SGB unleashes panther statues - News After months of anticipation, outgoing Student Government Board president Shady Henien led a ceremony last night unveiling the 10 panther statues decorated by various student organizations.Will these scare away the rats? What about pigeons?
Hello Kathy and all,
I will not be able to attend the meeting this afternoon with Lopez due to another meeting commitment for my job that got scheduled yesterday. The good news is that meeting is about connecting racial justice issues such as Education and Employment discrimination to the Supreme Court advocacy work that I currently do in PA.
Below are a couple of questions I have that may or may not fit in today but thought I would share them with the group anyway just in case. I am also including background info I had sent to a smaller email lists that gives some background on why I am asking these questions and their relevance to our cause.
In light of the recent Supreme Court decision(more info below) that race could not be used as a factor in assigning students to school to achieve diversity, will the PPS consider using income status (free lunch) as a way to achieve diversity in our PPS?
Ability Tracking and selection into different academic programs? What role does it play in providing or not providing opportunities to all students?
What would happen if All students were tested to see if they were gifted but call it something else? Is this being done? If it is, what aren't there more students being placed and what is the connection between the Gifted Program, IB and AP?
What efforts have been made to ensure that the IS (International Studies / Frick Middle School) students who are now IB have been provided the necessary support in order for them to be successful? What will this look like in the future? Many of these IS students are African American which would help boost the number of students currently in the IB program and taking AP courses but what is the likelihood that these students will be able to achieve the college credits and pass the necessary test? What is being done to help these students be successful?
I will be at the Panera meeting on Sunday at 2pm and am speaker number 10 at the Public Hearing on Monday.
Here are a couple of links to good education articles and letters in the PG today.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08011/848438-298.stm
Principals in city return to instruction
http://www.post-gazette.com/forum/letters/
Postcards from the edge of a strike
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08011/848350-298.stm
Expulsions of preschoolers preventable, study finds
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08011/848422-298.stm
Magazine ranks Pennsylvania 10th for schools, with B- grade
All the best at the meeting this afternoon.
Celeste
Hotel, offices, condos planned for Pittsburgh auto dealer site - Examiner.com DOC-Economou representatives said they plan to secure an unspecified amount of public financing for the project.
Figure Skating Champion Bowman Dies In LA - Sports News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh: "In 1993, while skating with the Ice Capades, he was beaten at a hotel in a seedy neighborhood in Pittsburgh, according to a police report.
Born in Hollywood, Calif., on March 30, 1967, Bowman had a part in the TV series 'Little House on the Prairie' for one season and appeared in dozens of commercials.
Recently, Bowman had returned to acting. He had a role an assistant coach in the upcoming Brian J. De Palma-directed movie 'Down and Distance' staring Gary Busey."
Click to play. Hint: It is the triangle that points to the right, either in the middle of the screen or the one at the left of the slider / progress bar.
The American Entrepreneur - Newsletter Articles ALLEGHENY COUNTY'S NEW TAXES: THE REST OF THE STORYThis Saturday's show is going to have a segment devoted to this topic, the new Allegheny County drink tax. It caused quite the uproar among
A great deal has been written and said about the December enactment of two new taxes in Allegheny County. The case against levying the new drink and car rental taxes was exceptionally strong; the case for levying new taxes was pitifully weak.
Competing Campaign analysis:
Thompson – flameout… a total no-show.
Rudy - ditto. A very few signs and supporters. We essentially tied with Guiliani - and people are taking notice, and wondering why they haven't heard of this Dr. Paul guy (we heard this on the trip back).
Huckabee - a few sincere volunteers, and lots of media. Fairly weak showing (but dedicated) at polling, only Huck signs at my polling place, one guy for half the day, and a young family that (IMO very bravely with the 3-year old and 4-month old) stuck out the whole day. However, he is taking the social conservative/religious vote. Dr. Paul is a religious man, and he (IMO) rightly does not wear it on his sleeve, or pander to religious groups. But this is costing him votes. IMO a push for the religious vote is needed, so reach out to the church groups, go to putluck dinners, fireman's charities, borough town hall meetings, etc.
Romney has a well oiled machine. Guys with little coiled ear-pieces. Lots of supporter-volunteers. The media came and waited for him. I held a RP sign behind his head for the whole time. :) Follow Romney, and you get the media. Probably all paid/pro organized, only one volunteer showed up at the Anderson Cooper rally, and he would not get off his cell phone to hole up both ends of his wire-framed sign. At my polling place many volunteers showed up, but they almost all left after Mitt made his appearance.
Mccain - one or two volunteers at my polling station. Still gets media attention though.
Kuchinich – a few sincere volunteers, and these guys love us. The DK bus honked when it went past. Poor guy, I felt bad for him, they had signs outside of their HQ and nobody to hold them.
Edwards - had sign wavers, but a weak showing at the polling station. They only showed up a couple of hours from the closing, and only had like 5 people for the last hour, all volunteers possible getting off work.
Hillary - had a shuttlebus, and lots of signs wavers, possibly some pro. Definitely knew that they were on a schedule and had somewhere to be next.
