PIAA District 8 - draft handbook

A number of volunteers have reviewed and edited a new handbook put forth by the Pittsburgh Public Schools for its coaches. A PDF version, unofficial, 36-page copy has been posted at http://Dorm.CLOH.Org/hot/AthleticHandbook(Sept04)R.pdf.

The Pgh Public School District serves the City of Pittsburgh and is much like an island only unto itself in terms of scholastic sports. The suburban schools have a different sporting landscape than what occurs in the city. In a sense, there is an "iron curtin" around the city in terms of many issues, including the way we play our most organized games among communities.

I think the handbook is a great first step in the process to benefit the students and overall community with PPS. However, the real solution rests with the merger of the city schools to the W.P.I.A.L. (The WPIAL is also known as PIAA District 7.)

My position paper on parks calls for the gradual elimination of the "city league" on a sport-by-sport basis with a gradual flow among various schools as well.

WPXI.com - Money - City Council President Wants Commuter Tax

WPXI.com - Money - City Council President Wants Commuter Tax: "Ricciardi will call on the mayor to immediately petition the common pleas court to impose a commuter tax.

Ricciardi said 25 years of lobbying the state for tax reform has not worked. He also called Murphy's proposed 40 percent hike in property taxes for 2005 unfair."

Gene Ricciardi, City Council President, should be pushing anyone and everyone to make a removal of Tom Murphy from the Mayor's office. Gene, push to impeach Tom -- now. The key to that process is with city council.

Otherwise, put in public and private calls to John Kerry. Demand that Kerry announce, upon his election, that Kerry would appoint Murphy as an ambassador to Ireland, or New Zealand, or Greece, etc. If Kerry pledged to get Murphy out of town, he'd get a ton of votes from western PA's swing voters.

Tom Murphy's been playing chicken with those in the state house and state senate for a few years now. He put our children into the front seat -- and it still hurts. Next he'll be putting the homeowners into a mission impossible ramble to misery. Murphy can't move the agenda to a "commuter tax" because he can't move any agenda. He must burden those who are stuck here who have yet to be drained in full. Murphy can't even stick it to seniors -- as you can't get blood from a rock.

Pittsburgh is in a hopeless place with this mayor. And, the hopelessness increases as the leadership of city council is so lame.

Wyoming

Give us a home, where the buffalo roam. The city kids did well in the west. We loved the visit to the Diamond Cross Ranch.

China's guys and gals

Interesting article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5953508&&CM=EmailThis&CE=1

An American demographer, who has been closely following China's population program and who spoke on condition of anonymity, lauded China's "coming to grips" with the problem.

"Still, they are in a deep dilemma -- emotional and policy dilemma -- because the solution to the problem will conflict with other parts of their population strategy to reduce birth rate or some of the measures could perhaps make the problem even worse," warned the demographer.

$5-million for Merry-go-round in parking spaces in Oakland

The merry-go-round in Schenley Plaza was given the green light in city council. A state grant of $5-million has come from the PA Governor. The $5-million can't be used for street paving, because it is being spent in the removal of valued parking spaces.

There was no public hearing on the park expansion. Yes, there was a post-agenda. I did rush to the meeting and got to speak. The process was trash. The process is a great example of what is wrong with Pittsburgh today and the outcome is going to be another elitist boondogle.

The grant for $5-million should have been applied to the formation of a new Pittsburgh Park District.

Who died so as to make the leader of the Pittsburgh Park Conservancy the queen of our town?

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy should be eliminated as it makes a serious a drag on the region. Its mission is with blinders by design. Its goals are of bricks and mortar, sadly.

Doug said, like a coward, "In the future I will look with great disfavor on projects such as these." Doug, there is no time like the present. You should have voted "NO" today. You should have acted like the leader you were hired to become.

The Heinz History center grant didn't take over public spaces, such as Phipps and the Carnegie Museum. Bill Peduto has it wrong.

The only councilmember to vote with courage to deny the elitist plan was Jim Motznik. Yeah Jim.

Grandview building heights

Background:

The uproar in Mt. Washington has been about the height of buildings. A zoning law has wiggled to city council that aims to cap the height of buildings along Grandview Ave, the senic roadway that sits atop of Mt. Washington and provides a splendid view of the rivers and downtown.

First of all, the folks in Mt. Washington have been energized on a number of different matters in the recent years. They had fights to save the school (Whittier), incline, library, ball-fields, rec center, swim pool, rehab of the long vacant South Hills High and still manage to program the DHCC -- a community center in the shell of a former grocery store. South Siders have some of that same spit, but, perhaps, Mt. Washington residents have been more on the cutting edge since the WE-HAV toils were nipping at their heels.

