Arts Council urgen rush about bill of rights legislation in PA

An urgent with four *s hit my email box today from the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. These folks are about as political as my pinky toe on my left foot.

When we have the Cultural Center doing downtown development, we get the Ballet holding Nutcracker events without musicians. When we have arts groups making calls about the bill of rights -- I begin to wonder what the Court Jesters would have said about the loss of the king's head.

I don't have anything else to say about the call -- just yet -- today.

State Funding at Risk ATTENTION NEEDED TODAY

This is an important announcement concerning future support for arts and culture in Pennsylvania. Please read this completely and act today.

This week, fast moving legislation will go forward without public hearings or debate in the Pennsylvania General Assembly that could severely reduce state support for arts, culture, education, public broadcasting, history, arts education, heritage, preservation, support for lower and middle income families, agriculture, and a plethora of other things funded by the state that we may have not yet identified. This legislation, introduced in both houses, is known nationally as TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) or TEL (tax and expenditure legislation), and in Pennsylvania as the "Taxpayer Fairness Act."

ACTION NEEDED
Call, fax, e-mail or visit your legislators this week to ask them to explain the long range impact of this legislation. Stress that a NO VOTE on House Bill 2082 is essential. Click here to find your legislator and visit the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council's Advocacy Pages for information on what to include in a letter, fax or email to your legislator.

This legislation would set limits on the growth of state and local spending and tie state spending to a formula that includes the annual change in population plus the current rate of inflation. This legislation is based upon a Colorado law enacted in 1992 that implemented severe expenditure limits. The effect of this legislation was devastating in Colorado. Discretionary funding for programs such as arts and culture, higher and basic education, healthcare, and social services was severely reduced. In November 2005, after 13 years of a downward trend in quality of life, Colorado citizens voted to roll back TABOR.

Some facts about TABOR/TEL and Colorado
Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights contributed to a significant decline in that state's social services and education programs since it was adopted in 1992. According to Americans for the Arts, fiscal year 2004 saw the Colorado Council on the Arts budget slashed by 93%. Research done by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, DC found that:

* Under TABOR, Colorado has declined from 35th to 49th in the nation in K-12 spending.

* Higher education funding has dropped by 31 percent.

* Tuitions have risen as a result. In the last four years, system-wide resident tuition increased by 21 percent (adjusting for inflation).

* Colorado has fallen to near last in providing on-time full vaccinations to the state's children.

* The share of low-income children lacking health insurance has doubled, making Colorado the worst in the nation.

How Pennsylvania's "Taxpayer's Fairness Act" might affect you
TABOR/TEL legislation in Pennsylvania would dramatically limit state spending in areas most important to low and middle income families and the state's quality of life institutions. According to an analysis done by the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, if TABOR/TEL had been in place when Governor Rendell took office, the current $24 billion state General Fund budget would have to be cut by over $2 billion. Ways to cut $2 billion out of the state budget might include:

* Elimination of state funding for higher education.
* Elimination of state funding for health care to low income citizens.
* Elimination of state funding to arts organizations, museums, public libraries, museums, historical societies, public television stations, and other arts and cultural agencies. Currently, Pennsylvania ranks 16th in per capita support for the arts.
* Reduction of the basic state subsidy for public schools.
* Elimination of all state funding for the Department of Agriculture.

Important Note: Pennsylvania already has a constitutional requirement for a balanced budget. The budget process already provides the General Assembly and the Governor with the tools they need to control the growth of state government. TABOR uses the term "Bill of Rights" which has a spin that may make some people think that they're talking "Constitution." This is not the case, and it is just a name for similar programs that have failed in other states to theoretically save taxpayer dollars.

ACT TODAY!
Contact your state senator and representative ASAP. Ask them to VOTE NO on House Bill 2082 and oppose all TABOR/TEL both in an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution or other legislation.

Even if you are unsure of your position on this bill, please ask your senator and representative to explain to you what impact this bill would have on the ability of the state to support services to the people of the Commonwealth, especially those who need it most.

