Arts Council urgen rush about bill of rights legislation in PA

An urgent with four *s hit my email box today from the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. These folks are about as political as my pinky toe on my left foot.

When we have the Cultural Center doing downtown development, we get the Ballet holding Nutcracker events without musicians. When we have arts groups making calls about the bill of rights -- I begin to wonder what the Court Jesters would have said about the loss of the king's head.

I don't have anything else to say about the call -- just yet -- today.

State Funding at Risk ATTENTION NEEDED TODAY

This is an important announcement concerning future support for arts and culture in Pennsylvania. Please read this completely and act today.

This week, fast moving legislation will go forward without public hearings or debate in the Pennsylvania General Assembly that could severely reduce state support for arts, culture, education, public broadcasting, history, arts education, heritage, preservation, support for lower and middle income families, agriculture, and a plethora of other things funded by the state that we may have not yet identified. This legislation, introduced in both houses, is known nationally as TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) or TEL (tax and expenditure legislation), and in Pennsylvania as the "Taxpayer Fairness Act."

ACTION NEEDED
Call, fax, e-mail or visit your legislators this week to ask them to explain the long range impact of this legislation. Stress that a NO VOTE on House Bill 2082 is essential. Click here to find your legislator and visit the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council's Advocacy Pages for information on what to include in a letter, fax or email to your legislator.

This legislation would set limits on the growth of state and local spending and tie state spending to a formula that includes the annual change in population plus the current rate of inflation. This legislation is based upon a Colorado law enacted in 1992 that implemented severe expenditure limits. The effect of this legislation was devastating in Colorado. Discretionary funding for programs such as arts and culture, higher and basic education, healthcare, and social services was severely reduced. In November 2005, after 13 years of a downward trend in quality of life, Colorado citizens voted to roll back TABOR.

Some facts about TABOR/TEL and Colorado
Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights contributed to a significant decline in that state's social services and education programs since it was adopted in 1992. According to Americans for the Arts, fiscal year 2004 saw the Colorado Council on the Arts budget slashed by 93%. Research done by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, DC found that:

* Under TABOR, Colorado has declined from 35th to 49th in the nation in K-12 spending.

* Higher education funding has dropped by 31 percent.

* Tuitions have risen as a result. In the last four years, system-wide resident tuition increased by 21 percent (adjusting for inflation).

* Colorado has fallen to near last in providing on-time full vaccinations to the state's children.

* The share of low-income children lacking health insurance has doubled, making Colorado the worst in the nation.

How Pennsylvania's "Taxpayer's Fairness Act" might affect you
TABOR/TEL legislation in Pennsylvania would dramatically limit state spending in areas most important to low and middle income families and the state's quality of life institutions. According to an analysis done by the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, if TABOR/TEL had been in place when Governor Rendell took office, the current $24 billion state General Fund budget would have to be cut by over $2 billion. Ways to cut $2 billion out of the state budget might include:

* Elimination of state funding for higher education.
* Elimination of state funding for health care to low income citizens.
* Elimination of state funding to arts organizations, museums, public libraries, museums, historical societies, public television stations, and other arts and cultural agencies. Currently, Pennsylvania ranks 16th in per capita support for the arts.
* Reduction of the basic state subsidy for public schools.
* Elimination of all state funding for the Department of Agriculture.

Important Note: Pennsylvania already has a constitutional requirement for a balanced budget. The budget process already provides the General Assembly and the Governor with the tools they need to control the growth of state government. TABOR uses the term "Bill of Rights" which has a spin that may make some people think that they're talking "Constitution." This is not the case, and it is just a name for similar programs that have failed in other states to theoretically save taxpayer dollars.

ACT TODAY!
Contact your state senator and representative ASAP. Ask them to VOTE NO on House Bill 2082 and oppose all TABOR/TEL both in an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution or other legislation.

Even if you are unsure of your position on this bill, please ask your senator and representative to explain to you what impact this bill would have on the ability of the state to support services to the people of the Commonwealth, especially those who need it most.

To locate your legislators Click Here.

Time is of the essence. Do not delay.
Contact your State Legislators NOW! Proponents of HB 2082 say they want to enact it before the end of the month.

More information about the TABOR/TEL legislation may be found on the following websites: Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
Pennsylvania AFL-CIO
Center for Budget and Policy Priorities - Information about TABOR-like legislation in other states, including a fact sheet and analysis on what happened in Colorado.
*
House Bill 2082 is also being opposed by the following organizations:
AARP Pennsylvania; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF); Citizens for Consumer Justice; Keystone Research Center; Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania; Maternity Care Coalition; Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania; National Council of Jewish Women-PA; Pennsylvania AFL-CIO; Pathways PA; Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators; Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center; Pennsylvania Council of Churches; Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations; Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG); Pennsylvania School Boards Association; Pennsylvania Social Services Union (PSSU); Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA); Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY); Service Employees International Union (SEIU); and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776.
*

Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
707 Penn Avenue, 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3401
P: 412.391.2060
F: 412.394.4280
www.pittsburghartscouncil.org

Reversing the call to action from the pro-choice rebels

Planned Parenthood is putting out a call to action. They want people to attend this Wednesday's city council meeting. My reply follows.

We need your help. This Wednesday, December 7, Pittsburgh City Council will be holding a preliminary vote on the Medical Safety Zone legislation that would protect patients and their companions entering medical clinics and hospitals in Pittsburgh. The anti-choice hardliners are organizing their masses to attend the meeting and give public testimony when the meeting begins (10:00 am).

The co-sponsoring Council members of this ordinance have asked us to gather as many supporters as possible to attend the meeting. If you live in the city of Pittsburgh, it is even more critical that you try to attend this meeting.

If you'd like to give brief public testimony in support of the ordinance, please click here.

Thank you. Here are the details:

Wednesday, December 7, 2005
10:00 A.M. - Standing Committees Meeting, commencing with the public comment followed by the Committee on Finance and Budget.

Pittsburgh City Council 510 City - County Building, 414 Grant St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Telephone: (412) 255-2138

The legislation before City Council is a yawner, mostly. I go to council all the time. I'm not motivated to go now because of this bill.

The bill has two parts. I love the first and hate the second. And, there is another problem that they are trying to fix that is best fixed with real enforcement.

Bill says: 1. You can't be within 15 feet of an entrace to a public health clinic. Fine. Great idea. Do it.

Part 2 -- says you can't be within 8 feet of another person. This is to keep protesters away from those who might be going to the clinic. That creates a buffer zone that is about 7.5 feet wider than what an average person from China needs. And, the buffer zone moves with the person as the person moves.

Person A is on the sidewalk with protest posters doing his/her free speech thing and Person B exits clinic and goes to stand next to Protester A. Then -- police arrive and the 8 foot buffer is absent and Proterster, person A, goes to jail.

So much for free speech.

Part 2 stinks.

Peduto, and others on council, again, go overboard in limits to freedoms. And, the law will go to the courts. And, this will cost another nickle or two for constitutional attorneys and the city's legal department. They always go to the courts to figure out matters. Rather, I say do the right thing by crafting better laws in the first place.

But, we run into this problem because people have been assulted in a number of ways going into and out of the clinic. Plus, the city does not have the manpower nor budget resources to put an officer at the clinic as they have had to do in the past.

So, people in the burbs who don't care much about city politics -- time to care. The quality of life in the city impacts everyone.

Furthermore, the police are slow to make an arrest of someone protesting. They don't have clear leadership. They don't have clear marching orders. They know that a wrong move -- and -- bingo -- they just lost their job as people around here won't support them for doing the job. The pass the buck problems always surface. So, enforcement is lax to say the least.

If someone got pushed on the sidewalk headed to or out of a clinic -- and police made an arrest -- then this problem would not generally happen. Assault is assult. It shouldn't happen. And, when it does -- people should be put in handcuffs and taken to the Judge.

The police are our friends, if they do their jobs.

If they don't do the job -- because of uncertain winds from politicians -- then the police need to be better managed or else need to have more laws put on other laws to make them do more.

Even this law is a question as to its enforcement from the men and women in blue. ????

This health clinic effort to rid the landscape of protesters grew out of the panhandlers legislation that went down a month or so ago. The downtown weenies want to rid the city of the homeless. The homeless are not a big problem. But, when there are so few others downtown, they look like a big problem. Likewise, the homeless and beggars are getting away with disorderly conduct because there are serious enforcement problems with the police. One guy who was trouble downtown had 60 violations to his name. He should have faced some different outcomes about the third time he was picked up -- not the 63rd time.

If you think otherwise, let me know.

Mayor-elect O'Connor bucking transition tradition

Mr. Matter just D.Q.ed himself....

Mayor-elect O'Connor bucking transition tradition 'It's better to do it below the radar screen,' said David Matter, ...

Bob's played defense in the campaign, mostly. Bob's playing defense in the transition time, for sure. Bob is going to play defense in the appointments with the authority members, who are going to be safe throughout the winter, so he says.

Pittsburgh loves a good D-Fence, D-Fence, D-Fence.

A mayor who plays defense might be a major blessing.

Sunday -- swimming and skating

Swim meet today...

Skating in afternoon.

Sleep over was last night.

Happy Birthday Grant. He's 8!

Sing a song of Pittsburgh: Searching for a 'Burgh-defining tune

Part 2 --

What about the cultural district and its ballet without musicians. We love music -- but would rather have recorded instruments at the Nutcracker!

The fine folks in the cultural district have been too busy with buildings and high-rises and redevelopment efforts and not culture. They've been high-jacked by the outgoing mayor's agenda too.

