Fumbled Forever: Two named to city police review board - Finally!

Mayor Murphy and City Council -- both -- have been in fumble mode, seemingly forever, when dealing with the citizens police review board. The board was approved by the voters. However, it has never been able to operate as it should. One member has not been to meetings in more than a year. He's on a continual boycott -- just to play the role of a laggard. Other appointments have not be forthcoming in earnest from those who have a duty to appoint.

2 named to city police review board Mayor Tom Murphy has nominated Deborah Walker of Allentown and Mary Jo Guercio of Lincoln Place to four-year terms on the city's Citizen Police Review Board.

If the two are approved by City Council, the board will be at its full seven-member strength for the first time since 2002, said board Executive Director Elizabeth Pittinger.

There is some question as to the scope and power of the citizens police review board. However, there is no question as to the way it was starved for years on end by both city council and the mayor.

We need to get the board to operate in a regular and normal way for a few years and then make another evaluation of that process.

Mayor Murphy is moving out of city hall. When it comes to some matters he'll leave the office dry. In other matters, he'll get the suds building before he bolts. Mayor Murphy is going to try to stick it to those that follow him. And, this is one way to make that occur -- finally load up on the citizens police review board. Only a slime ball politician would put in people now -- at the end of his term.

The article should have had statements from O'Connor and others in the November Mayor's race. They should have been interviewed for the story -- and should have had an opportunity to interview the appointments.

Those who are now seated on the review board should be standing up to say that they will offer their resignations to the next mayor in the first days of the next term. Perhaps the next mayor would not accept the resignations. Time will tell. These appointments may or may not stick. But what needs to happen, above all else, is a new leaf with a functional citizens police review board.

Neighbors at odds over rules in city park. I've been at odds with the park's master plans for years.

Here is another great reason why we need to have a new, Pittsburgh Park District. The problems in the parks can be settled by those most interested in the parks. The coaches, neighbors, professionals and volunteers need places to go to work out their concerns.

Neighbors at odds over rules in city park: "Neighbors at odds over rules in city park
Westinghouse Park signs add to confusion over what is permitted

Monday, July 25, 2005
By Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Playing football is not allowed in Westinghouse Park, but you'd never know that from the posted signs. They read, in part: 'Permit is required for sporting activities and organized sports.' That would imply you can get such a permit.

My knee jerk reactions are as follows:

The park can't be trashed. The kids, parents, coaches and organizers of the sports teams need to leave the fields and areas in conditions that are better than then they arrived. The teams need to not only clean up after themselves, but they need to help sustain the park setting in other ways. This upkeep needs to happen every hour, if not ever minute.

I'm going to assume that the park gets trashed. When an event and practice happens, trash is bound to pile and gather. Work needs to occur.

The city could provide some large cans. Perhaps the city could provide a dumpster if necessary. But, the city does not need to have a litter crew hit the park every day. That should be the role and responsibilities of those that use the park.

Enforcement is a seldom used concept in the city behavior efforts.

But most of all, I want to use the parks for programming. I want to see the kids in the parks with coaching, supervision, conditioning, practices, workouts, drills, and play. I want teaching, learning, striving and teamwork to be a bigger part of the lives of our kids, coaches, volunteers and communities.

If the kids need a place to practice -- let them practice in the park.

Finally, the park's master plan for ball fields is a joke. The process was lame. The outcome documents are little more than a way to pay off some consultants. There is little, if nothing, good that I can talk about to support the overall planning for our park's usage and understandings.

We need a Pittsburgh Park District.

We also need a city council representative to work in the parks and offer a dedicated vision of engagement.

City has agreement with nonprofits on contributions -- Right On -- In Our Dreams!

This is a great example of Tom Murphy management and spin. The city has built a budget based upon $6-million from non-profits. These non-profits don't pay taxes as they are tax exempt.

The first trick is to get blood from a rock.

The second trick is to measure how much or how little blood can be sucked from the non-profits. They article says that the crisis is over. But, the amount is unknown. We can all sleep easily now.

