Sunday, August 19, 2007

Hopes dim for Chinese miners

Hopes dim for Chinese miners - CNN.com More than 180 Chinese coal miners trapped in flooded shafts have slim hopes of survival, but officials said they would press on with frantic rescue efforts after one of the nation's worst mine disasters.

In the eastern province Shandong, 172 miners were pinned down after the rain-swollen Wen River overcame flood defenses and surged down the shaft on Friday. Nine others were trapped in a shaft nearby.
This is one reason why Westinghouse has to go to China to build them the Nukes. They need the electricity. They need to curb the deaths from the coal mines.
China relies on coal for most of its energy needs, pushing coal prices to record levels in the mainland, the world's top producer and consumer of the fuel.

That demand for coal to feed rapid economic growth in the world's fourth-largest economy has led some mine operators to push production beyond safe limits, despite Beijing's efforts to crack down on corruption and lax enforcement of standards.

The miners make about 1,500 yuan ($198) a month and many were farmers working the fields around Tai'an attracted by the relatively higher wages offered by the mines. It is not unusual for fathers and sons to work together in the coal mines.

The scene of weary emergency workers and anxious relatives echoed a mine accident in the United States, which has a much cleaner safety record but where three people have died trying to save six miners trapped in a Utah coal mine.

Mining is risky worldwide, but China's coal industry is deadlier than any other country's, with about 2,163 coal miners killed in 1,320 accidents in the first seven months of the year.
However, what happens when the flood waters come and sweep into the Nukes? What about a work site problem, but with radiation?

Shooting disrupts youth football game in Homewood

Shooting disrupts youth football game in Homewood
Crap.

More dirt.

Youth Football equipment stolen, WPXI story.

YOU be the judge.

Jerks like this have no business staying in important jobs in our public sector. None. But what is worse, the Republican Party, again, has given him its endorsement. Now is the time to think again, if thinking at all was part of the process.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Local News - Early Returns State Superior Court Judge Michael Joyce, who is facing criminal charges for allegedly bilking two insurance companies out of $440,000, plans to continue his bid for retention for another 10-year term in November.

But he won't have an easy time of it.

His bosses, the justices of the state Supreme Court, suspended him with pay yesterday. In a written statement, the court said the suspension was necessary to 'protect and preserve the integrity of the Unified Judicial System and the administration of justice for the citizens of this Commonwealth.'

And the state Bar Association and his own Republican Party say they are reviewing their endorsements of his retention.
This is why people are angry.

This is why people are going to renew the efforts to toss out all the judges.

This is why the old parties (both the Ds and the Rs) have failed the citizens and voters.

Here is a tip: Don't vote for any judge retention.

Specter finds voters just plain angry

Hello. Senator, we're mad. Did you just realize this, or is it something you've come to understand for a while now.
Specter finds voters just plain angry The issues have changed from year to year, but this town hall tour through the state's 67 counties has been the same through the decades. This year, however, the Republican has seen a marked change in the tone and intensity of his questioners.

'The meetings are a lot bigger ... and there's a lot more passion and a lot more anger,' he said as he headed from one meeting to another across the rolling, green hills of Washington County. 'And they're angry at everything. ... They're boiling mad about Iraq. They're almost that mad about immigration.

'They're as mad about Gonzales as they are about immigration. They're mad at the president for taking all the power he has. There are a lot of people talking about habeus corpus. Where in the hell would you expect to have all these people talking about habeus corpus?'
Yes, we are upset about and understand habeus corpus. So now we must turn to Libertarians to reclaim our liberty and freedom.

Seeking integrity in government & how Tim Potts is a PA Hero

Tim Potts outlines his quest to make Pennsylvania best in nation
By Heather Stauffer Carlisle Sentinel, August 3, 2007
On Thursday, Tim Potts led members of Carlisle Rotary on a flight of imagination.

Imagine, he said, a law that represents the worst thing the state government could do to your family, your business.

Then, with barely a pause, Potts moved from the realm of imagination to the realm of reality. That law, he said, could pass overnight.

"Many people think we began as a result of the legislative pay raise in 2005," said Potts, who was addressing the club in his role as a cofounder of Democracy Rising PA. But the truth, he said, is that the organization started a year earlier, in reaction to the July 4th passage of the state's slots gambling bill.

Before continuing with the story, Potts, a Carlisle resident who occupied high positions in the state Department of Education before he moved on to the Pennsylvania School Reform Network and then Democracy Rising PA, reminded the audience of a relevant portion of the Pennsylvania Constitution.

To protect citizens, he said, the constitution requires three things; That legislation be considered for at least three days in each chamber (PA House & PA Senate), that the legislation's original intent not be altered and that the legislation not be about more than one subject.

The slots gambling legislation started simply enough, Potts said, holding up the one-and-a-half page bill that spent more than the requisite time in both the house and the senate. But then, just before it was voted on July 4, those original pages were amended to 146.

"Not one single word of the original bill survived," Potts said, brandishing a bulky copy of the revised bill. Furthermore, he said, unlike the original, the new wording encompassed a medley of themes.

"It was a process that plainly violated the rights of residents of Pennsylvania," Potts said. But, he said, when the bill was challenged, Pennsylvania courts upheld the procedure by which it was enacted - so in 2005, the legislature used the same procedure to pass its now-infamous pay raise.

And it could do it again, on any subject, whenever it likes, he said.

"That's why we call it the dismantling of democracy," Potts said. "The constitution is supposed to prohibit this."

And that's why, he told the intent audience, Pennsylvania needs an organization like Democracy Rising PA. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has one goal, Potts said: To help restore the principles of democracy to Pennsylvania.

Voters can force change

After a quick litany of further bad news - that Pennsylvania's sunshine and lobbying control laws have been ranked among the worst in the nation - Potts turned optimistic again.

"It doesn't have to be this way," he said. All that is necessary, he said, is for citizens to start getting involved and getting democracy-friendly legislators into Harrisburg. Some good things have already happened, he said, pointing to 2005, when Russell Nigro became the first Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice ever to lose a retention vote.

As one of the leaders of the campaign against Nigro, Potts told the audience it doesn't necessarily take a lot of money to make a difference. When he tallied up what that campaign cost him, Potts said, it came to $32.16 - an amount that he said turned into 736,000 "no" votes.

"Incredible," he said.

Then he dished out more numbers. The only thing that stands between 12 and a half million people and the best state government in America is 129 people - the governor and a controlling majority in each chamber, he said.

"We have the forces of evil vastly outnumbered," Potts quipped, to laughter. But, he said, the current crop of public officials will not change their behavior until the citizens change theirs.

That said, Potts urged the audience to let it be known the principles of democracy matter to them and to throw their political support to people who have proved they feel the same way.

"It's up to us," he said in conclusion. "We can do it."

Depending on judgment

Afterward, Rotarian Tom Williams had a comment.

"As long as we voters elect people on what they can do for us, what reason do they have to pay attention to procedural things?" Williams asked. Potts agreed that he had a point, and then Williams raised an objection to the idea that democracy is no longer functioning in the Pennsylvania legislature.

"My representative lives here. He takes what we tell him and takes it to Harrisburg," Williams said. "We depend on these guys to use their independent judgment."

Yes, said Potts, but in cases like the slots bill, when the amendment was made at the last minute, representatives wouldn't even have had time to read the revisions. While he acknowledged Williams' point in theory, Potts said, in practice it often turns out very differently.

"Half of the time they're not voting for you," said Potts. "Half of the time they're voting for their leaders."

Libertarian Party - forum and thread on the MeetUp Board

Libertarian Party? - The Libertarian Party of Pittsburgh Meetup Group (Pittsburgh, PA) - Meetup.com
Nice thread.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Reform Pittsburgh Now has a copyright notice on the bottom of its home page

I asked a question about the license for Bill Peduto's new site. He and the others didn't know. I invited him to the 4 pm talk I delivered on open source tools, data, and content. I think Bill had an appointment for a haircut. Does he really use the same barber as John Edwards?
Reform Pittsburgh Now Paid for by Reform Pittsburgh Now. Copyright (c) 2007 Reform Pittsburgh Now. All rights reserved.
Here is a blurb from the talk I gave at 4 pm.

Woody Guthrie including the following note in a 1930s songbook distributed to listeners who wanted the words to his recordings had the following message: "This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright #154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin' it without our permission, will be mighty good friends of ours, cause we don't give a dern. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote it, that's all we wanted to do."

It would be great if the new efforts of REFORM would be FREE.

Here is another example, also presented at the 4 pm talk to Pittsburgh PodCamp:

A journal was published with the following copyright statement: "All texts published in (this journal) may be freely reproduced, translated and edited, even without crediting the original source."

Bill, Justine, Justin, Matt and others. I'd love to have a "Podcast" via TalkShoe.com to talk with you all about the new site's license, copyrights and such. It would be best, in my not so humble opinion, to put the contents into the public domain.