Put some big notes on a building, like the illustration to the story, then you've got something -- but it is still the wrong 'brand."

Sing a song of Pittsburgh: Searching for a 'Burgh-defining tune

The song of Pittsburgh is "Think Again." It is on my campaign CD. If you have yet to hear it, send me a donation and I'll send it along to you -- by the dozen.

Sing a song of Pittsburgh: Searching for a 'Burgh-defining tune: "Yeah, we love Pittsburgh. But how would we sell it in song?"

The song for the city for the times is "Lay the Shovel Down" by the same singer. It talks of the hole they dug, and how we have to move to get out of it.

Victory: RAND releases a working paper, Assessing the Performance of Public Schools in Pittsburgh

Excellent. This paper was asked for. Now it has been released.

RAND: Assessing the Performance of Public Schools in Pittsburgh Assessing the Performance of Public Schools in Pittsburgh

Next we have to read it and figure out if it is worthy of defending -- or otherwise.

The full document (less than 1 meg, 30 pages or so. It is at http://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/2005/RAND_WR315-1.pdf

This Dork, Flying Oyster, says it is okay to Retire #21. I agree. Plus, he isn't a bad dork.

>blockquote>Flying Oyster: Retire #21 Terry Pluto of the Akron Beacon Journal believes they should retire #21. I agree. Let's talk about the rivals from Cleveland.

City flunks terror test - PittsburghLIVE.com

City flunks terror test - PittsburghLIVE.comThere's no value in hashing over it,' DeMichiei said.

Think again! There is value in hashing over it. There is value in thinking again.

I'm a coach. I love drills. We do drills all the time.

The little tykes (i.e., ages 6, 7) I coach in the swimming pool can do these frestyle drills: Catch-up, side kicking, zig-zag 9 (sculling), thumb-in-arm-pit, finish-up, alternate breathing, to name a few.

Seems to me that the Pittsburgh police force should be able to set up a mobile command center in a time of a major emergency at a suitable location.

Practice makes perfect, is the old saying that is very popular. Frankly, I don't buy into that slogan at all. Only perfect practice makes perfect. And, the high school kids I coach get that drilled into them.

Field of Running Mates

One of the state-wide political blogs was tipping the hand of a pending super-duper website, an 'online headquarters' by the Junior US Senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum. The new, yet unopened site, for his re-election efforts in 2006, is slated to have a blog with open comments. The title, "Running with Rick" is sorta like "Mark Rauterkus and Running Mates." Rick's own words a promised to be there. I wonder if his site will feature Rick's own spelling errors, like my site does. The Santorum site is getting pages devoted to specific issues too. OMG!

OMH = Oh My Gosh.

Today, by the way, the Platform.For-Pgh.org is at 179 pages.

There were other elements of this web site that were so far advanced that it might harken the ghosts of 2001 and my run for mayor site. Even volunteer resources, and info specific to all PA communities.

Shiver my timbers! I can't wait.

I'll have another blog to visit so as to help shape the conversation of the region.

Meanwhile, in another state, a Pitt Law School Grad who ran a campaign in the past, is back, as well. I felt a certain kindship for her and her campaign. We traded a number of ideas and emails. She is on my radar and look at what's up with her now. As a bit of background, her last campaign was as a Republican. But, she didn't get the "endorsement" from the GOP party and ran as an outsider. The party did its best to sling mud her way and foil her efforts, if not rights as a candidate. She kept chugging. And, she even switched parties. Now she is gearing up again for another race.

In some ways, her history is a bit like Kathryn Hans-Greco, D, Allegheny County. KHG didn't get the help from the party. Ran before and then ran again, with more gusto, more relationships, more votes!

Judicial candidate to run Internet-based campaign
By SETH EFFRON, StateGovernmentRadio.com

RALEIGH -- Rachel Lea Hunter wants to be chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

In 2004 Hunter, a lawyer with no experience on the bench, or in politics, spent about $24,000 and ran in an eight-person field for an opening on the high court. It was an astonishing third place finish.

She got nearly 452,300 votes -- 100,000 more than one of the state's best-known judges, Howard Manning. Manning spent about $132,000. Paul Newby, a Republican who won the seat, spent $171,200 and got 582,684 votes. Manning spent 42-cents per vote; Newby spent 30 cents and Hunter, a mere 5 cents per vote.
While the campaign is overtly non-partisan -- the 2004 campaign was very partisan with Newby anointed the Republican candidate. Hunter's candidacy was a source of friction in a party structure well-known for its unbending demand for uniformity. Some of the GOP leadership attacked Hunter for undermining Newby’s ultimately successful candidacy. Hunter has since switched her voter registration to Democrat.

One thing Hunter has going for her is name "I-D." She shares the same name as the famous super model from New Zealand who has, among other credits, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated’s famous swimsuit edition. While Rachel Lea Hunter has NOT done anything to promote such confusion, some analysts say that celebrity name recognition was one of the major factors in her 2004 vote-getting success.

Her 2006 campaign for the top judicial spot in the state is already up and running. She's not relying on any phantom name "I-D."

Hunter says she'll be a different kind of candidate and run a campaign that isn't out of the typical playbook of dashing around the state to campaign appearances, spending hours dialing for campaign dollars and putting the bulk of the campaign treasury into television advertising.

That doesn't mean she’s not going to be a media candidate -- just looking to some different media.

Visit one of North Carolina's newspaper Web site and you'll likely see a Hunter campaign banner ad: There’s a picture of Hunter and the declaration "RACHEL LEA HUNTER: A candidate for N.C. Chief Justice; She cannot be bought; A real leader and top candidate for Chief Justice."

The Internet ads, which link to her own campaign Web site, are running on 25 to 30 North Carolina newspaper site -- including the Asheville Citizen-Times; the Elizabeth City Daily Advance; New Bern Sun Journal; and ENCTODAY.Com. She’s also got her ads on selective blogs as well as some national publication, such as Mother Jones.

Hunter says she intends to spend less than $100,000 -- and much of it on the kinds of grassroots campaigning that only the Internet can provide. From the outset, she said she wants to be on the cutting edge.

"This was going to be a different kind of campaign. And it was going to be run, especially since it was statewide, mostly on the Internet," Hunter said. "I don't know if I can quantify it -- 60 or 75 percent -- something like that, because this is a big state. It's a huge state. I've driven from end, to end, north and south, too.

"It's a big state. It's hard to reach this many people. This (Internet-based campaigning) is a way of getting the message out to much more people. I could go around to all the Republican or Democratic clubs now, and I would see the same the same tired old faces I always see. But you really don't reach people all over the state. This is a way of reaching so many more people."

As Hunter seeks a new route for her campaign trail she'll also be discovering to what extent her 2004 success was beginner's luck, fortunate name identification or, in fact, a strong foundation upon which to build a new-style campaign.

PoliticsPA reports John Pierce, needs a new gig

PoliticsPA Sources confirm major blow to Scranton campaign

PoliticsPA has learned the the nationally-recognized political consulting firm of Alfano-Leonardo has decided to part ways with Bill Scranton. Sources confirm the departure occurred over major differences having to do with the direction of the campaign. Campaign Manager and Pittsburgh attorney John Pierce will no longer be working for the campaign.

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, seeking new input

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today launched a month-long public-comment period on draft regulations governing internal controls.

“Act 71 gives the Board the ‘power and duty’ to adopt the regulations necessary to bring expanded gaming to Pennsylvania and ensure its integrity,” said Chairman Tad Decker. “With each set of regulations we develop, we move a step closer to the day when expanded gaming can begin in the Commonwealth."

And now…. T.H.E. .M.U.S.E. .A.N.D. .W.H.I.R.L.E.D. .R.E.T.O.R.T.

This Month’s Featured Article: Hi-Ho Silver Away in a Manger by Chris Chandler is a great read. It is a bit longer, so you'll have to get it by clicking the 'comments' button and reading from that page.

Chandler is a great story teller. I had the opportunity to meet him via Anne Feeney at an event I staged on 9-11 a couple of years ago. Very insightful and funny too. You might want to get a CD of his or if you live in the east, check out one of his gigs in the weeks to come. It is all at his web site.

Plug: Have you got your copy of American Storyteller? http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/cchandler3

What would make a better holiday gift? It is a 2 vol. CD set – but wait, there’s more! Each CD is also a CD ROM enhanced with 3 short films extra art work, lyrics and cracker jack surprises! It is a double CD so it is a little bit more expensive but what would make a better Christmas gift than “American Storyteller? “ Just Click here! http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/cchandler3

His 8 minute movie: www.chrisvids.org/

Close your mouth. Move your feet. Wellness quote from The Biggest Loser victor

The victor from the TV show, The Biggest Loser, was on NBC's Today Show and gave a great interview. He was asked about the one bit of advice.

At first blush, that question is a 'gottcha.' With wellness there isn't just one thing that is the key. Wellness is about a whole range of actions, attitudes and reasonings. The wellness planks, if not the wellness platform, has many different elements covering a wide range of issues.

However, the new TV star had two answers. First, "Close your mouth. Move your feet." Sage advice. It goes along with the saying, "It is not what you say that counts, but what you do."

The next bit was that there is no limit to what you can do if you choose to do it yourself. There are no boundaries. This is the "sky's the limit" attitude -- but -- the goals need to be internalized. Wellness hinges upon being self reliant.

Beautiful.

The conversation also covered the fact that the guy has been sober and drink-free for nine months now. That's a perfect closing point -- get and stay sober. To tie that concept to politics, think about the politicians who have been getting drunk on all sorts of ills. They gave themselves illegal pay raises. They got drunk on the windfalls from gambling incomes -- for more state spending and more slush funds to their re-election campaigns. And, they get drunk on corporate welfare handouts.

