Squandering Spirits and Stations

This was on the website. 

A struggle awaits

A struggle is happening. Today, the Dems are in a struggle.  

The majority of Pittsburghers -- a great majority of people don’t vote -- are watching that Dem struggle.

The two nights in shinning armor -- Bob and Tom -- are going to go at it with each other. 

The personality match. 

Meanwhile, the real dragons are not being addressed. 

We, (Republicans) have been in neutral. We have been mostly idle. Starting line.

We need to light a fire under you all now. The waiting is over.

Bob said on KDKA Radio -- it is a 1-million-to-1 chance that a Republican Mayor can win in November.

That 1-M-2-1 matter -- it has got to fire you up. Hundreds of folks are switching parties to the Dem’s side? 

I am here to tell us all -- the struggle has got to go a certain way. A new way. The greater struggle is from the old-ways to the new-ways. 

Sure, they will fight it out among themselves, but we have to encircle them and ride the waves that they create to great new heights. We have to use that negaitve, mindless, sense-less buzz and turn it into positive buzz -- into wonderful wisdoms, into engaging discussions, into nimble relationship building opportunities.

Frankly, you all need to know that I can’t walk in the shaddow of an ant. And, I’m not going to try.

Their island of their fight is very little. Their island of knowledge is very small as well.

We have to tell everyone -- over and over -- to think again.

Great change is not caused by ideas alone. But, great change can not happen without ideas. Pittsburgh needs great organized ideas. And, Pittsburgh needs organized people. And most of all, for this change to happen -- we need passions. Heat and passions are needed to melt the chains of past authorities that have been keeping us down for all too long.

Their passions are kindling and we need to capitalize uponn them -- use them to our advantage. We need a ying-yang approach to take their furry and put it to our benefit. We need to dance above it all -- and we need to be nimble, graceful, and with great scope and depth. 

Compelling Sense in the end. Groupware now. You roles are obvious to me.

I am the team builder. I can -- with a bit of your help -- make the case for a new era -- for a FREE MARKET Republican time for the next four-years. I’m prepared. I’m out there now. I’ve got the insights and have made the city-wide efforts to deliver an avalance of compelling reason to turn on all the people of Pittsburgh. 

Right now -- the enemy is us.

We need to turn you all on. We need to get an endorsement. I need to win that by 100-1. I need to have you all come to me, understand me. Then -- I need you to start with your marching orders. 

I need $300 to create a large stack of $1-million-dollar bills. We need to tell Bob O’Connor and the rest of the city that we’ll take him up on his odds. We’re not out of the picture and we’ve got a guy who is publishing a book. Just check out that web site. Wait until you hear him speak. 

His opponent is no slouch -- But Rauterkus.com is an inspred stay-at-home dad who doing all of this on his own -- like a great coach does --  because he is fed up and he is getting us all involved. He is grass-roots. He is prepared. He is worthy of my effort and time. We are going to have fun with this and we’re going to make history -- not be slaves of it. 

History makers and the die-hard advocates are on his side now. We understand. 

Check it out. 

This is no April Fools Joke.

I want your Groupware address now. 

I want to get you over to our campaign headquarters ASAP. 

I want Million-$-Bills this week -- and I want you all to pay for them. I’ll pass these out through channels -- gimic style -- and then we are going to do wooden nickles.

We’re going to have fun. And, we’ve got messages to deliver. 

I can deliver messages -- a book on biking and Schmoozing.

Enjoy.

A speech to City Republicans

A struggle is happening. Today, the Dems are in a struggle.  

The majority of Pittsburghers -- a great majority of people don’t vote -- are watching that Dem struggle.

The two nights in shinning armor -- Bob and Tom -- are going to go at it with each other. 

The personality match. 

Meanwhile, the real dragons are not being addressed. 

We, (Republicans) have been in neutral. We have been mostly idle. Starting line.

We need to light a fire under you all now. The waiting is over.

Bob said on KDKA Radio -- it is a 1-million-to-1 chance that a Republican Mayor can win in November.

That 1-M-2-1 matter -- it has got to fire you up. Hundreds of folks are switching parties to the Dem’s side? 

