Vendors, Shade, Advertisements

The citizens are pushing at City Council on a few matters.

I stand for the free markets! If I was in charge, we'd expand and loosen the vendor restrictions.

Meanwhile, the city is going in the wrong directions. The city is kicking out the vendors in Oakland. The vendors provide valued services.

The shade tree commission is about to see its stream of income diverted into the general fund. The income to the city from the bus shelter ads is to go directly to the commission now. However, some on council want to change the existing policy.

The best solution would be the creation of a Pittsburgh Park District that would include the revenue stream and the responsibility of the existing shade tree commission. We need to work on quality of life matters and not be bogged down with other city business matters such as roads and police.

A new Pittsburgh Park District, using the model that operates in Illinois, would be a perfect setting for these discussions and deliberations and decisions.

As to the ads in the ballfields --- same solution different problem. The parks people should make park decisions. And all the citizens should be part of the public park process. An open entity, operating with the sunshine laws, devote to the green, healthy, web of life elements is so important to our mission as a region.

We need a Pittsburgh Park District. As a state senator, I'd insure its arrival. Then all these matters can flow into that body for us to discuss and act upon.

Race field narrows

Diven gets GOP nod - PittsburghLIVE.com Mark Rauterkus, of the South Side, is running as a Libertarian.

Dave Brown, thanks for listing us all.

Diven gets GOP nod for state Senate seat: "Diven, the hand-picked candidate of the GOP leadership in Harrisburg, ..."