Campaign Finance Reform -live blogging

Patrick Dowd:

Campaign donations are a good thing.

Campaign investments by donors are not a good thing.

Spending caps are not a good thing. Presents opportunities to allow for others to spend money and allow the candidate to be without accountability.

Tonya Payne: What are we talking about? The Senator of NY was out spent 3 to 1. Does spending really matter?

Worried about what we are allowed to spend upon. She wants to have no worries about what she spends upon out of her own pack. That is way off topic on this amendment.

Doug Shields: Candidates often indicate that they are going to run, but then they don't. An individual who publicly announces an intention to run for office. ???

What is the definition of a candidate?

A candidate is one who files papers. A candidate is a candidate that states so in public.

I (Mark Rauterkus) says a candidate is anyone who files papers to open up a PAC. Bill Peduto agrees.

Doug has not 'dug into' these amendments. Forgive me.

Doug, do your homework!!!!

Patrick reviews his concepts. Patrick is against and removes 'spending limits.'

Doug wants to take it in whole.

Darlene Harris is confused. Dog ate her homework. She just found out that this is coming to the table. Everything is all over the place. No time. She needs hand holding. She is confused. She doesn't have a copy of what she should have since January.

Jim Motznik does not have a copy of the original bill either.

Digest time...

Peduto went with deliberate and slow steps. Public hearing, post agenda, etc. I'm not going to make this into a personal thing. This means far too much for me.

Some asked for this to be held.

This is too much. We can agree to disagree. Keep on keeping on and then we can hold it.

Darlene Harris: Are we getting a copy?

Gosh. It is there.

Darlene Harris: I didn't know. We didn't sit down and talk.

She feels 'jilted' -- perhaps.

Rev. Burgess: I may offer an amendment myself. Let's go through the amendment process today. These are friendly amendments. Then we can bring back the bill.

T.Payne: No problems -- however... If, .... (wrong) ....

Patrick Dowd goes back on track.

First Amendment: 198.01 -- Remove spending caps.

02 -- more Removal of spending.

Top of 198.02 -- contribution limits.
Was $2,500 and $5,000 cap. Was without moving limits.

That was unacceptable to have a flat number. Inflation.

Individuals may make political contributions to candidates based upon the federal limits. So, if the amount shifts at the federal level, then it shifts locally. The limit is the federal guideline. Applies to both individuals and PAC contributions.

198.06 - Most important. Public record of reports! This is of value. It has to be out there, accessible and searchable. The info is there. But, it is difficult to get. It is not 'searchable' (today).

The role of the County Dept. of Election. And, this should not be housed in city clerk, council offices, controller's office. So he wants it within the Pgh Ethics Hearing Board. The papers need to go to two places. Do nothing different.

The Ethics Hearing Board have their own worries. And, he wants electronic filing. But, that will be their efforts.

Effective DATE is the other point of an amendment. This would not take effect until Jan 1, 2010.

Candidates could volunteer in 2009.

Bill Peduto: Rehash.

Bruce Kraus: Question about .06, the capacity of Ethics Board to handle this. Didn't know if $10,000 went through. ??? What bill comes first.

Patrick Dowd: He spoke to Sister Patrice. She thinks that they can begin to discuss this.

Folks, to keep an up to date database costs little or NOTHING. I can do it in Google Documents (spreadsheets).

Peduto: We are talking about 2010. There are two budget cycles.

Kraus: He wants a letter from Sister Patrice. This is 'on-going.'

Kraus: This is to take politics out of this upcoming election cycle. (giggle)

Motznik: Share concerns of Kraus as to the cost of Ethics Hearing Board.

Motznik: If you want to do it in 2010 -- take the volunteer realm out of it in 2009.

Patrick Dowd wants a beta version. Get the kinks out of it.

Tonya P: ... All candidates running for "city" elected office. Done.

Ethics board keeps in their database? Just names? Just amounts?

Everything needs to be reported, even a person's address.

T Payne: If each of us have 20,000 donors. That is a lot of data entry.

Yes, there will be some work. But, it needs to be smart. We might have to create special software, or, Google Documents could handle it.

Tonya pulled a joke. Nobody laughed.

Bill's mentions: OpenSecrets.com. PA has a searchable database too.

Harris: How is this enforced?

Peduto: It is enforced by the courts.

Harris: You do have honest candidates. Those that are not honest just give their money to someone else.

Peduto: Injunctive Relief explained. If you are a candidate and your opponent is bending the rules, you can take them to court.

Harris: What is the enforcement?

Peduto: Candidates already share the data among city and county.

Harris: A lot of the campaign papers are not notarized. ... It will be the same court action as we have right now.

Motznik: Wants to delete the volunteer element in 2009. He wants to set a date and live by that date. 198.09 section 2.

Dowd: He wants the system to be 'operational' by Jan 1, 2009. No zingers is the goal.

Dowd wants the pioneer pathway to be paved and with clearly marked Kennywood signs. Where is the Ethics Hearing Board office? Test drive. Dry runs.

Shields: CIS. Spur the county? Get this out of our hair. No problem with controller.

(Back)

Burgess: Wants a flag with Authority Board Members and spouses. Disclose info by simply listing contributors and how much they gave. Special interests influence should become clear.

Checklist of the contributor. Spouse, child, etc. Responsibility is for the person that gives the money.

Burgess is over-reaching. He is diving into intent being transparent.

I didn't hear the whole thing.

Patrick Dowd like it. "I think this is a great amendment. I think this is excellent."

Shields complements Burgess. However, it is the language. Talks about "party of interest." ?? More to come. Extended family chart. ??? Looking for firm and fast rules to grand nephew. Shields is concerned about architecture. Some "B-contract areas" are not easily seen, such as a contractor for alternator/generators with the garage. Gets dicey. What is the penalty if there is non-disclosure?

Shields does not want to have a SAT test before getting onto the ballot. Candidates get bounced because of a faulty form.

Burgess talks too much.

Kraus wants to thank Burgess too. It goes to the heart. There are some things that he is not too comfortable with. Does business with city in excess of $x.00 might help to clarify and take pressure off the candidate.

Kraus: Responsibility and penalties. He goes to H&R Block. Defraud is -- under the best of intentions -- etc. What legal responsibilities the candidate has. This is defiantly a struggle. This is why we are at the table. Fully agree with the intent.

Harris: How would I remember the jobs we did with the last five years?

Burgess: The thought is for the 'contributor' not the candidate. He wants outlines of quid pro quos. Perhaps Dowd's sister in Florida gives another member of council gets $5,000. That should be out in the open. Perhaps the link is to a dollar amount. Perhaps if the giving is over $250. This is the elephant.

Peduto: Check box if you do business with the city. Direct links of vendors and contractors. The 'interested party' is defined. Peduto wants a hold.

Burgess wants to put it in even if it is half baked.

Dowd: Train leaving the station. This bit should be on the train.

Dowd: Burgess' amendment to the amendment is exactly what the pledge means -- as signed in Feb with all members of council, mayor and controller. Pledge #5.

Motznik: This is too vague to approve. (voted no, and only no)

Harris: Current state of Pgh because they don't contribute to campaigns... ??? If you are having a problem, call her office. Bid on projects, etc. 255-2135. She'll be glad to give assistance, even if you ran against her. Equal assistance and level playing field. And, the city has a print shop.

Burgess: Thanks Mr. Peduto for his hard work on this topic for several years. He is greatful for fruitfull. Move to hold for 2-weeks.

Motznik: "I'm all for campaign finance reform. I think it needs to be done at the state level."

Peduto: Does not want to have others feel 'left out.' This bill means a lot to me. Refuses to make it personal. Proud of the conversation.

See ya in 1 day on Talkshoe.com -- or in 2 weeks at the table.

Break a leg

Schenley's musical All Shook Up opens this evening (Thursday) at 8 pm and continues with performances tomorrow (Friday), Saturday, and next week, Thurs., Fri., and Saturday. Schenley has a tradition of great musical performances and I urge everyone to try to see this show which will be the final one at Schenley for at least several years.

A heads' up on the Frick musical from Joan:

"Frick is getting ready to do the spring Musical. the dates are May 15,16
and 17. It is called "Gone with the Breeze" Tickets are $3. I am not sure when they go on sale I just got the final information yesterday."

I will try to get more information on tickets and times, etc. Taking your elementary school kids to see the Frick Middle School musical is a nice way to introduce them to the middle school experience.

