Places: Market Square ain't broke, so please don't fix it

Right on. I've been pondering how to reply to the sillyness of O'Connor's statements. P.L. of the P-G does a good job in setting the tone for the discussion.

Places: Market Square ain't broke, so please don't fix it Eckstut's observation was a sound one, but his solution was flawed. And for much the same reasons, only part of O'Connor's idea is worth embracing.

Voters' Choice Act in PA gains in recent days

There's much good news for Libertarians and for Pennsylvania's voters regarding the Voter's Choice Act and ballot access reform.

On Wednesday, January 11th, 2006, members of the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition (PBAC) met with the House State Government Committee in Harrisburg to talk turkey over the contents of a ballot access reform bill. Most of the twenty state representatives who sit on the committee attended the two-hour informal hearings, listening to testimony from Libertarians, Greens, Constitutions, Reforms, Naderites, Socialists, the League of Women Voters, and the public. There were about half a dozen reporters in the audience, and the hearings were subsequently well publicized. Selected articles are included at the end of this report, and photos from the hearing can be found at http://tinyurl.com/cgp3r.

From a historical perspective, the meeting went very well. The last round of hearings regarding ballot access reform were held in 1997, and at that time the committee members were hostile and argumentative. However, this time the atmosphere was cordial and friendly, and the dialogue was open and productive.

Several suggestions and compromises were discussed at the hearing, including:

1. Equalizing the number of signatures across the board for all candidates regardless of party affiliation. That means 1,000 or 2,000 signatures for statewide office, not 67,070. The PBAC accepted this compromise.

2. Equalizing the length of the petitioning window to three weeks for all parties rather than the current four-to-five month period for third parties. The PBAC also accepted this compromise, with the provision that the petitioning window for independents and third parties include primary day.

3. Including third parties in the primary process once their membership reaches 1% of the statewide voter registrations. While the PBAC accepted this compromise, it was noted that the Libertarians do not believe in a taxpayer funded primary.

4. The PBAC's proposed redefinition of a third party per the Delaware Model did not seem to raise any concerns with anyone. This change should make it into the reform bill intact.

In the end, the committee chair stated that the committee would be drafting legislation to achieve these goals. In the meantime, the PBAC will continue to keep up the pressure for the passage of a ballot access reform bill. At this time, the odds of that happening in the next few months appear to be excellent.

Concerned citizens can help the efforts of the PBAC by calling their state representatives and state senators immediately and urging them to push for ballot access reform this month, as outlined in the bill being authored in the House State Government Committee. For more information, refer them to the PBAC's White Paper on ballot access reform which can be found on the web at www.PaBallotAccess.org.

As things stand, the situation is both promising and urgent. There are only a few months left before petitioning for 2006 begins. The more pressure that can be brought to bear on the legislature, the better.

Ken Krawchuk
Chair, Legislative Action Committee
Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania

c/o PO Box 260
Cheltenham, Penna. 19012
215-881-9696 (voice)
215-Krawchuk (fax)
Ken@KenK.org

LPP HQ:
3915 Union Deposit Road
#223
Harrisburg, PA 17109
1-800-R-Rights (voice/fax)
www.lppa.org

Question of the moment: How crazy will it get on the South Side?

Do the fans act like they are in Detroit or going to Detroit.

My S6.CLOH.Org gives details for the Community Concert on Feb 2

S6 Community Concert on Thursday, February 2, 2006

You must RSVP for this event. Space is limited. Your attendance is required once reservations are accepted. Please call, 412, 298 3432, or 412 904 2976 or email, Mark@Rauterkus.com.

Location: This 'house concert' is being held at our home, office, campiagn headquarters at 108 South 12th Street on the South Side. We are just two short blocks off of East Carson Street to the slopes. You're encouraged to walk to this event as parking is limited. We'll fix that in due time, however.

* Schedule: Media and press event slated for 5 pm. Invited guests and media only. To get included, call Mark.
* Family concert has doors opening at 5:30 pm with the music and program to run from 6 to 7 pm (sharp). This is a concert by a talented musicial artist with original songs and kids are welcome provided they sit, listen and enjoy. This isn't a children's concert. Rather, its is concert where family members can attend. Some food will be provided after the show. Eating while standing is expected.
* Doors open for the set for civic leaders at 7:15 with music and presentation slated for 8 to 9 pm. Mingle before and after. Some food provided.
* If demanded, a third set for the musical-minded could occur from 9:30 to 10:15 pm. Stay tuned and note your interest if so inclined.