I am here to tell us all -- the struggle has got to go a certain way. A new way. The greater struggle is from the old-ways to the new-ways. 

Sure, they will fight it out among themselves, but we have to encircle them and ride the waves that they create to great new heights. We have to use that negaitve, mindless, sense-less buzz and turn it into positive buzz -- into wonderful wisdoms, into engaging discussions, into nimble relationship building opportunities.

Frankly, you all need to know that I can’t walk in the shaddow of an ant. And, I’m not going to try.

Their island of their fight is very little. Their island of knowledge is very small as well.

We have to tell everyone -- over and over -- to think again.

Great change is not caused by ideas alone. But, great change can not happen without ideas. Pittsburgh needs great organized ideas. And, Pittsburgh needs organized people. And most of all, for this change to happen -- we need passions. Heat and passions are needed to melt the chains of past authorities that have been keeping us down for all too long.

Their passions are kindling and we need to capitalize uponn them -- use them to our advantage. We need a ying-yang approach to take their furry and put it to our benefit. We need to dance above it all -- and we need to be nimble, graceful, and with great scope and depth. 

Compelling Sense in the end. Groupware now. You roles are obvious to me.

I am the team builder. I can -- with a bit of your help -- make the case for a new era -- for a FREE MARKET Republican time for the next four-years. I’m prepared. I’m out there now. I’ve got the insights and have made the city-wide efforts to deliver an avalance of compelling reason to turn on all the people of Pittsburgh. 

Right now -- the enemy is us.

We need to turn you all on to this campaign. We need to get an endorsement. I need to win that by 100-1. I need to have you all come to me, understand me. Then -- I need you to start with your marching orders. 

I need $300 to create a large stack of $1-million-dollar bills. We need to tell Bob O’Connor and the rest of the city that we’ll take him up on his odds. We’re not out of the picture, and we’ve got a guy who is publishing a book. Just check out that web site. Wait until you hear him speak. 

His opponent is no slouch -- But Rauterkus.com is a place to be inspred with a stay-at-home dad who doing all of this -- like a great coach does --  because he is fed up and he is getting us all involved. We can be grass-roots. I’m preparing. Our energy is worthy of our effort and time. We are going to have fun with this and we’re going to make history -- not be slaves of it. 

History makers and the die-hard advocates are on his side now. We understand. 

Check it out. 

This is no April Fools Joke.

I want your Groupware address now. 

I want to get you over to our campaign headquarters ASAP. 

I want Million-$-Bills this week -- and I want you all to pay for them. I’ll pass these out through channels -- gimic style -- and then we are going to do wooden nickles.

We’re going to have fun. And, we’ve got messages to deliver. 

I can deliver messages -- a book on biking and Schmoozing.

Enjoy.

Compelling Sense -- opening of a book -- draft version .03

Compelling Sense

Crafting a Philosophy of Performance Through Politics Pittsburgh's People, Public Policy and Passions

Perspectives Linking Our Past, Present and Future

Prime Contributor: Mark Rauterkus, Republican Candidate in the Mayor's Race, City of Pittsburgh, 2001 

Latest edition posted at: http://www.Rauterkus.com/communications/compelling-sense/

Mark+@Rauterkus.Com

Version .03 alpha, April 2, 2001 Copyright, 2001 with the Digital Science License and Public Domain

Draft Introduction (giving a peek into the book)

Pittsburgh is distinctive. Pittsburgh is someplace special. Yet, Pittsburgh is still in the making, or depending upon your vantage point, Pittsburgh is still in the breaking. Either way, Pittsburgh is a living space. As life marches, time tugs at Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh moves into the future with grace — or with rust and gridlock. A struggle between the old and the new is unfolding.

The mission of Compelling Sense is a shared one. The task at hand is to create the foundation for a community-wide, sustainable discussion. Pittsburgh's civic wellness is to come into focus.

To introduce some unity into life, some harmony into thought, action and feeling, is a central achievement. To realize one's relation to others and guide one's own life thereby, is life's noblest rule.

To find vent for the capacities of feeling, of emotion, of thought, of action, is to find oneself. The result is not anarchy. The self so found has as the pivot of its life the power of control.

