Pay $3,000 for a D party endorsement for an open seat

The cost for a Dem Party Endorsement for D-Party candidates for state rep was $2,000 -- except for the open seat left vacant by Don Walko (now a judge).

The cost for a Libertarian Party endorsement for the same race, $0. The experience, priceless.

Libertarian Party Nominates Demo Agoris for 12th Congressional District

Agoris offers voters a real choice on May 18th Special Election

Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania
3915 Union Deposit Road #223
Harrisburg, PA 17109
www.lppa.org

For Immediate Release: March 5, 2010

Contact: Doug Leard (Media Relations) at Media-Relations@lppa.org or
Michael Robertson (Chair) at 1-800-R-RIGHTS / chair@lppa.org

Harrisburg – This week, the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (LPPA) nominated Demo Agoris (pronounced Dee-mo) to fill the seat of the late John Murtha in the 12th Congressional District. Mr. Agoris will appear on the ballot with the Republican and Democratic nominees for the special election to be conducted in conjunction with the publicly funded nomination process for the two older political parties on May 18.

Mr. Agoris, a resident of Houston Borough, Washington County, has owned and managed several businesses including Agoris Candies and Agoris Real Estate. He served on the Houston Borough Council in the 1990's then served as the chairman of a Government Study Commission in 2000. He also served as an electronics repairman in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.

Born in Canonsburg, Washington County, Mr. Agoris believes in open government, tax and spending cuts, government reform, and Positive Leadership (www.a7s.us). Demo Agoris states "Government is established by and gets its authority from the consent of the people. Both Democrats and Republicans are moving our government away from its foundation and working for special interests. On May 18th there is a chance for all voters of the 12th District to come together to send a message that we want government to secure the rights of the people not promote special interests, that we want government that is open and honest, and limited to its delegated authority. I will be honored to work for the Liberty and individual rights of the residents of the 12th Congressional District."

"Mr. Agoris offers real change to the voters of the 12th District" Michael Robertson, LPPA Chairman noted. "The Libertarian Party is honored to offer voters a choice in this election to change from politics-as-usual. The path of a limited government focused to secure the rights of the individual and not promote special interests is the best way forward for our nation. Demo Agoris can bring that vision to Washington DC for the people of the 12th Congressional District."

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The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in Pennsylvania and the United States . More than 200,000 people across the country are registered Libertarians, and Libertarians serve in hundreds of elected offices. Please visit www.LP.org or www.LPPA.org for more information.

With Open 311, the White House is Like That Friendly Guy at the Code Jam | techPresident

311 is in the news again on two different ways.

With Open 311, the White House is Like That Friendly Guy at the Code Jam | techPresident: "We mentioned yesterday that White House CIO Vivek Kundra winged his way out to San Francisco to stand beside that city's mayor Gavin Newsom and discuss an Open 311 API, but it's well worth going into more detail on what yesterday's event signified."

The other bit of news that hit recently was that the 311 system in Pittsburgh is known for its hang ups. Lots of people call and are put on hold and finally hang up. I've hung up a lot. There is a lot of delay in getting to the operators. There is some branding and hype from the Mayor's office, IMHO.

Flashback. I helped get 311 to Pittsburgh and was the first to promote it as a candidate. The P-G wrote about it. Bob O'Connor read it and it was put into motion.

I also am waiting for Reverse 9-1-1 to come about too. With Reverse 911 the authorities can make an outward bound call to warn residents. Could be a train derailed, a gas leak, a jail break, a lockdown, etc. The city has not done anything on that front -- yet. Anyone reading????

City exploring more lease arrangements

City exploring more lease arrangements: "For instance, the city could find a private partner to finance the construction of a 'new mega-center' to replace or supplement aging recreation and community centers in the North Side. Why would a private investor join in financing and operating a recreation center? 'They can actually be profit centers where you can offer classes and swimming lessons' to a broad population."

Humm... Like at the ice rink that the city had that had a private-public partnership and has been closed for years.

Cost of materials puts Soccer City $133M over World Cup budget - Soccer - SI.com

Cost of materials puts Soccer City $133M over World Cup budget - Soccer - SI.com: "The venue for the World Cup final cost nearly a third more than estimated due to the rising price of building materials, Johannesburg officials said Wednesday."

Squirrel Hill movie theater closes

Squirrel Hill movie theater closes: "After more than seven decades, the Squirrel Hill Theatre on Forward Avenue has closed. The decision will have no effect, owners say, on the nearby Manor Theater which will continue to operate.

'It is with deep regret that I am faced with the decision to close the Squirrel Hill Theatre,' owner Richard Stern said in a statement today. 'It is no longer an economically viable operation and we can no longer sustain the losses which we have experienced over the past two years.'"

Perhaps the movie theater can be sold to the Gov Workers Pension Fund and managed by Citiparks Films in the Park crew so that retired firefigters can benefit.

Nevermind.

Wait....

Perhaps the Sci-Tech High School Musical can be held in the now closed cinema because the auditorium that was a part of Frick Middle School, now home to a renovated PPS Sci Tech had its auditorium converted to a child care center.

Nevermind.

Physical, academic fitness tied at the hip: study | Reuters

Physical, academic fitness tied at the hip: study | Reuters NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Physically fit students tend to score higher on standardized tests than their less fit peers, hint findings from a new study.

Health

Test scores dropped more than one point for each extra minute it took middle and high school students to complete a 1-mile run/walk fitness test, Dr. William J. McCarthy and colleagues at the University of California in Los Angeles found.

Parking Asset Plans for Pension Funds -- Folly and Folly Squared

Keeping Public Assets Public

View more presentations from Mark Rauterkus.

The Public Plan transfers ownership of some garages now a part of the Pittsburgh Parking Authority to a private pension fund for government workers. Then with the new garages, the pension fund can use on-going revenue for the pension fund needs.

This plan, by Patrick Dowd of Pittsburgh City Council (one of nine) and Michael Lamb, City Controller (I ran against him for that post), is put into contrast with the plan from the Mayor, Luke Ravenstahl. The mayor's plan calls for a lease of the parking garages, something that I've been speaking against for some time. It would be better to sell the garages and not do a long-term lease.

The city gave a long-term lease to the guy who operated the ice rink in the park on the South Side. That lease didn't work out well for the residents. The roof fell in on it -- literally.

The city gave a long term lease to the Pirates and Steelers for their use of Three Rivers Stadium. That building is long gone but the public still owes tens of millions on a building that isn't there any more. Go figure.

The city gave a long-term lease to the Penguins for the Civic Arena. Now the Pens, renters, are moving out, and they insist that the building that they don't own be torn down. What renter tells a landlord to tear down a building they used to live in?

Pittsburgh gave long term leases to the Pittsburgh network of Carnegie Libraries -- and that hasn't even worked out well. Library branches have closed. The library can't do fix ups as they don't own the buildings. It is a mess.

The city should NOT do any long term lease deals. Period.

Selling is another matter and presents a much different and much better outcome for the city, for the residents and for the next owners.

City Paper Link

Local accountability is nice. However, there is no accountability with an authority. None. The authority board members are not elected nor do they face retention votes. The accountability resides in elected offices.

Furthermore, the pension fund is not a public entity. The pension fund is a private fund for those that were once public employees. The steelworkers have a pension fund as do teachers, gov workers and others have private 401K funds.