Johnsmith, http://www.Johnsmithmusic.com, sings the song, 'Don't Put Me In a Box.' Its message goes against the use of labels for people, myself included. We need to step beyond labels and give respect to each other if we are to thrive in our community and in our political life in Pittsburgh.

Get the campaign CD and hear the song! CDs are available while on the campaign trails in single or bulk orders.

Johnsmith's other CDs of his music are going to be available for sale to those who attend the show. An artist contribution is welcome from those who attend, or those who can't attend.

Campaign contributions, payable to Mark@Rauterkus.com, for the efforts of the host, Mark Rauterkus, candidate for Pittsburgh's City Council, district 3, special election slated for March 14, 2006, are optional. More on the campaign is found at http://Elect.Rauterkus.com.

This is part rally, but more so, our event is a gathering for community that includes the creative, artistic, talented and civic leadership who find value in promoting freedom, the future and fitness of all types.

Thanks for your consideration. Hope to see you at the event, around town, or on the internet soon. Be sure to get a copy of the campaign CD even if you can't attend this community concert.

Monthly Review December 2005 Charles McCollester - Pittsburgh—The Glory and the Gutting

This is just a snip of the larger article.

Monthly Review December 2005 Charles McCollester - Pittsburgh—The Glory and the Gutting In the birthplace of American unionism, the collapse of steel has been followed by the collapse of government.

Cavalier disregard for democratic process and majority rule, the imposition of unelected authorities, and the blocking of popular participation by arrogant elites who define “freedom” as the power to rule in their own interest without restraint or restriction, these are characteristics of our age. Anti-democratic, selected-not-elected models are being developed in the heartland as well as abroad. Little noticed among the impositions of governing authorities in Iraq and Haiti and the assault on popularly elected leadership in Venezuela is the dismantling and usurpation of public authority and accountability in Pittsburgh. The banana republic comes to the rust belt.

The steel rust-belt area from Youngstown, Ohio to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, centered in Pittsburgh and strewn with once mighty but now financially broken towns like Aliquippa, Braddock, Newcastle, Steubenville, Sharon, McKees Rocks, and Duquesne, is sinking into spiritual and financial bankruptcy.

Navel Gazeing Bloggers.....

I got to this event last week, after another candidate forum. I was a bit tardy, but had lots to say with the die-hards who were still standing. J.E. and M.M. were there as were others.

Bits&Bytes:Innovation Works to add a little extra to competitors' coffers In the rare event that you missed last week's business blogging event jointly sponsored by local trade groups TiE Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Technology Council, Pittsburgh Bloggers (www.pghbloggers.org) co-founder Mike Woycheck, who moonlights as an information technology specialist at the tech council, repeated his advice for novice bloggers worried about how to promote their blog in the 'blogosphere.' Bloggers should rely on 'word of mouth,' said Woycheck, and list with directories such as his. Adding a key word or category that can be listed in such blog search engines as 'technorati.com' and 'blogsearch.google.com' also helps. Ultimately, commenting on similar or related blogs -- online Web journals for the uninitiated -- where you think your audience might be reading is an enormous boost. 'You can read blogs, watch them, create your own blog and engage others through comments,' Mr. Woycheck said.

One down, two to go.

Grand jury still investigating Murphy, DeFazio - PittsburghLIVE.com Grand jury still investigating Murphy, DeFazio

Two might be a bit conservative. The left to topple list includes the I.C.A. and Act 47 overlords, the PA House and PA Senate, and a few other power-brokers that are too high on themseves to do the work of the people and the constitution.

Invite to a house concert, Feb 2, South Side, hosted by Mark@Rauterkus.com

Hi Friends, Neighbors and Others in Black & Gold Nation!

You are invited to our home / office for a community concert that features the song, "Don't Put Me In A Box" by singer/songwriter Johnsmith on Thursday, Feb 2.

Doors open at 5:30 for the first set, a family concert and mini-presentation slated from 6 to 7 pm. The second set has doors open at 7:15 for adults and music comes from 8 to 9 pm.

Johnsmith did a concert for us last year -- and he is fantastic. The message, "Don't Put Me In a Box" is positive, respectful and aims to avoid the use of LABELS. Johnsmith has a number of great, original tunes -- Kicking the Stone (good to stress the pedestrian aspects) -- Rooks in the Castle (change is in the air).

This concert, mixer, and rally is to gather and chart our course for the special election now slated for March 14, 2006 --- Pi Day. We can win on Pi Day!

