Fandom and Peduto and More

From china - sculp...

Wise words to ponder today:

Fandom often involves collective hostility towards stars, rather than unalloyed worship and approval. Pianist Glenn Gould, who gave up concertizing, described the audience as a hostile force whose "primal instinct was for gladiatorial combat."

Presidents, athletes, movie stars, singers, and members of the British royal family are criticized by millions every day. Joey West published an *I Hate Madonna Joke Book*. *The Washington Post* ran a contest which encouraged readers to come up with humorous and elegant insults of celebrities. The Internet has led to a proliferation of celebrity "death pools," such as the Ghoul Pool, where people bet which famous individuals will die next. Fred and Judy Vermoral, in their study of fandom, noted: "we were astonished by the degree of hostility and aggression, spoken and unspoken, shown by fans towards stars. Later we realized this was one necessary consequence of such unconsummated, unconsumable passion."

Fans take pleasure in judging presidents, leaders, and famous entertainers by especially harsh and oversimplified stand­ards. Stars provide a realm in which prejudice is given free reign to rule opinion. Fans can let off critical steam, or vicarious love, without fear of repercussions, and without having to confront the complexity of the moral issues involved...

Source: Tyler Cowen's Personal Web Page. What Price Fame. The first chapter of his book, prior to copy editing and footnotes. The book was published by Harvard University Press.

Thanks to City Council President for the hat tip at another blog

From china - sculp...

Doug Shields, President of Pittsburgh City Council was reported to have said, yesterday:

2 Political Junkies 'You do these things, you learn.' He said. 'I tip my hat to anyone who gets into a mayoral race.'

Thanks Doug.

Not that the glowing words are behind us, let's get to the meat of the matter. Shields said that there wasn't a dragon to slay.

So, Peduto is out because he isn't quixotic. That's twisted logic.

I've been called idealistic and quixotic. I'm one to try to slay dragons with recycled electrons. I'm fine with the struggle to out-think and out-flank the evils that lurk in our political environment.

Of course Peduto's withdrawal yesterday will serve him well for a better run in the future.

From texture - misc.

But, I beg to differ with Shields on the concept that the city went down the drain in 2003. The sky was falling in 1999, in 2000, in 2001. We knew it. We talked about it. They might have been ignorant. But, the city was taking a big fall

.
Fan (above, click to see larger image of any image here) shows both dragon and phoenix. Same characters are on the tapestry below. They are telling characters. Bill Peduto will 'rise again.' Furthermore, the dragon to slay is in my sights.

From texture - misc.

2 Political Junkies: Oh Puhleeze!

Maria, a neighbor, and one who isn't always in my corner, gets on a roll with a rant about the P-G. She gives blistering observations.

2 Political Junkies: Oh Puhleeze! Our City needs a tough, independent paper that asks the hard questions from day one and not one that only decides to pile on when everyone else decides it's OK to do so. Just maybe that 'cowardice and failed responsibility' that you speak of is your own staring you back in the mirror.

The news analysis piece the was published today came from a guy that I talked to on the phone this week. He knows I'm in the race. He doesn't write it.

But furthermore, his 'analysis' is exactly what I've been saying for months. I feel that a renewed Peduto challenge comes in 2009.

But there are other wrinkles. I dare not toss insults about being clever and calculating. When it is a hardship to 'think again' -- we've got serious problems. When being smart as a leader is a 'turn off' -- we've got global problems.

"The mind leads, the body follows."

Duty is a good thing to mention in all posts about the Post-Gazette. I love that theme.

Do you think the P-G has a duty to list all the candidates who are running for office, or just the ones that they want to list?

New point: The city's "give a chance attitude" isn't so "unfathomable." Bob O'Connor got in line. Bob got a chance. It was Bob's turn when he won.

Thanks for lashing out at the P-G's complicity.

YouTube - the Apple iRack

YouTube - Introducing...................the Apple iRack

City prepares to host architectural historians

I should go to this. I'd love to sit in on the panel. Who can get me an invite? What time of day is this session?

City prepares to host architectural historians The conference begins with a Preservation Colloquium exploring Pittsburgh's 'Fifth and Forbes Debate,' which began in 1996 when Mayor Tom Murphy proposed the demolition of several Downtown blocks in and around Market Square to create a new retail and entertainment district. Panelists will explore the historical evolution of Market Square, the Murphy plan and competing preservation-based plans as well as current and proposed developments.

Peduto Drops Out; Mayor Ravenstahl Has No Challengers - News

Peduto Drops Out; Mayor Ravenstahl Has No Challengers - News Ravenstahl will be the lone Democratic name on the May ballot -- and it seems the path is clear for him to take the general election in November as well.

Hello WTAE!

Don't tell us who ISN'T running, i.e., the Republicans. The Republicans have not been elected in the mayor's office for 70-plus years -- for goodness pete.

Told ya. Peduto wants out of the mayor's race

Folks, I told you. Bill Peduto has a better chance to win the mayor's office in 2009. Bill can't turn negative. Bill can't depart the D party. Bill can't be nasty and divide.

Bill Peduto has to win by addition. He has a long career ahead of him. Bill can't burn out and be worthless as a nag.

I can nag. I'm an outsider.

I'm not happy that Bill pulled out of the race. But, it is a great decision for Bill Peduto and a bitter one for Pittsburgh. It isn't good for Pittsburgh. I'd rather have a real campaign in the spring and another real campaign in the fall. When we think with half our brain, the outcomes are poor. We've been getting poorer for decades.

Bill Peduto would have been better served had he not promised to raise $800,000 for this race. He should have said that he would run on a $80,000 budget.

Bill Peduto would have been better served had he released all of his position papers at the get-go. Bill has been waiting on the tip off for some of the topic discussions. He had materials from the past election that has still been kept under a lid. Bill can't run a sustained discussion by himself. But, he can begin and try.

The only thing we can do is try.

The other big hurdle for Bill Peduto -- the institutions. Bill needed to have a couple of debates even if Luke didn't show. The debate host wouldn't proceed. Bill talked about the local environment. That is part of the cancer. WTAE, KQV, KDKA, QED, -- and many others -- are on the hook. Responsibility rests, in part, with them. We crave debates. And, we need one-person debates if the other is chicken or too busy to show up.

I hope Bill Peduto has a long, productive career. I think he will.

I hope Pittsburgh can become a place where we all can prosper and live without labels that hold us down.

We need to make progress. I hope that the "progressive" folks who would have voted for Bill Peduto will "Come With Me" -- or at least vote for me. Don't vote for me because of who I am. Vote for hope for the sake of our kids.

---

Honz Man (KDKA Radio) has a working theory that Peduto is going to get out of the D primary and into the general election. I called the show, waited on hold for 30-minutes, and tried to debunk some of his thinking.

And, the Caliguri saga is not like what Peduto's fate. But, that's for another thread.

City of Pittsburgh issues the RFP for the closed ice rink. Finally. Victory

Yes. Victory looks like this. Finally, a RFP (Request For Proposal) came out from the city about the closed indoor ice rink on the South Side. It is the city's lone rink, other than Mellon Arena.

I've been pushing for this for years.

City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Pghgov.com Neville Ice Arena RFP - Proposals will be accepted until 05/21/07 for the reuse or redevelopment of the Neville Ice Arena

I'm happy. Now to go read the PDF.

Dollars and Sense

Press Release March 20, 2007

Liberty Dollar Group Seeks Permanent Injunction against US Government

Says second most-popular currency is not violating any law

EVANSVILLE , INDIANA - Liberty Dollar filed suit against the U.S. Mint on Tuesday, March 20 in U.S. District Court in Evansville Indiana. The organization - which promotes and distributes the new gold and silver currency - asked the court to declare that the use of the Liberty Dollar is not a 'federal crime,' as claimed by the U.S. Mint. And the organization further asked the court to enter a permanent injunction against the U.S. Mint requiring it to remove any reference that the use of Liberty Dollars is a federal crime from its website.

The Liberty Dollar organization denies that its more than 100,000 proponents are federal outlaws. It identifies them as law-abiding citizens who "legally have made the inflation-proof Liberty Dollar America's second most-popular currency". And the organization demands that the federal government cease and desist from threatening them.

The Liberty Dollar group maintains it is protecting the right of every American to use or barter any "money" they may voluntarily agree to utilize. They point out that anybody can lawfully barter a dozen eggs for five pounds of sugar without fear of government interference, as an example. The group even quotes Andrew Williams, a spokesman for the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., as saying, "There is no law that says goods and services must be paid for with Federal Reserve notes. Parties entering into a transaction can establish any medium of exchange that is agreed upon."

