Legislators aim to put limits on uses of eminent domain

PG coverage of pending bills Headline: Legislators aim to put limits on uses of eminent domain

I've sounded off on eminent domain.

Thousands of new jobs to be created -- says out of touch congress critter

Details at the my Transportation blog, http://Ratsburgh.blogspot.com.

Gene chimes in. Point noted.

MARK, I am a friend of public education! Gene

Hi,

Perhaps Gene R., City Council President and soon to be district magistrate is a friend of public education. But, I feel that a friend of public education would NOT ask the schools to give up any money for the city's dire straights -- such as with the loss income from taxes on a Second Ave TIFF. TIFFs hurt the kids in public schools right now.

We can leave funding for crossing guards out of the 'public school' discussion, but that would enter into the fray in another chapter.

I also feel that the school board races are able to be pulled and mangled by political forces as you, Jim M and Michael Diven attempted in the not too distant past. It serves as a good example for the rant and with the state of the landscape in Pgh politics. Pulling the political wires -- of itself -- isn't so bad. No harm there. But, when there isn't suitable understanding of the candidates running for school board offices -- and then we have some serious problems. So, I rail against the lack of balance.

Put a tea party into your future plans, please

My email blast from Hong Kong....

412-archives

See ya soon, I hope.

We got the tea.

Opening of Chinese National Games and that

Just got to see the lift off of a Chinese rocket into space with two passengers. They'll orbit the earth and are geared to go to the moon, perhaps, in future years. The names of the astronauts was not even mentioned throughout most of the day. The coverage wasn't secret, but it was hardly direct and up-front. Interesting. The liftoff was reported to happen in a few days -- with a few day range of time. Weather was a factor, but so too was putting the cat out of the bag.

Then we got to see the opening ceremonies of the National Games in China. Parade, flags and teams of athletes. There are teams from various regions and provinces. Plus, there are teams from Telco Workers, Space Workers (big cheer with the liftoff today for them), Forestry, Railway workers, etc.

Chinese weightlifter breaks three world records -- Olympic champion Chen Yanqing broke all three world records in the 127-pound weightlifting class on Tuesday, one of two Chinese women to set new marks this week at China's national games. SI

Diversity is not Divine

The wrong bark goes out up the wrong tree, again.

The point is not to make the 'queen for a day' concept work better in Pittsburgh. Rather, the real goal should be the elimination of royalty, boards, overlords, queens, court honchos and better-than-thou kiss-ups.

We don't need as many authorities as we got. We have too many governmental appointees.

Councilman to introduce board diversity bill
Tuesday, October 11, 2005, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh Councilman William Peduto expects to introduce legislation today aimed at increasing the diversity of appointees to city boards, authorities and commissions.

The proposed ordinance would require that the city advertise on its Web site openings on boards, like those that guide city redevelopment, public housing, parking, water and sewerage and other functions.

People could apply via the city's Web site. Each year, the city would report on the diversity of the applicants and appointees, allowing the public to track progress, he said.

"By law, we could not create a quota," he said.

"But what we can do is create a system by which the next mayor would be persuaded to make diverse appointments."

The legislation would "encourage [officials] to look beyond their usual suspects" when making appointments, said Heather Arnet, executive director of the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania, which helped craft the proposal.

Mr. Peduto said council will hold a public hearing before voting.

And now for some modern art. This was a very impressive room in the Hong Kong Museum of Art. It celebrated the book and pages flowed from the sky, along the walls and open on the floor. Furthermore, all the characters (words) were made up -- jibberish so to speak.

Good reason to put our priorities in order -- and it isn't for government groups to get into real estate

PG article:

North Side housing renewal reversed by neighborhood violence

We need to get our house in order, and I don't mean the bricks and windows. The problems of Pittsburgh are not hardware ills. Rather, we have software, performance, activity, community problems. This isn't about blight. This isn't about buildings. This isn't about shade trees. Nor is it about parking garages and stadiums.

Cardinal beat Red Storm and the other hot-shot from CMU

Stanford robot beats CMU in desert race -- so reported the PG headline.

This was a science experiement -- and a big-deal race. This was more about 'sport' than it was about toys and play. Perhaps it was a test-match, as is said in international competitions when one squad battles another.

But, CMU's problem is that it was up against Stanford. No other university in the world can hold a candle to Stanford in terms of its sporting success. Stanford owns the NCAA's President Cup for the best sports program. Stanford has won at least one national title every year for the past ten years -- in at least one sport.

CMU, meanwhile, is bush next to them -- in terms of sporting success. Different league. This isn't like the Pirates playing the Yankees.

