Fact Check of GOP debate in Florida

By Calvin Woodward of the Associated Press on Thursday's GOP debate.

Fact Check: Misfires in GOP Debate

WASHINGTON - A number of assertions in the latest Republican presidential debate went unchallenged because candidates spent more time criticizing Democrats from afar than challenging - and correcting - each other face to face.

THE SPIN: John McCain took issue with a questioner's statement that he favors "mandatory caps" on greenhouse gas emissions.

"No, I'm in favor of cap-and-trade," McCain said.

"And all we are saying is, 'Look, if you can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, you earn a credit. If somebody else is going to increase theirs, you can sell it to them.' And, meanwhile, we have a gradual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions."

THE FACTS: McCain has proposed mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions.

The Arizona senator has been among the most vocal supporters in Washington of capping greenhouse gases, proposing legislation to do that several times, and criticized the Bush administration for resisting mandatory measures.

In a cap-and-trade system, companies that outperform pollution requirements could sell the right to pollute to companies that don't meet the limits. But overall emissions would have to come down, and ever more stringently as years pass.

The bill McCain co-sponsored with Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman last year proposed that pollution allowances be cut by two-thirds between 2012 and 2050. A section of the bill is titled: "Mandating Emissions Reductions."

THE SPIN: Mitt Romney boiled down Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton's health care plan to what he regarded as its essence: a government giveaway.

"Her health care plan, quite simply, is one which says, 'Look, we're going to give health insurance to everybody by the government.'"

THE FACTS: Clinton's plan does not propose that the government give everyone health insurance. Most people and companies would pay for it, like now.

The New York senator proposes that the government help those who can't afford the insurance to buy it, so that everyone can be covered, and uses tax credits to small business and other spending to try to make that possible. Existing health insurance plans would be preserved for those who want it, while people could choose to join other programs she proposes to create.

THE SPIN: Rudy Giuliani again talked up his record as New York mayor.

"I'm the only one who's actually turned around a government economy. I mean, the reality is, when I became mayor of New York the economy of New York was in very, very bad shape - tremendous deficits, 10 1/2 percent unemployment, 300,000 jobs gone. We turned that around, cut unemployment by more than half, brought in 450,000 new jobs, and we cut taxes by 17 percent."

THE FACTS: The unemployment rate fell from about 10 percent when he took office to a little over 6 percent before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, rising after to 7.6 percent. The rate did not fall by more than half.

On deficits, an analysis by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania found that he inherited a $2.3 billion deficit in 1994 and produced surpluses during his mayoralty, but projected a $2.8 billion deficit in his last budget, released the spring before the attacks.

THE SPIN: Mike Huckabee aired his proposal to eliminate federal income, investment and payroll taxes in favor of a national sales tax, an idea he has likened elsewhere to "a magic wand relieving us from pain and unfairness."

Questioned about a 30 percent sales tax, he said "it's 23 percent" if the government is to bring in the same money it is getting now. He said his plan "untaxes the poor, untaxes the elderly."

THE FACTS: A mathematical exercise is required to understand why 30 percent and 23 percent are both applied to the plan.

If an item costs $100 before tax and $130 after tax, that's $30 more, which most shoppers would consider a 30 percent rate.

But proponents of the sales tax cast it another way. They say that because $30 is 23 percent of $130, the rate is really 23 percent.

Huckabee does not exempt the elderly from the tax, despite claiming he "untaxes the elderly."

By that, he means that he thinks most retirees keep their spending under the poverty-line level, and so would be sheltered.

clever comments @ Fred08.com: An Outside Insider's View

techPresident – Fred08.com: An Outside Insider's View The Internet candidate is the one who embodies the authenticity, accessibility, and responsiveness of the medium not just in what he or she does online, but in what he or she does offline.

Property Taxes, Rauterkus / Palmer, 108 S. 12th Street and Dan Onorato's ploy

Got this letter in the mail that goes to the heart of our Dan Onorato's claim that he doesn't raise property taxes.

We live on the South Side.

Parcel ID: 0003-M-00383-0000-00

108 S. 12th St
Legal Description: Fred Bausman Plan 22 Lot 20x80 S. 12th St Cor BR
Adish
2 1/2 STY FRA HSE 108
17th Ward
Tax Status: 20 - Taxable

Notice is hereby given that the real estate assessed / Market Value for the above mentioned property has changed as shown below for the year 2008.

This change is a result of a building permit change.

Comparison to Prior Market Value

Land Value from 11600 to 17300
Building Value from 94500 to 124900
Total Value from 106100 to 142200

Please be advised that you have the right to appeal the Office of Property Assessments determination by filing a Special Appeals Form with the Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review (Appeals Board) within thirty days of the date of this notice.

The Assessed/Market Value listed above does not include any exemptions. If you qualify for any Special Acts Abatements, the Office of Preoperty Assessments will make the adjustments for county tax purposes only.

This notice pertains to Assessed / Market Value only. Your property tax bills are calculated and determined by separate taxing bodies. Questions about your tax bill should be directed to your school district, municipality or the Allegheny County Treasurer.

Primer on Delegates and the Conventions. Will be interesting.

McClatchy Washington Bureau | 01/25/2008 | Could tight election races in both parties lead to brokered conventions? Republicans don't have super-delegates, but the rules on how delegates vote are basically left to the state and territory parties. More than 650 GOP delegates could arrive at the Minneapolis-St. Paul convention unpledged to any candidate, while more could be only informally bound to vote for a candidate, according to Jay Cost, a University of Chicago political science graduate student writing for www.realclearpolitics.com. Republicans require 1,191 delegates for the nomination.

This year the national conventions for both old parties might be interesting. I'm sure, according to my hunch, that the GOP convention will be wild. I was talking to someone on the phone and he said he expects fists to be flying on the floor of the Republican convention.

eVote Blog pointer. The same machines are used in Allegheny County

eVote Blog: The iVotronic voting system failed to count over 100,000 votes in various races across the state of Florida in the November 2006 election.

Dan Onorato was the one who insisted that Allegheny County purchase the iVotronic machines. This week he also insisted that there are no problems with these machines.

The voting machines used in Allegheny County are junk.

Comedy Night -- at Bishop Canevin High School

View the Comedy Night 3 website, click here.

Bishop Canevin High School will proudly present Comedy Night 3 this Wednesday, January 30, in O'Connor Hall at St. Paul's Seminary in Crafton (2900 Noblestown Road), 7:30 p.m.

The show will feature the following alumni comedians: national stand-up headliner Jesse Joyce '96, Darrin Hall '97 and Justin Janosko '98 of the comedy band The Lifetime Guarantee and the singing comedian Tim Dimond '04.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW

Grab a group of friends and join us this Wednesday! This event is open to the public. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for all area high school students. All proceeds benefit Bishop Canevin High School as the comedians have donated their time-and-talent free-of-charge.

- To order tickets online via Credit Card, click here.

- To print off a ticket form, click here.

- Or call (412) 922-7400 ext. 20.

Last year's Comedy Night was attended by more than 300 people so make sure to avoid the sellout and get your tickets early. Some tickets may be available at the door but we strongly encourage you to pre-order tickets.

Please feel free to forward this e-mail to your friends outside of the Bishop Canevin community who might be interested in attending.

MEET THE COMEDIANS AT THE AFTER PARTY

Bishop Canevin High School is excited to team-up with event sponsor The Hop House (located up the road from Bishop Canevin and St. Paul's Seminary on Noblestown Road) for the first-ever Comedy Night After Party!

This will be your special chance to meet our comedians and to catch-up with classmates, faculty and friends of Bishop Canevin High School.

In addition, simply present your Comedy Night 3 ticket that evening at the After Party and you will receive a 10% discount on your order.

For more information on The Hop House, click here.

Bishop Canevin High School Teacher Mr. Tim Fazio discusses Comedy Night 3, click here.