To locate your legislators Click Here.

Time is of the essence. Do not delay.
Contact your State Legislators NOW! Proponents of HB 2082 say they want to enact it before the end of the month.

More information about the TABOR/TEL legislation may be found on the following websites: Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
Pennsylvania AFL-CIO
Center for Budget and Policy Priorities - Information about TABOR-like legislation in other states, including a fact sheet and analysis on what happened in Colorado.
*
House Bill 2082 is also being opposed by the following organizations:
AARP Pennsylvania; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF); Citizens for Consumer Justice; Keystone Research Center; Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania; Maternity Care Coalition; Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania; National Council of Jewish Women-PA; Pennsylvania AFL-CIO; Pathways PA; Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators; Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center; Pennsylvania Council of Churches; Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations; Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG); Pennsylvania School Boards Association; Pennsylvania Social Services Union (PSSU); Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA); Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY); Service Employees International Union (SEIU); and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776.
*

Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
707 Penn Avenue, 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3401
P: 412.391.2060
F: 412.394.4280
www.pittsburghartscouncil.org

Reversing the call to action from the pro-choice rebels

Planned Parenthood is putting out a call to action. They want people to attend this Wednesday's city council meeting. My reply follows.

We need your help. This Wednesday, December 7, Pittsburgh City Council will be holding a preliminary vote on the Medical Safety Zone legislation that would protect patients and their companions entering medical clinics and hospitals in Pittsburgh. The anti-choice hardliners are organizing their masses to attend the meeting and give public testimony when the meeting begins (10:00 am).

The co-sponsoring Council members of this ordinance have asked us to gather as many supporters as possible to attend the meeting. If you live in the city of Pittsburgh, it is even more critical that you try to attend this meeting.

If you'd like to give brief public testimony in support of the ordinance, please click here.

Thank you. Here are the details:

Wednesday, December 7, 2005
10:00 A.M. - Standing Committees Meeting, commencing with the public comment followed by the Committee on Finance and Budget.

Pittsburgh City Council 510 City - County Building, 414 Grant St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Telephone: (412) 255-2138

The legislation before City Council is a yawner, mostly. I go to council all the time. I'm not motivated to go now because of this bill.

The bill has two parts. I love the first and hate the second. And, there is another problem that they are trying to fix that is best fixed with real enforcement.

Bill says: 1. You can't be within 15 feet of an entrace to a public health clinic. Fine. Great idea. Do it.

Part 2 -- says you can't be within 8 feet of another person. This is to keep protesters away from those who might be going to the clinic. That creates a buffer zone that is about 7.5 feet wider than what an average person from China needs. And, the buffer zone moves with the person as the person moves.

Person A is on the sidewalk with protest posters doing his/her free speech thing and Person B exits clinic and goes to stand next to Protester A. Then -- police arrive and the 8 foot buffer is absent and Proterster, person A, goes to jail.

So much for free speech.

Part 2 stinks.

Peduto, and others on council, again, go overboard in limits to freedoms. And, the law will go to the courts. And, this will cost another nickle or two for constitutional attorneys and the city's legal department. They always go to the courts to figure out matters. Rather, I say do the right thing by crafting better laws in the first place.

But, we run into this problem because people have been assulted in a number of ways going into and out of the clinic. Plus, the city does not have the manpower nor budget resources to put an officer at the clinic as they have had to do in the past.

So, people in the burbs who don't care much about city politics -- time to care. The quality of life in the city impacts everyone.

Furthermore, the police are slow to make an arrest of someone protesting. They don't have clear leadership. They don't have clear marching orders. They know that a wrong move -- and -- bingo -- they just lost their job as people around here won't support them for doing the job. The pass the buck problems always surface. So, enforcement is lax to say the least.

If someone got pushed on the sidewalk headed to or out of a clinic -- and police made an arrest -- then this problem would not generally happen. Assault is assult. It shouldn't happen. And, when it does -- people should be put in handcuffs and taken to the Judge.

The police are our friends, if they do their jobs.

