Hiring the new PPS Superintendent

Hi PPS Board Members.

I have been following this noise about the hiring of Dr. Anthony Hamlet as close as possible and have some suggestions. STICK TO YOUR prior DECISION.

Sure, a storm has come. Blame goes here and there in bits, but golly. Plug ahead.

I feel that saboteurs are trying to derail elected school boards and are trying to damage Pittsburgh Public Schools.

The board voted 9-0 to hire the guy. To change your views now would spoil the desire for others to seek the job. None would want to deal with the mess in this wake, plus deal with a fickle board, nor confront the wire-pulling and outside influence from beyond the school board.

IMHO, two of those claims are bogus fabrications. An open source approach of wikipedia on a definition of terms is desired and should not be original.

There should be some repercussions and remedies. I have made some solution suggestions. Follow my Facebook page and http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com.

Triple his probation period.

Seek a partial refund from the consultant.

Allow for a super MINORITY to terminate his contract within the probation period.

Work harder.

+ +

Final two points:

#1: I volunteer to stand with you or stand alone and talk to the media, the citizens. other politicians, union leaders or anyone else on this topic.

#2: Furthermore, Let's begin again with sports reform, something that did NOT resonate with Dr. Linda Lane, sadly. Teaching our kids how to play well with others isn't an expensive proposition, and it is a great investment if done well. I volunteer to help to re-think the issues with PPS. System-wide athletics, sports, after-school recreation, swimming, student leadership with jobs and after-school technology have pressing issues. The city can't wait to get started on the heavy lifting on those fronts.

Good luck.

Today is Day Against DRM

May 4, 2011, is the third annual international Day Against DRM!

The Day Against DRM is an opportunity to unite a wide range of projects, public interest organizations, web sites and individuals in an effort to raise public awareness to the danger of technology that requires users to give-up control of their computers or that restricts access to digital data and media. This year, individuals and groups are working together to create local actions in their communities. Actions range from protesting an unfriendly hardware vendor to handing out informative fliers at local public libraries -- or in my case, making a blog posting.

Thanks to DefectiveByDesign.org for leading this effort.

NCAA probe into WVU football - so let's get this straight

The P-G has an article about the NCAA looking into rule problems with WVU's football program.

NCAA probe into WVU football alleges improprieties
• Exceeding the permissible number of coaches from 2005-09, when non-coaching staff members engaged in on- and off-field coaching activities.
• Graduate assistants, a student assistant, student managers and non-coaching staff members, in the summers between 2005-09, monitored voluntary summer workouts.
• Rodriguez 'failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance.'
• Stewart 'failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance.'
• The first two violations indicate the West Virginia athletic department failed to sufficiently monitor the football program to assure full compliance.

So, let me get this straight. The players had optional practices in the summers and supervisors were present because the coaches are not permitted. These voluntary practices had supervisors who were a student assistant, grad students, student managers and non-coaches. So, the problem is that the Athletic Department failed to sufficiently monitor the football program. Yet the rules do NOT allow the real experts, the coaches, to be there to help with the students athletes. So, the kids practice on their own. But, getting some helpers for the players from the ranks of the students is not permitted.

How many water boys are they allowed?

The NCAA is punishing WVU for failure to monitor because WVU had too many peers monitoring.

Think again.

43rd post at the Pure Reform Blog

"When freedom enters, the slaves are the ones that benefit the most. Yes, the poor get richer."

Bank on it.

I wrote and posted in a thread at the PURE Reform Blog about school choice within Pgh Public Schools so as to make ALL of our high schools magnet schools so as to end all feeder patterns for high schools in the city.

Here is the whole post, placed here, slightly out of context. Sorry about that.

---

When freedom enters, the slaves are the ones that benefit the most. Yes, the poor get richer.

Same too with "open enrollment."

It is CRAZY to say that the rich will get richer with choice among schools in PPS. CRAZY.

Presently, there is very little balance. Balance isn't the goal anyway. Fight for balance and then find all at the bottom.

BTW, the real rich (as a class) are not in PPS at all.

With this plan, (well, there isn't much to point to in "THIS PLAN" other than to say the end of all feeder patterns for high school students in PPS) ALL the KIDSs are put into good schools. NOBODY will go to crappy schools. Now plenty are forced to go to bad schools and with choice, the bad schools will need to do a better job -- or else die.