SEE JESSE JOYCE ON KDKA-TV'S MORNING SHOW THE DAY BEFORE COMEDY NIGHT 3

Jesse Joyce will be on KDKA-TV's Morning Show, Tuesday, January 29. Make sure to tune in around 9 a.m. or visit the BC Blog Tuesday afternoon to watch the appearance!

City school board votes to fire facilities chief

City permits slow construction -- go figure.

City school board votes to fire facilities chief ... aggressive construction timetable for Colfax was thrown off kilter by a groundwater problem and lengthy delays getting city permits.

What is wrong for the PPS to do 'aggressive construction.' The district has aggressive departures. It does not need to expand buildings in an aggressive way with its contractions in the number of students.

Do what needs to be done over time.

This crisis mode from the rash and rush superintended is unwise.

The district needs to be deliberate.

And The Media Says Nothing

Great post from Char about the drink tax and a few statements from Gov. Ed Rendell on the radio.

Pittsburgh Pist-Gazette: And The Media Says Nothing

I've been, by choice, trying to NOT tune into the radio in the recent week(s). It is part of the political healing for my soul that I've self prescribed. I'm a recovering candidate and tinkering with the hope of NOT falling off the wagon.

Look ma, no hands!

Petitions are in the office -- and they are gathering dust, sans signatures.

This is hard work.

Char, go, go, go. I'll slink back to my parallel universe and might even jump into the swim pool and do some laps.

radio interview transcripts with Glenn Beck

Radio interview, yesterday, with Glenn Beck and Ron Paul about the economy:

Daily Dose "... tell me what’s happening with the economy."

PAUL: "Well, it’s making the correction that was inevitable due to the malinvestment and the unbelievable debt accumulated due to a federal reserve policy. Once they create credit out of thin air, they cause business people, savers to do the wrong thing and you always have to have a correction. So dealing with the recession is very difficult because the cars with a few years ago and we have to work our way out of this, which means there has to be a correction.... "

Read the rest at Daily Dose.

Get on the train

College aid stuff from last night

Last evening, I attended the Financial Aid information session at Schenley presented by PHEAA with additional information on the Pittsburgh Promise. I am surprised that there have been very few substantial changes in student aid since I "retired" as a financial aid counselor at the community college 20 years ago. The amounts have changed of course but the types of aid and the procedures for applying are basically the same. A few key points:

1. Complete the FAFSA form even if you do not think that you will qualify for state or federal grants. Many colleges will want the information on file before awarding any institutional money. Also, if your child is a 2008 or later graduate of a Pittsburgh city school who meets the attendance requirements, the FAFSA will be required for the Pittsburgh Promise. Even if he/she does not plan at this time to attend one of the qualifying schools (Allegheny County school or state university or state related), plans do change. He/she is eligible for up to $5000. If he/she starts out of state but decides to come home to PA after a semester, part of that money would still be available.

2. File the FAFSA as early as possible. Even if you do not file your income taxes before April 1, it is important to file the FAFSA using estimated numbers as soon as possible. Some campus-based aid is limited so it is good to have your application in as soon as possible. It also might help make that decision of which school to choose, based on the aid that they are offering.

3. Ms. Hargrave, from the local PHEAA, gave several web sites for additional information.
EducationPlanner.org
PHEAA.org
collegeboard.org

Eddie Jones, from PPS central office spoke briefly about the Pittsburgh Promise. They are still working on the Promise and additional information will continue to be released. The list of eligible schools contains 65 public and private schools in Pennsylvania, although a number of those schools are branch campuses of the major universities, Penn State and Pitt. Technical schools, such as the Bidwell Training Center, ITT Tech, Culinary Institute, in Allegheny County are eligible. The student must be in at least a certificate program. There is an incentive for remaining in the city system. A child who attends k-12 is eligible for up to $5000 per year; 1-12, up to 95% of $5000; and 9-12, up to 75% of $5000. As the program is further established and the proposed graduation exam is in place, the amount will rise to $10,000 per year.

My apologies to the representative from NEED; I forgot to write her name. She spoke very briefly on the college/career advising program. On February 11, NEED is co-sponsoring with Schenley a workshop to help with the completion of the FAFSA form. Please see the information below:




-----Original Message-----
From: Arlene Tyler [mailto:ATyler@needld.org]
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 1:00 PM
Subject: UPDATED * FAFSA Completion Workshop Flyer










NEED "preparing the workforce of tomorrow with educational assistance today"

Arlene Tyler Holland
NEED . Student Services Department
PHONE: 412.566.2760 . FAX: 412.471.6643 . WEBSITE: www.needld.org
United Way Contributor Choice Code: 250 . Combined Federal Campaign Code: 33076
EMAIL: Atyler@needld.org

Since 1963 offering "last dollar" funding and helping young African Americans learn about, aspire to, prepare for, apply to, and complete college.

NEED has MOVed
EFFECTIVE November 1, 2007 the new address is:
Warner CENTRE, 332 Fifth Avenue, First Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Open education initiatives

Over at my tech pointer blog, a new blog I'm now using for links, I've pointed at and signed The Cape Town Open Education Declaration.

Tech Pointers of Mark Rauterkus: "The Cape Town Open Education Declaration: 'Cape Town Open Education Declaration:
Unlocking the promise of open educational resources'" link

More and more educators are stepping up to make open education a reality. Examples of open education in action include:

• CC Learn
  
• Centre for Open and Sustainable Learning
• Connexions
• Curriki
• Learning Activity Management System (LAMS)
  
• OER Commons
• Free High School Science Texts
• Moodle
  
• MIT Open Courseware
  
• Open Courseware Consortium
• WikiEducator

Pittsburgh 250 nonsense - letter to editor from Donn

Ron Morris has Moes. I've got Running Mates. I'm going to make Donn a new running mate.

Pittsburgh 250 nonsense - Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewPittsburgh 250 nonsense

I read Colin McNickle's column about the warped thinking behind the public relations campaign for the Pittsburgh 250 celebration with great interest ("Stop this nonsense!," Jan. 20 and PghTrib.com).

I reread it with great dismay, because he hit the proverbial nail on the head.

I do not see this region progressing -- just look at the low immigration numbers. The hungry and business-savvy immigrants who can't wait to start small businesses to live the American dream are smart enough to stay away. To me that speaks volumes, as did McNickle's well-thought-out column.

Look at the fiasco of the Hill District "community leaders" who are strong-arming the city/county or anyone else for a taxpayer-funded supermarket near the new arena site.

Why don't they ask Giant Eagle why it won't build one in their "hood"? They probably already did ask and did not like the answer. How pathetic!

Bill Flanagan, Pittsburgh 250's executive director, and his legions at the Allegheny Conference are of good intent and well-compensated, but he is like Nero fiddling while Pittsburgh burns!

Donn Nemchick, Munhall

Council OKs parcel sales to Downtown developer

This is a continual problem -- the abstaining vote. People are elected to go to meetings and make decisions. Show up. Be in the room when the vote happens. And, vote YES or vote NO. To abstain is to scream weakness. Being weak happens because the administration has NOT given the member of council enough information. Then a "NO" vote should happen. Or, a weak vote to abstain says, I'm easily moved and this time the buy-off is too light.

Members of council are NOT hired (elected) to be my voice. They are elected to insure that the voice of everyone is protected. Rights of 'free speech' need to be understood and preserved. So, these folks are not elected to 'be my voice.' However, they each are elected to vote upon matters for the people of the district. They get the pay-check -- and they make the votes.

If they vote to abstain -- then they should not get a paycheck that week.

If they vote to abstain more than three times a quarter -- they should be impeached.

What if the guys on public works abstain from putting out salt on a day like today? They would be hounded for not doing their jobs. By the way, the salt truck just went down the South Side side-street.

What if the enviro services crew was to abstain from picking up trash?

Council OKs parcel sales to Downtown developer Council's vote was 5-0, with Darlene Harris, Bruce Kraus and William Peduto abstaining, and Dan Deasy out of the room.