So, if a bank goes broke should we give it a parking garage and call it even?

A neighbor has a hard time paying her bills. Can the city designate five parking meters along East Carson Street for her? Can she get an on-going revenue stream by taking the quarters out of those parking meters?

The Dowd and Lamb plan is better than what Ravenstahl suggested. But it is still a matter of the lesser of two evils.

I wait for news and details of the plan from its authors. Will they tell us if these parking garages that are now owned by the public authority and are going to be transferred in ownership to a pension fund become a taxable revenue stream for real estate taxes for the city, school board and county?

Owners of private parking garages pay property taxes on the real estate. The pension fund should own the garages and the city should send them a tax bill that gets paid every year. The treasury should make a long-term income stream based on the value of the land and building of these garages.

What too about the parking taxes?

The city parking tax has been a nightmare. For years I've said that the parking tax should be moved to a much lower level, say 10 or 15%. But, dropping the parking tax should happen after the Parking Authority was liquidated. The parking tax throughout the city should drop by a huge factor. That is the relief that should be part of the plan too.

A transfer of the ownership to the pension fund as proposed means a deed transfer. So, does this mean a deed transfer tax payment? I expect so.

I think that the deed transfer tax sucks. But it is here. And if it is something that you'll pay when you buy and sell a home, then it should be something that they pay when they expand their property holdings too.

If the new owners pay both the deed transfer tax and the real estate taxes into the future, then we are on the right pathway. Neither of these are mentioned in the Dowd and Lamb slide show. They are the ones who should be keeping their eyes on the cookie jar, cash drawer, public treasury. I feel as if they are doing a shell game with the public's attention.

I'd suggest that once a deal is done and the properties are transfered, then the next adjustment is with the parking tax. Put the parking tax to 15% once all of these new entities and transfers are resolved and operational for 6 months.

Allow for the Parking Authority to have a management contract for the new owners of the garages for no more than five years. Then, four or five years into the future, the owners of the garages and the management contractors can renew the terms of their contract, or not.

Sunset is a great word that those on Grant Street should use in every discussion they have.

Don't insist that the parking authority be un-accountable to the new owners. Give the freedom and flexibility to the new owners to do what they wish with their properties. Sunset the management by the Parking Authority for the properties now owned by the pension fund. That should be no more than a five year deal. Renewal, or not, should be a factor between the new owners and the management -- not some hatched plan from council from years ago.

The Dowd and Lamb plan is far better than what Mayor Ravenstahl put on the table. But some changes and more details from Dowd and Lamb plan should be made before it beats my plan of complete liquidation.

A few more notes are in the comment section of the SlideShare site as well as Patrick's Facebook page.

Summary:
1. Transfer ownership means a deed transfer. Will there be a deed transfer tax paid on the total value of the properties that are transferred? I hope so. Say so.

2. Owners of property pay real estate taxes. What taxes are paid here? What are the assessments?

3. Sunset the management contract with the Parking Authority. Don't legislate what others should do with their properties.

I think it is a benefit to make dramatic decreases in the role of the Pittsburgh Parking Authority. For years I've said, "Let’s liquidate the Parking Authority." Without a Parking Authority, then policy decisions are done by those who are elected. That is who should do policy decisions. The Parking Authority is UN-Democratic. No Parking Authority Board Member comes up for a retention vote before the citizens.

Past and present city leaders are always fishing for one-time pay offs. This is another one-time windfall -- in a long series of them. By the way, how much does the public still owe on Three Rivers Stadium these days? Past Pittsburgh politicians sold the sewer lines for pete's sake.

Call ’The Private Plan’ the ’Ravenstahl Plan’ (or draft 1 of Ravenstahl Plan).

It is absurd that the Mayor’s Plan would forbid the Pittsburgh Parking Authority from building new parking facilities. So stupid. The only thing that would be more foolish is building more parking garages with public money -- like past city leadeers did so many times in the past.

Both Lamb and Dowd should be more concerned for the building of a regular revenue stream for local government too. Worry about the taxpayers, not your pensions. The regular revenue stream for CMPTF should be from the workers on the jobs now. This plan is to build a NEW, extra revenue stream.

Long-term economic stability is a but a dream here. Wave those red flags high when the plan hypes long-term and economics yet alone 'stability.' Will this plan create world peace too?

Local control is nice -- but this is really GOVERNMENT CONTROL of development options. I would much rather have GOVERNMENT CONTROL government functions and not have government play the role of development czar. Development should be driven by private investment money.

Pittsburgh's new YMCA sells naming rights

Pittsburgh's new YMCA sells naming rights Officials at the Y will follow the March 29 soft opening with a grand opening April 24. The four lane, 25 meter pool, which is still a work in progress, is expected to be ready by mid-April, Mr. Mann said.

No basketball.

IOC president Jacques Rogge doesn't get it when it comes to women - Ann Killion - SI.com

IOC president Jacques Rogge doesn't get it when it comes to women - Ann Killion - SI.com: "Ah, Olympic tradition. Tears. Cheers. And the International Olympic Committee looking foolish.
Just like clockwork last week, IOC president Jacques Rogge went wading into the gender equity pool at these Olympics and found himself stuck in the weeds.

Sabres Edge: Lalime to start against Penguins

Sid won't go against the Olympic MVP tonight.

Sabres Edge: Lalime to start against Penguins Lalime is ready to provide it. He will start in goal for the Sabres on Tuesday when they resume the NHL schedule in Pittsburgh.
'I’m playing tomorrow and looking forward to it,' Lalime said after practice today in HSBC Arena. 'I think he deserves the rest.'"

Fw: Using Technology in Physical Education - March 2010

From: "Bonnie Mohnsen

Using Technology in Physical Education

• Main Site
• Online Store
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• Professional Development
• Support
• Trial Software