They got drunk on stadiums, Lord & Taylor, and building a convention center. Now is the hangover. The Convention Center costs us nearly $4-million per year in operational losts. So, this hangover isn't going to last for a long-time to come.

My approach = Self Reliance: Theirs = Councilmembers look to state to help with rising costs

I agree Act 47 stinks. I don't agree about what needs to be done to fix the overall problems. To fix Pittsburgh, once and for all, we need to have a new attitude of self-reliance. And, voters, it includes you. Fellow reformers, self-reliance and teamwork requires you too!

Councilmembers look to state to help with rising costs: "Councilmembers look to state to help with rising costs

A year into its fiscal recovery effort, the city of Pittsburgh has made some substantial cuts, but it is still in a tightening fiscal vice of high debt and rising pension and health insurance costs, City Council members said yesterday.

Council spent its first meeting on a proposed 2006 budget throwing itself on the mercy of the commonwealth and criticizing the state-appointed recovery team created under Act 47 for not dealing with major issues.

'The Act 47 plan stinks,' said Councilman Luke Ravenstahl. 'We're no better off than we were before.'

He said council and Mayor-elect Bob O'Connor should lobby Harrisburg for help."

The presentation from the budget office was solid. I've got it on tape. I would like to get it on the web or this blog.

Scores speak out on Roosevelt's plan to close 20 city schools

P-G coverage on the Rodgers plan for middle school for CAPA to Mt. Washington.

Scores speak out on Roosevelt's plan to close 20 city schoolsSpeakers also urged school officials not to move the middle school program for the creative and performing arts from the Rogers building in Garfield to the former Baxter Building in Homewood, now occupied by the district's alternative education programs. Some favored moving the program instead to Prospect Middle School on Mount Washington, which is on the closing list.

My wife, Ph.D., gets ink in P-G: Protecting young musicians' hearing is goal of partnership between UPMC, city schools

Wellness works wonders. Way to go musicians and scientists and clinicians and parents and teachers and open-minded, quality based performers in life!

Protecting young musicians' hearing is goal of partnership between UPMC, city schools Protecting young musicians' hearing is goal of partnership between UPMC, city schools
The quieter sound of music

In high school, kids who play football wear helmets, mouthguards and pads as protection against injury.

Langley High School senior Cherish Marshall, 17, wears her special earplugs during band class last week.

To learn more about the UPMC Musicians' Hearing Center earplugs program, call 412-647-2030. The center offers education and earplugs as outreach to other schools, as well, at the lowest cost affordable.

To learn about the Etymotic non-custom earplugs, which sell for $12 a pair, visit www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20-ts.aspx. The company's home page is at www.etymotic.com.

Kids in chemistry class wear goggles.

Kids in band class . . . well, they often don't wear any protection for their ears. But they should.

Tinker: Major suggestions from citizen, Henry C. Schmitt, about Rogers

Good Afternoon Mr. Roosevelt and Members of the Board -
Two weeks ago I came before you to let you know that I support the Right-Sizing Plan for the Pittsburgh Public Schools. I still do. Although as Mr. Roosevelt said in the media "it needs some tweaking." With that in mind, I'd like to bring the following issue to your attention.

The current plan has the Rogers CAPA program moving to the Baxter building, and the Letsche Education Center moving to the Washington building. Initially seems like a good idea, but on closer examination there are some problems. This would necessitate the moving of two student populations, over 500 students, and the capital improvement of two buildings.

This move seems to give the Rogers CAPA program room to expand, but I believe it does not. The numbers I found for the 2002-3 school year, the final year the CAPA High program was in Baxter, showed an enrollment of 330 students, about 45% of the building's capacity. However, an article in the June 12, 2003 Tribune Review quotes a CAPA student, Jessica Burch, as saying "...she will miss taking singing lessons in a janitor's closet" and "Our Spanish room is also the dance studio...we have to move the desks out...every day." This does not indicate a building with excess capacity; it indicates a building bursting at the seams.

Some of the parents and faculty of Rogers would like to propose the following alternative: Instead of moving both the Rogers CAPA program and the Alternative Education program, leave the Alternative Education program where it is, and move the Rogers CAPA program to the Prospect building in Mt. Washington.

We have gathered the data to show how this new proposal would be better for the CAPA program and the district as a whole. I have prepared a chart based on the 10 criteria you used for the original proposal that compares the two moves. In all cases, the move to Prospect is equal to or better than the move to Baxter.

I will provide you all with copies of the chart, but let me mention the highlights: only the 300 students at Rogers would need to be moved, only one building would need capital improvements. The central location of Prospect near downtown would reduce transportation costs and increase ties to organizations in the Cultural District. The location of Baxter in the far east end would have the opposite effect.
I think that if you look at the data, you will see that this proposal deserves careful consideration. Thank you for your time.

Henry C. Schmitt

---

Students that go to Rogers might one day work for Disney.

Next, to figure out how to put the plan, a table, on this blog. Humm... Okay, I've got 10 points in the comments section of this blog posting. Each shows the baseline reason, what the present plan has for its strength, then in bold, the new idea's reasoning / strength. Keep reading.

Plus, I've inserted two bonus points after the first 10 to cover some extras I just pulled out of the sky.

---

November 29, 2005
Mr. Roosevelt & Members of the Board:

As you are aware, both my husband and I are very active in our children’s education and are willing to work to make it the best it can be. We are also strong supporters of public education. We also, like you, believe on making our decisions based on data. Although we first thought moving Rogers to Baxter was a good idea, after reviewing the data, it now seems clear that such a move would be detrimental to the CAPA middle school program, and have a negative impact on the district as a whole. Much of the data we looked at was readily available on the PPS web site, but information about the Baxter building was hard to come by. We received information about Baxter from the Parent-Teacher organizations at Rogers. Working within your proposed plan, the Parent-Teacher group raised an alternative location – the Prospect building.

To better understand the merits of both plans, we looked to the criteria for right-sizing as listed on the PPS website, gathered what data we could, and compared each plan to the criteria. The following table clearly shows why we now believe moving to Baxter is not in the best interest of the CAPA program or district, as well as why Prospect should be considered as a viable alternative.

We look forward to working with you to bring about positive change to the Pittsburgh Public Schools

Katherine Schmitt
Henry Schmitt
Parents of students at Minadeo and Rogers CAPA

Philly article: Packing heat - and political punch via blog and more

Here is a character with a few great quotes.

Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/29/2005 | Packing heat - and political punchWhile in Manhattan, Bruce helped launch Open Source Media at www.osm.org, a consortium of 70 diverse blogs on topics from politics and true crime to designer shoes and holistic pet care. She's on OSM's advisory board and blogs at http://tammybruce.com.

Bruce calls the blogging collective 'the first fundamental assault on the mainstream media's control of information distribution.'

She says because blog journalism - 'the technological handmaiden of the new American revolution' - is constantly self-correcting and invites anyone to chime in, it will deal a deathblow to old media, including newspapers.

'The power no longer resides with the elites. The power belongs to whoever wants to take it,' says Tammy Bruce with utmost confidence, sounding for all the world like a Sixties lefty at the barricades and signifying that in the fractured and shifting terrain of American political culture, labels have lost all meaning.

Tinker talk with the plan before Pgh Public Schools

I presented my points to a public hearing held at the Pgh Public Schools today. The plan was mentioned on this blog last week.

Mark Rauterkus statement about PPS Plan: "Statement about Schools -- from Mark Rauterkus --"

I released my comments on the plan at Rev. Johnny Monroe's church. I've got lots of good feedback from these ideas, in public, and online.

BTW, his church, Grace Memorial, does not have Tinker Bell on its steeple.

Good to see pending board member Thomas Sumpter at the board table to listen to all the testimony. He gets sworn into office in January and will need to make a vote the next month.

One decent tinker idea: Move the CAPA Middle School to the closing Roosevelt Middle School. That makes the location more central to the city and closer to the cultural district and the CAPA High.

I talked as I was departing with a guy, Bob S., who was just arriving. He had two identical concerns of mine. First, he wants to see all the calls to the help desk made public and visible. That's what I've been calling the 'Robust job ticketing system.'

Furthermore, he was upset at the email from A+ Schools about how everyone was to walk lockstep with the plan. I mentioned that the A+ Schools Director spoke before I did, by two slots. I was sorry I didn't wear my boots as it was getting rather deep in there.

Speaking to PPS public hearing about single gender schools

Election Results from 2005 to 2001

In 2005:
href="http://www.county.allegheny.pa.us/elect/200511gen/results.asp">Election Results Bob O'Connor (Dem) 40,226 67.1%
Joseph Weinroth (Rep) 16,321 27.2%
Titus North (Gre) 2,392 4.0%
David Tessitor (Abo) 625 1.0%
Jay M Ressler (Soc) 397 0.7%
Totals 59,961
In 2001:
Tom Murphy (Dem) 39,257 -- 74.3%
James Carmine (Rep) 12,175 -- 23.0%
Chaston Roston (I) 964 -- 1.8%
Francis Forrestal (S) 443 -- 0.8%

To Bob's credit, he got more votes than Murphy got in 2001. I knew it would be close. Murphy did have a higher percentage.

When I ran for PA Senate, I got more than 7-percent of the vote. That vote percentage is greater than the total percentage of all non Ds and non Rs. But the swelling ranks from 2001 to 2005 of non-Ds and non-Rs was from 2.6 percent to 5.7 percent.

As another point to ponder, G.W. Bush, (R) in his second term, had 37,000 votes in the city.