Obama - lots of sign wavers - young volunteers as far as I could tell. Fair grassroots turnout.
Random Thoughts/Suggestions:
Canvassing problems: It’s winter, and dark by 5 nobody was home during daylight. We wasted whole days knocking on empty doors.
Ineffective model – insane computer-generated directions were impossible to follow, and we spent too much time per house. We should have just been given a few streets to hit every door, we had the manpower. So, I would jump out of the car and flyer 2-4 houses while my partner did the packet canvass.
Get a bullhorn to lead chants - people screamed themselves hoarse, and IMO affected turnout the next day.
Nametags/badges for field leaders would help direct the volunteers, help avoid another Hannity incident, and help identify good candidates for interviews to the media...we don't want a Truther or similar selected to represent us on camera. In addition, If anything strange happens(ie: getting violent during a rally), take pictures/video, and try to relate what happened to a staffer. I just saw 2 Youtube clips where the same guy appears as a local voter in Iowa and NH. If (and I haven't seen anybody yet) anyone is acting as a plant in our organization, a little evidence can go a long way.
Continue to let people organize themselves. This actually did happen, but I wanted to point out that allowing people that clicked to work together is most effective. So, for instance, continue to make it easy for people to change what house they stay in so they can get to work early with people they function well with. BUT: Provide more effective communication with the grassroots. Many people noted that they were not put to 100% effective use. Why no Organization Organizer? Roxy, Brinks, Norm and others were great (and they need assistants), but exactly whose job was it to communicate what was going on next? Again, a badge or two might be nice. Often people were milling around chatting while something important was being communicated. If everyone knew who would have the latest news they would pay more attention. The grassroots was still pretty effective at communicating considering everything, but something as simple as, say, bulletin boards at friendly pubs, flyers, or a blog could work wonders (for instance, I could not find a few rally locations in time)
Learn the election laws of every location (including items such as marching on city hall steps - we almost had an incident). Start with the state, but don't forget the municipalities...I was informed of a few rules that would not appear in the state lawbooks. For instance, I was told to wipe off the "Ron Paul 2008" that someone had drawn with white paint on my van's windows (the rationale being that campaigns cannot park a huge sign next to the polling place). I should stress as well, that the "moderator" of the election has ABSOLUTE control over the polling place. They may kick you out for ANY OR NO REASON AT ALL. You MUST abide by their decisions. If you encounter an issue, politely ask them if there is particular election code that they are citing, and is it possible to show you/get a copy of the cited election law so that we may straighten things out with HQ. But they also may just classify you as an "interference" and ask you to leave, so go. Also, ask to watch the votes get counted, preferably with a video camera.
Get a shuttle bus. Hillary had one, and it very effectively got people to where they needed to be. We had people stranded in other towns without rides unable to attend events.
Familiarize yourself with Paul's positions, *especially positions that you do not agree with*. Be prepared to make a pro-life argument. Be prepared to argue immigration positions. these are two deviations from the libertarian platform. It is possible to find some areas of agreement, and just stress those.
Dress as nicely as you can. We need to defringe-ify this movement or the media will turn it into a circus. People have quit jobs, moved, travelled from California, Hawaii, Florida, New York, Virginia, Texas, Montana, Spain, Panama, Poland, Estonia and sacrificed time with family and friends for this effort. Please shave and put on a tie.
I hope this helps those who will be picking up this effort in other areas. I also hope that we have worked through the growing pains and will field a team of seasoned campaigners.
Please feel free to forward this message on to other meetup organizers.
Great Quote from Brad Porter of FACT: The Battle for Freedom is one that can never be won, but can always be lost.
Mark -
I have just learned that PPS has a Board meeting on Sunday at 2 PM - that's right - Sunday. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss Excel 9-12. The meeting will be in the Board Committee room. I think they are planning for a long meeting that would go all afternoon and into the evening.
Its not on their website yet, but I confirmed this with Robin Wenger in the Board office. I know you are posting these things so I thought you would want to know about it.
Thanks,
Carey Harris
A+ Schools
New Arena Discussion - Page 42 - Steelers Fever Forums: "Re: New Arena Discussion"
Revelations - http://drgoddess.blogspot.com/
TEXAS SWIMMING: Olympic Television Coverage off to Rough Start The Wall Street Journal article - complete with a translation
CollegeSwimming.com: Franklin College Explores Addition of Swimming: “The stars are aligned for this,” said Hass. “I believe the college, the area and the school corporations would all benefit from having a competitive program at Franklin College.Franklin College is in Indiana.
Ousted politicians land on their feet at city hall Former Councilman Jeff Koch, defeated in the May Democratic primary, is now a special streets program supervisor in the Public Works Department.Word on the street was a typical, but wrong, 'to the victor goes the spoils' saga. Mr. Koch is a long-time, valued, insightful guy who departed city council at the start of 2008. It made great sense to re-hire him as a city worker to do the work of residents as great help is hard to find. Koch gets things done. He works hard. He is down to earth and straight forward in his dealings. We need knowledgeable, skilled, city employees on the job.
