Brian and I. Brian is part of the committee and offers plenty of advice.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Brian McKain and I at a school event.
Brian and I. Brian is part of the committee and offers plenty of advice.
New T-shirt design
Can anyone do better? Front of the T-shirt is to look like this:
Back of T-shirt is to look like this.
Back of T-shirt is to look like this.
Another candidate forum - in Allentown - part 1
We had another candiate forum, this was in Allentown. One of the other candidates didn't show. Perhaps he has pulled out of the race. He is a D and might not want to give up the $250 to the party.
I've got a lot of notes. But, here is just a bit to get started.
All in all, the night was filled with a small audience and typical remarks from the others in the race. They seemed to avoid the big show stoppers. For example, none had the wild idea to close the Pitsburgh Zone 3 Police Station and move it to Mt. Oliver. However, the Mayor of Mt. Oliver was in the audience. Candidate Bruce Kraus had that gosh darn dosie of an idea at our previous meeting.
One of the other candidates told me, and another on the street since then said much of the same thing, the meeting on Wednesday night, open only to Democrats, was a yawn without the presence of both the Green kid and myself. We are already on the ballot and it seems, we bring more spunk to the meetings too.
In my closing remarks, I did pick upon three statements from other candidates that didn't fit well with me.
The distinctions that I bring to the office, over the others start with a real reform agenda that has been thought about and published with the Platform.For-Pgh.org. I've got a willingness to tackle the bg problems with the massive over-spending on hair-brained projects, such as the tunnel under the river to extend light-rail to the stadiums. The school district's right-sized plan is something I'm aware of and it is a major issue for the overall health of the community. Put me on the front lines of those types of battles, where the others are unaware or choose to be absent.
Besides an eagernes to tackle the big problems, I want to be the one to tackle the smallest problems too. I want to worry about the babies. I have been a stay-at-home dad and know that having a child is often a great life-changing experience. My children should be able to grow and thrive in Pittsburgh, and I run for office to help them and their buddies. I want to be the memeber of city council who is able to chair the committee devoted to Youth Policy and Citiparks.
Now, to the distinctions in what we say and how we think.
Pat Sweeney, D, said Pittsburgh needs a better deal from Harrisburg. He is driven by envy. Philly got something that Pittsburgh didn't. He wants to go lobby Harrisburg. That's not my driving motivation. I want to be self-reliant.
Bruce Kraus said that we have such diversity in the district that one size does not fit all in terms of getting or giving help from a councilmember. He claims to have traveled around this district, 1/9th the size of the city. He says he listens to the needs of everyone.
I say, "Nuts to that mentality." I say, "One size does fit all." Kraus has missed the boat in terms of any assessment of what the community needs. We have something called the Constitution. I think it fits EVERYONE quite well. We have a cloak of freedom that should be able to wash and wear from old to young and tall to stout. Jefferson, Franklin and the founding fathers had this "American way" concept understood -- and it should fit us with idealistic simplicity. You don't NEED to know all the micro needs of each demographic group if you have a rooted framework of the constitution and real freedom.
I agree with Sweeney, who I just ripped above, in that we should NOT have a legal system that is one way for the poor and another way for the rich. So, that's one size fits all. Right on Sweeney. Wrong way Kraus. Kraus doesn't want one-size fits all as he wants everyone to put their needs on his plate.
I don't want Kraus to touch my needs. Kraus wants to be a hands-on, people person -- and that's the last thing Pittsburgh needs now. Enough is enough.
Kraus might have made a decent candidate before this financial crisis hit Pittsburgh. Perhaps he would have been good as people were out of work after the mills closed in the mid 80s. People like Krause who are more worried about cake and ice cream for seniors have killed this city. They are not able to fix it with more handouts. The needs exceed the system's capacity to keep on giving. Krause will be full of empty promises and has no clue on how to fix the mess they've created here.
Then Bruce Krane comes to say he wants to have a bigger view on the job and realize that Pittsburgh is a hub of the wheel. Then he cries about the extra burden of the nonprofits. He whines that we've not gotten our fair share of taxes. He wants to talk about the big problem -- but he doesn't really talk about anything big. Its like the big problem is this big wheel and this big hub and we've got these spokes of big envy and big miss-management that can all be fixed by watching a little more cable access TV.
Come and join us on Monday night at 7 pm at City Theater for the next go-around. After that event, I'll host the RUNNING MATES for tea at the office for a de-brief. A podcast might be in our future too.
By Monday night we'll have a better handle on who is going to stay in the race and who is going to call it quits too. Krane said he'll stay in for the duration even after he doesn't get the endorsement from the Ds. So, if he can bring his big wheel to the race, he might try to keep-on-rolling Proud Mary keep on rolling for the next 6 to 8 weeks.
I do want to tackle the big issues of our time and our place.
(This rant is editied slightly since last night's blog posting.)
I've got a lot of notes. But, here is just a bit to get started.
All in all, the night was filled with a small audience and typical remarks from the others in the race. They seemed to avoid the big show stoppers. For example, none had the wild idea to close the Pitsburgh Zone 3 Police Station and move it to Mt. Oliver. However, the Mayor of Mt. Oliver was in the audience. Candidate Bruce Kraus had that gosh darn dosie of an idea at our previous meeting.
One of the other candidates told me, and another on the street since then said much of the same thing, the meeting on Wednesday night, open only to Democrats, was a yawn without the presence of both the Green kid and myself. We are already on the ballot and it seems, we bring more spunk to the meetings too.
In my closing remarks, I did pick upon three statements from other candidates that didn't fit well with me.
The distinctions that I bring to the office, over the others start with a real reform agenda that has been thought about and published with the Platform.For-Pgh.org. I've got a willingness to tackle the bg problems with the massive over-spending on hair-brained projects, such as the tunnel under the river to extend light-rail to the stadiums. The school district's right-sized plan is something I'm aware of and it is a major issue for the overall health of the community. Put me on the front lines of those types of battles, where the others are unaware or choose to be absent.
