The Pittsburgh Comet: District 9 UPDATE: Burgess 39, Kirkland 32, Carlisle 21, Taylor 3The dems did a re-do on the endorsement for city council, district 9. They had an endorsement before. But the winner, 22-year-old Ms. Cooper, got tossed from the ballot by the judge because of a failed deadline for the financial disclosure forms. Ouch.
Speaking of tacticsPittsburgh has a brain drain, in part, because of the acts described in the letter.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07090/773997-110.stm
I wish to respond to Dennis Roddy's statement in his March 22 article "City Candidates Removed From Primary Ballot," in which he insinuates that I, as attorney for the Patrick Dowd campaign for City Council, might have been "engaged in a tactical maneuver to winnow the field and give their candidate better odds against
the incumbent."
Apparently the incumbent's political maneuvering seems to have escaped Mr. Roddy's attention. It should be clearly noted that Leonard Bodack Jr., through Anthony Lisowski, initiated ballot challenges against both Patrick Dowd and Tom Fallon on the basis of errors in their statements of financial interests. (How much better can the odds be than to remove all challengers?)
When Mr. Bodack learned that his effort to knock Mr. Dowd off the ballot was unsuccessful, he then withdrew his challenge against Mr. Fallon. Did he suddenly change his opinion about the value of information omitted from Mr. Fallon's statements of financial interests? Or did he decide that, with Mr. Dowd now remaining in the race, a three-person contest would be more advantageous to his campaign?
These tactics, sadly, are an unfortunate misuse of the judicial system for political purposes. Mr. Bodack should be ashamed of himself and the voters in City Council District 7 should remember this on May 15.
ISOBEL STORCH, Highland Park
SI.com - More Sports - U.S. women top Aussies for water polo gold - Saturday March 31, 2007 11:01AM Coach Guy Baker jumped fully clothed into the pool to congratulate his team Saturday after the United States edged Australia 6-5 to win the women's water polo gold medal at the world championships.
Rick Swartz for Allegheny County Executive - Home A real Democrat isn’t afraid to fail.I'm not afraid. And, I've not won past elections. But, in my heart and in my head, I can say with confidence that I've yet to FAIL in any of my campaigns so far, despite the fact that I've not yet gotten close to scoring one move vote than the 2nd place.
Onorato: Smoking fine for South Side parlor 'excessive' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Onorato: Smoking fine for South Side bingo parlor 'excessive'Do you think he should have thought this bill through. Think again, before you sign the bill, Mr. Onorato. Onorato bucked hard to get the bill re-written. Now that it is a bill, he calls it excessive.
First and foremost, the goals that we hope to accomplish are:
1. Bringing the message that liberty can be reestablished in American only by respecting the rule of law, the U. S. Constitution.
2. Saving America from bankruptcy, world war and a continued fascist regime by getting Ron Paul elected President.
What you can do:
1. Republicans need to get involved in the party. Become voting delegates at your precinct, county and state conventions. Support Ron Paul at all these events. Ask them to invite Ron Paul to speak at their state conventions! (1-800-RON-PAUL)
2. Republicans need to call the county chairs, executive committee and state chairmen of your individual state. Ask that they support and endorse Ron Paul. Tell them that it is imperative at this time in history that we have someone who in incorruptible and a true conservative because this country is going bankrupt – financially and morally.
3. Those of you, who are not Republicans, hold your nose and take the plunge as Ron Paul is running in the Republican primary and believe it or not, most grassroots Republicans believe in limited government and want someone to believe in Ron Paul is that Republican.
4. Write letters to the editors of newspapers about supporting Ron Paul for President.
5. Continue to hammer talk show blogs and email commentary promoting Ron Paul for President. (you have done a great job at this). Ask them to invite Ron Paul onto their station. Tell them to call 1-800-RON-PAUL. Promote him and the issues of liberty and the U.S. Constitution.
6. Ron Paul has to win Republican primaries before he can get to the next step – the general election, so we need you to work in Republican circles to get that done.
Thanks so much. You don't know how much we love you as supporters. If it weren't for you holding back the tide of big government by supporting Ron Paul in all of his endeavors, we would have little hope for freedom.
So, because of you, there is Hope for America!
The Daily News - Onorato addresses Twin Rivers assembly 'Part of the reason this got accomplished (new arena for Penguins) is I would not budge on not using tax dollars,' he said.
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| From people & vips |
2 Political Junkies: Swartz fights to have his voice heard Candidate Swartz is determined to remain on the ballot, and his campaign will help Chief Executive Dan Onorato hear the messages he's not currently getting from his inner circle. To that end, Swartz asks supporters to code their contributions: donations ending in $.95 for people who are upset about the transit situation; donations ending in $.96 for people who are upset about the voting machine fiasco; $.97 for road and development decisions; $.98 if you feel the assessment issue has not been fixed; and $0.99 for people who generally support the democratic process and want the county executive to listen better on ALL issues.