Riverside Cubs -- a story on Silent Touchdowns

California School for the Deaf, with Coach Keith Adams, from 0 and 10, in his first season to playoff team last year and Ten-and-oh, 52-to-nill, in the final game, this season.

The football team is deaf. The cheerleaders are deaf too! But they know how to communicate, beat the drum and tackle!

An interview with a dad, "Are you proud of him?"

"Every day," says the father.

Great story that ran at 1 am on ABC's Nightline.

Just as a reminder, our book, "Time Out! I Didn't Hear You" -- is available as a free download in PDF. http://Rauterkus.com/PDF/SPORTS/TIMEOUT.PDF

Mayor Murphy: 'Best Job In America' -- hardly. I've got a job that is much, much better.

I've got two jobs that are better than his. And, I ran for his job, no less. I ran for mayor. I wanted to end Mayor Mruphy's tenure at two terms. We needed a new mayor more than I needed to be the mayor. But, it is safe to say I pondered the job and the duties of the job and the office.

I'm a swim coach. That job is way better than being mayor. And, the clincher job -- being a stay at home dad. That job is a million times better than being mayor. The best job in America is true if you over look the two jobs I have.

But, I do think being mayor is better than being a volunteer blogger.

KDKA: "Mayor Murphy: 'Best Job In America'

(KDKA) PITTSBURGH Tom Murphy welcomed us into an office that�s seen a lot of history. Now years of memories are being sorted and boxed for the archives.

"It's a remarkable story of how it evolved from just trying to save the Pirates to building a ballpark to building everything that we did," Murphy said.

Ballot Access News & Pitt Law Libertarians -- content swells in our favor

Ballot Access News Libertarians Won 19 Partisan Elections on Nov. 8
November 23rd, 2005

The Libertarian Party won 19 partisan elections in Pennsylvania on November 8, 2005, not one, as reported earlier. They include 7 township auditors, one constable, on township supervisor, one planning commissioner, and 9 precinct elections officials.

---

Pitt Law LibertariansPITT LAW LIBERTARIANS have a blog with plenty of entries.

Who knows Father James McCaskill?

Spero News | Priest Idol - week 2 round up Father James McCaskill, a fresh-faced 32 year old cleric from the leafy suburbs of Pittsburgh, USA, is the subject of Priest Idol. ...

Does he vote on the South Side? Where did he go to seminary?

Speaking of TV, why do they show Rudolph The Red Nose Raindeer on network TV at 8 pm. The kids who would want to watch the show should be tucked away dreaming of sugar plums.

Bob O'Connor -- exclusive 1-on-1 intervew on Fox TV, 10 pm -- opposite MNF

Are you ready for some football????

Meanwhile at 10 pm tonight, the local Fox TV news holds an exclusive interview with the next mayor, Bob O'Connor.

That's a tough time slot, opposite the Steelers. Some people have all the luck.

Founder of popular Craiglist Web site assisting with news venture

Founder of popular Craiglist Web site assisting with news venture: "engineer who created the popular Craigslist Web site, Craig Newmark, said the new media venture he has been working on could launch within three months.

Mr. Newmark, whose site gets more than a million classified ads and 1 million postings each month, told The Associated Press in May that he wants to develop a pool of 'talented amateurs' who could investigate scandals, cover politics and promote the most important and credible stories. The journalists' articles would be published on Internet sites ranging from Craigslist to individual Web logs, or blogs."

Put a fork in em! A History of... What? Success? How so?

Great recap from fellow blogger.

AntiRust: The Allegheny Conference and Pittsburgh's Birthday: A History of... What? Success? How so?... Society would be better served, first, with a $14 million movie about the failed promise of absurd urban redevelopment schemes. Add up the money squandered in Pittsburgh alone. God, it's depressing.

Next, I think it's time for someone to stand up and say, 'Look, let's forget about the city's damn image. The area built an image as an industrial place by making steel, not producing movies about making steel. And it will build an image as a vital place by becoming a vital place, not by making movies about Indians and French guys in the 1760s.' Seems obvious, maybe, but it looks like it still needs said.

I say it is great that the Allegheny Conference is going to fiddle while Rome burns. It is great that the Allegheny Conference is going to try to turn the clock back for a birthday party. Great. That is what we really need -- and I'm serious.

I want The Allegheny Conference to run a birthday party. That's what they should do, celebrations, parties -- and NOTHING ELSE. Get them out of the way.

ABA Hoops returned to winning ways in Pittsburgh

When I was in 6th grade, I think, I went to a Condors game. This was a bit like that.

The home team, the Black & Gold colored, Pittsburgh Explosion, took a huge first quarter lead. And, the roof at Pitt's Peterson Event Center wasn't leaking, as best I could tell. The team plays four games at Pitt's venue and the rest at the Civic Arena, also known as the Mellon Arena. The Kernals are from Kentucky and have a former Kansas player. Two ex-NBA players are with the Explosion.


The dance team is called the 'bomb squad.'

Huddle with the coach.

The digital camera wasn't so good at "action photos."

Defense.

Campaign committee still has a few openings.

Care to partner and saddle up? Just call me, 412 298 3432. Or telegram is okey-doe-kay too -- Mark--at-Rauterkus--dot--com.

We were part of history tonight! We went to the first-ever home victory for the ABA's Pittsburgh Explosion!

My boys and I attended our first ABA game, at Pitt's Peterson Event Center. Great time.

The music is too loud for Erik. He's the hyper protective one. My other guy, Grant, could not get this one question out of his head. And, I'm at a loss for an answer too.

The Pgh Explosion played the Kentucky Colonels. Why in the heck do you say COLONELS when there isn't an "R" in there???? Can someone help us out on that one?

Nevermind: The modern usage of the word colonel began in the late sixteenth century, when companies were first formed into larger regiments or columns (colonne in Italian) under the leadership of a colonnello. (In modern English, the word is pronounced similarly to kernel as a result of having entered the language from Middle French in two competing forms, coronel and colonel. The more etymological colonel was favored in literary works and eventually became the standard spelling despite losing the pronunciation war to the dissimilated coronel.)

We won in overtime. Good game. Fine play and players too. Spelling -- that is a different matter.

Photos to come later.

SA 50 and Stem Cell Ethics: SciAm Observations

As Paul Harvey say, "And now for the rest of the story....

SA 50 and Stem Cell Ethics: SciAm Observations Needless to say, this news disturbed us at Scientific American, and not just because of the somewhat awkward p.r. headache. We take the ethics of scientific conduct seriously, not only as a moral issue but because unacceptable practices can torpedo an entire research enterprise. That is particularly true for embryonic stem cell research, which at least in the U.S. is among the hottest of political hot potatoes.

Another one bites the dust.

The whistle blower -- from Pittsburgh -- was right.

Tinker! When a picture says a 1,000 words.

(Click images for larger view.)
Tinker Bell at on a weather vein.

Town is filled with talk about "tinkering" concerning the plans put forth by Mark Roosevelt, Pgh Public School's superintendent.

Tinker with this. Tinker with that. See which way the wind blows.

Frankly, I've had it to here with this tinkering mentality, so might say outgoing school board member, Alex Mathews. He does not want the board to "tinker with" the plan. Give it a stright up or down vote.

Humm. The wind generally does not blow straight UP or DOWN. It blows all around.

I sorta like the idea that of a straight up or down vote by the school board. I like the idea as there should NOT be any small-minded tinkering at the board table. However, the tinkering needs to occur elsewhere.

Like this tinkerbell topping -- the tinkering needs to be clearly visible for all to see. There is why she sits at the top of the building.

The tinkering should occur in online too. The school district can set up a help-desk with a job-ticketing system. This is nothing but a bug tracking program and/or versioning software.

Otherwise, we are left with a lot of hot air and no way to gather -- but only scatter.

Tinker Bell has a magic wand. Roosevelt might need such a stick if he proceeds as he's been going. The data isn't visible. The tinkering and changes are not evolving in public. The communications is still top down -- and only top down. I'd suggest a radical change -- a magic flashlight instead of a wand. Put the dealings and documentation out in the open. Put the content online. Open the source code. Make a visible change log.

Warning: If the change log documentation does not become visible, -- Superintendent Roosevelt might need more than a magic wand. He'll need Star Wars Light Sabers and a team of Jedi Masters to reinforce the PR firm. The PR spin won't cut it in the long haul.
Pay attention!

This image is the one that should have gone out on campaign materials -- from Weinroth.

Training wheels....

This is what Joe Weinroth needed to explain in his campaign for mayor.

The mayor of Pittsburgh is like the big wheel in the middle. The training wheels, to both the left and right, represent the overloards. We've got the Act 47 Coordinators on one side and the ICA (Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority) on the other side. Our mayor, at this time, can't tip the city and fall, thanks for these training wheels. But, you don't want training wheels when you have drivers (leaders) who are decent. The training wheels can save you from yourself if you have not mastered the act of balance.

I tried to explain this to concept to Joe Weinroth too. I even challenged him to a set of debates that should have been slated for July and August. He didn't reply. He didn't engage.

Pittsburgh has "training wheels" now. Pittsburgh does not need "kick stands."

We have to keep moving.

Bob O'Connor is going to be like that back wheel, between oversight boards for the duration of his first term, like it or not. Bob can be the 'driver' with that back wheel giving motion to the city. Of course, training wheels are poorly suited as sources of new momentum. There is only an energy drag with training wheels, never more acceleration from them, as we've seen.