There will NOT be a large group of parents who choose to send their kids to NO SCHOOL -- for whatever the reason. Think again.

The REAL nasty cycle that is very hard to end is FORCE. We end force with CHOICE. We end slavery with freedom.

BTW, we do do single race schools in USA -- its often found in suburbia. The dangerous territory is silly talk that makes little sense.

Blast from the past: Winter of 2006 press release as a candidate

Press Release: Immediate
From Daniel Repovz, Media Coordinator, Elect.Rauterkus.com Media@Rauterkus.com, 412-904-2976

Mark Rauterkus, candidate for Pittsburgh's City Council, district 3, special election slated now for March 14, 2006, released a four point plan to those in attendance at the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce meeting today after the Craig Patrick of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins presentation.

The Rauterkus campaign stresses freedom, future, fitness and flow to benefit our entire region. Rauterkus said, "The plan is simple and as we think again on these opportunities, everyone I talk to is in agreement with me. 1) Own what you build. 2) Return what you lease. 3) Grow where you can flourish and contribute to flow. 4) Fix what you broke."

1. Should the Penguins get a new arena from the windfall of the gambling casino, then others must keep it. The city should not own the new building. Mario could own, operate, insure and program the new building. Do not build a new building and expect to hand its ownership over to the city nor an authority.

2. Should the Penguins move out of the historic Civic Arena, then they should not be the ones to tear it down. The Mellon Arena can return as a civic arena and stay as a place for other events such as Disney on Ice, Circus, Carrick High School Graduations, and scholastic basketball tournaments, such as the WPIAL and PIAA championships. Those events don't require luxury-corporate boxes with leather seats and catering services.

3. The Penguins and other civic and regional leaders should build the new hockey arena at the old airport or some other area in suburban Pittsburgh. The arena does NOT need to be built in downtown.

4. We should re-open the now closed, indoor ice rink on the South Side located behind UPMC's South Side Hospital. Rebuilding that venue and grounds should provides quality recreational opportunities to the city residents and the region. The Penguins had a big hand in getting that rink covered. Private operators had the contract to operate the facility at no cost to the city. Much more can be done to build there for many benefits of fitness and the future.

For further information or quotes, call Mark Rauterkus, 412-298-3432 or Mark@Rauterkus.com

Parking Asset Plans for Pension Funds -- Folly and Folly Squared

Keeping Public Assets Public

View more presentations from Mark Rauterkus.

The Public Plan transfers ownership of some garages now a part of the Pittsburgh Parking Authority to a private pension fund for government workers. Then with the new garages, the pension fund can use on-going revenue for the pension fund needs.

This plan, by Patrick Dowd of Pittsburgh City Council (one of nine) and Michael Lamb, City Controller (I ran against him for that post), is put into contrast with the plan from the Mayor, Luke Ravenstahl. The mayor's plan calls for a lease of the parking garages, something that I've been speaking against for some time. It would be better to sell the garages and not do a long-term lease.

The city gave a long-term lease to the guy who operated the ice rink in the park on the South Side. That lease didn't work out well for the residents. The roof fell in on it -- literally.

The city gave a long term lease to the Pirates and Steelers for their use of Three Rivers Stadium. That building is long gone but the public still owes tens of millions on a building that isn't there any more. Go figure.

The city gave a long-term lease to the Penguins for the Civic Arena. Now the Pens, renters, are moving out, and they insist that the building that they don't own be torn down. What renter tells a landlord to tear down a building they used to live in?

Pittsburgh gave long term leases to the Pittsburgh network of Carnegie Libraries -- and that hasn't even worked out well. Library branches have closed. The library can't do fix ups as they don't own the buildings. It is a mess.

The city should NOT do any long term lease deals. Period.

Selling is another matter and presents a much different and much better outcome for the city, for the residents and for the next owners.

City Paper Link

Local accountability is nice. However, there is no accountability with an authority. None. The authority board members are not elected nor do they face retention votes. The accountability resides in elected offices.

Furthermore, the pension fund is not a public entity. The pension fund is a private fund for those that were once public employees. The steelworkers have a pension fund as do teachers, gov workers and others have private 401K funds.

So, if a bank goes broke should we give it a parking garage and call it even?

A neighbor has a hard time paying her bills. Can the city designate five parking meters along East Carson Street for her? Can she get an on-going revenue stream by taking the quarters out of those parking meters?