The slow drowning of New Orleans

Ken S, a PA Libertarian, wrote with a pointer about the article:

The Washington Post ran an article Sat, 10/08, with the headline: The slow drowning of New Orleans. It is available under the "Hurricans' Aftermath" section on msnbc.com
with the same headline.

I encourage you to print it for yourselves, and safe it as a classic tale of the long-term damage caused by politicians who: a) look no further than their own relections, b) are happy to spend everyone's money except their own, and c) are arrogant and stupid enough to believe they can control the forces of nature, despite repeated evidence to the contrary.

Ludwig and Lamb put their chips on the table -- still -- while Bob and Joe slumber

The first gambling forum was held and this excellent idea was put forth by Les Ludwig.

Two of the first three speakers were unsuccessful Democratic mayoral candidates in the spring primary. Les Ludwig wanted to know whether the David L. Lawrence Convention Center could be used as a casino. Allegheny County Prothonotary Michael Lamb said he has concerns about how a Station Square casino might affect Mt. Washington, where he lives.

Neither Murphy nor either of the nominated mayoral candidates, Democrat Bob O'Connor and Republican Joe Weinroth, attended.

Perhaps I'll go to the meeing on Monday night at The Dice.

Characters, giggles really

Salina had a story (and it is more a story than news) in the Trib about Diven and his band of merry folks.

It is hard to say one is not making footprints when you spend $1-million and only get votes at $70 or so per tick. The footprints are up and down Diven's front and back sides. Diven did a deer-in-the-headlights campaign for PA Senate -- and wasted $1-million. And, he is still doing the PSAs, as mentioned in the article.

If Diven was christened by Harrisburg's elite -- we only have to remember that it was those devils who bailed out Pittsburgh, gave us gambling, can't understand schools and took the big pay raise. To me, a christening from them is more like darnation!

Even the savior had 12 others to loaf with.

I hope to see Michael Lamb running, not for Diven's seat in the state house, but for Fontana's seat in the Senate -- in the D's primary. Lamb should not have run in the race in 2001 for Mayor. And, Lamb should have switched out of the Mayor's race to enter the State Senate race, even as an Indie. Even late in the game.

My curb talk says that the present city councilman, Motznik, runs for City Controller if Tom Flaherty gets the win in his quest for a seat on the bench as a judge. Motznik can't run against Diven. No way.

The classic line of the entire article however is this: Affable, hard-working and focused, Coghill's only black mark may be a lack of knowledge of the issues.

His only black mark is a lack of knowledge of the issues. Jeepers. Seems to me that the knowledge thing is way over-blown, or not.

Then there is this typo. Nerone isn't on city council. Was that to be Motznik?

Nerone ascended to his City Council seat the easy way: It was vacated. He borders on bland and would be the weakest candidate of the lot. Aggressive door-knocking, a solid base and drive-by visits to neighborhoods are needed to win House seats like this; none is Nerone's strength.

Good news journalism -- but the missing gaps are huge

The Trib recently reported:

"Around Baltimore, their properties are going up 50 to 60 percent, so there's going to be a lot of stink raised," said Ron Brown, an assessment supervisor in Maryland, which reassesses every three years. "See, that's why we work for the state. The county uses our information ... then they blame it on the state."

But what is NOT reported is the fact that in MD, they use a measure called, "ASSESSMENT BUFFERING." That is the tool that we need here in PA. That tool isn't talked about, yet, in the mainstream media in Pittsburgh. We need to talk about Assessment Buffering. I talked on and on about it in the campaign for PA Senate.

Assessment buffering has "salvation promise potential" for the region.

The assessments in Baltimore go up 50 to 60 percent. However, what gets paid is only one third of the increase each year for the next three years. So, there is NOT a big hit to the household in one short period. Family budgets can be adjusted.

In PA, we just kick you in the teeth and don't make any measures otherwise.

In PA media circles, they take the bad news elsewhere and report upon it so that those here who have to pay the pain feel not so bad.

Witch Hunt or some good, clean, new fashioned fun to sweep PA?

More and more, the people of Hong Kong celebrate Halloween. I don't expect we'll see many in this type of constume however.

We want to keep the pay-raise issue alive in the minds of the average citizen---not just the ones who signed their names on a petition. So, we plan on having a little bit of fun by participating in as many Halloween events and fall festivals as we possibly can. When is YOUR town's parade or festival?

Our first event is the Mechanicsburg Halloween Parade, THIS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11th, and we NEED YOUR HELP. We are depending on local, Mechanicsburg-area people to lend a hand by walking with us in the parade.