Some council members were concerned because the sale price is much lower than what the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority paid for the parcels.

The URA is selling off properties on the principle of buy high sell low. The URA uses taxpayer money. The URA often champions deals where taxpayers get less money. The URA is working for the wrong side. Go figure.

The URA should be liquidated.

The URA is in the market and the property downtown stays inflated. The old, old owners of the G.C. Murphy Co. store used to have a business. It went bust. They closed the store. But, the owners could squat on the property and not sell it for more than a decade. When did the G.C.Murphy store close its doors? The hopes of re-opening the store was not ever in the cards.

The property could stand vacant for years -- because of the URA. They all knew that government money was going to come along, some day, and buy them out. The URA was an enabler for things that hurt the city -- vacant downtown properties.

If the URA had not been around, the old owners of the G.C. Murphy store would have shut down the business and sold the property as they didn't want to pay taxes year after year. The property could have been purchased by anyone -- such as a Millcraft-like developer, from the old owners, on the cheap.

The taxpayers get screwed coming and going.

The property is put into mothballs. The sales price from the store owners to the URA is much higher than it should be. The taxes are not paid for many years. Then the sales price to the next developer is much lower than it should be. Furthermore, the longer the URA holds the property, the lower the sales price. They want to flip it after a huge delay so that the windfall can best be realized by the next developer -- not the taxpayers.

The exit for the bad situation is a bitter pill -- but -- the bad situation was made much worse by the URA from the outset.

The URA and the governmental weenies have made downtown "a boarded-up, depressing place."

If I'm in charge -- Pittsburgh would liquidate the URA. Urban redevelopment in Pittsburgh lags because of the URA.

Rudy Running Third in Florida

Political eyes turn to Florida.

Newsmax.com - Rudy Running Third in Florida Giuliani received just 15 percent of the votes, down from 36 percent in a Herald poll last November, even though he has campaigned heavily in Florida and virtually ignored the races in New Hampshire, Michigan and other early decision states.

I hope Ron Paul beats him again!

Demand the Truth

Demand the Truth Petition to Media: Demand Balance in 2008 Election Coverage

Coach Gordon, Penn Hills Football -- still at a loss for words

Woodland Progress It's been about a week since the Penn Hills School Board agreed to open the head football coach position, and Neil Gordon said he's still at a loss for words.

Gordon, head coach of the Indians for 21 seasons, said he was making plans for his team in the offseason and hoped to continue at the helm of the Indians.

'We were looking to get things going for winter workouts and the weight program,' Gordon said.

Profs: city not ready for casino

The Pitt News covers to the story from the professors at the Univ. of Pittsburgh. Seems that the city is not prepared for the slots parlor. Go figure.

Profs: city not ready for casino - NewsBut what happens when a brand new $450 million casino comes to town? Does the gambler's problem get worse, or are there adequate resources available to help?

In light of the Majestic Star slots casino being built in Pittsburgh's North Side, these are exactly the questions three Pitt professors sought to answer.

Giuliani, a pit bull. He'll eat your kids too. Thompson departs race. Alan K does the Texas 2 step exclusive

Crossing Mayor Giuliani Often Had a Price Rudolph W. Giuliani likens himself to a boxer who never takes a punch without swinging back. As mayor, he made the vengeful roundhouse an instrument of government, clipping anyone who crossed him.The last thing the USA needs is a president with an attitude.

In other GOP Presidential politicla news, "So long Senator Thompson. Tip: Take your wife out on the town and let your hair down."

Perhaps he'll play a role in the convention, yet to come.

And in Texas, Alan Keyes is starting to kick up some dust. See the comments.

Is the NFL on the right team -- Super Bowl's half time won't seem the same after reading this.

Is the NFL on the right team? - Los Angeles Times: The rubber business has historically been horrific for African workers, known as tappers, who collect sap from rubber trees on plantations south of the Sahara. The labor practices of the Firestone Natural Rubber Co., a subsidiary of Bridgestone/Firestone, in Liberia seem in keeping with this history.

For 81 years, the company has operated a plantation in Harbel, a company town in the truest sense. Its very name comes from founder Harvey Firestone and his wife, Idabelle. The town received its name after Firestone signed a 99-year lease with the Liberian government in 1926 that gave his company access to 1 million acres of land on which rubber trees grow. The sap -- known as latex -- collected on the plantation is shipped to the Bridgestone/Firestone plant in Nashville, where it is used to make tires, among other goods.

Third time is the charm. What does the mood ring say about healthcare in PA with Rendell now?

The photo shows the backdrop banner and Gov. Rendell at his press conference last week -- an event at which he announced the third launching of his bill to cover uninsured Pennsylvanians. "Healthcare for All." Has a nice ring to it. Great publicity. And a real boost for all the hard work our many hundreds of advocates have done in advancing our single-payer campaign to this stage in the process.

Hearings begin in March.

Chuck

www.HEALTHCARE4ALLPA.org

What if a candidacy raised a zillion dollars and no one voted?

The Ron Paul Internet phenomenon is unlike anything else in recent elections. There have been incredible spikes in fundraising for the Good Doctor and an eclectic mix of supporters continues to look just like the cast of a Federico Fellini film.

Ron Paul is NOT an effective leader of people.

What is amazing to a Conservative voter is that Dr. Paul’s supporters are not Republicans, but a mismatch of political ideologues who oftentimes simply act the picked upon, bullied victim.

A quick scan of Paul’s political beliefs ticks off like a conservative Republican’s wish list. No tax hikes, repealing the IRS, withdrawal from the United Nations, a strong stance of gun owners’ rights; however, the oldest candidate in the race boasts a charisma-free resume that will never garner wide, mainstream appeal.

In some ways, the elderly, yet spry Paul is the quintessential Don Knotts of the Presidential race. He seems easy with the pre-written jokes and sharp on the stump. Paul, like Knotts before him, does not command an authoritative presence. He’s the bookish anti-cowboy during a time in which John Wayne is needed. Or Chuck Norris.

Religion is always a sticking point in Presidential elections, especially when the “Religious Right” is still considered a major voting block. Paul’s religious affiliation is as checkered as his supporters. Married in a Presbyterian Church, Mr. and Mrs. Paul raised their children in the Episcopalian Church, while Ron’s religion (on Wikipedia) is listed as Baptist, despite the notation that he considered becoming a Lutheran minister. Needless to say, since Paul practically “tried out” every religion, voters who value faith in a candidate won’t be clamoring for the devoutly fickle Paul.

The fact is, there isn’t a true front runner on either side of the aisle. Mitt Romney (two separate Presidential compatibility tests says he’s by far my candidate, yet I cannot wrap my arms around him) is from Central Casting. Fred Thompson, who came in second in one of my online tests, watched his campaign peak when he announced his candidacy on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Leah Thompson has more of a shot of being the GOP nominee now). Thompson, an actor by trade, tall and rough-looking by genetics, was touted by some to be the most Reagan-esque. But he’ll drop out soon.

Mike Huckabee isn’t much more convincing than Paul, in spite of the fact that wrestling legend Ric Flair endorsed him. If elected, Huckabee might be the only world leader able to make Kim Jung Il tap out to the Figure Four Leg Lock.
On the other side, Barry Hussein Obama is the “cool kid” to support, despite a legislative resume that’s lightly more impressive than mine (and I’ve so far turned down the various offers to run for public office—yes there have been three or four). The “Smartest Women in the World” talk has been silenced in the Hillary “I already have the drapes measured” Clinton camp. American Gladiators has made resurgence, Clinton says, perhaps she can insult women’s characters again for four or eight years. Jebus help us all if Hillary shrieks her way back to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Since Ron Paul isn’t ever going to come close to earning true Republican votes in the Primary process, he would best be served in someone else’s Cabinet. Perhaps he could serve his country as Secretary of the Treasury or in a post that would best utilize his intellectual mastery of the Constitution.