Now, the next mighty question for the next weeks to come -- who gets to represent the front wheel? Sure there will be city managers, a new police chief and some professionalized czar or something, hired into the new Grant Street Administration. And, sure there might be queens and dukes appointed to new authority board roles. But, who and what is going to shape the real direciton of the city?

The front wheel of the bike is where the directions are established. We need smart, clever, creative drivers with excellent perspectives to navigate the city for the next term.

This is where I enter the 'story.'

City council needs to steer itself into relevance. That body has been marginalized by its own actions in the past.

We need to mount up and help to steer the city to that 'right track' and into a realm where prosperity can be an option again.

I want to be elected to city council so as to play a significant role in guiding the city and steering the agenda.
Mount up.
Bob can pedal. Oversight boards (overlords) can balance. I'll help in gripping the issues. We've got a basket of issues to resolve.

Fun reunion on the pool deck.

This is one of my favorite times. I love it -- LOVE IT -- when I'm on the deck of a swim pool and am graced by the presence of a swimmer I had the opportunity to coach. Meet Karin Painter -- or at least that was her name. Karin coaches with the Greensburg Y and is mom to twins. She was a HS All American on Relays the two years I got to coach her at Plum High School. I think she split a 53 in a relay at WPIALs (and the 400 free relay got first place, twice). Karin then went to Bowling Green, with some scholarship aid, and captained that team. She was a teacher until recently.

Meeting swimmers later in life is such a gas.

Here is another reunion I had with a former swimmer back in July, 2004. I went to a session of the Illinois Swimming Long Course Age Group Championships. I had coached in that meet and our team got 2nd! This guy was on those teams.


Derrik Ammerman, a guy I coached when he was 10, 11 and 12. Now he is a coach at Dunlap, Illinois.

Getting Cut Hurts

The FCASD Varsity Team, a squad I coached two years ago, cut eight girl swimmers this season. They were not allowed to be on the varsity swim team. That's sad.

The swimmers were good swimmers, so I hear. They would be great for nearly every other high school in the WPIAL. I'm going to guess that those eight swimmers who are cut from the Foxes might, if they had some good coaching throughout the season, be able to win the city-league title. If not first, they'd be able to finish in the top three.

When I was there, we worked very, very hard to not cut anyone.

I'd love to see more "JV Swimming Teams" in the area. That might need to get a few special rules by the PIAA and WPIAL so that the JV meets do NOT count as Varsity meets.

When I coached in Illinois at New Trier, the team had 100 girls on the HS Varsity Squad. One hundred. We took everyone onto the team. We had multiple practices. We didn't cut anyone. And, the team won its seventh straight state title too.

The streak was broken a couple of years after I departed. But it is safe to say New Trier is still a high school swimming powerhouse. I saw two high-school aged swimmers from New Trier at USA Swimming's National Championships in Clovis, Calif. this summer.

Speaking of New Trier... Al Ledgin, swim coach of the stars, coached in Champaign / Urbana when I was in Peoria. Later he coached at New Trier Swim Club. Last I knew, Al had moved to Michigan.

Russ Diamond - founder of PA Clean Sweep -- on the South Side

Russ Diamond, presenter at a South Side meeting, talked about PA Clean Sweep and more.

I have most of his presentation on tape. If you'd like to get a copy of the MP3, email me.

Music for the season!

Nanna, Grandma, Pop Pop, Grant and Erik -- following a violin concert. The boys are my sons. My mom and dad are on the left and right and my mother-in-law is in the middle.

We were all together at Thanksgiving, except for one sister, Geri Ann. Her family called in to the feast as they were at the swim pool all day in Florida, just north of Orlando. It was 77-degrees there. Meanwhile, we passed about a half-dozen accidents on 279 headed north in mid-day ice.

Drivers need to give the wind and cold more respect. Slow down a bit. The bridges and overpasses freeze first and worst.

Barbara, my mother-in-law, lives just across the street from us. She made five great pies!

All is well with us. Hope you have the same good fortunes too.

Talking about the legislature. Brutal.

PennLive.com: Search The recent record of the Legislature suggests it is far too timid to tackle a challenge as large as bringing sanity and affordability to health care in the commonwealth. This is most unfortunate, inasmuch as Washington shows the same lack of interest.

Pa. lawmakers eyeing spending limits on state budget

Pa. lawmakers eyeing spending limits on state budget a spending cap that would make it harder for officials to enact a new state budget that exceeds the annual rate of inflation. ...

Another way to cut state spending is to elect a few Libertarians.

Turkey Trot - Mindy A - OU Band

Mindy A., a swimmer I coached in the early 1990s while she was at Plum High School, teaches in Richmond, Va. She is home for Thanksgiving and ran in the YMCA's Turkey Trot!

I went to the Blvd of Allies to cheer on the runners and those who trot!

The winning of the Y's Turkey Trot, a gentleman from Spain, was interviewed on KDKA with his girl friend, a local from Carnegie. I know the family now as we talked at the race due to my swim coaching connections. She put in a great dig. "One day we hope to have him come back to Pittsburgh and win the PITTSBURGH MARATHON.

The Ohio University Band got some national tv coverage with Matt L on The Today show (NBC). Go Bobcats. They looked great at the head of the parade and "getting down."

Have a great weekend!

Mayor O'Connor has his work cut out for him

Mayor O'Connor has his work cut out for him - 2005-11-14... O'Connor said his No. 1 priority was attacking the city's financial problems. Without detailing exactly what he would do, O'Connor says the city has been mismanaged and that he will hire professionals to clean up the mess.

Gov. Rendell, already saw to it that Pittsburgh hired some professionals to give financial oversight to the city's budget. We have two oversight boards. They are 'hired.'

We don't need "hired guns" -- we need "elected leadership."

Bob should hire professional managers. He is going to need them. The city needs to get on the right track. The city is a mess. The mayor can turn to plenty of sources for advice, consultants and bond agents in getting new lines of credit.

We also need to make sure great, new, creative perspectives are part of Grant Street and city council in the years to come. Hence, this is why I want to be elected to city council in 2006.

West End Pedestrian Bridge Competition

The West End Pedestrian Bridge Competition The West End Bridge is a gateway to the city, framing Pittsburgh's great skyline. It crosses the Ohio River approximately one mile below Point State Park, which marks the union of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers. From the downtown approach, the West End Bridge serves as the portal to the Ohio River, the Gateway to the West.

Beaver County Times - Why wait?

Beaver County Times Allegheny TimesThirty days hath November, and Pittsburgh's budget for 2006 is still but a dream.

Last week, the state-appointed fiscal overseer rejected Mayor Tom Murphy's spending plan - for a second time.

Murphy has set up the city for state sanctions, which might hold up an expected $3.5 million reimbursement.

Why not wait a little longer, Murphy and friends? After all, the city has only two eyes that can be blackened. They're both starting to look pretty darn dark.

World's Smallest Political Quiz

Give it a whirl.

World's Smallest Political Quiz

Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition -- our state reps and state senators are AWOL on this!

Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition Where do your state legislators stand on free and equal elections?

Guys, Gal, and Babes of the future -- where do you stand on the PA Ballot Coalition?

Chat with PPS boss -- retro technology and unsound logic

In the wake of yesterday's comments in my open letter -- here are a few points form the chat with the new Superintendent of Pgh Public Schools.

pittparent: I work in the technology industry here in Pittsburgh and have worked across the county in the field. I commend your use of data and the data-driven decisions. However, I do wonder how accurate the data is PPS. Without a CTO, how do plan to address data integrity and the technology infrastructure?

mark_roosevelt> I think that the data capacity here is amazing. With Rand's help it enabled us to use rich. deep student achievement data to drive our right-sizing decisions. No one has brought any inaccuracies to my attention as of this time.

Wait!

The data is closed. The lack of inaccuracies is because the data has not been put into the open. The deep student achievement data needs to be put out into the open, as in an open-source software model.

This is not a good answer. Thw lack of a CTO is sticking out like a sore thumb. RAND is not well suited to be a CTO for the district.

---

sethmad: What are PPS's plans for closed school buildings? Will they be sold? Razed?

mark_roosevelt> We must be much more aggressive about dealing with the closed facilities. Sold to a tax-paying entity will be the priority....

Wait again. Think again. A sell off of the buildings to a tax-paying entity is hardly a sound-bite. A sell-off where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer is NOT an option that is going to work for me and our communities.

---

One of my six questions got put up to the chat board. By the way, the Post-Gazette chat is so retro. I saw better chat applications with 1985 vintage.

Mark_Rauterkus: I think it might make great sense to turn Peabody and Westinghouse High Schools into SINGLE GENDER Schools. Then we'd have public school alternatives to Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic.

mark_roosevelt> We will be looking at high school reform next. Consideration of single-gender schools at various grade levels is on our list of inquiries as well.

Classes, new devices can help - PittsburghLIVE.com

Classes, new devices can help - PittsburghLIVE.com: "Classes, new devices can help

Have you heard?

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Center for Audiology and Hearing Aid Services offers a free, three-part class for people with concerns about hearing loss. Sessions cover how the ear works and why hearing declines; various types of hearing aids and where to find professionals to help you choose; telephone usage, including cell phones (which often don't work well with hearing aids); and alerting devices such as alarm clocks, smoke alarms and sound detectors for people with impaired hearing.

The next set of classes will be held 12:30-3:30 p.m. Thursday at Eye & Ear Institute, Oakland. To register, call 412-647-2030.For online information about hearing loss and UPMC's audiology center, check audiologycenter.upmc.com.

The center also offers a free hearing screening test over the telephone; call 412-647-2400.

The inability to communicate can be frustrating for people who are deaf, and for their loved ones. Even those who suffer from partial hearing loss may find communication to be a formidable challenge.