So, its been time to keep in the sadle and go again from Mt. Washington to city hall. Keep up the good work.

The clash comes with:
1) zoning laws,
2) the bulk of the people (desire a hight limit on buildings)and the grassroots want limits and are fighting "developers / speculators."
3) Meanwhile, elected leaders need to lead. And, if they can't sway the masses with their points of view, then it is time to "represent" the people's wishes.
When one is silent on the issue for 15 months, as was the city council member from that district, then it is hard to lead. And, pushing for a new amendment might soil the process.

However, Sala, "going all the way back to zero" is okay. That is a call to "think again." When a new law gets to the council, the law makers, it is fine to take it out at the knees if there are better possible outcomes. Sala is all to often quick to embrace lockstep decisions.

Bigger solutions

Pittsburgh is blessed with places all around the central ring where we should be building tall housing. The edge of the west end, near station square's west entry, at the north side of the west end bridge, near the east end of station square, at the bottom of the bluff east of the jail over from the 10th Street Bridge.

We can't turn Pittsburgh into Hong Kong -- but we could try for the higher residentail buildings at wasted corners that are now vacant or without much community merit. Point being: we need to fix the broken areas. We don't need to trample the thriving areas.

Furthermore, we need to use our political capital into allowing the marketplace to strive. I'd be quicker to think again on zoning and put all zoning laws into the trash and allow property rights to reside with the property owners.

Standards that are not standards is favortism. Our government needs heavy measures of justice and fairness -- not favorites and exceptions.

Doug: You don't need stability to move forward. To move forward you have to leave where you sit.
Your town, your neighborhood, your city. WRONG. What about your property?

However, the real bottom line comes with this awareness: The city's planning department is a complete failure. One of the first actions for the new mayor -- eliminate the planning department. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. However, when you follow poor plans, the results are sure to be poor.

Jerry Bowyer going to the 3 to 6 pm slot

Jerry Bowyer and "Uncle Douggie" (Hoerth) are switching time slots on WPTT, 1360 AM. Jerry Bowyer goes to 3-6.

Hoerth hates the morning, as he has said on the air. My radio won't play much of Uncle Dougie as his conversations are best suited for adults. I don't care to hear about the legs of TV newscasters, nor do I want my kids have that type of nonesense pushed into their airwaves.

Bowyer is a Pittsburgh media gem. He thinks. He gets great guests. He has knocked the system on multiple instances and with multiple campaigns. He is a worthy counter-weight to Lynn Cullen too.

All in all, I still really miss Chicago's radio talent. I'm a "Kev Head." I'd really like to hear daily sports reports from Jim Shorts. Listen yourself: http://www.kevhead.com/archives.asp

Open Debates Await

Let the George W. Bush and John Kerry campaigns know that the American people want real, democratic and engaging presidential debates hosted by the Citizens' Debate Commission, with all the candidates.

Both Kerry and Bush are campaigning to be your public servants, and you should not hesitate to remind them of your wishes, this week.

Kerry campaign: 202-712-3000

Bush campaign: 703-647-2700

The major party campaigns have assembled their high-profile debate negotiating teams, and they will soon begin debate negotiations.

Letters to the editor seeking open debates have been published in dozens of newspapers: Buffalo News, Baltimore Sun, Deseret Morning News, Tulsa World, Bellingham Herald, etc.

The Open Debates' Executive Director, George Farah, appears on ABC World News Now tonight (sometime between 1am and 3am EST, for those of you still awake), and on ABC News Now Thursday morning at 6am EST.

In Pittsburgh, we will have a voter education event on October 21, 2004. Save the date. Details to follow. All candidates on the ballot are being invited and strongly encouraged to attend or to send a spokesperson.

Holding Press Meetings

It's been a month now since John Kerry last talked to the news media. At that time he took eight questions. A week earlier, on Aug. 2, he held a news conference at which he took two questions. None of the ten questions had anything to do with his service in Vietnam.

Do not look for Kerry to hold a press conference any time soon.

Kerry's reluctance, though understandable, is beginning to draw complains from members -- at least conservative members -- of the news media, which is also understandable.