And an update from Liz Oderoff from Fulton from April 16:
Fulton news: Kids just finished two weeks of PSSA tests and are worn out, so principal really responded to kids. They had a line dance two periods "to let it all out." And today, they are spending the whole day to see classes, dorms, campus of IUP with their (twenty) student teachers. The principal put it in terms of where your hard work can get you. Kids were very excited to see where their teachers hung out when they weren't with them.

We have an excellent program with IUP, Student teachers teach half a day and have classes at Fulton half a day at the first semester. Second semester, they spend the whole day in the classroom, but still have a faculty member at school for any questions that come up. It's a great program and very helpful to have two teachers in each classroom. The kids also love the young collegians.

If you have anything to share with the rest of the IS schools, please send it and I will include it with the next email.

amy moore

Campaign finance reform vote possible today in city council

Campaign finance reform vote possible today in city council: "Councilman Patrick Dowd wants an amendment that would have the Ethics Hearing Board log all contributions into a searchable online database.

Another reason for me to get an appointment to the Ethics Hearing Board.

I'd love to see the Ethics Hearing Board get its act together. And, if this only goes into effect in 2010 or later -- then okay. There is some time. But, I have only a tiny bit of faith that it will come together as it should.

Heck, the Citizens Police Review Board has been around for a while and it is still without institutional cooperation from the brass in the police force. (See the City Paper.)

I am in favor of real time access to all campaign transactions in an online format. That can be managed by the private sectors with help from the banks.

I am in favor of campaign finance limits too.

These limits do NOT impact free speech of an individual. The individual can still say what he or she wants. But, they can't toss loads of money at candidates.

New gifted program to begin next year at five city schools

This sucks.

New gifted program to begin next year at five city schools New gifted program to begin next year at five city schools.

Here we go again.

They aim to break something that isn't broken.

Gifted education in the city works just fine.

Thank goodness, and this is a selfish attitude that I generally do NOT like to champion, the pilot program leaves my kids behind. Great. I want them to do what they've been doing. It works well.

Our school is NOT on the list. So, life in Gifted Education for our kids will change only slightly. Programs everywhere will suffer due to the economy of scale.

The other bit of good news is that the pilot program's duration. It is going to continue for three years. By then, my youngest will be stepping out of the grades that are currently well served in the existing Gifted Program.

If the aim is "gifted instruction" for five days a week, then there should be a 'Gifted School.'

Many other "gifted schools" exist around the nation. Did the PPS task force go and look at those situations?

I'm in favor of a 'gifted high school' for Pittsburgh.

"I think five-day-a-week enrichment is going to do more for those young people," Mrs. Fink said.

Mrs. Fink talking about 'gifted education' is a hoot in itself. The use of 'logic' and 'common sense' at the board and administration level will do more for the young people of Pittsburgh than anything else.

Five-day-a-week enrichment means a school within a school or a gifted only school.

I agree, again, with board members Mark Brentley Sr. and Randall Taylor. But, I wish they did more than only vote to "abstain." Of course the quality of instruction will vary from school to school. Lots of schools have lots of problems. And, lots of the classroom teachers have bad attitudes to specialized gifted education.

This should unfold on cable TV tonight. I've got a snip of video as well. Look for a future post.

Fiorina as McCain VP? He 'could do a lot worse' - San Jose Mercury News

Technology is everywhere. Even in politics.

Fiorina as McCain VP? He 'could do a lot worse' - San Jose Mercury News With the top of the Republican ticket settled, the vice-presidential sweepstakes game is on, and one name coming up is former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina.

Tortue and the FBI investigations of CIA acts that are illegal

RW = Congressman, Robert Wexler.

RM = Robert Mueller, FBI

RW: Alright, Mr. Director. An LA Times article from October, 2007 quotes one senior federal enforcement official as saying quote “the CIA determined they were going to torture people, and we made the decision not to be involved” end quote. The article goes on to say that some FBI officials went to you and that you quote “pulled many of the agents back from playing even a supporting role in the investigations to avoid exposing them to legal jeopardy” end quote.

RW: My question Mr. Director, I congratulate you for pulling the FBI agents back, but why did you not take more substantial steps to stop the interrogation techniques that your own FBI agents were telling you were illegal? Why did you not initiate criminal investigations when your agents told you the CIA and the Department of Defense were engaging in illegal interrogation techniques, and rather than simply pulling your agents out, shouldn’t you have directed them to prevent any illegal interrogations from taking place?

RM: I can go so far sir as to tell you that a protocol in the FBI is not to use coercion in any of our interrogations or our questioning and we have abided by our protocol.

RW: I appreciate that. What is the protocol say when the FBI knows that the CIA is engaging or the Department of Defense is engaging in an illegal technique? What does the protocol say in that circumstance?

RM: We would bring it up to appropriate authorities and determine whether the techniques were legal or illegal.

RW: Did you bring it up to appropriate authorities?

RM: All I can tell you is that we followed our own protocols.

RW: So you can’t tell us whether you brought it; when your own FBI agents came to you and said the CIA is doing something illegal which caused you to say don’t you get involved; you can’t tell us whether you then went to whatever authority?

RM: I’ll tell you we followed our own protocols.

RW: And what was the result?

RM: We followed our own protocols. We followed our protocols. We did not use coercion. We did not participate in any instance where coercion was used to my knowledge.

RW: Did the CIA use techniques that were illegal?

RM: I can’t comment on what has been done by another agency and under what authorities the other agency may have taken actions.

RW: Why can’t you comment on the actions of another agency?

RM: I leave that up to the other agency to answer questions with regard to the actions taken by that agency and the legal authorities that may apply to them.

RW: Are you the chief legal law enforcement agency in the United States?

RM: I am the Director of the FBI.

RW: And you do not have authority with respect to any other governmental agency in the United States? Is that what you’re saying?

RM: My authority is given to me to investigate. Yes we do.

RW: Did somebody take away that authority with respect to the CIA?

RM: Nobody has taken away the authority. I can tell you what our protocol was, and how we followed that protocol.

RW: Did anybody take away the authority with respect to the Department of Defense?

RM: I’m not certain what you mean.

RW: Your authority to investigate an illegal torture technique.

RM: There has to be a legal basis for us to investigate, and generally that legal basis is given to us by the Department of Justice. Any interpretations of the laws given to us by the Department of Justice….
(talking over each other)

RW: But apparently your own agents made a determination that the actions by the CIA and the Department of Defense were illegal, so much so that you authorized, ordered, your agents not to participate. But that’s it.

RM: I’ve told you what our protocol was, and I’ve indicated that we’ve adhered to our protocol throughout.

RW: My time is up. Thank you very much Mr. Director.

Call to action: Decriminalization at Fed Level gets put before Congress

The first federal marijuana decriminalization bill in 25 years was just introduced in Congress. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) introduced H.R. 5843, the "Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008," which would decriminalize possession of marijuana for personal use. Please urge your representative to support this important legislation: http://dpa.convio.net/site/R?i=9hHbrxgA_hGhVxhezEnZjw.

A deluge of messages from constituents will help members of Congress feel more confident in declaring their support for the bill. We don't expect the bill to become law just yet, but it will help us find out which members of Congress support marijuana decriminalization and which do not. The more representatives who co-sponsor it, the more support we can show for marijuana law reform.

Take action now: http://dpa.convio.net/site/R?i=l6vtCMWGJ0dtNucW50rn7g..

Last year alone the police made almost 830,000 arrests for marijuana law offenses in the United States. 89 percent of those arrests were for posssession for personal use. Those arrested were seperated from their families, branded criminals, and in many cases fired from their jobs and denied school loans and other public assistance. The arrests cost taxpayers billions of dollars and consumed an estimated 4.5 million law enforcment hours (that's the equivalent of taking 112,500 law enforcement officers off the streets).

H.R. 5843 would make it legal under federal law for adults to possess up to 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of marijuana for personal use. It would also allow not-for-profit transfers of up to one ounce of marijuana between consenting adults. Please urge your member of Congress to support this bill: http://dpa.convio.net/site/R?i=3ttLKtmP6k-0LOeXAO6H8w.

Our executive director, Ethan Nadelmann, made a powerful case for ending marijuana prohibition in a 2004 cover story in National Review: http://dpa.convio.net/site/R?i=dED1c2Ta3uIVoG0eINaO3A..

Sincerely,

Bill Piper
Director of National Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance

MORE INFORMATION:

-- In 1972 a special commission formed by Congress and President Richard Nixon concluded that punitive marijuana laws do more harm than good. Among other things, the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse urged states and the federal government to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. Twelve states eventually did, but most states and the federal government ignored the report. You can read the National Commission's 1972 report here: http://dpa.convio.net/site/R?i=gH0jlekSYi_oFYp9reRbYg..