I am not a lawyer (IANAL) and this is not legal advice. Furthermore, the contents of this blog posts are not intended to be legal advice nor should they be relied upon as or represented to be legal advice. CreativeCommons.org cannot and does not give legal advice. You need to assess the suitability of Creative Commons' tools for your particular situation, which may include obtaining appropriate legal advice from a licensed attorney. Yada, yada, yada.

Update:

The Pittsburgh Women's Blogging Society: Bill Peduto's Online PAC: "Today I attended the launch of Bill Peduto's online Political Action Committee at Podcamp. I think there were some mixed signals coming from the audience and the speakers (i.e. Bill & iJustine)."
I would never question anyone's experience. Getting new candidates and new helpers is very important. And, the new voices can be much better than the old. Rookie players are fine with me. My knocks go to other sources, such as Bill's statements.

Plus, the word was all about a lot of 'new faces' involved -- except for the campaign manager, Matt, and of course, Bill. So, the guys in charge are not new. They are veterans.

The saga has the same feel, for some strange reason, as the day Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced the formation of the Pittsburgh Promise. Many in the room that day seemed to be impressed with the hype. The mainstream media was impressed with Luke's talking skills. My jaw was still on the floor.

Of course I want to be proven wrong. I want all the kids who graduate from Pgh Public Schools to have college tuition paid for -- starting with the seniors in high school today. Of course I want Santa to climb down from our roof and leave us presents on the night of Dec 24th too. But let's be real. The Pittsburgh Promise is nothing but a broken promise. We must stop the lies we deliver to our kids. They know better and they see it. And, when they can -- they leave. They don't want to live with false hopes. We need honesty.

If we need a fix on local issues without personality -- we can always turn to the Allegheny Institute -- and Jake, who should not be confused with Justine.

Live blogging Peduto's site launch

I'm here at Pittsburgh's Podcamp having a fun time. Friends are calling my cell. Justine is live blogging in a seat in front of me. David T is passing out campiagn materials. He is running for the Allegheny County at-large seat. Travis is next to me. We talked about New Zealand and the Ron Morris show this morning.

Bill is late.

Matt and I heart burgh are here among other Peduto heads.

Steve from Duquesne is here too. He was the caller just ahead of me on yesterday's Lynn Cullen show talking about impeachment, constitutional lines of the president and war. Steve attended my last podcamp presentation some months ago. He'll be a blogger soon.

Guru.com's live wire, Jia, was talking with Justine and then figured out he was streaming. He went on to kick himself. Funny. You gotta know what you say could be out on the web, realtime. Eeeks. Here is a note to self -- always be nice.

WDUQ microphone ison the table. Bill sits. A big screen is in the background. The room is full, about 60 people.

Monthly podcast. V-Cast. Bill's Blog. Online libary.

By the end of October. Every minute of a weekend you'd not have enough time.

Raise the bar and based on issues.

Take out the personality issues. But, the talk was about how the people who are going ON TO council RAN (past tense) on reform.

There are a lot of things that Bill didn't do.

Directing the operation is my former campaign manager, Matt Preston. This is a very different team. Fresh approach.

It is not about personality, but Justine sits down and rides the bus with Steve Bland. You'll be able to click on one button and contact all you state legislatures. You'll be able to send email to all the members on city council.

The Gathering Hurd -- Marshall. ??

To talk to politians.

Pokey, the bobble head doll can tell if your street needs to be re-paved.

Events. What about a Gmail calendar for Grant Street.

Camping, trivia, mini-golf, white water rafting. Bottom line, we want to make it fun, so says Bill.

Bottom line isn't reforming Pittsburgh.

Excited to see the comments. First episode is the public transit. The next episode is emerging economy, the New Mon Valley. The 3rd, culture/arts/history to revitalize the city. Going to be all over the city.

Later, community benefits agreements.

Asked Bill about use of the Google Calendar I started some months (or a year) ago.

It's the spending

It's the spending - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The underlying problem isn't taxation -- it's spending. Unless big government and its programs of welfare, warfare, regulation and intrusion are drastically limited to constitutionally authorized functions, then we'll become a little country with a debt problem plaguing generations to come.

New Web site urges reform in Pittsburgh politics

New Web site urges reform in Pittsburgh politics Mr. Kownacki, who has been producing Web video for four years, said 'a lot of folks just do it for their own personal gain, or to have their own voices heard by the masses. What you don't see a lot of is actual pro-active video, or social media in general that tries to rally people to a cause, get them to actually effect change.'
Perhaps Justin does not see a lot of pro-active video nor social media that aims to get people to effect changes for causes. But, it is out there. And, it has been for some time.

Remember Ground Zero and Ground Zero's Art of News?

There have been plenty of social calendar sites in Pittsburgh.

People that have nothing to do with politics as reformers should be interesting. I won't be watching. No, I'll be an uninvited participant.

My first question: Will you need a username and password to view the blog, like the last time Peduto ran a blog?

My next question: Will spoofing be possible. If so, it will be a problem.

My last question now: Can I call for a vote?

Friday, August 17, 2007

The blog is on -- and so is my seminar on Saturday at Podcamp

The blog is on - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'Pittsburgh was kind of at the forefront of blogging, before it became mainstream,' said Mike Woycheck, administrator of the Web site Pittsburgh Bloggers. The site started in 2004, and now has a directory of 600 blogs in greater Pittsburgh. 'We've been very open and embracing of this new medium.' The city's changing political climate fuels a lot of its blogs, said Woycheck, 32, of Ignomar. 'Pittsburghers use blogging to vent ideas and complaints. It's a way to make creative responses to all the issues we're facing. This medium is really on the pulse of people's concerns.' The demographic of bloggers in Pittsburgh runs the gamut, Woycheck said. 'We have 20-somethings to 50-somethings; blogs about every day life and issues. Sometimes it's bitter, sometimes it's humorous, sometimes it's snarky, but it's always lively discussion.'

ESPN Page 2 - Jackson: Looking for heroes

ESPN Page 2 - Jackson: Looking for heroes It's called 'Books 'N Hoops.' Emphasis on books. A camp where both girls and guys play ball in T-shirts with 'The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall' on their backs. Mandela has their backs.
Splendid.

City Council's Shields lived a double life as Stevie Steeler - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

City Council's Shields lived a double life as Stevie Steeler - Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewIt was the hardest day of work in my life.'
No kidding.

Festival highlights region’s diversity

Nice insights from the Pgh Courier on the events downtown -- now in session.
Festival highlights region’s diversity The four-day DiverseCITY Pittsburgh Festival seeks to encourage diversity in every aspect of life—in the workplace and in the community.

Parents are voting with their feet. Pittsburgh's brightest depart. Schools and Recreation issues matter greatly.

Allegheny Institute, a local think tank, has issued a position paper on the population decline. The links between the city's population drop and the school district's population sink are clear.

This is a topic area that I've been pressing for years. People vote with their feet. Plus, the biggest motivator isn't yourself. It isn't even your job. Rather, people of Pittsburgh are driven by their children. Their kids are the top priority. If people were told that they're kids would get an advantage if a parent lost an arm -- we'd see a lot of one-arm parents in Pittsburgh. People in our city would cut off their arm and give it to their child if they knew it would help the kid.

How we treat our kids, our recreational opportunities, our schools, our teachers, our young people and our engagement with them is huge. Few on Grant Street know this, value it, nor seem to get it.

When the consultants arrive on the South Side to ponder what is going on in the business district, they gave a report that didn't mention any of the following words: "babies, children, kids, families." Empty. I asked. Then they had something to say.
The Ongoing Abandonment of Pittsburgh Public Schools

Like Pittsburgh’s population, the enrollment in City schools continues to slide dramatically. Census figures show the City losing 3,480 people from July 2005 to July 2006 to stand at 312,819. That represents a total drop of 21,700 (6.5 percent) since the 2000 census. Among comparably sized or larger cities only four had bigger percentage declines since 2005 and one of those is New Orleans whose loss was propelled by Katrina.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh school district (which includes Mt. Oliver) has seen enrollment fall from 38,560 in 2000 to 29,445 last year and is projected by the district to slide another 1,521 to 27,924 for the school year about to get underway. Thus, the total enrollment falloff has reached 10,636, marking a 27.6 percent plunge since the decade began. Some of the enrollment decrease can be attributed to the shifting of students to non-public schools. However, much of it reflects the departure from the City by families with school age children.
The future of our city depends upon how we deal with our kids.

The future of our city also depends upon how we handle liberty and freedom.