Space is limited. Please RSVP to reserve your space to the concert. We're opening our house to friends, family, students and supporters -- our treat. Artist contrubutions are welcomed. Same too with help with the campaign.

We'll be hosting more than 30 in-house TEAs and will release a complete line-up of events. soon. I hope we can mingle and talk about the city and our region very soon. But first, we want to ramp up with this evening (I know its a school night) of music on Feb 2 at our campaign headquarters, 108 South 12th Street, South Side.

You can hear Johnsmith on our campaign CD. The tune, Don't Put Me In a Box, is the third musical selection. You can get your own copy of the CD at any of the public candidate events. Check Elect.Rauterkus.com for the latest schedule.


HOT Press Releases:

Campaign Finance Reform

Penguins, Recreational Facility


Ta.

Mark Rauterkus Mark@Rauterkus.com
http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com http://Platform.For-Pgh.org
Candidate for Pittsburgh City Council, district 3, special election,
March 14, 2006
412 298 3432 = cell


PS:
Today, Jan 20, is the feast of St. Sebastian, patron of the
athlete. As you get your game face on, put a few prayers in the bank. Take a knee, think wide-right, whatever. You know the drill.

The priest mentioned St. Sebastian as he presided over the MLK day funeral of two-time Olympic medalist, 400 IMer (swimmer), Butler native, Eric Namesnik.

Pittsburgh let's choose to think again and vote for Freedom, Future, Fitness and Flow. I want to go to work on Grant Street and make kids a priority. Pittsburgh's destiny is as a place for families to live and thrive, not just survive.

Pittsburgh's Air Quality is still lagging

PennEnvironment Clean air. Clean water. Open spaces. Of the largest metropolitan areas, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania experienced the most days with spikes in fine particle pollution, recording seven exceedances on seven different days. The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area in California ranked second among the largest metropolitan areas, recording 14 exceedances on six different days.

Gmail gets a new "DELETE" button

Fantastic. There is a new feature at Gmail -- one I've been begging for for months. The DELETE button. About Gmail Now there's an easy-to-find delete button for those messages you really don�t want.
If only we could hit DELETE to a few, if not all, of the other candidates in the race for city council. :)

Speaking of Google, two weeks ago on the Ron Morris show, I called in to talk with Ron and his guest about radio and the future of media. I expressed the fact that there is an industry trend and it would be in no time at all until we saw Google selling radio ads. This Wednesday's front page article on the Wall Street Journal had such an article. Google acquired a radio ad placement company and Google is going to sell ads for radio, just as is done for bloggs and Gmail.

Diven will not face a challenge from Hillen. E. Wagner passes on a run at Fontana.

There has been some speculation about future opposition from past competitors of mine, Diven, R, and Fontana, D.

Eileen Wagner and I talked recently in the lobby of the City-County Building. She said she was not running against Wayne Fontana for PA Senate.

On the phone with Bob Hillen he said he won't run against Michael Diven in the GOP Primary for State House. Hillen said others had been asking him about this and he had never said anything about that type of challenge. Hillen is with a much tighter focus on city dealings and isn't interested in working in Harrisburg at this time.

So, let's put those rumors to rest.

Party Endorsement Process Is "Undemocratic"

No joke.

Citizens group demands open primaries, calls upon political parties to “let the voters decide.”

ANNVILLE, PA [1.19.06] - Continuing their battle to return government to Pennsylvania’s citizens, the grassroots citizens group PACleanSweep has called upon party leaders throughout the Commonwealth to refrain from endorsing candidates prior to the May 16 primary election.

"2006 will see more contested legislative races than any year in recent history," said PACleanSweep Chair Russ Diamond in an open letter to the Republican and Democratic State Committees. "Voters are demanding real choices. Party leaders who interfere in contested primaries do a disservice to their party, its members, and the spirit of a free electoral process."

PACleanSweep maintains that primary elections should be decided by the voters and not by a handful of power brokers.

"Primary elections exist to allow the party's rank and file to choose the nominee," said PACleanSweep Strategic Director Mike Bergmaier. "The party endorsement process is undemocratic as it disenfranchises the vast majority of voters."

Diamond noted that Pennsylvania's current political climate makes the case for open primaries even more compelling. Public outrage over the legislative payjacking cuts across party lines, and voters increasingly feel that political elites are out of touch with the people they represent.

Sunday's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review underscored the need for open primaries when it reported on the inexcusable conduct of a Mercer County GOP state committee member.