--Since 1972 twelve states have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, and Oregon. Decriminalization generally means people caught possessing marijuana for personal use are not subjected to imprisonment for at least their first offense, although they may be subject to a small fine.

--A 2001 Zogby poll found that 61 percent of Americans oppose arresting and jailing nonviolent marijuana smokers. A 2002 Time/CNN poll found that 72 percent of Americans think people arrested for marijuana possession should face fines and not jail time.

--A study that examined arrest statistics for smoking or possessing marijuana in public in New York City from 1980 through 2006 found that blacks were four times as likely as whites to receive jail time for possession of marijuana. Hispanics were three times as likely. In 2002 about 2.4 percent of all marijuana users were arrested for marijuana possession. The arrest rate for blacks was 94 percent higher.

More ethics problems -- go figure

This is an issue of ethics in Olympic circles.

IOC backs Bach against possible conflict of interest - More Sports - SI.com 'Dr. Bach was in contact with the ethics commission and got advice. There is no reason to believe Dr. Bach broke the rules of the IOC ethics code,' IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said.

Flashback -- Flashforward -- Cambodia -- Godspeed Anga

Last year at this time our family traveled to New Zealand. Catherine was a visiting professor and taught a course. We adhere to "no child left behind" -- so we bring our kids with us for the international exerience and applied education.

We love to travel as a family -- but make it a point to go abroad and bring along two graduate students from Pitt's audiology program. It has become a bit of a 'custom' and one we cherish.

This year year, Anga, seen in the photo at our house at meal time (last year), is headed abroad again. She left yesterday for a month of service in audiology in Cambodia.

Be safe. She is going solo. I hope we have tons of interesting photos and stories to share -- either while she is on the road -- or upon her return.



Personally, it is weird to be here, in Pittsburgh, in the spring. Last year we left Pittsburgh as winter was closing, and we returned to summer. While away, we enjoyed New Zealand's mild fall weather. So this year it is a treat to enjoy spring see the trees and flowers in bloom and the greening.

Cambodia.

Poynter Online - Can a Reporter Trade a Newswriting Career for a Song?

Nice feature. Blends music and journalism.

Poynter Online - Can a Reporter Trade a Newswriting Career for a Song?: "Can a Reporter Trade a Newswriting Career for a Song?"

His MySpace has six songs for free listens. Creative.

Casino financing remains unsecured - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

This causes concern and the alternative solution is still valid.

Casino financing remains unsecured - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Two top Majestic Star officials said Tuesday the casino operator doesn't have enough money to build the North Shore slots palace, but will soon."

Move the slots parlor -- it isn't a 'casino' -- into the Convention Center. The Convention Center is already built. The Convention Center is a white elephant. The income from slots is not flowing yet. Prime the pump. Kill two major headaches with the same stone.

Yearly costs to operate the Convention Center and pay for past debt makes a huge weight upon the backs of the public treasury. Sell the Convention Center to Don Barden.

The Conventions that are already booked won't need to be screwed -- as Don Barden can also absorb the Vistors and Convention folks and he can put them on private payroll. They can manage the space as necessary.

More Morning After the PA election

I didn't vote! Couldn't. Now, for some of the rest of the story.

Democratic voters set a record by a huge margin yesterday. Capitolwire's Pete DeCoursey reports that yesterday's Democratic vote total of nearly 2.3 million voters shattered the old record of 1.53 million in 1980. Only 710,000 Republicans voted...

GOP nominee John McCain, who locked up the nomination months ago, nevertheless saw 27.3 percent of Republicans vote for Ron Paul or Mike Huckabee. What does this mean? Will these voters stay home in the fall? Will the Paul supporters vote for the Democrat in November because both Obama and Clinton share Paul's commitment to ending the Iraq War? Will the Huckabee voters stay home because McCain is too inconstant and not conservative enough in their eyes to be trusted? Were these voters asking McCain to consider Paul and Huckabee as vice presidential candidates? Or does it mean that a lot of mainstream Republicans just stayed home to avoid the hordes of Democrats at the polls?

Snip above and below from Democracy Rising Pennsylvania.

There were several winners who didn't get a majority of the vote yesterday. Rob McCord, a finance professional from Montgomery County, placed first in a four-way race with 43.5 percent of the vote for PA Treasurer.

Multiple candidates were in a few house and senate races: Cumberland County's 88th House district, for example, saw seven Republicans on the ballot. The winner, Sheryl Delozier, received just 26.5 percent of the vote but is virtually guaranteed a victory in November in a very heavily Republican district.

Such results beg the question of whether to continue a system in which someone wins despite most voters choosing someone else. Instant Runoff Voting is one way to deal with this problem without making voters return to the polls for another election.

Not only does IRV ensure that the winner is the candidate most voters want, it prevents the divide-and-conquer strategy in which incumbents get straw candidates to take votes away from challengers. It may be that most voters don't want the incumbent, but because their votes are divided between challengers, the incumbent wins anyway.

Look for a discussion of this at Pennsylvania's Constitution Convention, whenever it happens.

In Pittsburgh's west, the three way race had a city council member as the winner. Ex-state rep aid got third. The outsider challenger got 2nd. Perhaps a 2-way race would have hurt John Paul Jones the most.

REPRESENTATIVE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 27TH DISTRICT
(WITH 64 OF 64 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
JOHN PAUL JONES --> 4,328 = 31.96%
RYAN L. DOUGLASS --> 4,068 = 30.04%
DANIEL J. DEASY, JR. --> 5,136 = 37.92%
WRITE-IN --> 12 .09

I would LOVE to see John Paul Jones begin his campaign for city council in the next couple of days.

In L-ville land, the ex-city councilman, Len Bodack lost. (Whew.) And, the ex-member of county council, Brenda Frazier, lost. She helped to bring Allegheny the drink tax as per Dan Onorato's wishes. Voters went with the ex-policeman, for years on disability. Tight race. Tough decision. All Dems.

REPRESENTATIVE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 21ST DISTRICT
(WITH 70 OF 70 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
DOM COSTA --> 4,940 = 34.62%
LEN BODACK --> 4,703 = 32.95%
BRENDA FRAZIER --> 4,595 = 32.20%
WRITE-IN --> 33 = .23%

I'd love to have Libertarian candidates on the ballot in both of those races this fall. Anyone want to run?

Next point of interest, watching Brenda Frazier wiggle her way back onto the Allegheny County Council. She wanted to have her husband appointed to her seat after she departed, so I have heard. Then, in case she lost her race to become a state rep, she'd be able to return to county council. But, that isn't what happened.

Ohligarchy: There's Got To Be A Morning After

Ohligarchy: There's Got To Be A Morning After There was a choice for President! As I promised, I voted for Ron Paul. Voting for Ron Paul makes Rauterkus happy. That's a positive thing. Why would you want to upset the man? Also, there was the delightful symbolism of voting for Ron Paul in the very church in which he was married, way back in 1957. Call it a belated fifty-first wedding present.

Allegheny County Returns for Ron Paul

These are the numbers in the city of Pittsburgh among Rs:

Allegheny County Returns
Huckabee 444
McCain 3,423
Paul 1,020

Went to one polling place and they had 4 Rs vote and more than 100 Ds.

DeSantis delivers on micro-loan pledge - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

This story was the buzz at some polling places today.

DeSantis delivers on micro-loan pledge - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Even though he wasn't elected, DeSantis is making good on a campaign promise to develop a micro-loan program.

The Blog of Burgher Jon gives me some mention in the quest for open gov on TV -- Lebo style

I got some ink at another blog.

Jon, I'm always glad to help and offer up solutions. I'm glad you noticed too.

The Blog of Burgher Jon Until local governments get a clue we're going to have to keep waiting for good old Rauterkus to video tape his TV. What do you suppose it cost him to put that video together? about $28,000?

My price tag won't be as high as theirs.

:)

RIP: Buck Dawson, 87, Promoter of Swimming, Is Dead - New York Times

From canada-ak-o-mak

Buck Dawson, 87, Promoter of Swimming, Is Dead - New York Times: "Buck Dawson, 87, Promoter of Swimming, Is Dead

Buck was a great, great man. He will be missed by thousands around the world, including our family.

I was very honored and happy to introduce my sons, both swimmers, to Buck in the summer of 2006 while in Canada at Camp Chikopi and visiting the friends from the other side of the lake at Ak-o-mak.

Rest of story:

Buck Dawson, the first executive director of the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and a leading promoter of the sport, died on April 4 in Fort Lauderdale, where he lived. He was 87.