Public Address (PA) Systems for Teaching Physical Education

by Stuart Ryan

Physical education teaching settings have been viewed as "hostile listening environments" that can undermine the learning of children in school (Ryan, 2009). Physical education students are often spread out over a large activity area and Leavitt & Flexer (1991) demonstrated that students experience significant loss of speech intelligibility when seated anywhere in the classroom other than very near the teacher. High levels of background noise (e.g. dribbling basketballs, loud music) may have a harmful effect on the students including poor speech understanding, listener distraction, and exhaustion while the teachers may also experience fatigue and even vocal abuse (Boothroyd, 2005). Poor acoustically designed gymnasiums, covered areas, and loud outdoor teaching environments can be challenging to the voice of physical education teachers. A recent study shows that over 85% of physical education teachers surveyed reported a strained voice due to teaching (Ryan, 2010).
One cost-effective, appropriate, and acceptable strategy for maximizing the learning environment is through the use of PA systems. Research has shown that PA systems let the teachers control, stabilize, and equalize the acoustic environment so their voices can be heard above the background noise at all locations in the learning environment (Mainstream Amplification Resource Study, 2005; Flexer, 2002; Ross & Levitt, 2002) and has a positive effect on word and sentence recognition, speech intelligibility, and attending behaviors (Mendel, Roberts, & Walton, 2003; Ryan, et al., 2002, Ryan, 2009). This type of equipment is already used by over 50% of 150 physical education teachers surveyed (Ryan, 2010).
A public address (PA) system, sometimes called a sound field amplification device typically consists of a small microphone and a FM transmitter worn by the teacher, an amplifier, and a stationary or portable FM receiver with one or more speakers. Some are rechargeable with remote control and a have built-in CD player for music while other systems will fit around your waist which will keep your hands free. More powerful models may also have wheels for rolling out and storing. The cost for this type of equipment may vary from $150 to $800 or more and are advertised on many web-sites.
Placement of the system during class should be considered. Locating the PA system away from students for safety but also opposite from the primary location of the teacher may be helpful. This setting establishes a "stereo effect" and gives the students the feeling that the teacher is in two places at one time (with-it-ness). Teachers should also consider the type of feedback while using a PA system. A PA system is a great way of ensuring that all students hear positive, specific, congruent skill related feedback and any management directions. However, teachers should use caution when giving corrective or discipline related feedback that may embarrass students. The teachers should turn off or cover the mic when there may be a situation(s) where student feelings may be jeopardized.
Physical education teachers often have acoustic challenges that no other teacher has to face and using PA system technology in physical education settings can only enhance the learning environment.
References
Boothroyd, A. (2005). Modeling the Effects of Room Acoustics on Speech Reception and Perception. In Crandell, C.C., Smaldino, J.J. and Flexer, C. (Eds.), Sound Field amplification: Applications to speech perception and classroom acoustics 2nd Ed., (pp. 23-48). Clifton Park, NY; Thomson Delmar Learning.
Flexer, C. (2002). Rational and use of sound field system: An update. Hearing Journal, 55(8), 10, 14, 16-18.
Leavitt, R., & Flexer, C. (1991). Speech degradation as measured by the Rapid Speech Transmission Index (RASTI). Ear and Hearing, 12, 115-118.
Mainstream Amplification Resource Room Study (2005). Tuning up our classrooms. Retrieved May 3, 2008, from http://www.marrs-study.info/tuning-up.html.
Mendel, L. L., Roberts, R. A., & Walton, J. H. (2003). Speech perception benefits from sound field FM amplification. American Journal of Audiology, 12(2), 114-124.
Ross, M., & Levitt, H. (2002). Classroom sound field systems. Retrieved on May 3, 2008 from http://www.hearingresearch.org/Dr.Ross/classroom_sound_field_systems.htm.
Ryan, S. (2009a). The Effects of a Sound-Field Amplification System on Management Time in Middle School Physical Education Settings. Journal of Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 40 (2), 131-137.
Ryan, S. (2009b). Can your students hear you? Florida Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance, & Driver Education, 47(1), 26-27.
Ryan, S. (2010). The Prevalence and Impact of Voice Problems in Physical Education Teachers. Unpublished raw data.
Ryan, S., Ormond, T., Imwold, C., & Rotunda, R.J. (2002). The effects of a public address system on the off-task behavior of elementary physical education students. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 305-308
Ryan, S., Grube, D., & Mokgwati, M. Signal-to-Noise Ratio in Physical Education Settings. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (in press).

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Comment from a PA User - Eric Herald

I used a wireless microphone today during my physical education class. We're doing a basketball unit and you know how noisy 28 bouncing basketball can be. Now I don't allow my students to dribble a ball while I'm giving instructions I blow the whistle one time and have them put the balls on the floor. However my 7th grade PE class is a different kind of animal about 10-12 of the students come to class thinking they can do as they please, when they please.
It did take them long to notice that something was different... the first time they heard my voice through the microphone they reacted like the voice was coming from the man up above. Wow what a difference it made. It was truly amazing the way students reacted they followed directions it was like I was standing right next to him/her and the class ran much smoother than any other that I've had this year.

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Using Technology in Physical Education Podcast

Our first podcast was a great success. Thank you for the positive feedback - and let us know what else you want. Our next podcast will be posted on March 15, 2010. We will start vodcasting (adding video to our audio) in our May 2010 podcast. The topic for March is mobile devices and their use in physical education. Additionally we will answer listener's questions and provide up-to-date news along with how-tos. So, don't miss out. You can find out podcast here.

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California Fitness Report Users

Those of you who are using Bonnie's Fitware Fitness Report for exporting fitness results for state testing need to contact Bonnie (bmohnsen@pesoftware.com) for an updated version. Be sure to include the name of your school (if the purchase was made through a purchase order.
Remember: The costs incurred to administer, score, analyze, and report PFT results may be recoverable as "state-mandated" costs." The California State Controller's Office administers cost recovery. This office may be contacted at 916-445-2636. Detailed mandated cost claim instructions are found on the California State Controller's Office State Mandated Costs Web page at http://www.sco.ca.gov/ard_mancost.html (Outside Source). Under the heading of "Annual Manuals," click the most current fiscal year under "School Districts." Next, under the "State Mandated Cost Programs" heading, scroll down and click on "Physical Performance Tests - Program No. 173."

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Why?: Page Cannot be Found

Common reasons for receiving this image when going to a web page include:
Your Internet connection may be down. Try accessing another site to see if this is the problem.
Check your typing - you may have mistyped the URL or click a bad hyperlink.
The site may be temporarily down.

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The Future is Now!

Digital Bandage Monitors Vital Signs
A wireless digital bandage that would continuously monitor patients' vital signs and transmit the data in real time to health-care professionals is currently being tested in the UK. The Sensium disposable adhesive bandage is non-intrusive and affixes easily and painlessly to a patient's chest. Doctors and nurses would be notified instantly of any changes in a patient's body temperature, heart rate, and respiration on any digital device, from desktop computers to cell phones. This would enable them to respond faster to any changes or complications. The patient's medical records would also be automatically updated with the data. The bandage, developed by Toumaz Technology, is part of a growing medical trend toward integrating wireless technology in patient care.
Source: The Futurist

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PowerPoint: Quick Tips

Importing Tables

Last month we looked at creating tables. However, in many case, the table you want already exists in Word or Excel. You can import tables into a PowerPoint slide without re-entering all the data. Start by selecting the table in the original program. Then, right-click (control-click for Mac users) and choose Copy. Next, go to the PowerPoint slide and right-click again, and choose Paste. Once the table is in place, each cell becomes a text box. So, you can click in the box and edit the information. You also can move the boundaries within the table by clicking them and dragging them. Rest the mouse pointer over a border until it becomes a double-headed arrow and drag the border.

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Top 5 Cell Phones

• 
  Motorola Droid
  
• 
  Apple iPhone
  
• 
  Motorola Clia
  
• 
  Blackberry Bold
  
• 
  T-Mobile My Touch
  

From PCWorld.com

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News

Texas Goes for Digital Textbooks
Texas has become the latest state to begin building a repository of digital textbooks. The Texas Educational Agency is soliciting bids for online materials and officials plan to have the first open-source textbooks and other materials online for students next fall, according to the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. A digital repository would allow teachers and students to view textbooks online and also print customized versions. The advantages of to digital books, aside from lower costs, would be having the abilities to customize and update the data-base and incorporate other features, such as videos, into lessons.
Source: The American School Board Journal

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Learning Opportunities

The spring semester started January 15, but you can still sign up. Each course is the equivalent of one semester unit (Emporia State University) or two continuing education credits (California State University, Los Angeles). You have until March 15 to sign up for one of these courses!