Besides an eagernes to tackle the big problems, I want to be the one to tackle the smallest problems too. I want to worry about the babies. I have been a stay-at-home dad and know that having a child is often a great life-changing experience. My children should be able to grow and thrive in Pittsburgh, and I run for office to help them and their buddies. I want to be the memeber of city council who is able to chair the committee devoted to Youth Policy and Citiparks.
Now, to the distinctions in what we say and how we think.
Pat Sweeney, D, said Pittsburgh needs a better deal from Harrisburg. He is driven by envy. Philly got something that Pittsburgh didn't. He wants to go lobby Harrisburg. That's not my driving motivation. I want to be self-reliant.
Bruce Kraus said that we have such diversity in the district that one size does not fit all in terms of getting or giving help from a councilmember. He claims to have traveled around this district, 1/9th the size of the city. He says he listens to the needs of everyone.
I say, "Nuts to that mentality." I say, "One size does fit all." Kraus has missed the boat in terms of any assessment of what the community needs. We have something called the Constitution. I think it fits EVERYONE quite well. We have a cloak of freedom that should be able to wash and wear from old to young and tall to stout. Jefferson, Franklin and the founding fathers had this "American way" concept understood -- and it should fit us with idealistic simplicity. You don't NEED to know all the micro needs of each demographic group if you have a rooted framework of the constitution and real freedom.
I agree with Sweeney, who I just ripped above, in that we should NOT have a legal system that is one way for the poor and another way for the rich. So, that's one size fits all. Right on Sweeney. Wrong way Kraus. Kraus doesn't want one-size fits all as he wants everyone to put their needs on his plate.
I don't want Kraus to touch my needs. Kraus wants to be a hands-on, people person -- and that's the last thing Pittsburgh needs now. Enough is enough.
Kraus might have made a decent candidate before this financial crisis hit Pittsburgh. Perhaps he would have been good as people were out of work after the mills closed in the mid 80s. People like Krause who are more worried about cake and ice cream for seniors have killed this city. They are not able to fix it with more handouts. The needs exceed the system's capacity to keep on giving. Krause will be full of empty promises and has no clue on how to fix the mess they've created here.
Then Bruce Krane comes to say he wants to have a bigger view on the job and realize that Pittsburgh is a hub of the wheel. Then he cries about the extra burden of the nonprofits. He whines that we've not gotten our fair share of taxes. He wants to talk about the big problem -- but he doesn't really talk about anything big. Its like the big problem is this big wheel and this big hub and we've got these spokes of big envy and big miss-management that can all be fixed by watching a little more cable access TV.
Come and join us on Monday night at 7 pm at City Theater for the next go-around. After that event, I'll host the RUNNING MATES for tea at the office for a de-brief. A podcast might be in our future too.
By Monday night we'll have a better handle on who is going to stay in the race and who is going to call it quits too. Krane said he'll stay in for the duration even after he doesn't get the endorsement from the Ds. So, if he can bring his big wheel to the race, he might try to keep-on-rolling Proud Mary keep on rolling for the next 6 to 8 weeks.
I do want to tackle the big issues of our time and our place.
(This rant is editied slightly since last night's blog posting.)
Candidate forum in Allentown - part 2
At the candidate forum, a question came to all the candidates about the closing of the Knoxville school.
Knoxville Middle School is slated to close under the "right-sizing plan" of Mark Roosevelt, new superintendent of Pgh Public Schools. Knoxville should NOT close. But, to say otherwise is to just dream on.
I went to the Pgh Public School board meetings in the past months and have showed a lot of interest in this serious issue. The others in the race have been absent. Education has many elements that are important to our city's future. Many of our citizens move out of the city because of the schools. The school budget is larger than that of city government. The school taxes are larger than city taxes.
The school board is not off the hook for the tax breaks to corporations either. Just the day before, the school board approved the tax break for PNC Plaza, a downtown building. That project gets a $18-million TIF (tax break). That is wrong as it takes money from the school programs and gives it to PNC, the biggest bank in the state. And, PNC already got a $30-million grant from PA. (More of our money too.)
And, at the same time, the Pgh School Board approved the TIF for Second Avenue. The miss-managed city leaders want to put up new parking garages on Second Ave business park -- and ignore the established neighborhoods.
These two TIFs were not reported in the newspaper. People have to know what's going on. The big projects drain a lot of money and then there isn't enough left over to pay for crossing guards, rehab a school or pay for buses for high school students. We need to Lay The Shovel Down. But it is frustrating when they don't even see the hole that is being stepped into. Splat.
First, Knoxville is a nice school building. It is in a community that is on the edge. The building has a swim pool, great auditorium, a new playground. The performance of the students at Knoxville is about equal to the performance at the school they are headed to under the right-size plan. So, the kids get yanked from one school to another and there isn't really any upside to those kids. They are not going to go to an academy or get a 'better' opportunity.
But, the district needs to make some drastic changes, so the leaders feel. And, this is one such change.
Jake Wheatley, D, state rep, hosted a meeting at Knoxville with Mr. Roosevelt. I don't think Jake Wheatley really cares about the issues. I've called him six or more times. He is too busy to care about the kids and the students and the buildings to get back to me.
B-Pep is going some good things with a counter approach to the school. I've been to their meetings and have had behind the scenes conversations with them. I'd put more faith in B-Pep than anyone else, if I'm from the Knoxville area and wanted to raise my voice.
A-Plus Schools is a joke. Sorry to say, they are hopeless and not worth much in this struggle.
Rather, than asking for Knoxville to stay open, I'd suggest that the school become the new CAPA Middle School Magnet for the Performing Arts. Rodgers is moving from its present location in the far east end. Rodgers should move into the Knoxville Middle School.
If we are going to turn around our city, we need to do it with plenty of attention to education. The schools matter greatly. How we treat our kids matters greatly. But we can't be just keeping all the schools open just for the heck of it either.
I talked about some other problems and challenges to the right sized plan from the podium. I ranted about some of them on this blog the other day.
The Pgh Public School Board Building in Oakland should be sold. The administration office should then move to Langley High School. The administration offices in Connelley should be moved to Langley High School as well. Meanwhile, Langley High School students and teachers should be relocated to Greenway Middle School.