Casino panel created Mr. Ravenstahl said the formation of the task force coincides with a public hearing scheduled Tuesday before the city planning commission on PITG Gaming's master plan for the casino development.
Lane 9 News Archive: Flash! World Championships: Victory in 800 Freestyle Relay and Another World Record for the United States: "Winning his fifth gold medal and setting the 21st world record of his career, Phelps led off in 1:45.36 and was followed by Lochte's effort of 1:45.86. Keller then hopped in and delivered his best swim of the meet, a mark of 1:46.31. Vanderkaay handled the anchor leg in 1:45.71 and the U.S. had another global standard. Keller's leg was key, as he's struggled this week and it was uncertain how fast he'd go. For Lochte, it was his second world record of the night, joining his standard in the 200 backstroke.
'You could say I had a good night,' Lochte said. 'These other three guys and the crowd made it happen.' "
Casino panel created The Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force is gone, but another one will be taking its place to help ensure that the proposed Majestic Star casino in Chateau will be a quality development and a good neighbor.One step forward is quickly followed by one step back, given the bigger government leadership of Dan and Luke.
Penn Dot has detour information for the Boulevard of the Allies construction project in a PDF newsletter that just sucks. The newsletter looks good, but at first glance, people who drive these roads can't figure out what's what.
The newsletter provides the specific timelines month by month of the road closures. This project begins next Monday, April 2nd.
Students, patients and workers in Oakland and South Side are sure to feel the impact of these closures immediately. Allow the appropriate travel time or pack a swim suit to cross the Mon.
TCS Daily - The Perils of Unearned Wealth: Scarcity is a tutor and when it is no longer there to restrain our appetites, only character remains. If character was never developed... well, just watch today's news and you'll see.Interesting article by Jerry Bowyer.
[412] Community gathering about city-owned, closed ice rink on South Side -- PLUS -- running mate news with an final invite for YOU to RUN too. [412] Community gathering about city-owned, closed ice rink on South Side -- PLUS -- running mate news with an final invite for YOU to RUN too.I've got some "running mate news" and an invite to you to consider running for public office.
http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2007/03/community-meeting-called-huddle-to.htmlNow for exciting election news:
(I'm the only candidate other than Dan Onorato and Rich Swartz, both Democrats. And, Mr. Swartz faces the judge tomorrow morning, Friday 3-30. Lawyers working on behalf of Onorato are trying to knock him off the ballot. Despicable.)2. Allegheny County District Attorney -- (not me)
Onorato blasts judiciary - Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewThis reminds me of Ben Howland, UCLA coach, saying that the deck was stacked against his team after the NCAA picked the brackets for the March Madness. Oh well, it worked out for the Bruins.
The OpenOffice.org Community announce the release of OpenOffice.org 2.2, the latest version of the leading open-source office suite. With upgrades to its word processor, spreadsheet, presentations, and database software, the free software package provides a real alternative to Microsoft's recently-released Office 2007 product - and an easier upgrade path for existing Microsoft Office users. OpenOffice.org 2.2 also protects users from newly discovered vulnerabilities, where users' PCs could be open to attack if they opened documents from, or accessed web sites set up by, malicious individuals.
In version 2.2, users will immediately notice the improvement in the quality of text display in all parts of OpenOffice.org. The reason for this is that the previously optional support for kerning, a technique to improve the appearance of text written in proportional fonts, has now been enabled by default. OpenOffice.org's unique pdf export function has also been enhanced with the addition of the optional creation of
bookmarks feature, and support for user-definable export of form fields.
While OpenOffice.org 2.1 functions well on Microsoft's Windows Vista, version 2.2 makes use of some of the new cosmetic changes available in Vista, the new file dialogues being an example. Apple Mac users will notice a smaller download and a smaller installed size. The Apple Mac Intel version has many stability improvements, and bug fixes ranging from .ppt export to improved UNO connections. Version 2.2 now requires Mac OS X 10.4.x running X11.
Turning to some of the enhancements made to the individual components of OpenOffice.org, the Calc spreadsheet has received additional enhancements to its support for Microsoft file formats, including improved support for Pivot Tables and some specialised trigonometric functions. Base, the database component, has improved SQL editing functionality as well as a new "Queries within Queries" feature. Compatibility options for some database drivers, such as Oracle ODBC, have been improved. Impress, the presentations component, offers improvements in the handling of hidden slides which has been made more intuitive.
It is important to remember that OpenOffice.org is not just a software package, but is also a development and user community. One demonstration of this is the ability of third party developers to create extensions in a simple manner. Third party extensions can now be more closely integrated and features have been added to dramatically simplify the installation and updating of these. In addition, features have been added to assist those participating in the translation and localisation of
OpenOffice.org.
In addition to being immediately available for download from the traditional download servers, OpenOffice.org is also available from a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) network. Alternatively, OpenOffice.org Community Distributors supply the software on CD-ROM in many countries and native language translations will be available from their relevant communities.