We want YOU to have fun, while, at the same time, delivering the message that VOTERS ARE NOT SHEEP...not anymore, anyway!

Without letting the "cat out of the bag", so to speak, we want ALL of you to BRING A BROOM with you, and come walk in the parade as we SWEEP the scoundrels out of our lives. We have borrowed a few masks/costumes for the lead characters, if you are willing to wear one. But we also need people in regular casual clothes, too. Just BRING A BROOM, if you can.

If you can dress in either white, black, or red (our official colors), that would be great....but that's not required. If you have your own animal masks (pigs, cows, sheep, especially), wear them!

If you have extra brooms you don't need, we will accept donations of those (but we need you to fill out a form, sorry, because we are a political action committee that has to follow certain laws).

So, when and were are the Pittsburgh-based halloween events? I'll go. I'll bring a broom or two.

On the South Side, we used to host a halloween parade. But, then the event was killed by city hall due to budget cuts. The Market House folks (staffers too) helped to organize the event.

Then the cost of police overtime blew the event out of the water.

One year, the event was to be killed. I had been asking a lot about its organization in August. Yep, no more parade was the word from Grant Street. I replied through the chain of command, "Great. I'll sponsor the parade." Tell the Mayor that I'll sponsor the parade. I want to meet with him and the director of Parks to hash out the budget and we'll raise the money as a community effort that I'll organize. It was August, so we had plenty of lead time. A week later, the parade was re-scheduled as a formal city event. The next year, I was working no the Great Race Replacement.

But, there are other events in the city and area.
Clean sweep advocates need all the various tools at the ready -- from mops, to brushes, to brooms. 

This is what you get when you have a cultural district that takes its eyes off of 'culture' and goes into land development

The Pittsburgh Cultural District and might as well mention the PDP (Pgh Downtown Partnership) should be ashamed. We are killing the Pgh Ballet with this move. Protest and outrage is necessary here.

We have the folks in the cultural district -- as well as the folks in the neighborhoods -- more worried about land development deals. They have taken their eyes off the ball. They fumble their duties. They make everything we have diminish in value with their miss-placed priorities.

By Marylynne Pitz, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Outside the Benedum Center last night, a Dixieland band played "Sweet Georgia Brown," but the 150 people picketing the lack of live music at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's production of "Carmen" did not sugar-coat their messages.

One picket's sign read, "Live Ballet Plus Canned Music Equals Dirty Dancing." Another protester's sign said, "Wanted: A Ballet Management That Cares."

Among the pickets were 25 music students from Carnegie Mellon University; musicians from New York City, Toronto, and Akron; local stagehands; Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musicians in full dress with white ties; and T-shirt-clad members of the Service Employees International Union and Teamsters.

In an attempt to save $500,000 a year, the financially troubled PBT has decided to use recorded music during its performances instead of hiring musicians.

Laura Brownell, director of symphonic services for the American Federation of Musicians in New York City, said ballet-goers were being cheated because "they are being asked to pay the same amount for half of the experience."

Mark Tetreault, principal tuba player with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, agreed.

Shark Fin Soup --- been there, done that.

Okay, what's the buzz about shark fin soup? We had it served to us at a traditional meal two nights ago -- when Grant (7) was sleeping on the floor in the corner of the private room within the larger facility. And again, last night, while the speakers for the event gathered (only Catherine and the two Pitt grad students went), the meal's six course was shark fin soup.

This is a traditional banquet food for special occasions in Hong Kong.

Some world-wide protests forced Disney to knock it off of its menus in Hong Kong. And that is a big deal as Disney has the resorts and tries to lure (pun intended) weddings to its banquet facilities.

Other larger, Hong Kong facilities have not backed down to the protesters and have kept the dish.

Once it came in the soup with small chunks. The other time it was in grinds. But the soup is much more than the shark fin. Pork and a chicken broth dominate the bowl.

What follows is from the Pgh Zoo and Aquarium site. They are getting set for RAD days and Zoo Boo.

Fish Flap Aired at Phipps

Eat fish, live longer? Maybe, but is your catch-of-the-day safe to eat? Is there enough of it swimming that it should be fished at all? How can consumers be sure which results of scientific studies are true and which are just plain fishy? And which fish get a clean bill of health?

As the world's shrinking and increasingly toxic seafood supply places many fish off-limits for responsible and safe eating, Slow Food Pittsburgh joins forces with Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in an educational series. The message? Despite the scaremongers, fishmongers, and scary reports, many delicious and responsible options remain.