Bernard von NotHaus, the monetary architect of the Liberty Dollar, labels the U.S. government/U.S. Mint's allegation that the use of the Liberty Dollar is criminal as completely misguided. "The Liberty Dollar organization has never claimed that its new gold and silver currency was a 'coin' or 'legal tender.' For more than eight years, the Liberty Dollar has prospered from the fact that people could use any 'private voluntary currency' they chose. The Liberty Dollar organization has simply benefited from the differences between the debt-based U.S. dollar and a value-based currency." Von NotHaus concludes, "There is absolutely no violation of U.S. law."

Von NotHaus points out that the government forced the lawsuit upon itself. "We had to sue the U.S. Mint, because this unfair and illegal warning was killing the Liberty Dollar and the ideals it represents. We're a relatively small group that can't afford to be smeared by the umpteen billion US dollars of the federal government. It has seriously impacted our business"

Von NotHaus finds hope in the fates of other companies who withstood attacks from the federal government and won. "Just like FedEx, I expect the Liberty Dollar to win this suit, re-establish sound money, and have the U.S. government as its biggest customer."

BERNARD VON NOTHAUS - 888.LIB.DOLLAR / 888.421.6181

ESPN.com - SWIMMING - Chinese dominate diving podium at swim worlds

ESPN.com - SWIMMING - Chinese dominate diving podium at swim worlds With China on the boards, everyone else was diving for bronze.

Party on Friday with Dave Copeland to celebrate the release of his book

Invitations, eCards, Party Ideas, Party Themes from Evite: "Blood & Volume Pittsburgh Book Release Party
Mark Rauterkus you're invited! Print Invitation Details

David Copeland
Location: moxieDaDa @ the firehouse
1416 Arch Street, Pittsburgh, PA View Map
When: Friday, March 23, 7 pm

These events are open to the public. The evite is being used solely to guesstimate attendance. Feel free to invite your friends.

Please join Barricade Books in celebrating the release of Dave Copeland's Blood & Volume: Inside New York's Israeli Mafia with the first of two events scheduled for Pittsburgh on the weekend of March 23.

Went to the movie, Pride. Saw pre-screening. Opens on Friday. South Side Works coupon for Sunday

If you want to get a coupon for the movie for Sunday, any showing of the movie, Pride, for $5, at South Side Works Cinema, print it here.



Print as many coupons as you have in your party.

About 50 Running Mates went to the movie last night, March 20. Another 50 or so went to the movie in West Homestead on March 1. So, the buzz has been established. The movie opens to the public on Friday.

Mayor Ravenstahl Q-and-A On The New York Trip

The Busman's Holiday: Mayor Ravenstahl Q-and-A On The New York Trip Nothing that I did cost the city taxpayers a dime.

To bad the Pens deal didn't cost the taxpayers a dime. The deal cost the taxpayers, even those in the city, as we are taxpayers for the state as well, much, much more.

The cost of the trip come in matters that are off the financial charts. The cost are going to be against Luke Ravenstahl. Luke will pay. Luke will be poorer. He didn't spend money, he zapped himself in terms of political capital and goodwill.

Once you are on the low-road, it is very hard, if not impossible, to take the high road again.

Luke said, "... The trip was appropriate." Okay. But, the answer to the trip when asked was not appropriate.

Luke said, "I wish I would have just volunteered the information. But understand. You know. I have a job to do. You folks (journalists) have a job to do. I have to protect, sometimes, private conversations which took place. Had this been city business, it's something that I would have volunteered when the question was asked. It wasn't asked that way. So, in hindsight, certainly I do wish I had the opportunity to just tell the story right then and there, but it didn't work out that way.

Oh my... It didn't work out that way because Luke didn't do it that way.

But the job he has to do has little if anything to do with the protection of private conversations. That is a miss-placed priority.

Furthermore, the deal with the Penguins was city business. And, when that city business was being talked about, Luke was silent. Dan Onorato was silent. The chose to avoid the media with city business. They felt that was the best way to proceed. They (Luke and Dan) don't volunteer info on questions of city business when asked.

Ravenstahl later admits jetting to New York - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Ravenstahl admits jetting to New York - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Ravenstahl admits jetting to New York

Jeepers creepers. "Not sharing. So there."

I have a theme song that is titled, "Come With Me."

Meanwhile Luke's theme song is titled, "Going, not telling. Went, denied. Caught, woops."

ESPN.com: Page 2 : 'Pride' delivers important message

ESPN.com: Page 2 : 'Pride' delivers important message

AntiRust puts the Pens and its owner in perspective

AntiRust Given wealth of a reported $2.6 billion, Ron Burkle could have built five $300 million arenas in Pittsburgh.

And still had a billion dollars left over.

Oh, and an extra hundred million dollars for tips.

Thank god we are giving him $15 million a year for the next 30 years.

Congrats, Pens fans.

Thanks, Ron.

I'm not driven by envy. But I agree with the last word of the post, "Balls." Let's say 'Balls Squared!" -- or -- We got pucked.

Pandora, Internet Radio meets Senator Specter

Pandora is an amazing service. Wow. Now this red tape headache.

Hi, it's Tim from Pandora,

I'm writing today to ask for your help. We've had a disastrous turn of events recently for internet radio: Following an intensive lobbying effort on the part of the RIAA, an arbitration committee in Washington DC has just dramatically increased the fees internet radio sites must pay to the record labels - tripling fees and adding enormous retroactive payments! Left unchanged by Congress, this will kill all internet radio sites, including Pandora.

Tomorrow afternoon there is an important U.S. Senate hearing on the future of internet radio. Senator Alren Specter from your state is part of the hearing. I hope you'll take a minute today to call his office to voice your objection to this ruling.

Senator Alren Specter's phone number: (202)224-4254

If you decide to call, please be sure to tell them your name and home town, and mention Senator Alren Specter's name. We encourage you to tell them how much you enjoy listening to internet radio and that, left unchanged, the fees passed by the Copyright Royalty Board will kill internet radio. Please ask them to act to reverse this decision.

Remarkably, this rate applies only to internet radio, exempting both broadcast radio and satellite radio. It is a pure and simple reflection of the difference in lobbying power of each industry. It is not only unfair and without legal rationale, but will completely wipe out internet radio.

I hope you'll take just a few minutes to call - it will make a difference. As a young industry, we do not have the lobbying power of the RIAA. You, our listeners are by far our biggest and most influential ally.

As always, and now more than ever, thank you for your support.

-Tim Westergren (Pandora founder)

Check out the Pandora Podcasts too.

DFA Night School Anyone Can Run

Night School is free

Have you ever thought about running for office? Are you looking for someone to run in your area? Launching your own campaign can seem daunting, yet getting people like you elected is vital to building the progressive movement. Tomorrow night DFA Night School will help prepare you to make the leap and run for elected office.

Anyone Can Run
Tuesday March 20th - 8:30pm Eastern Time
http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=18356

Join DFA-List state Representatives Elesha Gayman (IA-84), Ty Harrell (NC-41) and Maria Chappelle-Nadal (MO-72) as well as Select Board member Irene Wrenner (Essex, VT) as they share their experiences as first time candidates. Learn how to tell your story, get to know your district, and build the coalitions you'll need to win.

Over the last two weeks, 1,507 people have joined together on nationwide conference calls to discuss how we can sustain our progressive presence after our victories last November. The conference call and web presentation are free which makes participating from home easy.

RSVP today: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=18356

The truth is anyone can run for office. You can run. I can run. And with DFA Night School and the support of DFA members across the country -- you can win!

Arshad Hasan
DFA Training Director

Police arrest 21 during melee; gunfire heard in crowd at High School Game in NYC

ESPN.com - Police arrest 21 during melee; gunfire heard in crowdAssociated Press

NEW YORK -- Teenagers brawled in the stands at a high school basketball game at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night before police cracked down on the melee, which spilled into the streets.

Gunfire was heard as the crowd went from the arena to Times Square, police said. No injuries were reported. Twenty-one people, mostly teenagers, were arrested, police said. Some were charged with disorderly conduct or resisting arrest and one was arrested on a riot charge.

Sad.

There is a scene in the movie, "Pride" where there is a fight.

Furthermore, I've been shouting that we should keep the Civic Arena for activities, such as scholatic sporting events. Perhaps the comment should be twisted to mean that that the high schoolers should play in a venue where there are less fears of messing up the leather seats of the new Pens arena.