PowerPoint
Fitness Software
Record Book Technology
Web Design/Activities
Instructional Software
Technology Devices
Electronic Portfolios
Spreadsheets
Teaching Online Physical Education

The cost of the course ($100) includes a letter of completion when you finish. This may be used in some districts to verify hours of participation in meeting continuing education requirements.
If your district won't accept a letter of completion, but will accept Continuing Education credit - you can receive two units of CE credit for each course from CSU Los Angeles. The cost is $95 per credit or $190 per course. For more information on Continuing Education credits, contact Joann Edmond at mailto:%20Jedmon2@cslanet.calstatela.edu
If your district won't accept a letter of completion or Continuing Education credits, then you can receive one semester unit of 700-level college credit. The additional cost for college credit is $373 for out-of-state residence and $290 for Kansas residence. (Pricing for college credit is subject to change). After enrolling in the online course, you contact Kathy Ermler at 620-481-3816 to register for 700-level credit.

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iPod Apps

Heartbeat Monitored
A new application for your smart phone will let you send your heart rate directly to your doctor's office. The iStethoscope, developed by University College London computer scientist Peter Bentley, comprises an audio amplifier that filters sound from the built-in microphone to transmit clear signals of your heartbeat to the cardiologist. Bently foresees such devices becoming more powerful and cheaper than traditional medical equipment, eventually putting an array of monitoring and diagnostic instruments in everyone's pockets.
Source: University College Londone, www.ucl.ac.uk

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Windows Short Cuts

<Windows>-L - locks yours computer's screen so that no one can access your computer without entering your account password.
<Windows>-R - provides access to the Run command line.
<Windows>-E - opens a new Windows Explorer window.
<Windows>-D - hides all open windows to clear your desktop.
Right click on any application icon - brings up the Properties menu. Click the Shortcuts tab and you can specify a keystroke combination to start your application.

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New Device: Treadmill Traveling

The NordicTrack X7i Incline Trainer raises and lowers itself to mimic the dips and hills of real-world topography. The X7i downloads maps over Wi-Fi form a Web site called iFit, which lets you pick popular routes, as well as treks you have designed on your computer across any territory covered by Google Maps. As you run a seven-inch screen scrolls the map and shows snapshots of passing landmarks. Afterward, the console sends workout data to the Web, where you can analyze it and plot your next run anywhere on the planet or beyond, since Google Moon is open for hikes as well.
Source: Popular Science

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New Device: WiFi Body Scale

This scale is designed to add peer pressure to your battle against the bulge. It uses Wi-Fi to send your weight, body-fat percentage, and body-mass index to your computer, iPhone, or even your Twitter followers. Designed by Withings (www.withings.com). Some folks even twitter their weight loss - check it out: http://enewsletterpro.mediablend.com/t.aspx?S=3&ID=1912&NL=18&N=890&SI=89599&URL=http%3a%2f%2ftwitter.com%2fleos_scale
Source: Popular Science

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Tapped In

Our presence on the social network TappedIn focuses on high-quality standards-based physical edu-cation. I am happy to announce that Brenna Barringer, National Board Certified Physical Educator has agreed to co- facilitate the site with me. The site will now take a more active role in the National Board Candidates community. Discussions will expand to focus on candidate preparation. We anticipate that the addition of this group of highly-qualified physical educators will improve the quality of our discussions. If you are preparing for national board certification or just want to improve your teaching skills, then please join us at Tapped In. Once registered (free), search for physical education or ask the receptionist for directions to the physical education group. Here are step-by-step directions:

Go to tappedin.org
Click on "Sign up" for free membership
Complete the form
Click on submit application
Click on Search
Click on Places
Type in physical education
Click on Find It
Click on Physical Education
Click on Actions and select Join

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New Edition of Using Technology in Physical Education - 7th edition

The seventh edition of the popular book Using Technology in Physical Education is now available. Everything you need to know about technology in the field of physical education. Includes information on spreadsheets, word processing, desktop publishing, web, pedometers, heart monitors, virtual reality-based exercise equipment, software, electronic portfolios, e-learning, and much much more! Lots of step-by-step directions and photographs showing how things work! Cost $45. Click here for more information.
Check out our support page with videos and agendas for undergraduate and graduate courses.
Order bookSupport Page
Chapter 1 - Introduction to Technology in Physical Education
Chapter 2 - Computer 101
Chapter 3 - Text-Based Documents
Chapter 4 - Data Manipulation
Chapter 5 - Using Images
Chapter 6 - Using Videos
Chapter 7 - Using Audio
Chapter 8 - Using Telecommunications
Chapter 9 - Instructional Software
Chapter 10 - Assessing Student Learning
Chapter 11 - Measuring Devices
Chapter 12 - Interactive Devices
Chapter 13 - Online Physical Education
Chapter 14 - Improving Instructional Delivery
Chapter 15 - The Future of Technology

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Grants

NASPE Announces 2010 Grant Cycle for ING Run For Something Better School Awards Program
The school awards program will provide 50 - $2,000 grants to schools that desire to establish a school-based running program or expand an existing one. Programs must target 4th-8th grade students. Visit www.naspeinfo.org/run for more information or email run@aahperd.org with any questions. Deadline for applications is April 15, 2010.

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Web Sites to Explore

AppReview - reviews of Apps for the iPod Touch and iPhone.
Bowling instruction.
Basketball drills.
Science of baseball.

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Questions and Answers

I have been following along with your Excel articles. However, when I create a spreadsheet and print it out, the column letters and row numbers are visible. Is there a way to hide the letters and numbers when printing?
Yes you can. Simple click Page Layout on the ribbon and locate the Sheet Options section. Uncheck the box next to Print under the Headings option. If you are using Excel 2003, then go to File and choose Page Setup. Click the Sheet tab and under the Print section, uncheck Row And Column Headings.
What is the best way to back up my computer?
Consider employing multiple back-up methods. If you have more than one computer, then back up your files to those computers. Also, consider purchasing external hard drives or usb drives to back up your data. Finally, consider an online back up service like Carbonite (carbonite.com).
I have been purchasing batteries online but they die quickly - what might be the cause?
Typically when batteries are sold at an inexpensive price it is because they are close to their expiration date. Be sure to purchase batteries from a reliable vendor. Bonnie's Fitware Inc. does sell "fresh" batteries for pedometers and heart monitors.

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PEP Grants, Fitness Labs, and Technology Devices

Dates have been released for the 2010 Carol M. White PEP Grant. The US Department of Education will open requests for proposals on April 7, 2010 with a due date of May 21, 2010.
Let us design a lab for you - check it out. Or, email us for quote on technology-based equipment (including high quality pedometers, acceler- ometers, heart monitors) and we will also provide you with a list of the research to submit the use of the equipment in your program.
Also, take a look at our brochures for additional software and devices for your PEP grant.

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Standards-Based Physical Education Curriculum

See the alignment between our standards-based physical education curriculum (grades 5 - high school) and your state standards at http://enewsletterpro.mediablend.com/t.aspx?S=3&ID=1912&NL=18&N=890&SI=89599&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pesoftware.com%2fdemos%2fdemos2.html. We also have updated our presentations on our curriculum and on technology so that they are smaller. Each topic has a Part 1 and a Part 2 - and each movie is no larger than 8 megabytes, so they will download quickly.