The cause was heart failure and complications of Parkinson’s disease, the Hall of Fame said.

From 1964 to 1987, Dawson helped build the Hall of Fame into an attraction that now enshrines such celebrated inductees as Johnny Weissmuller, Buster Crabbe, Mark Spitz, Gertrude Ederle, Eleanor Holm and Esther Williams. Spitz is now the hall’s chairman. By his own admission, Dawson himself was a poor and infrequent swimmer.

“Buck did more for swimming than any nonswimmer in the world,” the Hall of Fame said in announcing his death, adding: “He made the Hall grow from an idea to a shoebox collection and ultimately a million-dollar operation as the showcase and archives of swimming.”

Dawson was credited with bringing to Fort Lauderdale national championship events in swimming, diving, synchronized swimming and water polo, and he persuaded college teams to train there during their spring break. He traveled throughout the year promoting the sport.

For years, in Ontario, he and his wife, RoseMary, a swimming coach, ran the first known competitive-swimming camps, Camp Ak-o-Mak for girls and Chikopi for boys. He wrote or was a co-author of 18 books on various subjects, including swimming, volcanoes, the Civil War and World War II.

William Forrest Dawson was born Oct. 31, 1920, in Orange, N.J. His father, Cecil, was president of the Dixie Cup Company. Buck Dawson attended the University of Michigan, where he was a top sprinter on the track team. He left college during World War II and served as an officer commanding glider troops in the 82nd Airborne Division; he was later a public information officer. He wrote the official history of the 82nd Airborne.

After the war, he returned to college and graduated in 1948. Returning to the Army during the Korean War, he damaged one eye in an automobile collision and wore a black eye patch afterward.

His wife died in 2003. Their daughter, Marci Williams, died in 1999. Dawson is survived by a stepson, Bruce Corson, of Ann Arbor, Mich.; two stepdaughters, Connie Corson of Colorado Springs and Marilyn Whitney of Savannah, Ga.; two step-grandchildren; and three step-great-grandchildren.

Buck is also survived by hundreds, if not thousands of once young swimmers.

From Grant

That's Buck in the middle of the big hug. Grant, my youngest, is the guy off to the left of the photo. I took the photo from a canoe before the start of 3-mile swim race.

View Album

Get your own

Buck isn't in this slide show, but it gives a peek at 'camp'.

Cheruiyot, Tune win Boston Marathon - More Sports - SI.com

Great day for a marathon.

Cheruiyot, Tune win Boston Marathon - More Sports - SI.com Among those in the event's second-largest field: seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, who finished 488th in 2:50:58.

Nice run Lance.

A runner from the USA got into the top ten -- 10th.

Election Protection's final push to ready for vote tomorrow

The Freedom Unlimited Building is at 2201 Wylie Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 -- and the training is slated for tonight from 6 to 7:30 pm.

PRESS CONTACT: Celeste Taylor, 412-670-0937
Stacey Gates, 240-274-5400/sgates@pfaw.org

Election Protection Coalition Operates Statewide Hotline for Pennsylvania Voters in Primary

Poll watchers to be deployed in Allegheny County

Election Protection Volunteer Training, Monday, April 21, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

On April 22, the nonpartisan Election Protection (EP) coalition will operate its national hotline, 1-866-OUR VOTE (1-866-687-8683), to provide live assistance to voters in Pennsylvania's April 22 primary. The EP coalition is working with allies across the state to dispatch poll monitors in key precincts, and PFAWF is coordinating these efforts for the coalition in Pittsburgh to help solve problems that may arise on Election Day.

We invite you to cover the Election Protection coalition's volunteer training:

When: Monday, April 21, 2008, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Where: Freedom Unlimited Building, 2201 Wylie Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (next door to the NAACP Building in the Historic Hill District.)

The toll-free voter assistance hotline will provide voters with live, free legal and general assistance to help them vote. Volunteers trained in election law will assist voters with questions such as:

- where and when to vote

- what kind of ID may be required

- whether to vote on a provisional ballot or emergency ballot

- what to do if their names have been removed from the voting lists

- what to do if they have since been directed to the wrong polling place

- what to do if they are challenged at the polls

The hotline will be available to all Pennsylvania voters on April 22, and will collect reports about voting problems that arise. The data will inform efforts to improve the election system before the general election in November, and the information will be made available to the news media and the public. In addition, on-the-ground poll monitors and roving attorneys will be deployed in Allegheny County as a pilot project for the November election.

PFAWF has been engaged in on-the-ground poll monitoring and voter education in Pennsylvania since 2004. Allegheny County has continued to experience problems that have the potential to disenfranchise thousands of vulnerable voters including poll worker recruitment and training; the availability of voting machines and polling place resources; improper use of provisional ballots and emergency ballots; the statewide voter registration database and voter registration problems; and voter education and voter outreach.

The EP coalition includes People For the American Way Foundation, NAACP National Voter Fund, B-PEP - The Black Political Empowerment Project, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, PA League of Young Voters Education Fund, Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Young Professionals, PA Common Cause, PA Disability Voter Coalition, VotePA, VoteAllegheny, Voter Action, PA Voice, League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh, Freedom Unlimited, Spiritual Progressives, and Everybody VOTE.

EP works year-round to safeguard the right to vote of historically disenfranchised voters, including Hispanic, African-American, youth, disabled and low-income voters. For more information about Election Protection, visit www.EP365.org or call Celeste Taylor at 412-670-0937 or Stacey Gates at 202-467-4999.

Vote for these people for R deligates to Convention

Suggested Delegates to the Republican Convention:

Robert Tamburo (3rd on the ballot)
Andrew Maul (5th on the ballot)
Crystal M. Jones (7th on the ballot)

Mainstream Media gives this guy the willies

YouTube - GillettePhenom's Channel

YouTube - GillettePhenom's Channel: "Create a video of 90 seconds or less showcasing your skill in a ball sport. Your video may include the biggies—basketball, baseball, soccer, football, golf, tennis—the lesser obvious ones— volleyball, water polo, cricket, rugby, croquet—and even the fooseballs and Super Balls of the world.

You can kick it, throw it, shoot it, catch it, juggle it, dribble it, heck do a dance with it if you like. If you're phenomenal enough, you could win."

Tiger is there.

OLYMPUS: Event, WED at 3:30 pm at CMU

OLYMPUS: Events Olympus Show and Tell 5 (Poster, 322 KB)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 • 3:30pm - 5:00pm
Collaborative Innovation Center
Carnegie Mellon
Reception Following @ Apple

Wi-Fi gets one city $3-M windfall

A few years ago, I went on many rants about Wi-Fi efforts in the city. Well, if I had had my way, the city would be richer and with a new system. Instead, the suckers in city hall did an insider deal with the PDP (Pgh Downtown Partnership).

No money will change hands in the reacquisition of the network and the city estimates that it has netted $3.19 million on the deal.

Corpus Christi, Texas, got paid more than $3-million from EarthLink. Now EarthLink is getting out of the municipal, consumer Wi-Fi business, by design and by its own choice. So, that city gets the services and the cash.

Pittsburgh gets nothing, yet again.

Great clean-up, redd up, etc.

County Events Page: "Scheduled Events for Allegheny County"

Fix Up Parade

Good news:

New signs of the times: Hit the riverfront trail.

From playground - usa

Thanks for the new nets on the basketball courts.

From playground - usa

Thanks for the attention to the ground cover in the parks too.

Bad News

Going to the paint has different meanings when the pavement is cracked to such conditions.



Fast break has different meanings:



The court in our park has a regular 3-point line -- and a NBA 3 point line as outlined by the cracked pavement.

From playground - usa

The fences in the parks need minor touch ups so this does NOT happen.

From playground - usa

As the fence gets destroyed, the cost for replacement is much greater.

From playground - usa

From playground - usa

Use the Primary Election Day to get signatures for general election ballot

Primary Day in Pennsylvania is fast approaching. With your help, it can be a day when we take a major step forward as a party – not so much because of who is on the primary ballot, but because of who we can put on the ballot in November.

We need as many Pennsylvania residents as possible to go to the polls this Tuesday, April 22, to petition for our candidates to get on the general election ballot. Please take as much time as you can on Tuesday to grab a clipboard and some pens and ask these voters to help us give them a Libertarian choice in Pennsylvania in November!

You can download the nomination papers and find all the information you need to fill them out at http://www.lppa.org/2008_Nomination_Papers.html. (“Nomination papers” is the official state term for petitions in Pennsylvania). That petition will not only place our Presidential ticket on the ballot, it also includes your Libertarian candidates for Attorney General, Auditor General and State Treasurer.