About OpenOffice.org
The OpenOffice.org Community is an international team of volunteer and sponsored contributors who develop, support, and promote the leading open-source office productivity suite, OpenOffice.org®. OpenOffice.org's leading edge software technology (UNO) is also available for developers, systems integrators, etc to use in OpenOffice.org extensions or in their own applications.
OpenOffice.org supports the Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) OASIS Standard (ISO/IEC 26300) as well as legacy industry file formats and is available on major computing platforms in over 70 languages. OpenOffice.org software is provided under the GNU Lesser General Public Licence (LGPL) and may be used free of charge for any purpose, private or commercial.
The OpenOffice.org Community acknowledges generous sponsorship from a number of companies, including Sun Microsystems, the founding sponsor and primary contributor.
OpenOffice.org 2.2 may be downloaded free of charge from
http://download.openoffice.org/
The Housing Bubble Blog “Both Lender And Borrower Underestimated The Risks” The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. “David W. Bishoff is so pleased with condominium sales at the Carlyle, the soon-to-be-converted Union National Bank building at Fourth Avenue and Wood Street, Downtown, that he’s ready to try it again — right next door.”People are less interested in owning a piece of the Golden Triangle and more interested in owning the people who govern. Who owns the mayor? Who owns the County Executive?
“While it might seem like too much to some, Mr. Bishoff has no doubt the market can support it. ‘The question isn’t whether this city can absorb 200 or 400 or 600 or even a thousand. This Downtown should easily absorb and keep filled several thousand units,’ he said.”
“Mayor Luke Ravenstahl used the ribbon cutting to pitch his proposed tax abatement program for residential housing that is now before City Council.”
“One Carlyle buyer, Brian Ritz, likened his investment to ‘owning a piece of the Golden Triangle.’”
Health Department fines South Side bingo hall Lithuanian National Society on Jane Street in the South Side was fined $16,250 for failing to adopt and implement a workplace smoking policy and allowing 65 people to smoke at its bingo on March 21.
McNeilly suit's expense might top $185K for Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pittsburgh's decision to settle police Cmdr. Catherine McNeilly's civil rights lawsuit out of court could sting taxpayers for $185,000 -- or more.
City lawyers are recommending payment of $85,000 to McNeilly -- who makes a yearly salary of $79,877 -- to compensate for emotional and professional damage she suffered by being demoted to lieutenant on Dec. 7, after she made confidential police personnel records public. Her lawyers fees are expected to top $100,000.
Judge: County sheriff must be elected - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Allegheny County's longstanding tradition of electing a sheriff will carry on, at least for another five years, a county judge ruled today.We need a candidate for this office.
Common Pleas Judge Eugene B. Strassburger III sided with the Sheriff's Association of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in its lawsuit to keep the county and Chief Executive Dan Onorato from holding a public referendum in May asking voters to decide whether the county sheriff should remain an elected position or be appointed by the chief executive.
MacYapper: RUN BILLIE RUN? EDITION JOHN,
you should know that as several attorney's have pointed out to me, the very fact that Bill submitted nominating petitions for the race as a Democratic means that he is automatically disqualified, under the so-called 'Caliguiri Rule', from running as an independent in the General Election. Everyone seems to know about the first part of the Caliguiri rule, which requires you to switch parties 30 days before the primary, but the second part of the Caliguiri rule also says that you cannot run under a different party banner if you have submitted nominating papers in the previous primary election.
I'm not a lawyer, but I know several who have looked at this and said Bill is disqualified, and would easily be removed from the ballot should he try to run....
Suit Settled For Police Commander - NewsCity Council Approves McNeilly SettlementThe headline, above does not match the last line of the article. It is posted below.
The settlement is still subject to approval by Pittsburgh City Council.No bill for the payment of this settlement has gone before city council, yet. It is pending. It might come in a week or two. Furthermore, there might be two bills. One for the payment of the police officer. The other for the payment of the officer's attorney. The later has not been revealed.
Lane 9 News Archive: Flash! World Championships: The Thorpedo is Shot Down; Michael Phelps Sets World Record in 200 Freestyle Michael Phelps posted the almost unbelievable time of 1:43.86 in the 200 freestyle Tuesday nightHe hopes to get eight gold medals. He got two now. The first was with the USA Medley Relay.
Places: St. Nicholas is spared, but what about its windows? But in 2001, City Council designated the church a city historic landmark. Because the diocese opposed the designation, approval required a supermajority of council, and got it.
When PennDOT was able to draft new plans that shifted the highway toward the river to save the church, everyone who had worked and hoped and prayed for its survival breathed a sigh of relief.
Tuesday takes - Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewSad state: One of the wags with whom we regularly converse says Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has 'demonstrated a shocking lack of character and judgment,' that retreating challenger Bill Peduto 'has the backbone of a jellyfish' and that the city Republican Party can't find anyone to even 'mount a perfunctory challenge.' His conclusion: 'How pathetic.' That about covers it.Not so fast TRIB. Let's connect the dots.