The combination of those two important concepts, with a touch of technology, diversity, open ways, smart policies and democracy can lead to Pittsburgh's revival.
From ormsby-serpents

Ron Paul wins Iowa exit poll � disinter

Ron Paul wins Iowa exit poll � disinter: Ron Paul wins Iowa exit poll August 14th, 2007 Vote In Sunshine conducted an exit poll at the Iowa straw poll, here is what they found: Ron Paul 332

Libertarian runs for mayor in Pittsburgh, a political novice to the ballot

by Harold Kyriazi with slight edits by the webmaster

On July 23rd, eight days before the ballot access petitioning deadline, Allegheny County LP officials were contacted by an unknown fellow wishing to run for mayor as a Libertarian, named Tony Oliva. (Older baseball fans may recognize that name as an all-star player from the 1960s and 1970s, but alas, there’s no connection.) His introductory letter to us indicated that he was naïve (27 years old, a political unknown, and imagining an upset victory), but someone with potential. He wrote that he was a military veteran, a University of Pittsburgh graduate with a degree in Political Science, a Pittsburgh resident with extensive community ties, currently employed in the city’s Office of Public Safety, and a member of the Libertarian Party.

After thus reassuring ourselves that he wasn’t crazy or mentally incompetent (for years I’ve felt badly that none of us activists here wished to embark upon that particular quixotic quest), we tried to find out more about him. Coincidentally, at the same time a co-worker of mine (who of course knows I’m a libertarian) mentioned to me that one of his former rock climbing students was running for mayor and had hit him up for a petition signature. They both happened to be paratroopers in the Army, and my coworker said he was a good guy and intelligent. It was thus nice to get some independent verification, and also to know that he was already out collecting signatures.

Within two hours of Tony emailing his letter expressing an intention to run for mayor, Tony was handed several clipboards and forms (third party nomination papers) from Allegheny County's highly energetic vice-chair, Mark Rauterkus. For months similar papers had been circulating with political body, Libertarian, and with Rauterkus occupying spots, including that of mayor, as a place-holder candidate.

That’s one of the new and exciting trends about libertarianism these days: we don’t have to go out and find people, and educate them about libertarianism – now young people find us via the internet. We don’t have to teach them much of the philosophy – they’re usually already thoroughly grounded by their readings on the web. A new day is dawning and there is hope. (Go Ron Paul!)

I corresponded by e-mail with Mr. Oliva during that final week, and despite my vow a few years ago to limit my libertarian activities, I spent a few hours collecting signatures, solicited another few from my brother. Tony and I badgered neighbors, and put some energy into the last days. “It’s harder than I thought it’d be!” expressed a few friends who turned up empty.

Mr. Oliva worked hard for sis days, collecting about 115 signatures each day and getting 700. More than 805 were needed. With his total and what everyone else collected, the Libertarians turned in plenty of signatures to clear the hurdle for the election department and challenges.

After the horrendous experience of minor parties statewide last year, I was very worried that the Republican would challenge. But for whatever reason, he didn’t. Subsequently Mark and Tony filed the necessary papers to conduct the switch of their names.

I’m happy to report that we now have three spots on the city ballot: Tony Oliva for mayor, and Mark Rauterkus for both city council and city controller.

My impression of Mr. Oliva, starting from e-mail exchanges, is clear. I can confidently state that he is a competent writer. We also spoke by phone, and then face-to-face. Based on those encounters and positive reports after a WDUQ radio interview, I can also state that he’s a competent speaker.

From people & vips

Some did question why the Libertarians should run someone for mayor. It is entirely possible that the Republican was already fairly libertarian and he could have a better chance of winning than we did. We could thus be hurting ourselves by splitting our vote.

Mark Rauterkus informed me on the Republican candidate, Mark DeSantis. We checked out his website. Nick spoke with someone in his office. It turns out that DeSantis is a serious candidate with typical Republican economic concerns, such as lowering taxes and increasing government efficiency, but one whose position on social issues is difficult to gauge.

We discussed the obvious -- how a libertarian mayor could instruct the city police to make consensual crimes their lowest priority, but we didn’t know Mr. Oliva’s thoughts on that score. Assuming the best, Mark Rauterkus suggested that if vote-splitting turned out to be a legitimate concern, we could always make a splash by withdrawing a few weeks before the election and asking our supporters to vote for DeSantis. That was enough to drive to do the last-minute petitioning for signatures.

Tony and I sat down to lunch last in order for me to get to know him better for this article, to discuss some of these issues, and also to give him any benefit of my political experience.

Mr. Oliva is a handsome, athletic-looking young man, with the attentive and easy, straight-forward manner that seems appropriate for someone with military experience. He still serves with the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Interesting to me as a former diehard Pitt football fan, Tony came to Pittsburgh from New York City (the Bronx) on a football scholarship from Pitt’s legendary coach Johnny Majors. Fortunately, he left any New York accent behind. In fact, Tony was Majors’ last recruit at Pitt, being recruited in 1996, shortly before Majors was fired. Oliva started at Pitt in 1997 under new head coach Walt Harris, as a 175-pound defensive back with 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash. That’s considered a fast time. He was red-shirted his freshman year, and expected to bulk up.

In the off-season, unfortunately, while crossing the street he got hit by a car, and received career-ending damage to a knee. Being the thoughtful, independent-minded young man that he is, he refused surgery that he felt might predispose him to premature arthritis, and opted instead for rehab and more natural, alternative medical approaches.

He stayed on at Pitt, getting a degree in Political Science, and rehabilitated his knee enough to play Ultimate Frisbee for the Pitt men’s team, making nationals for three years.

After graduating, he joined the military. As a paratrooper, he suffered another severe injury, being accidentally “sharked” by a fellow jumper. That’s where another jumper cuts under you as you’re approaching the ground, taking away your air and collapsing your chute, whereupon you fall rapidly, as though a shark has just attacked and pulled you under the water. That fall resulted in a severe shoulder dislocation and accompanying nerve trauma, and left him unable to raise his left arm above shoulder level.

He’s still able to enjoy tennis and other sports, though, and comes from a very athletic family. His brother played football and baseball in college, and his sister was a standout basketball and softball player in high school. His brother is also into NY politics, having been a speech writer for George Pataki, district chief of staff for a U.S. congressmen, and director of communications for a state minority leader.

Mr. Oliva is personable and has many friends here who have offered to help him in various ways with his campaign. Unfortunately perhaps, he is naïve enough to think he has a chance to defeat Luke Ravenstahl, the incumbent democrat and another 27-year-old. Ravenstahl won an election to city council before taking over as mayor when the recently elected then-mayor Bob O’Connor died last year.

Mr. Oliva may be correct in thinking he has the advantage of his libertarian philosophy and exceptional interpersonal skills, but being a political unknown, all the money in the world can’t buy him the trust of Pittsburgh voters, 80% of whom are registered Democrat.

The best he can hope for, in my view, is to run a positive, issue-oriented campaign, impress the people he interacts with, inject some libertarian solutions into the debate (and into the minds of Ravenstahl and his aides and advisors), and pave the way for a run for another race down the road.

Some will suggest that he switch parties to Democrat and starting off as a ward committeeman, rather than thinking he can leapfrog all the way into the Mayor’s office.

Libertarians can certainly win office when they live in small communities where they can personally meet all the voters, effectively negating the negative connotations of a minor party label. But people with a strong desire to actually serve in office in a large district, where they simply cannot personally contact a significant fraction of voters, need to be real, and follow the example of people like Ron Paul. The rest of us can work within the Libertarian Party to educate the electorate, and possibly level the playing field a bit by getting more people to register as Libertarians, so that eventually we’ll have a reasonable chance at winning a major city election.

The baseball Tony Oliva was the 1964 rookie of the year in the American League. Let’s try to see to it that our Tony Oliva develops into a Libertarian Party All-Star.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Grass isn't greener for Bloomfield football team - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

This isn't right.
Grass isn't greener for Bloomfield football team - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The city has committed $300,000 to $350,000 to tear out the turf, plant grass, install dugouts and irrigate the land. That's most of the $450,000 available in the yearly public works budget earmarked for 'park reconstruction.' The work could begin by September -- once a contractor is chosen -- and could take six to eight months to complete. Gable said Mayor Luke Ravenstahl approved the project. As for the one-sport restriction. Gable said the decision conforms to a 2002 study of the city's fields by North Side-based Pashek Associates that recommended limiting each field to baseball, softball, soccer or football to give the grass time to grow between seasons.
First of all, the 2002 field study is a joke. It is nothing to pin any hopes and policy upon. It is crap. I have and have had big problems with the field study. I followed the work of the field study. I care about kids and recreation. The field study is not worth the paper it is printed on. And, it is printed on paper so large that it can't be put on a simple photo copy machine. And, the field study wasn't even made into a PDF nor put online.

City Planning played around with the residents with plenty of half-baked plans and studies over the years. Often the studies are ways to get consultants cash -- much like kick-backs. These come from hand-picked groups, generally. Or better, when there is a bid process -- all the groups know that they have to 'pay to play.' They all are on the line and hook for political donations.

Just last night I was at another city-wide meeting and there was talk about the 'pedestrian plan' of the city. My only question was, 'When is the next meeting?' The answer, after some delay, was "DECEMBER, we think."

City planning has a meeting about a city-wide plan process in August 2007 and the next meeting four months into the future. Glaciers move faster.