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College Level Assessment in Physical Education Course

Standards-Based Assessment and Grading in Physical Education, K-12
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Includes hundreds of assessment ideas and rubrics for all six national standards. Adaptable to state standards.

The purpose of this newsletter is to keep physical educators, health educators, and coaches abreast of current trends in using technology in physical education. The newsletter is published monthly by Bonnie's Fitware Inc. Contact Bonnie's FItware Inc. for advertising rates and suggestions for articles. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter - email Dr Mohnsen; you will be removed immediately!

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Created by Bonnie's Fitware Inc., 2010

March 2010

Podcast

EPEC

S & S

Seminars

Register now for our 2010 Fitware seminars:
March 22, 2010 - Tinley Park, IL
March 23, 2010 - New Berlin, WI
April 19, 2010 - College Park, GA
April 21, 2010 - Charlotte, NC
April 22, 2010 - West Columbia, SC
April 28, 2010 - Miami Springs, FL

Here is what participants are saying about these seminars:

This course has given us a lot of the tools and resources we need to bring our current class offerings up to a "distinction" level.
Thank you for your direction and inspiration.
Can't attend - you can still purchase the presentation on CD to watch at your leisure.

Spring Online Courses

The registration fee for each course is $100. The registration fee covers the online course materials and a letter of completion. Textbooks are required for most courses. Click on each course for additional information. The fall semester will run January 15, 2010 - May 1, 2010. You can sign up anytime between now and March 15, 2010. You may take as many courses as you like.

PowerPoint

Fitness Software

Record Book Technology

Web Design/Activities

Instructional Software

Technology Devices

Electronic Portfolios

Spreadsheets

Teaching Online Physical Education
You will receive a letter of completion when you finish. This may be used in some districts to verify hours of participation in meeting continuing education requirements.
If your district won't accept a letter of completion, but will accept Continuing Education credit - you can receive two units of CE credit for each course from CSU Los Angeles. The cost is $75 per credit or $150 per course.
If your district won't accept a letter of completion or Continuing Education credits, then you can receive one semester unit of 700-level college credit. The additional cost for college credit is $373 for out-of-state residence and $290 for Kansas residence. (Pricing for college credit is subject to change)

New/Updated Products

Fitness Report:
It now works with iPodTouch/iPhone/other Smart Phones Via Remote Access

Standards-based Record Book:
It now works with iPodTouch/iPhone/other Smart Phones Via Remote Access

Locker System:
It now works with iPodTouch/iPhone/other Smart Phones Via Remote Access

Teacher Observation Program:
It now works with iPodTouch/iPhone/other Smart Phones Via Remote Access

Problem Solving Complete

Brochures

Seminar Brochure - see seminars online

Online Professional Development Brochure - see online professional development online

Instructional Software Brochure -
see instructional software online

Teacher Software Brochure -
see teacher software online

Textbook Brochure - see textbooks online - see training manuals online

Technology-based Equipment Brochure - see accelerometers - see pedometers - see heart monitors

Elementary Task Cards Brochure - see elementary task cards online

Middle School Curriculum Brochure - see middle school curriculum online

High school Curriculum Brochure - see high school curriculum online

Order Form

Councilman wants to reallocate federal funds to poor areas

Councilman wants to reallocate federal funds to poor areas Councilman wants to reallocate federal funds to poor areas

This will be an interesting discussion.

To rob Peter to pay Paul is never a good idea.

This is sorta like 'WAMs' = Walking Around Money, when it is spent at chunks of $500. However, this is a political process. The victors get the spoils, so they've shown in the past. They win an election and they pull funding from one group and give it to another.

Oh my, this will get interesting.

The pros and cons of newspapers partnering with 'citizen journalism' networks

The pros and cons of newspapers partnering with 'citizen journalism' networks: "Bleacher Report, which calls itself 'the Web's largest sports network powered by citizen sportswriters,' made a big breakthrough for itself on Feb. 22... and the citizen journalism movement.
The company announced it was beginning a partnership with Hearst to introduce local online editions in the newspaper publisher's four largest markets, including San Francisco Chronicle's SFGate, the Houston's Chronicle's Chron.com, the San Antonio Express-News' MySan Antonio.com, and Seattlepi.com. Essentially, headlines will be pulled into the main sports page, highlighting local content from Bleacher Report's citizen journalists."

Jia, a Pittsburgh Podcamp friend, checks in from China

Sorry for this email blast, but since Twitter, Facebook, etc are blocked in China, I have to do this the old-fashioned way. Generally, I'm horrible at keeping in touch with people when I'm traveling, so I'm sending this update email to friends in Pittsburgh ahead of my next series of trips.

I'm only going to cover two main things in this email, social ventures and early-stage incubators. So if you're not interested in either of those topics, it's probably best to skip this email.

Let's cover social ventures first. As most of you know, my latest startup was accepted for GoodCompany Ventures last summer (http://www.goodcompanyventures.org/companies/couchange/) and this year's program will start accepting applications soon. If you know anyone working on a socially-beneficial startup, I would strongly recommend considering the program. As far as I know, it's still the only y-combinator style incubator focused on social entrepreneurs.

GoodCompany Ventures is organizing a series of events about the "public service potential of private capital" in various cities over the next few months. I'll be flying back to the US later this week to speak at their first event in New York City (http://gcvpanel.eventbrite.com). I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly they were able to sellout the event, but that's probably due to high-profile speakers such as Fred Wilson and Jacqueline Novogratz. Given the success of similar events in Pittsburgh like "Solutions for Society", I think there's potential in bringing a GCV event to the city, so if there's interest in hosting such an event, please let me know. I should be back in Pittsburgh in a few weeks.

Finally, since people have sent me questions about social ventures in China, I'd like to point out Chengdu MeiHuan Tech (http://www.huania.com) as a good example of a Chinese social venture. Founded just after the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, they provide low cost earthquake alarms to schools and are developing earthquake prediction technology that can be utilized worldwide. Unfortunately, since VCs are relatively rare in central China (as compared to coastal cities) and social VCs basically non-existent, examples like MeiHuan Tech are actually pretty rare. Which is why I've been exploring the feasibility of running y-combinator and GoodCompany style incubator programs in various cities throughout China. While the emergence of such programs in China seems inevitable to me, there currently only exists one real non-governmental startup incubator (coincidentally also called Innovation Works, http://www.innovation-works.com). If you're interested in more specific details rather than this brief overview, I'll be presenting my findings as I travel throughout the northeastern US over the next few weeks, so just send me an email about it.

That's about it. Hope this email wasn't too intrusive. See you in a few weeks.

Thanks, Jia

Jia's hometown in China is Chengdu, a city we visited three times in the past. In Pittsburgh, he was a CMU and a few other firms, including guru.com I think.

Senate Antitrust Head Kohl Questions NBC’s Online Olympics News - Bloomberg.com

Senate Antitrust Head Kohl Questions NBC’s Online Olympics News - Bloomberg.com: "Herbert Kohl, chairman of a U.S. Senate antitrust panel, questioned NBC Universal Inc.’s practice of limiting its online Olympics coverage to fans who subscribe to paid television.
“I fear that this practice of locking up certain content only for pay-TV subscribers may be a preview of what is to come,” particularly in the context of Comcast Corp.’s bid to acquire General Electric Co.’s NBC, Democrat Kohl wrote."