Something's missing: A slick Port Authority update on its North Shore Connector construction touts what a 'good investment' extending light rail to the near North Side will be. And it talks of all the millions of dollars worth of wonderful 'economic impact' that this government boondoggle will provide. Odd, however, that nowhere does it mention the cost -- at least $435 million. Which is a 100 percent waste.
| Karma is like the string that holds the pearls together. Pittsburgh Tribune Review is without good karma. Its pages are missing something. We need to endure sustained discussions so we can string together stories that provide value. From texture - misc. |  |
South Side Youth Center the first post to my new blog. My goal is to keep everyone involved in the South Side Youth Center’s development up to date with what I’m doing.Reuse of the existing, closed, indoor ice rink, Neville Arena, is under discussion. The city finally issued the RFP (request for proposals).
Group wants rink reopened - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Community activist Mark Rauterkus of South 12th Street said discussions at a number of the community organization meetings that he attends have increasingly turned to the issue of reopening the ice rink.
'People feel that it is a shame for us to have a facility like this just sitting empty,' said Rauterkus, 42, who has two sons. 'I just think we need more amenities, more things to offer our young people. Having the rink closed creates a dark hole in that part of the neighborhood.'
Mark Kinney, who serves on the Market House Children's Athletic Association board, is working to reopen the rink. The association coordinates recreational programs for more than 500 South Side children.
'It's not like we have a vacant piece of land, and we're saying we want to build a new ice skating rink on it from scratch,' said Kinney, who lives on Leticoe Street. 'The facility is already there. We just need to get people together and work with the city to get it opened.'"
Pittsburgh, PA – BootCamp, a FREE one-day event designed to give anyone interested in blogging or podcasting all the tools they’ll need to get started, will be held at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, 420 Boulevard of the Allies, on Saturday April 21, 2007, from 9 am-4 pm. For more information and to register, go to: www.bootcamppgh.org.
BootCamp is being organized by Justin Kownacki, creator of popular Pittsburgh web series Something To Be Desired and co-organizer of the recent PodCamp Pittsburgh as well as the upcoming PodCamp Pittsburgh 2. The one-day learning intensive will present the basics of blogging, audio/video podcasting, and social networking in 24 scheduled sessions separated into three “tracks”: Art/Content, Technology/Process, and Business/Marketing. In addition, attendees will have numerous opportunities for individual attention and hands-on practice. By the end of the day, participants will not only have a better understanding of “new media” but will also actually have their own blogs and podcasts up and running. Plus, they’ll be fully prepared for the more in-depth topics that will be covered in PodCamp Pittsburgh 2, a FREE weekend event in August expected to draw some of the biggest names on the internet.
Although anyone with an interest is invited to attend, BootCamp is an especially tremendous opportunity for CMU, Pitt, and other local college students who are studying anything from journalism to business, education to entertainment. Rather than offering yet another typical day of classes, BootCamp is a fully immersive and interactive experience including a hands-on computer lab and roaming experts giving personal attention. The price tag is another attraction. Registration is absolutely FREE at www.BootCampPgh.org, and attendees are welcome to take in as much or as little as they’d like during the one-day event.
Small business owners can also benefit from learning more about the power of the internet. Since they generally lack the funds of larger companies, staying competitive can be a challenge. BootCamp will provide the tools to reach a larger audience through blogging, podcasting and social networking, all dynamic, inexpensive ways for companies to get noticed and keep people’s attention. And since BootCamp is FREE, it’s all benefit and no risk.
BootCamp is still seeking additional sponsorship. Interested businesses should contact Justin Kownacki at jkownacki@gmail.com.
For additional information, Contact: Justin Kownacki, 412-628-4231, jkownacki -AT- gmail -dot- com
http://www.bootcamppgh.org
Rochy grew up in Mt. Washington and went to four Pittsburgh schools, including Carrick High School. It was there that his outstanding ability truly emerged. He ran at Carrick and soon went on to run at Slippery Rock University. He was an extraordinary athlete with perfect form and true talent. However, it was not just his given talent that made him a standout at Slippery Rock. As the team captain, he was the definition of a leader and easily gained the admiration of all his teammates. At the age of 26, on a camping trip, while swimming with family and friends in the Cheat River in West Virginia at a popular camp spot, Rocky jumped from a bridge as many had done before him. However, he never emerged. A search began immediately and followed for the next 6 days. Hundreds of friends, family and many volunteers spent night and day combing the river and surrounding area. It was a trying time for all involved bonding us together as no other experience could. Rochy died July 31, 2004. This race, in his name is held on the anniversary of the weekend that he went missing and in the streets that he so often ran to assure that his spirit will always run on.Some of the details (edited slightly on this blog. Full document.