Concerning power, control and the delivery of messages, the mayor's race presents a ripe opportunity. Organized ideas coupled with organized people can garner power. Being fresh counts for getting media buzz. Having depth and scope counts more for getting the citizen activist to join our camp.

If the traditional Mayor's race campaigns linger in the mode of sound-bite and personality/popularity contest, we all lose. We can do better. Pittsburgh deserves such. Let’s interact and make it so.

The keys to Pittsburgh's success have got to include at least one plan that aims for success. This is a pursuit for excellence. These ideas start to map a collective vision for improving our civic landscape. Let's come to understand and ponder potential.

To thrive and to survive are not similar. Pittsburgh's overall condition is in serious decline. Our population base is dwindling. Debt runs high. Taxes have increased again. Our collective health is on the brink. The downward spiral continues. A public-policy noose binds us to an anchor of excessive corporate welfare.

Pittsburgh's present leadership seems to dwell upon various band-aid approaches. Too often our choices amount to selecting outcomes that are just slightly better than worse. Grant Street movements are not proactive and arrive in doses that are too little and too late. (Examples: the flood in Hays, the unified taxes, closing schools and budget deficits.)

Desired pathways for exceptional government can't be stumbled upon by continually pressing legal proceedings and waiting for the judges' decisions. Pittsburgh can't tolerate additional court-orders, consent decrees, city hall lawsuits, investigations, more independent reviews of the auditor's independent reviews. The negative tension on Grant Street is reason enough to cleanse and vote against the incumbents.

Our process of dealing with each other and with various community issues seems flawed. Our language is convoluted. We can't hope to thrive when we can't come together in the same space. Our aim is off the mark.

The hope for a reverse of the downward spiral arrives here, on the backs of the citizens with a 

grassroots movement.

Pass the word. Mention: Freedom, liberties, justice, democracy, inclusion, the free marketplace, quality of life, infrastructure, respect, duty, shared interactions.

Vote for new leadership that blends the passions of Pittsburgh with its wonderful people.

We need to accentuate our character to a higher degree. Mindful actions that push and pull our distinctive edge can provide short-term benefits and fabulous new opportunities for thriving in the future.

To accentuate is to heighten for effect. To accentuate is to pronounce or mark with an accent or stress. To emphasize matters is critical. Stay bold, distinctive, determined and pleasant.

As parents, we raise our children to be proud, to communicate well (to use their words and express their ideas), and our boys are asked to be gentlemen. This campaign is partly about parenting, stewardship and trust. This is about sacred responsibilities. This is about governance.

Insights and ideas matter. Expressed inclinations on issues are on the internet. But this is more so about inclusion. A Free Market Republican values interactions. Interactions are idea transactions. Just as the free market itself values transactions, sustainable development and energy that springs from liberty, a free-market politician can enliven everyone's inclusion.

Imagine inclusion. Meanwhile, let's ignore corporations seeking subsidies. A free market approach is at the opposite end of the spectrum from a corporate-welfare approach. The heavyweight opponents include two corporate-welfare Democrats. I'm more with Libertarian views.

Great change is not caused by ideas alone. But changes can not happen without the ideas. Pittsburgh needs organized ideas and organized people. But at this juncture, Pittsburgh does not have either the organized ideas in a blueprint, nor are the people in ranks for movement.

We to need to build on two fronts. Pittsburgh needs an in-depth conversation of merit that goes far beyond the sound-bites and campaign promises. As we dive deeply into the Pittsburgh web of life and come to better understand the scope and magnitude of our surroundings, Pittsburgh needs to gather in ranks.

Knowledge of how the system works today takes a back seat to imagination of how the system of the future can be built for everyone's benefit.

On-the-job experience can be made into handicaps when we agree on the ideals in our aspirations. Solutions are not to be found, rather they are to be lived.

The dogmatic statements made here begin a shared foundation. This is a bottom-up and not top-down effort. To advance, our basic elements should be tightly described. The groundwork centers on heavy issues, truths, values and ideals. Meanwhile, the delivery of the specific steps that address the typical polarized issues are for later, in due time. Rather than giving nitty-gritty details about whether or not to renew the contract for the Chief of Police, let's explore and come to some understanding on the global situations.