Series participants will learn as they eat. Each program offers information and guidelines along with an opportunity to sit down to a meal celebrating seafood choices that satisfy both appetite and conscience. The series opens Sunday, October 9 with a free-to-the-public panel discussion at 4 p.m. in Phipps' Outdoor Garden under tents. The debate will be followed by a seafood dinner at 6 p.m. in the same location.

The debate will mesh viewpoints of panel participants. Douglass Dick, owner and executive chef of Bona Terra restaurant in Sharpsburg will address the balancing act by chefs to make responsible seafood choices and satisfy a public that often unknowingly demands endangered fish. Seth Morrison, Seafood Team, Whole Foods Pittsburgh will discuss the pros and cons of farmed and wild-caught fish considered when buying for an eco-aware customer base. Sara Pozonsky, co-owner of her family-owned fishery will tell her insider's story of wild salmon fishing in Kenai, Alaska. David Mintz, Senior Education Specialist, Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium will put global overfishing and threats to farmed and wild fish in perspective and explain the role of the consumer. The Zoo and Aquarium is an Associate Partner in Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program, featuring regional Seafood Watch Guides that help consumers understand what fish to buy and why. Copies of the guide will be available at the program and Mintz's presentation will focus on helping consumers use the guide as an aid in wise shopping. Participants will also receive a wallet card guide detailing eco-best and eco-worst fish choices at the markets.

The buffet-style dinner menu of fresh, sustainably produced seafood will be prepared by Café Phipps and big Burrito chefs. It features a clam and oyster raw bar, steamed mussels, grilled Wild Alaskan Company Copper River salmon, smoked trout salad, herbed roasted potatoes, locally grown greens, and autumn apple desserts. Guests will sit together at long tables, Slow Food style. Dinner is $45 for Slow Food members and $55 for non-members. There is a cash bar featuring wine and beer.

Participants may opt for the lecture, dinner, or both. The lecture preceding dinner is free and open to the public, but reservations for dinner are a must. To reserve by credit card, call Karen Bracken at Phipps Garden Center at (412) 441-4442, ext. 3201. Reservations are limited.

Volleyball and the Mon Valley Facilities

We joined the local health club for the month membership, $560 HK Dollars. And, it is nice. But don't be shocked by the price tag. A can of Coke can cost $7 to $10 here, in Hong Kong Dollars, not US$.

Now I'm at the 'reading room' and it is nice. However, none under 18 are allowed. Sad for AJ and the kids. But they'll join me shortly.

Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball announces an affiliation with Court Time Sports Center for the 2006 season and beyond. The 2006 season tryouts are November 6 (Baldwin HS), and November 13, 15 (Court Time Sports Center).

For more information please call 412.215.6738.

Scott Butler, Court Time Sports Center, Executive Director
95 Enterprise Drive, Elizabeth, PA 15037
www.courttimesportscenter.com
412.754.2005 = office

MapHub: Shared Urban Storytelling

A CMU professor and his students recently unveiled a web-based, interactive map system for Pittsburgh, called "MapHub". You can think of it as Wikipedia applied to a map of Pittsburgh; users place comments and markers on top of a simple street map of Pittsburgh, developing a picture of the city that can't be found in traditional maps.

One of the first groups to join in this project is Bike Pittsburgh, which is documenting useful information for bikers, such as the location of bike racks and dangerous stretches of road. However, users aren't limited to any official" themes, and are able to create their own objects to place on maps and their own hubs to display particular types of objects placed by a particular community.

Highland Park, Zoo and Soccer fields

Where are the ULTIMATE FRISBEE folks? Remember the past promises?

Back in 2000 -- when Mayor Murphy was making promises that still were not known to be fabricated lies -- (The promise was a lie, but it wasn't known to be a lie.) -- there were some "promises" to make "frisbee fields." The ultimate frisbee crowd, "those urban young people," jumped on board with Tom Murphy. They took the story, hook, line and sinker.

How about an update on those fields, please.

Let's hear from all sides on that.

The plan, in the article below, is lame. There is much more to do that is much better than what they'll even imagine.

For starters, build a simple bike path that stretches from the zoo parking lot to the bike oval. The bike path is needed, now. It was needed years ago. People can bike to Highland Park, but can't get out of the park at the base of the hill unless they take their life into a near death zone by the end of the Highland Park Bridge. The pathway would be easy to construct. There is space among the weeds.

Murphy is such a pathway fart. He misses the main connectors all the time.

The plan in the city now is to stretch the bike path out of the bike oval on Washington Blvd UP the hill to Homewood and then to East Liberty. There is a grand plan. But the basics should be accomplished.