I dare anyone to go to the City's Planning Department to get a copy of the city's field study of 2002. I doubt that they will give it to you. I doubt you'll be able to find it online. I doubt you'll be able to read it and have it make sense. I know that the people who put it together did NOT consider the kids and traditions of the sports organizations in the city.

A few years ago the city told the South Side Sabers that they would NOT be able to use that team's field for a year. The city wanted to plant grass. So the city thought it would be okay to tell the team to go away. Growing grass is a higher priority than coaching kids.

The team, rightfully so, said no way. They had the season.

The Park's Master Plan presents another major study effort that is nothing but bunk. I went to the meeting where that was revealed and offered one suggestion. I told them that they had a document with the wrong title. They could have satisfied my objections by calling it the "Parks' LESSER Plan" as it wasn't 'comprehensive.' That document talked about the vegitation and plant life in the parks. The word "coach" was not in the docuement at all. Zippo.

Thousands of hours were invested. Perhaps $200,000 in city taxpayer money was spent. Teams of consultants were engaged too.

The big bang outcome for the city was to be, get this, a park pavilion upgrade to include running water. That's right, indoor plumbing. Another park was going to get a new garden that was similar to the one they used to have in the 1920s.

Any moron knows that there is a major shortage of ballfields in the city. So the city's angle of attack is to take the fields and devote / convert them to single sport venues. That is the wrong way.

We need more play on the fields, not less.

We need to use the parks and the fields so we can teach our kids how to play nice with one another.

We need to put the management and organization of our parks, public parks, into the hands of those who are working with the kids on a day to day basis.

Screw the consultants.

Screw the Grant Street Politicians who are clueless on how to care for our kids. They don't even want to try.

Here is what we need to do, as a city.

First, we need to get all parks programming off the hands of the City of Pittsburgh. Citiparks should be spun off of Grant Street. Furthermore, the Allegheny County Parks and Rec Department has its issues too. They don't care either. So, the County Parks need to be cut out from the County.

Think of the last time County Parks were a topic of discussion. It was about the killing of the Canadian Geese. Before that, perhaps the drivers on roads in the parks when Jim Roddey was ACE. Or, perhaps the shallow water in North Park's lake. We can do better, much better.

Merge Citiparks and County Parks & Rec into a new entity -- the Pittsburgh Park District.

This new entity is NOT an authority. It is NOT like the Pgh Parks Conservancy. It is NOT run by consultants. It is NOT run by women with big hats. It is NOT run by Elsie Hillman nor Bill Trueheart nor other foundation weenies.

The new Pgh Park District needs to be run in an open, democratic way. People who run the programs need to control the parks. Meetings need to be open, on tv, with lots of voting among lots of citizens, parents, coaches, park players, swimmers, footballers, and even Ultimate Frisbee yuppies.

Footnote: Bram of the Pgh Comment blog fell (hook, line and sinker) into a past ploy of Mayor Murphy to get support for a broken promise.

Fields and permits and sports teams should not come under crony considerations. Fields should not be treated like the system used for repaving roads. It is all crooked. Corruption rules.

Every once in a while this comes into focus with a story in the newspaper. But it is a daily event on Grant Street. It needs to be fixed. The way to fix it is to elect people who are NOT Democrats. We need to break the back of one-party rule. Then we can get new people who are loyal to principles of good behavior for the sake of doing the right things.

The Dem politicians do what they do now because they are looking out for their jobs. They take their clues from others in high places who are needed to keep their jobs.

Now the football players in Bloomfield need to rush Grant Street -- blitz if you will -- to raise a stink. Luke has to save the day because he and the others that have come before him and who are on council now have fumbled. They screwed up. They have made dozens of mess ups on top of dozens of other mess ups.

It is time to put some new perspectives on Grant Street so we can get new reform that makes sense.

And I don't want to reform Pittsburgh now because that implies that the people that are on Grant Street now will do the reforming.

I've said that if I'm elected to city council, I want to be the one who is the chairman of the Citiparks committee. I want that job.

Furthermore, if I'm elected to the post of 'controller' I'll be sure to review each of the past master plans and call them bogus by pointing out their weaknesses.

It is obvious to me that bad decisions are being made -- constantly -- because they rely upon bad data. The priorities are messed up. The benchmarks are a joke. And they don't have the perspectives nor creativity to clean up the mess.

The ones who made the mess are the ones who are least capable of cleaning it up.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

URA calling for proposals for hotel at Pittsburgh Technology Center

URA calling for proposals for hotel at Pittsburgh Technology Center

Mayoral Opponent Upset Over Youth Program Shirts Sporting 'Ravenstahl' Name - News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

Mayoral Opponent Upset Over Youth Program Shirts Sporting 'Ravenstahl' Name - News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh About 232 children taking part in Pittsburgh's summer youth employment program are wearing city-issued T-shirts with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's name appearing on them.

The shirts have Republican mayoral candidate Mark DeSantis upset.

"It's not the mayor's program," DeSantis said. "It's the city of Pittsburgh's program. It's not the mayor's money. It's taxpayers' dollars. It's not the mayor's government. It's city government. There's really no reason to promote his name with a city program.

Hot news from Bangkok's swim meet - World Univeristy Games has Pittsburgh connection wearing gold

AMS Home Page: "World University Games, August 12-18, Bangkok, Thailand ..."
Check out the news.

The photos are from our trip to Thailand. Does this guy look like a 400 IMer?
From thai mix

Christine Smith, Libertarian Candidate for President, 2008

Christine Smith, Libertarian Candidate for President, 2008 Christine Smith, Libertarian Candidate for President, 2008
A women in the race, besides Hillary.

I am happy to share my campaign is progressing very well!

I take this opportunity to invite everyone of you to my campaign website:

http://www.LibertarianForPresident.com

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Ravenstahl makes his own case for being clueless

Esquire.
From texture - misc.
Luke on Luke --- "Look at me. No hands. No clue either!"
Ravenstahl makes cameo in new Esquire - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The magazine ran a quote from each mayor with his photo. Ravenstahl told the magazine the 'best perk' of being mayor: 'I don't have the political relationships yet, so I think that's an advantage. But because things move so quickly, I haven't had the chance to sit down and digest it. To this day, quite honestly, it hasn't hit me -- the opportunity I have.'
Digest it. Barf!

Chew your food. Take your time. Don't eat on the run.

Luke, you need to speak about the duty you have, not the opportunity. Luke, you need to talk of the service you hope to fill, not the perks that float your way. Luke, you need to dodge the hits you inflict on yourself because of the running around in circles. Get a grip. Be hit. Hit back. Stand your ground. Be aware.

Talk of the responsibility, the stewardship, the management efforts.

Luke, it is NOT so important that you tell "Pittsburgh's story" to mayors from around the nation. Those folks are NOT going to move here. What is important in telling that story -- except for you as the teller.

I'm not here to be a slave of history -- or even H I S -- S T O R Y. Pittsburgh's story is something that is unfolding. Let's make history. Let's craft a better story.

Libertarian Party opposes proposed smoking ban on private businesses

Harrisburg latest intrusion tabled till fall

Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania

Harrisburg - Although legislators have tabled a state-wide smoking ban until fall, the issue is far from dead. Governor Rendell has expressed his disappointment in the delay and indicated that "I believe a statewide ban would be good, and I'd be willing to sign it."

Today, the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (LPPa) announced their opposition to this ban and re-affirmed their advocacy of the principles of individual responsibility and individual liberty. The Party holds that it is outside the role of government to prohibit legal behavior on private property.

Per Doug Leard, LPPa Media Relations Chair, "We, the citizens of Pennsylvania, do not want or need to be treated as children. We are responsible adults. We can decide whether to attend a restaurant or other privately owned enterprise which allows or does not allow smoking."

Libertarian candidate, Jim Babb, added, "If the governor has his way, his next step could be a ban on unhealthy foods, carrying scissors or mandating hats when it's cold. Free people don't need governmental parents. To assume that Pennsylvanians are too childish to make their own health choices is arrogant and insulting. To assume the politicians can make adult choices is downright foolish and dangerous."

The Senate and House versions would ban smoking in places such as arenas, private stores, private restaurants, and convention halls. The Senate and House bills differ in their list of special-interest exceptions and the ability of local governments to establish more restrictive bans.

Mark Crowley, a Libertarian Party activist from Allegheny County, asked, "What's next? Will Harrisburg bureaucrats target happy-hour promotions because lower-cost foods and drinks lead to bad health decisions? Appetizers and smoking should be personal choices, not government mandates. Let customers choose by voting with their feet and taking the demand for wait staff with them."

The 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.

Assure Schenley's future

What is up with this?
Assure Schenley's future 'I'd like to go to Schenley, but I don't know if it is going to stay open. You know, the ceiling fell down.'
Funny how things seem to happen, like the sky falling, or floor flooding, when the powers that be want to churn.

Three Rivers Stadium had a flood. Remember that?

Mellon Arena's lights went out. Remember that?

Schenley High School's ceiling fell -- in time for summer school.

Upkeep. Maintain. Modernize.