There’s no better place to find registered voters who are in the mood to sign your petition than a polling place on Election Day! Every signature you can collect as a volunteer accomplishes much more than simply helping Libertarian candidates get on the general election ballot. We need to collect 24,666 valid signatures from Pennsylvania registered voters to succeed. That’s a tall-order that requires the help of professional petitioners who have to be paid. Every signature you get as a volunteer saves the party up to $2 each, which can be used to finish the petitioning efforts in Pennsylvania and all across the country.

Please go to http://www.lppa.org/2008_Nomination_Papers.html today and follow the instructions to download and print the petition. Feel free to contact me directly by email at sean.haugh@lp.org, or by phone at 202-288-9853, if you have any questions. I’m also happy to help you find a notary and someone with the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania to whom you can turn in the signatures you collect.

There will be many more opportunities for you to circulate the nomination papers up until we have to complete the drive in late July. But there’s no better chance to get valid signatures than at the polls on Tuesday. Every single signature helps! With your efforts, we’ll be able to get back on the ballot in Pennsylvania and give everyone a Libertarian alternative in November. Thanks!

Yours in liberty,

Sean Haugh
sean.haugh@lp.org
Political Director
Libertarian Party

Fix me

A couple of months ago, we were blessed with a miracle.

The miracle had nothing to do with the Pope's visit. Rather, it was of a visit of another type.

On our side street, Bradish Street, just off of 12th Street, we were blessed with five large potholes. Those potholes from the past were bigger than the new one shown in the photo above, taken today, but in the same stretch of road.

On trash night as I pulled our garbage to the curb, I placed two large pizza boxes into the open holes in the road. I put one pizza box into each pothole. They fit easily.

A couple of hours later, two additional pizza boxes had appeared in the other, nearby potholes. A neighbor had done the same, feeding pizza boxes into the road's opening.

By morning light, we noticed that the pizza boxes were gone and the street had pavement where the potholes had been. It was a street fixing miracle!

Now, with the new navigational bump-in-the-road on Bradish Street, I'm not sure what to do. I could call 3-1-1 and report it to the operator. Or, I could order a mid-sized pizza this weekend and use the box for filler, again. Or, I could get on my knees and pray to the patron saint of Pittsburgh potholes, Jeff Koch. Or, I might just blog about it and hope for the best.

Frick Middle School election

The middle school kids at Frick were part of a vote in school and Barack Obama got 92%.

The principal got an talking to from Erik, my son, 7th grader, about the ballot and the lack of "R" candidates. The kids couldn't vote for Ron Paul even if they wanted to.

So, Erik will be in charge of the school-wide vote in November.

Perhaps we should expand this into a district wide vote?

Bob Barr, Member of Congress (1995-2003), gearing up to run for US President

Dear Fellow Conservative,

I'm writing you today with the most important news I could ever share with you.

After years of frustration watching the Republican Party rack up a $10 Trillion national debt while doing nothing to cut spending it is obvious that the Republican Party is simply no longer serious about representing the conservative-libertarian economic philosophy of my former boss, President Ronald Reagan.

I am deeply disappointed to see President Bush put forward a $3.1 Trillion budget, while vetoing hardly any spending bills during nearly eight years in office.

For those of us who had hoped for a true conservative to win the GOP nomination, I'm afraid that hasn't happened either; as Senator John McCain has locked up that Party's nomination.

As a consequence, many dedicated conservatives and advocates of limited, constitutional government have lost all remaining hope in restoring true conservatism to the Republican Party.

That's why after many weeks of careful consideration, intense thought and prayer, I have formed an official exploratory committee for President of the United States under the banner of the Libertarian Party.

My fellow conservative, before you put this letter down and say that you cannot support a battle-tested, down-the-line conservative like me who is trying to send a message to the Party Bosses in Washington, D.C., please read the following quote from my former mentor, and boss, President Ronald Reagan...

"If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism."

- Reason Magazine, July 1975 Interview with Ronald Reagan

And, from the same interview...

"...[T]he basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is."

A truly great communicator, President Reagan went on to win a majority of the voting electorate by standing on the bedrock principle of limited government and maximum individual liberty.

In fact, as President Reagan succinctly pointed out, conservative-libertarians like us do not believe that we need government to protect us from ourselves!

Sadly, in 2008 where the Democratic Party brazenly advocates a philosophy of government practiced in Europe known as socialism, the Republican Party has become nothing short of a "Democrat-lite" version of the other side.

Just look at the policies advocated by Senators Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain.

-- Do any of them talk about abolishing the Department of Education and other excessive federal government programs, as President Reagan did? NO.

-- Do they support abolishing the federal government's socialistic farm subsidies? NO.

-- Do they support protecting civil liberties for Americans by preventing the military, the NSA, and the FBI from spying on Americans without probable cause and without court-ordered warrants? NO.

-- Do they have any real intention of securing our border to stem the flow of millions of illegal aliens into this nation? NO.

-- Have any one of these presidential candidates sponsored legislation to flat-out abolish the failed and costly policies of the federal nanny state? NO.

When President Reagan appointed me as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, it was an honor and responsibility I will never forget.

The rule of law was a term that applied to the government as well as to its citizenry.

Today, after generations of Supreme Court decisions the proper role and function of government has been completely distorted from the original intent of the Founding Fathers.

With roughly 50% of Americans' hard-earned wages going to some form of government entity (federal, state and local) is there really any reason to believe that a John McCain presidency would be substantially different from that of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? Not really.

My friend, for the last five years I've worked virtually around the clock to raise money for true conservatives running for office.

I've been personally involved in raising millions of dollars to help elect proven conservative leaders to both the House and Senate.

Today, I'm writing you because it's time for conservatives and conservative-libertarians like us to send a message to the GOP.

If you believe that John McCain, Hillary Clinton, or Barack Obama will actually restore America to its constitutional and limited federal government role, then I understand why you may not be supportive of my exploratory committee.

But if you believe as I do, and as the Washington Times newspaper has recently published, that a viable third party sends a powerful message to the two main parties, then I'm asking you to lend me a hand.

I've always been economically conservative, pro-Second Amendment, and pro-states' rights as a Member of Congress.

And I proudly remain so today.

I never had the pleasure of serving with Senator Barry Goldwater, but I want to remind you of the book he wrote many years ago that received rave reviews from economic conservatives-libertarians, titled "Conscience of a Conservative."

President Reagan first gained his political public fame in large part thanks to his speech in behalf of Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign.

Today, as the conservative-libertarian philosophy of the Republican Party is nearly dead with the nomination of party-insider John McCain, it's time we send a message once again.

That's why I'm asking you to join me today.

I'm only in the exploratory stages of this campaign but I really need the counsel and support of fellow conservatives like you.

If you will stand with me by contributing to the Bob Barr Exploratory Committee, I would deeply appreciate it.

Your gift would be a real boost to my efforts.

I realize that I'm asking for a lot by soliciting a gift. But it's because I deeply believe in freedom and limited government that I'm reaching out to you today.

Believe me, the Party Bosses of both major parties don't want a true, credible conservative like me on the ballot in November, and your gift will give conservatives and libertarians a choice they deserve in November.

I hope you'll support my exploratory committee today as I work to maximize your freedom and start shrinking the size and cost of the federal government.

Sincerely,

signature

Hon. Bob Barr

Member of Congress (1995-2003)

P.S. I have worked tirelessly for conservative values and economic libertarian policies like Ronald Reagan proudly advocated.

My friend, I'm honest enough to tell you how frustrated I am with the GOP. And I'm begging you to do something about it by standing with me -- and sending a powerful message to the Party Bosses and Washington insiders who are to blame for this spending fiasco and $9.2 Trillion national debt!

P.P.S. Your gift will help me send a message that out-of-control spending and blatantly unconstitutional, costly, and ineffective federal government programs must end to save America from an impending financial disaster. Time is ticking.

Please respond with your most generous gift today. I thank you!

My interest in tickets to a sporting events

Pens tickets for games 1 and 2 of the second round of the NHL Playoffs are about to go on sale. Last time single game tickets went on the market, they were gone in 10-minutes.

I'm not interested in Pens playoff tickets. Instead, I am much more interested in Olympic tickets.

From Grant

But this week, Grant, my 2nd son, and I went to the Pirate game on Sunday. Two 'free tickets' came to us that morning at swim practice when a fellow basketball playing friend said he wanted to give away his tickets because his wife wasn't feeling up for the game. She was 'under the weather' -- and it did rain.

The start of the game was delayed, for about 15 minutes. Rain came off and on for parts of the game and we were happy to have our ponchos.