A new version of the free Pennsylvania Political Campaign Management

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: March 1, 2010
Contact: David Lynn, President, DAL Services, Inc.
Phone: (215) 821-1156
Email: David@DAL-Services.com
Website: http://DAL-Services.com

A new version of the free Pennsylvania Political Campaign Management
Database (PPCM) was released this morning, it was announced today.

The PPCM, a free, Commonwealth-approved application for managing political
campaigns and filing campaign finance reports with the Department of State
has been uploaded to http://DAL-Services.com.

"Running for office in Pennsylvania just got easier," said David Lynn,
President of DAL Services, Inc., the producer of the software. "With this
new version of the PPCM software, a political campaign can import voter data
files from the Commonwealth Department of State, print street lists, solicit
contributors, acknowledge gifts, and run voter statistics, in addition to
filing campaign finance reports electronically or on paper."

"Typically, a newcomer to the political arena will not have the money to
purchase campaign management software to run their campaign," Lynn
continued. "My goal is to level the playing field by providing campaign
management software for free."

One of the most important feature's of Lynn's software is the ability to
file Campaign Finance Reports directly from the software. "It saves a good
deal of time," said Lynn, "and the campaign can sleep well at night knowing
that they are completed correctly."

"Now, there's no excuse for not getting your campaign expense reports in on
time," said Lynn.

Lynn provides free support to all candidates who use the software. "I
publish my home phone number on my website, so if someone has a question,
they can call me," said Lynn.

The PPCM has been free since it's creation in 2006. "I make it available
for public use, so that underfunded candidates can have decent software to
run their campaigns," said Lynn. "It's my contribution to good government
in Pennsylvania."

The PPCM can be used by any political committee or candidate in Pennsylvania
for any local or Commonwealth elected office. For more information, call
(215) 821-1156 or visit http://DAL-services.com.

Analysis: NHL needs more control in Olympics

Frozen brain logic with the Post-Gazette with Olympics, as expected.

Analysis: NHL needs more control in Olympics And it was on cable.
Bettman has pointed out that Sochi is 'eight time zones away from the Eastern time zone' as one concern about the airing of Olympic hockey in 2014, but the more pertinent question would appear to be: If NBC could not be bothered to carry a U.S.-Canada game in Sunday prime time over non-medal ice dancing, what makes anyone at the NHL think it will bother to carry any hockey from Sochi?
So, again, why go?

The only thing worse than NBC when it comes to coverage of the Olympics is the Post-Gazette.

The NHL does not need more control of Olympic hockey as the problem is not that of the Olympics nor the NHL. Rather, the problem, if there is one, is NBC.

The game was on cable. It was on. Cable is widespread. Sure, it isn't universal. But, there is more to NBC than just one TV station. To say the game was not on, except for MSNBC is to say one has a brain freeze. Games were on.

The NHL should continue to go to the Olympics. The NHL should steer clear of efforts to control the Olympic Hockey Tournament. And, if you need to pay the cable bill -- do it or else watch it elsewhere.

To grow the game?

That, too, seems to be happening on its own: USA Hockey's amateur registration is at an all-time high, rinks are popping up across the southern belt, and places like Pittsburgh no longer raise eyebrows when they produce an NHL draft pick.

Let's grow the game in Pittsburgh, in the city of Pittsburgh, here:

Let's cover this roof cave in, P-G, and the failed Request for Proposals from the city years ago too.

From hockey hell

Good luck in court Dan. He got taken by police with G-20 mess but wasn't protesting at all.

Dan wrote on a public list.

I appear this Tuesday before Judge Gallo, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, to appeal my summary conviction. I had not been part of the protest, but had been walking from my house to a garage-workshop that I rent, and my route intersected with the confrontation between police and protesters. The police went right past me, knowing that I was not a protester, but I was arrested anyhow after making a comment about excessive force used by the police. Anyhow, I am supposed to be at the County Courthouse at 8:30 AM. The trial could be at any time thereafter. I was originally charged with three misdemeanors, but they were reduced to a summary charge. I believe the reduction was in hopes that I would not appeal, but the charges were ludicrous, and I feel like it's my duty to appeal. Also, anyone who pleads guilty to a lesser charge loses all rights to sue for wrongful arrest. The DA said he was going to dismiss the charges against most of the protester until he got word that the ACLU was looking into pressing charges against the police. Then he refused to dismiss any charges and pressed for plea bargains.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

Update:

Convictions against four G-20 protesters upheld
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
By Paula Reed Ward, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
An Allegheny County judge on Monday upheld the guilty convictions of four people arrested during the G-20 summit in September.

Five people had hearings before Senior Common Pleas Judge Robert C. Gallo to appeal their convictions on summary charges of disorderly conduct.

Four of those who appealed their convictions were arrested during a mass sweep on Sept. 25 on Schenley Plaza in Oakland.

Judge Gallo affirmed convictions of:

• Peter Vankoughnett, 20, of Minneapolis, who had pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, and was ordered to pay $423.50.

• Anna Rasshivkina, 21, of Pittsburgh, also pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay $223.50, and

• Jonathan Latourelle, 26, of Pittsburgh, was found guilty at trial and ordered to pay $223.50.

Judge Gallo did not sustain the conviction of Jason Muley. Mr. Muley, 22, of Pittsburgh, also previously pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay $373.50. But the judge on Monday found that prosecutors were unable to proceed with specific testimony regarding Mr. Muley's actions on the plaza.

One other person appealed a disorderly conduct charge from the Sept. 24 afternoon protests in Lawrenceville.

Karen Switzer, 37, of Pittsburgh, was found guilty at trial of one count of disorderly conduct, and ordered to pay the court $154.50. Judge Gallo affirmed that conviction, as well.

More than 100 people were arrested the night of Sept. 25 in Oakland after, police said, a large group that had gathered failed to heed instructions to clear the area.

Many of those swept up by the hundreds of police officers who had gathered in the area in riot gear were students at the University of Pittsburgh.

The Allegheny County district attorney dropped charges in some of those cases. In dozens of others, students agreed to complete community service to have their cases dismissed by the court.

Still others who were charged agreed to plead guilty and pay fines.

More appeal hearings are scheduled today.

Paula Reed Ward: pward@post-gazette.com or 412-263-2620.

Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/10061/1039593-53.stm#ixzz0h2HwTChO

Something: Something in the water. It is hard work!

Something in the water: "'There's something about Western Pennsylvania kids that's a little bit special,' he said. 'There's a certain toughness in kids from this area that seems to lend itself to high-level athletics.'"

Big splash: WPIAL swimming & diving championships

Big
splash: WPIAL swimming & diving championships: "'Having better
swimmers is always the final thing that dictates the times,' West Allegheny swim
coach Bob Miller said. 'I'm not sure how much the suits helped. I think the
suits help confidence-wise. The kids feel fast if they are told it is a fast
suit.'"

First commercial jetpack to go on sale for £50,000 | Mail Online

First commercial jetpack to go on sale for £50,000 | Mail Online: "A company is set to produce the first commercial JETPACKS - and one could be yours for just £50,000.The traffic jam-beating packs will be manufactured after a multi-million pound deal was signed with an international aircraft company this week.
Martin Aircraft Company, in Christchurch, New Zealand, aims to make 500 packs"

Pot holes? No worries.