Well, Pitt Stadium was modernized. It had great facilities for the players, coaches, trainers and athletes. But, that didn't help much. Pitt Stadium still went away.

Pop City - Councilman Bill Peduto launches revolutionary PAC web site

This makes me chuckle on a number of levels. But first, the POP news:
Pop City - Councilman Bill Peduto launches revolutionary PAC web site Reformpittsburghnow.com will officially launch this Saturday. Among the unique features will be videos of people and places in Pittsburgh--what’s working and what’s not; a call to action that includes a library on issues and a single-click contact your legislator; a social network for feedback; a monthly Talk to Peduto forum, and a personal blog by Peduto. “The whole idea,' he says,'is to strip away the divisive mean-spiritedness which I was embroiled in and create a new environment that is more harmonious, that will bring about a gathering of like-minded individuals to effect change in Pittsburgh.”
Good to see Peduto found the internet to be his number one source of information. Personally, TV departed as my number one source of news and information after NBC pulled the plug on the Red, White, and Blue cable stations established for 24-hour coverage of the summer Olympics in 1992.

So Peduto, a divisive, mean-spirited politician who has been embroiled in hard-hitting Grant Street politics his entire career is going to turn a new leaf and become the leader of a harmonious enclave of like-mindedness.

Hippies were individuals who wanted to effect change too.

Furthermore, I contend that Grant Street is filled with like-mindedness. Every elected city official is of a like-mind and with a "D" next to his or her name.

The "whole idea" is to strip away all-for-one attitudes. Pittsburgh has been marching with lock-step like-mindedness for decades. They march to the same tune and have created a massive rut as well.

Peduto's leadership hatches a “whole idea." He says the aim is 'to strip away the divisive mean-spiritedness which I was embroiled in and create a new environment that is more harmonious, that will bring about a gathering of like-minded individuals to effect change in Pittsburgh."

Jeepers. Let's put the recovering CRACK DEALER on stage as a model citizen at our kid's school to say, "Don't grow up like me." What is Peduto to stand up and say? "I was bad. Now I'm good. Play nice. Do what I say, not as I've done."

There is plenty of twisted thinking in these statements.

First off, Peduto's 'mean-spiritedness' is autobiographical. He said it himself. Those are his words.

I don't think Peduto was that mean spirited. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I don't think he has been that gracious and open either. His camp isn't known for singing "We are the world" and other peace and love songs.

Second, I don't shy away from a good battle. I find diversity as a sign of health. I like to see folks split on issues of merit. There is nothing wrong with 5-4 votes, except when they are cast about cat licenses and other meaningless measures.

Bill Peduto must intend on using the Podcamp event as a back drop for the new site launch.

Pittsburgh airport expands enclave for private jets

Luke might be able to hang out at this hangar to collect his autographs.
Pittsburgh airport expands enclave for private jets There aren't many places in Western Pennsylvania that can boast about playing host to Tiger Woods, Ben Roethlisberger, Sidney Crosby, Al Gore and a host of other athletes, politicians and celebrities. Atlantic Aviation Service's Business Aviation Center at Pittsburgh International Airport is one of them. And the company is looking to add to its growing customer base. Atlantic Aviation Services, joined by local politicians and Allegheny County Airport Authority officials, opened a new 30,000-square-foot jet hangar and 7,250-square-foot charter terminal and office center at the airport yesterday.
I would be keen to expand these types of private services at the Allegheny County Airport, not the Greater Pittsburgh airport.

Of course FedEx and Bayer are going to be more interested in the western area runway. But the teams headed to and from Oakland and Mellon Arena could use the Allegheny County Airport.

Otherwise, I'm worried about the long-term health of the County Airport. How much does that cost a year to operate?

Furthermore, what about that airport under construction in the near north, up by Deer Lakes and Fox Chapel? What has become of that pork spending?

I'd love to see an audit of all our airports.

If the private jets that fly into the airport are a key to the region's economic development efforts, we are in sad, sad shape. Let's subsidize the corporations that need a place to house their jets. Let's give them easy access to their private planes.

Dan Onorato says "you NEED these types of facilities." Rather, he means, he needs to get these types of facilities so he can take care of his campaign donors.

The key to remaining competitive isn't found in high flying CEOs who are paid hundreds more than the average worker in the company. That's bunk.

Here we go, again, bending over backwards to service those who come into town for the US Open and the All-Star Game. Rather, I'd love to have services for those that live here. I'd rather devote attention to our kids that grow up here. I'd rather make sure our parks are open, clean, safe, -- and with coaches and equipment.

What we need -- NEED -- are flights abroad. We need to get to Europe. How about flights to London, Germany, Central/South America, and more locations in Canada.

LewRockwell.com Blog: The Revolution

Check out the image on this site.
LewRockwell.com Blog: The Revolution The strength of the Ron Paul campaign is the incredible number of self-starting volunteers who organize and work for him entirely on their own. And they show competence as well as heart.

Could these be the weed and seed computers being carried away on a bike

From china - bike ...
Team 4: Missing Electronics Bought With Weed And Seed Money - News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh The Weed and Seed program is supposed to crack down on crime while lifting up communities. Lately, there have been questions about the way some money was spent, and about missing computers and other merchandise, according to Team 4 investigative reporter Jim Parsons. The purchases of electronic equipment like computers and digital cameras were made with Weed and Seed funds while Tom Murphy was mayor of Pittsburgh. Now, the federal government is asking the city to locate that equipment.
Weed and Seed is NOT providing Fruit.

Neighborhood crime prevention, career center. Pittsburgh, PA

Neighborhood crime prevention, career center. Pittsburgh, PA A City-wide Crime Prevention Program developed for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Monday, August 13, 2007

Stake of Westinghouse Electric sold to Kazakhstan company

For this we need to make local tax breaks so our schools here get less income for operations.
Stake of Westinghouse Electric sold to Kazakhstan company The day before Gov. Ed Rendell travels to Cranberry to celebrate the start of Westinghouse Electric's new corporate campus in Cranberry, Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corp. agreed to sell a 10 percent stake in Westinghouse to Kazakhstan's state-run energy company.

Toshiba agreed to the $540 million sale to Almaty-based Kazatomprom so it could gain access to Kazakhstan's abundant supply of uranium, a resource used by nuclear power plants. Kazakhstan hopes to become the world's largest uranium miner by the end of the decade; it currently ranks third.

Blogger cures Global warming N@

Cool. Pun intended.

Bloggers should rule the world. It is going to be a much kweler place once we do.
GroundReport | Global warming "vanishes" from US temperature record after NASA corrects data Global warming 'vanishes' from US temperature record after NASA corrects data
NASA should say 'sorry.'

Better link:

Link

GroundReport | After floods: urged to work on prevention

GroundReport | After floods, UN urges countries to work on prevention After floods, UN urges countries to work on prevention
Humm...

I've been talking about prevention and infrastructure for a long time. We need to do and measure what is prudent.

It is sad that Pittsburgh needs to look to the playbook of Bangladesh to figure out what should be done and where our priorities need to be placed.

Another one bites the dust

Tommy Thompson, R, from Wisconsin is out of the US Presidential race.
Romney: Win Not Hollow -- GOPUSA Historically, the straw poll has helped winnow the field of presidential candidates and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who ran sixth, dropped out of the race Sunday.
I got to meet Mr. Thompson. He spoke to a group of people at a Washington D.C. hotel located next to the White House. He gave a nice presentation.

He had been out of the cabinet for a week or two. He told the story about his first day back in the 'real world.' He got up in the morning and headed to work. Walked to the car and sat in the backseat. After a moment he realized he was alone. No driver.

Next he talked for two minutes about how hard it is to both find you way around town, be it DC or elsewhere, without a driver. And, how hard it is to find a parking space after you get to where you want to go.

Welcome to the real world Tommy boy!

We did talk about Tommy's brother, an elected official in a small town. He was 'mayor' and he is a Libertarian.

I'm not sure where he is now. And, I wonder what he had to say about Tommy's race for President contrasted to Ron Paul. Now that might be a good tidbit for the history books.

The T.T. for President website had this statement about the Iowa Straw Poll:
Tommy Thompson For President - Statement by Governor Thompson on Ames Straw Poll Participation To skip the straw poll is to show fear...fear that a campaign's lack of support will finally be revealed and fear the entire country will see that the king has no clothes.
Both Senator McCain and Mayor Giuliani skipped out of the Iowa Straw Poll.

Bye!
Vote Tommy 2008

How Extremists Are Getting US-Bought Guns

How Extremists Are Getting US-Bought Guns At least three U.S. government agencies are now investigating the massive 'disappearance' and diversion of weapons Washington intended for Iraqi government forces that instead have spread to militants and organized gangs across the region. The potential size of the traffic is stunning. A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office last month showed that since 2004, some 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols, bought with U.S. money for Iraqi security forces, have gone missing.
There is a good reason why they hate the United States. This is bad. Corruption with contractors is ugly.