One mission of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Center for Audiology and Hearing Aid Services is to educate the public on ways to cope with hearing loss. In addition to private counseling sessions, the center offers a three-part class that focuses on how hearing loss occurs, and on advances in hearing aids and other technology.

'We offer the course to educate people, and they can go from there,' said Dr. Catherine Palmer, the center's director. 'A lot of people don't understand how hearing loss occurs. As for consumers, people feel very confused.'

At some point, most people will experience some degree of hearing loss, she said.

'The funny thing about hearing loss in adults is it's a gradual process. So often you lose quite a bit of hearing before you realize (you're having) communication problems.'

The center's monthly educational sessions are free. The classes explain how the ear works and how hearing can decline. Participants learn about the various types of hearing aids and where they can find professionals to assist with their purchase. And speakers address telephone usage -- especially cell phones, which don't work well with some hearing aids.

The classes also explain alerting systems that use visual cues to indicate when the doorbell rings, a baby cries or a smoke detector sounds. The discussion even covers alarm clocks that shake the bed or use lights instead of sound.

'The reality is, to be an independent person, you have to be able to use an alarm clock,' Palmer said.

In addition to classes, the center offers a free hearing screening test over the telephone. People who call 412-647-2400 are asked to listen for a series of faint tones designed to check their hearing.

'It's just a screening,' Palmer explained. 'If you can't hear all four tones, there may be a problem.'

The next educational session on hearing loss and hearing aids will be held 12:30-3:30 p.m. Thursday at Eye & Ear Institute, Oakland. To register for the free class, call 412-647-2030.For online information about hearing loss and UPMC's audiology center, check audiologycenter.upmc.com.

independent solutions -- new political blog from Steve Karas, D candidate

These are Steve's words, independent solutions I believe government can be a positive and unifying force in the lives of people.

Good luck. Idealist are fun. But, I'd say something else.

I think government has been a negative and dividing force in the lives of people of Pittsburgh. Government could be turned into a positive force, rather than negative, if we NUKE much of it, including the greed. But, to NUKE big chunks and attitudes in our public realm isn't going to happen with one trigger point.

I think the best way to get to a place where the people obtain their wishes -- "wish to live" -- is for self-reliant people to be self-reliant. Hence, government needs to get out of the way. That's the right track, in the real world of Pittsburgh today.

What happens when we don't have "educated constituents" -- nor "educated politicians?"

We need to be concerned with our schools. We need to make sure those we elect have the capacity to make intelligent decisions.

Good to see the blog. Let's talk....

Statement about Schools -- from Mark Rauterkus -- delivered to meeting hosted by B-PEP

From: Mark Rauterkus, Mark@Rauterkus.com
Candidate for Pittsburgh City Council, District 3
cell = 412 298 3432

To: Fellow Citizens of Pittsburgh

November 21, 2005

I care greatly and want to make positive impacts!
I have a number of concerns about our city and our schools. I care a great deal about our schools and their interaction among our communities. I hope to serve the residents of the city as a dynamic leader on City Council who is known to put kids at the top of the priority list. My two sons go to public schools. I coach and have been in many school settings.

RAND and PPS must build trust by publishing all the data and formulas for all to see.
Trust is suspect with reports. But trust and confidence can soar, after the data is published. Peer review is powerful. Open source ways are invincible. The data on schools and the logic in the formulas need to be published on the web.

A robusts and visible job-ticketing system should document all comments from citizens. This would lead to a valid change log to display tinkering from administrators.
All requests for features and changes should be automated by the district. One citizens' comments should be documented for all to see. If a job-ticket process was deployed, then the district would be able to make replies to all issues. Outstanding issues and suggestions would be visible.
Versions and evolutions of the major plan need to be made.
A problem for one might be a feature for another. Statements from the administration should be charted on each matter. A change log is needed to clearly document the 'tinkering' with the plan by the administrators. Perhaps some changes are needed for next year.

Closed School Buildings have serious implications for our neighborhoods. We must think again about those interactions.
Schools in neighborhoods that are in transition or are in great decline need to be given the highest priorities for re-use. The overall approach to the liquidation of the various buildings must be put into a holistic plan for the good of all the city and region. We run the risk of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer if the wrong course is charted in the months and years to come.
The building and land opportunities at some places, such as Schenley High School, South Vo Tech and even (perhaps) Connelly Tech are prime. A quick sell off of those assets might saturate the market and then other, more complicated, more deserving projects won't ever have a hope of getting completed. Beltzhoover, Arlington, Hazelwood and other areas of the city need new investments and new energy to enter more than a place such as the South Side.
The school district and the city need to invest a lot of attention to these details and establish a reasoned philosophy. Jobs, community needs and the stability of neighborhoods have to be factored into the discussions. I would love to play a leadership role in these efforts, and as a city council representative, I'd embrace this challenge.

Peabody and Westinghouse could be turned into single gender High Schools.
Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic are private, single-gender schools that do well in academics. The trend to single-gender schools shows great promise. Getting families more choices for their students, such as single-gender public-school, might make fantastic sense. Girls and boys from throughout the city who desire single-gender schools could attend, while those who want a co-ed setting could still attend the other schools.

Teams within the city need to migrate to the WPIAL.
After school activities, recreation, community use of our public buildings and the interscholastic elements within our schools in the city need a major overhaul. Our kids are not getting the same chances to excel as their suburban counterparts. Boosters, coaching, schedules and sportsmanship need increased attention. Volunteers are kept at arms-length in the city as well. Much more can be done. The best way to advance the sports system is to have the city kids play, day-in and day-out, against the suburban schools by being within the WPIAL.

The Pgh budget, not PPS, should pay for Crossing Guards, as the policy had been before Murphy's crisis.
School resources needs to focus on reading, math and history, not sidewalk patrols in neighborhoods.

Pitt lecture: “The Ethics of Dissent in National Security”

University of Pittsburgh: News From Pitt Pitt's Johnson Institute Sponsors Dec. 1 Lecture.

The individual rights of free speech and the freedom to dissent are sacrosanct elements of American democracy, but what happens when these rights clash with issues of national security? That is the conundrum that Pitt professor of international affairs Janne Nolan will tackle during a free lecture, “The Ethics of Dissent in National Security,” sponsored by the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership in the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 1 in the Bigelow Room of the Pittsburgh Athletic Association, 4215 Fifth Ave., Oakland. The event, which is cosponsored by Pitt's School of Information Sciences, is open to the public, but reservations are required by Nov. 28 at www.johnsoninstitute-gspia.org/events.asp.

Recyle the cycle in the West End by Citiparks

This is not another photo from China!

The event was on Sunday morning. I unloaded about five bikes there.

If I'm on City Council and I'm chair of the Committee on Recreation and Youth -- we're going to hold the Recycle the Cycle program two times a year. It has been held seven times in the past 14 years.

So, is it safe to say that I'll be four times as good as what they've been doing?

The program relies upon volunteers too. A staffer or two help. But the project run with donations and good working people.
A tiny bike donation being cleaned by a big-time volunteer. That bike model is GREAT for kids. Both Erik and Grant loved it. I loved the handle, like a 'tail' that keeps us flowing around the city's less than smooth sidewalks.

Barnestormin hits upon a FAQ & A

Barnestormin How many lobbyists does it take to pass a gambling law?

Single gender high schools for Peabody and Westinghouse

Go there and click a vote on the poll. But, see if you can or not??? I can't figure out if you can even register a vote with the poll. Weirdness. Perhaps the poll was shut? Perhaps the button is locked to me as poll author? Thanks for giving it a whirl and reporting back.

aplusschools.org :: View topic - Single gender high schools for Peabody and Westinghouse Should Pgh Public Schools consider the options of making single-gender high schools?

Recycle a cycle. I'm going to drop off a bike or two at the event on Sunday at the West End. They are seeking bikes for gifts.

Where is the "Tiger Team?" asked Dave E?

Tiger team...

David Eckart, a CMU Computer Professor and fellow board member of the Allegheny County Libertarian Party, spoke up at the recent public hearing hosted in the Gold Room with Allegheny County Council concerning the purchase of new voting machines.

ICA Board Rejects Murphy's Latest Budget

What's the old expression? Dam the torpedos? Darn them torpedos? Damn the torpedos?

KDKA - Pittsburgh's Source for Breaking News, Weather and Sports: ICA Board Rejects Murphy's Latest Budget The Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority's decision raises the possibility of state sanctions and suggests city council may begin budget deliberations November 30th with a torpedoed spending plan.

How about this new expression for the history books, "Murphy torpedoed Pittsburgh, once again." May this time be the last. Incomming.....

Alternative capition: "All hands on deck! Photo taken at the Mark Rauterkus Cookie Cruise."

Really. Grant and I at People's Park in Chengdu, China.

Ready to view Concept Maps?

Try this on for size. I'm diving into the Platform.For-Pgh.org. Don't go there yet. Just wait a few more weeks. Should be G-R-E-A-T!



Click for larger size to see what's what in the Concept Map.

Transportation: PAT won't strike

Transportation: PAT won't strike See my other blog for details, via Glenn.

Our places do not look like this....

Would you perform in front of this audience?

Up at 5 am. Warm-ups by 7:30, after scribbles on your hand and arm. Home by 2:30. Birthday party bowling by 3.

Grant snagged a trophy for one of his events.

I'm developming a "Why KNOT" program / presentation. Our Ys in Pittsburgh don't generally look like this.