What’s ironic is Ron Paul’s candidacy could possibly translate into some sort of Independent run. That would be a disaster for those who share in his “Leave Us Alone” philosophy. This mishmash of supporters would vacuum enough votes from the ultimate Republican candidate to open the White House doors to a “Big Government” Democrat who will most assuredly squash all of the “freedoms” Paul’s followers espouse.

Ron Paul - a quick, easy introduction to the man running for the 2008 presidency - Who is Ron Paul? Learn about the Ron Paul Revolution

Ron Paul - a quick, easy introduction to the man running for the 2008 presidency - Who is Ron Paul? Learn about the Ron Paul Revolution: "Introduction to Ron Paul
This web site was created so that you can introduce your friends and family to Ron Paul. We accomplish this with short video slideshows for the busy professional.

Splendid site. Easy to navigate. Great best-of bits to click upon. Check it out. Unofficial site.



Looks like Ron Paul is going to raise nearly $2-million today, on MLK Day.

Is this the first time Luke Ravenstahl has left the country?

What other international travels has Luke, his wife and Dan Onorato enjoyed?

Anyone know. Post in the comments.

Pennsylvania's Influence Index of bloggers

Blognetnews.com � Pennsylvania � Influence Index#9 Mark Rauterkus -

I'm back. This blog is now ranked #9 in Pennsylvania's Most Influential Political blogs. Last week, for the first time since the service started, the blog fell off of the top 20 listings. So sad. But, it was short lived.

I think I had a better Christmas than most of the other bloggers. So there.

[412] MLK Day -- its official. It is YOUR turn to stand for elected office in 2008

My latest email blast was sent around 3:15 pm on MLK day.

[412] MLK Day -- its official. It is YOUR turn to stand for elected office in 2008 #1. Today is MLK Day. I wish you the best. It is also a day when I've reached a few decisions.

The news reflects, in part, the blog's polling that was done. See the results on the left. I'll take them down shortly.

QUESTION: Should Mark Rauterkus stand for public office, again, in 2008?

REPLIES:

Give it a break. Don't run. (58%)

Run for PA House. Stay active and engaged. (9%)

Run for US Congress. Shoot for a DC post. (7%)

Support Ron Paul as a deligate to the GOP Convention. (17%)

All the above -- as a Republican (7%)

All the above as a Libertarian. (8%)

---

Here is the 'inside story' that bloggers might wonder about, beyond the email blast.

Tom lives in Bellvue and is running for PA House as a R.

Michael Grant lives in Robinson and is running for PA House as a R.

The chair of the Allegheny County Libertarian Party, Dave Powell, and myself, vice-chair, had considered running for PA House. Both of us were going to run as Republicans. Dave Powell lives in the district of Lisa Bennington, D. She is a one-term member of the PA House. She is choosing to NOT run again. With the open seat, there are a ton of Ds seeking the nomination. Powell and I considered joining the R party and seeking R party nominations because of the ballot access issues that third party candidates face. We want to make a statement. The local Republicans are in debt and not able or willing to field candidates anyway. With us both doing the same thing -- it would have made for a stronger statement.

Dave just came back from a week in New Hampshire, working for the Ron Paul campaign. He has a young kid at home. Oh well.

Jim Roddey invited me to join the Republican party, not long ago. If Mr. Roddey wants to get the signatures for me and for Dave Powell -- then we should talk again. But, I won't hold my breath. In 2001, I remember asking Jim Roddey, then county chief executive, to sign my petition to allow me to get onto the R ballot as a candidate for mayor. He refused then. I wouldn't expect help now either.

We both understand the importance of running candidates in the city against the one-party machine. Yes, the D party isn't much of a 'machine.' Helping candidates in the burbs is fine. But, we crave more city opposition. We crave true 'diversity' and new thoughts on the campaign stump.

Furthermore, some races in the city are sure to heat up a bit. It is great to get people of other parties into the mix when the boil begins. Joe Weinroth ran for mayor and got some buzz along with the hype devoted to O'Connor, Peduto and Lamb. Challengers need to start earlier, not later.

Mark DeSantis blew many opportunities in 2007 by waiting to run for mayor and not getting onto the ballot in the primary. He was a 'write in' because he was late.

So, while I'm not yet a declared candidate for the 2008 spring season, I've not ruled out the 2008 general election nor any race in 2009.

Caffeine Doubles Miscarriage Risk

Newsmax.com - Caffeine Doubles Miscarriage Risk: "Pregnant women who drink two or more cups of coffee a day have twice the risk of having a miscarriage as those who avoid caffeine, U.S. researchers said on Monday."

Coffee is one worry. Pepsi and Coke are just as bad. Same too with ice tea. Now Pepsi has a new drink with double the caffeine.

23 Reasons Why a Profile of Pete Carroll Does Not Appear in this Space | Table of Contents | LA Magazine

23 Reasons Why a Profile of Pete Carroll Does Not Appear in this Space | Table of Contents | LA Magazine: "23 Reasons Why A Profile of Pete Carroll Does Not Appear in this Space"

Wonderful profile. But, like the man, it is NOT really a profile.Some want to save the world -— Carroll wants to coach it. He’s launched a foundation, A Better LA, aimed at motivating on a large scale, at ending violence in the inner city, and he now takes time each week to think and talk about problems other than what to call on third and long. With any coach who’s still coaching, drawing conclusions can be hard. His legacy is always in flux; it hinges on what happens next Saturday. But when a coach is remaking himself into a social activist, when he’s just beginning the task for which he may one day be best remembered, firm statements feel that much more ridiculously premature.

Read #16. I've put it in the comments.

Beijing beefs up pre-Games security - Sunday January 20, 2008 10:29PM

SI.com - More Sports - Beijing beefs up pre-Games security - Sunday January 20, 2008 10:29PM: "City officials have initiated a broad security sweep to ensure China's capital is safe in the run-up to the Summer Olympics, according to state media that quoted Beijing's top police official."

Young at heart, make a donation today to freedom's most visible champion today, on MLK day, Ron Paul. Freedom isn't free.

Today, on MLK Day, presents another huge opportunity to make a contribution to the one person on the campaign trails who blends best with the messages of Martin Luther King, Jr. His message resonates for his honesty, its non-violence at home, peace abroad, and civil disobedience against tyrannical government.

Freedom fits everyone.

If you are against the idea of going into an illegal war, a war that was never declared by Congress, even if you are not a Republican, make a donation today.

Today is a 'money bomb.' I don't like that word -- money bomb. But, it has its effect. Today is the day to be a part of history with a donation. You'll be able to tell your grandkids decades from now that you remember giving Ron Paul a donation on a specific day back in early 2008, before the US invaded Iran. You can be a part of history with a donation today. And, it is so easy to do.

Ron Paul is has the most grass-roots support. Ron Paul's average donation at one time was $90. Giving $10 or $15 or $25 is fine!

In my most recent races for public office, I didn't solicit funds for my campaigns. I ran for city controller and spent less than $250. I got votes for less than four-cents each. But, Ron Paul is different. He is worthy of your donation. And, he has been isolated by the mainstream media. Fox excludes him from debates. Just the travels around the country is 'taxing' and 'expensive.' Ron Paul has been showing up. He is getting his message out as best he can. And now, people can't knock him because money talks and he doesn't have it. Well, Ron Paul is the one on the Republican side with the most money. And, he is being wise with the spending. Go figure.

When the next debate comes and Ron Paul is on stage -- while Fred is not and Rudy is broke -- if not absent -- he'll have time to shine.

Ron Paul is on the upswing. California, with its high tech sector, loves Ron Paul. Ron Paul won't tax the internet. Ron Paul spoke to the employees at Google months ago and was thrilled with the support he got then. It has grown.

Ron Paul does well in the silver state -- see below. And the golden state too! And, let's help him make another historical statement on this date -- the MLK date -- for the sake of everyone's freedom and prosperity.