Those who must jump ahead to look at a specific element, check for replies with inclinations via the internet and ask questions from the campaign trails.

As a candidate for mayor, I'm inclined to enact a Living Wage ordinance, turn heavily to land-value taxes, eliminate the deed-transfer tax and institute an immediate hiring freeze so as to begin to contain costs. These details are on the campaign's website (http://Rauterkus.com).

Cookbook approaches make for a hollow base of understanding principles, ideals, and philosophies. The essence of Pittsburgh and our struggles for success in our shared spaces and relationships are much more telling. Let’s think again and then go into action on how to disassemble the Urban Redevelopment Authority, or not.

Thanks in advance for your attention, patient attitudes, feedback and involvement. Your reactions matter, and the success of our democracy depends upon your reactions.

A deep-rooted personal hope is to be known as the most inclusive candidate you will ever have the opportunity to vote for. My background and my ambitions drive me to become the ultimate team builder in this race. My team building is going to extend beyond this race as well.

Winning the Republican primary on May 15 is an obvious goal. And, in doing so, moving to the November general election provides opportunities and time to reduce skepticism for both long-term and short term gains.

As a Republican emerges from the primary season, there will be an inspired option. In the fall, no voters will feel that they are being asked to pick between the lesser of two evils. The November 2001 ballot will include a performance centric choice in the Mayor's Race, at least on the Republican ticket.

In the next seasons, volumes of issues and ideas are going into the public domain. We are going to gather ourselves. We are going to put forth a sustainable discussion. We are going to express visions. We are going to increase hopes and extend the conversations. We are going to decide to make choices so we can all THRIVE.

To keep our unique nature is easier to say than to accomplish. We need to understand Pittsburgh and the qualities that we value. Our distinctive Pittsburgh is a product of our unique civilization.

Pittsburgh and our government makes a combination product which is still in the making. Ways of being and historical ruts work upon Pittsburgh's character. To understand the new, which is our main purpose, we must glance at the old.

The thoughts within this pamphlet, it is to be called, Compelling Sense, aim to link Pittsburgh's past with the future. We are here to make history, not be a slave of it. To do so, we'll build bridges of perspectives.

At the time of the American Revolution, one immigrant patriot, Thomas Paine, produced a small book called Common Sense. That work, published in 1776, had a tremendous reach. In the colonies, one-out-of-five had come to know that book, by reading it, or having it read to them. Common Sense, just as is the hope with Compelling Sense, set the stage for independence. Reading stirred emotions and feelings. That book helped to motivate a society to choose a huge change. Paine's writings were actually read to the troops of George Washington on the eve of some expecting battles.

The Revolutionary War pitted an underdog, grassroots force against the Red Coats and the King of England. This campaign that we're in now has some common threads besides a similar sounding title to a book.

Incredible odds, “one-million-to-one” so it was said on KDKA by City Council President, Bob O'Connor on March 30, favor the heavyweights.

Rising taxes without earnest representation press upon the thoughts of the people.

The battle-ground of issues includes increased independence, enhanced democracy, accountability in government, and authoritarian rule:

Authorities and top-down attitudes in leadership cripple Pittsburgh: Does the URA, Parking Authority, Port Authority, Stadium Authority and Water-and-Sewer Authority help or harm? To a smaller extent, the neighborhood groups that live upon the handouts from the Mayor's office need to be questioned too. The corporate-elite (PNC, Mellon, Heinz, Alcoa, Lazarus and TIFs) sway office-holding, Democrat, leaders causing even greater harm to our civic-governmental landscape. Our attitudes in government have encouraged an endless parade of lawyers and consultants employed by a bloated government.

Many Pittsburghers call themselves, “liberal democrats.” The liberal legacy matters in who we are and what we've created for ourselves. But mostly, it isn't understood. The tag of “liberal,” just as the tag “conservative” — as well as the hundreds of other labels tossed about in our conversations are as clear as river-bottom mud. Our language gets twisted and does more to confuse than to soothe. We need a common base of understanding for our shared foundation in dealing with the future. Let's go back to common sense. And, as we get back to the basics, let's reflect and explain both the landscape and principles. Then we can move into better decisions with various campaigns. Let’s think again and not be so quick to assume all the terms, tags and labels are universally understood by all of our people in all of our converstations.