Spring will arrive

Olympic Speed Skating Snafu From a Coach's Perspective, Plus Article on Filtering Your Goals

by Chris Carmichael, Founder/CEO, Carmichael Training Systems

As a coach, I watched in horror as Dutch speed skating coach Gerard Kemkers mistakenly directed skater Sven Kramer into the wrong lane during the 10,000-meter event at the Vancouver Olympic Games. Kramer, already the gold medalist in the 5,000-meter event, was well on his way to another gold medal. Indeed, only a fall or a mistake was going to keep him from earning gold, and it was a mistake that did him in. I ve been in positions similar to Kemkers on the infield of a velodrome, in the driver s seat of a team car, in the racers ears over the radio and the pressure is tremendous. I gave my share of good and bad advice in the middle of major competitions, but thankfully I never made a mistake as costly as Kemkers . All over the world, I think everyone in the coaching community said a relieved, There but for the grace of God, go I. when they saw the looks of despair on both Kramer and Kemkers faces.

Coaches and athletes are human and they make mistakes, but in the middle of competition a coach has to be even more careful than normal. In the heat of competition, athletes rely on techniques and habits formed over months and years of training. This enables them to stop thinking about some aspects of the sport, thereby allowing them to focus more intently on a smaller number of variables. Sven Kramer has skated the pattern of a 10,000-meter race thousands of times, and while skaters occasionally lose focus and forget what lap they re on or what lane they re supposed to be in, the pattern tends to be one of the more automatic parts of the event. Similarly, in the 4,000-meter pursuit on the velodrome, once the riders have left the start line they expect to follow a well-rehearsed pattern of pulls and recoveries.

For his part, Sven Kramer handled the situation with a lot of maturity. Yes, he was visibly upset, but that is to be expected. An almost certain gold medal just had just slipped through his fingers, and not because another competitor was faster. When talking with the media, however, he took the high road, saying that the final responsibility rested with him since he was the athlete. Kemkers accepted full responsibility for the error as he should have. Kramer was headed toward the correct lane until Kemkers vigorously directed him to the wrong lane at the last second. It was probably the worst moment in either one of their careers.

A coach can play an important role in helping athletes adjust their performances, but you have to be careful to stick to the communications athletes expect to get from you. In timed events on the velodrome, athletes expect to see and hear a coach on the apron giving them pre-determined signals that tell them if they are above or below their goal pace. If the coach is out of place or giving unexpected signals, athletes even really intelligent ones get confused. As an athlete, especially in timed events, you learn to rely on patterns and routines so you can focus all your energy on going faster. The last thing you want is information you're not prepared to evaluate and deal with; it instantly destroys your rhythm and causes you to doubt what you re doing. Your brain goes from focusing on speed and power to trying to figure out what s going on.

In the end, I m heartbroken for Sven Kramer because did everything right in terms of preparing for his Olympic races, and then he lost a gold medal when it was only a few laps away. And although there won't be much sympathy for Gerard Kemkers around the world (and certainly not in the Netherlands), I feel bad for him, too. There is no worse feeling for a coach than when you realize you've failed an athlete. If there s one piece of advice I could give to Kemkers, and every other coach (because if you haven't made a mistake yet, you will), it's that your mistakes will make you learn and become a better coach, precisely because they will haunt you.

On a completely different note, it s late February and I ve been encountering athletes all winter who have yet to establish clear goals for 2010. So I forwarded CTS Senior Coach Abby Ruby, who spent a lot of time researching goals and goal setting while writing her doctoral dissertation on Exercise Addiction in Ironman Triathletes , one of the many questions I've been receiving about setting appropriate goals for the season. Check out her response here. And remember, you can send questions to Chris.Carmichael@trainright.com. I can t promise an answer to every question, but I ve been working my way through them as best I can.

Pittsburgh’s Apologists Return with Bad Policy Suggestions

Policy Brief

An electronic publication of

The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy

February 24, 2010 Volume 10, Number 11

In 2003 a duo of the City’s elite chaired a task force known as the Hillman/Roderick Committee to study Pittsburgh’s financial problems and to recommend solutions. Of course, this was before the City formally entered Act 47 distressed status or was under the watch of a state appointed oversight board. The task force identified the usual fiscal maladies—stagnant revenues and too much spending. They recommended substantial tax increases and spending cuts and the creation of a state-appointed review board.
Now nearly seven years later with the City still floundering the apologists for (and too often enablers of ) the City’s self-inflicted fiscal wounds are back with a Post-Gazette opinion column claiming the City has made the Committee’s recommended $40 to $45 million in spending cuts but the revenues from the new taxes have been inadequate to fix the City’s problems. The Committee’s leaders are asking for still more revenues on the grounds the City is the regional hub and the region’s fortunes are inextricably tied to the City’s well being.
But what the authors fail to acknowledge is that having the region forever subsidize profligate and irresponsible financial and economic behavior is neither sustainable nor desirable for the future of the City or the region. And it is also curious that they say not a word about the City’s recent adoption of an economy stifling, government expenditure boosting prevailing wage bill or the looming living wage legislation.
Let’s review what has happened regarding the City’s financial situation since 2003 when the Committee convened. In 2003, the City had $378.4 million in operating expenditures and revenues of $349.3 million. Seven years later in 2010, Pittsburgh has budgeted expenditures of $446.5 million along with nearly equal projected revenues. Even adjusting for the roughly $20 million increase due to an accounting entry change that started in 2005 for state pension funding, the City is still spending about $50 million more than in 2003.
To understand better Pittsburgh’s financial problems, in 2004, the Allegheny Institute created a benchmark city against which Pittsburgh’s government finances and operation could be compared. Four geographically dispersed cities were chosen for the benchmark, Charlotte, Columbus, Omaha and Salt Lake City. The comparisons were very illuminating. Pittsburgh government was spending almost $1,200 per resident compared to $803 for the benchmark city, a difference of nearly $400 or 48 percent. At the same time, Pittsburgh had 11 city employees per 1000 residents, while the benchmark city had only 8 per 1000 residents, a gap of 37 percent.
Moreover, in 2004, Pittsburgh’s bond payments per capita were three times the amount paid by the benchmark city. And, the City’s pension plans had already fallen to 50 percent funded compared to 89 percent for the benchmark city.
On the revenue side, Pittsburgh was collecting $898 per capita in taxes from all sources, far higher than the benchmark city’s $551. Non-tax revenues were fairly close at $287 per capita for Pittsburgh and $234 or the benchmark.
In short, Pittsburgh in 2003 and 2004 was spending and collecting taxes at levels far exceeding mid-sized cities across the country.
Now fast forward to the Institute’s benchmark update in 2007. Pittsburgh’s tax collections rose significantly to $1,037 per resident in 2007 and benchmark taxes per resident climbed to $615, boosting the gap between Pittsburgh and the benchmark city sharply from $347 to $422. Interestingly, Pittsburgh’s tax collections in 2007 were $45 million above the 2004 level thanks to the new taxes and mandated changes in existing taxes required by the legislature’s reform package—almost exactly the amount the Committee had wanted to see. Total revenue, including non-tax sources, climbed from $354.7 million in 2004 to an adjusted $428 million in 2007, a $73 million increase. The nearly $30 million jump in non-tax revenue was accounted for by money from gaming taxes, Commonwealth grants, the non-profit contribution and other miscellaneous line item increases.
Meanwhile, after adjustments to account for the transfer of debt service sinking funds into the PAYGO capital improvements and other one time transfers that were included in the operating budget, spending in 2007 still rose compared to 2004 rather than falling by $45 million the Hillman/Roderick Committee has claimed. The point is that while Pittsburgh was enjoying a strong three year rise in revenues of over 20 percent, the inability to rein in spending meant the fiscal problems of the City did not go away. Moreover, Pittsburgh’s employee count per 1000 residents still stood 35 percent above the benchmark city.
What’s worse, the situation has not improved since 2007 despite the City’s being under the financial oversight of an Act 47 coordinator and the ICA board. Although 2010 budgeted expenditures of $446.5 million compared to 2007’s actual spending of $434.5 would appear to indicate a modest $12 million rise over three years, the elimination of the PAYGO transfers of previous years to the general fund budget resulted in $55.2 million fewer dollars in the non-departmental Citywide line item in 2010 than in 2007. In other words, the other expenditure categories combined jumped by $67.2 million in just three years led by a $30 million (27 percent) hike in personnel benefits. But many other expenditure groups climbed by double digit percentage increases including; law, controller’s office, city planning, police, fire, and public works. All told, 2010 budgeted spending stands $50 million above the 2004 level with further planned increases in coming years.
So much for reining in Pittsburgh’s expenditures. The last three years have seen a virtual abandonment of any pretense at checking the growth of expenditures. Combined with an overwhelming legacy cost problem and a huge debt load, the inability to reduce other outlays on a continuing basis puts the City right back where it was seven years ago, except that it now has a panoply of new revenue sources, which we are being told yet again are not sufficient. It would seem fairly obvious that unless expenditures are curtailed by far more stringent efforts than we have seen to date, the City will never get its financial house in order.
These are the same folks who lobbied for the RAD tax, the regional renaissance tax, higher occupation tax, and the business payroll tax, among other revenue enhancements, again arguing that more taxes on non-residents are needed to solve the City’s fiscal difficulties once and for all. Bear in mind it was the City’s government officials who created this intractable financial mess with the tacit support of Pittsburgh voters. And it was the same civic leadership who now wants more taxes that perennially failed to bring pressure on the City to act responsibly. It is no good for them to argue that binding arbitration prevented the City from holding the line on police and fire contracts. They could have gone to Harrisburg and lobbied for Act 111 reform. That did not happen either. Nor did they fight the enormous and losing bets the City placed on publicly funded developments that have added to the poor financial situation.

