fault. So there.

Friday, November 26, 2010

When government doesn't respond, volunteers make calls to city hall

When government doesn't respond, volunteers make calls to city hall

When Knoxville activist and Democratic Committeeman Thomas Coppola needed help getting a lot cleaned up, he spent months pleading with the city's Bureau of Building Inspection and other officials.

Then he called Donna Wielock and Arlene Trost. Within a week, the lot had been tidied.

"I hear they don't even get paid up there," Mr. Coppola said. "They're volunteers."

It may be difficult to fight city hall, as the saying goes, but Ms. Wielock and Ms. Trost can help even the odds. From noon to 3 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, they staff City Councilman Bruce Kraus' satellite office in Arlington.
Why not buy the lot? Own it. Fix it. Clean it. Do it yourself.

The BBI (Bureau of Building Inspection) does not act as a clean up crew. Bark up the wrong tree and get nothing done. Or, bark up the right tree and get tidy. Or, just don't bark at all and tidy and get tidy.

Volunteers are great. I love volunteers. Volunteers are a key to fixing the ills of the city government and city schools. But we need some wisdom too. Nagging isn't really what I'd call volunteering. Nagging can be a step on that pathway, but it isn't all there is to it. But, within the Democratic Committee in the city, nagging is the heart and soul of purpose.
Longtime residents and community activists, Ms. Wielock and Ms. Trost acknowledged knowing who to call to get something done -- but declined to give any specifics. The two have been known to break bureaucratic logjams with sweet talk, heart-rending tales and appeals to civic pride.

"By the time you get off the phone with them, you don't even know what you've agreed to," said Matt Hogue, Mr. Kraus' chief of staff.

Each of the city's nine council members has a small office and staff in the City-County Building, Downtown. The city budget makes no provision for satellite offices, so a council member generally meets constituents at coffee shops, senior centers or similar venues to spare them a trip to Grant Street.

In April, at the suggestion of Ms. Wielock and Ms. Trost, Mr. Kraus established a satellite office -- a room in the Allegheny County Adult Probation's Day Reporting Center at 2320 Arlington Ave.

The county provided the room rent-free. Ms. Kraus came up with a computer and phone, then turned Ms. Wielock and Ms. Trost loose. The results, he said, have exceeded his expectations.

Mr. Coppola said he spent months trying to help a neighbor who wanted a contractor to clean up the broken concrete and other debris left behind after a city-ordered house demolition.

While city officials told him, "It's done. It's over. It's acceptable," Mr. Coppola disagreed. "You could not run a lawn mower over the property," he said.

After encountering Ms. Wielock and Ms. Trost at a community meeting, he said, he decided to ask their help. About two years after walking off the job, Mr. Coppola said, the contractor returned to tidy up.

Ms. Trost said she and Ms. Wielock "made some phone calls."
They declined to give any specifics. Modesty, perhaps. Closed source, doubtful. Generous with the wisdom, but only with in-person, in-party, in-problemed, on-phone issues.

Matt Hogue offers up a great quote of cluelessness. "By the time you get off the phone with them, you don't even know what you've agreed to," said Matt Hogue. Come on Matt. You gotta know. Don't be a puppet. Don't flap in the wind.

The expectations of Mr. Kraus are out paced by two volunteers, a free rent office, a computer and a phone. What does that say about his expectations?

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Parking bidder offers to tweak deal

Parking bidder offers to tweak deal

."Their thought is, OK, we probably see a better way of getting this done. Perhaps we should re-evaluate this lease agreement. Is there a way perhaps to lower the initial payment, decrease the length of the lease, find ways to keep the city more involved?" said Councilman Bruce Kraus, one of those approached by LAZ.

Mr. Kraus and five colleagues -- Patrick Dowd, Bill Peduto, Natalia Rudiak, Doug Shields and council President Darlene Harris -- on Wednesday voted against four bills that would have authorized the lease with private investors led by J.P. Morgan Asset Management and LAZ parking.


Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/10289/1095711-53.stm#ixzz12XFJaple
They did well to contact Bruce Kraus as he is one of the most wishy washy of them all. Plus, his sense of purpose as to what government is to do, and not do, is suspect as well. If there is a cause for over-reaching, he'll gladly over-reach!

Here is an idea for Laz: Take one of the downtown garages, buy it outright. Then build a new garage in its place with some small first floor retail to help the pedestrian life, put in a mega bike parking area like that in Amsterdam, some self-storage on a floor near the top, pedestrian cross walks above the street to other corners or buildings around the garage, and a 50-meter swim pool on the roof that can be covered in the winter for hosting swim meet.

Then people will come to the city to swim or watch a swim meet in a fine facility, and would need to park and go out to eat after.

Make sure that there is nice access to some bus parking too, around the building somewhere.

Thursday, July 01, 2010

Overboard Kraus

"We elected Bruce Kraus to be our city councilman because of his promises of 'Safe, Clean and Green.' Instead, Mr. Kraus has become our neighborhood dictator and is attempting to run the place into the ground."

Thursday, June 24, 2010

How is that REGISTRY for gay couples in the city of Pittsburgh doing, really?

Bruce Kraus was keen to start a registry for gay couples in Pittsburgh a while ago. He had helpers in city hall. It began. How about an update?

I didn't think it made sense to start such a registry for a few reasons. It is an expansion of government. It is not really governement's business. The best benefit was to save a family of 4 some money on city swim pool passes. It would save them $300 over a ten year period.

Nazi Germany used records to hand out yellow, six pointed stars and pink triangles. I'd rather not have those source documents.

I had heard that the registry one year after being formed had six couples listed. But, that's not confirmed, just hear-say. So, I wonder.

Sunday, June 06, 2010

Blast from the past: District 3 Special Election Guide

Gearing up to the 10,000 post on this blog, and in advance of our open house on July 4, 2010 -- all are welcome -- comes another blast from the past.

From The Pitt News, March 13, 2006
District 3 Special Election Guide By Pitt News Staff
published: Mon, 13 March, 2006

Neal Andrus (R)

Neal Andrus wants to shake things up for Pittsburgh.

"I'd like to be a voice for change on City Council," said Andrus, who is currently running on the Republican ticket for Tuesday's election.

Andrus has made a goal of "restoring fiscal sanity to city government," something that he believes should be voters' top priority when they head to the polls.

Hoping that District 3 residents will cast their votes "with an idea in their heads that they're tired of the same old thing and that they want something new," Andrus has promised to seek creative ideas in tackling the city's financial woes.

A 30-year-old who obtained degrees in political science and economics from Pitt in December 2004, Andrus has lived in the district for eight years. He said he does not seek to become a politician.

"I don't think anyone down there has any idea what needs to be done," he said of the current council.

He wants to bring up new ideas and "do something different." Shunning the idea that City Council's mission should include creating new jobs or "bribing" companies to come to Pittsburgh, Andrus believes in drawing commercial industry by working with the county and state governments to create a more attractive business environment.

He also suggested seeking unconventional moneymakers, like New York City's $166-million deal with Snapple to make the company the official city vendor of iced tea, water and chocolate milk.

-Senior Staff Writer J. Elizabeth Strohm

Bruce Krane (I)

Bruce Krane's slogan is "Building a better Pittsburgh," and he wants students involved in the process.

"I want to engage them and work with them," he said.

Krane, an independent candidate, said his administration would recognize the need for a student liaison. He said that if elected, he would hire a student to work with him part-time.

"I think we need the refreshing creativity of university students to pose some alternative ideas and hopefully solutions," he said. "Because we aren't seeing a lot of that on Grant Street right now."

Krane, who has lived in Pittsburgh for 16 years and currently resides in the South Side, is the vice president for the South Side Community Council.

"I would describe myself as a community advocate," he said.

Krane volunteers with Pittsburgh's Community Access Television Channel, where he hosts and produces programs. He credited the station with helping him make the decision to run in the special election because of his experience interviewing office holders on his programs.