Greenway has ball fields. Greenway has a much better swim pool. Greenway is closer to those on the South Side too. Greenway is easy to get to from buses, both upper and lower. Greenway is okay to walk to if you are a high school student, but not so good for the younger ones.
A K-8 school should re-open in Chartiers. The building has been through an extensive re-do. That would be a great place.
Schenley High School should stay, with a one-year move to allow for a modest re-do. The students at Schenley could move to South Vo Tech, right near me, and Connelley if necessary.
If Schenley can't fit in South Vo Tech for one year, then the school should not have any freshmen in the year that it moves to the other alternative location. That class won't exist.
The rehab of Schenley, modest rehab, can be done in one year without the students there. Carrick had a major re-do, and the students where there throughout. The costs can be lower to have the work done without the students present.
We need to take South Vo Tech off of the for-sale list ASAP.
After Schenley re-opens, South Vo Tech should get its facelift. Then Phillips School can turn into a Pre-school and K. And South can turn into a K-8 school.
If there is a possibility of thousands of new residents at Station Square with the new developments -- a new urban development no less -- then we need a school for these folks to walk to with their kids. And, the new urban teachers and parents might like to send their kids to Knoxville too -- as a performing arts school as well. That is just up the hill from the new development (proposed).
Somebody needs a big view. I might as well start yapping about it as I don't see the tinkering from the Pgh Public School administators as I had hoped and written about months ago.
Knoxville Middle School is slated to close under the "right-sizing plan" of Mark Roosevelt, new superintendent of Pgh Public Schools. Knoxville should NOT close. But, to say otherwise is to just dream on.
I went to the Pgh Public School board meetings in the past months and have showed a lot of interest in this serious issue. The others in the race have been absent. Education has many elements that are important to our city's future. Many of our citizens move out of the city because of the schools. The school budget is larger than that of city government. The school taxes are larger than city taxes.
The school board is not off the hook for the tax breaks to corporations either. Just the day before, the school board approved the tax break for PNC Plaza, a downtown building. That project gets a $18-million TIF (tax break). That is wrong as it takes money from the school programs and gives it to PNC, the biggest bank in the state. And, PNC already got a $30-million grant from PA. (More of our money too.)
And, at the same time, the Pgh School Board approved the TIF for Second Avenue. The miss-managed city leaders want to put up new parking garages on Second Ave business park -- and ignore the established neighborhoods.
These two TIFs were not reported in the newspaper. People have to know what's going on. The big projects drain a lot of money and then there isn't enough left over to pay for crossing guards, rehab a school or pay for buses for high school students. We need to Lay The Shovel Down. But it is frustrating when they don't even see the hole that is being stepped into. Splat.
First, Knoxville is a nice school building. It is in a community that is on the edge. The building has a swim pool, great auditorium, a new playground. The performance of the students at Knoxville is about equal to the performance at the school they are headed to under the right-size plan. So, the kids get yanked from one school to another and there isn't really any upside to those kids. They are not going to go to an academy or get a 'better' opportunity.
But, the district needs to make some drastic changes, so the leaders feel. And, this is one such change.
Jake Wheatley, D, state rep, hosted a meeting at Knoxville with Mr. Roosevelt. I don't think Jake Wheatley really cares about the issues. I've called him six or more times. He is too busy to care about the kids and the students and the buildings to get back to me.
B-Pep is going some good things with a counter approach to the school. I've been to their meetings and have had behind the scenes conversations with them. I'd put more faith in B-Pep than anyone else, if I'm from the Knoxville area and wanted to raise my voice.
A-Plus Schools is a joke. Sorry to say, they are hopeless and not worth much in this struggle.
Rather, than asking for Knoxville to stay open, I'd suggest that the school become the new CAPA Middle School Magnet for the Performing Arts. Rodgers is moving from its present location in the far east end. Rodgers should move into the Knoxville Middle School.
If we are going to turn around our city, we need to do it with plenty of attention to education. The schools matter greatly. How we treat our kids matters greatly. But we can't be just keeping all the schools open just for the heck of it either.
I talked about some other problems and challenges to the right sized plan from the podium. I ranted about some of them on this blog the other day.
The Pgh Public School Board Building in Oakland should be sold. The administration office should then move to Langley High School. The administration offices in Connelley should be moved to Langley High School as well. Meanwhile, Langley High School students and teachers should be relocated to Greenway Middle School.
Greenway has ball fields. Greenway has a much better swim pool. Greenway is closer to those on the South Side too. Greenway is easy to get to from buses, both upper and lower. Greenway is okay to walk to if you are a high school student, but not so good for the younger ones.
A K-8 school should re-open in Chartiers. The building has been through an extensive re-do. That would be a great place.
Schenley High School should stay, with a one-year move to allow for a modest re-do. The students at Schenley could move to South Vo Tech, right near me, and Connelley if necessary.
If Schenley can't fit in South Vo Tech for one year, then the school should not have any freshmen in the year that it moves to the other alternative location. That class won't exist.
The rehab of Schenley, modest rehab, can be done in one year without the students there. Carrick had a major re-do, and the students where there throughout. The costs can be lower to have the work done without the students present.
We need to take South Vo Tech off of the for-sale list ASAP.
After Schenley re-opens, South Vo Tech should get its facelift. Then Phillips School can turn into a Pre-school and K. And South can turn into a K-8 school.
If there is a possibility of thousands of new residents at Station Square with the new developments -- a new urban development no less -- then we need a school for these folks to walk to with their kids. And, the new urban teachers and parents might like to send their kids to Knoxville too -- as a performing arts school as well. That is just up the hill from the new development (proposed).
Somebody needs a big view. I might as well start yapping about it as I don't see the tinkering from the Pgh Public School administators as I had hoped and written about months ago.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Panel says let County Council members stay while running
Panel says let County Council members stay while running Allegheny County Council members shouldn't have to resign from their seats if they run for higher office.
WRONG!
This gets my blood to a boil rather quickly.
The charter, now in its sixth year of existence, instructs council members to step down before becoming candidates for other offices, and the review commission's members have already agreed that voters should be given a chance to do away with that provision.