This concept was established in 2004, for a Pittsburgh Public School student to receive a full scholarship to Slippery Rock University, in the name of Roch Furgiele. An annual 5K race occurs in Mt. Washington to raise money for this fund. Slippery Rock is also on board and will support this project.The 5K is slated for the last Saturday in July 28, 2007.
I have attached a copy of a letter regarding intention and criteria for students and also the scholarship application as well. If you would please distribute to all Pittsburgh Public High School Counselors, Mike Gavlik and high school track and field coaches. If you have any questions, please contact myself or the Coordinator Donna DiRenna, Roch's Mom.
Included in the letter, you will see that the committee is seeking a student to be named as this year's recipient. The committee would like present the day of the race. If possible, the Superintendent, Mr. Romaniello and Coach and counselor of the student chosen could attend. Call if you have additional questions 412-600-8089.
Sincerely, Tracy Link
Contact: Tim Potts, 717-243-8570HARRISBURG - A co-founder of Democracy Rising PA today asked the Senate State Government Committee to authorize the Commonwealth's first general constitutional convention in more than 130 years and to adopt a method for selecting delegates "to achieve the goal of fair representation for all ... segments of the citizenry."
Tim Potts said Democracy Rising PA since 2005 has collected ideas for changes to the state's Constitution. Now numbering more than 180, the ideas touch every Article of the Constitution.
Democracy Rising PA is the only group so far calling for a general convention. Others have proposed to limit the areas of the Constitution that delegates could address.
Potts said Democracy Rising PA believes it would be unconstitutional and contrary to the principles of self-governance to hold a limited convention.
To limit the convention, he said, would be "tantamount to King George telling Thomas Jefferson what he could discuss in the Declaration of Independence and to de ny that those convened in Philadelphia in 1787 could go beyond the confederation to propose to their fellow citizens a more perfect union. It bespeaks a distrust of citizens that undermines the foundation of this noble experiment."
Potts said a limited convention could forbid discussion of dozens of ideas, including:
- imposing term limits on committee chairs and legislative leaders, an idea favored by 77% of voters, according to the recent Keystone Poll . Article II, Section 9
- prohibiting lame-duck session, an idea favored by 82% of voters in the same poll. Article II, Section 14
- imposing stricter procedural rules on bills that require concurrence or conference committees. Article III, Section 5
- prohibiting judges and justices from having private meetings with members of the other branches where issues of public policy, such as the pay raise, are discussed. Article V, Section 17
- prohibiting the use of eminent domain for private purposes. (Article I, Section 10)
- providing citizens with the power of initiative, referendum and recall. Article I, Section 20; Article VI, Section 7
- guaranteeing equal ballot access for all potential candidates for public office and permitting all voters to participate in all elections. Article VII, Section 6
- permitting a graduated income tax, prohibiting property taxes and providing a dedicated funding source for public transportation. Ar ticle VIII, Sections 1 and 2
- consolidating municipal governments and school districts and permitting revenue sharing in pursuit of regional priorities. Article IX, Section 8
"Especially at a constitutional convention, we need to take the long view," Potts said.
"What we do today can be undone by another generation if it proves to produce more harm than good. The only constant in the long view is the "inalienable and indefeasible right" of citizens "to alter, reform or abolish their government..." ( Article I, Section 2 )."
Democracy Rising PA also asked the committee to reject basing the selection of delegates on Senatorial districts because citizens have little confidence in the highly political product of the re-apportionment process of 2001. According to Potts, the re-apportionment was "based in large part on a desire to protect incumbent lawmakers and to configure as many senatorial districts as possible to be as politically safe as possible for one party or the other."
He said that delegates could be selected according to other regional divisions that are not based on political considerations but that do maintain county borders intact. He cited the 12 PennDOT districts, 46 districts for the delivery of mental health and mental retardation services and seven districts of the Department of Labor and Industry as examples.
The process for selecting delegates should use census data and statistical modeling techniques to ensure that delegates as a whole r eflect the demographic and economic make-up of the areas they represent.
If, for example, women constitute 50 percent of the citizens in a region, they should constitute 50 percent of the region's delegates. Similarly, senior citizens and those earning above or below the median income of the region should be represented by a proportional number of the region's delegates, he said.
Potts cited a Citizens' Assembly held in British Columbia five years ago as a model of this approach. Called sortition , or allotment, the process for selecting delegates dates to ancient Greece, although it is used today in Pennsylvania and elsewhere for selecting juries.
Delegates would be chosen at random from among registered voters until, on the whole, those selected accurately reflected the characteristics of the region. Anyone chosen by lottery could refuse to serve, re-opening a position for someone else who has similar characteristics.
Click here for Potts's full testimony. And here for the Constitution section of DR's web site.