Incursion of slobs rankles longtime South Oakland residents Some of those who remain are demanding that the city and the University of Pittsburgh do more to combat the trash and unruliness they see all around them.Two other interesting development to watch for in the future, should Koch get on the job, as hoped, in the months to come. When you see Mr. Koch on the job, either in a jumpsuit or a three-piece suit, look to see if you can spot any message on his t-shirt. And, look to the dashboard of his vehicle for the bobble-head doll.
Skimpy water line waylays opening of county's bioterror lab ... The $5 million state-of-the-art bioterror lab in Lawrenceville took more than five years to build and is finally finished, but the county can't move in because the water line to the sophisticated laboratory is too small to support the building's sprinkler system.A good friend of mine has suggested to me that the 'infrastructure bandwagon' is one to jump upon with full force. Libertarian and Republican candidates in the city and region could win elected office if they harp upon INFRASTRUCTURE. Our pipes are crumbling. The rash of water main breaks hurt the economy.
The 10,000-square-foot building was finished in mid-December but couldn't get a city occupancy permit because of the water supply problem caused by a corroded, 4-inch cast iron water line dating to the 1930s, ...
Ron Paul: McCain’s Reckless ‘100 years in Iraq’ Comment Endangers Americans — Ron Paul 2008: "Press Releases › Ron Paul: McCain’s Reckless ‘100 years in Iraq’ Comment Endangers Americans
Press Releases › Ron Paul: McCain’s Reckless ‘100 years in Iraq’ Comment Endangers Americans
January 7, 2008 2:32 pm EST
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – In response to John McCain’s comment at a recent town hall event that he would be fine with keeping American troops in Iraq for 100 – or even 1 million years – Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul issued the following statement:
“John McCain’s statement in favor of keeping troops in Iraq for 100 years or longer puts him out of sync with the majority of Americans, who want our troops to come home. Further, his comments recklessly put America at risk as such a statement will likely serve as a recruiting tool for Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, who appeal to radicals and incite violence against Americans by claiming that the US desires to occupy the Middle East indefinitely.
“It is time to act in the true national security interest of the United States and begin withdrawal from Iraq and the rest of the Middle East immediately. Americans will be far safer under a pro-America foreign policy that seeks to end the dangerous idea that the US should be the policeman of the world.
“Further, the financial costs of keeping troops in Iraq for a century would be massive – in addition to the steep price in American lives. If John McCain really wants such a long term presence, he needs to level with the American people and tell them that his policy means we will not be able to fulfill our obligations here at home.”
According to quarterly FEC reports, Dr. Ron Paul is supported by more active duty and retired military retirees than any other candidate to be the next commander in chief. An investigation by the Houston Chronicle revealed that Congressman Paul received “more donations from current military…and retired military…than any other candidate.”
###
Romney decides to pull ads in S.C., Fla. - Yahoo! NewsRepublican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has decided to pull his advertising from South Carolina and Florida, in a sign of trouble for a campaign that badly needs a win.In more detail, the Romney campaign is pulling a page from the Bill Peduto playbook.
Spencer Zwick, Romney's national finance director, told the phone bankers: "If for some reason he is not the nominee, all those funds will be returned to the donor himself."
AP: Richardson to end presidential bid - Yahoo! News New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ended his campaign for the presidency Wednesday after twin fourth-place finishes that showed his impressive credentials could not compete with his rivals' star power.I know that a number of my D friends were big-time supporters and fans of Richardson. Until now, they had a reason to be excited about a candidate in the race.
Richardson planned to announce the decision Thursday, according to two people close to the governor with knowledge of the decision. They spoke on a condition of anonymity in advance of the governor's announcement.
Townhall.com::Questions for the Fair Tax Crowd::By Jerry Bowyer Questions for the Fair Tax Crowdby Jerry Bowyer. Lots of comments there too.
Blogger: 2 Political Junkies - Post a Comment Dowd was yanked off, IMHO, because he wanted a public discussion of a legislative agenda from possible candidates -- before the vote.
It didn't happen.
So, he was forced into a vote without justification, without real merit.
He turned in his vote without doing the homework. Or, really, a better view would be -- he was the 'teacher' and he turned in a 'passing grade' to the student (Doug) without the student doing any of his assigned homework. Teachers don't give out grades lightly. It was painful for Dowd to give out a vote without merit. The basis of the vote was plain old politics of the past and of the person.
That was Dowd's first step. Leaving the 'high road' was done. Perhaps he can return to the high road, bailing out himself, by forging a common legislative agenda in the days and weeks to come.
VotePA - Election Integrity & Voting Rights in Pennsylvania Fill out your e-mail addressThanks for the conference call. There is so much to do.
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Ron Paul Talks About Fox on Leno
Tuesday, January 8, 2008 9:47 AM
By: Newmax Staff
Appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on the eve of the New Hampshire primary, presidential hopeful Ron Paul said he still doesn't know why he was excluded from Fox News� Sunday night Republican debate.
Paul was left off the GOP debate roster even though Paul and his supporters set a new one-day fundraising record, raked in nearly $20 million in the fourth quarter of last year -- and got 10 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses.
Rudy Giuliani, who got only 4 percent in Iowa, was included in the debate, along with John McCain, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, and Mike Huckabee.