Grant and I had a great time. It worked well in our schedules too.

Kayakers find woman's body in Ohio River

Kayakers find woman's body in Ohio River: Kayakers find woman's body in Ohio River

Grim.

Going out on the river to get some exercise has its downside. But, as an upside for the community, this person is found.

Moreover, the kayakers did a good deed in terms of the health of the river water and water quality. The body decomposition isn't something that should linger in the river's water -- as that water is used by others downstream.

Kayakers didn't save the day -- in that the woman was already dead. But, they did save the day in other terms for days yet to come if that body is left to float, stink, pollute and contaminate.

This is an Earth Day story -- and a story to say it is time for many clean-up efforts around town and beyond.

Furthermore, outdoor recreational people, such as kayakers, need to have some understandings on what to do when they come upon these situations.

CALL FOR VIDEO COLLABORATION!

Hello dear members of Open Source Cinema! This is Brett Gaylor, the director of the project. I'm writing to you because the film, Basement Tapes, is almost done. It's been a four year process of filming, interviewing, and remixing, and it's almost done. The film is about 90 minutes long, and has a lot of great remix work from both opensourcecinema.org and from the ether of YouTube. It's going to be good, but it still needs more contributions!

There are 4 things I'm looking for, and I'm hoping you can help!

1. Work you've already made that remixes pop culture. Videos and Songs that really highlight digital transformation, humour, insight, and mayhem. I'd like to open this film by showing some creative examples of remix culture, so if you have them, please send them!

2. Videoblogs on the subject of copyright, filesharing, the Internet. At several points in the film, we hear from videobloggers and youtubers. If you haven't recorded any, this would be a good chance. If you need some inspiration, consider Jammie Thomas - the single mother who was ordered to pay $222,000 for downloading 24 songs. Some reaction videos would be great - we've already used a few. Rant and rave or get creative!

3. Copyright criminal photos. Take a picture of yourself with a criminal mugshot - current copyright laws make us all criminals. We're going to compile these and make an animation for the film. Download the mughsot template here! note

4. Finally, and most importantly, we've got some specific remixing we're after for the final section of the film - the last speech by Creative Commons founder Lawrence Lessig on copyright, and Girl Talk's guerilla remix dance party at the Montreal Jazz Festival. MIx it all together on your computer and then re-upload it on the site - the last section of the film really needs collaborative power! The call for remixing.

Thanks to those of you who have submitted material and helped shape the film - stay tuned as we near completion! Editing is scheduled to finish in June 2008.

Keep remixing,
Brett Gaylor
http://www.opensourcecinema.org

Hospitality PAC works to defeat drink-tax backers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Hospitality PAC works to defeat drink-tax backers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review A new political action committee opposed to Allegheny County's 10 percent drink tax is targeting officials who supported it.

I heard Brenda Frazier, my former county council representative, on a KDKA radio interview today. She said that people in her campaign were calling the political action committee from the hospitality industry was 'illegal.' Furthermore, an ethics complaint was being filed.

This is the second time the media is reporting upon complaints that are being filed to the PA Ethics Commission.

Fraziers folks seek to make a statement about the PAC.

And, Luke Ravenstahl asked for an ethics review about the gifts to Pat Ford and his wife, also the mayor's former press secretary.

Folks, complaints to the Ethics Commission are to be kept CONFIDENTIAL. It is un-ethical to blab about the filing of a complaint to the ethics commission. It is part of the process. Part of the form. CONFIDENTIAL.

To be under a cloak of confidentiality means you should NOT talk to the reporters.

I have problems with these confidentiality clauses. I filed an ethics complaint to the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board against the Pgh Ethics Hearing Board concerning its bogus rule that required confidentiality. The principle of the matter was what I was fighting.

So, in a small way, I'm glad to have helped in making the confidentiality clause requirement to go up in smoke. The confidentiality clause is not being enforced and it is now made meaningless.

If I was put onto the Pgh Ethics Hearing Board -- I'd undertake a major re-write of all the rules of that body. And, I'd work to strike down the state-wide requirements of confidentiality too.

Told ya.

Sign Fall Out -- the road to victory includes the elimination of all no bid contracts in city and authories

This is NOT a victory regarding the Lamar sign matter, in my view, until the 'no bid contract' is put up for competitive bid.

After the zoning officials determine that the sign is well suited for the side of the public building, then the city / authority officials should put together a bid package.

How much is monthly rent? How much is guaranteed? When do the terms of the first lease expire? Is there an optional period? Who owns the equipment? Who pays for upkeep? What about utilities? All the details. All in the open.

Are other properties blended into the mix (removal of other billboards)? Where? What sq. foot? What neighborhoods?

This isn't about the billboard / sign. It is about no-bid-contracts.

And, is the no-bid contract going to be a thing of the past for all operations in the city and all authorities?

Big Swim Coaching News: Big Blue's Head Coach to Depart after Olympic Trials

CollegeSwimming.com:Bowman Leaving Michigan to Return to NBAC: University of Michigan men's swimming head coach Bob Bowman announced that he will be leaving the program following the Beijing Olympics to assume chief executive officer responsibilities at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club and will prepare swimmers for Olympic and international competition. Bowman will continue in his capacity as U-M head coach, including with the Wolverine Swim Camps, and as the Club Wolverine high performance coach through the 2008 Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. (June 29-July 6).

Our Home Address for the month of August, 2008

Apartment 1318

Building 2

Zijin Digital Park

18 South Four Street, Zhongguanchun Dong Luo

Beijing 100090

中关村东路南四

街18号紫金数码园2号楼1318#邮编100080

Wonder if I can use MapQuest or Google Maps to find it?

We hear we can see the "bird's nest" from the apartment.

Pittsburgh Authors: Sally Hobart Alexander and Robert Alexander

Great new book has just been published. Hear the story about the subject, a pioneer and once the second most famous person in the U.S.

This video is an exclusive, just released and produced today!



Video is 17 minutes long. Tip: Try the full screen button and toggle for a full view.

Royalty sucks. It isn't here.

Folks, royalty has no part of our political landscape. Royalty sucks. I don't want to go there. I don't want others to dwell in those most harmful vapors either.

The Biggest Loser Winner is an ex swimmer

Wow.

Ali Vincent sent a message to America.

She did an amazing job. Lost 112 pounds. Now doing "got milk?" ads.

NotAnotherWar.org - sign the petition

NotAnotherWar.org: 'Don't let this administration lead America into another conflict in the Middle East. One war is already too much. I urge you to support S. Res. 356, which would require that any military action against Iran be explicitly approved by Congress.'

Your signature will be added from the information you provide.

Home Run Endorsement

Carbolic Smoke Ball: BOB NUTTING ENDORSES RON PAUL

'I still think he has a chance to win this year,' Pirates owner explains.

Take that Mr. Rooney.

Bob Barr's letter to Libertarians about his potential run for US PRESIDENT

Dear friend,

I want your opinion and guidance.

What progress can a president make in four years? How about eight? Will the change be lasting?

Those are some of the questions that I wrestled with when developing my issue stances as part of my presidential exploratory committee.

I asked similar questions of myself while in Congress, especially when faced with a tough vote.

Sheer principle drives me to always take the path of liberty but it also drives me to be honest with myself to realize that sticking to principle means making lemonade when given a handful of lemons.

I'll give you a good example, which was my vote for the USA PATRIOT Act. As much it pained me, I cast an "aye" vote for the very piece of legislation that I oppose today. I could have easily voted against it and, believe me, I wanted to.

At the time of the vote, a few weeks after the attacks of September 11th, it was clear that law enforcement had a need to quickly identify and confront additional terrorists threats. There was also a need to protect our liberties in the future, long after an immediate threat had passed.

Rather than casting a no vote, I used the influence that I had with my fellow members of Congress and negotiated a sunset provision for some of the most intrusive aspects of the USA PATRIOT Act. This led to a requirement to reauthorize those provisions, which put those issues back on the table and up for debate long after I left Congress.

In a recent Newsweek article about Bob Barr, George Will wrote of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law: "If libertarian voters cost McCain the presidency, that will be condign punishment."

Since Bob formed his presidential exploratory committee, the news has been on CNN, Hannity and Colmes, C-SPAN and a variety of other programs. Please visit his website to catch up on how the mainstream media is reacting to Bob's threat to status quo politics in Washington, DC.

The same situation applies to the Defense of Marriage Act, which I authored in order to short circuit the Republican Party's powerful move to ban gay marriage on the Constitutional level. My plan worked. States maintain their rights in relation to same-sex marriage and civil unions.

