Google Partners with Oxford, Harvard & Others to Digitize Libraries

Google Partners with Oxford, Harvard & Others to Digitize Libraries: "Placing full text book material is not a new idea on the web. Many services, both free and fee-based, allow you to access books online. The longest running such service is Project Gutenberg, founded by Michael Hart in 1971, with over 13,000 books available."

Judge nominees to face grilling from 'jury'

Nominees to face grilling from 'jury' - PittsburghLIVE.com: "Candidates running for judge next year in Pennsylvania can expect to be grilled like never before about their positions on hot-button issues such as abortion and gun control.

When the U.S. Supreme Court in 2002 struck down a Minnesota rule barring judicial candidates from expressing their opinions on issues, it created a new playing field for judicial candidates in 39 states in which judges are elected.

'It's a different ballgame now. You can no longer hide behind the ethical requirements that judges and judicial candidates not comment,..

This "deliberative democracy style" is now the rage in certain circles. It has plenty of merit in terms of making better choices. These new wrinkles will be interesting to watch and promote in the months to come.

Got ink in today's newspaper. When it rains, it washes out the poor.

See the article on this weeks public campaign reform hearing in PittsburghLIVE.com

Mark Rauterkus, of the South Side, who initiated the petition drive, said Peduto's bill favors the wealthy because it places no restrictions on the amount of money candidates may spend on their own campaigns.

Rauterkus said he is considering a run for the state Senate seat vacated by Jack Wagner, who was elected state auditor general in November. Rauterkus also is considering another run for Pittsburgh mayor. He lost a bid to James Carmine to be the Republican nominee in the 2001 spring primary.

'If this is approved, we'll have a situation in which a rich person can spend all they want, but somebody who might make a great leader and doesn't have a lot of money won't be able to accept the large contributions they need from the people who back them,' Rauterkus said.

Peduto said the U.S. Supreme Court already has ruled that there is no limit on how much individuals can spend on their own campaigns. Peduto believes his measure would ensure that so-called front-runners won't have a significant edge because they are able to attract large contributions.

I have no problem with the rich being able to self-finance campaigns for public office. However, I do have a problem when they begin to exclude the poor from the process.

Your comments are welcomed.

To speak at the hearing, either for or against, or to just appear on the record for, against or undecided, call the city clerk's office: 412-255-2138.

More to come.

Walt walks to Cardinal

Let me join in the chorus and wish him the very best in in his position at Stanford.

Hope Walt coaches, or gets to coach, the January 1 game.

Hail To Pitt!

Pitt Rocks!

Feedburner button that updates itself.

Code can be posted on your web pages and stay up with the changing content of this blog.

more jobs

Here is a great job for a human rights peace activist. The pay range is $35,000 – 45,000, but you would have to move to Harrisburg. Please pass it on.

The PA Progressive Majority is now interviewing for an outreach/political director. This is a newly created position that will be based in Harrisburg but requires extensive in-state travel. I have attached a job description for your information and ask that you please forward this to anyone you feel may be interested. Thank you for your assistance.

Kathy McEntee, State Director, PA Progressive Majority, 717-238-4775
More in the comments.

Superintendent's fate official. Perhaps he'll consider a Running Mates position?

Superintendent's fate official - PittsburghLIVE.com: "
'Dr. Thompson's extremely disappointed in the board's decision and even more disappointed in the way all this has been handled,' said the superintendent's attorney"

MeetUp -- Christmas party -- post this around as you can, please.

Hint: Click the logo / button!

Gathering at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites on Pittsburgh's South Side, 20 South Tenth Street, 412-488-1130.

Bring your wireless PCs. Bring a couple bucks. Bring some favorite beverages too. Coffee and juice is provided. Swimming is right next door at the Oliver Bath House, family swim from 7:30 to 9 pm.

We'll hang there to about 10:30 pm. Want to help, feel free to call or email me.