Leno told Paul on Monday night's show: "I'm trying to figure out why Fox News chose not to put you on."
"You know, we tried to find that out," Paul replied. "But they didn't return our call."
A sympathetic Leno said: "You're being extremely polite for something I think you got screwed over. I mean, I might not necessarily agree with you, but I think, as an American, we like to see everybody get an equal shot."
Paul speculated that Fox "didn't want to hear the message. Maybe they're intimidated. Maybe they're frightened. Maybe they didn't want to hear the truth. Who knows?�
The Los Angeles Times' Andrew Malcolm observed: "So Paul gets 10 percent in Iowa and gets excluded, but Rudy gets 4 percent and sits on the left end of the Fox Box desk. Hmmm."
Me&Thee Blogspot: Quick Q and A with Joe Jencks ... with one of the most relevant singer-songwriters on the scene today ...More links:
Listen to Show #140 with Joe Jencks
The song, "Come With Me" is on the radio show interview in MP3 format.
Art of the Song - Listen: "Listen to Show #140 with Joe Jencks"
I love that song. "I will carry on!"
Free Preview - WSJ.com: By Jerry BowyerI do NOT like the fair tax. The fair tax is a nice idea for the first 30-seconds. But, the fair tax is a bad idea for America at this time. It is a bad idea for the economy. It is a bad public policy.
If talk show hosts ran the world, we'd have a national sales tax. We'd have no immigration, and we would have long ago carpet-bombed the entire Middle East. We'd also have something called 'fair trade,' which means no real trade at all.
But they don't run the world; they just pretend that if they did, everything would be great. I would be a lot more confident that this was true if I didn't know so many talk show hosts. I would be even more confident if they had really run anything of consequence before. But I do, and they haven't.
Quote of the Day:
"War is the art of conquering at home."
-- Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man
Subject: 60 radio ads now running in Michigan
We proposed it. You funded it. We did it. 60 radio ads promoting Ron Paul's "American Freedom Agenda Act" are now running in the Detroit, Michigan area.
There's something special about these ads. It isn't only that the ads promote a bill that would . . .These ads are also special because . . .
- Stop our government from torturing suspects
- End rendition, which is government agents kidnapping people and sending them to foreign dictators to be tortured
- Restore habeas corpus, allowing people to once again challenge their detention in a court of law
- Repeal warrantless wiretapping
- Prevent the government from punishing Whistleblowers
- Cripple the use of Signing Statements, by which the President refuses to execute the laws of the land
They're in Arabic!
No, it isn't our purpose to promote multi-lingualism. Rather, it's our purpose to show those who fled foreign dictators (tyrants supported by the U.S. government) that there are still Americans, like Representatives Paul and Kucinich and Welch, who believe in freedom and the rule of law for all people.
Many who are hearing these ads are American citizens, who speak both English and Arabic. Many more are the mothers and fathers of children who are English speaking citizens. We want to let them know that America really is a refuge of freedom, or can be again, if we will all join together to fight for it.
The ads are running on WNZK 690 AM, Southfield (Detroit), Michigan, Monday through Friday between 12 PM and 5 PM. The first spot aired Friday during the 4-5 PM hour. The last spot will air January 16.
These ads are recruiting new supporters. But more can be done if you want it done. We'd love to broadcast more of these ads, in English. Provide the funding, and we'll do it.
We've found it necessary, because of government violations of the First Amendment, to establish an entirely separate contribution structure for these ads, complete with new accounts and new systems. If you want to contribute to run these ads you can do so, using that new account, here.
On top of that, we might need to be financially prepared for a government legal challenge against our First Amendment rights after the ads have aired -- a challenge to see that we dotted every "i" and crossed every "t."
Everyone who contributes to this project will receive a copy of our 16-page, glossy report, "The Downsize DC Vision."
In addition, those who contribute $76 or more, specifically to air these ads, will have their name listed in the left hand, green strip on the Radio Ad page for our campaign to "Support Ron Paul's American Freedom Agenda Act." Donors will be listed in rank order, with the largest donor getting the first line -- the slot we call the "John Hancock line."
But if we don't raise sufficient funds, we'll use the money for other projects. There's no shortage of opportunities right now. On the other hand, if contributions flood in, we'll expand and broadcast ads in other cities. So your contribution is urgent. Please give all that you can.
Even if you're mailing a check, please use the contribution form. Checks that arrive without this form will be deposited in our general fund. NO EXCEPTIONS. So if you're going to mail a check please print out the form, fill it in completely, and make the check to DownsizeDC.org, Inc. Write "radio ads" in the memo section. The mailing address is listed on the bottom of that form.
And whether you can send money or not, please send a message to your representatives in Congress, urging them to co-sponsor HR 3835, the American Freedom Agenda Act.
Thank you for being a DC Downsizer,
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
MoveOn.org Political Action: Paper ballots for the 2008 election: "Paper ballots for the 2008 election"Is this a good idea or not? Well, -- we'll talk about it tonight at the gathering at TalkShoe.com.Paper ballots for the 2008 election
This Sunday's cover story in The New York Times Magazine makes plain the threat: The winner of the 2008 presidential election could be decided by flawed, insecure, and hackable electronic voting machines.