Krane said he is in favor of term limits and referendums, or "putting issues on the ballot." He said he could use the pulpit and media exposure of being a councilman to go directly to the people through this process.

But according to Krane, there is no key issue that will determine which candidate people vote for.

"There's no 900-pound gorilla," he said. "It's going to be who can get their supporters out to vote."

-Staff Writer Angela Hayes

Jason Phillips (G)

Jason Phillips wants to bring a student voice to City Council.

"For the last 16 years, we've basically had zero representatives on City Council," Phillips said, adding that this election marks a "very opportune time" for students to claim their voice.

Phillips declined to single out a specific goal for his time on council, explaining that he hopes to tackle many issues. He mentioned that the city is in financial "dire straits," and that he hopes to improve Pittsburgh's transportation system, nightlife and other things that matter to students.

"This is a time when we need to elect people with college educations, people with government experience," Phillips said, noting that he is such a person.

Phillips, a 24-year-old Pitt student who plans to complete his studies of political science next year, said he has worked in the lieutenant governor's office and served as a consultant on a number of candidates' campaigns within Pennsylvania. A resident of the South Side Flats and graduate of Pittsburgh's Art Institute, he has lived in District 3 for more than two years.

"I'm the only candidate who, if elected, could walk right into the office and not need to take time to learn the ropes," Phillips said.

Emphasizing the importance of students' votes, Phillips said it is "immature" of students to not bother to show up on election day.

-Senior Staff Writer J. Elizabeth Strohm

Matthew Bartus (I)

Perhaps the city needs a new coat of paint.

Matthew Bartus, a painter for Pittsburgh's General Services department, is a candidate for the vacant District 3 seat that will be filled in Tuesday's special election. He could not be reached for comment.

He said to the Pittsburgh City Paper that he has a chance to beat Democratic candidate Jeff Koch because there are so many other candidates running in the election.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bartus plans on relocating the South Side police station to the Neville Ice Arena. The current location is 1725 Mary St., near 18th Street.

He also said to the Post-Gazette that he wants to reduce the size of city council from nine members to five and have non-profit organizations give more to the city.

The University counts itself among Pittsburgh's non-profit organizations.

Bartus, 50, currently lives in Carrick, a neighborhood south of Downtown that is near the neighborhoods of Brookline and Mt. Oliver.

-Assistant News Editor Andy Medici

Mark Rauterkus (L)

Mark Rauterkus grew up in Penn Hills, moved out of state for a few years, and then moved back to Pittsburgh in 1990.

The South Side resident said that part of his motivation for running for council is that the city is in a big crisis, and he believes children have been ignored.

Rauterkus, who has two children, said that if elected to council, he would like to chair the Committee on Youth Policy and the Citiparks Committee.

One of the things that Rauterkus would like to accomplish is to restart the Pittsburgh Marathon.

He would also like to integrate additional programs into the city's neighborhood parks.

"There's a lot to be done there," Rauterkus said.

Rauterkus is a swim coach for the Carlynton Swim Club.

He said he would like to acquire funding to open more of the city's pools, which have been closed at times because of budget cuts.

Rauterkus added that he is dedicated to his campaign "for the long haul."

If he does not win this election, he plans to build a network of volunteers and issues.

"Whoever does win might only be there for a year and half," Rauterkus said. "They're going to have me to contend with next week."

-Senior Staff Writer Laura Jerpi

Jeffrey Koch (D)

Jeffrey Koch wants to clean up Oakland.

Koch - the Democratic candidate for City Council representing District 3, which includes Oakland - said that if elected, he would work with the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation to pick up trash in South Oakland.

One program he supports, called Adopt-a-Block, involves approximately 50 students cleaning up around South Oakland to make the area more appealing.

Koch also hopes the college vote will make a difference.

"I hope the students show," he said. "They could make a big difference in this election."

He said he would not implement immediate changes or policies but would welcome the chance to sit down with students and talk about issues concerning Oakland and Pitt.

Koch is a landscaping contractor and Department of Public Works employee. He has lived in Arlington, a section of District 3, his entire life. His parents also lived in District 3 their entire lives.