The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund

The Community Environmental Legal Defense FundParticipate In The Third -- Guiding the Conductors -- A Democracy School Training Institute. The Four Day Institute at Wilson College in Historic Chambersburg, Pennsylvania runs from Thursday, January 12th to Sunday, January 15th, 2006.

Richard Grossman and Thomas Linzey, Directors The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, Host

This Event is open only to persons creating and teaching Democracy Schools across the United States, who wish to become certified lecturers for the Schools. Due to the intensive nature of the four day Institute, attendance is limited to fifteen lecturers-in-training. For the training, attendees will be divided into three groups of five, with each group being facilitated by individual instructors. Presentations by each lecturer-in-training will be delivered both to the individual groups as well as to the entire class.

If you plan to attend, you must RSVP by Thursday, December 1st...

21st Century Pamphleteer - How could you stay in a party that behaves like that?

21st Century Pamphleteer No Primaries? Follow-up

Two interesting posts from the blog linked to above deal with leaders in the "D" party and the unwillingness of letting voters decide who should be our elected leaders. Calling them Soviets is too nice.

How can you stay a Democrat when you hear messages such as those?

If 10,000 Ds in PA bolted the D party and showed up as Indies and with other third-party tags --- people would notice.

Then we'll push for the Voters Choice Act to allow candidates access the ballot within reason. Then -- who needs a D primary? We can run in the general elections and take the message straight to 'we the people.' It worked as we tossed out Nigro with the Retention Vote. His $85 bottles of wine caught up to him.

Every dog has its day in the sun. The sun is setting on two-party cronies.

Holiday Bike Build-A-Thon!

Republicans are needed for this event! Right Mike?

The Free Ride Recycle-A-Bike Program is in Need of Volunteers to help clean and fix up children's bikes for the holiday season. Some of these bikes will be donated to the South Hills Interfaith Ministries who work with and will then distribute directly to the Prospect Park neighborhood that is currently housing refugees from such places as Sudan, Afghanistan, Burma, Iraq, and Turkey, among other places. Another organization that will receive bikes is the Tree of Hope, a Hill District based non-profit that works with families whose lives have been torn by violence.

Sunday, November 20, 1 PM to 7 PM

Sunday, December 4, 1 PM to 7 PM

Please show up during any of these times and we'll put you to work. Although having mechanic experience helps, it is not necessary. If you don't have mechanic skills, we will still have a job for you. Snacks will be provided. Also, if you have a truck and are willing to help transport the bikes, please contact us at freeride@bike-pgh.org.

http://www.freeridepgh.org

I'm picking on Mike, a frequent blog reader here, because he is into bike riding and has been turned off by some of the very left leaning bikers he's encountered. So, if a few more conservatives would show up -- that might help so the bikes don't all lean too far to the one side, an at. :)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Chat

To bad the P-G's chat room is so lame.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Chat Join Pittsburgh schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt in a live online discussion on education issues, including his plan to realign Pittsburgh schools, from 2-3 p.m. on Nov. 22.

7 out of 10 measures passed in PA

The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association reports that these conservation measures were approved by voters on election day, November 2005:

* Pike County -- $10 million open space bond passed 68 percent to 32 percent;

* Bedminster Township, Bucks County -- Increase in earned income tax, generating $10.27 million in conservation funds passed 51 percent to 49 percent;

* Bushkill Township, Bucks County -- Increase in earned income tax, generating nine million dollars in conservation funds passed 66 percent to 34 percent;

* Plumstead Township, Bucks County -- Eight million dollar open space bond passed 77 percent to 23 percent;

* Solebury Township, Bucks County -- $18 million open space, farmland and recreation bond passed 88 percent to 12 percent;

* Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County -- $10 million open space and farmland preservation bond passed 80 percent to 20 percent;

* Honey Brook Township, Chester County -- Increase in earned income tax generating $10 million for open space and farmland passed 51 percent to 49 percent.

Similar measures in three other townships in Chester and Cumberland Counties were defeated. The majority of citizens voted yes when asked to float bonds or raise taxes to pay for the open space protection.

Oppose the "Crescent of Embrace" Proposal for the Flight 93 Memorial Petition

Humm....

Oppose the "Crescent of Embrace" Proposal for the Flight 93 Memorial Petition The US Park Service is currently going forward with a proposed monument for the Flight 93 Memorial that is called the 'Crescent of Embrace' which is a large crescent of red maple trees that closely resembles the Islamic Red Crescent that is the very symbol of the radical Islamics who attempted to hijack the aircraft.

What about this?

Pitsburgh Xplosion of ABA Basketball -- interesting PR outreach to real Heroes.

Hoops for Heroes

Pittsburgh Xplosion, www.pittsburghxplosion.com, offers free tickets to Police Officers, Firefighters, EMS and Military.

The Pittsburgh Xplosion is the city's new American Basketball Association team. It honors local heroes by making free tickets available all season to police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and active members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The special offer is good for all of the team's home games at Mellon Arena and Pitt's Peterson Events Center. The free tickets, generally $12.50 each, are distributed on a first come, first served basis at the Box Office on the day of the game.

To receive a free ticket, fans must present ID that confirms their current status in the police, fire service, EMS or military.

The team has former NBA players, Armon Gilliam and Myron Brown, and a blend of talented players with college and professional experience.

The Hoops for Heroes ticket offer is our way of saying thanks to these outstanding men and women.

There is a limit of one free ticket per eligible person for each of the team's 17 remaining home games. Fans eligible for this offer will also have the option of receiving a $12.50 discount off the price of other Xplosion home game tickets, which range from $25 to $55. This offer is good only at the Box Office; it does not apply to tickets purchased in advance or through Ticketmaster.

Schedule snapshot:

Fri, Nov 25 @ Petersen Event Center, 7:00 pm

Wed, Nov 30 @ Mellon Arena, 7:00 pm

Promotion for Nov 30: Salvation Army's Treasures for Children - Bring a new toy to the Mellon Arena gate and receive $5.00 off admission!

Fri, Dec 2 @ Mellon Arena, 7:00 pm

Wed, Dec 7 @ Petersen, 7:00 pm

Mon, Dec 12 @ Mellon Arena at 7:00 pm

Thur, Dec 15 @ Mellon Arena at 7:00 pm

Tue, Dec 20 @ Mellon Arena, 7:00 pm

Mon, Dec 26 @ Petersen, 7:00 pm

Mark Roosevelt with Urban League radio show

The Development and External Relations Department at the Urban League produces a live, call in radio show hosted by the Urban League of Pittsburghs President and CEO, Esther Bush. The show is called Urban Reality and airs every other Saturday from 7:00-8:00 a.m. on WAMO, AM 860. The show's guests discussing issues of importance to the African American community.

Superintendent Mark Roosevelt will be the featured guest on Saturday November 19, 2005.

Call with questions and hear what other parents are saying.

Getting into the ear of the leader of the free world -- while in China

President Bush is in China.

Fear not, I'll spare you from photos of our three recent trips to China and instead share this scoop.

This image is a recent photo of the leader of the free world while in China. President Bush is inserting a hearing plug into his ear used for translation purposes. The hearing device was made by a company in Chicago -- while we were there last week visiting.

He uses an Etymotic earphone. President Bush got turned onto Etymotic's products for use with his iPod. At the lab they sent along three sets and moved the volume control to a lower on the chord for easier adjustments without being as noticed. He'll need ot listen to the transaltors with foreign leaders.

Communication is critical! Often communication elements become very technical. And, for communication efforts to play to the widest audiences, it has be of the highest quality.

BlogShares - Rauterkus

The value of my shares are climbing -- like the cost of home heating oil. Who woulda thunk... :)
BlogShares - Rauterkus:
13:16 08 Nov 2005 B$8.97
21:10 06 Nov 2005 B$6.84
08:06 05 Nov 2005 B$5.47
00:51 04 Nov 2005 B$4.31
06:19 03 Nov 2005 B$3.35
17:13 19 Aug 2005 B$3.35
11:44 07 Feb 2005 B$2.69

Associate sites

The eVote blog.

The eVote.CLOH.org site.

Deliberate.com.

The eVote Blog, one of my other blogs. It covers more technical voting elements.

eVote Blog Memo to Allegheny County Council and Board of Election at Public Comment Hearing: Allegheny County Voting Machine Selection Process (HAVA)

hannahinisrael.com

hannahinisrael.com keeping in touch from across the ocean

THE PAY-JACKERS REPENT: But it's not enough - PittsburghLIVE.com

THE PAY-JACKERS REPENT: But it's not enough - PittsburghLIVE.com

As expected, the Pennsylvania Senate followed the lead of the state House and Wednesday repealed its self-dealt and wholly unconstitutional summer pay raises. But the wound is not healed.

Folks like Majority Leader Chip Brightbill slobbered all over themselves yesterday trying to pick up the Oscar for Best Speech of Contrition in a Lead Pay-Jacking Role. 'We are here to correct a mistake,' the Lebanon County Republican said. 'As one of the people who exercised poor judgment, I would like to apologize.'
We hope there are some real and good Republicans out there who are ready to plug that 'poor judgment' line into campaign commercials and send the Chip Brightbills, Bob Jubelirers, Sam Smiths, John Perzels, Bill DeWeeses, Mike Veons and the rest of their ilk packing in the 2006 elections.

Republicans and Democrats, those who voted for the no-debate, middle-of-the-night pay-jacking -- and those who didn't but who then accepted the ill-gotten gains -- violated the public trust. No apology and no repeal can 'fix' things. All must go.
All must be driven from the positions of authority they abused.

The rejection of Supreme Court Justice Russell Nigro and the pay-raise repeal are just the first of many, many battle victories in what will be a yearlong revolution to reclaim a Pennsylvania government that is of, by and for the people.