City has agreement with nonprofits on contributions The contract, currently under final review by the city solicitor, does not include a dollar amount that the nonprofit institutions would contribute.

This isn't news. Rather it is fabrication of fiction.

Commonwealth Foundation : Research Library

Commonwealth Foundation : Research Library: ... Job creation, personal income and population growth continue to stagnate in Pennsylvania relative to the rest of the nation, the legislative “bonus checks” and pay hikes for governors and judges lack merit in the minds of most taxpaying citizens.

I'm for getting a new governor. Rendell has worn out his welcome. Some of the reasons why we need a new top politician in Pennsylvania are woven into that article.

Dense Comcast phone operator (S)

This conversation is being recorded for customer accuracy. Today was the day that a Comcast service guy was to set up two new phone lines. But, he only had orders to do one. His information on the unreadable computer printout was wrong information. I ordered two new lines, not one.

I want two lines, like ordered, or none. I don't want one. Most of all, I don't want TWO service charges.

Time will tell if a service manager at the call center calls me back.

The service guy who came into the house was nice, kind and understanding. He said that the second line could be activated from afar without a need to come back into the house.

I'll be paying $39.82 a month for the service. I don't want to pay two fees to turn on the service.

Possibility Thinking

A freind sent me this email, quoted below, that hits upon a theme of faith, change and timing. It strikes me as our family just returned from a week in Virginia (Va Tech) with an annual church camp. It is easy to call this a week of study and community.

Exercising Faith by Dr. Robert Schuller

The core of Possibility Thinking is the mental activity we call "positive assuming." Even though the idea may have been unsuccessfully tried before, you should do the following:

• Assume that the times may have changed.

• Assume that nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come.

• Assume that there are solutions to the problems that have defeated the dream before.

• Assume that there are solutions to the money problems.

• Assume that costs can be cut, revenue can be increased, or the project can be refinanced over a longer period of time.

• Assume that smarter people can be either hired or invited as partners to make this challenging idea possible.

• Assume that obstructionists can be bypassed, isolated, or invited to join as partners in prosperity in a new joint venture.

• Assume that instead of a collision you could form a coalition!

Now you're exercising what religious people call faith. Faith is sometimes spelled A-S-S-U-M-E.

I've got faith that views are changing, and changes are for the better in some ways.

Case in point: My city council represenative, Gene Ricciardi, ran into my wife at the local Giant Eagle the other week. They had a nice chat and he was good to point out to her how, "Mark was right all along" when speaking about "programming" within the Citiparks programming. Gene mentioned he has seen the light, now, that the big issue is "programming" and that the kids need things to do to challenge them in meaningful ways.

Yeah! My wife couldn't do much but nod and wonder what is being done on these themes NOW?

Case in point 2: See the Lynn Cullen talk show interview posting (above) about the Land-Value Taxation conversation.

China punctuates diving dominance at worlds

I too have seen a slice of the diving program in China.

SI.com - More Sports - China punctuates diving dominance at worlds - Sunday July 24, 2005 9:30PM Taylor has visited China and seen the country's diving programs.

'They've got a great system,' he said. 'They have everything you could possibly want -- good funding and good support.'

Sure, they do have a great program. Sure, there is plenty of motivation. Excellent coaching is present. However, to say they have everything you could possibly want -- might be a bit of a stretch. However, they can stretch to the water -- at all ages and in all the corners of the vast country. The divers in China are the tops in the world. They'll stay that way for some years into the future.

I'm an uncle -- again. Welcome to the world Joey Leo

Today we got to visit with my littlest sister, her husband and their newest baby. He is so sweet. All is well. Baby time is great.

Operation Clean Sweep: Pennsylvania

While at church today, a woman asked me about "operation clean sweep." Here is a pointer:

Party switching, as part of the strategy:Operation Clean Sweep: Pennsylvania: "Whenever it's time to reapportion legislative districts, incumbents always find a way to do it in a fashion that further secures their own political futures. It's time to use that against them by casting off your party label. In 2006, it's not Republicans vs. Democrats; it's the Incumbent Party vs. the Citizens Party.