Come with checkbooks open: 10 am on Thursday, Dec. 16, public hearing in city council chambers

The city clerk just called to inform me that the Citizens of Pittsburgh have called City Council to hold a public hearing on bill 2004-0900 about Campaign Finance Reform for the city races of mayor, controller and city council to be held at 10 am on Thursday, December 16 in City Council Chambers.

Watch for an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review on Saturday.

I went to speak to Pittsburgh Business Times today and did speak again withe the editor of the New Pittsburgh Courier.

The public hearing has been rushed ahead. That's fine with me. I think they need 10 day's notice. This is six. Oh well. Wonder if TV coverage will be nixed too. I expect so.

If you want to speak, --- do so NOW. We need to coordinate efforts. That's about effectiveness and efficient discussions.

The list of problems with this bill are long. But, I hope we'll be able to fix them.

I saw some firefighters today too. They'll talk about the bill at their union meeting soon.

Questions: 412-298-3432. = my cell phone.

Doyle's e-newsletter

Reading the newsletter from the congressman, great effort by the way, has many interesting connections to the mayor, rather than the president. Bad budgeting. Bad will with closed and quick decisions. (see comments)

Board for University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Nicholas Beckwith III, News Bureau: There are 63 directors on the board, which is comprised of representatives from the University of Pittsburgh, member hospitals and other community civic and business leaders.

Are you on the board too? Or, have you been?
I frown upon authorities. Appointed authority directors serve on the boards and get to pull powerful strings in the public sector. They are not held accountable to voters in elections. PAT, Stadium Authority, Parking Authority, Water & Sewer, Leasing Authority and so on.

Worse than a frown, like frown squared, goes out to UPMC. Those board members are not even identified. Faceless.

We need to open our ways, big time.

Spirit of America - How baseball helped children and saved lives in Afghanistan

I generally stay to local issues on this blog. But, here goes a sports and international story about volunteerism, coaching and kids. Nice read. Spirit of America

Meanwhile at home, our kids now without the coordinators who had been part of the BIG League office. They were layedoff, some in past years, two more this month. Pittsburgh's volunteers are needed to fill roles of coordinators and coaches. And, our kids need some attention too.

Peace. It's hard work and brings a lot of fun to everyone.

Show Me The Way

Confessions Of A Political Junkie: Show Me The Way All campaigns are exercises in investments. The greater the risk, the greater the reward – if successful. The greater the risk, the greater the disaster – if unsuccessful. Likewise with little risk there is little reward or disaster. Unfortunately, too many campaigns have no idea where they are positioned to know if they should take a big risk or a little risk and, if so, in which direction that risk should be targeted to get to victory.

Humm.... This fellow has a lot of good advice on his blog.

I have a good understanding of where I'm at on the map. I'm aware of the travels yet to come. I'm not adverse to taking risks. I can go out on a limb. Being a risk taker, and being calculated, is one of the only themes found in the study of successful people.

The risk element, however, plays greatly to my friends and neighbors in the city's Republican party. To do nothing in one slot on the total ballot (i.e., Mayor's race), can be the safe and prudent option. Efforts to run a candidate for mayor can backfire. The best option, still with a great, great upside, is to support these efforts, here.

Meanwhile, running for other seats is with more purpose and devotion.

KQVs AM show has some nice interviews

My AM Radio dail has been set to KQV, and I've been impressed in the past weeks. They are doing a nice job with extended interviews.

Joan from Penn Future was on to speak of the pie in the sky building of the Mon Valley Toll Road. She hit all the big points well.

Seems Paul O'n, formerly of Alcoa and Bush cabnet, is now an ex- with UPMC's board. That board is H - U - G - E. Not sure why he'd pull off there. Humm.

The KQV editorial on the city's finances made it to the air too, it seems, after three others were yanked due to changes in the conditions in the landscape. Too many cooks can spoil the broth was a theme. Beyond a recap, the only other solid statement, "Sometimes even a blind pig can find an acorn."