Romney "Out Pauls" Paul

Dr. Ron Paul, the Republican candidate for President, has been heralded as the King of the Internet by his supporters for his purported omnipresence on the World Wide Web.

On WashingtonPost.com recently, this blurb by Jose Antonio Vargas in regards to the "back on" YouTube debates with Republicans:

"Romney, the lone GOP holdout, has posted more videos on his YouTube channel (283 as of Sunday afternoon) than any other presidential candidate, Republican or Democrat. But he has resisted the debate, in which videotaped questions are submitted through YouTube. In an interview with Manchester Union Leader, Romney said, 'I think the presidency ought to be held at a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman.'"

I think the YouTube debate for Republicans could be fun; however, I too believe that it would simply be a venue for "cheap shots" for a historically non-Republican audience.

Then again, Mitt Romney has more of an Internet presence than any other candidate. I reserve the right to be wrong.

Citizens Police Academy to Open Again

This is great news. The Citizens' Police Academy is to re-open. When it closed, I spoke with others, saying that the decision to close was poor judgement. This venture, operated by the city, could be money maker. We asked that the program be expanded to serve the region, not just the city. It could be turned into a new revenue stream for the city.

Plus, the benefits of the program are huge for the overall community.
Briefs: Motorcycle hits tree in Mt. Oliver, victim found nearby - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Citizen's Police Academy applications accepted The Pittsburgh Police Department is accepting applications for the Citizen's Police Academy, set to begin Sept. 4. The program will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays at police headquarters, 1203 Western Ave., North Side, police Lt. Jennifer Beidle said. Participants learn about law-enforcement functions, some criminal law, search and seizure, patrol tactics, firearms, crime scene processing and other topics. The class is free and limited to 30 people. Applications must be received by Aug. 24. For an application or more information, call Beidle at 412-323-7889.

Trib Brief: Fourth Candidate Enters Race for Mayor

Briefs: Motorcycle hits tree in Mt. Oliver, victim found nearby - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Oakland Fourth candidate enters race for mayor An Oakland man filed paperwork to run for Pittsburgh mayor as a Libertarian, which makes four candidates for the city's top office. Tony Oliva, 27, filed Thursday to be a replacement candidate for Libertarian Mark Rauterkus, who withdrew from the mayor's race Wednesday. Rauterkus is running as a Libertarian for City Council in District 3 and for city controller. Democratic Mayor Luke Ravenstahl also faces Republican Mark DeSantis and Socialist Workers Party candidate Ryan Scott in the Nov. 6 election.

Libertarian mayoral candidate drops out, gives place to another

Libertarian mayoral candidate drops out, gives place to another Libertarian mayoral candidate drops out, gives place to another

The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH -- The Libertarian Party candidate for mayor said he will withdraw from the race and pass his slot on the ballot to another candidate. Mark Rauterkus said he will, however, continue to run for city controller and council, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on its Web site Wednesday. Public safety worker Tony Oliva, 27, said he will take the ballot position for mayor Rauterkus had secured.


Same news in Philly:
Libertarian mayoral candidate drops out, gives place to another | AP | 08/08/2007 Libertarian mayoral candidate drops out, gives place to another


The Trib got this blurb into the paper as we pushed the paperwork around town and the election department:
Oakland Libertarian files for mayoral run - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Oakland Libertarian files for mayoral run

Friday, August 10, 2007

Great being with the Buckeye Swim Club in a long-course meet at Kenyon

Wonderful team. A merger should have happened. Oh well. 


Ravenstahl Could Lock Up Potential "Interesting" Race With Strong Post-Flood Showing

Let’s be honest. Interim Mayor Luke Ravenstahl doesn’t have much to worry about when it comes to the November election. Mark DeSantis, the Republican who should have a decent showing if he had any kind of money, is really the Republican’s best chance in years (by the way, it doesn’t matter if the Socialist gets on any TV debates, I have more of a chance than winning than he does, and I’m not on the ballot).

DeSantis’ only hope for a respectable showing now rests on how the Interim Mayor responds to the flooding and weather situation (which may or may not include a tornado in downtown Pittsburgh).

So far, Ravenstahl has looked good and done what he needs to do. There was a significant population in the community that was put off by his sometimes childish antics. Everyone knows the story about him golfing in a celebrity tournament when a controversial action was taking place downtown. There was the attempt to get in Tiger Woods’ face during the U.S. Open that was taking place in suburban Pittsburgh, presumably for a picture to put on his office wall, or perhaps a billboard.

Ravenstahl says he declared a state of an emergency for the city. County Executive Dan Onorato did the same for the county. There’s damage to the Carnegie Science Center and a building the Uptown community. Specifically a minority-run barbershop partially collapsed.

Now if Luke can put on a good “leadership” face and make people believe he’s more than a political puppet, albeit a very young and conceivably an immature one at that, this could be a landslide victory of "mandate" proportions.

This election will have more to say about our next 12-20 years in this city than any since I’ve lived here (I still am convenienced that if Luke wins, it's his until he decides to give it up). You can line up all the Costas, Wagners and Murphys you want; if Luke looks good after the flood, he's in until the Pirates are competitive again.

Thankfully, our last "made" Mayor Tom Murphy is gone and disappeared into the vapors. Who even knows if he lives here anymore, there’s never any word on the street about the former “leader?”

Here comes the rain again. It most assuredly could wash away any hopes of an interesting mayoral race.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Pittsburgh agency might offer new business breaks - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh agency might offer new business breaks - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The Urban Redevelopment Authority is poised to clear the way for new tax breaks to businesses by revising old incentives drafted during Mayor Tom Murphy's administration.
No new TIFs. No old TIFs. No TIFs at all. I am not in favor of any TIFs. Pittsburgh needs some time to heal from all of the goofy deals it has hatched. Most have never paid off as promised.

Pittsburgh's 1st public art manager begins soon - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh's 1st public art manager begins soon - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review If Pittsburgh wants to attract more young people -- and convince them to stay here -- the city must become more attractive, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said.

Enter Kim Baker, 30, formerly of Seattle. The new Lawrenceville resident starts Aug. 20 as Pittsburgh's first-ever public art manager.
Welcome to town Kim. Now, if you please, duck.

I do not agree with the concepts stated in the quote above by Luke Ravenstahl.

First, it begins with a big "if." If Pittsburgh wants to attract more people. So, Pittsburgh might not give a flying "IF" to attract immigrants.

Then there is the whole 'young people' focus. Should Pittsburgh put the 'young people' as a priority? Do the young people follow the trends? Are the young people flocking to the South Side in the nights and weekends and being a negative for the city's image -- as we heard early this week from consultants with the SSLDC.

The city "MUST" be more attractive. Wait. Didn't the city already clean up its smoky city image. Isn't the city blessed with one of the most attractive views anywhere in North America?

Are looks that important? Isn't it superficial to only want to be pretty -- attractive -- as flash that is only skin deep and nothing else.

What about Pittsburgh's personality, moxie, attitude, smarts, and fitness? Are those all meaningless to Luke.

And then there is the part about an 'investment into the city.' Really, this is an expense. This is a salary.

We NEED public art. Humm. Don't we already have public art? Do we want to be dynamic, or attractive?

Do we 'want' public art -- or do we 'need' public art.

I don't think Luke has a good grip upon what we 'want' and what we 'need.' The two are not the same.

The Heinz Endowments are going to pay for the $52k salary. But, she will be an employee. Pension, healthcare, overhead -- who's counting.

Great art draws people to the cities, so they think. Sigh.

Here is a clincher of a quote. She must have used this line in the interview to get hired: "I like public art, in particular, because access is available to everyone." (get out)

We've got a real, how do you say, 'hum dinger' there.

Did you know that Pittsburgh has this thingie -- but enforcement has been a problem. It hasn't been enforced for years. E-N-F-O-R-C-E-M-E-N-T

Enforcement in Pittsburgh is a joke. What is to be enforced is often a giggle.

But a new dawn is about to break. She hopes that in three to five years the city will commission artists to produce.

Public relations talk about three to five years might as well be talk of 30 to 50 years. The public treasury will still be in litigation with the the former executive from PAT who is seeking his back pension three years from now.

NoDrinkTax.com web site -- cheers to one round messages.

NoDrinkTax.comPoliticians in Allegheny County are trying to raise taxes on adult beverages (beer, wine, and spirits) by as much as an additional 10%. Increasing the already burdensome drink tax will cost jobs, hurt local businesses, and deal a major blow to the local economy.
Wasted away again in Allegheny-ville. They do not know how to create jobs -- but they are great at the creation of new taxes.

Gay support could cost candidates - Peter A. Brown - Politico.com

Gay support could cost candidates - Peter A. Brown - Politico.com Quinnipiac University polls of voters in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania -- the big three Electoral College swing states -- found voters by large margins more likely to see the endorsement of a gay rights group as a reason to vote against, rather than for, a candidate.

That is especially the case among independent voters -- often the key to winning these critical states -- and much more so among men than women and Republicans than Democrats.