According to the report, Cindy Robbins said she was refusing to support gubernatorial hopeful Bill Scranton, "because Scranton publicly dissed the recent pay grab that the Legislature – including her husband [state Sen. Robert Robbins] – voted in favor of."

Robbins' out-of-touch viewpoint runs in stark contrast to public opinion and underscores the reason voters deserve open primaries where candidates face off on a level playing field.

"The people are waking up and demanding more say. They want choices and are understandably skeptical of backroom politics," said Diamond. "If party leaders meddle in primary contests, expect a backlash from the voting public."

"Pennsylvanians spend millions of dollars on primary elections, and we deserve our money’s worth," concluded Diamond.

Read the open letter...

Do you think the local Dems, given that there are nearly ten in the race for city council, could encourage them all to run as Indies and NOT offer an endorsement. That might be more democratic -- with a small "D."

Allegheny County councilman to challenge Diven for state House seat

Mr. Nerone, you need to resign NOW. You need to be off of the county council before the end of the next council meeting. Tell Fitzgerald to get you a plaque or a batch of flowers and leave. If you finish the next meeting, and you are still on the council, I'll be there to protest. And, the P-G is on my side. And, the people of Allegheny County is on this side too -- as we voted as such twice. You'll be kicking off an uphill campaign otherwise.

Allegheny County councilman to challenge Diven for state House seat Under a provision in the county's home rule charter, he will have to step down from his council seat to run for another office. He is consulting legal experts about when he must formally resign.

Running Mates -- let's think about the sale of the Penguins. We could buy it if we wanted.

Okay, just two days after my press release was hand delivered to Craig Patrick of the Penguins, we see a front page headline that the Penguins are for sale. My one friend at school said I had great vision to issue the press release when I did.

Today I mingled with a lot of bankers and investment types and put this on the table for them to consider. I re-sent them the press release with this new footnote.

Footnote and CALL made at the gathering of the Economic Club of Pittsburgh:

Today's P-G headline say Penguins are for sale. If you are interested in meeting with me to play with the concept of a purchase of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins and reform the team's ownership with a sell-off with public shares of stock similar to the ownership of the NFL's Green Bay Packers, call or email me. The penguin character, Tux, is the mascot for the open-source software LINUX. The same should be proposed for our beloved Penguins.

P-G: Penguins put up for sale: "Penguins put up for sale Lemieux says sales process 'just starting'"

Press release from Elect.Rauterkus.com

Campaign Finance Reform agena released by Mark Rauterkus to those who attended the Economic Club of Pgh event

At the Economic Club of Pittsburgh meeting in January, they do an international, national and regional forcast. The speakers are some of the top economist of our time and of the area. At this event, I released a campaign finance reform agenda and news release.

We are at the Economic Club of Pittsburgh event downtown.

part 2 -- still rolling downhill

Too many people (back to district 3 and the hilltop communities) are stuck in their homes because of the public policies of elected politicians who can only know enough to merely spoon feed ice-cream and sheet cake to seniors at community centers. The depth and scope for serious progress for Pittsburgh is found in more advanced concepts.

Making a slew of bills about absentee landlords that the police are not even going to know about, yet alone enforce, is NOT going to fix the struggles of those on the hillside communities. Enforcement isn't going to fix the over-arching problems. If we hired 20 new building inspectors, we'd only fix a few of the pimples of life for ourselves.

People are afraid to invest in their house. That is a great statement. It came from Bruce Krause last night. He can frame and issue but can't do anything else except pull tires from a hillside. So, what are the others going to do about it? They'll offer to hold hands, morning, noon and night, from start of the meeting to the end of the meeting. Then they'll pick up the shovel and dig some more. They'll work hard.

I'm different in that I want to "Lay The Shovel Down." They need to stop digging in the same hold of depression and debt. They are doing the wrong things. They want to do more of the wrong things. They are missing the big points -- the obvious -- the real fixes.

In my talk last night, I mentioned, in passing, "assessment buffering." Someone from State Senator Wayne Fontana's office was in the audience. I ran in the past against him for State Senate and gave him an earful on significant issues such as PROPERTY TAX REFORM.

Let's talk about the deed transfer tax. Let's nuke that! My brochure mentions "taxing land."

Let's talk about public housing and the number of Section 8 units per neighborhood -- but even after we get a handle on how many are in certain areas of the city, we've still not done a darn thing about the fix. You can't tear them all down because the city is broke.