Sounds great to me. Presently there are only two candidates on the line-up.

---

Candidate Declaration

I, the undersigned, hereby declare my commitment, upon election to the Pennsylvania General Assembly by the citizens of my legislative district, to sponsor and/or vote to enact legislation to specifically meet the following goals:

1. the repeal of House Bill 1521, effectively returning compensation for members of Pennsylvania's legislative, executive and judicial branches to pre-HB 1521 levels;

2. establishing a policy whereby all future compensation changes for Pennsylvania's legislative, executive and judicial branches shall be subject to voter approval by referendum; and

3. establishing a policy whereby no legislation in the General Assembly shall be considered for final passage until the citizens of the Commonwealth have been given no less than ten business days to review such legislation and provide comment to their respective legislators.

I also declare that while my party affiliation and/or personal ideology may differ from others who have signed or will sign this declaration, those differences are far less important than the primary need to reform the Pennsylvania General Assembly into a body which is more responsive and accountable to the citizens of the Commonwealth.

I agree to meet all requirements set forth by the Commonwealth in order to qualify to appear on the ballot for the office listed below in the 2006 election year.

Finally, I declare that, upon taking the oath of office, the pursuit of the above stated goals shall take priority over all other legislative issues.

Candidate Name:______________________________________________________________

Office Sought:_____________________________ District#:________ Party:______________

Residential Address:____________________________________________________________

Phone:_______________________________ Email:__________________________________

Signature:____________________________________________________________________

Sworn (or affirmed) and subscribed before me this ______ day of __________, 20_____.

__________________________________________
(Signature of Person Administering Oath)


My Commision Expires: ______________________
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Heisman hype a year early for Palko - Butkus to Montour - Steelers' camp

Are you ready for some football?

The seasons are just starting to take shape. I'm very interested in the rookie season for Pitt's new coach. Furthermore, I'm interested in the arrival and ongoing coaching of #51 at Montour. Both should be fun. Prisuta: Heisman hype a year early for Palko - PittsburghLIVE.com: "Palko was included along with 11 other preseason Heisman hopefuls for 2005.
As for the Bassmaster Classic -- I'm going to keep an open mind, of course. It looks like it might be fun for us to check out the South Side boat launch one day, bike to Point State Park another day, and hit both the weigh-in and the expo too. The other event that looked interesting was the movie night of some sort at PNC Park. What's up with that?
The PG on Monday (less than 12 hours from now) is to have a "preview edition." Pointers are welcomed.

Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool

Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool Coverage provided by NBC Sports. Saturday August 6, 2005, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. ET Sunday August 7 1:00 - 2:30 ET
Check local listings for the time in your area.

Aug 6 and 7th -- community festival in Point Breeze with wellness

Untitled Document 2nd Annual Black Family Reunion
A Community Festival
A Pledge for Peace Through Safe Passages To Health and Wellness
August 6th and 7th
Mellon Park, Point Breeze
(Corner of Fifth and Penn Avenues)

ABOUT THE REUNION
Concept Summary
Continuing in its tradition of providing socially relevant and need-based services to disadvantaged communities, CEA anticipates its upcoming 2nd Annual Black Family Reunion to positively impact those who attend. The community festival is projected to attract several hundred individuals and their families looking to spend quality time learning about themselves and having summertime fun. The premise for this year’s theme “Safe Passages to Health and Wellness,” is based on the concept of empowerment that CEA has advantageously developed over time.

CEA is strongly committed to family and community empowerment to achieve healthy lifestyles. People who are empowered are able to define standards of health and wellness for their own community based on cultural traditions that promote positive outcomes.

MyRaceDay dot com

Click and view a Pittsburgh Triathlon race photo of me upon the exit of the swim at the following address: http://www.MyRaceDay.com/share/626/859666/

My bib number was 168.