Voters already had TWO chances to do away with the provision. Both times, the voters said that they like this law in the county charter. The politicians don't like the law. But, the voters like it. I like it too.
"It doesn't serve any good government purpose," Don Linzer, commission chairman, said before yesterday's public meeting.
Who is Don Linzer?
This provision has many great reasons for being. It should continue because county council should not be a stepping stone to other offices. It should continue because county council was never meant to be a full-time job. It should continue because when one runs for other office, while being on county council, then the work of the people can't get done as it should. It should continue because we've had enough with corruption around here. It should continue because it is less drastic than term limits. It should continue because great candidates don't want to run against machine politicians for races and we get poorer, tainted, representation in other offices upstream. This law forces a more even election among citizen contestants.
The commission's final report, which will address a wide range of issues, won't be completed until mid-February. They might need to think again.
At least four, not as many as four of council's 15 members may run for seats in the state Legislature this year. While they won't benefit from a change to the charter -- they will all ignore what the charter says and run as candidates and not resign. They'll all hold out and trash the law. They'll all kick off their campaign with a big fat cloud over their races. I hope to be proven wrong. An ethical candidate for another office would resign from council as soon as he or she starts to raise money for another office.
Fitzgerald said: "To me, it's a no-brainer," he said. "It stabilizes the institution." NO WAY. Fitzgerald wants stability for the politician. Fitzgerald wants to greese the pipeline from one office to the next. This measure is not about stability. This is about reversing the flow and putting it into a favorable direction for the people.
When a council member steps down, remaining members must appoint someone to fill that seat until the next election. That, Mr. Fitzgerald argues, temporarily disenfranchises the voters. The disenfranchised part comes because the member of council makes it so. If you are going to run for state office -- don't get elected to county council. If you want to run for county council, stay until your term is finished. If you want to QUIT your elected post -- you just screwed the voters.
If a person quits before his or her term is finished, then that term should NOT be filled until the next election. Then a special election can occur. The appointment of a member by the others on council is another slap in the face to our democracy. The other members of council -- who don't live in that area of the county -- get to make a decision for the residents that should not be theirs to make.
You don't need a warm body to fill the seat. There is no real constituent services that is being done by such a part-time person without staffing and without a budget.
Fitzgerald argues that state legislators insisted on including the provision in the county's charter to make it harder for council members to run against them. -- Ha, ha, ha. He's joking right? The state reps, some 10 of them who really care, are worth 10 votes. There were tens of thousands who voted for this element in the charter. The people have spoken on this issue -- not the state reps.
Fitzgerald -- we'll do better than an incumbency protection plan -- with a term limit then. The clean sweep can go to county council too if you whine such foolishness for your cronies.
Rich Nerone, Bill Robinson, Eileen Watt, and C.L. Jabbour all need to QUIT their seats on council NOW.
The charter is NOT vague at all. John Mascio, council's chief clerk, is being a kiss-butt if he thinks otherwise. It is clear -- but council members don't want clarity. They want a loophole. He thinks they don't have to leave their seats until the withdrawal deadline passes -- but he is making up fiction. The charter says when they are a candidate, not when the deadline passes.
The county solicitor's legal opinion is not needed when the charter is so clear. Common sense and 3rd graders can tell what's what and who's stroking who with this news and its coverage.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Halting the growth of state government -- letter sent
To: Representative Harry Readshaw
Irvis Office Building, Room 122
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020
Dear Representative Readshaw,
The PA House of Representatives is now considering several bills that will cap spending and help to limit the growth of government.
Pennsylvania posted one of the highest rates of spending in the 1990s, but nonetheless ranks 45th in the nation when it comes to job growth and 47th in personal income growth. Big government has certainly not led to economic prosperity in Pennsylvania!
HB 2082 is a sound proposal to begin to slow the growth of government in our state. This bill offers good options to cap spending and keep taxes low for individuals and businesses. I believe the House of Representatives needs to follow the Senate's example and pass this bill as soon as possible.
Government should grow no faster than the rate of inflation or the average change in personal income for Pennsylvania citizens for the previous three years. Any budget surpluses should be returned to taxpayers in the form of tax cuts and placed in a rainy day fund. If the rainy day fund exceeds 7.5 percent of the General Fund, then the entire surplus should go back to taxpayers.
I also ask that you support a constitutional version of HB 2082. Two bills, SB 884 or HB 2067, will provide constitutional protections for taxpayers so that some future General Assembly cannot simply vote away spending limits. I ask that you support either of these bills.
Please support HB 2082 and a constitutional version of this bill. They are vital for our state's future economic growth and prosperity.
Sincerely,
Irvis Office Building, Room 122
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020
Dear Representative Readshaw,
The PA House of Representatives is now considering several bills that will cap spending and help to limit the growth of government.
Pennsylvania posted one of the highest rates of spending in the 1990s, but nonetheless ranks 45th in the nation when it comes to job growth and 47th in personal income growth. Big government has certainly not led to economic prosperity in Pennsylvania!
HB 2082 is a sound proposal to begin to slow the growth of government in our state. This bill offers good options to cap spending and keep taxes low for individuals and businesses. I believe the House of Representatives needs to follow the Senate's example and pass this bill as soon as possible.
Government should grow no faster than the rate of inflation or the average change in personal income for Pennsylvania citizens for the previous three years. Any budget surpluses should be returned to taxpayers in the form of tax cuts and placed in a rainy day fund. If the rainy day fund exceeds 7.5 percent of the General Fund, then the entire surplus should go back to taxpayers.
I also ask that you support a constitutional version of HB 2082. Two bills, SB 884 or HB 2067, will provide constitutional protections for taxpayers so that some future General Assembly cannot simply vote away spending limits. I ask that you support either of these bills.
Please support HB 2082 and a constitutional version of this bill. They are vital for our state's future economic growth and prosperity.
Sincerely,
Running Mates -- who wants to go to Harrisburg
Here is a nice call to action from the league of young voters. I went to their meeting, for a bit, last night at the Union Project.
Protect Every Pennsylvanian's Right To Vote!