He is endorsed by Mayor Bob O'Connor, the Pittsburgh Firefighters Union and the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers.

-Staff Writer Jared Trent Stonesifer

Bruce Kraus (I)

Bruce Kraus wants to make Pittsburgh neighborhoods safe, clean and green.

The South Side resident is the chair of Pittsburgh's Graffiti Task Force, which "[assists] city officials and neighborhood groups in their efforts to combat graffiti vandalism," according to http://Bruce4council.com.

Kraus, 51, could not be reached for comment, but his Web site outlines three main tactics for bettering the city: outreach, education and enforcement.

According to Kraus's Web site, he will "work toward curtailing the criminal nuisance activities that his constituents do not want," while maintaining "the green setting" they do want.

Kraus also outlines several plans for paying for his initiatives, which include "an expansion of the tax base with increase property values" and "attention from the state and the county for special grants for beautification."

In response to a questionnaire from the League of Young Voters, Kraus wrote that he wants students to be "engaged in the process of stewarding [their] futures."

"I will advocate for your 'place at the table,'" Kraus said in the questionnaire, "to ensure that you are provided with all the opportunities to work on the solutions to the problems you are facing with regards to job creation, education, creative housing, transportation, recreation, and an active social network including nightlife and the arts."

-News Editor Adam Felming

Michael Waligorski (I)

Independent candidate Michael Waligorski must be a busy man, because he's hard to find.

Waligorski "runs a painting business, sells real estate and has been a perennial candidate," according to a March 6 editorial in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

He's known - among local journalists, at least - for being difficult to contact, despite his frequent campaigns in local politics.

"Waligorski, a frequent candidate for public office, did not return phone calls," reported the Pittsburgh City Paper on March 2.

The 56-year-old handyman, Army Reservist and South Side Flats resident is running on what he calls the Disclosure Party ticket and "wants to see more openness in government," according to the Post-Gazette.

Waligorski's phone number is unlisted, and he did not return phone calls when The Pitt News obtained his number from City Paper.

A Jan. 31 Post-Gazette article noted, "Independent candidate Michael Waligorski of the Flats could not be reached for comment."

Waligorski did not respond to a Sierra Club questionnaire regarding Tuesday's election and environmental issues, reported local activist organization Progress Pittsburgh on Feb. 23.

-Editor in Chief Jessica Lear

Friday, June 04, 2010

Blast from past: Elections - Two-Fisted Voting Action

From Pittsburgh City Paper, March 22, 2006
The March 14, 2006, special election of a new city councilor from District 3 didn't lack for passion: Two candidates nearly got into a fistfight on Election Day.

But voters apparently felt less strongly about the contest to replace former council member Gene Ricciardi, whose district includes the South Side, adjoining hilltop communities, and portions of Oakland. According to unofficial returns, 3,349 votes were cast -- a turnout of under 14 percent. There were few surprises. The endorsed Democrat, Arlington resident and public-works employee Jeffrey Kock, trumped the eight-man field with 1,449 votes. That edged out South Side businessman, Bruce Kraus, who polled 1,271 votes.

"I was surprised by how close Kraus got," says Koch. "But I just knew more people."

And as Kraus backers had feared, Bruce Krane, another South Side businessman, drew critical votes away. Krane won 215 votes, roughly three dozen more than Kraus would have needed to win.

An altercation between Krane and Kraus was, in fact, narrowly averted on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Witnesses say the dispute, in which the candidates argued over last-minute efforts to appeal to voters, nearly came to blows.

Krane confirms a confrontation took place, and acknowledges warning Kraus to leave "before your teeth end up on the ground." Kraus declined comment on the fracas.

"Votes got split," says Khari Mosley, the local head of the League of Young Voters. All along, grassroots progressives worried that Koch was too close to the Democratic old guard. But they didn't rally behind Kraus until a Feb 12 candidates' forum held by Progress Pittsburgh and other groups. By then, "The race had gotten personal," Mosley says. "By the time people started talking about narrowing the field, it was too late."