Interesting comments in the thread on the site at ESPN too.

smart USA - short videos that are almost as cute as the car

Cool videos.

smart USA - short videos that are almost as cute as the car Starring smart

Bradish Street's Big Dig begins

From planning-urban

Last week we had a fire in this neighborhood. This week, cars are being towed and the big dig of Bradish Street is about to being.

We live in a mixed residential neighborhood. Some are residents, some are small businesses. The catering place in mid block is getting a new water line, it seems.

You're out of luck had you parked your car on the street and didn't notice the signs that went up yesterday afternoon.

Passing out newsletters on sidewalks, even around PNC Park and Convention Center, is FREE SPEECH and must be protected

The "no sweatshop efforts" matched with the city's fumbles, yet alone that of goons at PNC PARK and the Convention Center, are getting set for yet another show down. A federal court case is moving to trial, thanks to the ACLU.

Free speech matters.

Folks should be able to pass out information on the sidewalks around the stadiums and convention center.

From markets

This is a mini-book store on the sidewalk in the streets of China. Should the authorities come by, pop the lid on the container and wait for them to pass.

I'd love to have a translation of the books in this stack, to anyone who can read Chineese. Thanks. Just leave them in the comments part of this blog posting.

BootCamp PGH - I'm into this. You should be too. Save the date already.

Hope to see you there.

BootCamp PGH - Home Welcome to BootCamp PGH!
BootCamp PGH is a free one-day, immersive 'entry level' version of PodCamp. It is designed to educate students, small businesses and corporate communications professionals on the power and possibilities of new media.

WHEN: Saturday, April 21, from 9 AM to 4 PM

WHERE: The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, 420 Boulevard of the Allies, 15219

WHO: New media experts, aspiring new media creators, communications and PR personnel, and you!

HOW MUCH: Free!

Campaign Laws head to Supreme Court and Libertarians engage

An attorney in Washington state posted materials that form the bulk of the posting below. Attribution in the comments.

The US Supreme Court accepted review of two cases of major significance to the Libertarian Party. One case is from New York and the other is from Washington State. Pundits are discussing these cases together because they appear as "bookends" to the fundamental issue of the relationship between the political parties and the states.

In the New York case the parties were virtual gatekeepers to who could appear on the general election ballot. In the Washington case the parties were excluded from the process, except to the extent their endorsements might mean something.

At stake are rights of political parties, of candidates and of voters. How does the concept of partisanship impact those respective rights?

Political parties want the right to decide not only who participates in their nomination processes, but also which candidates are entitled to claim affiliation with the party. Candidates want easy access to the ballot and the right to claim affiliation with any political party they choose. Voters want meaningful choices on the ballot that are not controlled by party bosses.

Wrapped up in these various claims are core constitutional principles of free speech, free association, due process and equal protection.

But what if the associational rights of political parties are at odds with the ballot access rights of candidates? New York State Board of Elections, v. Lopez-Torres, #06-766 is, in essence, a ballot access case in which Lopez-Torres convinced both the lower courts that the Republican Party had too much control over who could appear on the ballot. Link to the Second Circuit opinion in PDF.

Or, what if the associational rights of political parties are at odds with the free speech rights a candidate to declare his/her "preference" for a political party even if the party does not support the candidate? Washington v Washington State Republican Party, #06-713 involves Washington's attempt to replace Washington's "blanket primary" with a "top-two primary" that allowed any candidate to list a party "preference" on the ballot of what was otherwise a non-partisan primary. Link to the Ninth Circuit decision on that case.

And what if the associational rights of the political parties operate to limit the choices to the voters only to those "annointed" by the parties? At what point does a state have a "sufficiently weighty" interest in limiting the exclusionary rights of the political parties to ensure that the voters have a wide range of meaningful choices on the ballot? How does the state satisfy that interest without running the risk of overcrowding the ballot?

On a related matter, it is clear that a state can require political parties to settle their internal differences prior to the general election, by nominating conventions, caucuses or primaries. But can a state force any particular candidate selection format on the parties? Even more fundamentally, isn't ANY pre-election winnowing process for candidates an unauthorized "qualification" for federal office, upon the same rationale term-limit legislation was ruled to be unconstitutional 10 years ago?

So far, these issues are being discussed by the Ds and Rs, and within the academic election law community. Now it is starting to perk with the libertarian press and blogosphere.

It is certainly necessary to debate Iraq or health care from a libertarian perspective. But what does that mean if the the very identity and purpose of all political parties, including that of the Libertarian Party, is at risk?

true colors giggle

From another blog.

ONCE MORE UNTO THE ARENA DEAL, FRIENDS: "Though the letter goes on for eight more sentences, Mr. Spagnolla never actually tells us what those true colors are. Which is kind of disappointing. But if I had to guess, I'd say that Ed Rendell's -- he is, after all, the former Mayor of Philadelphia and an avowed Eagles fan -- true colors are green and white. If his public persona and his public speaking ability are an indication, Dan Onorato's true colors are probably beige. Or maybe puce. And, no matter how much he tries to convince us that they're black and gold, we all know that Luke Ravenstahl's true colors are blank slate and baby blue."

The new arena talk isn't over yet. No way. It needs to be built. The costs need to be covered.

Heck, Three Rivers Stadium isn't over yet. They still have a Stadium Authority. We owed $30-million when it went away. We are now going to pay, what $4-million, for an outdoor, glass covered concert venue to be owned by the Steelers. Eeeks. These deals never are over and done with.

Rep. Ron Paul: Running to Win in 2008

Rep. Ron Paul: Running to Win in 2008 Dr. Ron Paul, Congressman from Texas, has been a fervent advocate of limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. He's now considering taking his no-nonsense show on the road in an under-the-radar run for the White House.

Paul is an absolute original -- never voting for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution. It's an iron rule that sometimes annoys his Republican colleagues.

A medical doctor by training and certification, Paul is nothing if not a thinking man. When he voted against authorizing military force against Iraq, his rationale read like a lawyer's analysis:

'This resolution is not a declaration of war, however, and that is an important point: This resolution transfers the constitutionally-mandated congressional authority to declare wars to the executive branch. This resolution tells the president that he alone has the authority to determine when, where, why, and how war will be declared. It merely asks the president to pay us a courtesy call a couple of days after the bombing starts to let us know what is going on. This is exactly what our Founding Fathers cautioned against when crafting our form of government...'

Join us at TalkShoe for Micro Credit Efforts

First 24 hour LIVE Talkathon for Kiva International

Description: March 18th starting at noon EDT, tell the world about KIVA.ORG and microlending! Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing w... moreDescription: March 18th starting at noon EDT, tell the world about KIVA.ORG and microlending! Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. lessPhone Number: (724) 444-7444
Talkcast ID: 14678

Link

Kiva efforts are rocking today

No trouble for Buchanan to stay in line

No trouble for Buchanan to stay in line Political prosecutions
Aside from those high-profile cases, Ms. Buchanan has put a special emphasis on public corruption during her tenure.

Tube City Almanac: March of the Penguins

Tube City Almanac: March of the Penguins I'm sure glad that this arena is being built at no expense to the taxpayers. Well, except for:

* $10.5 million in cash the state is paying the Penguins 'in recognition of delays the team suffered while it was negotiating for a new arena,' and,

* $7.5 million for the next 30 years that the state will contribute from its economic development fund, and of course, the

* $290 million bond issue that's being underwritten by the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Other than that, yes, there's no taxpayer money involved!

. . .

Auditing Dep’t.: If you live in the country, where you rely on the state police, you may be interested to know that $7.5 million per year would pay the salaries (not including benefits) of 150 new troopers.

If you live in the city, where you or your neighbors rely on public transportation, $7.5 million per year would make up more than 10 percent of Port Authority's projected budget shortfall.

You may say that the $7.5 million is coming from gambling revenues, so it isn't really tax money. But I thought that we legalized slot machines to reduce property taxes in the state. Did I miss the part where it said, 'reduce property taxes, or maybe build an ice rink for Canadian and Russian millionaires'?

Rendell's bungling nearly iced deal for new arena

O-R OnlineKeeping the Penguins in Pittsburgh should have been a no-brainer.

Unfortunately, the city officials negotiating with Mario Lemieux's group - in particular Gov. Ed Rendell - have no brains. Or, at least, they did not understand how important it was to reach an agreement.

Some Question Tactics Of U.S. Attorney Buchanan

kdka.com - Some Question Tactics Of U.S. Attorney Buchanan County Democratic Chairman Jim Burn says he's suspected partisanship all along.

'Her record speaks for itself,' said Burn. 'I've seen a long line of Democrats and mistakes aren't made based on party affiliation but I haven't seen anybody from the other side going though that system.'