Come to Harrisburg on Feb. 1st and Voice Your Opposition to H.B. 1318
House Bill 1318 would require all Pennsylvanian's to present ID every time they vote instead of the current law which only requires this for first time voters.
This bill would disenfranchise an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 voters who do not have any ID including senior citizens and the poor.
If you forget your ID, your vote will not be counted until you present your ID to election officials.
The National Commission on Election Reform found that there is NO evidence that the fraud which voter ID REQUIREMENTS SEEK to address is even prevalent in the U.S.
House Bill 1318 if amended, would remove the right to vote from felons released from prison who are still on probation or parole.
Current Pennsylvania law allows individuals who have been convicted of felonies to vote while they are on probation or parole. In fact, in some states voting is considered such a basic American right that a person can not lose the right to vote even while in prison.
Disenfranchisement would affect thousands of Pennsylvanians and selectively impact African-American and Latino men.
Criminologists agree that the most successfully rehabilitated former prisoners are those who rekindle their sense of civic responsibility and become active, productive members of their community.
Join us in Harrisburg on February 1st and tell your Legislator to VOTE NO ON HB 1318!
Buses leave Wednesday 2/1/06 from: The Hill House, 1835 Centre Ave in the Hill District @ 5:30am & Allegheny County ACORN, 5907 Penn Ave. in East Liberty @ 6am
Buses return Wednesday 2/1/06 at 10pm
For more info contact: Western PA Voter Coalition (see comments for more info)
Schools and journalist and school newspapers
The Connecticut Post Online - News School journalism hits safety roadblockThis is wrong.
Students' names removed for protection
GREG SHULAS gshulas@ctpost.com
Student journalist Peter Wiley finds it rewarding when he sees his byline atop articles he writes for The Advocate, the award-winning newspaper at Jonathan Law High School in Milford.
So when Wiley, the publication's editor in chief, learned that a school security policy forbids him from using his or any other student's full name on the newspaper's Web site, he was a little discouraged....
Jonathan Law High School officials won't let student journalists use their full names on the school newspaper's website. J-prof Jerry Dunklee questions the policy, saying that identifying a reporter as simply "John S." could cause readers to make inaccurate assumptions about who has written a story. "This raises a whole series of questions. There should be no objection to a full byline on a story. In every school, there could be more than one John S. or Suzy Q. You don't know who to give credit to or to attribute responsibility."
We have some issues brewing with local school coverage too.
I endorse the concept of a monthly school newspaper, if not on a more regular basis, at every school (beyond the high school) with regular deadlines, budgets and printing contracts.
Too many of our schools don't have newspapers. The kids need to be able to be good writers of the news yet alone great consumers of news from many sources. And, the powers that be may want to see that the newspapers do NOT come out.
The School District's central administration should be able to establish a relationship with printers so as to take the electronic files of the newspapers and have them printed within a day or two, for every student, teacher, staffer, and community member around the school who wants a copy of the newspaper (paid mailing subscription of course, also via the central administration).
I'm on the ballot -- as papers have been turned into various offices
Today, I went to the Department of Elections and City Clerk's office to file the necessary papers to get onto the ballot on March 14, 2006.
Meeting on HIV with a school board member slated
HIV / AIDS is still a major health problem in the United States.
Fact: Minority Youth are one of the groups at highest risk.
Fact: Education is key to prevention.
So, what is the Pittsburgh Public School system doing to educate our minority youth population about HIV / AIDS?
Find out at the February Gertrude Stein Political Club of Greater Pittsburgh Meeting. Patrick Dowd and Thomas Sumpter, Pittsburgh Public School Board Members will be speaking.
The meeting is Thursday, February 9th at 7:00 p.m. at United Cerebral Palsy Association of Pittsburgh (4925 Centre Avenue).
For more information on the Gertrude Stein Political Club of Greater Pittsburgh visit our Web page at www.gertrudesteinclub.org.
Development taking flight near Pittsburgh International Airport
This is funny in light of my campaign theme song, "Lay the Shovel Down."
Did you get a copy of the CD? Get one. See me. Sponsor 100 and give them out yourself.
Did you get a copy of the CD? Get one. See me. Sponsor 100 and give them out yourself.
Development taking flight near Pittsburgh International Airport A simulated ground-breaking ceremony inside the Findlay Municipal Building -- they hauled in the dirt -- kicked off development of the 240-acre Clinton Commerce Park.
My statement before Pgh City Council @ No TIFs (again) and real help from PNC
My name is Mark Rauterkus. My family and I reside at 108 South 12th Street, South Side of Pittsburgh. I am a candidate for the now open seat for city council, district 3. That special election is slated for March 14, 2006.Five years ago, I didn't like our great city's propensity of giving away large sums of land and money to corporations and non-profits. Mayor Murphy's economic plans were a sure-fire pathway to a large economic crisis.
Five years ago, I ran for Mayor. I said then, "NO TIFs." TIFs, as you all know, are Tax Incremental Fiance plans, corporate welfare, and tax breaks. The practice of TIFs should be abolished.
I said NO TIFs in 2000. I stand by the same statements today.
Last year, I ran for State Senate and a part of my plan was to change the law in Harrisburg to prohibit TIFs.
I've gone on the record with the county and the school district, speaking against the TIFs at places such as Deer Creek Crossing.
The PNC Plaza TIF should NOT be approved. I don't like TIFs because they do not work. Lazarus and Lord & Tayor are proof enough. We need to stop the bribes to get people to move or expand in the city.
We are on EMPTY. The city does not have the money.
A $30-million grant was aready given to PNC from the state. Harrisburg money is my money as well. Plus, local sources already built PNC Firstside a new T-stop and a new parking authority garage. They are under utilized. PNC knows how to play you like a fiddle.
I sing a different tune. I conduct my campaigns without money from gambling interests, developers who want to make speculations and engineering firms expecting kick-backs.
Presently, our school district is running into serious money troubles. Schenley High School -- a high performing school with a great mix of kids and academics -- is in an old building, laced with asbestos.
I'd rather take the $18 million and re-do Schenley High School -- now -- for our kids that are here. Don't rob from them.