To be sure, the City does serve as a regional core. But why should the burden of propping up its government fall ever more heavily on those living outside the City while the City fails miserably and continually to act in a prudent manner financially or in terms of economic policies? Those who work in the City pay one the nation’s highest parking taxes and the Local Services Tax (the former occupation privilege tax). Their employers pay the payroll preparation tax; their companies pay property taxes either directly or indirectly through rent. County residents and visitors to the county pay RAD sales taxes that heavily support the City and its amenities—which by the way, is one of the main reasons Pittsburgh remains the sports cultural and entertainment center of the region. Perhaps the Committee leaders have forgotten that.
Folks venturing into Pittsburgh for a sporting or entertainment event pay an amusement tax on the tickets they purchase as well as the parking tax. Commuters and non-residents pour enormous revenues into the City’s coffers that are well in excess of their use of services. Yet they are for some, always the scapegoats for Pittsburgh’s problems.
Those living outside the City did not agree to the egregious pension benefits and legacy costs that threaten to sink City finances. They did not elect the officials that caved into union demands or placed stifling mandates on businesses. The City has done little to help itself as budgets and obligations continue to grow, even under financial oversight.
Finally, why do the Committee leaders not call attention to the glaring fact that the City and County have made virtually no progress in the last five years to reach accords on consolidating services despite the recommendations of many task forces over the years? So much time and effort was wasted pushing the full governmental merger of the City and County. A push doomed to failure from the outset.
The time for making excuses and blaming others for Pittsburgh’s problems is long past.

Jake Haulk, Ph.D., President Frank Gamrat, Ph.D., Sr. Research Assoc.

For updates and commentary on daily issues please visit our blog at alleghenyinstitute.org/blog.


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Chartiers Valley residents seek board president's resignation

Chartiers Valley residents seek board president's resignation: "The fallout from two Jan. 22 senior skip day parties in Collier continued Tuesday night in Chartiers Valley when residents presented a petition demanding that Patti Figorski resign as board president.
The two parties resulted in criminal charges being filed by township police against 30 students and the suspensions of seven drill team members from two performances.

Say what? What's the story here?

We Can Put an End to Word Attachments - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)

We Can Put an End to Word Attachments - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF): "Don't you just hate receiving Word documents in email messages? Word attachments are annoying, but, worse than that, they impede people from switching to free software. Maybe we can stop this practice with a simple collective effort. All we have to do is ask each person who sends us a Word file to reconsider that way of doing things."

Upper St. Clair students may not have to make up snow days

Upper St. Clair students may not have to make up snow days: "Upper St. Clair students may not have to make up snow days"

Time will tell.

Makes sense:

Congressman Ron Paul - Government Stimulus, One Year Later - Texas Straight Talk American people know that more government spending obviously equals more government.

Creating Literate Olympians Here

From curling

Pittsburgh Fat Man Aspires to Curling Gold

(Reuters) Pittsburgh, PA - Unemployed former accounts receivable clerk Dan Bujokowski is aspiring to Olympic gold.

"You know, I was there watching NBC at 3 in the morning and they were showing highlights from the Team USA's curling match against one of them foreign countries, and one of those players on the US Team is, like, 300 pounds. I thought to myself, as I was noshing on a three day old Twinkie, that I could be an Olympic medalist too."

Mr. Bujokowski is one of many Americans who, because of nearly wall-to-wall coverage of curling in order to fill up airtime, suddenly believe that they have what it takes to be a professional curler.

Originating in Scotland, curling is a team Olympic sport in which stones are slid across a sheet of carefully prepared ice towards a target area.

Steve Buffington, a Director of the Pittsburgh Curling Club, says there's more to curling than being an overweight guy on ice. "Curling involves strategy, balance, good sportsmanship, and the ability to hurl a 42 pound stone down 100 ft ice. While it is accessible to a wide variety of people, it's not a game that just anyone can be an expert in overnight... unless you're willing to buy the first two rounds of beer."

Mr. Bujokowski remains undeterred.

"Michael Phelps eats a 20,000 calorie diet and smokes pot. If he can east twice as much as me and be an Olympian, well, I think I'm guaranteed at least a bronze medal.

From curling

Winter Classic: Is hockey in PNC Park's future?

Winter Classic: Is hockey in PNC Park's future?: "Winter Classic: Is hockey in PNC Park's future?

Better than playing hockey in PNC Park with a bunch of Canadians on the ice, and a few from the USA and elsehwere, let's play scholastic sports at PNC Park. Let's hold some football games at PNC Park in the fall. These could be done after the baseball season.