Slots locations

Pgh City Paper:

Slotting in Slots Locale Remains Local

Writer: CHARLIE DEITCH

"We're victims of his addiction," says anti-gambling activist Bruce Barron of state Rep. Mike Veon's latest effort to ensure Harrisburg has the last word on where the state's slots casino will go. "I can't believe he calls cramming a casino down an unwilling neighborhood's throat an overwhelming need," says Barron, president of No Dice, a local group that opposes the expansion of gambling in Pennsylvania.

Although no decision has been made on where Pittsburgh's gaming facility will land, Democrat Whip Veon (D-Beaver Falls) wants to make sure the state Gaming Control Board has control, despite the state Supreme Court's recent ruling that local municipalities can make the final zoning decisions. Veon did not return multiple calls. On July 10, he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that this was “one of the rare times that the state should override local zoning."

Contends No Dice's Barron: "An amusement park would bring in a lot more revenue than rows of slot machines and the state would never step in and overrule local zoning to place one of those Downtown." Veon, he adds, "is clearly addicted to government sources of new revenue, because there's no justification for taking a business like this and putting the decision for where it should go in the hands of the state. It makes absolutely no sense from a public policy perspective."

The move has been widely denounced. A recent City Paper story (main feature, "Letting Chips Fall," July 6) highlighted how free-for-all slots placement has turned West Virginia into an even less desirable place to go.

Site-selection battles are being fought all across the state, from Bethlehem to Gettysburg, Barron notes. It's unsettling to think the final decision is not going to be made by local officials about placing a slots casino on the North Shore, for instance, or in Station Square or the Hill District.

"If Mike Veon gets his way, this very important decision is going to be in the hands of an organization whose main interest is to maximize casino revenue," Barron says. "The people driving this thing don't care what happens to your neighborhood as long as they get their profits. The only thing worthwhile Harrisburg can do for us now is to cancel this whole business before we live to regret it."

It's not only gambling opponents who have a problem with the lack of local control. Robin Rosemary Miller, executive director of the North Side Chamber of Commerce, says parking czar Merrill Stabile, who is trying for a license for a potential North Shore casino, seems very open to working with the community and developing a program to give back to the neighborhood. But she still withholds judgment.

"No one better understands the impact something like this will have on a neighborhood than the people who actually live in the community," Miller says. "Someone from Harrisburg isn't going to know what's best for this neighborhood. That final decision should remain here."

New cleanup commission is just more smoke and mirrors. Getting to the roots is a dream mission.

A new creation - PittsburghLIVE.com Murphy to announce cleanup commission

Mayor Tom Murphy plans to announce the creation of the Clean Pittsburgh Commission at a news conference Monday morning.

The city-controlled commission would work with the Pennsylvania Resources Council, a nonprofit, volunteer-driven environmental protection group, to find low-cost ways to clean up streets and sidewalks.

Pittsburgh City Councilman Doug Shields, of Squirrel Hill, said the new commission would require $10,000 to $20,000 of the city's recycling and street beautification money to match local and state anti-litter and recycling grants. Shields said the commission would consolidate cleanup efforts from several city departments and various environmental groups to make Pittsburgh more attractive to environmental protection grant providers.

Another great, progressive idea surfaces from Mayor Murphy -- only 12 years late.

What has become of the shade tree commission? Perhaps that group could have its scope slightly expanded. Or, perhaps that group should be put to rest and folded into the new commission.

Getting intra-city cooperation is a huge problem. The departments don't often communicate in effective ways, if at all. One of the worst ways to make this occur is to form a new entity where the cooperation needs to reside. It is like passing the buck. Here comes another excuse to not talk now. Cooperation among the departments needs to occur on an hour-by-hour basis.

The stated motivator -- to make Pittsburgh more attractive to the grant providers. That's spin. That's perception. That's handout envy.

One does not need to "consolidate" cleanup efforts. Rather, I'd want to see a spark for energizing all cleanup efforts among all departments.