Finally, like the radio ads of Trizilla, a sports and fitness store run by another former Fox Chapel swim coach. I'll need to look to see if he has an affiliate program and does web banner ads. Or, just need to plug Dicks some more.

Perhaps you'd better be older than 42 to represent the 42nd?

Senate seat draws interest - PittsburghLIVE.com: "The 42nd Senatorial District includes city neighborhoods in the south and west portions of Pittsburgh, plus Baldwin, Kennedy, Neville, Robinson, Scott and Stowe townships; and Bellevue, Brentwood, Carnegie, Castle Shannon, Coraopolis, Crafton, Dormont, Green Tree, Heidelberg, Ingram, McKees Rocks, Pennsbury Village, Rosslyn Farms and Thornburg boroughs. "

Row Office Reform tidbits

One idea: Make the recorder of deeds a function of a new office on assessments. That County Assessor could and perhaps should be an elected official. Property assessments have been such a tooth ache around here. Putting it as a political office, with accountability to the voters might be a viable solution. So, that is an increase in Row Offices.

The Prothonatary, Clerk of the Courts, and Register of Wills, (that's three current row offices) should be servants to the courts, not the County Executive. The PA Governor does not appoint the positions for similar state positions. Rather, the court officials do.

Perhaps a court challenge will come in the weeks and months in the future from, none other than the court leadership. The judges are not going to like the fact that the leaders of those possitions are assigned by the county executive.

Now looking for signatures to call a public hearing

A petition is being circulated that calls for a public hearing before city council on the matter of the campiagn finance reform bill just introduced yesterday. We have until Friday to get the necessary signatures from voters in the city.

Furthermore, we'll need to huddle a bit to organize the points for and against the bill.

I'll try to get golden master copies of the petition online soon (by midnight at the latest) so you can print, sign and forward back to me or directly to the city clerk's office.

The bill itself has been put into a PDF and linked to from another blog entry here. Reactions welcomed in comments here too.

Jobs: Web Marketing Manager - for Gr. Pgh Convention & Visitors

Idealist.org: Web Marketing Manager

See comments for other interesting job postings this week including:

1. Bloomfield Garfield Corporation for a YouthLinks position.

2. East End Neighborhood Employment Center for Executive Director.

3. Stonewall Dems for DC political director.

Christmas strings concerts

My boys are playing their violins with the Pittsburgh Music Acadmey at PPG Wintergarden at 5: pm on Saturday, Dec. 11.

Plus, you can catch them at 2 pm on December 19 at the Carnegie Free Library in Carnegie.

Ho, ho, ho. Tickets are $0.

I'm not sure when the school concert is, exactly. Their holiday play was scratched as the teacher had a bad fall and messed her ankle. Get well soon! My older boy had a speaking part, 4-lines, and was to play the Mayor.

Row office reform

I talked with Wayne Fontana of County Council on the phone. He worked a lot on the row-office reform measures and process. It seems the idea of 10-ballot questions, one for each elected office, was talked about. Wayne, perhaps being nice to me, said he like that idea and pushed for it himself.

By the way, Wayne and I are both expected to be on the campaign trails seeking the PA Senate seat in the 42nd District. Disclosure ends.

But, the Republicans didn't like the 10-votes idea. Nor did the Dems. Wayne didn't have a lot of support.

The fear was that the public would be so mad that they'd transition all 10 from elected office status.

How about this as a wrinkle for the veto's counter measure. The election is May 2005. Any given office transitions from elected to appointed could occur January 1, 2006. But, if the case of more than five (50%) transitions are voted upon, the remaining ones (6, 7, 8, 9, 10?) are to terminate Jan 1, 2007.

The offices that are mandated with a higher percentage of voters for closing close first. The offices that are less strongly in favor of an appointed leader transfer in 2007, if that is the will of the appointed leader of that office. Sooner would be permitted.