Krane says that Kraus supporters claimed "I was put in the race by (Mayor Bob) O'Connor. ... No one who knows me has ever questioned my independence." But, he adds, "Call me a spoiler if you like; it's OK with me."

Kraus declines to do so. "Krane took some votes," he says, "but we had everything working against us. We lost the (Democratic) endorsement; we were the last name on the ballot. God knows there were enough other candidates on the ballot. ... But as a first-time candidate, we did well.

There had been hopes that Pitt students, who live on the district's Oakland outskirts, might play a decisive role. But despite a get-out-the-vote effort Mosley's organization targeted at students, only 93 votere were cast at Pitt's Posvar Hall polling place.

The League of Young Voters sought to register 1,000 students for the election; Mosely hoped 300 would vote. "It was an ambitious goal," Mosley says. But I'm disappointed we didn't reach it."

Still, Mosley observes, "Many districts had fewer votes than Pitt did." And even that, organizers contend, is a step forward.

"Students showed up in suprising numbers, given the extent to which they were ignored," says Andrea Boykowicz, an Oakland resident and member of Progress Pittsburgh. The candidates focused on issues such as litter and graffiti, which she says didn't resonate with students.

Koch will hold office only for 18 months, to fill out the rest of Ricciardi's term. His top legislative priority? "The same thing I said all along: trying to get Warrington Avenue repaved." As for the majority of voters who picked someone else, "I need to convince them that they made the wrong choice."

Neither Krane nor Kraus will say whether they plan to run again. But Boykowicz will be watching.

"Kraus made a respectable showing," she says. "He could run again, and I'll be intereted to see if he makes his platform more meaningful. If not, there are other people we can run."

-- by Chris Potter

Thursday, June 03, 2010

More Kraus -- well -- more folly

The drinking game for Kruas begins with the word, "mix."
"Mr. Kraus said one of the things he hopes to accomplish is to 'remove himself from the mix' and to have the experts explain how a proactive approach can be good for everyone. He says he often hears that all the problems in South Side could be solved with more police.

'Once we’ve had a police officer introduced into the mix, it’s already too late,' the councilman says. He believes by incorporating the RHI principles it will greatly reduce the number of incidents in the neighborhood. 'It’s not about punishment or enforcement, it’s about behavior.'"
Bruce Kraus is a member of Pittsburgh City Council. He wants to be in charge of everyone's behavior. It is about behavior so he thinks. His behavior?

It is NOT about behavior Mr. Kraus. Not for you. Never.

As a member of city council, keep your nose out of the behavior of everyone else.

Council has a job to do. Mr. Kraus is clueless as to that job. That's why they have to buy thinking from consultants for $250,000 for PARKING.

The job of city council is to uphold the constitution. When and if behaviors are clashing with the rights of others, then it is time to act.

Kraus and City Council want to spend $250,000 on a parking study

They want to spend $250,000 on a parking study. Golly.

My councilman, Bruce Kraus, Mr. Folly himself, was quoted on the air on KDKA radio saying, "This is the most important decision city council is going to make all year." Furthermore, he said he wants to be sure that council does all its homework.

WTF?

No. That isn't true. City council wants to pay others to do its homework. I would have no problem if city council did the homework. The heavy lifting of what to do and why and how is NOT being done with city council as they are buying it from consultants -- at the price of $250,000.

Do it yourself.

We hired those on city council -- or more to the point -- we elected them. We want them to do the job. They should be the consultants. They should roll up their sleves and put on their thinking caps. They should burn the midnight oil and figure it out -- without burning big bucks on a consultant.

Where is the bid for that job, by the way?

Is this pay for play too?

Here is what city council and the mayor should do with the parking garages. Sell them. Sell them over the course of a few years so the value does not crash out of them by flooding the market.

Don't lease the garages -- sell them. Get the cash and make the cash as much as possible.