Duhh.

Jeff Habay and Robert Glancey are GOPers who have been in hot water. For Glancey, it is going to get worse before it gets better. Then there is Michael Diven.

Pile on. So what. Real problems exist within both of those camps. They even have issues within the camps with provisional ballots and in-fighting to knock each other off of the ballots. Ballot access is a major issue and mega big deal.

From texture - misc.

I want to see public trust in all offices restored. We've got a long, long way to go for that to begin to happen. Trust will increase among the people as a direct reflection of their might at the ballot box.

Who is going to be the hero: Showing up six times without blowing up.

The brief video clip above, (a segment of Heavy Or Not), drives home a point that has surfaced a number of times in the recent weeks.

My statement at city council on March 13 hit against a member of city council who didn't show up for a debate. Meanwhile, ballot challenge matters from a number of candidates are headed to the judge because certain paperwork didn't show up.

I love to point being made that one doesn't need to blow up. Just show up. That's a big theme of mine. At all cost, avoid burnout. Stand for office. Do what you can. Show up.

My intention is to stand for office in 2007, six times. I intend to show up on the ballot. Statements need to be made. And, my stance needs support from others, behind and most of all, beside.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, with the force, needs to show up to debate.

State bread & circuses - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Blistering and beautiful letter to the editor:

State bread & circuses - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review On the same day that our elected leaders were patting themselves on the back about their deal to keep the Penguins in town, the state issued a report that the Pittsburgh region lost 27,900 (seasonal and weather-related) jobs in the month of January alone.

Mr. Ravenstahl, Mr. Onorato and Mr. Rendell have applied yet another Band-Aid to the much larger problem. They have made sure that they will not be the elected officials under which the area lost one of its precious sports teams...

Unfortunately, it is clear that they have no idea how to address these issues. As such, I suspect that our elected officials and their governments will continue to provide the citizenry with more circuses.

Onorato Provides Insight on Arena Deal

Last Sunday morning we were glued to the boob tube with coverage of Luke and his wife. This week Onorato gets a fist full of free tv exposure and props from Jon Delano.

It is one thing to get free exposure, but another to get that at a cost of $5-million a year for 30 years. Plus, there is the knocking down 12 other buildings. Plus, the loss of land that can be taxed.

kdka.com - Onorato Provides Insight Into Arena DealTo see more of Jon Delano's interview with Dan Onorato, watch the Sunday Business Page this Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KDKA-TV.

When is Onorato going to go to China? What are the dates of that travel? I was thinking about doing a daily podcast / video show to join with those travels.

Now to watch the infomercial, err... show.

Hat tip to Jon, however, for doing a sit-down with Rich Swartz, a competitor to Onorato for the D primary, and a target of the Onorato cronie lawyers.

If I see Onorato, I'd be quick to ask him to call of the lawyers and allow the voters of the County to decide who should be the ACE. Is Onorato, a powerhouse, with $1.5 million in his Political Action Committee, scared of the people's vote?

Tymoczko now to lead discussion on video tape of planning meetings. Law tip to me: sue. Agenda changed 3 times now,

Weirdness is unfolding.

Tymoczko is now the one, not Smith, to lead the discussion about video tape of meetings at the City's Planning Meeting slated for Tuesday, March 20, 2007. The agenda has been changed three times now. What's up with that?

See the thread below and the more than 10 comments.

Ravenstahl's site drops photos - Ethics N@ II

Also see another of my recent posts on this topic called Ravenstahl's site drops photos - Ethics N@.

Dick Skrinjar hoodwinked the MSM, but that's a yawner to me. Furthermore, what the other bloggers are buzzing about is wonderful, but, really, to me, it isn't going to deliver us to the "promised land." This is a huge about face, fur sure. It is a step in the right direction, no doubt. But I'm not so interested in baby steps. Fast forward to prosperity before another generation of Pittsburgh's depart.

If I'm mayor, I'm taking down all copyright notices on the public web sites. Gone. Materials should be put into the public domain.

I'm a big open source advocate. At the least, "the right direction" would be the use of a creative commons license. But, I'd champion the full "U" turn and go to public domain.

Only 14 of you clicked on this video located on my YouTube sites in the past. However, hundreds of thousands, I expect, have watched it on the net.

Furthermore, if Luke had put materials from the city's web site into the public domain, he'd not be in this bowl of mush he now sits in. Nor would D.S.

The decoder rings -- well -- they might still be necessary for other uses.

This is the work of the public, hence public domain. All content should be accessible by the public. Public domain is the most 'transparent' -- and it is the best solution for being free to craft the best solutions, ideas, messages and concepts.

Since I got into politics and community communication efforts, nearly 10 years ago, nearly everything I touch I push to the public domain or into some other free and open license. It is so much better.

The ago old expression fits. More gets done when nobody takes the credit. In Pittsburgh's political landscape, very little has been accomplished, except for new taxes, red tape and sustaining the downward spirals of decline.

Luke, if the photo was given to you -- then put it into the public domain. Then you (and I) can use it anywhere we want. Game over.

Copyrights have a purpose, but not in politics and our public life. This is why I'm so bent out of shape with the creation of a 'video tape policy' of the City Planning Department for is Planning Meetings.

Those 'red light cameras' and 'speeding cameras' should NOT arrive, but if they do, I'd want the content to stream into the public domain. Be open. Be honest. Hide nothing. Be free. Take down limitations.



My recent posts, Ravenstahl's site drops photos - Ethics N@. (link again)

Condition of Pgh Public Schools comes into focus with parents at big meeting hosted at Hill House by Wireless Neighborhoods & T.Smith

Updated pointer from today's P-G.

City parents voice concerns over schools While their complaints ranged from lackluster academics at accelerated learning academies to poor discipline district-wide, about 40 parents who gathered in the Hill District last night had this much in common:

They fear efforts to improve the Pittsburgh Public Schools aren't panning out, and they want their voices heard.

A great group of parents interested in the overall health and quality of the Pittsburgh Public Schools held a meeting at the Hill House tonight. Wireless Neighborhood folks, including Mrs. T. Smith, help to organize the gathering that also included a handful of board members. Randall T, Mark B, Thomas S., and Skip Mc were there with the advocates, regulars and concerned.

Expect to see coverage from Joe S. of the P-G.

The next meeting is slated for May 1, 2007. Save the date.

Sadly, more than 30 people were told in advance of the meeting that they would not be able to attend as only a smaller room was available. At the last minute, the big room was made available -- so more could have attended. I'm not sure how many where there, perhaps 60 to 75.

Discipline starts next year, so says Mr. Roosevelt. I'd still like to know why the wait?

Net the Truth Online: Clean up voter registration rolls

Dan Onorato is in charge. So, this will never happen.

Net the Truth Online: Clean up voter registration rolls With voter registration rolls going unchecked for accuracy year after year, even with the implementation of the Help America Act and its mandated database of registered voters across the country, it's surely a duty of opponents no matter which political party to review and scour nomination petitions and make challenges when warranted.

It's time for Pennsylvania to clean up its voter registration rolls of deceased, the voters who have moved out of the state, and or out of one county into another county, now.

Video tape policy on the agenda again at Planning Commission

The next meeting, bring your video camera, is March 20, 2007 at the end of a meeting that begins at 2 pm.

See the agenda

F. Director’s Report
* Green Building Task Force, Ismail
* Bar Task Force, Ford
* Staff Recommendation on Video Taping, Smith
* City-Wide Investment Report, Andrews

Of note, the Bar Task Force is going to get mentions too.

UPDATE: Hanna, Dolores would like to recall the message, "Revised Planning Commission Agenda for March 20, 2007".

The agenda has been changed three times now. It looks like SMITH isn't the one going to lead the discussion. See comments.

PA Swimming Official Site

Courtney swims FAST in 100 back at STATES. Way to go.

13 Schneiderlochner, Courtney SR Carlynton-07 1:00.54

New school records!

Coach Ed Shupsky has departed

It is with much sadness to learn of the passing of fellow swimming coach, Ed Shupsky, last night. Ed, and his "whoop whoop" will be missed. A viewing is being planned at the Miller Funeral Home, 460 Lincoln Avenue, Bellevue, this weekend. Please check the newspapers for the specific details.

Thanks to Stan for the heads up.

Ed is a good friend of fellow coach, Hosea Holder. Both Ed and Hosea got lifetime awards this fall from the local chapter of USA Swimming.

Correction: BELLEVUE, not Millvale. Times are listed below.

The funeral arrangements for Ed Shupsky will not make the paper until Fri. PM.