If they don't do the job -- because of uncertain winds from politicians -- then the police need to be better managed or else need to have more laws put on other laws to make them do more.

Even this law is a question as to its enforcement from the men and women in blue. ????

This health clinic effort to rid the landscape of protesters grew out of the panhandlers legislation that went down a month or so ago. The downtown weenies want to rid the city of the homeless. The homeless are not a big problem. But, when there are so few others downtown, they look like a big problem. Likewise, the homeless and beggars are getting away with disorderly conduct because there are serious enforcement problems with the police. One guy who was trouble downtown had 60 violations to his name. He should have faced some different outcomes about the third time he was picked up -- not the 63rd time.

If you think otherwise, let me know.

Mayor-elect O'Connor bucking transition tradition

Mr. Matter just D.Q.ed himself....

Mayor-elect O'Connor bucking transition tradition 'It's better to do it below the radar screen,' said David Matter, ...

Bob's played defense in the campaign, mostly. Bob's playing defense in the transition time, for sure. Bob is going to play defense in the appointments with the authority members, who are going to be safe throughout the winter, so he says.

Pittsburgh loves a good D-Fence, D-Fence, D-Fence.

A mayor who plays defense might be a major blessing.

Sunday -- swimming and skating

Swim meet today...

Skating in afternoon.

Sleep over was last night.

Happy Birthday Grant. He's 8!

Sing a song of Pittsburgh: Searching for a 'Burgh-defining tune

Part 2 --

What about the cultural district and its ballet without musicians. We love music -- but would rather have recorded instruments at the Nutcracker!

The fine folks in the cultural district have been too busy with buildings and high-rises and redevelopment efforts and not culture. They've been high-jacked by the outgoing mayor's agenda too.

Put some big notes on a building, like the illustration to the story, then you've got something -- but it is still the wrong 'brand."

Sing a song of Pittsburgh: Searching for a 'Burgh-defining tune

The song of Pittsburgh is "Think Again." It is on my campaign CD. If you have yet to hear it, send me a donation and I'll send it along to you -- by the dozen.

Sing a song of Pittsburgh: Searching for a 'Burgh-defining tune: "Yeah, we love Pittsburgh. But how would we sell it in song?"

The song for the city for the times is "Lay the Shovel Down" by the same singer. It talks of the hole they dug, and how we have to move to get out of it.

Victory: RAND releases a working paper, Assessing the Performance of Public Schools in Pittsburgh

Excellent. This paper was asked for. Now it has been released.

RAND: Assessing the Performance of Public Schools in Pittsburgh Assessing the Performance of Public Schools in Pittsburgh

Next we have to read it and figure out if it is worthy of defending -- or otherwise.

The full document (less than 1 meg, 30 pages or so. It is at http://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/2005/RAND_WR315-1.pdf

This Dork, Flying Oyster, says it is okay to Retire #21. I agree. Plus, he isn't a bad dork.

>blockquote>Flying Oyster: Retire #21 Terry Pluto of the Akron Beacon Journal believes they should retire #21. I agree. Let's talk about the rivals from Cleveland.

City flunks terror test - PittsburghLIVE.com

City flunks terror test - PittsburghLIVE.comThere's no value in hashing over it,' DeMichiei said.

Think again! There is value in hashing over it. There is value in thinking again.

I'm a coach. I love drills. We do drills all the time.

The little tykes (i.e., ages 6, 7) I coach in the swimming pool can do these frestyle drills: Catch-up, side kicking, zig-zag 9 (sculling), thumb-in-arm-pit, finish-up, alternate breathing, to name a few.

Seems to me that the Pittsburgh police force should be able to set up a mobile command center in a time of a major emergency at a suitable location.

Practice makes perfect, is the old saying that is very popular. Frankly, I don't buy into that slogan at all. Only perfect practice makes perfect. And, the high school kids I coach get that drilled into them.