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Ravenstahl calls Carnegie Library's finances into question - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The Mayor didn't sneeze. Rather, he is getting his VETO pen ready. Bruce Kraus says "God bless" to Mayor. Sign.
Ravenstahl calls Carnegie Library's finances into question - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "'God bless him,' said Councilman Bruce Kraus, who introduced the measure with six co-sponsors to ensure its veto-proof passage. 'We've heard loud and clear the importance of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for the quality of life of the residents of Pittsburgh.'
No council member said yesterday that his or her vote would change. Harris said she was not sure how she would vote if the mayor were to veto the legislation."

Monday, May 24, 2010

Fw: Help from the South Side Community Council

From: Andrew Lang of Oxforddevelopment.com
Subject: FW: Help from the South Side Community Council

South Side Residents and Others...  Below in red and attached were forwarded to me from Bryan Woll who works in the office of Councilman Bruce Kraus.  This event Tuesday June 8th starts at 9:45am at Station Square could be worth attending if you are interested in what can be done to improve our neighborhood.  Online registration is at www.RHIevents.org/Forum/PA or call Alexis Hahalis at 831-469-3396 ext. 2.




As you may know, the Councilman is hosting a Responsible Hospitality Institute Regional Forum in Pittsburgh on Tuesday June 8th at Station Square. This one day event will give stakeholders on the South Side and throughout the city and region an opportunity to learn about managing mixed-use neighborhoods with daytime and nighttime economies, as well as residential areas nearby.


Thanks,
Bryan Woll, Office of Councilman Bruce Kraus
Pittsburgh City Council, District 3
City-County Building, Suite 510
414 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: 412-255-2130
Fax: 412-255-8950
Oxford Development, a firm that wants to tear down the Civic Arena, is working with this HOSPITALITY Zone thingie. Great. And, an intern runs it all.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

I'd be in favor of this if it was a big "D" on the back of his shirt.

Change the "L" to a "D" -- for Drunk. Then I'm fine with the ad.
Can ads put end to wild South Side behavior? Somebody affixed a big 'L,' for 'Loser,' to the back of his shirt.

Update:

Now I see the bent beer bottle ad and posted this to the Hogie's Facebook page:

Impotence isn't a bad thing as it beats the pants off of some of the alternatives: i.e., STDs and abortions and babies making babies.

This ad screams (and Bruce must sanction) that the South Side is a great place come (PUN) to drink and perform well in bed.

Impotence isn't the ill that the neighbors aim to curb. That isn't the thrust (PUN again) that should be delivered with the campaign.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Kraus and Ads about Drinking

Bruce Kraus wants to place ads around town concerning the South Side.

Who pays? Bus companies. Grants from Feds.

That is still public money Mr. Kraus.

Here is the deal: Enforcement. Public rest rooms. Better Parking Policies.

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

City Brief: Council Flirts With Central Planning, Pressures Aramark On Concession Jobs : Publius Awakened

Golly. This is what was expected and he is delivering.
City Brief: Council Flirts With Central Planning, Pressures Aramark On Concession Jobs : Publius Awakened: "City Council intervened today with a letter – written by Bruce Kraus and reprinted at City Paper’s Slag Heap – that reads like a Leftist’s guide to overreaching a local government’s authority and meddling in business decisions to score political points."

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Bruce Kraus is so foolish to wish to play the role of ruler of the marketplace

Not only is he foolish, but he puts the economy of the region in danger.

The last attempt was to limit the number of bars and it failed. There were others on city council who supported it too. And, the mayor even signed the bill. But the courts won. Freedom won. Kraus lost.

So, the next round is even worse. He lost the last battle with a stick -- so now he picks up a bigger stick. He wants to double down or something.
Pittsburgh council gets new approach to Carson Street bars - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 'I don't believe this ordinance is the be-all and end-all to solve the unruliness of the Carson Street corridor,' said Kraus, who hears complaints from residents about public drunkenness and vandalism. 'It puts a stop for now, until we can catch our breath and decide where we're going from here.'
The end all and be all to the problem is the marketplace.

Max and Erma's in Shadyside is closed. So what! Let it be. The corporation had problems. The economy took a dip. Nationwide, they couldn't stay in buesiness. Places open, and places close. There is good and bad. Time marches to a new day. That's how it should be without the city putting up red tape and hurdles to marketplace entry.