Chuck Muth, campaigndoctor.com, wrote and explained, (perhaps the only time he'll be on Kerry's side):

The purpose of a political campaign is to win an election; it is not to kowtow to the wishes of the press. That being the case there is only one reason for a candidate to hold a press conference, that being to help him win the election. If a press conference doesn't meet that criterion don't hold it.

Clearly then, as far as Kerry is concerned, holding a press conference today is not in his best interests. There are reporters, usually liberals, who will demand them, whining about their right to know. There is, however, no such right. You won't find it anywhere in the constitution.

Reporters, of course, have a right to ask questions. They have no right to an answer. The right of free speech also includes the right to be silent.

The fact that Kerry is not holding press conferences in itself speaks volumes. It tells reporters and, through them, the people, that there are questions he does not want to answer or for which he has no answers.

There probably are three lines of possible questioning which are making him nervous. One, the charges concerning the validity of his combat medals; two, the validity of his post-service testimony before a senate committee, and three, his penchant for taking stands on both sides of issues.

Until he can devise satisfactory answers to questions in these areas it is not likely he will be holding full-fledged press conferences.

Tom Murphy does NOT hold many press events. He dodges issues all too frequently as well. We need the press to act as "watchdogs." We need open, direct and honest leadership. I crave both in our community landscapes.

Pitt's International Week, Sept. 18-24, 2004

Requested to lead badminton activities on Sept. 20 from noon to 2 pm for International Week were nixed today. Permission wasn't secured as there is some eight week lead time to get a "permit" to use the lawn at Pitt's Cathedral or Student Union. My, they are worried about protests. Plus, a 'student group' was also needed as a co-sponsor. Pitt web site with more insights on International Week.

They're hosting a Soccer Tournament too, on the Cathedral lawn. Nice use of space.

Pitt's glossy magazine is expected to do a story on our trip to China. We're providing some photos and Catherine gave an interview.

Perhaps we'll get to do it next year, as the coordinator of the event was very excited. But, red tape prevails.

Yard Sign with recycled electrons

Rich Lord's new book

Rich Lord's book, American Nightmare
Predatory Lending and the Foreclosure of the American Dream

Wyoming

Elevation 8262.

Save our * (city, summer, steps, schools, stadium, ...)

The Pittsblog asks about the Iron City message, "Save Our City." I wrote, with typos over there and reposted:

On one level, I smile at the "Save Our City" campaign. At its most basic sense it is a call to "care." The Iron City Corporation trumpets a tune that gives a wake up to action in a civic sense. The message is less, "buy our beer" and more "we live here too." I think of the saving as a lifeguard who shows up at the swim pool guard chair and cares to insure that everyone is safe, alive, and healthy at the end of the day.

Too many corporations are worried too much about its own next customer, marketing its specific product. Meanwhile the marketplace is in a serious decline. The city is half of what it was. Those that are NOT here would have made for a larger, core customer base -- drinking a lot of beer.

Q: save if from what? My A: "rust, decline and apathy."

Tip: better to leave a message over on the Pittsblog and not here. And, Iron folks, it's better to bring a beer truck and not a case a beer to our family reunion next month -- along with a case of t-shirts.

Schools + County + City = hope = Formation of a new Pittsburgh Park District

The new plan that hit tonights TV news calls for our County Executive to form a charity to help to develop the parks. That approach isn't a ticket to success. Parks and kids shouldn't be with non-profit oversight.

Meet Up, 7 pm third Wednesdays - Beehive

Come to the Beehive on the South Side, now with a no-smoking room, breathing deeply, at 7 pm on Wed. Sept. 15. Ken is the new leader of the Pittsburgh's Weblogger group. Let's make some waves!

Community Technology Center Site Coordinator

Wireless Job for Peabody: JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Title: Community Technology Center Site Coordinator
Salary Range: $28,000-$32,000 plus benefits package
Position Start Date: Fall 2004

Looking to trade links

Other networks and pointers are welcomed, as I'd love to get links for my blog elsewhere. You can link to your blogs, as well as other pages at my link center. Leads, please email me.

Homespun Bloggers Best Of Submission Tips

mudphud11-at-yahoo-dot-com

Remove the "X" parts and put in the correct HTML code, either quotes or the close the /A.

Join us on a hill walk on October 17, 2004

The South Side Slopes is full of interesting steps that snake through the urban neighborhoods. This non-competitive hike inclues a bit of history, entertainment and down-home-up-the-hill friends of all shapes and sizes. A two-for-$15 special goes to October 4.

Outreach

The time to network and extend in various fronts with others so as to build better solutions is here. Within the comments is a slice of some of these efforts.