The TIF takes money from some and gives it to others. Have everyone pay their fair share. Furthermore, TIFs hurt competition. Others won't want to move, build nor expand here because the playing field is not level. We need to cater to those who want to compete and perform. We need to be self-reliant.
If PNC wants to help the local landscape -- let's talk about Campaign Finance Reform.
Last week, my campaign issued a statement about campaign finance reform. I am interested in putting my campaign funds into a new type of TRANSPARENT PAC account. The financial institutions, such as PNC, are needed to establish this type of account so that everyone, using the internet, can see where and when public transactions are coming from and going to for races for public offices.
PNC, this is where you are needed.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Think Again! -- and again, and again! Like the song says.
The song says it well, Think Again. Now the research says it happens frequently.
Democrats and Republicans Both Adept at Ignoring Facts, Study Finds - Yahoo! News Democrats and Republicans alike are adept at making decisions without letting the facts get in the way, a new study shows.
And they get quite a rush from ignoring information that's contrary to their point of view.
Researchers asked staunch party members from both sides to evaluate information that threatened their preferred candidate prior to the 2004 Presidential election. The subjects' brains were monitored while they pondered.
The results were announced today.
'We did not see any increased activation of the parts of the brain normally engaged during reasoning,' said Drew Westen, director of clinical psychology at Emory University. 'What we saw instead was a network of emotion circuits lighting up, including circuits hypothesized to be involved in regulating emotion, and circuits known to be involved in resolving conflicts.'
Bias on both sides
The test subjects on both sides of the political aisle reached totally biased conclusions by ignoring information that could not rationally be discounted, Westen and his colleagues say.
Then, with their minds made up, brain activity ceased in the areas that deal with negative emotions such as disgust. But activity spiked in the circuits involved in reward, a response similar to what addicts experience when they get a fix, Westen explained.
The study points to a total lack of reason in political decision-making.
SI.com - NFL - Pa. student humiliated over Broncos jersey - Tuesday January 24, 2006 12:30AM
Let's talk about the Sports Illustrated jinx. We have a rule -- a darn good one too -- that you should not wear any clothing to school that has writting on it. I wish my kids did this always, but they don't. Oh well.
SI.com - NFL - Pa. student humiliated over Broncos jersey - Tuesday January 24, 2006 12:30AM Vannoy was wearing a No. 7 Broncos jersey on Friday, because he is a fan of John Elway, the Broncos' retired Hall of Fame quarterback.In other news, there is now a push from a few to put a new uniform code into the schools. It calls for one day a week, Fridays, to be a "dress-up day" with good clothes. Not dress down, but dress up.
Vannoy said he was so unnerved he left at least 20 questions blank on the 60-question test, and just wants out of Kelly's class because he's afraid the teacher won't treat him fairly now that the story reached the media.
Democracy For America Training Academy Schedule
Democracy For America In 2004 Democracy For America, in partnership with Latinos For America and 21st Century Democrats, embarked on an ambitious goal to train thousands of grassroots activists for the upcoming elections.
An event is slated for Philly, another for Columbus, Ohio.
Final recap on the St. Clair event of last week
When I took the floor, I spoke after Bruce Krane. A question had just been raised from the audience to the prior speaker about the election specifics, being a Democrat, who could vote for whom and technical details. The answer from Krane included the mentions, "Do or die. One-shot deal. Game over."
I said, "My name is Mark Rauterkus and what was just said was wrong." I went right into the reply from Krane and how it was so at odds with what I stood for and with what the community was about.
This election on March 14, 2006, is to fill the un-expired term. Next year in the spring there will be another primary election where the one who holds the seat might not even get the endorsement of any party and could be a lame duck. Then in the general election that happens in the fall of 2007, that person could be packing.
The election this community faces on March 14, 2006, is for a short period of time. Game over my eye.
Furthermore, that attitude mentioned by Krane is just like the attitude that was often -- if not ALWAYS -- on display from our former Mayor, Tom Murphy. Tom Murphy thought he held all the chips. Murphy kept all the power and to hell with the rest of the people. It was Tom Murphy's boneheaded attitude that drove me to run for office starting in 2000 for the 2001 primary against him. He was bad for the City of Pittsburgh. His attitude was something we didn't need.
My heart fell to the floor when I heard another in the race start to spout the same B.S. -- stuff that I would have expected from Murphy.
I'm here for the long-haul, as are the good people of Pittsburgh who have weathered some serious storms in the past decades. I'm not going to go away -- and neither are they. Sure, one day we'll all be worm feed, but until then -- count me in as a foot soldier in the good fight and struggles for democracy, freedom and the less fortunate.
This city is too small to be so full of oneself to think that the others don't matter. We are a village and the nay-sayers matter. I'm a nay-sayer to what has gone on around here in the past. I'm a reform minded candidate who is unlike those others who have put the city into debt and oversight status.
I went on in the presentation, in just 3 minutes, to say why I ran for office in 2001 and 2005. We need to raise the discussions to talk about assessment buffering, the botched re-assessment process, the unified tax policy put forth by Bob O'Connor that tossed the baby out with the bathwater. Pittsburgh's legacy is about affordable housing, and that legacy is ending. We are not having a housing boom -- except in blight. We are seeing the effects of poor housing policies, poor taxes (like the deed-transfer tax), and poor management of available resources so as to over-spend, over-reach on foolishness.
I spoke about TIFs that night a bit too.
These times call for serious individuals to take a stand of serious duty.
Today I got to talk, already, with three of the other candidates in the race. While on Grant Street, I poked my head in to check out the ball and chain that is around the ankle of fellow candidate, public sector guy, Ed Jacob. He and I both worried about the lack of discussion on issues of subsidence. But our agreement ended there.
He is worried about the list of the 50 top wage earners in the city and how they are mostly firefighters and policemen. He has a little list of the names cut from the newspaper. The difference between what those 50 are getting paid contrasted to the amount that they should be getting paid ads up to what, exactly, I put to him.
I'll do a bit of the math for you Ed. If they (50 top wage earners in the city) all make $10,000 more than what they are worth -- that's $500,000 per year.