This is the most prominent news coverage this issue has ever gotten, so it could be our one last chance to get this right before the election in November.
Congress is poised to consider a new emergency paper ballots bill next week—but we'll have to convince them to act right away.
A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to local election officials and your members of Congress.
 | Doug Shields -- confused by the Post-Gazette. View Video |
Ethics reform remains a major theme | Philadelphia Daily News | 01/08/2008 Ethics reform remains a major themeI would LOVE to be a part of a team / process / discussion about a reform of Pittsburgh's Ethics. We'd start with the Ethics Hearing Board. After all the present members resign. We'd get people who want to move a bit faster than the average glacier. Next, we'd make suggestions to the law -- so as to eliminate the confidentiality clause. Then we'd hold televised meetings once a week. It would be nothing to spend no money -- but use public evaluation as a tool. No punishments would come from the Ethics Hearing Board itself. But, that board could better make the case for civil and criminal trails yet to unfold.
Mark,I don't know who will show up. Will you?
My focus always is on trying to formulate solutions to the problems. My thought is that since the article points to PA as the next big electoral problem and PA is wide-open to undetected outcome-determinative vote fraud and error now, that perhaps we should focus on how to solve the PA problems.
With that in mind, I've specifically invited a couple of key PA election activists to join the conversation - Stephanie Singer from the Phile area and Marybeth Kuznik. I'm thinking of also specifically inviting Steve Freeman.
And then discussing some methods that the CA activists successfully used there and see if PA activists might want to try using the same tools plus other tools that are available given the lack of accountable voting systems in PA.
Cheers,
City council taking on a new look and attitude 'There's nothing we can't achieve,' said Mr. Shields. 'We stand by ready to help shape this agenda, along with the mayor, to serve the public.'I'm not sure I want them to serve the public. They don't know what the public is.
Pittsburgh Tuesday takes - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Hogwash times 10: Here they come! Beware! The campaign finance 'reform' do-gooders are hitching up the bandwagon. Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto, an unsuccessful mayoral candidate, says he'll soon propose legislation that caps the amount of money individuals can give in city races. This is what losers usually do when they can't gain traction with the public, isn't it?"No. It isn't.
Podcast Announcement:
Join our PodCast Tue, January 8, 2008
Time: 10:00 PM EST
You have been invited to join a live Talkcast.
Listen to or Join a Talkcast - Episode: Electronic Voting Machines
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=3181&cmd=tc
Host: Rauterkus - Mark@Rauterkus.com
The article in the NY Times magazine asks: Can You Count On These Machines?
By CLIVE THOMPSON, Published: January 6, 2008 is required reading
before the discussion.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/magazine/06Vote-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&hp
http://tinyurl.com/37y4yj
We'll talk about that article in this talkcast, hosted by Mark Rauterkus, with a special guest from Utah, Kathy Dopp. Kathy Dopp's fact-finding and investigative efforts puts her at the head of the class nation-wide. Dopp is a Mathematician and expert in election audit mathematics and procedures. She resides in Park City, Utah and has sites on the web:
http://electionmathematics.org
http://electionarchive.org
http://utahcountvotes.org
Local Pennsylvania experts have been invited as well. Open to all citizens, voters, advocates, candidates and even our friends in New Hampshire.
Talkcast ID: 3181
Scheduled Time:
Date: Tue, January 8, 2008
Time: 10:00 PM EST
How to participate:
Call in:
1. Dial: (724) 444-7444
2. Enter: 3181 # (Talkcast ID)
3. Enter: 1 # or your PIN
or Join from your computer:
Go to http://www.talkshoe.com and sign up
1. Become a TalkShoe member
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/userCreate1.jsp
2. Download and install TalkShoe Live client
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/login.jsp?pushNav=1&cmd=signin
3. Click here to join the Talkcast
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=3181&cmd=tc
Listen to the Recording:
If you missed this event or want to hear previous recorded episodes click here.
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=3181&cmd=tc
--------------
The NY Times Magazine article heavily quotes Pittsburg Carnegie Mellon
University's Michael Shamos
A rebuttal to CMU's Michael Shamos was written by Arthur M. Keller,
Edward Cherlin, and David Mertz.
http://infolab.stanford.edu/pub/keller/2007/shamos-rebuttal-vocomp2007.pdf
As noted in their paper: "During those years he [Shamos] personally
examined more than 100 different computerized voting systems for
certification purposes. In the 2000 election, machines for which he
participated in certification (which did not include Florida) were
used to count more than 11% of the popular vote of the United States".
As David Webber notes, 'One can therefore attribute a large chunk of
the problems with current voting systems to the fact that Shamos
singularly failed to identify those during his "certification".'
Webber adds, "Shamos has all kinds of academic qualifications - but
absent from his resume is actual production implementation of systems.
His comments read like those of someone who has never actually built
real systems himself and deployed them for public use in mission
critical environments."