In a perfect nation, the government would have no role at all in marriage. It is a private, personal contract between two consenting adults to be recognized by the church and society. . . not the state.

In a perfect nation, there would also be no personal taxes and everyone would agree to play nice and respect the privacy, property and life of another.

The pressing reality is that the perfect nation and the perfect government do not exist. It is something that lovers of liberty must fight for, step-by-step and day-by-day.

As a libertarian, I believe in maximum liberty. You should be free to live your life as you choose. You should be free to make decisions, right or wrong, in the way that you see is best for yourself and your family. That freedom should be sustained as long as you do not use force or fraud against another.

Libertarianism is a simple philosophy that balances peace and responsibility. I do believe that one day we can live under such a society. However, we have a long and rocky road ahead to get there.

That is why it is important that we always choose the path of liberty. We will be faced with blocks and hurdles but even if inching forward, we must make progress down a road to freedom.

That is why I have formed the Barr 2008 Presidential Exploratory Committee. The choices offered by the two major parties are steps away from freedom, not toward freedom.

We need a better choice for America.

In my opinion, a strong libertarian candidate is that better choice.

I ask that you help me decide on entering this race by showing your strong support for a potential presidential run.

I passionately feel that the time for real change is now and I am confident that a strong Libertarian presidential campaign will have a lasting impact for liberty in our nation.

It is up to you to show me if that is possible.

Please send me a message so that I can send them in a message of liberty in 2008.

Visit BobBarr2008.com to let your voice be heard and to make a generous donation today. Also please take advantage of the features of my web site to tell your friends and family about this effort.

I deeply appreciate your time and your support.

In Liberty,

Bob

Paid for by Barr 2008 Presidential Exploratory Committee.

Federal law requires us to report the name address, and name of employer and occupation for any individual whose aggregate contributions total over $200 in a calendar year. Corporate contributions and gifts from foreign nationals are prohibited. Personal Credit Card gifts only. Contributions are not tax deductible for income tax purposes. Limit of $2,300 per person per election and $4,600 per couple if signed by both parties and drawn on a jointly held bank account. For more information on legal requirements click here.

Arash Markazi: Kobe relishes being�back in the hunt - Arash Markazi - SI.com

First, Speedo's new swim suit, the Racer LZR comes out but is called illegal as it is only in limited production and not available to all athletes. And, there is the cloud of wonder if it breaks the rules by offering some boyancy.

Now comes Kobe and his new sneaker, not yet released. It will put spring in his jump.

Oh my gosh. What will the competitors do now? Rocket packs to jet around the court?

Arash Markazi: Kobe relishes being�back in the hunt - Arash Markazi - SI.com: "If the ad for the Nike Hyperdunk seems off-the-wall, Bryant's description of the shoe, which won't be released until July, just before he wears them in the Olympics, is equally bizarre.

'I'm a Discovery Channel lunatic,' he says. 'I get a lot of inspiration from animals and sharks and how they use their natural abilities. I wanted to incorporate that into my shoe. If I get too Jedi on you, let me know, but I get into a room with the designers and I'm telling them about myself and how I play. When they come back with this shoe, it's literally a part of you, if that makes any sense whatsoever.'"

In other Olympic news -- golf does NOT need to become an Olympic sport again.

WPIAL : Coaching Openings -- Golf anyone?

Here is an easy job for someone who wants to get out on the links more next year!

WPIAL : Coaching Openings: "CENTRAL CATHOLIC looking for Head Junior Varsity Boys Golf Coach. Previous experience coaching preferred by not necessary. Candidates must have all current clearances. Must be available to work afternoons. Contact Corey O'Connor at 412/613-8982. Deadline July 3, 2008.

Hi Corey!

Shaler hires Gordon as offensive coordinator - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Thank goodness.

Shaler hires Gordon as offensive coordinator - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Former Penn Hills football coach Neil Gordon will be back on the sidelines next season as Shaler's offensive coordinator."

Remember the Titans!

Where's My Refund?

Where's My Refund?: "To get to your personal refund information, be ready to enter your:

*
Social Security Number (or IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number)
*
Filing status (Single, Married Filing Joint Return, Married Filing Separate Return, Head of Household, or Qualifying Widow(er))
*
Exact refund amount shown on your return"

Camp Wellstone to host a session in Northern Va

If you want to work full-time in the political world, as a candidate, a campaign manager or a local organizer, this is a great educational opportunity.

Wellstone Action - Camp Wellstone: Camp Wellstone
Camp Wellstone: Northern Virginia from 5/9 - 5/11/08

Register today!

Backpacker Magazine - Enjoy Pittsburgh in 60 Minutes

Backpacker Magazine - Enjoy Pittsburgh in 60 Minutes: With plans for the world's longest urban linear park (it'll cover 128 miles along the city's rivers) in the works, Pittsburgh is quickly becoming a serious bike town. Get a preview on a 25-mile circuit starting at the Smithfield Street Bridge. Pedal the Eliza Furnace Trail upriver to the Panther Hollow Trail. Follow this rolling macadam to the 300-acre Schenley Park for a lung-burning one-mile loop. Then lollipop back onto Panther and head toward the city again on Eliza Furnace. bike-pgh.org

New Chairs for City Council on various committees

City Council redo of its committee structure.

Harris = Public Works
Deasy = Intergovernmental Affairs
Kraus = Public Safety
Motznik = General Governmental Services (internal, purchasing)
Payne = Human Resources (employee benefits)
Dowd = Urban Recreation
Peduto = Finance and Law
Burgess = Land Use and Economic Development

No big news.

Shields = council's president.

The only thing that stands out in my view is the tiny assignment given to Jim Motiznik. Perhaps if he behaves for the next six month's they'll put some added burden into his realm of responsibility: I'd suggest push-carts and stadium vendors / ticket scalpers got into the domain of the committee of General Governmental Services.

Matress Factory, greening, Earth Day

Paperless memberships to this blog, Mark Rauterkus and Running Mates, have been offered, in honor of Earth Day, for the past 25 years.

This paperless membership program was the first in the history of the internet.

Pittsburgh Earth Day . com

Stop Teacher Strikes Website

Stop Teacher Strikes Website 2008 CANDIDATE SURVEY

Rhode Island Univ. Eliminate Men's Swimming

CollegeSwimming.com::Rhode Island Latest to Eliminate Men's Swimming: "The University of Rhode Island announced that four NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics programs will be discontinued, effective at the end of the 2007-08 academic year. Sports affected will be: men's swimming, men's tennis and field hockey. The discontinuation of gymnastics had been previously announced.

This is your brain on Council: Theory: 'An obstacle downstream propagates upstream.

Vedana - Eric Case's Weblog 'An obstacle downstream propagates upstream. If you're not allowed to implement new ideas, you stop having them. And vice versa.

When you can do whatever you want, you have more ideas about what to do.

So working for yourself makes your brain more powerful in the same way a low-restriction exhaust system makes an engine more powerful.'

That explains most of what happens on Grant Street and the people there.

In a time of crisis, the ones that made the crisis are least capable of fixing it.

City Council for Dummies -- or -- is it "of" ??

Hello Sir:

My name is "d" (name NUKED BY BLOGMASTER). This is rather unusual but I was wondering if you could help explain to me how our city council works.

I spend a good amount of time reading and your name seems to pop up frequently around causes I feel strongly about as well. While I am not a registered Libertarian, I do hold many of their beliefs about personal freedom and responsibility.

I guess I finally got fed up when I read the article in the PG about Councilman Burgess proposed use of discretionary funds. How can a government use public funds for something that does not benefit the entire community? From what I gather, he is going to give this foundation around $212,000. That is enough to employ four full time police officers for his district for an entire year.

This is just another example of the people making decisions in this city being poorly qualified for the position.

Last week, a house in the North Side was riddled with bullets from an assault rifle. This is the North Side, not the Gaza Strip. Also last week, task force officers were shot at during an arrest in St. Clair Village. Yet all last week, the council spent their time arguing the schematics of billboard legislation.

I know this is a big rant and your not at all responsible, but I guess I was just hoping to hear that someone else out there is fed up with status quo here and cares about this city enough to make changes.

Thank you for your time sir and I am sorry if this makes very little sense.

My reply via email:

Yes, life in Pittsburgh is fragile. We need to stay involved -- and do better in our government.

I've been ranting for years. It is good to know that some of the ranting helps -- and it is nice to know others listen from time to time.

First thing -- I'll take your rant below and turn it into a blog posting. And, I'll send you an invite to post on my blog. When you get rants like this -- we need to share them. Too many times, people don't care. So, apathy is the worst and first hurdle.