The Dowd and Lamb plan is better than what Ravenstahl suggested. But it is still a matter of the lesser of two evils.

I wait for news and details of the plan from its authors. Will they tell us if these parking garages that are now owned by the public authority and are going to be transferred in ownership to a pension fund become a taxable revenue stream for real estate taxes for the city, school board and county?

Owners of private parking garages pay property taxes on the real estate. The pension fund should own the garages and the city should send them a tax bill that gets paid every year. The treasury should make a long-term income stream based on the value of the land and building of these garages.

What too about the parking taxes?

The city parking tax has been a nightmare. For years I've said that the parking tax should be moved to a much lower level, say 10 or 15%. But, dropping the parking tax should happen after the Parking Authority was liquidated. The parking tax throughout the city should drop by a huge factor. That is the relief that should be part of the plan too.

A transfer of the ownership to the pension fund as proposed means a deed transfer. So, does this mean a deed transfer tax payment? I expect so.

I think that the deed transfer tax sucks. But it is here. And if it is something that you'll pay when you buy and sell a home, then it should be something that they pay when they expand their property holdings too.

If the new owners pay both the deed transfer tax and the real estate taxes into the future, then we are on the right pathway. Neither of these are mentioned in the Dowd and Lamb slide show. They are the ones who should be keeping their eyes on the cookie jar, cash drawer, public treasury. I feel as if they are doing a shell game with the public's attention.

I'd suggest that once a deal is done and the properties are transfered, then the next adjustment is with the parking tax. Put the parking tax to 15% once all of these new entities and transfers are resolved and operational for 6 months.

Allow for the Parking Authority to have a management contract for the new owners of the garages for no more than five years. Then, four or five years into the future, the owners of the garages and the management contractors can renew the terms of their contract, or not.

Sunset is a great word that those on Grant Street should use in every discussion they have.

Don't insist that the parking authority be un-accountable to the new owners. Give the freedom and flexibility to the new owners to do what they wish with their properties. Sunset the management by the Parking Authority for the properties now owned by the pension fund. That should be no more than a five year deal. Renewal, or not, should be a factor between the new owners and the management -- not some hatched plan from council from years ago.

The Dowd and Lamb plan is far better than what Mayor Ravenstahl put on the table. But some changes and more details from Dowd and Lamb plan should be made before it beats my plan of complete liquidation.

A few more notes are in the comment section of the SlideShare site as well as Patrick's Facebook page.

Summary:
1. Transfer ownership means a deed transfer. Will there be a deed transfer tax paid on the total value of the properties that are transferred? I hope so. Say so.

2. Owners of property pay real estate taxes. What taxes are paid here? What are the assessments?

3. Sunset the management contract with the Parking Authority. Don't legislate what others should do with their properties.

I think it is a benefit to make dramatic decreases in the role of the Pittsburgh Parking Authority. For years I've said, "Let’s liquidate the Parking Authority." Without a Parking Authority, then policy decisions are done by those who are elected. That is who should do policy decisions. The Parking Authority is UN-Democratic. No Parking Authority Board Member comes up for a retention vote before the citizens.

Past and present city leaders are always fishing for one-time pay offs. This is another one-time windfall -- in a long series of them. By the way, how much does the public still owe on Three Rivers Stadium these days? Past Pittsburgh politicians sold the sewer lines for pete's sake.

Call ’The Private Plan’ the ’Ravenstahl Plan’ (or draft 1 of Ravenstahl Plan).

It is absurd that the Mayor’s Plan would forbid the Pittsburgh Parking Authority from building new parking facilities. So stupid. The only thing that would be more foolish is building more parking garages with public money -- like past city leadeers did so many times in the past.

Both Lamb and Dowd should be more concerned for the building of a regular revenue stream for local government too. Worry about the taxpayers, not your pensions. The regular revenue stream for CMPTF should be from the workers on the jobs now. This plan is to build a NEW, extra revenue stream.

Long-term economic stability is a but a dream here. Wave those red flags high when the plan hypes long-term and economics yet alone 'stability.' Will this plan create world peace too?

Local control is nice -- but this is really GOVERNMENT CONTROL of development options. I would much rather have GOVERNMENT CONTROL government functions and not have government play the role of development czar. Development should be driven by private investment money.