Pittsburgh's legacy of “liberalism” is going to change. We are going to concentrate upon the fabric of our civic place. Let's look at the big picture and appreciate our interdependent web of life.

Shouting, “The emperor has no clothes!" isn't becoming a lone voice. Heckling can't work when the goal is the advancement of the greater good. Rather, much more is needed. We'll wage our battle with scope and depth based on true meaning and dialog. We'll draw illustrations from within and without history. If descriptions fit and can prove a point, then let's dress the heavyweight incumbents in matching red coats -- just as the opponents wore in the late 1770s. 

Summary:

All-the-king's horses and all-the-king's men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again. In Pittsburgh we need the people plus the king, plus the king's horses, plus the king's men to put Humpty together again. Humpty isn't going to look the same. Yet Humpty can still evolve and remain distinctly Pittsburgh. But, the truth of the matter is, we are all going to come together and put our efforts into fixing our places. And, by all means, this is going to be a lot of fun trying.

Shape History: We are here to make history, not be a slave to it.

Rant on the Elect.Rauterkus.com website. 

Campaign intro paperwork

This was on the Rauterkus.com website in the past.

P-G coverage for mayor's race

In Pgh, news weekly and coverage of the Mayor's Race with mentions of Mark Rauterkus

At Least They're Spelling His Name Right ...

Republican mayoral candidate Mark Rauterkus has been experiencing a bit of "be careful what you wish for" syndrome lately. In August he was the first person to officially announce his candidacy, only to be ignored by all but the alternative media. He sat by patiently while Democrats Tom Murphy and Bob O'Connor began their political jousting -- still no press. The final insult came when Josh Pollock; an 18-year-old high-school student who is probably too young to hold the job under current laws, became a media darling when he announced he was running. Rauterkus rightfully complained about the unfair coverage -- he had finally gotten ink, but only as an afterthought in articles about Pollock. He's still being ignored by the dailies and by television. In fact, the city's conservative newsletter, the Tribuen-Review, has tried to keep Rauterkus locked in the attic like a deformed bastard child, taking him out occasionally to publicly spank him. While failing to cover Rauterkus before last week, Trib columnist Eric Heil dismissed the Republican on Jan 27 as an unemployed swim coach and a sacrificial lamb "to be sliced into gyro meat by either Murphy or O'Connor." Rauterkus, who points out that being a stay-at-home dad isn't even close to being unemployed, doesn't think he should be immune from criticism, but wonders where the Trib's news coverage has been. "If they disagree with me on issues and they want to take me to task for that, that's 100-percent acceptable," Rauterkus says. "But at least listen to my ideas and plans before you decide to dismiss me and tear me down."

... In Fact, They're Spelling it Over and Over Again

Mark Rauterkus may not be getting respect on mainstream newsprint, but he's getting loads of attention in cyberspace. He even won a recent WTAETV.com pool with 28.6 percent of the vote to 25 percent for Bob O'Connor. But the poll has since been removed from the television station's site because, according to WTAE web editor, Mike Moriacci, it was "tampered with" by voters trying to vote more than once. Rauterkus admits he wanted to win the poll and so he advertised it heavily on his own website, Rauterkus.com, already the most informative site of any of the mayoral candidates. "I knew from the start that our Internet headquarters would allow us to run circles around the competition in cyberspace," he says. Now if only Pennsylvania can switch to Internet voting by the May primary.

top:

bottom:

WTAE - TV Poll -- media cheaters look like this

WTAE TV ran a poll for one week -- and then never reported upon the results.

The results were not to their favor. I won! They were looking to prime the pump for campaign spending and wanted to show how it would be a Bob vs Tom race, each spending $1M. 

Meanwhile, I was ahead.

So, they took down the poll and didn't report on the results.

Spineless.