The fight is right. The fight is on. And the people will prevail.

Speaking with others about the voting machines

PUBLIC HEARING ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL
Thursday, November 17, 2005 5:00 PM, Gold Room

To afford interested parties an opportunity to express their views on the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and its effect on Allegheny County’s voting machine modernization.

1. Shea McKinney, Private Citizen

2. Joan W. Stein, President & CEO – Accessibility Development Associates, Inc.

3. Dr. Robert Harper, Professor, Computer Science Department – Carnegie Mellon University

4. Tim Stevens, Chairman – Black Political Empowerment Project

5. Paul O’Hanlon, Esq., Disabilities Law Project

6. Audrey N. Glickman, Private Citizen

7. Suzanne Broughton, President, League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh

8. Colleen Willison, Private Citizen

9. Richard King, Private Citizen

10. Dr. David Jefferson, Chair, California Secretary of State’s Voting Systems Technical Assessment and Advisory Board

11. Danny Sleator, Professor, Computer Science Department – Carnegie Mellon University

12. Mark Brentley, Sr., Member, Pittsburgh School Board; Host, Voter Education Program

13. Marybeth Kuznik Executive Director, Vote PA

14. Deborah Gouge, Private Citizen

15. Eugene Barton, President, PA Council of the Blind

16. Mark Rauterkus, Libertarian Party

17. Kathleen Paul, Private Citizen

18. Eugene Mariani, Private Citizen

19. Adrian Perrig, Private Citizen

20. Sam Gibson, Private Citizen

21. Gary S. Schermer, Private Citizen

22. Angela Yocham Private Citizen

23. Antoine Pearson, Private Citizen

24. Dan Taylor, Private Citizen

Break a leg folks.

Questioning our pay-jackers - PittsburghLIVE.com - Letter to editor

Questioning our pay-jackers - PittsburghLIVE.com Questioning our pay-jackers

For those who are temporarily outraged at our state legislators for increasing their salaries, here are some facts for your consideration that should, if you give it some thought, cause you to question some basic assumptions about state government:

The New Hampshire Legislature is the only one in the U.S. larger than Pennsylvania's, with 400 representatives and 24 senators. However, the representatives and senators receive only $200 per year plus mileage reimbursement. There are no career politicians in New Hampshire.

The Georgia Legislature, the oldest in the United States, convenes on the second Monday in January and runs for 40 businesses days, adjourning in mid- to late March. These are not full-time jobs.

Please think about it. Then register and vote Libertarian. It's a matter of who owns your body and who spends your money.
Nick Kyriazi, Deutchtown

PoliticsPA -- PAY Grab goes poof! A second state-wide win in as many weeks!

The repeal of the pay raise has come. Now, we've got to be certain that is is all paid back. And, then we need to get that clean sweep in high gear.

PoliticsPA Pay Raise Repealed Gov. Ed Rendell has signed the pay-raise repeal, ending a the legislature's four-month ordeal at the hands of outraged Pennsylvania voters. Earlier this afternoon, the state Senate voted 50-0, agreeing with the House to roll back the massively unpopular raises enacted in July for for lawmakers, judges and top state officials.

Subjected to intense public pressure to repeal the raises, which were enacted in the wee hours of July 7 without public hearings, the House and Senate had wrestled for more than a week over how to take back raises granted to state judges, who received them right away. The state Constitution bars cutting the salary of judges without cutting the pay “of all salaried officers of the commonwealth,” a provision designed to protect judicial independence.
Brightbill apology
Senate quotes
Representative Metcalfe spin
Scranton spin
Logan Spin

LIBERTARIAN-LEANING JUSTICE

The original attribution: Ilya Somin, assistant professor at the George Mason School
of Law.

"Most debate about Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito has focused on his propensity to vote to overrule Roe v. Wade and the similarity between him and conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. But despite the superficial parallels between the two conservative, Italian-American Catholic jurists, it is important to recognize that Alito has a substantial libertarian dimension to his jurisprudence as well as a conservative one. In several key fields of law, he is more likely than Scalia and other conservatives to be skeptical of assertions of government power. More important, there is much in his record that should appeal to libertarians...

"While judges should not simply vote for whatever outcomes because they prefer them on policy grounds, a libertarian orientation helps sensitize jurists to the fact that the Constitution is meant to constrain government, not just empower electoral majorities, as some conservatives claim. Here Alito's libertarian streak and his differences with Scalia may have an impact.

"...Obviously, Alito is far from being an across-the-board libertarian. But there is much for libertarians to like in his record, more than in the case of Scalia. Liberals understandably have less reason to support Alito than libertarians do. But they should think seriously about whether they would rather have a conservative with a significant libertarian streak like Alito or a pro-government conservative who will be just as likely to overturn Roe, but less likely to vote to restrict government power over religious freedom, free speech, or immigration."

Reactions welcomed, of course.

Panel sets stage for debate over lieutenant governor's selection

It isn't right to be "un-democratic" and to be so "anti-women." Lt. Gov Catherine Baker Knoll, a local, is getting public praise from her boss, Ed Rendell, but is often viewed in a different light when it comes to the unspoken comments. What about honesty? And, if the story of praise is sincere, then there is nothing else to say.

I agree with the last line in the article. I too trust the people more than I trust the politicians.

PennLive.com: NewsFlash - Panel sets stage for debate over lieutenant governor's selection Panel sets stage for debate over lieutenant governor's selection

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A Senate panel Tuesday endorsed a bill that would allow gubernatorial candidates to pick their running mates rather than being paired with the choice of Republican and Democratic voters in the primary election.

The bill, forwarded 6-5 by the State Government Committee, could if approved change the political landscape in next year's gubernatorial election and focus new attention on gaffes by Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll.

Teacher contract -- a four year deal gets signed

I turned to the Fox Chapel web site today after hearing yesterday's budget presentation from Pittsburgh's outgoing mayor. He mentioned Fox Chapel at the microphone. The mayor is talking about Fox Chapel to make the point that the next breed of leaders for the city need to think in a regional way. We can't think Fox Chapel as a competitor -- but we have to think of the entire region.

I coached the boys and girls varsity swim teams at Fox Chapel a couple of years ago in a "transitional season." The old coach has split to a new job out-of-state. He was a young guy (sound familiar) and his wife was able to land a job there too. But, all the coaches on the staff left at the same time. The varsity team needed a coach and I stepped up.

I have a lot to say about those concepts of regionalism raised by the mayor and how we should NOT compete with Fox Chapel-- but for now, check out the news there. The Fox Chapel Teachers got a new deal signed. See the notes of the blog or their home page for some of the details. http://www.fcasd.edu.

I'm sure that the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers are looking long and hard at the plans and vision of the new superintendent of schools, PPS's Mark Roosevelt. The teachers are going to see their ranks shrink. Some 250 jobs are going to be cut. Plus, there is sure to be a lot of shifting of jobs among schools as so many schools are getting a make-over or else closing.

One cornerstone of the new plan for next year is a longer school day for the "accelerated learning academy" settings. Those kids need to be put into overdrive to catch-up.

The Fox Chapel plan calls for more working days in the school year, but the work day is kept to eight hours.

Presently, I can only wonder what's going to happen with the union and the reaction of the plans for the district. Should be interesting.

Legislator's lonely....

In Beaver Falls, not everyone is angered by their legislator's lonely vote for a pay raise

'He's one of the main reasons that I'm no longer a Democrat,' said Rep. Mike Diven, R-Brookline, who served four years as a House Democrat and then switched to the Republican Party this year.

'He's what's wrong with Harrisburg. The mentality he carries -- he's disconnected from people. It's his way or the highway on issues.'

Okay Republican Diven, then what's to say you won't switch back to being a D, if and when the state house leader, the Beaver Falls D, Veon, departs Harrisburg???

Will you campaign for a Dem challenger to Veon in the Dem's primary in Beaver Falls? Will you offer ideas and money to that challenger?

Would you campaign for a Republican challenger to Veon should Veon win the D's primary?

Mike left the D's party. Mike became a Republican because he was pushed out or pushed away by the Dems. You can go from point A to point B by driving in reverse or driving in forward. Sure, you're allowed to peek in the rear-view mirror. Perhaps that's all that is being offered in this quote. I wonder, as do others, if Mike join the Republicans because he valued the Republican approach. And, now that Mike is in the GOP Camp, is he still a (self-described) "back bencher?"

What's the upside to being in the 'majority party' now?

Opponents speak against Pittsburgh-area racetrack proposals

AP Wire | 11/15/2005 | Opponents speak against Pittsburgh-area racetrack proposals
'This site is so patently inappropriate for a variety of reasons that to approve this racetrack would be to destroy South Versailles Township,' said Joel Aaronson, an attorney hired by residents who don't want to see the Oak Park racetrack built near their homes.

Amen.

To be clear, I don't want to destroy South Versailles Township. Nor Baldwin, and other areas just over the edge of the city. We do need to think like a region, more and more. The race track is at the edge of the city and would hurt those over the border more than most of the people in the city.

But, the sky isn't falling either. Destroy?

The plan is bad. Very bad. It should not occur for many reasons. But, let's keep our wits and not go overboard and say that the sky is going to fall.
If the good people of South Versailles want to meet with me and my camera -- we'll be able to do that. I'd love to hear and see how bad it would become.

Hay's hilltop (artist friend).

Yesterday's meeting was on my agenda, but I didn't attend as I picked up the boys at school and went to swim practice. I've been on the record as a vocal opponent to the Hays race track in the past.

Let's get in shape!