The message below comes from Ron Paul.

January 21, 2008

What a shot in the arm the Nevada caucuses were, where we took the silver as #2, beating McCain, Huckabee, Thompson, and -- of course -- Giuliani. We also got four more delegates. In South Carolina, we beat Rudy again. A big thank you to all our wonderful donors, volunteers, and voters. So many people worked so hard to spread our message of liberty, honest money, peace, and free-market prosperity. I owe you all my deepest gratitude. So do our fellow citizens. So do all future Americans. Most of the mainstream media continue to pretend that we do not exist. Yet soon the race will be down to four candidates-Romney, McCain, Huckabee, and me, and there is no stopping us, as Tim Russert grudgingly pointed out the other night. Thanks to you, we are in this all the way through a brokered convention.

Nevada, by the way, is known as the Silver State for a reason-its great mining industry produced the precious metal for the beautiful silver dollars minted at the fabled Carson City mint. These constitutional coins, include .775 ounces of silver, in accord with the Coinage Act of 1792. Today these coins, worth $1 in my father's day, have about $14 in silver. That is, the dollar is worth 1/14th of what it was, thanks to the counterfeiting Federal Reserve.

The Fed has again taken our country into a terrible crisis. Who else is talking about honest money that cannot be printed up at will by DC bureaucrats? My opponents in both parties are all some variety of print-and-spend Keynesians. Only we are telling the truth, about who is to blame for this recession, and how we can build real prosperity with sound money, no IRS, no deficit, and strict obedience to the Constitution. And, of course, no hyper-expensive, hyper-dangerous empire all around the globe.

When I met with some great ladies in Charleston, all of whom wore beautiful hats, I talked about the young people flocking to our banner. "Don't forget the young at heart," said one. Darn right! A youthful outlook, work ethic, and optimism characterizes all of us. Frederic Bastiat predicted many years ago that liberty would be saved by the young. He might have added the young at heart as well, and how right he was!

I continue to be astounded not only by all our revolutionaries, but by our fellow travelers. Democrats and even the workers for my Republican opponents come up to me to talk about our ideas. They are fascinated, and want to learn more. Reaching so many people doesn't necessarily mean a victory in the next primary, but it counts for the real changes we want in our country, now and for our children and grandchildren.

Of course, I am mainly paying attention to the next primary! We are working hard in Florida, in Louisiana for the caucuses, and then for Super Tuesday in more than 20 states. Meanwhile, the whole world is watching how we do tomorrow in fundraising, on a day dedicated to the memory of Martin
Luther King, the great champion of non-violence at home, peace abroad, and civil disobedience against tyrannical government.

Please make your most generous donation https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate/ . We can't let this movement be stopped, nor slowed. I promise you that I will continue to pour all my heart and mind and strength into the battle. I know you will too. Let's work together for all we love, and all we hope for: freedom! Surely, it is worth all our efforts.

Sincerely,

Ron

O-R Online

To be honest, he was NOT fired. His contract went out for applications. I hope he makes another application and gets the job back.

O-R Online I have no idea why Penn Hills High School football coach Neil Gordon, one of the most successful coaches in WPIAL history, was fired on Wednesday. But, until I hear differently, I'm going to assume that it had something to do with somebody's kid not getting enough playing time. The school board president says Gordon wasn't fired and the district superintendent says Gordon can re-apply for his job. I don't know what they're teaching the kiddies in the Penn Hills School District but if you're the Penn Hills High School football coach on Tuesday, and on Wednesday you're told that there's an opening for a head football coach at Penn Hills and you're welcome to apply for the position, you've been fired.

blast from the past: Speaking back then about campaign finance reform

This public hearing was on December 16, 2004:

Part 1, opening.



Part 2, trying to open the books of campaigns:



Part 3, as they try to give me the hook. A slight overlap of the first clip and second clip occurs.



A few years ago campaign finance reform was pulled into the realm of city council, thanks to Bill Peudto. We held a public hearing. I spoke.

Tonight's PCNC NightTalk had a Dem state rep and a R state senator. The D predicts that campaign finance reform will be a hot topic in Harrisburg in 2008.

Bubble man: With lofty goals, Phelps in 'biggest year of life' - Friday January 18, 2008 9:36PM

SI.com - Olympics - With lofty goals, Phelps in 'biggest year of life' - Friday January 18, 2008 9:36PM'It took a while for me to get my motion back in my wrist,' he said. 'If I could live in a bubble right now I probably would, so I couldn't get hurt, I couldn't get in trouble, I couldn't do anything but swim, eat and sleep.'

Be safe. Be careful. But don't fall into a bubble -- as they are slippery.

So, these loosers love Pittsburgh but are not telling -- or flashing in the open

Post-Gazette NOW - Local News - Early Returns State law does not require that municipalities reveal the details of proposals by losing bidders in competitive processes. However, Early Returns today consulted legal opinions to determine whether correspondence to the mayor, in response to a public solicitation of amorous prose, would fall within the Right-to-Know Act, allowing public access to the losing entries, and potential scrutiny of the administration's decisions and examination of whether they favored members of the Democratic Committee. The mayor's office stopped short of promising access to the losing entries.

Here is a reason to love Pittsburgh -- it is open to winners and loosers -- without secrets.

Take the entries and post em all.

Pick em. Go to lunch. Do it dutch! Swap spit if you wish. Then get back to work after the nooner.

New website allows for searching of Allegheny County

An interesting press release and password was sent in an email. I'm checking it out now.

Beaver, PA based Property Data Solutions LLC would like to announce the launch of a new website which will allow advanced searching of Allegheny County property records. Searching capabilities include searching by name, address, property type, school district and others categories on over 565,000 properties
in Allegheny County, PA. A database with over 15 million of pieces of property information has been in development for 6 weeks in anticipation of the launch of this site, the only local website that allows the public to search a complete database of Allegheny County property records by name.

Since Allegheny County Council restricted access to name searches on the Allegheny County Property Assessment website many residents, businesses and government agencies have been unable to effectively and easily search property records over the internet. AlleghenyPropertyInfo.com hopes to bridge this gap with a search engine that will let our website subscribers locate needed property information quickly, 24 hours a day and at a minimal cost without visiting County Offices.

Property Data Solutions LLC will allow access to the subscription only AlleghenyProperyInfo.com through daily, weekly, monthly and yearly subscriptions which currently start at $0.99 for one day + tax. Longer subscription lengths are available and multiple user discounts and site licenses are also available for large
organizations, real estate companies, media outlets and other business that depend on accurate property information delivered over the internet.

Facts about AlleghenyPropertyInfo.com:
• 565,190 property records in Allegheny County available for search.
• 15,260,000 pieces of Allegheny County property data in our database.
• Website has been in development for 6 weeks.
• Secure payments for subscriptions are handled via Paypal.com. No credit card information is stored on our server.
• The only local website that allows name searching of properties located in Allegheny County.
A special login for media wishing to test out our site for reporting purposes is available for the next 7 days. ...

Message from PPS about cultrual whatever

Pittsburgh Public Schools, Division of Communications and Marketing

MESSAGE HIGHLIGHTS

• There is an opportunity for two parents to serve on a committee for Culturally Responsive Education
• The initiative is focused on the culture of African-American children
• Interested parents should reply to Pat Fisher - pfisher1@pghboe.net - by January 31^st
• You must include responses to the three questions below in your reply

Dear Parents,

As a result of a partnership between the Pittsburgh Public Schools and The Heinz Endowments, we are proud to announce a new initiative in an area termed Culturally Responsive Education (CRE). The Pittsburgh Public Schools currently defines CRE as work that reflects and is in dialogue with a child’s ethnicity and culture. In the case of this initiative, we are particularly focused on the culture of African-American children.

Pending board approval on January 23^rd, this initiative will run for at least three years and will couple artists with schools who plan to increase the African-American cultural content of their environment. In the spring, the District will produce a Request for Proposals for schools that would like to develop deep (or deeper) relationships with artists over the next three years as a way of more actively engaging African-American children and their families.