Field of Running Mates

One of the state-wide political blogs was tipping the hand of a pending super-duper website, an 'online headquarters' by the Junior US Senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum. The new, yet unopened site, for his re-election efforts in 2006, is slated to have a blog with open comments. The title, "Running with Rick" is sorta like "Mark Rauterkus and Running Mates." Rick's own words a promised to be there. I wonder if his site will feature Rick's own spelling errors, like my site does. The Santorum site is getting pages devoted to specific issues too. OMG!

OMH = Oh My Gosh.

Today, by the way, the Platform.For-Pgh.org is at 179 pages.

There were other elements of this web site that were so far advanced that it might harken the ghosts of 2001 and my run for mayor site. Even volunteer resources, and info specific to all PA communities.

Shiver my timbers! I can't wait.

I'll have another blog to visit so as to help shape the conversation of the region.

Meanwhile, in another state, a Pitt Law School Grad who ran a campaign in the past, is back, as well. I felt a certain kindship for her and her campaign. We traded a number of ideas and emails. She is on my radar and look at what's up with her now. As a bit of background, her last campaign was as a Republican. But, she didn't get the "endorsement" from the GOP party and ran as an outsider. The party did its best to sling mud her way and foil her efforts, if not rights as a candidate. She kept chugging. And, she even switched parties. Now she is gearing up again for another race.

In some ways, her history is a bit like Kathryn Hans-Greco, D, Allegheny County. KHG didn't get the help from the party. Ran before and then ran again, with more gusto, more relationships, more votes!

Judicial candidate to run Internet-based campaign
By SETH EFFRON, StateGovernmentRadio.com

RALEIGH -- Rachel Lea Hunter wants to be chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

In 2004 Hunter, a lawyer with no experience on the bench, or in politics, spent about $24,000 and ran in an eight-person field for an opening on the high court. It was an astonishing third place finish.

She got nearly 452,300 votes -- 100,000 more than one of the state's best-known judges, Howard Manning. Manning spent about $132,000. Paul Newby, a Republican who won the seat, spent $171,200 and got 582,684 votes. Manning spent 42-cents per vote; Newby spent 30 cents and Hunter, a mere 5 cents per vote.
While the campaign is overtly non-partisan -- the 2004 campaign was very partisan with Newby anointed the Republican candidate. Hunter's candidacy was a source of friction in a party structure well-known for its unbending demand for uniformity. Some of the GOP leadership attacked Hunter for undermining Newby’s ultimately successful candidacy. Hunter has since switched her voter registration to Democrat.

One thing Hunter has going for her is name "I-D." She shares the same name as the famous super model from New Zealand who has, among other credits, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated’s famous swimsuit edition. While Rachel Lea Hunter has NOT done anything to promote such confusion, some analysts say that celebrity name recognition was one of the major factors in her 2004 vote-getting success.

Her 2006 campaign for the top judicial spot in the state is already up and running. She's not relying on any phantom name "I-D."

Hunter says she'll be a different kind of candidate and run a campaign that isn't out of the typical playbook of dashing around the state to campaign appearances, spending hours dialing for campaign dollars and putting the bulk of the campaign treasury into television advertising.

That doesn't mean she’s not going to be a media candidate -- just looking to some different media.

Visit one of North Carolina's newspaper Web site and you'll likely see a Hunter campaign banner ad: There’s a picture of Hunter and the declaration "RACHEL LEA HUNTER: A candidate for N.C. Chief Justice; She cannot be bought; A real leader and top candidate for Chief Justice."

The Internet ads, which link to her own campaign Web site, are running on 25 to 30 North Carolina newspaper site -- including the Asheville Citizen-Times; the Elizabeth City Daily Advance; New Bern Sun Journal; and ENCTODAY.Com. She’s also got her ads on selective blogs as well as some national publication, such as Mother Jones.

Hunter says she intends to spend less than $100,000 -- and much of it on the kinds of grassroots campaigning that only the Internet can provide. From the outset, she said she wants to be on the cutting edge.

"This was going to be a different kind of campaign. And it was going to be run, especially since it was statewide, mostly on the Internet," Hunter said. "I don't know if I can quantify it -- 60 or 75 percent -- something like that, because this is a big state. It's a huge state. I've driven from end, to end, north and south, too.