People won't invest in their homes because of public policy and recent actions on Grant Street that reward people for letting the property fall into the realm of blight and punish those who fix up their homes.

People are stuck in their homes and won't consider a fix-up because Gene Ricciardi and Mayor Tom Murphy raised the deed-transfer tax. They've been going the wrong way. And, those acts are "clueless" when it comes to what is really the best behavior.

If people (from hillside to South Side, throughout District 3 and the rest of the region) want a better neighborhood and life for themselves and their kids, they should tell city council, the school board, and county council -- NO MORE TIFs. End of story.

David Matter and the Urban Development Authority -- if you can't build a building without a TIF, then don't build it.

Then, call me, I'll get you a sign for your front window. I'll get you a button for your coat or hat. Then -- elect me.

As the ninth person on city council, I won't be able to put an end to all TIFs. I've been calling for an end to all TIFs for years. However, we'll send a message. And, I won't, like Bill Peduto, play a game of 30-questions with developers and authorities.

Bill Peduto is going to think about how to vote for the TIF after he gets the answers to the 30 questions he put on the table. The TIF already got preliminary approval from the council. Sigh.

We have to take back our city by going after the real solutions. We have to have the perspectives to see what's really going on.

The big deals items are not going to be talked about by the others on the campaign trail. I'm going to talk about what really matters and people understand this.

Now to run to the swim pool.......

Shit rolls downhill and other comments about the big time stumbles from St. Clair's candidate forum

"Shit rolls downhill!" was stated on a couple of instances from a citizen as many other grumbles were expressed as the 24-year old, Green Party Candidate for city council presented at a candidate forum before a packed house in St. Clair. Jason Phillips even said, "Don't nail me to a cross here."

Jason's campaign went poof. Others to lesser degrees got cooked as well. There were a number of show stoppers to dwell upon.

All in all, it was a great night for me and my campaign as I didn't get beat up at all. People were most respectful of the stances I displayed and were opened to further discussion and exploration. Everyone in the audience was given a CD package for later listening and/or playing on their home PCs.

I'm sure Jason was suprised at the negativitity and blunt force dispair that was slung his way. For him it might have been like one of those nightmares you have when you were an adolescent and dreamed you had to take a big test in high school -- but didn't have anything on execpt a bow-tie.

To bad the writters from the tv show, The Art of News, were not there with the film crew.

But really, Jason deserved it. And, the block watch audience was very civil. They were polite. They just lit him up like a christmas tree by tossing a few switches and gave the appropriate "ohhs, and awwes."

This wasn't a total melt down by Jason, but he is now running on four flat ties in a pick-up truck with Ohio license plates. Since it rolls downhill, I'm sure he was able to drift home after last night's bar-b-q.

Blow-by-blow: First, Jason patted himself on the back for being the media star that he is. (gulp) Then he jumped into the hole he dug by taking all the credit for getting the college kids the option of voting in the booth on March 14. That went over poorly. Second, to add insult to injury, Jason framed the issue about community wide understanding of drug sales in the neighborhood. Jason has some first hand experiences as he lived on a near-by street. Upstairs in another apartment, visitors at all times of the day and night would come and go. Everyone knew they were dealing. So, Jason voted with his feet. He moved to the South Side flats apartment, lower rent. Yeah, right. Hence the name of this post.

Jason removed himself from a bad situation. But this situation is home for the people at the meeting and throughout St. Clair. Jason hit the problem square on the head of the nail -- and then punched the listeners in the gut with his solution.

It does (or did) roll downhill. Jason didn't buck up.

Jason is young. He'll live to fight another day. He might be a Jedi in the future.

The air left the room when Pat Sweeney offered a bit of voter number insights from the back of the room. The students at Pitt turned out in good numbers to cast votes for the Presidential election. But only 34 of them voted when Bob O'Connor was up in November. So, Bob O'Connor got something like 1.5 to 2 percent of the sway that John Kerry delivered over at Pitt's Towers. Jason might have some buddies in Oakland, being the media star that he his, so we hear, but given Patt's technical history of trends, we're left to think that the spring break end run might net 30 votes for Jason.

Interestingly, Pat Sweeney, an attorney with the public defender's office chimed in with the voter numbers in response from an audience question -- on behalf of the case being made with Jason. Pat defends the bad guys. Pat gets them back out on the street. Those points were not lost upon the people in the audience -- and Pat got his share of heat from the crowd too.