As this is a new area of focus for the District, we are developing an Advisory Committee for this initiative consisting of community, parent, teacher, and artist representatives. It is our expectation that the committee will meet monthly in its early stages before transitioning to quarterly meetings.

Role Description for Parent Representative on the CRE Advisory Committee

The two parent representatives should have a working knowledge and interest in African and African-American culture, as well as an interest in the arts and the role of arts in education. The representatives will be particularly appropriate if they have a belief in the importance of parental involvement in schools and are interested in how artists might increase the current levels of parental involvement in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

If you are interested in serving on this committee or would like more information, please submit your responses to the questions below to: Pat Fisher, Executive Director on Special Assignment at pfisher1@pghboe.net.

Questions

1. Please describe your experience practicing, teaching or observing arts of the African Diaspora.

2. Please describe your experience in building relationships with parents, children and community leaders inside or outside of traditional systems.

3. Please describe your experience in developing or observing connections between the arts and other academic subjects such as reading or social studies.

---

So, the parents get TWO, count em, "one, two" on the 'advisory board.' How generous.

Who else is on that advisory board?

Why are the others on that board.

How about if we put ten parents on the advisory panel and then have one principal help to coordinate.

Why not just have the people that we elect -- the school board -- be the people that are on that board. They can work out the details. They can make the decisions. Those are the people that we empower to guide the district's educational policy decisions.

Who gets to pick who gets on the board.

Just as I've barked about in the authorities and with the other panels in the city and county -- I have no problem with people being appointed -- as long as those people are subject to 'retention votes' on election days.

Take letters of application. Pick the people. Then, at the next election, we'll vote and let you know if they can continue to serve on that board in that capacity -- or else you'll need to pick another person -- or ticket of people until the next election.

Meanwhile, there are a bunch of other mini-boards perking about in the Pgh Public School District now. But, the make up and purpose of these adivsory panels are unclear and unannouced. Who is on them? When do they meet? Where are the minutes of the meetings? What votes are being conducted? Who got to pick them?

There is a facilities group.

There is an I.B. group.

There is a high school reform committee for some time. Those people stopped meeting months and months ago. There are times when one or two people are pulled out of hiding to help front a new effort that has NOT gone to the entire committee.

This is a classic case of divide and conquer.

This is a classic case of giving up a few crumbs from the table.

This is OUR school district. It is paid for by the taxpayers. The parents are the one's who have to have faith in the district. We choose to live here. And, it seems, that the administration does all it can to block the parents from involvement in our schools.

The number one reason schools succeed -- or don't -- is parent involvement.

What parents and what taxpayers were at the negotiations with the teachers union? Where are the terms of that deal? When are we going to find out what's what there.

A longer list of parent concerns about the school teachers contract was passed the last two times to the board and administration. However, we understand that those worries were never really talked about in those negotiations.

Then they wonder why the district's student population is dropping lower and lower.

Here is a surge that I can live with. A surge that all can enjoy for generations ot come

Top of the Ticket : Los Angeles Times : Breaking News: A Ron Paul surge in Nevada Breaking News: A Ron Paul surge in Nevada

Boy, oh, boy! Hidden behind all the hoopla, headlines and the Nevada caucus victories of Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton is one little-noticed but stunning political development and number:

Ron Paul, the one-time Libertarian candidate and 10-term Republican congressman from Texas, was in second place. That's right, Second Place. The 72-year-old ob-gyn who's always on the end of the line at GOP debates or barred altogether, was running ahead of John McCain, Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, in fact, ahead of....

all other Republicans except Romney, who easily captured his second state in a week after Michigan.

Romney will flame out soon enough. Otherwise, we're all toast.

The big news -- Ron Paul! He has em right were he wants em.

Romney Win -- Everyone is rich for a month. Stimulus package works to crash the economy from shore to shore for sure

This money is going to grow on trees.

Newsmax.com - Romney Win Announced on Fla.-Bound Plane The $233 billion economic stimulus package Romney unveiled is more aggressive than plans offered by President Bush and rival John McCain.

The big-ticket item is a proposal to allow any business to write off 100 percent of all new equipment purchases for the next two years, retroactive to Jan. 1. It carries an estimated price tag of $81 billion in 2008.

In addition, the tax rate on businesses would be cut from 35 percent to 20 percent over two years, with the first 10-percent cut this year costing $51 billion.

Individuals, meanwhile, would benefit from a proposal to reduce the lowest income tax rate from 10 percent to 7.5 percent, which would cost an estimated $28 billion.

Beware of politicians with big cardboard checks. Ed Rendell is famous for this.

What is worse, politicians with bigger checks, hefty checks, checks that are measured against the GNP.

The stimulus package sounds good. It might sound great to the high-rollers in Las Vegas. They like to gamble.

Meanwhile, the payout is going to be in monopoly money.

Furthermore, its the economy stupid -- but -- only a fool would ignore the spending and still want to heighten the war all along.

In other news -- Ron Paul was in second place when I saw one news report. He was within spitting distance of 3rd -- but second is GREAT!

So, Fox News ignored the news of Paul in 2nd. It is so bad that I can't even link to it. Sucm.

Americans for a Free Republic

Americans for a Free Republic: "The Smear Campaign against Ron Paul"

This is required reading for John K. And, he gets to read and comment about the article. That is to continue the thread.

John K has been good at the depositing of smears concerning topics that are far out of bounds.

The tone is very 'wordsmith' and 'teacher' -ish. Humm... Wonder if that is a legit use of a non-word. Of course young people can being to understand the internal toughness necessary.

He speaks of an empire -- a liberal / neocon cempire.

National Citizens Congress, says Edwards & Rauterkus

John Edwards, D, wants an annual National Citizens Congress. It would insure that people get heard.

Humm....

I was able to campaign for the city controller post and called for a Citizens Congress for the city of Pittsburgh. So, that 'citizens' congress' idea works for me.

I'm not sure of the details, like its cost. He called for 1-million people to gather each year. Sounds like a million man march, perhaps.

There is another theme, however, that makes sense to discuss. The best way to make sure that every person gets to have a voice and have those messages get delivered is NOT to block all blogspot dot com web sites in a firewall for the city's computer network. That's exactly the wrong way. That's what should NOT be done.

We need to examine rights. Those in office need to make sure that every citizen has the right to speak. This is basic 'free speech.' People in government need to work harder on the deliver of rights to all.

Notebook: Parents at root of Gordon decision

He said, and she said seems to be ruling the day. It is bad when unfounded rumpors get put in the papers.

It also stinks that the Athletic Director is not being quoted. The chain of command with the superintendent doing all the talking is ugly.

Furthermore, I don't like that the policy that they NEVER talk about personnel matters to the media. The guy worked with great reviews for the district for decades. There are no problems. The professional reply is to be honest. Say something like, "Neil Gordon has been a great coach. He has done nothing wrong on the job. There has been no cause for termination nor ethical fumble on his part at all -- not in the slightest."

Clear the air on the history with people who have done good -- if not great -- jobs in the past.

Part of leadership is about management of the future. The board has the right to open positions as contracts expire. But objectives can be set. New measures can be recorded. Performances can be supervised.

Notebook: Parents at root of Gordon decision: "Vecchio also claimed some district residents are unhappy because Gordon hasn't won enough championships and that he was looking to become Penn-Trafford's coach.

When told Penn-Trafford's coaching position isn't open, Vecchio said, 'Well that's what we've been told.'

I'm going to take a leap of assumption here and blame a few parents for kicking up a storm in that situation. It generally boils down to some out of control parents.

Furthermore, the parents are not able to be put back into good places because the school administrators are so weak. The administrators are not grounded. They have little minds and little capacity to talk about values and character and lessons of life.

Schools today are in such a mess. I heap most of the blame on school administrators. And, those at the top are the one's who have the biggest burden.