Candidate Mark Rauterkus presents to campus group at Pitt -- speaker notes

To the Pitt Libertarians 

 1/16/01 

 Platform Handout from Mark Rauterkus to the Pitt Ls on Jan 16, 2001 

1. Racism exists in Pittsburgh. Let's talk about it. 

 2. I'm going to sand up to corporate welfare. NBA's Hornets need to arrive in Pittsburgh --> sustainable deals. 

3. For those of you who are going to purchase a home -- I want to eliminate the real estate transfer tax. (1.5%) A $90K house turns into a $50k home. Meanwhile, corporation called 600 Ross Street. 

4. Other taxes to eliminate: Merchantile tax. Hurts competitiveness in city. RAD Tax needs serious study and review. 

5. Land-Value Tax vs. Building Value Tax Debate. The problem has been 20-years in the making. 

6. Hiring Freeze swim coaches open-source programmers 

7. Infrastructure, Bridge, sidewalks

8. Parking -- Eliminate the Parking Authority. 

9. Water and Sewer Authority -- not accountable -- pull it back into control by the elected officials. 

10. The Urban Redevelopment Authority -- taken apart brick by brick Second Ave -- looks suburban South Side -- looks suburban 5,000 new employess -- not one day-care center. The things that are missing make those developments less than ideal. 

11. Schools -- Charter Schools -- 

12. Hazelwood. 

13. Nine-Mile Run -- can be made into a very low priority 

14. Maglev 

15. Public transportation. Trains around the region. Train trip as a fund raiser Light Rail from Station Square to SS Hospital to hotmetal bridge, Hazelwood, Pather Hollow, to East Busway. No tunnel under the Allegheny River for $400M extra - nor to stadiums 

16. Aquatics 

17. Competitive 

18. Concept Maps 

19. Creativity 

20. Bridging the Digital Divide 

21. War on Drugs 

22. Death Penalty 

23. Ebooks 

24. Parks, Field of Dreams Roberto Clement Park Park District

25. Citizens Review Board needs some attention 

26. Applications matter. The state may have blown $16M in tobacco settlement money. Pittsburgh hoped for a tax-free zone and Federal Enterprize Zones. 

27. Weed, Seed, -- how about flourishing! 

 28. Fifth & Forbes, Plan C 

29. St. Nicks Church (Penn Dot) Glass Cathedral, Northside

30. Liberty Machine. Copyleft, Digital Theater -- such as the Earth Theater

The Man Who Would Be Mayor (InPgh news article)

Article by Charlie Deitch, ran on January 3, 2001, in the now defunct InPGH , a weekly newspaper.