"It's a big state. It's hard to reach this many people. This (Internet-based campaigning) is a way of getting the message out to much more people. I could go around to all the Republican or Democratic clubs now, and I would see the same the same tired old faces I always see. But you really don't reach people all over the state. This is a way of reaching so many more people."

As Hunter seeks a new route for her campaign trail she'll also be discovering to what extent her 2004 success was beginner's luck, fortunate name identification or, in fact, a strong foundation upon which to build a new-style campaign.

PoliticsPA reports John Pierce, needs a new gig

PoliticsPA Sources confirm major blow to Scranton campaign

PoliticsPA has learned the the nationally-recognized political consulting firm of Alfano-Leonardo has decided to part ways with Bill Scranton. Sources confirm the departure occurred over major differences having to do with the direction of the campaign. Campaign Manager and Pittsburgh attorney John Pierce will no longer be working for the campaign.

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, seeking new input

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today launched a month-long public-comment period on draft regulations governing internal controls.

“Act 71 gives the Board the ‘power and duty’ to adopt the regulations necessary to bring expanded gaming to Pennsylvania and ensure its integrity,” said Chairman Tad Decker. “With each set of regulations we develop, we move a step closer to the day when expanded gaming can begin in the Commonwealth."

And now…. T.H.E. .M.U.S.E. .A.N.D. .W.H.I.R.L.E.D. .R.E.T.O.R.T.

This Month’s Featured Article: Hi-Ho Silver Away in a Manger by Chris Chandler is a great read. It is a bit longer, so you'll have to get it by clicking the 'comments' button and reading from that page.

Chandler is a great story teller. I had the opportunity to meet him via Anne Feeney at an event I staged on 9-11 a couple of years ago. Very insightful and funny too. You might want to get a CD of his or if you live in the east, check out one of his gigs in the weeks to come. It is all at his web site.

Plug: Have you got your copy of American Storyteller? http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/cchandler3

What would make a better holiday gift? It is a 2 vol. CD set – but wait, there’s more! Each CD is also a CD ROM enhanced with 3 short films extra art work, lyrics and cracker jack surprises! It is a double CD so it is a little bit more expensive but what would make a better Christmas gift than “American Storyteller? “ Just Click here! http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/cchandler3

His 8 minute movie: www.chrisvids.org/

Close your mouth. Move your feet. Wellness quote from The Biggest Loser victor

The victor from the TV show, The Biggest Loser, was on NBC's Today Show and gave a great interview. He was asked about the one bit of advice.

At first blush, that question is a 'gottcha.' With wellness there isn't just one thing that is the key. Wellness is about a whole range of actions, attitudes and reasonings. The wellness planks, if not the wellness platform, has many different elements covering a wide range of issues.

However, the new TV star had two answers. First, "Close your mouth. Move your feet." Sage advice. It goes along with the saying, "It is not what you say that counts, but what you do."

The next bit was that there is no limit to what you can do if you choose to do it yourself. There are no boundaries. This is the "sky's the limit" attitude -- but -- the goals need to be internalized. Wellness hinges upon being self reliant.

Beautiful.

The conversation also covered the fact that the guy has been sober and drink-free for nine months now. That's a perfect closing point -- get and stay sober. To tie that concept to politics, think about the politicians who have been getting drunk on all sorts of ills. They gave themselves illegal pay raises. They got drunk on the windfalls from gambling incomes -- for more state spending and more slush funds to their re-election campaigns. And, they get drunk on corporate welfare handouts.

They got drunk on stadiums, Lord & Taylor, and building a convention center. Now is the hangover. The Convention Center costs us nearly $4-million per year in operational losts. So, this hangover isn't going to last for a long-time to come.

My approach = Self Reliance: Theirs = Councilmembers look to state to help with rising costs

I agree Act 47 stinks. I don't agree about what needs to be done to fix the overall problems. To fix Pittsburgh, once and for all, we need to have a new attitude of self-reliance. And, voters, it includes you. Fellow reformers, self-reliance and teamwork requires you too!