Creating Literate Olympians Here

From curling

Pittsburgh Fat Man Aspires to Curling Gold

(Reuters) Pittsburgh, PA - Unemployed former accounts receivable clerk Dan Bujokowski is aspiring to Olympic gold.

"You know, I was there watching NBC at 3 in the morning and they were showing highlights from the Team USA's curling match against one of them foreign countries, and one of those players on the US Team is, like, 300 pounds. I thought to myself, as I was noshing on a three day old Twinkie, that I could be an Olympic medalist too."

Mr. Bujokowski is one of many Americans who, because of nearly wall-to-wall coverage of curling in order to fill up airtime, suddenly believe that they have what it takes to be a professional curler.

Originating in Scotland, curling is a team Olympic sport in which stones are slid across a sheet of carefully prepared ice towards a target area.

Steve Buffington, a Director of the Pittsburgh Curling Club, says there's more to curling than being an overweight guy on ice. "Curling involves strategy, balance, good sportsmanship, and the ability to hurl a 42 pound stone down 100 ft ice. While it is accessible to a wide variety of people, it's not a game that just anyone can be an expert in overnight... unless you're willing to buy the first two rounds of beer."

Mr. Bujokowski remains undeterred.

"Michael Phelps eats a 20,000 calorie diet and smokes pot. If he can east twice as much as me and be an Olympian, well, I think I'm guaranteed at least a bronze medal.

From curling

Book it

The library system is a great asset. However, the people who have managed it in the past years are not. Plenty of serious mistakes have been made by upper management.

I would love to see heads roll -- then the library system can be saved.

Those who are not good stewards should not be rewarded for their serious screw ups.

Mayor's Race Fireworks. Who is wearing what hat matters most of all.

Here is the deal: When those on Grant Street, (or in other places, City Hall) do "development" and "play the role of developers" then it is no wonder that the one who should be doing the development are going to go in and start to take the helm of those who should govern.

The roles are flipped.

The wires are crossed.

The purpose is all wrong.

I long for the day when the mayor and county executive and even the governor and president govern and stick to their jobs and duties. To me, that is uphold the constitution and insure that liberties are protected for all. That's the 'and justice for all' part and that takes a great deal of work. That's 24-7 work.

Meanwhile, those with ambitions for building buildings, designing spaces and opportunities for capital investments are encouraged to get it on. Go for it. Go for it here in our town -- a place where capital investments are not risky business. Go for it here where you are free to operate without kickback, tear downs, red tape, greese for the wheel and central authority road blocks. Yes, you are free and with each ounce of freedom comes a pound of responsibility. But be free. Create wealth. Build and sustain!

For years Pittsburgh has had it wrong.

Tom Murphy wanted to build a Disney-land-ish North Shore.

Bob Cramner wanted to make a Dino Park. He was a county councilman and got dinged out of office and he has the blueprints for a 'first day attraction' that would blow your socks off. Except he is clueless and shouldn't be the developer.

Sophie was the one that propsed a baseball only stadium and was jeered at -- until Tom Murphy and Tom Cox could claim it for themselves.

The Steelers' owners have political sway -- as do the Pens -- and they RENT space in public buildings. And, they even get the landlords to bring out the wrecking balls on places that they don't own.

The URA should be liquidated.

Then we can focus upon what really matters.

There was a time, back in the day, when the one's in public office worried about PARKs. Imagine that. We worry more about the killing of geese than the kids in our parks. Where is that non-profit parks booster group, Governor Candidate Onorato?

Now our politicians are caught with their pants down when it comes out that the library system needs to shut a handful of branches. Even the executives at the library turned into development agents by moving branches from historic, functional, majestic buildings (North Side, Hazelwood) to business corridors. Jeepers, if they only fixed up what they had already and spent what money was available, then they'd have a sustainable system.

The examples are numerous.

Now we've got the sizzle and noise about Luke Ravenstahl and corruption as well as miss-statements to direct questions. It is a matter of leadership. But, it is a matter of direction and purpose.

None of the three are talking about the real proplem and the real solution.

There is no room in municipal government for the likes of Pat Ford. He got a big buyout for shutting up. He isn't the lone villan -- but in times of campaigns it is time to look at leadership and purpose.

Kick the developer mentality (and those who value such) out of local government. Then we'll have a chance of transparent, open, honest, caring government for a free society.