Peduto's exit leaves no high-profile races for city, county offices South Side swim coach Mark Rauterkus has said he's running for mayor, and five other offices, as a Libertarian, and others could emerge.Then there is this double talking from Dan Onorato:
"Maybe the city's in a position to look for some security and let things settle down a bit," said Mr. Onorato. "We don't have elections to distract us."I find NO SECURITY in giving politicians in Pittsburgh a FREE PASS. Conditions in Pittsburgh have settled down, down, down. Pittsburgh has been in a death spiral for a long time, since before Onorato was elected to city council.
Told ya. Who wants to talk lifelines? I do.
Act 47 doesn't assure city's financial health, report saysAct 47 doesn't assure city's financial health, report says. Act 47, the state law that offers a lifeline to Pennsylvania's financially distressed cities, is merely 'triage' for a gravely ill Pittsburgh.
kdka.com - Penn Hills Senior Suspended Over Keychain ToolBe careful. But, ZERO TOLERANCE Programs are not just. It is hard to have the mom give a statement that makes any sense. She is in the mix.
The Future of Ron Paul by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. No one quite knows what to do about Congressman Ron Paul, Republican candidate for president.I have an idea what to do about him. Promote him. Blog about him. Tell others about him so he can gain in popularity and support.
He refuses to play by the rules.Humm. I play by the rules. But, I don't play within the confines of the accepted norms. It isn't against the rules to run for six offices at once.
He’s a bigger supporter of the free market than anyone in Congress, but he’s also the most consistent opponent of war. (That the conjunction of these positions – which amount to classical liberalism in a nutshell – should actually seem surprising or odd goes to show how perverse our political system has become.)I too am a free market advocate. In 2001 when I ran for mayor, I called myself a 'free market republican.' That description did NOT sit well with the 'corporate welfare republicans' such as Jim Roddey.
Other than Dennis Kucinich, he is the only authentic antiwar candidate in either party. He has won so many awards from the National Taxpayers Union that he’s probably lost count. CNET rated him the best out of all 435 congressmen in the House of Representatives on issues relating to the Internet. There is no more reliable civil libertarian in Congress than Ron Paul.I like choice. I hate silence on important issues. Many have taken the easy road and said little or nothing about the hard, cold facts.
His conduct, moreover, is beyond reproach. Lobbyists don’t even bother going to his office. If their scheme doesn’t fall among the federal government’s enumerated powers under the Constitution, they know perfectly well that there is no chance Ron Paul will support it.
Paul’s new book, A Foreign Policy of Freedom, calls for the abandonment of hyper-interventionism and the restoration of a foreign policy of commerce and peace. Although more and more Americans polled agree that their government should mind its own business and try to scale back its impossible commitments – Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes of Columbia and Harvard, respectively, now say that their initial estimate of $2 trillion as the long-term cost of the Iraq war is too low – no one in politics other than Ron Paul will actually say such a thing, much less write a book about it. At last we have a choice, not an echo, as Phyllis Schlafly used to put it.
Dr. Paul, an Ob/Gyn who has delivered 4,000 babies in his career, utterly defies the view of the world shared by right-wing blogs and talk radio, in which America is divided into "liberals" who oppose the Iraq war and conservatives who support it. (As I’ve shown in the past, "liberals" don’t have a particularly stellar antiwar record over the past hundred years, and the "liberal media," including the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the cable news networks, overwhelmingly supported the Iraq war.) Ron Paul’s candidacy is having the useful effect of showing people that their ideological choices are not limited to Al Franken and Rush Limbaugh. You can in fact be antiwar without being a leftist.Humm. Sounds like the song, "Don't Put Me In a Box." http://Elect.Rauterkus.com/sounds/DPMIABhigh.mov
At the same time, some on the left are giving Paul a respectful hearing, sensing that this is no ordinary politician. A writer for The Nation argued that "this Constitution-wielding contender, who voted against authorizing Bush to invade and occupy Iraq and has steadily opposed that war since its launch four years ago, would certainly make the GOP debates worth watching – and perhaps applauding."Refreshing. Authentic. Warm, at times.
A writer for the Keene Free Press, who admits he doesn’t "normally give Republicans much of a hearing," found himself in for a "pleasant surprise" at one of Paul’s New Hampshire speeches. "His speech, like his candidacy, is refreshing. Paul seems to be genuinely authentic. He doesn't have the feel of a politician. His arguments are substantive, and his demeanor warm."
For my part, I hope Paul decides to run. In a weak field, Paul is a true champion. America is at a critical crossroads. Our liberties have been trampled. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are in shambles. Our reputation has been tarnished internationally by decades of provocative foreign policy. Paul is the only candidate thus far who seems interested in reversing that trend. And for that, if he runs, he has my vote.What about that problem of a 'weak field?' Weak field sounds like the Pittsburgh political landscape too.
An antiwar Republican who is also much sounder on other issues than they are – this is not exactly welcome news to neoconservatives. Not long ago, the neoconservative Pajamas Media featured a presidential poll on which Ron Paul kept winning. That wasn’t the outcome they wanted, naturally, so they finally removed him from contention in order to make things come out right.Been there. Done that too.