Frankly, I want a highly paid police force that is less vulnerable to corruption. Perhaps if the prison guards were making more they'd be far less inclinded to put the job on the line to push for tricks or drugs. But that is another matter.
Meanwhile, I'm worried about big issues, but of another category. How does the city pay PNC Plaza with a TIF for $18-million. Plus PNC got $30-million from Gov. Ed Rendell, D. That's our money too. I'm mad about that and none of the other candidates, hint to Ed, is talking about those outlandish give-a-ways.
The $30-million from Harrisburg is still my money. Coupled with the $18-million from city sources, I'll do the math for you, we get $48-million. That's 100-times greater than the pimple of a problem of paying top dollar for firefighters and police.
But Ed said that the $18-million was to be paid out over 30-years, so it isn't much of a big deal. First off, the TIFs are not that long. And, he didn't have a come-back as to the proportion of the momumental crisis that is being ignored by them.
We can't put people into public office now if they can't see the big picture. And, if you sit at a desk for 8 hours a day, plus go to community meetings from start to finish, you still might never see the big picture.
Ed told me that I would "not want to hear his analysis" about being a candidate for the special election in a heavy D area. He thinks only a D can win the council seat. He thinks that the D who wins the seat is going to be the the D who wins party endorsement. I counter and say I hear him fine. But, the race is going to be about tiny issues UNLESS I'm in the fray. The conversation is about envy and neighborhood power and buddy-loyalty in the D camp, and that's about the best the Ds can deliver. We can fix that conversation's tone and topic points, after some of the Ds break ranks and support others from outside the party, should the wrong folks get the party's backing.
So, who wants to talk about 'big-issues?' I had just been to city council to give a 3-minute talk on TIFs and the PNC Plaza. I would not support any TIF while on council. I'll post that testimony soon.
I said, "My name is Mark Rauterkus and what was just said was wrong." I went right into the reply from Krane and how it was so at odds with what I stood for and with what the community was about.
This election on March 14, 2006, is to fill the un-expired term. Next year in the spring there will be another primary election where the one who holds the seat might not even get the endorsement of any party and could be a lame duck. Then in the general election that happens in the fall of 2007, that person could be packing.
The election this community faces on March 14, 2006, is for a short period of time. Game over my eye.
Furthermore, that attitude mentioned by Krane is just like the attitude that was often -- if not ALWAYS -- on display from our former Mayor, Tom Murphy. Tom Murphy thought he held all the chips. Murphy kept all the power and to hell with the rest of the people. It was Tom Murphy's boneheaded attitude that drove me to run for office starting in 2000 for the 2001 primary against him. He was bad for the City of Pittsburgh. His attitude was something we didn't need.
My heart fell to the floor when I heard another in the race start to spout the same B.S. -- stuff that I would have expected from Murphy.
I'm here for the long-haul, as are the good people of Pittsburgh who have weathered some serious storms in the past decades. I'm not going to go away -- and neither are they. Sure, one day we'll all be worm feed, but until then -- count me in as a foot soldier in the good fight and struggles for democracy, freedom and the less fortunate.
This city is too small to be so full of oneself to think that the others don't matter. We are a village and the nay-sayers matter. I'm a nay-sayer to what has gone on around here in the past. I'm a reform minded candidate who is unlike those others who have put the city into debt and oversight status.
I went on in the presentation, in just 3 minutes, to say why I ran for office in 2001 and 2005. We need to raise the discussions to talk about assessment buffering, the botched re-assessment process, the unified tax policy put forth by Bob O'Connor that tossed the baby out with the bathwater. Pittsburgh's legacy is about affordable housing, and that legacy is ending. We are not having a housing boom -- except in blight. We are seeing the effects of poor housing policies, poor taxes (like the deed-transfer tax), and poor management of available resources so as to over-spend, over-reach on foolishness.
I spoke about TIFs that night a bit too.
These times call for serious individuals to take a stand of serious duty.
Today I got to talk, already, with three of the other candidates in the race. While on Grant Street, I poked my head in to check out the ball and chain that is around the ankle of fellow candidate, public sector guy, Ed Jacob. He and I both worried about the lack of discussion on issues of subsidence. But our agreement ended there.
He is worried about the list of the 50 top wage earners in the city and how they are mostly firefighters and policemen. He has a little list of the names cut from the newspaper. The difference between what those 50 are getting paid contrasted to the amount that they should be getting paid ads up to what, exactly, I put to him.
I'll do a bit of the math for you Ed. If they (50 top wage earners in the city) all make $10,000 more than what they are worth -- that's $500,000 per year.
Frankly, I want a highly paid police force that is less vulnerable to corruption. Perhaps if the prison guards were making more they'd be far less inclinded to put the job on the line to push for tricks or drugs. But that is another matter.
Meanwhile, I'm worried about big issues, but of another category. How does the city pay PNC Plaza with a TIF for $18-million. Plus PNC got $30-million from Gov. Ed Rendell, D. That's our money too. I'm mad about that and none of the other candidates, hint to Ed, is talking about those outlandish give-a-ways.
The $30-million from Harrisburg is still my money. Coupled with the $18-million from city sources, I'll do the math for you, we get $48-million. That's 100-times greater than the pimple of a problem of paying top dollar for firefighters and police.
But Ed said that the $18-million was to be paid out over 30-years, so it isn't much of a big deal. First off, the TIFs are not that long. And, he didn't have a come-back as to the proportion of the momumental crisis that is being ignored by them.
We can't put people into public office now if they can't see the big picture. And, if you sit at a desk for 8 hours a day, plus go to community meetings from start to finish, you still might never see the big picture.
Ed told me that I would "not want to hear his analysis" about being a candidate for the special election in a heavy D area. He thinks only a D can win the council seat. He thinks that the D who wins the seat is going to be the the D who wins party endorsement. I counter and say I hear him fine. But, the race is going to be about tiny issues UNLESS I'm in the fray. The conversation is about envy and neighborhood power and buddy-loyalty in the D camp, and that's about the best the Ds can deliver. We can fix that conversation's tone and topic points, after some of the Ds break ranks and support others from outside the party, should the wrong folks get the party's backing.