When the mayor plays the role of 'developer' then the developers are going to be one in the same as the mayor.

Lay the shovel down, all of you.

Good News: PA has a budget. Bad News: It sucks.

Citizens of PA waited for 101 days to get a budget from those in Harrisburg. But, we really just wasted the time and opportunity to make 'real change.'

For years, I've asked that we replace before we reform. So, I am not suprised. We can't get reform with the ones that are there now. They don't have the capacity.

Ticking Time Bomb
PA headed for fiscal 'perfect storm'

By Lowman S. Henry


Finally, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a new state budget. The 101-day budget crisis ended with a new spending plan of $27.8 billion, a mere $500 million less than the previous year's budget which ran up a $3.2 billion deficit. Given that the new budget projects a zero percent growth in revenues, it would be logical to assume another multi-billion dollar budget deficit will ensue.


Some in the legislature understand what has happened. House Republican Leader Sam Smith summed it up well: "With more than a billion dollars in new or increased taxes, billions in federal stimulus dollars, and now by draining the Rainy Day Fund and the Health Care Provider Retention Account and raiding the Tobacco Endowment Fund, we are positioned on a giant funding cliff if the economy doesn't swing back strongly in a year."


The situation, in fact, is even more dire than Representative Smith portrays. According to state Representative Sam Rohrer, House Republican Finance Chairman, it is unwise to use fiscal year 2008-2009 as a revenue benchmark because September of 2009 marked the 17th consecutive month where revenue collections were below estimates. In fact, revenue for the 1st quarter of the new fiscal year (July, August and September) fell $140 million below estimates.


Using historic fiscal data, Representative Rohrer says a more realistic revenue projection during the current fiscal year would be $24.3 billion in tax collections. That is $3.5 billion less than the spending contained in the recently approved state budget. Much, but not all, of the deficit will be plugged by stimulus money and one time revenue sources. But, even with that, a massive budget deficit again looms for next year. Given these figures, it would have been more responsible for the General Assembly to have pared spending in the current fiscal year to the $24.3 billion level.


It would be bad enough if that were the only fiscal problem facing the commonwealth. But, it is only the tip of the iceberg. A looming melt-down in the state's pension system threatens to make the general fund deficit look like chump change.


The Commonwealth Foundation has been conducting a series of public meetings across the state to raise the profile of the pension problem, an arcane issue that fails to attract much media coverage but will soon have a profound effect upon taxpayers.


A policy brief issued by the Commonwealth Foundation puts the problem in perspective: "The looming crisis in the long-term commitments made by policymakers on behalf of taxpayers is reflected in the rapid 615% increase in expected taxpayer pension contributions from $584 million in FY 2004-05 to more than $4.2 billion in FY 2012-13." The foundation concludes that "without significant action affecting plan design, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will likely be facing unaffordable costs." In other words, when the two funds become insolvent billions of taxpayer dollars will be needed to finance the bail-outs.


Making matters worse, the state Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, facing a $1 billion deficit, is now borrowing money from the federal government to provide benefits to the unemployed. Given that unemployment continues to tick upward, there is every reason to believe the situation is going to get worse before it gets better.


Warren Hudak, a member of the Unemployment Advisory Council, said during a Lincoln Radio Journal interview that the system has a "structural problem" and that only three other states in the nation are now paying out more in benefits than Pennsylvania. Hudak says that under the most optimistic scenario the fund will remain insolvent for a "minimum of seven to eight years."


At the moment, federal stimulus dollars are being used to plug the holes in Pennsylvania's leaky fiscal ship. But, stimulus spending does nothing to change the underlying dynamics that point to major deficits when that temporary funding stream ends. When it does, Pennsylvania will be hit with a perfect storm unless spending is quickly reduced to more realistic levels. Unfortunately, as the recent budget crisis has proven, the political will does not exist in Harrisburg to take that responsible course of action. And so, the fiscal storm continues to brew.


(Lowman S. Henry is Chairman & CEO of the Lincoln Institute and host of the weekly Lincoln Radio Journal. His e-mail address is lhenry@lincolninstitute.org)


Permission to reprint is granted provided author and affiliation are cited.

I do have my eyes on a slice of the 'stimulus funds' that are going to be spent here in Pittsburgh with the school district. In those plans, I did try to make significant changes with the proposal so as to make serious changes to the long-term landscape of the community with public health and fitness levels of the students -- and others.