In the past months, I ranted about this from another position. As the city budget was being put into place, many noted with disgust that the city would not have ANY money in a capital budget. The city's captial budget is ZERO. That's bad. But what's worse is what happens next.

When you don't have any money to get new things -- you have to spend all your energy and time to take care of what old things you've got now. Care matters most. Cleanup is right in that theme. It costs little or nothing to pick-up what is around and on the roads. And, the bill for the litter clean-up can be paid by those who do litter if enforcement is put on notice.

We have many existing environmental protection measures and laws that are already on the books. In the South Side you can't have an open dumpster for example. The lids need to be closed. You can't walk with an open beer container on the streets. The drinking needs to be done in the drinking establishments, not on the sidewalks or in front of the homes.

Enforcement is nill.

Everyone needs to be more aware of what's to happen. What happens when things get soiled. And, how to prevent that from ongoing acts.

We don't need a new commission on clean-up. We need all throughout the city staff to have a new mission and dedication to cleanup.

China bows to pressure, cuts yuan's ties to dollar

Here is another bad example of bad advice and bad pressure from the Bush Administration. Wrongheaded.

China bows to pressure, cuts yuan's ties to dollar China bows to pressure, cuts yuan's ties to dollar
Friday, July 22, 2005
By Jim McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

China yesterday announced it will no longer peg its currency to the U.S. dollar, a long-awaited change sought by the Bush administration, the nation's manufacturers and much of the industrialized world.

The motivation for the Bush Administration to force the cut gives the Bush Administration and others in DC more power and extra leverage to mess with, jack around about, manipulate, de-value, inflate, twist, and generally screw up the relationship of our currency situations.

These governmental, power-hungry, agenda driven, short-sighted political hacks can soil and broker relationships now.

In the past, as the dollar went, as did the currency of China. American's couldn't zig without a matching move from the Beijing money markets too.

I like it when forces of nature and the force of the marketplace are stable, untouchable, and established. As the world gets to understand and respect the greater forces at work in our global landscape -- forces that can't be put currency into a toilet or elevated -- by wire-pullers -- then we allow ourselves and others to stand or slump on our own merits.

If you need to prop up some favorite friends (donors, lobby-interests) then you need to have a bigger tool-box to play games with economic interests. That's bad for the little guys, IMNSHO.

However, China's leadership is smart enough. China earned some good graces with the Bush Administration by allowing for the 'float.' But, this float is thin -- as it should be.

The basket of foreign currencies is now being used by China instead of just the US Dollar. The position of the US influence just took a massive step back into the middle of the pack.

America should be the place where others try to hitch to. American should be the shooting star of properity. America should encourage others to tie their energy upon our momentum.

The way to ease the huge US trade feficits is to make better stuff. We need to be the place for the best and greatest. We need to be about the most modern, effective and efficient systems and outcomes.

The move allows American laggard survival and lessens the level of the quality of life for the American family.

Austin coverage of Catherine (my sweetheart) Musicians should protect ears

My wife, Catherine V. Palmer, is in the news today.

News 8 Austin | 24 Hour Local News | Health Beat | Musicians should protect ears Musicians want to hear their music, but they don't want the very same music they create to gradually deafen them over time.

These state reps and state senators love to gamble.

Potter has a good idea. I'd spin it slightly to a different level. How about this idea. If the state legislature does not submit and enact a budget by the deadline, then all the members of the house and senate work without pay for the year. The deadline should have accountability in the formula. As a reminder, for the past four years, the budget has been delivered after the deadline.

Pittsburgh City Paper article on the state pay raises:

7/21/2005Wage-ing War -- You get what you pay for … and that’s the problem

Writer: CHRIS POTTER

If you ask me, the biggest problem with our state legislature isn’t that these guys make too much money. It’s that they work too hard for it.

That’s not a popular sentiment nowadays: Thanks to a midnight deal bundled into the state budget early this month, rank-and-file legislators are getting a 16 percent pay hike to $81,050 a year. Those in leadership positions will earn even more.