Visiting Hours: Friday 2:00 - 4:00 PM

Saturday 7:00 - 9:00 PM. Service is Sunday 6: 00 PM at Miller's Funeral Home in Bellevue, Pa 412-761-2441.

Humm.... Family and Business Healhcare Security Act

Dear Healthcare Reform Leader and Friend:

Due to unforeseen (positive) developments we are postponing our planned joint press conference announcing the "Family and Business Healhcare Security Act" bills in the Senate and House until further notice. SB 300 is already in process and the House version (yet to be assigned a number) is already redrafted and ready to be presented by a prime sponsor. We are in the midst of negotiations to identify the strongest possible advocate for our universal single-payer legislation in the House -- and, without revealing more than I am able at this time, I am encouraged by the above-mentioned "developments." I will get back to you as soon as I have more definitive news.

Thanks for your continued support of our campaign. Keep sending those letters to newspapers and legislators, organizing those house parties for March 29 and beyond, and contributing whatever dollar amounts you can. Everyday is a winning day when we continue the fight for healthcare justice!

Yours in solidarity,

Chuck Pennacchio,

When I see news like this, I wonder why. I don't take any comfort in this type of 'news' of 'no news.' More news is better than less news. Some backroom dealings are unfolding, clearly. Is there a hi-jack situation? Name names.

Let's go watch a movie: Pride

Print as many coupons as you have in your party.

Ravenstahl site drops photos - Ethics N@

It is a crying shame that all ethical matters need to be taken to Harrisburg's system, rather than the one in Pittsburgh. The one in Pittsburgh has not functioned in a decade. What about the Pittsburgh Ethics Board?

Bob O'Connor was getting that in gear, we were told. Then he died.

Luke and Bill made some squeaks about it a few weeks ago, but the follow-through has been absent.

Ravenstahl site drops photos - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Peduto criticized the mayor's use of the photos.

'I think it's a violation of state ethics. It's very clear that you cannot use government property for political purposes,' Peduto said.

A spokesman for the State Ethics Commission did not return a call seeking comment.

One of the worst ethical campaign act that dealt with 'photos' was the campaign commercial that was filmed by Tom Murphy in the Mayor's office for the benefit of Ed Rendell. Murphy used his office for a TV ad.

This ethical violation was called to everyone's attention. Even the MSM made a mention of it.

I went to city council and asked the members on council to stand with me and demand that the ad be taken off the air. None on council made a peep. They all like Rendell. They all like Mayor Murphy. They all had no need for doing what was right and ethical.

Even the TV stations didn't care. They ran the ad over our objections. The TV stations wanted to make the money, even if it was unethical content.

I think Bill Peduto was on city council at the time. Luke might have not have been on council yet, but I'm sure he was out of diapers by then.

Sure, this gives another chance to bash ex-Mayor Tom Murphy again. But his foolishness and his model have set the standard for the D party in Pittsburgh for many years.

See other link on same topic: Ethics N@ II

Ravenstahl site drops photos thanks to bloggers

http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2007/03/ravenstahl-site-drops-photos-thanks-to.html

Ravenstahl site drops photos thanks to bloggers

Nit or NOT? (And I don't mean WVU in the NIT.)

Ravenstahl site drops photos - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's campaign on Wednesday removed at least five photos from its Web site because they look a lot like pictures taken by city employees that appear on the city's official Internet site.

'We're trying to be scrupulous in following the letter of the law,' said Damon Andrews, Ravenstahl's campaign manager.

Well done fellow bloggers. Well done.

Richard Swartz hit by challenge to nomination petitions

Ugh.

PDF of document showing the details.

Shame on Dan Onorato and his cronies.

Screen capture of PDF form include:

From Art from friends

Video tape policy of the Planning Meetings is still not completed

We are still hanging with a Freedom of Speech issue. Heads up to WTAE and others. The video tape policy of the planning commission meetings is still slated to be on the agenda, again.

We've got ghost voting in Harrisburg. We are looking for reform. We need it on Grant Street -- and Ross Street.

Pi Day Statement: We got pucked.

Statement delivered to Pittsburgh City Council on Pi Day, March 14, 2007.

The Penguins / multi-purpose arena deal is behind us. Now it is time to begin to look at the deal, its costs and promises. I've urged others to "think again" throughout this entire ordeal. Frankly, I crave something much better. I think, "We got pucked."

This should not be an US (taxpayers) vs. THEM (elites of governement and sports) face off. Often, life isn't about two sides. I want the third, more creative, best deal -- not one step better than the worst.

The worst thing would have been to offer a ton of subsidization to the Penguins and have them still leave and still build the new arena without a tennant.

Better than the worst is to offer a ton of money to the new arena and have them take it and destroy the Civic Arean in the process.

To grow the region, we've got to expand. Keep the Civic Arena, its pie-like shape and all. Build the new arena elsewhere.

The video above has a different persepctive. What do you think?

Photos and Video of South Side meeting about Bars in Market House with Mayor Ravenstahl

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl spoke at this meeting, held on Feb 28, 2007, just before it concluded. See the mini-slide show in photos.

D-primary challenger, Bill Peduto, did not attend this meeting because he was speaking at another event, a candidate's debate, hosted at the Union Project. It was to be a candidates debate, but the Mayor didn't attend. Other candidates in other races debated, but not Luke.

From planning-urban

At the meeting, Luke said he'd come to the South Side and walk the streets on a weekend night to experience what we see on a regular basis. That got him some applause. He spoke of follow-through too. But, he didn't come to walk the streets in the wee-hours (pun intended). He didn't follow through.

We're still waiting.

Could New Arena Spark Develoment In Hill District

kdka.com - Could New Arena Spark Develoment In Hill District(KDKA) HILL DISTRICT Now that the new arena is going to be built just across the street from the silver-domed Mellon Arena many residents of the Hill District are beginning to wonder if it could spark new development in their neighborhood.

In the �50s, the construction of a new arena had many Hill District residents excited. But that promise never really materialized.

However, now, a new arena is in the Hill District�s future.

"Now that the Penguins are here for the next 30 years we're hoping that we're going to have some good relationships," says Reverend Johnnie Monroe, of Grace Memorial Church, in the Hill District.

The answer to the question is clear to me. In my humble opinion, the new arena will NOT be a boost to the area's development in terms of what is most desired and needed.

Who wants to live next to a NHL hockey venue? Some 50 nights a year, you can't get home after work or go out for a loaf of bread. These nights you'll be sure to have cars wedged everywhere, so having guest is out of the question. Futhermore, the flow of fans, not always quiet and with empty blatters is in your face.

It has been my belief that the Hill District would thrive again after the Pens depart. Homes would come and so would small business. Residents and workers don't appreciate the headaches so they'll not arrive. They vote with their feet.

So, the Hill District is going to stay much like it is. More glitz and debt will come to one tiny section, but that's about all I expect.

Carbolic Smoke Ball: RENDELL CAPITULATES, WILL GIVE PENGUINS NEW ARENA

Carbolic Smoke Ball: RENDELL CAPITULATES, WILL GIVE PENGUINS NEW ARENA

kdka.com - Site Preparations Underway For New Arena

Haste makes waste. They were over reaching for months.

kdka.com - Site Preparations Underway For New Arena The Sports and Exhibition Authority has spent the last several weeks buying up buildings around the site; and preparations are already underway as a contract has been put out to demolish those buildings to make room.

In all, 12 buildings will come down to make room for construction.

Some of the structures coming down to make way for the arena include the old Labor Council District building and the aged St. Francis Central Hospital.

The new arena will be built on a six and a half acre site, which is right across the street from the old Mellon Arena.

Not only do we have the loss of the Civic Arena, but there are a dozen buildings going to vanish as well. Those buildings are being replaced by tax-free properties owned by the public authority. Less taxes are going to be collected as more of the city goes to 'non-profit status.'

The SEA already paid for the asbestos removal of one or more buildings.

Historic Review Commission - PittsburghPlatform

The boss got axed by Luke. Was it votes? No. Hey P.L. of the P-G. He got fired from the role because of the historic Civic Arena.

Historic Review Commission - PittsburghPlatform Media

* Places: Did vote doom commission chairman? - Post-Gazette, March 2007, Michael Eversmeyer, chairman of the city's Historic Review Commission, got a Dear John letter from Mayor Luke Ravenstahl last month."

The new multi-purpose arena deal needs to NUKE the historic civic arena.

Citizens’ Convention Would Address Crisis in Confidence

After 133 years, the Pennsylvania General Assembly should approve an enabling act for a true citizens’ constitutional convention.