Of course everything is political too. The school boards are bonkers in many situations.

TV news by Mary Robb Jackson

2nd Finish in Fifth Fails to Dim Paul’s Hopes - New York Times

2nd Finish in Fifth Fails to Dim Paul’s Hopes - New York Times: "Violet Zharov, a student at Carnegie Mellon, also traveled here this week to volunteer. Ms. Zharov is active in a MeetUp group for Mr. Paul that has grown from a couple of dozen supporters to more than 1,000."

Coach Gordon ousted at Penn Hills High School as football coach

Bam! Penn Hills should give walking papers to the mascot -- the "INDIAN" -- before it gives the ax (err, tomahawk) to the head coach. Coach Gordon was at Penn Hills when I was there. He wasn't the head coach then, but he was an assistant coach. We just celebrated our 30th high school reunion. The rest of my Mr. Gordon stories can wait -- as today's news is brutal.

Gordon ousted at Penn Hills Penn Hills has decided it does not want Neil Gordon back as coach after 22 seasons. Gordon, who won 156 games and guided the Indians to the WPIAL title game only two seasons ago, said he was 'blindsided' by his removal.

Perhaps he can do color commentary on the high school sports network like Bill Cowher's gig.

Is Mr. Gordon still the Athletic Director? Is that direction still on the map?

Update from the Trib article: Gordon retired as Penn Hills' athletic director following the 2006-07 school year and was working on a supplemental contract this past fall. Such contracts come up for review annually and are filled at the discretion of the school board, according to Teresita Kolenchak, public relations coordinator for the Penn Hills School District.

"A decision was made," Kolenchak said. "It wasn't a vote. No vote was taken."

That does NOT wash with me. No vote. That's not a decision I can live with.

Coaching in the region is important. And, the coaching relationships with schools here stink.

Because this is 'typical' does not make it 'right.' It is wrong.

Schenley and Schools update from Amy M

Two emails, from the past two days, edited ever so slightly.

Great news, we hope, that a tentative agreement has been reached between the board and the teachers' union. Let us hope that both sides will ratify the agreement. It was a very positive sign that they continued to meet until they came to an agreement. The school district could not afford to have a strike on top of all the other problems that it is facing -- declining enrollments, low test scores, controversy over new programs and closed school, etc., etc. etc.

Schenley PSCC meeting this evening (1-16) in the library at 6 pm. Focus is Math/PSE.

I never sent the promised follow-up on our meeting at Panera on Sunday. Nine of us gathered to exchange ideas and report on separate committees that have been meeting. At this time, we are aware of 3 separate committees that are working on various aspects of the Schenley/Frick/IB World situation.

Building/fundraising--There is an active committee that is focusing solely on retaining the Schenley building as a school. It has two offshoots: fundraising/grant writing and engineering. Although they are not ready to give a report to us yet, the group is actively working to save the building. Additional information will be released at a later date.

Alternative Options-- This group has formulated questions about high school reform plans and their implementation and met twice with Mr. Lopez. They continue to push for answers to some questions that haven't been fully answered yet, to gather as much information as possible about what changes are being planned, and to push for more parent and community input at the beginning of these processes rather than tacked on the end. Jen Lakin is in this group, if you would like to send her suggestions for questions to be included.

IB World Steering Committee -- Andie Karsh is representing the parents on this committee that is meeting with Cate Reed (and others) from the High School Reform Task Force. It also includes teachers from the IB program among its members. They have discussed among other topics how the 9th graders will be housed at Frick. The next meeting which is being held in the morning when Andie cannot attend is to focus on recruitment for the IB program.

8th grade parents-- Although not yet an official committee, parents of 8th graders who are considering the IB program are trying to organize their own set of questions and concerns in regard to the immediate future of the IB program. The future freshman class will have a huge effect on the future of the IB program. There are many problems that need to be worked out if our 9th graders are going to be housed in a separate building. Parents and students need to be HEARD.

After hearing the "reports" from the different committees, we tried to get some talking points for the Jan 14 board hearing. Barbara Brewton has given me permission to reprint parts of her speech to the board (see below) because those of us who were there Monday night thought that she did an excellent job of disseminating our thoughts.

Monday board hearing; 31 scheduled speakers, but 4 or 5 did not speak. About 11 spoke about the CAPA/Rogers merger detailing the lack of space, etc. Their comments reinforced the Schenley message "Don't change a program that is a huge success" without clearing thinking of the consequences of your actions. Several others spoke about changes to the Miller program or about reform in general. Thanks to the 5 speakers from Schenley who again tried to get the board to slow down. Mr. Roosevelt and 3 board members were not at the hearing because of contract negotiations that were going on at the same time. Although they missed some very good speeches, the results of their meeting certainly was worth the missing of the hearing.

Barbara Brewton's speech:

I speak tonight as a parent of a Schenley High School student and a concerned resident of Pittsburgh. I would like to first and foremost than you, the Board, for requesting the recent informational meetings on plans for high school reform to help you make the best decisions on this very important issue. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to process all this information, to gather input from your constituents and to make such weighty decisions. I respect your position and would like to offer comments that I hope will be useful concerning the decision-making process.

Please involve parents. Find the common themes that emerge in response to plans for high school reform and address them before moving forward. Ask the administration for a detailed, comprehensive plan that outlines what the District's high schools will look like in 5 and 10 years. What is the nature of the commitments, such as that with Pitt's School of Education that is necessary to make these plans successful? Are the plans equitable across neighborhoods and socioeconomic lines? Do they respect what is good about Pittsburgh--innovation undergirded by tradition and people who are passionate about doing what is best for their children and their communities?

Finally, I respectfully urge you, the Board, to postpone any major decision or expenditures of resources until these questions are explicitly and carefully answered. There is too much at stake. Once sold, Schenley High School would be gorever gone. School communities, once dismantled, would unlikely ever come back. I fear that this is precisely the goal of current plans for high school reform. But I believe that this school district can acheve even greater progress toward sweeping and equitable academic improvement by harnessing the energy and resources of all the stakeholders.

For me, there has been a silver lining surrounding the possible closure of Schenley. My quiet, 16-year old daughter, Anna, has found her voice. She has spoken here, rallied outside the building and attended meetings where she is the only student. Anna, like many other students who are engaged on this issue, is "Being the Change" that we want our children to be in their world. While she is bitterly disappointed about moving to Reizenstein her senior year, she wanted me to convey that it would be a move she could more readily accept if she knew that Schenley would re-open after the necessary renovations take place. As her parent, I have very serious concerns about the transition plans for next year, ranging from student and teacher morale to extracurricular activities to fractured student spirit by placing 9th graders in a different building. But, like my daughter, I believe that it is a sacrifice worth making if Schenley is preserved.

I know that this has been a long email but I wanted to catch everyone up on what has been happening behind the scenes. If you have anything to share with the group, I will pass it on. IF you wish to be removed from this list, please let me know.

amy moore

---

Today's note:

The topics for last evenings PSCC were special education and math. Ms. deChicchis gave a brief overview of the PSE at Schenley. Approximately 130 students come under the special ed department ranging from students with learning disabilities that need accommodations to a small group of students receiving life skills in a self-contained classroom. Students are prepared for advanced education or for entering the work force.

Math--Mr. Fitzioris gave an impromptu discussion of the math program which at the high school level is probably the most difficult subject to discuss because of the different options. For mainstream or PSP who did not have algebra in 8th grade, the sequence is Alg I, Geometry, Alg II and Elem Functions. Beginning next year, any student who has not scored at least proficient on the PSSA will take an additional math class. CAS students and those who had algebra in 8th will take Geometry, Alg II, Elementary Functions, and Calculus. Advance math students who had geo in 8th grade have the option of taking AP statistics or registering for a college math class as a senior. To further confuse the picture, Unified Math had previously been taught but is being phased out. For students graduating in 2009 and after, 4 credits in math are required. Students (and parents) should contact the student's counselor if there are any questions regarding the sequence of classes or possible substitutions.