Covering their tracks, Pajamas Media tried to claim that they wanted to feature only those candidates who registered at least one percent in national polls. When Ron Paul surpassed that figure, however, they still refused to include him, even though they have included people like Tommy Thompson who are at zero percent because they are not actually running for president. Read all about it here.I sent my email to every address at FoxNews on this matter last week.
Paul did manage to make his way onto the Fox News Channel thanks to the entreaties of hundreds of viewers who wrote to the station demanding to know why the "fair and balanced" network had totally neglected the Paul candidacy. It was a short appearance on Fox News Live’s "Because You Asked" feature, which features stories that viewers themselves have asked to be covered.
Ron Paul has made numerous media appearances, from C-SPAN to Lou Dobbs, since and prior to the announcement of his candidacy. Still, the strategy thus far has been to ignore him to the extent possible. That approach cannot work in the long run, since for one thing the enthusiasm for Dr. Paul all over the Internet cannot be contained forever. For another, people are going to become curious about him when they watch, or hear reports about, the first Republican primary debate on April 4. They’ll see a bunch of establishment hacks uttering platitudes devised for them by handlers and focus groups, and they’ll see Ron Paul, who unlike his opponents is not only intelligent enough to write his own speeches, but who will also raise questions the other candidates would prefer not to discuss. He can pummel every single one of them on their lousy records on taxes, the Constitution, and war. Ron Paul is about to spoil the party. This will be like no other Republican primary debate in many, many years.I've had my debate troubles as well. Same too, recently, with Bill Peduto. I was on one TV debate when I ran for PA Senate against Fontana and Diven. They would not have me in another debate after that.
Now that will get him noticed.
Think of how much less interesting, indeed how downright intolerable, this election cycle would be without Ron Paul: a bunch of hacks and drones, not one of whom would make a single substantial change to Washington, D.C., if elected. Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani may as well drop the pretense and just run on the same ticket, for heaven’s sake. And since they’re part of the same racket, they both despise Ron Paul much more than they dislike each other – another excellent endorsement of Dr. Paul, of course.Well, I'm all for tossing those 3x5 cards. But, don't get that excited to say that we'll be able to chuck them once and for all. Hardly. Once or twice is great. But the 'for all' ending gives a sour note in logic to an otherwise splendid article.
I’ve sometimes said that political discourse in America today consists of a three-by-five card from which no one is permitted to stray. The issues we’re allowed to discuss are confined to whether the top tax rate should be 35 percent or 38.1 percent, for example, or whether the U.S. government should invade country A or country B. If you argue that the questions themselves are faulty in that they unduly restrict our choices, you have strayed from the three-by-five card and will not appear on Meet the Press ever again.
Ron Paul has a tremendous opportunity to shred that three-by-five card once and for all.
District Attorney, Sheriff, and lots of municipal offices are wide open and in need of running mates. Feel free to forward this call to others.
Carbolic Smoke Ball: RAVENSTAHL REPORTS ON FACT-FINDING MISSION TO NEW YORK: Declaring it 'a heckuva town,' Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said his impromptu visit to this city was a morale-booster for a local population still reeling from 9/11, a struggling economy, and the Donald Trump-Rosie O'Donnell feud.Judge, I'd love to get a link on your blog roll to this blog, Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates.
Let's do justice to The Hill - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Think wanton variety -- apartments, townhouses and multiple-family homes. Don't think tall. Think thick. Think Big Apple three-story brownstones. Think the South Side, not the Hill's suburb-like Crawford Village, which she calls 'admirable' but not nearly dense enough.Urban density works for me. Free market density works too. As does the land value tax.
Expecting this generation of public-private power brokers to successfully rebuild a neighborhood destroyed by a previous generation of power brokers is, at best, a stretch. Gratz says success is plausible. But she also says it's a mistake to think the Lower Hill can be reborn without first fixing and repopulating the wrecked Downtown that former Mayor Tom Murphy's urban bumblings created.
No matter how the Lower Hill is developed, it'll be wise to ignore what politicians promise or predict. In 1956 Mayor Lawrence boasted at a conference on urban design at Harvard that, 'In my judgment, the redevelopment of the Lower Hill -- a giant bite from the core of the city -- will be the greatest of our Pittsburgh projects, under way or yet envisioned.' The Hill's still waiting.
PAT 2007 Funding Crisis 2007 Pittsburgh Public Transit Funding Crisis: Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT)
Cullen Jones and Maritza Correia Star in New Documentary, Bring More Attention to Disadvantaged - Timed Finals With a lot of attention being paid to the new factually based movie “Pride,” starring Hollywood heavyweights such as Terrence Howard and Bernie Mac, another documentary chronicling the trials and tribulations of a Boston inner-city swim team is also starting to garner some attention. According to The Morning Sentinel, the film, entitled “Parting the Water,” will be debuted as a work in progress at the upcoming Maine International Film Festival (expected release of 2008) and will present the story of an underfunded team trying to succeed against more well-developed suburban programs.