In 1872, the citizens of Pennsylvania agreed to convene in a dedicated review of the frame of government. At that constitutional convention, much of the focus was on the abuses of special legislation, disturbing and fraudulent election practices, and the structure of the state’s court system.

The convention lasted just over a year, where these and other issues were hotly debated by statesmen of the day. Although there were court challenges to the proceedings and fractional political groups voicing strong opposition, the press covered the convention faithfully and produced largely favorable editorials.

When Pennsylvanians confronted the new Constitution at a special election, they adopted it by a two to one margin. This was the last time citizens fully participated in such a broad review of government at a convention. Since then, constitutional change has been carried out in piecemeal fashion by the hands of others.

Between 1901 and 1959, 86 constitutional amendments emanated from the legislature. 59 were adopted by the voters. All were minor sectional changes to the document, and as the mood of voters changed from year to year, so did their embrace of amendments.

Running parallel to this incremental and unpredictable path of change were periodic pushes for general revision instigated by various Governors: The Sproul Commission in 1921, a separate pre-depression effort by Gifford Pinchot, the 1935 Earle Advisory Committee and the Woodside Commission in 1959. These efforts all failed to produce any constitutional change whatsoever.

In 1961, an alternative plan was conceived. William Schnader, who led the Earle Committee and was serving as president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, urged the group to get involved. By 1963, 14 committees of the Bar Association produced a comprehensive plan - dubbed Project Constitution - to amend the Constitution in article-sized chunks rather than the small sectional bites taken since 1874.

Governor William Scranton took office in 1962 with constitutional change as a high priority. In 1963 the legislature proposed a convention to the electorate. The Bar Association was prepared to submit its plan to the convention, but the voters refused to authorize one.

Scranton then prompted legislative introduction of several of the Bar Association’s “article by article” amendments. Scranton was term-limited out of office in 1966, but he and successor Raymond Shafer successfully shepherded nine amendments through the legislative and voter adoption processes by mid-1967. At the same time, voters approved a convention to consider the remaining articles and the issue of apportionment.

By the time delegates gathered in Harrisburg, the convention’s preparatory committee, consisting entirely of the Lt. Governor and legislative leaders, had already set the agenda. 69 of the 163 delegates to the convention - including 9 of the 13 preparatory committee members - were lawyers.

The delegates carried out their duties and adjourned just 79 minutes before a mandated deadline. When the convention’s recommendations were approved by the electorate eight weeks later, the citizens’ Constitution of 1874 became history, replaced by something rewritten and rearranged on a wholesale scale by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

While the 1967 convention was indeed of the “limited” variety, it was only because most of the job had already been completed through the Bar Association’s article-by-article amendment process.

To be sure, constitutional change in Pennsylvania since 1874 hasn’t been all bad, but it has only occurred with the sovereign people sitting in the grandstands, relegated to merely ratifying the notions of others rather than molding government in their own hands.

Whenever a crisis in public confidence occurs, any correction or reform must be aimed squarely at the underlying causes. The crisis of the 1870’s was wholly internal, directly caused by actions and abuses within the institutions of government. During the 1960’s, the causes were largely seen as external to government: stunted population growth, the loss of employable young people, and dismal economic conditions.

Clearly, Pennsylvania’s current crisis of confidence more closely resembles the former than the latter. After 133 years, the General Assembly should approve an enabling act for a true citizens’ constitutional convention.

It must be a convention with a deliberate emphasis on the common interest, rather than self-interest. The process must look forward as well as backward, and it must be focused on the structure and integrity of government rather than partisan issues.

At such a convention, Pennsylvanians would shape a government prepared to take on the challenges of the future, restore the virtues of self-governance and blaze a trail for the rest of the nation to follow. Anything less would simply be unacceptable.
Permission is hereby granted to reproduce, publish and/or distribute this article in its entirety.

About PACleanSweep

PACleanSweep is a non-partisan effort dedicated to returning honor, dignity and integrity to government in Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit www.PACleanSweep.com.

Russ Diamond, Chair, chair@pacleansweep.com, 717.383.3025

AntiRust: This Arena Deal Sucks

One of my favorite blogs. My reactions on the Pens deal comes shortly.

AntiRust: This Arena Deal Sucks This Arena Deal Sucks

I am eating some sour grapes these days. Sour grapes that have been marinating in gasoline and splintered glass.

Statements at City Hall

Pi Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pi Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Pi Day and Pi Approximation Day are two unofficial holidays held to celebrate the mathematical constant π (Pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14.

Live blogging: House fire on 12th Street. Smoke.

About seven trucks and plenty of firefighters rushed to the scene of a housefire on 12th Street after 5 AM as blocks on the South Side Flats filled with smoke. A three floor house was puffing with smoke from the walls and roof edge. One older gentleman, was taken out of the building on a stretcher. Conditions unknown. Property damage is sure to occur. Two houses saw a good deal of damage. Red Cross and Fire investigators came to the scene too.

After firefighters put a five-foot hole into the roof with a chainsaw and opened the windows, flames were visible from the street.

The action is about a dozen buildings from ours and on the other side of the street.

Meanwhile, Erik is headed to Harrisburg today to play violin in the Capital with the Frick Middle School's strings. He reported that water pressure for his shower was just fine, despite the fire hoses stringing the neighborhood.

Erik, with instrument, headed to school. Meanwhile, South 12th Street, between Bradish and Freyburg, was dripping wet from the fire trucks.

Another neighbor, dressed in a sweater and flip-flops and sporting the scent familiar to those after spending a night around a campfire said, "Hope everyone is okay."

Another resident, a gifted scholar hoping to remain nameless said, "This isn't a good start to Pi Day. But we'll get on the right track by 8:30, we expect."

Ben Howland Thinks CBS Manipulates the Brackets | NCAA Football Blog - The FanHouse

Ben Howland Thinks CBS Manipulates the Brackets | NCAA Football Blog - The FanHouse: UCLA coach Ben Howland implied yesterday that he thinks the network does, indeed, manipulate the brackets, and that's why his team's first three games could include the storylines of Howland coaching against his alma mater (Weber State), then against the school where he got his first coaching job (Gonzaga), then against the school he coached before UCLA (Pittsburgh).

Ben, the air is thin when you are at the top of the world. I hope the UCLA players don't have to take a charge, tip-toe near the out of bounds line, or otherwise play a competitive game throughout the tournament.

I'm worried about George Washington vs. Georgetown vs. Washington whatever. Plus, I hated to see the Catholic schools (Notre Dame vs. Georgetown) against one another in the Big East semis. And why didn't our former Bishop get interviewed by the local Mainstream Media?

Ballot Challenges are IN. Let the torture begin in earnest

From texture - misc.

I went down to Michael Lamb's neck of the city-county building today to peek around. But, I didn't stay to 5 pm. A poster at the admiral's blog had a mention too. (GD #s are General Docket Numbers, to aid in looking up the cases. When no comment is provided it is because I didn't see the paperwork. It might come live in a day or so.)

County Council #13 Vernon Boozer by Matt Arena (GD-07-005123)
County Council #13 Brenda Frazier by Matt Arena (GD-07-005120)

City Council #9 Rachel Cooper by 12th and 13th Ward Committee people
(GD-07-005171) The objection is from Kirkland, not committee people. Kirland is in the race and stands to gain the most, perhaps.

City Council #7 Tom Fallon by Michelle Bielen et al
(GD-07-005122) and (GD-07-005152) Tom said on his ethics form he was "unemployed," but had worked in the past year in the office of PA Senator Jim Ferlo, so goes the document.

City Council #7 Patrick Dowd by Anthon Liscowsky
(GD-07-005056) Mr. Dowd filed his statement but put 'see attached' and didn't seem to attach anything with the City Clerk, so the charges read. And, he signed 2006, not 2007.

Play one in the playbook from the Ds is toss the opponent off the ballot. There is not much worse than an un-democratic democrat.

Ugh.

Should Patrick, Tom, Rachel or others want to still run for office, call me. Perhaps it would make sense to enter the November general election race as a Libertarian. I'll help you get onto the ballot.

Early Returns - sloppy again

I'm here to make history, not be a slave of it.

Early Returns - A Post-Gazette Journal Campaign contribution

Kevin Acklin could wind up with a county salary of $9,000 next year. The Point Breeze lawyer is running against Charles McCullough of Upper St. Clair for the GOP nomination for an at-large seat on county council next year. Under the county charter, the two at-large seats can't both be held by the same party. Unless some robust independent candidate emerges in the fall, therefore, the Democratic and Republican primaries determine those seats.