Libertarian withdraws from mayor's race; stays in 2 others

Libertarian withdraws from mayor's race; stays in 2 others: "Libertarian withdraws from mayor's race; stays in 2 others"

Ravenstahl putts for Chicago expo - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

How ironic.

The mayor is in the promotion mode, again, with golf as a back-drop. Meanwhile, for the past year the only public golf course in the city, at Schenley Park, recently named for the late Bob O'Connor, is on the brink of closing. The course is bankrupt. The course does not make money. The course does not pull its own weight. The course is a drain on the city's budget. The nonprofit group that runs the course can't get the job done.

Pittsburgh has plenty of golf course around the region. We have some nice public venues. But, we are also known for plenty of 'country clubs.'

The other ironic mention, putting. Might as well say put-put. Puttering, floundering.

The word, putter, as in puttered and puttering:
To occupy oneself in an aimless or ineffective manner.
v.tr.
To waste (time) in idling:


The city has wasted plenty of time by not looking at, thinking about and doing acts that tackle the countless list of problems in the city and the region. The Bob O'Connor golf course is a prime example of how nothing has been done to insure that it can survive without another last minute bailout.

End the puttering.

Ravenstahl putts for Chicago expo - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said a marketing campaign showing a cartoon of him chipping a golf ball onto a putting green is a hole-in-one.

'Meet our Mayor: And putt your way to Pittsburgh,' says a headline above the cartoon of a rolling golf course and wedge-toting golfer. Beneath the drawing, the ad touts Pittsburgh's 'eco-friendly convention center, #1 airport in the U.S., unique meeting venues, world-class hotels, 212 Downtown eateries and walkable city.'"

West End gets federal money to fight crime - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

West End gets federal money to fight crime - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced today that eight West End neighborhoods will be eligible for up to $1 million to combat gangs, drugs and other crimes that have plagued those neighborhoods.

The money comes from the U.S. Department of Justice's Weed and Seed Program, which is a joint community and law enforcement effort to improve neighborhood safety.

'These funds are not going to be used just to weed the bad elements from your communities, they'll be used to revitalize,' Buchanan said.

Eighty Percent say "YES" to the inclusion of 3rd party candidates in debates for Pgh Mayor's Race

Today's Trib newspaper (printed edition) has news of yesterday's KQV Radio Poll. Yes, Trib Editor, I am a subscriber. After the poll closed is the first I am blogging about this question. And, I did NOT call in to record a vote on this matter myself.
WEDNESDAY'S QUESTION

Several debates with Pittsburgh mayoral candidate are planned by the local broadcast media. Republican Mark DeSantis will debate incumbent Democrat Luke Ravenstahl. Broadcast executive must now decide whether to include two so-called third-party ballot-qualified candidates, Libertarian Mark Rauterkus and Socialst Workers Party member Ryan Scott.

Do you think those third party candidates whose names will be on the Nov 6 ballot for Pittsburgh mayor should be included in the debates?

YES = 80 percent (191 votes)
NO = 20 percent (47 votes)
Of course citizens and voters of the region are open minded. Of course the crony mentality to label others and discount opportunities for others thrives among Grant Street among politicians. The majority want to hear from all voices.

But, what will the executives of the mainstream media outlets want?

Will the ones who control the airwaves want to side with the people or choose to play it safe?

Libertarian candidates in Pennsylvania for 2007's general election

Candidates in 2007 from Pennsylvania:

D. Michael Blackie for Philadelphia City Council

James Babb for Council of Censors, Montgomery County

James Babb for Montgomery County Sheriff

Erik Viker for Selinsgrove Borough Council, Snyder County – ON BALLOT

Mik Robertson for Clarion County Commissioner – ON BALLOT

Berlie Etzel for Clarion County Register and Recorder – ON BALLOT

Myron Deitrick for Mayor of Avis Borough, Clinton County – ON BALLOT & incumbent

Vance Mays for Venango County Commissioner – ON BALLOT

Mary Lea Lucas for Strattenville Borough Council, Clarion County – ON BALLOT

Tony Oliva for Mayor of Pittsburgh – ON BALLOT

Mark Rauterkus for Controller, Pittsburgh, – ON BALLOT

Mark Rauterkus for Pittsburgh City Council, 3rd District – ON BALLOT


The Libertarians did have some candidates not get onto the ballot. These individuals either did not request assistance and/or did not respond to contacts. There were also a couple of late candidate inquiries. One late candidate effort was Chris Bectloff in Lancaster County. The PA Chair was not able to get an update, yet.

Tony Oliva in Pittsburgh worked with the Allegheny County organization. They responded incredibly well to support Tony when they became aware of his desire to be a candidate. The Libertarians throughout Pennsylvania need to find a way to consistently help candidates along and make sure they can submit the paperwork needed to get on the ballot. Local organizations are key to making this work.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Current rushes around me

Thumbs up. All systems go. Things look good. (Click on the photo above to zoom in for a closer look.)

I'm out of the mayor's race. It's washing over me -- down the drain. Refreshing.

Jamendo : Open your ears

Jamendo : Open your ears On jamendo, artists allow everyone to download and share their music. It's free, legal and unlimited.

An inspiration - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

An inspiration - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "After attending Friday's rally in Marshall for presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, with approximately 1,000 others, I eagerly awaited reading about the event in Saturday's Trib. I must say that I was very disappointed to find no mention of it in the paper."
Speaking of no mention in the papers. The Trib ran a small blurb on the my putting in for three offices (the article only listed two) along with the Howard Dean article. However, it had not been listed in the Trib's search engine. Talked to the editor of the Trib. He wrote that he'll look into it for me.

Proposal to strengthen open records law produces some disagreements on details

This is a hot subject.
Proposal to strengthen open records law produces some disagreements on details Proposal to strengthen open records law produces some disagreements on details

Wednesday, August 08, 2007
By Tracie Mauriello, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau

HARRISBURG -- Everyone agreed that government records should be open to public inspection, but when it came to the details, speakers at a public hearing yesterday were divided.
This subject is so hot, it could be, how do you say, 'smoking.'

Remember the no smoking policy for city council offices? Then there was the expensive smoke eater put into the ceiling of a city council member. She said one thing and then changed her tune.

It seems that a request for the purchase order and work order for that 'smoke eater' has not been delivered, as asked. So, a court case was filed.

The city tried to squash the case and a number of attorneys from near and far have offered to take on the case, gratis. Open records are a big deal to many people.

I'll save the thunder for another blog. Stay tuned, again.

This is a great time to quit. Quit smoking. Quit telling lies. Quit pass in the blame. Quit voting for all those Democrats. Quit hiding records. Quit the folly of over-spending of public money.

Libertarian withdraws from mayoral race

The paperwork to pull out of the mayor's race was turned into the Election Department. It has been one of my stated intentions to serve in the role as a placeholder because the election laws are so ugly in terms of getting third party candidates onto the ballot.
Libertarian withdraws from mayoral race: "Libertarian Party standard-bearer Mark Rauterkus said today that he will withdraw from the mayor's race and seek to pass his position on the ballot to Tony Oliva, 27, of Oakland.

Mr. Rauterkus said he will continue to run for city controller and council."
I just gave an interview to KQV radio (aired at 1:30 pm) and WDUQ radio.

2010 governor's race gets early start

2010 governor's race gets early start: The May 2010 Democratic gubernatorial primary is more than 21/2 years away, but that isn't stopping some potential Democratic candidates from telling people about their interest in the state's top job.
Hearing candidates talk about possible races in the future is fine. Reading about it in the newspapers -- only because these are folks who are in power now -- is what hurts.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

All Blacks and the Rugby World Cup -- let the games begin

08/09/2007 - New Zealand vs. Italy in Marseille, France. That's September 8, 2007. Can't wait!

New Zealand's All Blacks play in Pool C which consists of:
New Zealand
Scotland
Italy
Romania
Portugal

Match 1: September 8, 2007, New Zealand v Italy in Marseille, France

Match 2: September 15, New Zealand v Portugal in Lyon, France

Match 3: September 23, New Zealand v Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland

Match 4: September 29, New Zealand v Romania in Toulouse, France

Ding, dong. The witch is dead. South Side Local Development Corp given firm advice.

http://www.wpxi.com/video/13843788/index.html#

A meeting was held today at 1:30 pm on the South Side. Outside consultants were in town for a few days and delivered an initial report concerning the South Side and its various community groups. Plenty of neighborhood views were gathered, sorted and filtered. They even used PowerPoint!

Remember in the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy picked up the bucket. She tosses the water and it hits the wicked witch -- and then she melts.

The same anticipation from that moment is now in the air here in the South Side.

The consultants gave firm advice. In no uncertain terms, the message to the SSLDC (South Side Local Development Corp) was to 'think again.' A re-focus and re-birth with new priorities is needed and called for.

I will be very happy to see the SSLDC go away. The organization has run its course. It operates without a clear direction and vision.

We'll need to get a copy of the overall presentation. I hope it comes online in the days ahead. We asked for it. It has some meat.

