Public Comment to City Council by Mark Rauterkus

Exact date uncertain.

From Mark Rauterkus

Today I come to council with good news —— and there is some good n

news in the air.

This is the time.

Good News for Modern Man —— that's the name of the New Testament.

Easter is about to be with us.

This is the time for-rebirth. This is the time for spring.

This is the time

To be biblical —— the guy on council with the other gospel-writer's name —— Luke (Ravenstahl), had good news. ‘

Mathew, Mark, Luke and John -—

I'm Mark —— He's Luke.

Luke had good news yesterday.

He took a stop watch into the neighborhoods.

Stopwatch. Time.

That is my tool. I use a stop watch all the time.

No so much as to time my talks to fit into 3 minute segments ——

But as a swim coach. ‘

Luke figured that the 4-minutes to get the fire equipment into reaches of Troy Hill was okay.

That is good news.

That's a good test.

But I wonder about the timing of this....

It is 2005. We all knew that fire houses needed to close to save money.

It took how long to close them?

Mark's good news is about music.

I'm holding a community concert.

I'm also passing around CDs. One of the songs is "Don't Put me in a Box."

If you are in a box - you won't be able to attend.

If you are in a box of party conformity, you'll be punished if you attend.

If you can't step out of the box -- we can't fix Pittsburgh.

The other song deals with CHANGE in the AIR. This is a time for rebirth and change in Pittsburgh.

But this is NOT a time for change for the sake of change.

I expect that city council will change greatly in the years to come.

But change to what?

We need changes -- but we need serious, calculated, time-honored, changes of accountability.

Modern, efficient, leadership.

Michael Diven (formerly of Pittsburgh's City Council and at the time in the PA House) changed his party. His change is for change's sake -- and not for any real benefit.

Wayne Fontana (formerly of Allegheny County Council -- then to PA Senate) changes from one job to another. But that isn't real change for Pittsburgh,

It is for Fontana —— but not for Pittsburgh.

Find out what I'm about -- at the concert. At the web site.

Hope to make my points of change known to you all.

- ASSESSMENT BUFFERING

- TRANSPORTATION

- HUMAN Development -- not corporate welfare and wrongheaded investments that are not helping.