Count on a robust independent candidate in the fall. And, I've emerged already.

Furthermore, the last time I checked, there were three GOPers running for the post, not two. Humm...

Early Returns: Doctor Ron Paul is a member of the US House of Reps

The P-G's early returns is covering Ron Paul. That is "DOCTOR" Paul. He is a M.D.

Furthermore, the guy from Green Tree, now in Texas in the Houston area, is a member of the US House, and has been for some time. The blog mention does not even mention that he is in the US CONGRESS.

Furthermore, he isn't the favorte son II. He's been #1 in my book from the get-go.

Early Returns - A Post-Gazette Journal Favorite son II

Pittsburghers still mourning the loss of native son Tom Vilsack's presidential candidacy have a new home town boy to pin their hopes on, presuming their political preferences are dictated more by geography than ideology.

Rep. Ron Paul, a Texas Republican who, like the former Iowa governor, is a Steel City native, announced this weekend that he is forming an exploratory committee in anticipation of his candidacy for the GOP nomination for president. In 1988, Mr. Paul ran for president as a Libertarian earning little notice and few votes. Mr. Paul is one of only six Republican who voted against authorizing the war in Iraq. In addition to opposing the war, he is an immigration hawk and strong critic of President Bush's immigration proposals. You can catch an interview on his web site.

Candidate get lots of mention in the newspaper before they file official papers to get onto the ballot. There is a lot of talk now about 2008. That's fine. But, it would be nice if folks get a peek at ALL THE CANDIDATES locally in 2007 too.

Libertarian Party says Governor’s budget more of same

Rendell’s budget: higher taxes, more spending, bigger bureaucracies

Harrisburg, PA – The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania Research Committee today released its review of Governor Rendell’s proposed 2007 budget.

The review is highly critical of Rendell’s plans to increase spending, raise a number of taxes and extend Harrisburg’s meddling even further into the marketplace and into individual lives.

Ron Satz, Ph.D., the research chair of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania, remarked that, “The governor’s budget proposal accelerates us in the wrong direction. While history shows that small government, low taxes and free enterprise are necessary for prosperity, this budget only gives us higher taxes and more spending on new and expanded Harrisburg government programs.”

Rendell’s budget would increase total state general-fund spending by 3.6% to $27.3 billion. Rendell’s increased spending will be funded by:

* A higher PA sales tax
* A new electricity consumption tax
* A new tax on oil producers and suppliers
* Higher cigarette taxes and new taxes on other forms of tobacco
* A new payroll tax on employers who do not provide employee health care benefits
* Increased municipal solid-waste disposal fees
* Higher taxpayer debt obligations via more state bonds.

Rendell plans to use this money to expand the state government’s involvement in pre-K and primary education as well as health care. Parents, students and health care consumers will pay more yet lose control of these most personal aspects of their private lives.

"This is a bad budget for Pennsylvanians," concluded Satz. "Governor Rendell continues to adopt the failed big-government approach of trying to 'run' Pennsylvania from the top down. The key to reviving Pennsylvania is for Harrisburg to stand aside to let individuals keep more of their money, and let Pennsylvanians’ personal situations and choices target real needs."

The report, which consists of a summary of 18 critical concerns regarding the proposed budget, along with the LPPa's comments and alternatives, is available at the end of this release.

Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in both Pennsylvania and the United States. Nationwide there are over 200,000 registered Libertarians with organizations in all 50 states. Libertarians serve in hundreds of elected offices throughout the nation. Please visit www.LP.org or www.LPPA.org for more information.

Pennsylvania Libertarian Party Review of Governor Rendell's Budget Proposals

1. Governor: Increase total state general-fund spending by 3.6% to $27.3 billion.

LPPa: Begin reducing total state general funding spending to ultimately provide for the police, courts, part-time legislature, and one executive department to protect life, liberty, and property. Nothing else.

2. Governor: Increase the state sales tax from 6% to 7% to help provide property tax cuts, along with gambling revenues, of $900 million next year.

LPPa: Eliminate all income taxes and begin reducing the sales tax. Property taxes should be based on the actual cost of protecting buildings and land, not for raising money for schools. Schools should be paid for and controlled at the local level by their users.

3. Governor: Impose a new electricity consumption tax to pay off $850 million in borrowing for alternative power development and energy conservation.

LPPa: Eliminate or reduce regulations on power companies so that they will make private investments to improve energy efficiency based on engineering calculations and not Harrisburg's political calculations.

4. Governor: Increase municipal solid-waste disposal fees by $2.75 per ton for hazardous-waste cleanup.

LPPa: Privatize solid-waste disposal operations and let strict
enforcement of property rights laws address any environmental concerns.

5. Governor: Impose a new tax on oil companies' gross profits and exempt those companies from the state's corporate net income tax.

LPPa: Eliminate all income taxes to promote development. Don't single out an industry, or a single corporation within an industry, with special favors or with special penalties.

6. Governor: Increase the cigarette tax from $1.35 to $1.45 per pack, levy a new tax on other forms of tobacco and impose a new 3% payroll tax on employers who do not provide employee health care benefits.

LPPa: Stop levying special taxes on products the government doesn't like. As all state taxes are reduced on all business and individual, let the free market address health care needs.

7. Governor: Boost overall education spending by 6%.

LPPa: Reduce state-level spending on education and give local school districts more financial and educational control of the schooling of their children including the elimination of financial penalties against private education providers.

8. Governor: Expand accountability block grants for pre-K and kindergarten by $100 million.

LPPa: Let parents decide on pre-K and kindergarten programs for their children instead of mandating a "one-size fits all children" state-government program.

9. Governor: Expand programs for special education students, improve elementary science education, make academic programs in 30 high schools more rigorous and provide laptops.

LPPa: See 7 and 8. Remove barriers to having future job providers get involved with educational providers in the education of young people at no charge to taxpayers.

10. Governor: Ban smoking in workplaces, restaurants, and bars.

LPPa: Let private workplaces, restaurants, and bars decide for
themselves whether to have smoke-free areas or not.

11. Governor: Expand by more than 18% an early intervention program for 76,000 children age 5 and younger.

LPPa: No evidence exists for the benefits of such a program. Stop
wasting taxpayer money for the sake of expanding state government!

12. Governor: Increase Corrections Department spending by 13% to handle growth in the state prison population by adding beds and to reduce recidivism by treating substance abuse and better monitoring inmates after they are released.

LPPa: The governor has the constitutional authority to release
through pardon non-violent drug offenders. This eliminates the need for additional spending and replaces expensive incarceration with lower-cost outpatient medical treatment.

13. Governor: Make possession of a stolen gun a felony, require police notification whenever a gun is lost or stolen, let local communities restrict the distribution and use of handguns, and limit gun purchases to one per month.

LPPa: "The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of
themselves and the State shall not be questioned." Article I, Section 21, PA Constitution.

14. Governor: Establish the "Energy Independence Fund" to pay for such items as conservation initiatives, solar energy, research, research, support for emerging clean-energy products and companies, and purchase of low-power appliances.

LPPa: See 3 and 5 above. Don't let politicians play scientist or engineer.

15. Governor: Seek legislative and voter approval for $850 million in bonds to encourage alternative energy development and energy conservation.

LPPa: See 3 and 5 above. Dont let politicians play scientist or engineer.

16. Governor: Create a $500 million Jonas Salk Legacy Fund to foster biomedical research funded by tobacco settlement revenue.

LPPa: See 3 and 5 above. Don't let politicians play doctor or medical researcher. Tobacco settlement money should only go to those affected by tobacco company fraud, if any. Otherwise the money should be distributed to the all taxpaying citizens of Pennsylvania as hard tax reductions.

17. Governor: Lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a private company to raise $965 million for roads and bridges.

LPPa: Sell the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the highest bidder; let them handle the maintenance.

18. Governor: Tax oil companies' gross profits to raise $750 million for mass transit.

LPPa: See 3 and 5 above. Privatize mass transit and don't subsidize it with tax revenues from private industries, especially industries who would be subsidizing their own competition.

Doing back flips for the YouTube campaigns. Give us a break.

Bob Mayo of WTAE and others are make a big deal about the YouTube campaigns. Anyone up for a food fight? Shall I set the table?

From hex

From signs

From signs

From signs

These numbers of page views are not going to set the world on fire. They might be a spark. Time will tell. The important element in these videos is trust. To see, watch, hear and catalog the perspectives can't be denied. That is where the power resides. Meanwhile video ads from faceless, nameless, image trashing sources amount to pimples on the digital landscape and our shared political spaces.