At the end of the presentation, questions and comments came from the audience of locals who are all very involved in the neighborhood and city.

My point was: Balance is beautiful. But not once did I hear the words 'babies, children, kids and families.' The term 'residents' was used fleetingly and the word 'school' was used as a possible venue for a future meeting. You can't have balance if only certain age groups are part of the fabric. I asked if those populations were part of the discussions and just overlooked in the presentation.

The replies from the consultants were nothing to get excited about. They did talk about Seattle and how they faced this challenge. People who value more than being only a 'yuppie' village do many things with the community to insure that the wee ones are part of the scene.

The elements that I seek to inject go way beyond being 'safe' and 'clean.'

Update: Another nonprofit that is in the throws of a refocus is the Cool Space Locator.
Cool Spaces reorganizes duties - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Cool Space Locator, a real estate organization started seven years ago to help businesses locate in Pittsburgh's urban neighborhoods, is reorganizing and could see some of its operations taken over by a nonprofit architects' group.

South Side addresses 'party' image - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

South Side addresses 'party' image - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "East Carson Street has an image problem.

South Side residents feel their neighborhood is slowly being choked by bars, rowdy patrons and nuisance crimes. Local development leaders fear businesses are being scared away by the party scene stigma."

Councilman questions money for golf instead of city pools - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Councilman questions money for golf instead of city pools - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 'Schenley Park gets RAD funds, and they want capital funds on top of that?' Motznik said, referring to Allegheny Regional Asset District money, which comes from sales tax in the county.

The capital fund 'money could be used for other improvements, like paving and wall and step repair.'

Revolutionary ideas deep inside China - Tuesday August 7, 2007 11:55AM

SI.com - Olympics - S.L. Price: Revolutionary ideas deep inside China - Tuesday August 7, 2007 11:55AM She's right in identifying you, at least. You are distinctly foreign and, notebook in hand and photographer by your side, obviously media, but what she hasn't picked up on is this: Here in China you feel about as threatening as an infant. A first-time visitor from the U.S., you don't know the language or mores; you can't even begin to have a feel for subtleties three millennia in the making. You may as well be deaf, dumb and blind for all the good your senses have done you these past two weeks as you've tried to take the measure of a burgeoning nation preparing to stage the costliest, most anticipated, most transformative athletic event in history.

Lackawanna County Democratic lawmaker looks at run for governor - NewsFlash - PennLive.com

Lackawanna County Democratic lawmaker looks at run for governor - NewsFlash - PennLive.com State Senate Minority Leader Robert J. Mellow has formed an exploratory committee to prepare to run for governor, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

Kayaking to work offers ad agency employees exercise and serenity

Kayaking to work offers ad agency employees exercise and serenity Mr. Lepley and his boss, Mr. Bronaugh, 'made serious mistakes when they bought their houses. They could have moved to Millvale.'

Mayoral debate may include minority parties

I got some ink in today's (Aug 7, 2007) Post-Gazette.

The debate on debates lingers as a topic of discussion. On inclusion and diversity, there should be no debate. If you are on the ballot, you should included. That has always been my view.

If you are on the ballot, you have a chance to win. If the big party candidates speak or act foolishly, they will loose.

When all the choices are present on the debate stage, the heavy-weight candidates are more inclined to behave throughout the campaign.
Mayoral debate may include minority parties The conventional wisdom holds that a crowded stage favors the incumbent by drawing attention from the challenger. That's not necessarily true, said Mr. Rauterkus, a South Side swim coach who is also running for city controller and councilman.

A regular attendee at council meetings, he argues that he'll be better able to parry Mr. Ravenstahl on neighborhood issues.

'I think DeSantis and the Libertarians and the Socialist Workers Party can take down Luke Ravenstahl,' he said. 'I don't think DeSantis can do it himself.'
The real debate on the debates should not be confined to the thinking that there is only one hour of time. That's wrong. There are 90 days until the election.

If there is only one hour of time to stage debates among the candidates, Pittsburgh can't win.

Furthermore, I think we need debates among the city controller candidates too.

Some other mentions and quotes I shared in yesterday's interview with Rich Lord of the Post-Gazette that did NOT get into the article include:

- "Q: Who is to blame for debates without all the candidates?" My reply: Everyone needs to share the blame. The voters need to demand inclusion and diversity. The other candidates need to make a stand and not appear crooked by playing the part of a cronie. The station managers need to understand that democracy is not like a boxing match with only two opponents. Democracy is messy.

- "Q: Has this happened before?" Yes.

The Jewish Federation is the worst. Once that organization hosted a debate within the Jewish Community Center and excluded an active member of the Jewish Community Center. That debate was NOT on television. I spoke with strong words of protest.

I marched with LeRoy Hodge at WPXI's studios in the past.

Bob O'Connor could have been mayor in 2001, but he went onto the debate stage with Tom Murphy without the others on the ballot. Murphy was better in a side-by-side 'slow dance' and was able to zing O'Connor on his ability to 'go to Harrisburg' to bring back a bailout because O'Connor could not remember the names of the state house and state senate leaders. That 'Duhh' was a show stopper for Bob.

Then I shared the story of the AARP exclusion.

Monday, August 06, 2007

GOP Hopefuls Generally Agree on Iraq -- GOPUSA

GOP Hopefuls Generally Agree on Iraq -- GOPUSA But former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson said, ''Any candidate that's pro-choice is going to have a difficulty with the party faithful. ... The Republican Party is a party of pro-life.''

A community wrestles with the issues of public housing and crime

A community wrestles with the issues of public housing and crime The usual handful of community activists has swollen to dozens, catalyzed by the Pittsburgh Housing Authority's interest in buying 10 homes, scattered through the neighborhood, for low-income clients. At a large and uproarious meeting with authority officials recently, more than 75 people turned out to protest.

Italian club fires swimmer - Manaudou -

SI.com - More Sports - Italian club fires swimmer�Manaudou - Monday August 6, 2007 7:57PM Olympic gold medal swimmer Laure Manaudou was fired by her Italian club on Monday because of her behavior at a meet in Paris.

LaPresse club did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the decision, but the ANSA news agency said Manaudou does not get along with her trainer, Paolo Penso.

Early Returns leaks the call from the League of Women Voters to include all candidates

Teaser from Early Returns about debate inclusion.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Local News - Early Returns Yesterday Arlene Levy, vice president of voter services for the League, wrote to KDKA and Point Park officials noting the likely presence of Mr. Rauterkus and Mr. Scott on the ballot. 'Could we, also, extend an invitation to them to participate in our candidates forum?' she asked.

So far, neither major-party campaign is objecting to an inclusive debate, though Mr. DeSantis' reaction is a little cooler than Mr. Ravenstahl's. KDKA says it hasn't decided whom to include.

The conventional wisdom is that putting more candidates on the stage would benefit Mr. Ravenstahl, since it would reduce the amount of airtime Mr. DeSantis would get. Mr. Rauterkus, of course, argues otherwise. More in tomorrow's P-G.

Call to action for the Elect.Rauterkus.com campaigns

How many debates should be held for the Pittsburgh Mayor's Race

LiveContent + Creative Commons with Red Hat gets LiveCDs and LiveDistro

LiveContent - CcWiki LiveContent is an umbrella idea which aims to connect and expand Creative Commons and open source communities. LiveContent works to identify creators and content providers working to share their creations more easily with others. LiveContent works to support developers and others who build better technology to distribute these works. LiveContent is up-to-the-minute creativity, 'alive' by being licensed Creative Commons, which allows others to better interact with the content.

LiveContent can be delivered in a variety of ways. The first incarnation of LiveContent will deliver content as a LiveCD. LiveCDs are equivalent to what is called a LiveDistro. LiveCDs have traditionally been a vehicle to test an operating system or applications live. Operating systems and/or applications are directly booted from a CD or other type of media without needing to install the actual software on a machine. LiveContent aims to add value to LiveDistros by providing dynamically-generated content within the distribution.

Getting Around: Naysayer state rep may be good choice for Port Authority board

Democrat wants to limit freedoms of young people.
Getting Around: Naysayer state rep may be good choice for Port Authority board A 16- or 17-year-old with his or her own wheels or access to a family car will no longer to be able to have more than one teen friend as a passenger at any time if the Legislature passes a bill proposed by state Rep. Chelsa Wagner, D-Beechview.
Here are two bad ideas. First, it is a bad idea to create a new law. Second, it is also a bad idea to let your kid ride with a new driver. Everyone can't be trusted behind the wheel. Few youths are going to be trusted to drive my kids around.

Some kids need to drive. Some kids need to catch a ride. For many, it works.

When a young person needs to give a couple of friends a lift -- and they see a police car -- then what. Does a high speed chase unfold to evade the police until one of the kids can jump out of a moving car?

Western Pennsylvania has had plenty of deadly car crashes. They are sad. Often, they could be prevented if speeding was eliminated.

Here in the city, the trend has been to eliminate all buses for the high school students.

In the burbs, there are few buses.