As the NY Times article notes: "IF YOU WANTED to know where the next
great eruption of voting-machine scandal is likely to emerge, you'd
have to drive deep into the middle of Pennsylvania." and "21
electoral-college votes, a relatively large number that could decide a
tight presidential race" where Michael Shamos has certified
touch-screen voting systems with no paper ballot records.
-------------
Another excellent response to the New York Times Magazine Article on E-voting
January 06, 2008
by Dan Wallach
http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=1244
--
Kathy Dopp
The material expressed herein is the informed product of the author
Kathy Dopp's fact-finding and investigative efforts. Dopp is a
Mathematician, Expert in election audit mathematics and procedures; in
exit poll discrepancy analysis; and can be reached at
P.O. Box 680192
Park City, UT 84068
phone 435-658-4657
http://utahcountvotes.org
http://electionmathematics.org
http://electionarchive.org
History of Confidence Election Auditing Development & Overview of
Election Auditing Fundamentals
http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/paper-audits/History-of-Election-Auditing-Development.pdf
Vote Yes on HR811 and S2295
http://electionmathematics.org/VoteYesHR811.pdf
Voters Have Reason to Worry
http://utahcountvotes.org/UT/UtahCountVotes-ThadHall-Response.pdf
"Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body
and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day," wrote
Thomas Jefferson in 1816
We are planning another strategy meeting for 2 pm next Sunday, Jan. 13, at the Panerra on the Boulevard of the Allies. The next board hearing is January 14 and we would like to coordinate some talking points and strategy.
Tentative topics:
1. Schenley building, status of current information regarding repair costs and extent
2. Schenley population: IB/IS, neighborhood, freshman class, segregation
3. High school reform: Think it through before committing further funds.
We are going to try to come up with a list of questions/concerns that we would like to have answered. The board hearings give us the opportunity to express our concerns but they do not give us any means to get answers to these questiosn or concerns. If you are unable to join us on Sunday, there are several ways to stay involved. Check out the telephone conference info listed below, send an email to me with questions/concerns and I will add to our list, write to your school board member expressing your thoughts, sign up to speak and the next hearing, write a letter to the editor. Most important: STAY INFORMED. Change is constant; know how it will affect you and your child(ren).
amy moore
(her phone # zapped by blog owner)
TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL FOR WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9, 10 PM. DETAILS BELOW:
You are invited to a telephone conference call to ponder the possibilities of Schenley High School and School District Reform. Parents are gathering to organize efforts and insights. This TalkShoe.com "talkcast" uses either a telephone OR a computer (or both).
Topics include Schools in Pittsburgh. Parents and community members, get a grip on the proposed changes. Join the fellow parents who have been gathering to talk about the Pgh Public Schools on global basis. Politics, School Reform, Action-plans for Activists are fair game. We are NOT interested in individual concerns about specific kids. Rather, focus on the community, the schools, the agenda!
Meet at 10 pm (eastern) on WED, Jan 9, 2008. The meeting will conclude by 11 pm. After the conversation, the recorded conversation is available for download as a podcast.
No need to pay anything or RSVP. Just show up.
Host: Mark Rauterkus - Mark@Rauterkus.com
Talkcast ID: 3177
Date: Wed, January 9, 2008
Time: 10:00 PM EST
How to participate:
Call in:
1. Dial: (724) 444-7444
2. Enter: 3177 # (Talkcast ID)
3. Enter: 1 # or your PIN
Join from your computer:
1. Become a TalkShoe member
2. Download and install TalkShoe Live client
3. Click here to join the Talkcast
This is our first meeting with this forum / technology. Now is the time to join and be stronger advocates for the sake of the kids in the city.
In Iowa, many hundreds of volunteers worked day and night for our campaign. College kids took their Christmas vacations in the snow for freedom. Thousands of people donated to make it all possible. We had many phone calls, brochures, mailings, advertising. Revolutionaries from all over the country sent handwritten letters to every voter, and despite national media attacks and censorship, we got more than 10% of the vote. We also soundly beat a certain ex-mayor who started off the first debate by attacking a pro-American foreign policy and the explanatory doctrine of "blowback," the CIA's term for foreign intervention that causes trouble for us in return. The Golden Rule applies to nations as well as to individuals.
And speaking of debates, FOX blocked my participation in its last New Hampshire debate, but I think that hurt FOX more than us. We had a terrifically successful townhall meeting at the same time, and Jay Leno invited me on the Tonight Show again to discuss it. Many members of our movement were galvanized to overcome the bias, including me!
In our Iowa campaign, since it was a caucus, we were dealing with party activists for the most part, not the people. And some of the activists were very unhappy to hear our views, trying to scream them down! Others thought that peace violates Christianity. But New Hampshire is another story. There is a state and a people tailor-made for us. Live Free! Then there are Michigan, South Carolina, and Super Tuesday and its nearly 20 primaries. Frankly, we need $23 million more to have a chance of beating the establishment candidates.