Councilmembers look to state to help with rising costs: "Councilmembers look to state to help with rising costs

A year into its fiscal recovery effort, the city of Pittsburgh has made some substantial cuts, but it is still in a tightening fiscal vice of high debt and rising pension and health insurance costs, City Council members said yesterday.

Council spent its first meeting on a proposed 2006 budget throwing itself on the mercy of the commonwealth and criticizing the state-appointed recovery team created under Act 47 for not dealing with major issues.

'The Act 47 plan stinks,' said Councilman Luke Ravenstahl. 'We're no better off than we were before.'

He said council and Mayor-elect Bob O'Connor should lobby Harrisburg for help."

The presentation from the budget office was solid. I've got it on tape. I would like to get it on the web or this blog.

Scores speak out on Roosevelt's plan to close 20 city schools

P-G coverage on the Rodgers plan for middle school for CAPA to Mt. Washington.

Scores speak out on Roosevelt's plan to close 20 city schoolsSpeakers also urged school officials not to move the middle school program for the creative and performing arts from the Rogers building in Garfield to the former Baxter Building in Homewood, now occupied by the district's alternative education programs. Some favored moving the program instead to Prospect Middle School on Mount Washington, which is on the closing list.

My wife, Ph.D., gets ink in P-G: Protecting young musicians' hearing is goal of partnership between UPMC, city schools

Wellness works wonders. Way to go musicians and scientists and clinicians and parents and teachers and open-minded, quality based performers in life!

Protecting young musicians' hearing is goal of partnership between UPMC, city schools Protecting young musicians' hearing is goal of partnership between UPMC, city schools
The quieter sound of music

In high school, kids who play football wear helmets, mouthguards and pads as protection against injury.

Langley High School senior Cherish Marshall, 17, wears her special earplugs during band class last week.

To learn more about the UPMC Musicians' Hearing Center earplugs program, call 412-647-2030. The center offers education and earplugs as outreach to other schools, as well, at the lowest cost affordable.

To learn about the Etymotic non-custom earplugs, which sell for $12 a pair, visit www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20-ts.aspx. The company's home page is at www.etymotic.com.

Kids in chemistry class wear goggles.

Kids in band class . . . well, they often don't wear any protection for their ears. But they should.

Tinker: Major suggestions from citizen, Henry C. Schmitt, about Rogers

Good Afternoon Mr. Roosevelt and Members of the Board -
Two weeks ago I came before you to let you know that I support the Right-Sizing Plan for the Pittsburgh Public Schools. I still do. Although as Mr. Roosevelt said in the media "it needs some tweaking." With that in mind, I'd like to bring the following issue to your attention.

The current plan has the Rogers CAPA program moving to the Baxter building, and the Letsche Education Center moving to the Washington building. Initially seems like a good idea, but on closer examination there are some problems. This would necessitate the moving of two student populations, over 500 students, and the capital improvement of two buildings.

This move seems to give the Rogers CAPA program room to expand, but I believe it does not. The numbers I found for the 2002-3 school year, the final year the CAPA High program was in Baxter, showed an enrollment of 330 students, about 45% of the building's capacity. However, an article in the June 12, 2003 Tribune Review quotes a CAPA student, Jessica Burch, as saying "...she will miss taking singing lessons in a janitor's closet" and "Our Spanish room is also the dance studio...we have to move the desks out...every day." This does not indicate a building with excess capacity; it indicates a building bursting at the seams.

Some of the parents and faculty of Rogers would like to propose the following alternative: Instead of moving both the Rogers CAPA program and the Alternative Education program, leave the Alternative Education program where it is, and move the Rogers CAPA program to the Prospect building in Mt. Washington.

We have gathered the data to show how this new proposal would be better for the CAPA program and the district as a whole. I have prepared a chart based on the 10 criteria you used for the original proposal that compares the two moves. In all cases, the move to Prospect is equal to or better than the move to Baxter.