I'm not buying this CBA stuff. Better to Lay the Shovel Down.

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Kevin Acklin: CBA Remarks Before City Council from Acklin for Pittsburgh on Vimeo.

Here are some of my thoughts, from Facebook and Twitter.

Pittsburgh's future has certain keys to its long-term wellness. Our public life needs to change. We must begin to Lay the Shovel Down. Change, of course. I'm for change. But, how that change unfolds is an important conversation.

I think the mayor candidate needs to think again about being a leader of free people. People of Pittsburgh do not want to choose between a devil we know and one we don't. We'll stick with the one we already know and understand by now. We'll avoid the backlashings.

Likewise Pittsburgh's citizens do not want to choose between two different flavors of dictators, as was the case in Poland in World War II. Hitler was to the west and Stalin was to the east. Having no reasonable option means people will sit it out and, if possible, vote with their feet.

At the hearing today in City Council for CBAs (Community Benefits Agreemets) remember that it is always helps to advance your cause if you are eloquent, moving and inspiring, and in a big group, err, mob. These rules apply, most of all, when you are trying to spend other people's money.

At its root, a CBA is an agreement to take. It is with less force than taxes. But, it is another type of taxation. CBAs will and do offer pause for private investors.

The pragmatic solution to all CBS rests with politicians and accountability among voters. We need elected stewarts of the public purses to have the balls to say 'no.' I don't want anyone to give bribes with government funding, ever. If that is imposible, we'll then it needs to be where we head for the next five years. We need less. We need to nuke give-a-way avenues.

The real purpose of government is to insure freedom first.

As, or if, the City of Pittsburgh was to exit itself from all handouts of public funds to developers and sports teams, then city life would get much more simple on Grant Street.

I'd have a CBA litmus test. Kevin Acklin doesn't want one. He is WRONG. My litmus test is with a focus that no public money should be given to private developers. Then, with that policy, there is no need for CBAs.

"It's tremendously bad policy for mayor to just say categorically that [the Hill District agreement] was a one-shot deal," Kevin Acklin.

Pittsburgh needs to wake up to the concepts at hand that government can not create jobs. Well, to be fair, it can create jobs with patronage. But, it can't generate wealth and sustainable living. And, with the government jobs, we get deeper into debt with those pension funds. (see below) The city needs to stop with the building of subsidized office buildings, and subsidized sports stadiums too. http://bit.ly/aKzwU But they worry that only people with subsidized housing can take the jobs in subsidized buildings. Golly. End the give-a-ways to the developers. End the churn for the builders by making sure that they pay for what they want without any of our public money.

If you want more proof (pun) that Pittsburgh politicians can't BRIBE businesses to move and stay in the city, consider Iron City Brewing. The water bill there was huge. Promises were obtained. But they went down the drain (another pun). Tough luck to Patrick Dowd. Iron City Brewing hurled on us despite a pledge to do otherwise, just as Lord & Taylor did, Lazarus, and the rest of the greedy ones that manage to take public money from more than willing politicians.

In similar news, Bill Peduto said, as quoted in the Philly paper, "We'll never dig ourselves out with the tools that we've been given," He is exactly right. But, how we go forward is where we part ways. I sing, "Lay the shovel down!" http://tinyurl.com/mxfotb Peduto sings for better tools -- as he did with the arrival of not one but two sets of Overlords. He wants more government and bigger law books. I want a purpose for our government that insures personal liberty.

The long term fix isn't a crew of bulldozers to raze worn out houses in Hazelwood either. The fix is a return to the land value tax. Government needs to tax the land, and not the buildings. As it is now with our property taxes, those that let buildings go into disrepear are given a tax break with lower taxes. Meanwhile, those who are fixing up their homes are given a punishment with higher taxes. Gov needs to end the rewards to the owners of buildings who promote dump status. When the land value tax is embraced again, the dozers are going to be paid for by private owners.

Word on the street: Everyone is entitled to a vacation, by union rules

I had a long-distance conversation in Oakland with a buddy. We were talking over three or four lanes of traffic. I asked him where the mayor goes when he goes to the beach? Jersey? Outter Banks? The Dunes of Lake Michigan?

He replied, "He is entitled to a vacation. Everyone should get a vacation -- by union laws, blah, blah, blah. And, council needs to get to work.