Next, if you'd want to be a Libertarian -- join us. But, that isn't necessary. I've got friends from all around the political landscape.

Call if you wish.....

My extended reply for the blog:

So, do you want to hear how city council is to work or should I explain what happens now. The way council behaves today and in the recent decades is NOT how it should happen. Hence, the city is in a terrible pickle.

Generally, council meets on Tuesdays to cast final votes. The standing committee meeting is on Wednesdays. Most of the council meetings and public hearings as well as post agendas are listed at my Google Calendar. You can subscribe to it and follow along. Feel free to go there and give them a piece of your mind as they often seem to miss place large chunks of theirs.

The meetings are to begin at 10 am -- but they never do. They are tardy and too timid to turn on the video cameras and audio before the start of the meeting. That would insure that the meetings happened on time.

On the Tuesday meetings members of city council give out a lot of proclamations. These are ways to kiss butt to mucky mucks in the community and endear votes in the future. The meetings then start 30 or 50 minutes later than the normal 20 minutes delay those days.

The purpose of city council is to pass legislation and to control the purse strings. The members of council like to play administrative roles too, and that is a big problem. Council should not be 3-1-1 operators. The role of council is to legislate. Write ordinances. And, of course, protect the public purse.

So, you are justified to be outraged with the $200K give-a-way of money by the new member on council, Rev. Ricky Burgess to a nonprofit.

City council has slush funds and other money tucked into remote parts of the city budgets, going back to 2001 era even. They spend some of that money in 2008. But, it came from 2003. Go figure.

Council members have been know to be crooked too. Twanda is in jail. Just ask some, like Tonya or Bruce about the one's that went before them.

Folly happens weekly. In most instances they run around in circles like a dog that chases its tail. The big issues of the city get little or no attention.

Perhaps it is a lack of common sense, creativity or real-world experience.

Generally, if you are good at council -- or if you are bad at council -- you get promoted to another role in government. Council is a stepping stone -- and you know who gets stepped upon -- the citizens and often public trust. But, at least there is a revolving door of sorts.

Now I'm not the smartest guy in the world either. I understand that. I've run for council twice -- both as a Libertarian. That's a sure fire way to 'not get the job' because only those of the D party win elections in Pittsburgh. But, my goals have never been to win the election as it is to fix the city. The city gets far along on the pathway to healing itself the day a "Libertarian" gets elected to public office, be it mayor, controller or member of city council.

Breaking the status quo by winning elections from outside of the D-party would be a huge break from tradition. Frankly, I don't want to walk in the legacy of what the local Ds have done to our city. I'd much rather raise a bit of dissent as best I can and avoid their slime.

But, there are many, many ways to help. Different strokes for different folks. Do what you can. And, don't burn out.

My ranting about Rev. Burgess and his give-a-way is below. Scroll down a few posts.

Water Polo Match from Saturday at Chatham with bonus clinic

This file comes from Blip.TV in Qucktime and takes a LONG time to load. it works, but it might take a couple of hours to load. Tip. Open a new tab in your browser and walk away. Turn down the volume on the computer.

Click To Play

Alan Keyes to announce break with GOP in Hazleton, PA :: AlanKeyes.com

Alan Keyes to announce break with GOP in Hazleton, PA :: AlanKeyes.com Alan Keyes to announce break with GOP in Hazleton, PA

HAZLETON, Penn. — Former Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes has chosen April 15 to make a major announcement of his intentions, following indications he has broken with the GOP.

A life-long Republican who has increasingly cited the party's failure to match conservative rhetoric with actual performance in the political arena, Keyes said he will reveal his reasons for departing the GOP at a press conference scheduled for 8:30 pm ET, at the Best Western Genetti Inn in Hazleton, PA.

Radio gossip goes 'bitter'

Marty Griffin, KDKA Radio, says Pat Ford is making the rounds setting up TV news interviews. Perhaps he'll make a counter attack.

Ford is still getting paid.

That story about Barack Obama's "bitter" remark that got the pundits roaring this weekend was broken by citizen journalist Mayhill Fowler at the HuffPost's OffTheBus. An Obama supporter, Fowler didn't nearly anticipate the firestorm her post would cause. Her editor Marc Cooper describes the process of developing and posting the piece, noting that Fowler "employs a highly-personalized, reflective narrative style to her unconventional reporting – an approach that would be, indeed, non-grata, within the official campaign reporting bubble. It violates almost all of the conventions of traditional reporting (though not its ethical code) and that's what makes it all so damn interesting." Have we reached a new phase in journalism when a piece from an "amateur" can incite such a firestorm?

Fight high cost of textbooks with Open Source Ways

I've been a book publisher and a college book store worker. Some of the books that I put into the marketplace were used as college text books.

In recent years -- I've been an advocate of open source content and open source ways.

This is what victory looks like!

Faculty members fight high cost of textbooks: "He and hundreds of other faculty members have signed a statement of intent to use free, online, open-source textbooks whenever academically appropriate.

It is GREAT to see front page coverage of open source advancements.

By the way, I had "open source" planks within my run for public office since the year 2000.

Meanwhile, in another education story in today's newspaper, on the front page of the local section, is the story that Pgh Public Schools is extending the school day by 10-minutes starting in the fall of 2008.

The benefit for education would be 100-times greater if schools and the PPS district would shift to OPEN SOURCE materials compared to the extending of the school day by 10-minutes.

All the computers should be running on open source operating systems.

All the text books should be in migration to open-source licenses.

All the content generated by the district should be placed firmly into the public domain. And, those rich landscapes of insights need to be harvested, bundled, toiled with and turned to for every task.

City school day to be 10 minutes longer Pittsburgh Public Schools officials are hoping it will give them a new opportunity to show that every minute counts in the race to raise student achievement.

We should raise student achievement. And, I feel student achievement would soar to a much higher level by going to OPEN SOURCE materials throughout our public schools. This open source approach would do more than longer school days (by 10 blasted minutes) and do more to help the budgets as well.

Tartans : Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

The Tartan Online : Extra! Extra! Read all about it!“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” was picked as the theme of Spring Carnival 2008. Many committee chairs believed that this theme would give organizations much freedom and flexibility in choosing a Booth topic.

On Friday, we went to see some improve at CMU. Our week included water polo at Chatham and W&J, a student tour at Duquesne Nursing, comedy at CMU, teaching at Pitt (of course), a seminar at USC (Upper St. Clair). Lots of college stuff can fill your week(s) in Pittsburgh.

Ron Paul's visit to Gettysburg

The Patriot News http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2008/04/ron_paul_campaigns_in_gettysbu.html
The Chambersburg Public Opinion http://www.publicopiniononline.com/ci_8865018
The York Daily Record (linked to by York Dispatch) http://www.inyork.com/local/ci_8896953
The Evening Sun http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_8901481

CBS 21 http://youtube.com/watch?v=oQjCSG-zDyg
NBC 8 http://www.wgal.com/video/15857028/index.html
ABC 27 http://www.whtm.com/news/stories/0408/510772_video.html
FOX 43 http://fox43.trb.com/news/?track=nav

Here are some video links of the Gettysburg rally to pass amongst our fellow Paul supporters.
Media Spot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHmfgSwm9t4

Main Presentation
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1238338/ron_paul_gettysburg_college_4_11_2008_p1_of_2/

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1238938/ron_paul_gettysburg_college_4_11_2008_p2_of_2/

Here is another video link, this is from the press conference
http://www.vimeo.com/890032

Pittsburgh Pist-Gazette says "Thank You." I say I'm not convinced.

Pittsburgh Pist-Gazette: "One battle behind you, God knows how many more lie ahead. But together you can do it.

So far they delayed the building of a mega electronic sign on a new building.

I'll hold off on the praise and saying 'thank you' until there is something of serious consequence accomplished.

For example, I'll scream "thanks" under the clock at Kaufman's once there is a new law that FORBIDS all NO BID CONTRACTS for the city and all associated authorities.

Yes, this isn't just about the sign. And, it isn't just about what they claim to be 'due process' with the proper zoning board meetings. This is about 'No Bid Contracts.'

Getting to the roots of the real problems is what I'm wishing for from those five you mentioned. I've seen nothing to signal that they are headed for an attack on the roots of problems. I still only see them batting at the leaves on the tree of suffering.

14-4 was the score of the first ever home water polo match at Chatham University

The the last game of the first season -- but in the first ever game at Chatham, the woman water polo players had their hands full playing Penn State Behrend. Chatham is a club team this season and turns into a VARSITY team for 2009.

Stay tuned for video.