Upcoming Dates--Financial Aid including the Pittsburgh Promise is scheduled for next Wednesday, January 23 from 6-8 pm in the Schenley Library. If you have a senior planning to attend any post-secondary school, you should plan to attend this session to hear what needs to be done to apply for the Pittsburgh Promise money. Parents of juniors should also attend to start planning for next year; this new money that is available from the city could alter your plans.

Feb. 11--program on NEED scholarship. Additional information will be sent as I receive it.

Feb. 20--the next PSCC meeting will be on High School Reform

April-- a meeting will be held with the parents of current 10th graders to discuss the IB program.

---

update 3:

Financial Aid Nights at Schenley High School are slated for January 23, 2008, from 6-8 pm in the Library. Another is February 11, 2008, from 6-8 pm in the library. Mr. Ed Jones will also be in attendance to talk about the Pittsburgh Promise.

Parents of eighth graders were trying to get together to share information about the upcoming changes. If you want to become involved or would like additional information, contact Jen Lakin. Get her email from the blog owner (Mark @ Rauterkus . com) or peek into the comments of this posting.

Pittsburgh Planning Commission member won't be asked to resign - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

By all means, if I was mayor, I would NOT ask the meeting skipping Pitt fan and Planning Comission member to resign.

Pittsburgh Planning Commission member won't be asked to resign - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said he won't ask Planning Commission member Todd E. Reidbord to ...

Rather, I'd flog him.

Perhaps he can't be fired -- technically. But, he can be told that the 'air ball' he pulled makes him not worthy for the work that is before the city now -- and into the future.

His airball doesn't fit the sports-talk. Frankly, he simply went way out of bounds. When the game is on and it is crunch time -- you don't shrink from your responsibilities. It was 'gut-check time' for the planning commission. That session was billed as "the most important planning meeting in our lifetime" -- so blogged Bram. And, it lived up to that hype.

A weird twist in sports and life is shown in the running away from their governmental responsibilities of both Luke Ravenstahl (mayor) and this donor/developer appointed member of the planning commission. Luke went to the same game and missed the same meeting. Plus, Luke has been know to ditch important public forums in the past to hit a golf outing. These two guys get paid to lead in political settings. However, being sports spectators is a top priority for them. They would rather go to sports games and watch other people play games rather than fill the important roles in the political realm with life impacts where they are policy players.

They have their priorities upside down. They are clueless as to what really matters.

Meanwhile, my life is the opposite. I've devoted my professional life to sports participation, coaching, fitenss, etc. My hobby time goes to politics. Go figure. I've run from a practice to attend a public hearing. Meanwhile, they go AWOL in public hearings when they should be at the table to sit in the stands.

In all seriousness, Luke does not need to fire this guy. If I was mayor, I'd not need to fire him because different policies and measures would be put forth. Things would take care of themselves as I've called for more voter accountability into the system in dealing with all boards and every board member.

In my more ideal world, all board members, even planning commission board members, would face regular "RETENTION VOTES."

So, this guy from Walnut Capital was appointed to the Planning Commission Board by the mayor. In this case, Bob O'Connor gave him his seat. City council approved the nomination. Fine. That would not change. The appointments would still occur. However, the people should be able to go to the ballot box at regular elections and cast votes for retention for all the members on these appointed boards and commissions.

If we don't like the way people behave when appointed ot the boards -- the people should be able to take them off by voting them out.

Pennsylvania has these types of 'judge retention votes' too. We voted "NO" for Judge Nigro. He lost his seat on the bench because he was a jag off.

Retention votes would be easy to administer, occur without the need of expensive campaigns, and would give accountability back to the people.

Folks on these boards, now mostly nameless and faceless, by design, would have to shape up or else be shipped out by the voters.

I want retention votes for all boards and authority members. Then we'd be able to vote this guy out of here.

Perhaps we should start the petition to get this question put onto the ballot for the general election. We could call this the Reidbord Ballot Question.

Should appointed board members in the city's various commissions and authorities be subject to retention votes according to a strenuous forumla based upon first appointment and years of service.

New Hazlett Theater from noon to 7 pm -- women and arts among community elements

Looks kwel. Would love to get a re-cap of the events.

New Hazlett Theater ... we will explore the value of the arts in communities and cities. The symposium will feature a panel discussion and workshops centered on Pittsburgh success stories with arts as a factor in community development, exploring national trends and delving into what might happen next here in the SW Pennsylvania region.

If you are going or if you attend, blog about it here.

If you wish you knew about this event, and others like it much sooner, then you are not watching my google public calendar. Subscribe to it! Stay aware.

GOP council members talk back to Onorato - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Dan Onorato is a king of pretend. Onorato passed lots of phantom budgets as part of Pittsburgh City Council. Dan, the tax man, learned under Tom Murphy. Dan Onorato was part of the problem and helped to usher in TWO sets of OVERLORDS for the city because of continuous miss-management of budgets, incomes, and killer expenses.

GOP council members talk back to Onorato - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 'The county executive lives in the real world, and he isn't going to engage in funny budgeting with phantom revenue,' Kevin Evanto, Onorato's spokesman, said. 'The county has a balanced budget with actual revenue streams, and we're going to continue operating under that budget.

A real answer is due from the administration. What about those costs we paid for the courts that didn't get covered from the state?

Insults don't make an answer. Unless, the answer points to more wrongdoing by Onorato. Cover up?

Onorato says he lives in the real world -- but ask him what year he lives in? Onorato rolled back the property taxes to a 'base year.' Onorato fell down the rabbit hole some time ago. Onorato lives in a fantasy world where changes to the Lincoln Bedroom are more recent than the changes to the more wealthy suburban property values.

South Vo Tech High School was a Second Chance School for many

South Vo Tech High School is gone. It was closed in a boneheaded move of the Pgh Public School District Administration and School Board.

John Edwards, D, candidate for President, speaks of "second chance schools" as part of the solution to combat the 'drop outs factories' and high drop out rates.

Many of the students who attended South Vo Tech were there because they didn't fit in a prior school. Some went straight into South after 8th grade. Many were transfer students.

Pittsburgh needs to re-open South Vo Tech! We need that type of school among the choices for kids and families.

Dennis Perrin: The Liberal's Ron Paul Problem - Politics on The Huffington Post

Dennis Perrin: The Liberal's Ron Paul Problem - Politics on The Huffington Post: "What bothers liberals, TNR's James Kirchik among them, is that Paul is the only presidential candidate who is seriously running against the state. This includes anti-imperialism and calls to end the Drug War. Given that Hillary and Obama are nowhere near this mindset -- quite the opposite -- means that anyone who is must be a bad person. If those newsletters didn't exist, hit men like Kirchik and the libloggers who support him would find something else to smear Paul with. Because, at bottom, they oppose any dismantling of the war state (recall Kos' shitting all over Kucinich). They simply want their preferred candidates to run the machine instead.

Pittsburgh Hoagie wants to go to the head of the class

Pittsburgh Hoagie: All meat no filler: Tuesday items: "If the hike is high and my school board member, Floyd McCrea, is in favor of it I will run against him in the next district election."

Matt hints that he may run for school board.

The edumacated scream, "Ouch!"

Last week's purchase -- no regrets

I was holding my breath. I need a new computer. Well, last week I went ahead and placed an order for a new one. But, MacWorld is slated for this week.

Today the new line-up of Macs is out -- and my purchase isn't blown out of the water.

I'm not getting a laptop. And, the new one just talked about today looks fine, but it isn't what I crave. It doesn't fit my budget.

I am interested in the Apple TV upgrade however. That might need to be an investment in the weeks or months to come. I'd be able to do a TiVo like recording of city council meetings and then burn them to DVDs. The archives power could offer lots of fine leverage in the months and years to come.

In other news, I hope iJustine gets here bandwidth back and has good fun in S.F.