Grant and I take a walk on Brighton Beach in Christchurch, NZ. There is a long pier there where on could take a short walk. From Mark Rauterkus

I posted at Bram's blog:

Folks, there is no way in hell that city council is going to come up with its own five year recovery plan. They members there took about 4 hours to decide if the mayor should be called to a meeting.

Bill Peduto wrote out a plan of sorts. But, council has not even talked about it.

And, council generally talks a lot before it thinks about it.

On Wed's meeting, it took council another hour or so just to delay a bill for 3 weeks. That was the one about the curfew center that the mayor had told people that it would be open by June 1.

Council has more drag than play. It is all about drag.

I'd love to be proven wrong, but then you start the speech by Rev. Ricky Burgess about getting to work and another two days is lost.

Folly.

Council's ongoing failure to act is why OVERLORDS are in Pittsburgh. They've done nothing to merit the removal of the OVERLORDS to date.

Council finding a fix is not even a long shot.

Another favorite beach of ours is in Maine. From beach Maine

Deed transfer tax is why we cling to our homes here.

I deposited this comment at the Pittsblog 2.0 site as they looked at the constrast of Pittsburgh and Pheonix.
What is the deed transfer tax rate in Pittsburgh (city is more than burbs) vs. Phoenix?

So, if you buy a $100,000 home, how much is paid in fees and taxes, upfront. Those fees/taxes deliver no value to the homeowners. It amounts to a penalty to transactions. And, it comes off the nest-egg for a down payment.

So, if you've saved $10,000 for a house, and you need to shell out $8,000 of that for taxes, just for the opportunity to own the house, then the down payment / equity contribution is hardly even equal to the first months mortgage.

That's the why behind those stats.

Would love to know if there is such a thing as a deed transfer tax in Arizona.

I say it is no wonder folks stay in their homes.

Shell out $10,000 or more three or four times in the prime of your life -- and you've paid for your kids to get a college education.

---

Update:

Arizona has a state deed transfer tax of $2.00 per deed. That's it, so far. Is this correct?

Instant Message to Marty Griffin

The Fed dollars that pays for the tunnel under the Allegheny River for light-rail to the stadiums is still OUR MONEY. It comes from the pocket, wallet or purse -- local, state or feds -- but it is still, all of it, OUR MONEY.

Don't build the tunnel because as a FEDERAL taxpayer, it is a waste of money.

Better things can be done with government money.

To win the 'shut it down fight' -- you'll need to get NATIONAL advocates to help. Those in Iowa, Alaska, Calif, Florida, etc., need to help put a fork in it for the benefit of the locals because the local politicians are too drunk to refuse PORK, even worthless PORK.

Bram falls off rocker

Just posted at Bram's blog. he seems to think that the field for the 2009 mayor's race is about to close. The race has yet to begin. He wants to put out a 'last call' for candidates, it seems.

My reply:

Last call, what a joke. You don't get to proclaim 'last call.' And, it ain't happening now, fur sure.

In the last go-around, Mark DeStantis was unknown until after he was a write-in, in MAY.

It wasn't until New Year's Day, Jan 1, 2001, that Josh Pollock came boldly onto the scene with a front page P-G article about his race. His ink was the first to spill in that year and there might have been 7 Ds in the race that year.

It is a long road Bram. Don't do what the others do and declare others the 'lamb' before it begins. Progressives are to be 'open minded.'

The 'done-deal mentality' has been killing Pittsburgh for many decades. That has to be outed and put to an end.

Those who wish to champion the status quo are sure to rush the last call and end before it even began.

Photos from the other vacation have arrived

From violin-gang

See the photo captions in the Picasa album for more details.

Erik Rauterkus and Amy Carol Webb jam at SUUSI before hundreds and get a standing ovation.

FWIW, are not bringing nor buying violins in China on this trip.

Instant Message to KDKA Radio and Marty

Background: There is some noise on the radio with KDKA's Marty Griffin. There is chatter about a $100 per year tax on parking spaces in Robinson Township.

The tax on LAND, such as land that is put aside for surface parking spaces, is GREAT public policy. Pittsburgh (and Allegheny County) should SHIFT back to a LAND VALUE TAX.

The killer is the TIF. I'd end all TIFs and tax breaks to favorites.

The formula is the land-value tax!