I am working hard for our ideas, as I know you are. The attacks and even smears will increase as we do better. But they will not defeat our ideas. They cannot defeat out ideas. At this moment of urgency for America, with spending, taxes, spying, inflation, and wars out of control and threatening all we love, let us rededicate ourselves to freedom, prosperity, and peace. Already, I owe you all my thanks. Join me in this great endeavor in New Hampshire and beyond. Please make your most generous donation now: https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate
Sincerely,
Ron
Join A+ Schools in urging the Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers to resolve the issues related to the teacher’s contract in a way that avoids a strike and ensures that education our children progresses without interruption.That is one approach. Another action point -- join our telephone conversation on WEDNESDAY night at 10 pm to talk about schools. We'll talk about this as well.
We expect all parties will do whatever is required to ensure that kids are never used as a bargaining chip, and that all negotiations will be conducted in a way that reflects compassion and commitment to the future of our city’s students.
What you can do:
* Call or email John Tarka, President of the PFT and Mark Roosevelt, Superintendent of PPS to urge them resolve the contract issues without a strike. You can leave a message – it still has an impact.
1. John Tarka: john_tarka@pft400.org or 412 431-5900
2. Mark Roosevelt: mroosevelt1@pghboe.net or 412 622-3600
* Send a letter to the editor of the Post Gazette and Tribune Review– urging both sides to find a resolution to the contract. letters@post-gazette.com and opinion@tribweb.com.
* Send a post card to both leaders! A+ Schools has produced post cards that can be signed and mailed to both leaders. If you would like these post cards please contact us at info@aplusschools.org or 412 258-2660. If you would like to help distribute post cards please let us know that as well.
Let our leaders hear from you!
 | A bell to start the new year on Grant Street. View Video |
City may limit campaign donations City may limit campaign donationsThe State Supreme Court was NOT a road-block. Bill Peduto was.
State Supreme Court ruling clears the way
 | League of Women Voters - you got to start somewhere. Agree with Mark. View Video |
Why Lisa Bennington is abandoning Harrisburg Maybe Harrisburg is not the place for anyone who already has a fulfilling career, as our statehouse demands an acceptance of accomplishing not very much. That leaves an open seat in a district straddling the Allegheny River, ...Lisa is going to retire from the state assembly. She will NOT leave an open seat. When her term is finished, another will fill it.
Newsmax.com - Fox Under Fire for Excluding Ron Paul This past Thursday, the Manchester Union Leader, New Hampshire's major newspaper, published a front-page editorial blasting news organizations that do not invite all candidates to their forums.
Newsmax.com - Fox Loses GOP Debate Support Fox Loses GOP Debate Support
[412] Happy New Year -- now let's get back to some serious community work. [412] Happy New Year -- now let's get back to some serious community work.Click there to read from the archives.
Giuliani To Run For President Of 9/11 | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "'Sure, he has no foreign or national policy experience, and both his personal life and political career are riddled with scandal,' said Hammond. 'But in the key area of having been on TV on 9/11, the other candidates simply cannot match him. And as we saw in 2004, that's what matters most to voters in this post-9/11 world.'"
Revelations: City, County and Pens Propose No C, No B, and No A for Historic Hill District Similarly, they pledge their support for a new YMCA in the 2100 block of Centre Avenue, and offer to help win state money toward its development.
Yes, that's right. The YMCA that is not even a member of One Hill, the one organization that is nationwide, already in the middle of a capital campaign and, you guessed it---not what the community asked for. The community asked for a recreation center that would be for the elderly and youth---like the Kingsley Center in East Liberty. Maybe, just maybe, the YMCA could come close to that but it still means that the community cannot control the kinds of programs, services and recreation in the community, not necessarily shaped or defined by an overarching, national organization with its own agenda and priorities.
PA Senate bill 1220 (SB 1220, P.N. 1673), opposing the REAL ID, was referred to the Communications and Technology Committee on December 27, 2007 and is now posted on the PA's legislative bill site. It is a much stronger rejection of the federal REAL ID than its counterpart, HB 1351, in the PA House.
Your action is needed to encourage support of this bill!
The full text of the bill can be found here:
Name: The "REAL ID and Biometric and Economic Privacy Act"
Web Link
The bill is thankfully short and shows no tolerance for the 2005 federal Real ID Act. It rejects the Real ID and even rejects other laws and regulations that would put compromise economic privacy. Here is its operative wording for Sections 3, 4 and 5 respectively:
** "Neither the Governor nor the Department of Transportation or any other Commonwealth agency shall participate in the compliance of any provision of the REAL
ID Act of 2005."
** "Neither the Governor nor the Department of Transportation or any other Commonwealth agency shall participate in the compliance with any Federal law, regulation or policy that would compromise the economic privacy or biometric data of any resident of this Commonwealth."
** "Either the Governor or the Attorney General may file an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to challenge the constitutionality or legality of the REAL ID Act of 2005."
This bill needs additional sponsors and support to ensure it is adopted without amendment. Please contact your state senators, particularly if they are committee members, and encourage their support of this bill. Thank them if they are already a sponsor.
Current sponsors of the bill are:
FOLMER, KITCHEN, ROBBINS, REGOLA, FUMO, MELLOW,
ERICKSON, C. WILLIAMS, FERLO, WASHINGTON,
ORIE, BOSCOLA,LAVALLE, HUGHES AND EARLL.