I will provide you all with copies of the chart, but let me mention the highlights: only the 300 students at Rogers would need to be moved, only one building would need capital improvements. The central location of Prospect near downtown would reduce transportation costs and increase ties to organizations in the Cultural District. The location of Baxter in the far east end would have the opposite effect.
I think that if you look at the data, you will see that this proposal deserves careful consideration. Thank you for your time.

Henry C. Schmitt

---

Students that go to Rogers might one day work for Disney.

Next, to figure out how to put the plan, a table, on this blog. Humm... Okay, I've got 10 points in the comments section of this blog posting. Each shows the baseline reason, what the present plan has for its strength, then in bold, the new idea's reasoning / strength. Keep reading.

Plus, I've inserted two bonus points after the first 10 to cover some extras I just pulled out of the sky.

---

November 29, 2005
Mr. Roosevelt & Members of the Board:

As you are aware, both my husband and I are very active in our children’s education and are willing to work to make it the best it can be. We are also strong supporters of public education. We also, like you, believe on making our decisions based on data. Although we first thought moving Rogers to Baxter was a good idea, after reviewing the data, it now seems clear that such a move would be detrimental to the CAPA middle school program, and have a negative impact on the district as a whole. Much of the data we looked at was readily available on the PPS web site, but information about the Baxter building was hard to come by. We received information about Baxter from the Parent-Teacher organizations at Rogers. Working within your proposed plan, the Parent-Teacher group raised an alternative location – the Prospect building.

To better understand the merits of both plans, we looked to the criteria for right-sizing as listed on the PPS website, gathered what data we could, and compared each plan to the criteria. The following table clearly shows why we now believe moving to Baxter is not in the best interest of the CAPA program or district, as well as why Prospect should be considered as a viable alternative.

We look forward to working with you to bring about positive change to the Pittsburgh Public Schools

Katherine Schmitt
Henry Schmitt
Parents of students at Minadeo and Rogers CAPA

Philly article: Packing heat - and political punch via blog and more

Here is a character with a few great quotes.

Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/29/2005 | Packing heat - and political punchWhile in Manhattan, Bruce helped launch Open Source Media at www.osm.org, a consortium of 70 diverse blogs on topics from politics and true crime to designer shoes and holistic pet care. She's on OSM's advisory board and blogs at http://tammybruce.com.

Bruce calls the blogging collective 'the first fundamental assault on the mainstream media's control of information distribution.'

She says because blog journalism - 'the technological handmaiden of the new American revolution' - is constantly self-correcting and invites anyone to chime in, it will deal a deathblow to old media, including newspapers.

'The power no longer resides with the elites. The power belongs to whoever wants to take it,' says Tammy Bruce with utmost confidence, sounding for all the world like a Sixties lefty at the barricades and signifying that in the fractured and shifting terrain of American political culture, labels have lost all meaning.

Tinker talk with the plan before Pgh Public Schools

I presented my points to a public hearing held at the Pgh Public Schools today. The plan was mentioned on this blog last week.

Mark Rauterkus statement about PPS Plan: "Statement about Schools -- from Mark Rauterkus --"

I released my comments on the plan at Rev. Johnny Monroe's church. I've got lots of good feedback from these ideas, in public, and online.

BTW, his church, Grace Memorial, does not have Tinker Bell on its steeple.

Good to see pending board member Thomas Sumpter at the board table to listen to all the testimony. He gets sworn into office in January and will need to make a vote the next month.

One decent tinker idea: Move the CAPA Middle School to the closing Roosevelt Middle School. That makes the location more central to the city and closer to the cultural district and the CAPA High.

I talked as I was departing with a guy, Bob S., who was just arriving. He had two identical concerns of mine. First, he wants to see all the calls to the help desk made public and visible. That's what I've been calling the 'Robust job ticketing system.'

Furthermore, he was upset at the email from A+ Schools about how everyone was to walk lockstep with the plan. I mentioned that the A+ Schools Director spoke before I did, by two slots. I was sorry I didn't wear my boots as it was getting rather deep in there.