Unless, he says, there's anyone else better qualified. It's fascinating to watch mark Rauterkus watch the political process. As he sits in a council meeting or in a public hearing, this stay-at-home dad and inactive swimming coach is constantly observing what is going on around him while taking care of his children -- who may have a better attendance record than some current council members. Rauterkus assists his oldest son, Erik, who is coloring a picture he just drew, while helping his youngest son, Grant, build a car out of Legos. All the while, Rauterkus listens to citizens' concerns like a man with the power to help them. But he's not that man -- at least, not yet. Republican Mark Rauterkus wants to become mayor of the city of Pittsburgh so the next time he hears someone complaining to city council about a problem, he can do something about it. "That's all I've been doing since August," says the 41-year-old between bites of a tuna sandwich at Mario's on the South Side. "I've been listening to as many people who will take a moment and talk to me." It was, in fact, the current administation's inability to listen that prompted Rauterkus, a political rookie unknown to the Grant Street contigent, to enter the upcoming mayoral race. "This city needs a new mayor, whether it's me or somone else," he says. "They need a myor who will listen to their concerns and then actually do something about them." Rauterkus was upset at Myor Tom Murphy's refusal to listen to anyone concerning Fifth and Forbes development, but something more personal prompted his decision to run: the city's refusal to allow him to serve on a new task force designed to study how best to use the city's 32 swimming pools. He says he was rebuffed despite his knowlege and ideas. In fact, Rauterkus announced his mayor candidacy at the very August city council meeting at which we was turned down for the pools committee. And since that one public forum, his candidacy has been ignored. The mainstream press, along with political watchers and insiders, has only been touting the upcoming primary clash between Murpy and Council President Bob O'Connor, the guy who fell short in the primary four years ago. "The Post-Gazette may as well just sponsor Tom Murphy's campaign," Rauterkus muses. "And the Trib?" Shortly after Rauterkus announce his candidacy, a Tribune-Review reporter intervied Rauterkus and a Trib photographer took pictures of him at home. But don't search through the paper's archives looking for the peice, because it has never run. "I don't know when or if it will ever appear, but it's been done for months," Rauterkus says. "When I asked the editors about it, all they did was offer to sell me ads. It is hard to run a campaign when the city's two major newspapers refuse to give you any coverage." But that doesn't mean he plans to stop. His campaign homepage -- www.Rauterkus.com -- is up and running and full of his views on city happenings. The site is so comrehensive that it linked to this article weeks before it existed. In the meantime, Rauterkus is still in the listening stage. There are many problems facing the city, he opines: if elected, he says, he will have a lot of ideas on how to make things better. Bu for now he is spending time in the streets, time talking to people and of course time in council chambers, addressing its members. When he does speak before the panel, he's not just sonding off, he's proposing solutions so that others can listen -- unlike, say, the recently decessed half-billion dollar Downtown plan Pittsburghers found themseves shut out of. "Nothing ever seems to be organized or planned out," he explains. "There is no political will in this city to do the best thing. We find the worst option and then do one step above that." That's why Rauterkus says it's important to pose solutions, not just to harp on problems. At a council meeting last month, for example, Rauterkus noticed tension building among several residents who had to come to address council members. Several emotional speakers were upset over what they called harassment by officers assigned to the meeetings and by a perception that council members, who constantly start meetings late, didn't respect them or care about their problems. Rauterkus took to the podium in their defense. While it may have seemed trivial to political insiders used to grandstanding, it seemed genuinely important to Rauterkus. He suggested a resolution be passed that the cable access cameras be turned on at the regularly scheduled 10 a.m. meeting time. Whether the meeting had officially started or not, to 'let the people speak for a while. I guarantee after one meeting you guys will start getting here on time." Would his idea redevelop Downtown or fix the city's multi-million dollar structural deficts? No. But by actually reacting to the will of the people, Rauterkus has shown the characteristic most lacking in many current city leaders. He is no readying his campiagn headquarters on the ground floor of his home -- an old South Side shoemaker's shop on South 12th Street. Hi snext step is deciding how he wants to run the campaign. A former Democrat, Rauterkus is trying to decide wheter to make a run under the GOP banner or to go under the flag of one of the third parties. None of these options is the ideal way to take a stab at unseating the city's Democratic machine and a two-term mayor in prosperous times. Ideally, Rauterkus says, O'Connor would defeat Murphy and become complacent about a November showdown with the Republicans, who usually aren't worth fearing in a citywide election. That's where he says he will need public support and every bit of the $100,000 he hopes to raise. O'Connor would be better than Murphy, Rauterkus says, but having any consummate politician ack in the driver's seat would just lead to more of the same in city politics. And change is what Rauterkus' campaign is all about. "I've said all along. I don't have to run for mayor," Rauterkus says. "If someone else came along who was better qualified and wanted to make a serious run, I would step aside in a minute and work diligently for them. "We need a new mayor a whole lot more than I need to be mayor."

Photo showed me holding Grant, my son, in our home/office. Caption: Mark Rauterkus' only political experience has been dealing with the lobbying of his kids, like three-year-old Grant, above. Apparently Rauterkus can handle the pressure.

Profile on Mark Rauterkus by freelance writer

Exact date, not certain.

Efforts to Save City Pools, propaganda, handout

Date, uncertain.

Handout from a friend. We passed these around the city as we could.

Mark Rauterkus began a Fan Appreciation Day at Ohio U Swimming with a meet vs. Kentucky

Article appeared on Friday, Feb 13, 1981, in the Ohio University Post.

Ohio University vs. Kentucky in Athens, Ohio.

All those who attended the meet could go to a local drinking establishment after the meet to meet and mingle with the swimmers, and have free beer.