But at least the ass-covering and hypocrisy that followed was almost worth the price. Almost.

“House Democrats Laud Budget’s Commitment to Most Needy” trumpeted a statement by House Democratic Whip Mike Veon and Minority leader Bill DeWeese. Among the “most needy,” apparently, were House Democrats themselves. But there’s no mention of the pay hike in the 851-word release … which did, however, assert that the budget “represents a shared sacrifice across state government.”

Um, yeah.

The hypocrisy in these situations is often bipartisan, of course, since the measure couldn’t have passed without Republican help. In the end, though, I’d be willing to pay all these guys a few more bucks if they’d stop trying so hard to serve me.

Look at Veon, for example. He’s so committed to public service that he’s doing the job of local officials as well, trying to prevent cities like Pittsburgh from exercising any control over where casinos will be sited. Can’t we just tip Veon an extra couple bucks to go away, like the violinist playing beside your table at the restaurant?

After all, the Pennsylvania Economy League notes, the real problem isn’t that legislators make so much money. It’s that there’s so many of ’em.

“[W]hile the increase in each legislator’s base pay irks a lot of people,” says the PEL, “the size of the legislature is an even bigger driver of cost.” With 253 members, Pennsylvania’s General Assembly is the largest full-time state legislature in the country. And those 253 members have the largest combined staff in the country, the PEL says -- not to mention one of the fastest growing. The number of legislative staffers in Harrisburg has more than doubled since 1979.

Of the 12 other states PEL looked at, meanwhile, only half have year-round legislatures. So although state legislators get only average per-diem reimbursements, they have a lot of diems in which to earn them. Our legislators would be less expensive, in other words, if they didn’t work quite as much. (Note that I didn’t say “quite as hard.”)

When you factor in other factors like pension and benefits, you end up with a legislature that costs $20.5 million a year. By any reckoning, that’s the most expensive state legislature in the country. The General Assembly costs 20 percent more than the next most expensive legislature -- New York’s -- and almost twice as high as the assembly in California.

This is the point where we all agree to throw the bums out. But state legislators in Pennsylvania win re-election well over 90 percent of the time, and the conventional wisdom says that public outrage will fade before the next election.

Still, if we want to change how business gets done in Harrisburg, we’ve got two things going for us. First, these legislators can obviously be bought. Second, we want them to do less, because at least half the time they do more harm than good -- and because we end up paying for it either way. And if there’s one force that drives a political hack more than greed, it’s laziness.

So here’s my solution. Next year, legislators should be offered twice their current salaries … if they agree to cut their number in half and promise to serve us half as diligently. After they vote for the wage hike, their district numbers will be put in the state’s Lotto machine. The drawing will, of course, be supervised by a senior citizen. The first 25 Senators and 101 House reps whose numbers come up … well, their numbers will be up. Voting in favor of this bill would mean there’s an even chance of coming out with twice as much money, and of ending up jobless. Those are better odds than you’ll find in the casinos Veon wants so badly.

And one thing we know about the state legislature: These guys love to gamble.

Fast Eddie -- PA Gov -- in town for some news and gifts

From an email source:

Governor Rendell has announcement on Sunday and a series of economic development announcements on Monday. Feel free to spread the word. Please let Clayton Wukich, 717-787-5825, know if you can attend.

An announcement regarding Seniors from Mt. Washington Senior Center at 122 Virginia Avenue in Pittsburgh at 11:30 am on Sunday, July 24.

Economic Development Announcements from Carnegie Mellon University, Co-Lab, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh at 10 am on Monday, July 25.

Economic Development Announcement from American Eagle Outfitters, 150 Thorn Hill Drive at Warrendale at 1 pm on Monday, July 25.

Expect an Economic Development Announcement from Frontier Steel, 4990 Grand Ave, Neville Island on Monday, July 25 at 3:30 PM on Monday, July 25, 2005.

Summer-time singing.