Then if you want to get grand -- give all of Highland Park to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.

You know we spend more to build and upkeep places for our fish to swim than we do for our children.

You should see how they treat the kids here in Hong Kong: Climbing walls, kids play rooms, signs on buses that say give up prime seat to parents with children, indoor swim pools, tennis courts that are not under a bubble -- but are in much greater heat than what Pittsburgh experiences. Pittsburgh puts its best tennis courts under a bubble all summer. Go figure.

By the way, I loved the article about how Clarion, PA, was a noted as a great place to raise kids. Great coverage. Great concepts. We in Pittsburgh could do much better as we'd be able to bridge that link when the kids get older and go to college and enter into the job market. But, we have to keep the family centered hopes alive.

By the way too, I loved to read that Pittsburgh is one of the most safe places in the US for kids walking on the streets. They must have looked at auto deaths and not the deaths from drive bye bullets the radiate from a few of those cars. And, they seemed to overlook how Tom Murphy took all the burden of the crossing guards out of the city budget (where it belongs). The crossing guards are important. They are part of the city's responsibilities. Murphy fumbled again.

Soccer fields, park, trails proposed for zoo parking lot
Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mayor Tom Murphy's administration has introduced legislation that would turn the northern end of the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium parking lot into a soccer field, park land and trails.

A resolution now before City Council would steer $200,000 in city funding and $200,000 from the state to the design of a 40-acre extension of Highland Park.

The zoo is in agreement with the proposed change, said spokeswoman Rachel Capp. "Soccer fields, kids, families -- that's in line with what we do," she said.

The zoo would shift some parking southward to the site of a former asphalt dump and would have the same number of spaces it does now, she added.

The project would ultimately involve $12 million in expenditures by the city, zoo and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, said Pat Hassett, assistant director of city planning. PennDOT would reconstruct the Butler Street Bridge near the site, he said.

City Councilman Len Bodack said the project has the support of community groups and answers the need for more soccer fields in the city. Council could take a tentative vote on the design funding next Wednesday.

If all goes well, soccer fields could be ready by spring 2008.

Thoughts from the other side of the world

Ouch: New York City is raising threat alert level for subway system, CNN has learned. AP reports a "credible security threat" as reason.

Lugging Grant after a long day in Hong Kong.

Last night I carried Grant through the subway in Hong Kong and then to the pier, ferry and bus home. Trains, boats, buses and a lot of walking, of course, is filling our travel needs these days. We are living in a community that is car-free! They do have golf carts however.

Catherine's side-line gig this weekend is a presentation to 250 at a conference with many doctors and nurses. She is the keynote.

The grad students are pulling their weight. They had to get the probe microphone system out of the box and running yesterday on a couple hours notice for the class. Not much time for shopping, but we rushed through an outdoor market last night while I was lugging Grant. Some 'trip.'

We visited the swim pool at the Disney Resort Hotel yesterday, before our big tour of Widex and the banquet feast. We had six main courses, including the shark fin soup. They first course was ordered with the request to leave the pig's head off of the serving plate. So nice.

From State Rep: D. Metcalfe: As you are probably aware I am an advocate of the complete elimination of the property tax system. Humm. I'm worried about that statement in that he is also in favor of changes to the eminent domain laws too. I think the policy of changes to eminent domain (YES) and the complete elimination of property taxes (NO) is a toxic combination that is much worse than playing with fire. The two don't go together for the long haul. Rep Metcalfe did give me some props for the 'approach' the the testimony I made a the state committee hearing. Well, we've got some more thinking to do on this.

Did you know that in China, (mainland), you can't buy property. When it is sold, the maximum length of its sale is for 99 years. When property is sold for 99 years -- there is little need for eminent domain, I guess. The combination is something to ponder.

---

Last Sunday, I saw the article in the Trib that quoted James C. Roddey about Joe Weinroth's chances as a Republican in the city. Roddey's opinion, from Oakmont, matters on city politics as much as his help to the city Republican efforts -- LITTLE. Roddey could NOT win the city in general elections. And Roddey could not count on building the GOP base in the city -- because he didn't try nor care. Roddey had some weaknesses. Same too with Weinroth, no doubt. However, Roddey's failures in certain elements don't need to be universal.

And, for Tom L, it was GREAT for me to read the names of the other candidates within the story. That's all I seek -- mentions. That is all that is earned, so far, perhaps. Fine. But, the journalist in me wants to see the mentions of the others. Make those mentions of the others as there is a duty to be "complete" in the overview of the coverage.