Finally, the coverage from the MSM to the trite and the fumbles to the matters of substance is fuel for the fire -- even the sparks. Seems that the MSM would like to give props to empty shoes. That's just another example of Pittsburgh needs oversight.

The links to my video sites, and the photo catalogs at Picassa, are to the left of this blog. I have toyed with this medium and various messages. There isn't any one 'masterpiece.' The best offering of mine has been the CDs that are given in person to those who attend candidate functions.

Recent highly viewed video: Rauterkus.Blip.TV video called, "Democracy is Important to Me" from city council presentation.

Pokora sues fellow Dems

Pokora sues fellow Dems - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

No sense in making sure that ever vote counts. No way.

The worst: un-democratic democrats.

Second worst: Run to court politicians.

Tony should just pull out of the Dem party so he can run in the general election against the winner of the D's primary. Well, he should have done that. Now it is too late.

Staying put. The Pens won't be tossing in the towel.

KDKA TV News is reporting that the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins are not going to move. A meeting is slated to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s and the announcement will be made before the next home game.

From Pens Village

Sources: Pittsburgh arena deal done - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: A spokesman for Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said he knew nothing of a deal.

'I never heard that. I heard nothing like that,' spokesman Dick Skrinjar said.

Why Do Evangelicals Ignore Ron Paul? by Chuck Baldwin

Why Do Evangelicals Ignore Ron Paul? by Chuck Baldwin The question burning in the minds of evangelicals today is: Which Republican candidate for president will we anoint? There are several possibilities, but apparently Congressman Ron Paul is not one of them.

Ron Paul received his Bachelor's degree from Gettysburg College. He received his MD from Duke University. He began his OB/GYN career in 1968. He was also an Air Force Captain and a member of the Air National Guard.

OpenOffice.org urges Dell's CEO to respond to customer demand and bundle OpenOffice.org's free software alternative to Microsoft Office with

In an open letter released today, the OpenOffice.org community invites Michael Dell to work with them to pre-install OpenOffice.org 2 office software on Dell computers. Dell's own IdeaStorm website has recorded an overwhelming customer demand for this feature, currently showing more than 70,000 requests for OpenOffice.org 2.

The OpenOffice.org community is the home of the leading free software competitor to Microsoft's Office suite. The letter claims that OpenOffice.org 2 software and Dell hardware make a perfect match, sharing identical values of delivering high quality at unbeatable value. A joint development by Dell and OpenOffice.org raises the prospect of an "OpenOffice.org supplied by Dell" product, with finance from Dell helping to built security for the open-source community.

Text of the letter:

Michael S.Dell, Chairman and CEO
Dell Computer Corporation
One Dell Way
Round Rock, Texas 78682

Dear Michael

Dell Computer Corporation has become one of Fortune's “America’s Most Admired Companies” by providing great value, high quality computers and peripherals, but most of all, by listening to your customers. Your recent “IdeaStorm” initiative is the latest example of this. Here at OpenOffice.org, we were delighted to see that the second most requested feature by Dell customers was to have our office software pre-installed on Dell systems. This request attracted more than 25,000 votes in two
days.

We believe that OpenOffice.org 2 software perfectly matches Dell’s values. OpenOffice.org 2 is high quality office software, the result of over twenty years’ continuous software engineering. It runs under all common operating systems. It offers everything users expect from office software, plus some bonus features that may pleasantly surprise them. It’s easy for customers to use, with a familiar look and feel, and can read and write a wide range of file formats, including Microsoft’s. On top of all this, being licenced under open-source terms, it represents outstanding value for money for you and your customers.

Let’s have a conversation about how we could build an “OpenOffice.org supplied by Dell” product to give your customers what they are asking for. We’d also be happy to accept any financial contribution that Dell might offer to help ensure that OpenOffice.org continues to evolve in the future.

Sincerely

John McCreesh, Marketing Project Lead, OpenOffice.org

House bill would further restrict voter choice

Libertarian Party announces opposition to PA House Bill 48

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Libertarian Party today announced its strong opposition to House Bill 48 which defines criteria for disqualifying votes in an election.

The bill contains a clause preventing a write-in campaign by an independent state-wide candidate who, after submitting the minimum number of signatures to be placed on the General Election ballot, is then removed from the ballot due to procedural technicalities.

This is exactly what happened in the last election. Carl Romanelli submitted 95,000 signatures to be placed on the General Election ballot for Senate. Democrats challenged and convinced the courts that thousands of signatures were invalid, leaving Romanelli 8,931 short of the 67,070 required.

Pennsylvania’s petition signature requirements are extremely strict. Signatures are rejected for technicalities such as forgetting to enter the date or entering information in the wrong box. In addition, the courts have arbitrarily redefined “qualified electors” as registered voters from its less stringent statutory definition of Pennsylvania citizens over 18.

Under House Bill 48, Mr. Romanelli would be unable to then mount a write-in campaign, as any vote cast for him would not be counted.

Doug Leard, LPPa Media Relations Chair, remarked “Factions in the state bureaucracy and the state legislature are committed to restricting political choice on the ballot. With last year’s crushing 67,070 signature requirement, Pennsylvania is the second worst state in the nation for ballot access. When Mr. Romanelli submitted 95,000 signatures, the courts scrutinized the signatures then threw him off the ballot, as well as ordering him to pay over $80,000 in court costs and Democratic Party legal bills. Now, to add injury to insult, the House has introduced legislation to prevent Pennsylvanians who support such a candidate from having their vote even counted.”

Michael Robertson, LPPa Chair added, "Limiting the choices of voters and not counting votes is directly contrary to what government should be doing. Every voter should have their say and every vote cast should be recorded and reported. We urge Pennsylvanians to contact their representative in the General Assembly to oppose House Bill 48.”

I went into the Allegheny County Elections Department after the 2006 general election ended. Sadly, our designated poll watcher was not allowed to be there in the tabulation time, but that is another story. I counted the write-in votes from those in Allegheny County for the office of US Senator in the Casey vs. Santorum race.

Guess what.

My guy, a Libertarian, didn't get his votes reported to Harrisburg. His votes were not put together in a total. I conducted a write in for him. It didn't matter.

Hundreds of voters in Allegheny County made write in votes. Most of them didn't count.

Rep. Ron Paul To Run For President - Politics

Rep. Ron Paul To Run For President - Politics: "U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, a strict constitutionalist and fierce anti-war critic, will formally declare his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination Monday when he appears as a guest on a C-SPAN call-in program.

Paul, R-Texas, created a presidential exploratory committee in January, allowing him to begin collecting money on behalf of his bid. Kent Snyder, the chairman of that committee, said Saturday that Paul would make his candidacy official on Monday.

This will be Paul's second try for the White House. He was the Libertarian nominee for president in 1988.

...Paul, for example, was the only Republican congressman to vote against Department of Defense appropriations for fiscal year 2007, which he opposed because of the war in Iraq -- a war he says is "not necessary for our actual security."

He once described President Bush as "not a constitutional president" and voted against a resolution declaring that the United States would win the war on terror.

He acknowledges that the national Republican Party has largely shunned him despite his nine terms in office under its banner. He gets little money from the GOP's large traditional donors, but benefits from individual conservative and Libertarian donors outside Texas.

Paul bills himself as "The Taxpayers' Best Friend," and is routinely ranked either first or second in the House of Representatives by the National Taxpayers Union, a national group advocating low taxes and limited government.

Pittsburgh Comet gives insights. Pi Day is just around the corner!

From texture - misc.

The Pittsburgh Comet When you get into a pie-fight with Mark Rauterkus, be ready for a faceful of cherry-lemon meringue and custard.

I'm not that interested in a food fight. However, I'm not going to be idle when others try to re-write history.

Likewise, is Peduto the first to do YouTube? Well, I'm the first at JumpCut.com and Blip.tv. Furthermore, being first isn't what this is about. Sure, I want to make history and not be a slave of it. But, this is a long-haul endeavor. In a swim race, the winner isn't called by seeing how hits the water first. Often in the real world it is the pioneer who gets the arrow in the back.

The pie quote from The Pittsburgh Comet comes at a great time, just two days before "Pi Day" -- one of my favorite holidays. When I'm elected, I'll decalre "Pi Day" a big harry deal. (Harry, as in Harry Readshaw.)

From hex

Feel free to take an image of a round "pi object" from my Picassa album and post it on your blog or site to celebrate pi day.

On March 14, 2006, (last year's pi day), was the special election for Pgh City Council district 3. That was the first race I was in which I didn't get last place.