Most notably, the film features in-depth interviews with Maritza Correia, the first woman swimmer of color to compete for the US in the Olympics, and resident phenom Cullen Jones, ranked number one in the world in the 50 free for 2006, and also African-American. The film, amongst other goals, will likely shed more light on the inequality of swimming.
Speedo Pride Premier In the sixth video of the Speedo Make Waves podcast series, seven time Olympic medalis Amanda Beard catches up with the films stars Academy Award nominee Terence Howard, Bernie Mac, and Tom Arnold. She also spoke to director Sunu Gonera, and Jim Ellis, the real life inspiration for the film.Opening night with interviews of many of the stars.
SI.com - More Sports - Phelps helps Jones makes swimming history Cullen Jones became the rare black swimmer to claim a world championship, joining Michael Phelps, Neil Walker and Jason Lezak on a U.S. team that just missed setting another world record while winning the 400-meter freestyle relay Sunday.Other links:
The Creativity Exchange: Below the Belt Journalism But I can't let the recent editorial hit-job by the Post-Gazette on Councilman Bill Peduto's decision to leave the race for mayor slide.Is being a real force for change and being a truly good man one in the same?
For the Post-Gazette to attack this ultimately personal decision using the words and tone it does is just unconscionable. It is a case of squelching of the highest magnitude - a nasty, negative, despicable journalistic mugging. The paper's leadership and editorial board should be ashamed of themselves.I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for a "sorry statement" from the P-G. But better than asking for the editors of the PG to be "sorry" -- how about a statement from the editors of the P-G that "it won't happen again."
The Republican Party has presided over double-digit increases in federal spending and debt, more intrusive government, uncontrolled immigration and an interventionist foreign policy that has resulted in an ill-conceived and apparently endless war.
Most Americans oppose these policies, but the GOP's leading presidential candidates support them.
Now voters have a choice. Ron Paul, a nine-term Republican congressman from Texas and Pittsburgh native who graduated from Dormont High School in 1953, has announced his candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination.
Rep. Paul, who ran for president as a libertarian in 1988, consistently votes for smaller government, less spending, lower taxes and personal and economic freedom. He often casts the lone vote in the House against legislation he believes violates the Constitution. He supports a foreign policy of strong defense and avoidance of foreign entanglements and pre-emptive wars.
Paul insists on strong enforcement of immigration laws. He favors local, not federal, funding and control of schools and the right to home-school. He's pro-life and for Second Amendment rights and against warrantless wiretaps, corporate welfare and abuses of eminent domain.
Like Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan, Ron Paul believes that government is usually the problem, not the solution. He's the only presidential contender who's serious about restoring government to the constitutional limits intended by our nation's Founders. He deserves our support.
Thomas Gillooly, Forest Hills
Terror Database Has Quadrupled In Four Years - washingtonpost.com U.S. Watch Lists Are Drawn From Massive Clearinghouse
Each day, thousands of pieces of intelligence information from around the world -- field reports, captured documents, news from foreign allies and sometimes idle gossip -- arrive in a computer-filled office in McLean, where analysts feed them into the nation's central list of terrorists and terrorism suspects.
Called TIDE, for Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, the list is a storehouse for data about individuals that the intelligence community believes might harm the United States. It is the wellspring for watch lists distributed to airlines, law enforcement, border posts and U.S. consulates, created to close one of the key intelligence gaps revealed after Sept. 11, 2001: the failure of federal agencies to share what they knew about al-Qaeda operatives.
Peduto bails - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review And unless someone files as an independent candidate for the November general election, untested Luke Ravenstahl will be elected in his own right, unchallenged.It would be more than sad if Luke runs unchallenged. It is WAY MORE than sad to tell the reporters at the TRIB that I'm running so that Luke does not run unchallenged and have them do nothing.
That's more than sad.
Featured Articles Page Open Swim
Going the distance with Pride director, Sunu Gonera
N.Y. Police Spied Broadly Before G.O.P. Convention - New York Times For at least a year before the 2004 Republican National Convention, teams of undercover New York City police officers traveled to cities across the country, Canada and Europe to conduct covert observations of people who planned to protest at the convention, according to police records and interviews.Give me Liberty or give me a lot of NYC Policemen and Policewomen at our monthly Libertarian meetings at Ritters Diner on the third Thursday of the month, except in December, when we generally meet at John Harvards Brew Pub in Monroeville for a holiday party.
Peduto to keep options open come fall Mr. Peduto, who effectively resolved the Democratic mayoral primary Tuesday with his surprising decision to abandon his candidacy, reiterated that he's made no decision on whether to pursue an independent candidacy in the fall.If the top brass in Bill Peduto's machine want to open a spoof internet site and jump-start a run for dog catcher in the general election of 2007, let me know how I could volunteer as an associate webmaster.
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