Kraus wants to see a balance. Of course he does, but it is his balance. He wants to rule the day, the streets and the lives of others. What Bruce wants is not what Bruce should legislate just because he won an election. Bruce can't legislate balance. Others are smart enough to realize their roles.

Frankly, I want to see freedom and liberties so that others who have a good idea can come here and set up shop as they wish. And, I want to have the people decide if they should support that business or not. And, decisions of employment are to be with the workers. Should they take jobs in that business or not is up to them. And, the banks get to decide if the owners should get capital to invest in that business or not. Thousands of decisions have to occur. Few or none of those decisions should be at the will of Bruce Kraus and others in City Hall.

What isn't serving the business district well is government intervention. "I don't care if it was drugstores that were opening. ... It's not serving the business district well to have almost a monopoly of one certain type of business," he said. Hey, the worst kind of monopoly is a state controlled monopoly. Furthermore, to curb the bars, he needs to curb the eating establishements. That is NOT the monopoly he wants to attack.

Nancy Eshelman, president of South Side Chamber of Commerce, opposes Kraus' ordinance.

"How dare he," Eshelman said. "What happened to free enterprise in this country? What's next? Is he going to decide how many tattoo parlors there are?"

There's no reason the city should restrict any small businesses from opening, said Eshelman, co-owner of Morning Glory Inn, a bed-and-breakfast on Sarah Street. "It's very hard to open a business, and if someone is willing to go through the effort, invest the capital, go through the process -- which is grueling -- he should not be able to say there are too many of them here. It's rather devious."

Kraus said his bill would attempt to prevent late-night drinkers from causing property damage or contributing to crime. "This is not about punishing anyone or going after businesses with alcohol licenses," he said. "This is about keeping people safe."

Again, he is miss directed, fully. No bar nor eating establishment ever wandered the neighborhood and caused property damage. People do that. Places don't. People from those places, perhaps, should be held accountable.

"We just have to begin enforcing the laws we already have instead of having new laws," she said. "I don't think controlling the number of restaurants and bars is going to change behavior."

More:


Bits of this & that ... - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Pittsburgh City Councilman Bruce Kraus, stymied in his efforts to supersede state law in determining the number and proximity of bars on the city's South Side, now wants to limit the number of restaurants there.
'I don't care if it was drugstores that were opening,' he said. 'It's not serving the business district well to have almost a monopoly of one certain type of business.'
Such arrogance cannot hide Mr. Kraus' ignorance. The South Side (excluding the SouthSide Works) long has been a wonderful, living, breathing laboratory for the free marketplace. Indeed, the success of such a funky and eclectic district has bred some problems, such as open drunkenness and public urination.
But not only are the South Side's problems tailor-made for beefed-up enforcement of existing laws by the local gendarmes, the Kraus proposal would be a slippery slope toward all manner of even more onerous government diktats that very well could kill the geese that lay so many golden eggs for Pittsburgh's tax coffers."

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Judge tosses Pittsburgh law aimed at limiting South Side bars - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Judge tosses Pittsburgh law aimed at limiting South Side bars - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "An Allegheny County judge Wednesday struck down a Pittsburgh ordinance aimed at stopping new bars from opening on the South Side."
Another huge defeat from the realm of poor solutions championed by Bruce Kraus. I never liked this law. I spoke against it in the past. It is short-sighted. It is illegal. It is an over-reach that fails in many regards.

What if a bar opens on the top of a building. Do you measure from door to door going up? Can two bars open in the same hotel, one on the first floor, such as in a hotel lobby, and another on the top floor? Go figure.

There are plenty of other things that can be done.

Furthermore, no bar ever came to my sidewalk to take a leak. The bars are not the one's that do the dirty deeds. It is the drunk patrons. And, if there are some at some bars that are doing bad things, those laws can be and should be enforced.

Tuition tax debate gets personal

Tuition tax debate gets personal: "Tuition tax debate gets personal"