Mr. Sweeney is a big boy who makes a few good ethical, legal and spin-mister shots. He wins a lot of cases, I'm sure, so getting these bad guys into jail and off the streets is a whole lot harder given the attitudes and short-handedness of the police, the retired institutional knowledge that hit the force recently, and the shake-up of the zone commanders.

The citizens and the other candidates are beating up on the police because of crime and the little crimes -- like getting beat up. People don't feel safe in their homes yet alone on a walk to the neighborhood business district that isn't really there anymore.

Pat didn't win any votes from his realm as a public defender. Not in my opinion. He might have earned a few leads however. One woman said, "Hey, I might need you one day." She must have been thinking about how she would like to score a revenge on an absent land-lord or a rude renter/pusher/blight-builder. So, Pat, it is good to have you stay put in the public defenders office -- as revenge is sweet. And, with you there, getting off the hook is more probable and affordable.

Then comes the clincher of the night, when it comes to police. Bruce Kraus. Bruce, Bruce, Bruce. Yes, there are two in the race.

Bruce, so we are told, fought vo-sif-er-is-ly to keep the Zone 3 Police Station where it was three years ago. Okay. Now that parking is totally a mess (something he had a big hand in creating too) he thinks that the police station should be moved. So he's doing this flip flop on the police station because of equipment and because he remembers it being built way back in the early 60s. Bear with this as it gets better, beyond the twists in logic. The place he'd move the station to is, (drum roll please....) Mt. Oliver. Yep, we'd annex that building and put the Zone 3 police station behind that big parking lot ex supermarket location. So the city is going to acquire a piece of Mt. Oliver for the police station for Zone 3. Of course, there would be a lot of town hall meetings.

All that 'hands on vision is getting us right where we don't want to be' if you ask me.

I was floored. I stood, made a parting comment and departed. I hadn't packed a boogie board for my campaign manager to surf home upon. There was a tidal wave of deep brown stuff about to swish downhill. I was ready to hop upon my ironing board as a surf-board -- but she would have been awash in that crud of empty promises.

On top of all this, Bruce Krause, as a city council member, you can't control the mayor nor the mayor's decision to relocate a police station, yet alone a zone commander. As proof, Alan Hertzberg was on council in a district when the Zone 4 police station closed. Hertzberg didn't want that station to close. They had legal standing to keep it open as well. But, it didn't matter.

Tom Murphy, mayor, the guy who mentioned Ed Jacob name from the podium at the budget address, closed the police station. City council couldn't do squat. Same too for the story unfolding about the re-shuffling of police captains.

Some citizens groups (Lawrenceville United, Citizens in the Strip) love their captain and don't want a new one. They've made strides in recent years and don't want to turn back the clock with a shake-up and new stick-ups -- like 3 and 4 years ago.

Council folks who don't see the big picture are going to keep digging a hole for the city. We need to lay the shovel down. We need a big-picture person on council now -- as our 9th councilman.

Another question was asked to Kraus, a Ricciardi knock off question: "Will you (keep) bring(ing) ice-cream to the seniors?" Kraus said, "If that's what you want." So far, Kraus has been bringing sheet cakes. He had better get on his game. There were plenty of sweets in the room last night. The politicians were not needed to provide them. The people, themselves, did a fine job of providing for their sweet tooth.

Oh, there was more. I've not even talked about my opening. I followed the other guy with the bow tie and lit into his statement in the first breath. He had just spoken. He was WRONG, so WRONG. And, that reply I made cuts to the big issues here.

I live on the South Side. The South Side gets everything. I'm not happy. I have not been happy. Go figure.

I got to get the kids to school now.

The room was filled with skeptical people, angry at the way things have gone. They feel as if they have gotten the short end of the stick. And, they are right. I agree with their skeptical positions. I agree and stand with them in distain for situations of the present and recent past. We are not better than we were.

Where I part company with others in the field of candidates is HOW we deal with real solutions.

Case in point: The "winner take all" attitude and statement is WRONG. Case in point #2: I was the ONLY one to mention the $18-million TIF to PNC for a downtown office development.

Coverage of event in S. Pgh Reporter

: "Candidates for District 3 Council seat introduced on the Slopes
Margaret Smyka 17.JAN.06
What would you do about our enormous home heating bills? What about the tax-emempt status of non-profits? And what, exactly, has council the power to do?
Those were some of the questions residents asked the nine candidates seeking the unexpired city council seat for District 3 at last week�s �Candidates Night� at the South Sides Slopes Neighborhood Association meeting."