Mom and Pop Biz Folks do NOT get tax breaks (TIFs). They go to the big boys who loaf with bullies.

Competitive Bid raises its head -- again -- but winks, blinks and nods prevail

Pittsburgh's water authority ups debt - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: After meeting with PNC and authority representatives, council members questioned why the financial work was not competitively bid.

'I don't think that it's been the policy to bid these out,' said State Rep. Don Walko, the authority chairman. 'I think you just try to find the best team.'

Walko said PNC and JP Morgan assembled the authority's separate $25 million bond refinancing in 2007 and that using the firms again would save money.

City Council had them right where they wanted them. City Council folded.

Well, there is always next time. But next time in this instance is in 2042, give or take a decade.

City council blew it. None even asked a question on the day of the final vote. It was a slam dunk to get more debt.

The 'consent decree' to fix the storm water run off calls for certain measures to be made. Little has happened. Why?

Stewardships. Management. Accountability. Solvency.

The PWSA came about when Tom Murphy hatched an idea for a one-time fix of cash. All the Dems when along with it then. All the Dems sustain it now. Meanwhile, the water main breaks around town are everywhere.

Specific quotes from Pgh City Paper article: The Third Degree -- Third-party candidates say their perspectives deserve airing too

THE THIRD DEGREE (Main Feature Extra)
Third-party candidates say their perspectives deserve airing too
By: Charlie Deitch, Melissa Meinzer and Chris Young - October 25, 2007
http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws//gyrobase/Content?oid=37509

The specific points about me in the article are re-typed below. The article starts on page 26 and ends on 27.

Meanwhile, probably the best known of the city's third party candidates, Mark Rauterkus, is running for two offices simultaniously, city controller and city council district 3. (He abandoned a mayoral run.)

Rauterkus, a South Side political advocate and vice chair of the Allegheny County Libertarian Party, doesn't deny the third party curse.

"Conventional wisdom says my chances are not very good," he says, hit tie almost completely shielded by a name tag and two large "Elect Rauterkus" pins. "But [Libertarians] have to fight the good fight and not give up. We help to keep the other candidates honest."

For Rauterkus, that means raising questions about corporate tax incentives and other big-dollar development initiatives that have often failed to deliver the promised benefits.

"The first thing you do when you dig yourself a hole is you put the shovel down. You can't keep digging the same hole."

In his council race against endorsed D, ... Rauterkus says he could provide new energy and leadership to council's Citiparks and Youth Policy committee. Boasting his experience as a swim coach, Rauterkus says he is "phenomenally more qualified" to oversee Citiparks from a council seat than any other candidate.

As for the city controller position, Rauterkus says his opponent, Prothonotary, ... is a "Bureaucrat who won't rock the boat" while Rauterkus calls himself a "tireless, vigilant watchdog."

While he hasn't spent much money campaigning, Rauterkus say he has used his blog, Rauterkus.blogspot.com, as an open-source campaign tool.

"Mo opinions are up there for peer review," he says. "My advisers are everyone. In fact, a lot of my ideas are really just other peoples' ideas."

The article was written by three reporters: Charlie Deitch, Melissa Meinzer and Chris Young. I guess it is no wonder I get so little ink. It takes three of them to cover the third party.

BTW, my buttons are not so large. They are very attractive. Each is different. And, the text of the button is my website, Elect.Rauterkus.com. The new website and the new DVDs didn't get mentioned. But the song, "Lay the Shovel Down" -- did get great exposure.

Updated from 10 pm on the 24th.

Duquesne U. basketball player suspended

Duquesne U. basketball player suspended Duquesne University junior power forward Stuard Baldonado, who was one of five basketball players shot last year, was suspended from the school yesterday after his arrest Friday on drug charges.

From ads - political

This is a story with blowback to the 'drug wars.' The black college basketball player was found guilty of being in a taxi. Guilty of having a cell phone. Guilty of being in a city neighborhood. Guilty of being on academic probation. He plays a team sport and another claim to fame, is his ability to catch a bullet.

Two bags of grass were found on the other guy. How much? Were they as big bags, like carrying bags of school books? Or, were they tiny bags?

What became of the other guy, the 'dealer?'

The Duquesne University standard of accountability seems to apply to accompaniment. Share a cab and get the boot.

From Come Live Ove...

Photo shows weeds on the street and what isn't here any more. Photo shows were we want our kids to hangout.