Five of these sponsors are Committee members:
Constance Williams, D-17, Minority Chair; Edwin Erickson, R-26; Bob Regola, R-39; Vincent Fumo, D-1; and Leanna Washington, D-17
Remaining Committee members are:
Robert Wonderling, Chairman, R-24; John Gordner, Vice-Chair, R-27; Lisa Baker, R-20; John Eichelberger, R-30; John Wozniak D-35; and Joseph Scarnati, President Pro Tempore & ex-officio member of all committees, R-25.
You can find your legislator by zip code or county by using the "Find Members By" box in the upper right of the page at this link:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/index.cfm
The PA Senate will be back in session on January 14, 2008, so let them know what you think.
Additional information on the REAL ID Act of 2005 can be found in Sen. Folmer's press release on the topic:
http://www.senatorfolmer.com/press-2007/1107/111407.htm
Letting your federal representatives know what you think of the REAL ID would also be a good idea.
Thank you for taking the time to help limit government expansion and protect the rights of the citizens!
In Liberty, Michael J. "Mik" Robertson, Chair, Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Laurels & Lances - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "To Dan Onorato. Speaking of the drink tax, the Allegheny County chief executive didn't mention the new levy -- or the new $2 daily rental-car tax -- during his second inaugural on Wednesday. 'I didn't think it needed to be mentioned because it's mentioned every day of the week,' he said. The real reason more likely is that he knows what an oxymoron it is to promote higher taxes out of one side of his mouth while touting the need to be 'competitive' out of the other side.
Obama, Paul Win MySpace Primary Obama took in 46 percent of the Democratic vote, trailed by Sen. Hillary Clinton's 31 percent. Meanwhile, Paul's surprising win came with 37 percent of the MySpace Republican vote, with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee taking the second and third place slots at 18 and 16 percent, respectively.I didn't even vote in this race.
The MySpace Presidential Primary started just after 3:00 a.m. EST on New Year's Day, and concluded just before midnight on Jan. 2.
Reason Magazine - Scenes from the Ron Paul Revolution The Paulistas delight in their independence and fervor. At a press conference after the Ames talk, a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter asks the candidate about all the Paul signs he sees around Pittsburgh. “You guys must have a big operation there,” he says.
“If we do,” Paul says with a small smile, “we don’t know about it.”
MY TURN With instant gratification.Is that a sentence?
Free Keene � Free Audiobook a free audiobook, “The Market for Liberty”. This brilliant book explains why government is an unnecessary evil and how the Free Market is superior in every possible way. You may download it in two ways.
Secrecy News On December 31 President Bush signed into law the 'Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National (OPEN) Government Act of 2007,' which amends the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).The new FOIA law is a very mediocre law that will do little...
*URGENT* National protest aganist Fox News Jan 3rd
Ron Paul Grassroots Campaign News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact Andrew Panken for more information
410/360-1700
On the evening of, January 3, 2007, Ron Paul supporters will be protesting the exclusion of our candidate from the Fox News candidate forum debate. We will be protesting at local Fox TV Stations across the country and at the Fox Forum Debate location in New Hampshire.
According to numerous recent professional pollsters, such as American Research Group, Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll, Rasmussen Reports, USA Today/Gallup Poll and Boston Globe/University of New Hampsire Survey Center, Ron Paul clearly polls higher than some other candidates, who are invited to the Fox debate forum. These polling results may easily be checked at http://www.usaelectionpol... . The exclusion of Ron Paul is not based on polling results or funds raised, which may in fact surpass all other GOP candidates. Final fundraising totals for Ron Paul have reached 20 million dollars for the fourth quarter.
The Fox Broadcast network has systematically excluded Ron Paul from their coverage. Numerous post debate polls conducted by Fox, have shown Ron Paul to be favored by most conservatives, over the pro-war candidates. The Fox network is showing their obvious bias against a candidate that disagrees with their commentators pro-war stance. We are protesting, to inform Americans, that Fox is unfair and unbalanced. Let all GOP primary voters decide, not the Fox network. The Fox network is attempting to manipulate this process, by excluding a now top tier candidate, Dr Ron Paul.
End Of News Release
Note to Local Meetups:
All local Meetup groups should setup protests at your local Fox Station on the evening of 1/3. Then, fax this news release with local contact information to all media in your area, including your local Fox station.
Fox Affiliate Stations:
http://www.fox.com/links/...
Fox Owned and Operated Stations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w...
On a side note – please use the phrase “Not broadcasting in the public interest” in chants, on signs, etc. That's FCC speak for “your broadcasting license is in jeopardy”. Follow through and file a complaint with the FCC against the stations if Dr. Paul is excluded from the forum on the 6th.
Mayor agrees to development around new arena - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Ravenstahl agrees to development around new arenaWould love to see the details of the entire deal. Anyone got a URL?
Welcome to the South Side - Pittsburgh: "Neighborhood Plan Update
Draft Now Available
South Side Planning Forum has made available for review a draft version of the South Side Neighborhood Plan Update. Click here to access a pdf version: 2007 NP Update Draft Final
SI.com - More Sports - China to track food safety at Games China to track food safety at GamesSo will we.
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