Swimmers Go Fast at our championships

Our team's (C.S.C.) 10 & Under Girls Free Relay turned in a 2:00.55 time for the 200 free relay.

Both the 10 & Under Girls and 10 & Under Boys won their respective age group team high point awards. And, the CSC team was in second place after the morning session. The older kids held the team's standings. Carlynton got 2nd.

Teams in the WCPSL: Monroeville (first), Carylnton (second), Blackhawk, Hubbard, Hopewell, Slippery Rock, Grove City, Farrell, Deer Lakes, Riverside and Northgate.

I love the end of the season. It is a lot like the final week of a political campaign too -- but better.

Furthermore, in our recent candidate night, I didn't have the chance, but would have loved to have jumped upon a comment from another competitor in the race. He said that it is all about 'cooperation' and 'reaching concensus.' Wrong again. Think again.

Often, in a cooperative setting -- things don't get done. I'm not afraid to be competitive. Pittsburgh needs to be more competitive -- and less cooperative. We've been cooperative with the corporations. We've been cooperative with the downtown retail establishments such as Lord and Tayor and Lazarus. We've been cooperative with the Pirates and Steelers owners. We build them each a stadium and give them favorable leases on prime spaces. We've been cooperative with the special interest groups and neighborhood groups so we now have new townhouses in blighted areas that are NOT selling. They can't sell. They won't sell.

To compete is more in my calling -- and more in my heart.

This some guy who wants to cooperate is the one who also thinks he has a bigger heart than everyone else. He has a big bleeding heart. He has a big give-a-way mentality. He has a "make everything nice" perspective but is without the winning lottery ticket to pay for it all.

He has a big, soft heart. He'll worry and has talked all about the "perception" of Pittsburgh's problems. Pittsburgh has bad PR. Duhh....

You can't fool the kids. You can't fool the residents. You can't fool problems and hope they float away with a new motto and new image gap problem.

You can't cooperate to excellence.

At our swim meet today, there were winners and loosers. And, there were quite a few D.Q.s as well. Not Dairy Queen ice cream, by the way. But, it was a magical thing to watch event after event and the kids put it all on the line -- trying their best to win. They have hearts.

Meanwhile, our kids in the city -- they've got hearts but few who are willing to engage them and push them to greatness.