So, who wants to talk about 'big-issues?' I had just been to city council to give a 3-minute talk on TIFs and the PNC Plaza. I would not support any TIF while on council. I'll post that testimony soon.
Coverage in the South Pgh Reporter about the event in St. Clair
The next speaker, Mr. Rauterkus, ran for mayor in 2001. While he wasn't elected, he said he learned a lot and fought a lot of good fights.
He opposes any corporate welfare, such as the proposed $18 million in tax increment financing, or TIF, for a PNC Financial Services Group tower in downtown Pittsburgh.
If elected, he would be fiscally prudent, accountable, and beholden to only one special interest group: residents.
The coverage is okay except one point, at the very end.
Bruce Kraus said he'd move the Zone 3 Police station to Mt. Oliver, outside of the city. This was mentioned in the blog the night it was mentioned. The newspaper didn't seem to report that stinker of an idea. OMG, I still can't even fathom that statement, yet alone the character in the race.
Point State Park makeover starts with utilities, irrigation
This makeover of Point State Park leaves a lot to be desired. I don't like it. It is NOT good enough. If fails any "WOW" test too. The mainstage is going away. Gone. They are going to plant trees in its place. So, there will be no place for a temporary stage as they imply.
The one's in power do not want to gather the citizens, unless they have luxery boxes and the citizens are put in stadiums with seat licenses. Even the school district calls off an important meeting at an important time, right before the vote on the Right-Sizing plan. They don't want US to gather. Wasn't there something in the past about the right to assemble and free assocation??? (snicker)
You can't assocate if you have to first erect a temporary stage.
The mainstage in Point State Park is the only location in the region that allows us to gather as a city and fit 100,000 people. The Steeler celebrations should be at The Point -- and not at my front door steps. The ticker-tape parade should be at The Point -- with close contact to the stadiums.
The front end of Point State Park is not an ideal place for a major gathering. The people won't fit. The whole experience of looking to the west at the fountain and the historic view down the Ohio will be diminished.
The mainstage also plays to Mt. Washington.
Point State Park has been a less than ideal opportunity. But, it has stayed a park for the people, the common, the masses. Next they want to make the park into something for the elite who never want to rub shoulders with the masses on the Fourth of July.
Another age-old sticking point about Point State Park is the bike policy. I can't go there and teach my kid to ride a bike. The park can be empty -- but mount a bike and the police jump on you. They'd rather you toss red dye into the fountain than teach a city kid how to ride a bike inside of Point State Park.
In the end, it boils down to people who don't know what they're really doing in elected office. And, then you have these engineering firms who lead the politicians around by the nose.
Don't worry -- we'll have more 'green space' in Market Square, so said Bob O'Connor. I agree with Patricia L of the P-G. Market Square isn't broken. Many of the smaller, neighborhood parks are totally ignored. Upkeep is absent. So, greening Market Square isn't where I'd put the priorities.
The one's in power do not want to gather the citizens, unless they have luxery boxes and the citizens are put in stadiums with seat licenses. Even the school district calls off an important meeting at an important time, right before the vote on the Right-Sizing plan. They don't want US to gather. Wasn't there something in the past about the right to assemble and free assocation??? (snicker)
You can't assocate if you have to first erect a temporary stage.
The mainstage in Point State Park is the only location in the region that allows us to gather as a city and fit 100,000 people. The Steeler celebrations should be at The Point -- and not at my front door steps. The ticker-tape parade should be at The Point -- with close contact to the stadiums.
The front end of Point State Park is not an ideal place for a major gathering. The people won't fit. The whole experience of looking to the west at the fountain and the historic view down the Ohio will be diminished.
The mainstage also plays to Mt. Washington.
Point State Park has been a less than ideal opportunity. But, it has stayed a park for the people, the common, the masses. Next they want to make the park into something for the elite who never want to rub shoulders with the masses on the Fourth of July.
Point State Park makeover starts with utilities, irrigation What planners euphemistically refer to as Downtown Pittsburgh's green living room will get a new carpet and utilities this summer, preparing it for the decorators to perform an extreme makeover in future years.I've always had my issues with Point State Park. There isn't even a swing set there. It is nearly impossible to find a swing set anywhere downtown. That is an obvious example of what's missing.
Point State Park, a national historical site, will undergo a $4.5 million upgrade to install new electrical and water lines and permanent utility hookups for vendors to use during major events.
The project also will change the design and use of the four-acre front of the park, nearest Downtown; replace existing asphalt sidewalks with terrazzo and bluestone edges; and eliminate the main stage in the larger part of the park closer to the Point.
Another age-old sticking point about Point State Park is the bike policy. I can't go there and teach my kid to ride a bike. The park can be empty -- but mount a bike and the police jump on you. They'd rather you toss red dye into the fountain than teach a city kid how to ride a bike inside of Point State Park.
In the end, it boils down to people who don't know what they're really doing in elected office. And, then you have these engineering firms who lead the politicians around by the nose.
Don't worry -- we'll have more 'green space' in Market Square, so said Bob O'Connor. I agree with Patricia L of the P-G. Market Square isn't broken. Many of the smaller, neighborhood parks are totally ignored. Upkeep is absent. So, greening Market Square isn't where I'd put the priorities.
PPS calls off meeting with key communicators -- tonight -- in height of disucussions on Right-Size efforts
The Key Communicators’ Meeting scheduled for tonight-January 24th- has been Cancelled. It will be rescheduled on Tuesday February 21st.This is very bad news. We need more communications -- not less. We need more interactions in one-to-many settings -- not fewer. We need to be community -- not simply taxpayers.
I've put solid positions before the superintendent and the school board at both the November and December board meeting -- as well as via other channels. I've heard nothing back from them. None of them.
At a meeting last week, the PRINCIPAL of Schenley High School mentioned that one option for saving that high-performing school would be to vacate the present facility for one year -- to South Vo Tech's now empty building. That's a fine plan. We need to look further at these options. We need to meet. We don't need to have meetings nixed.
I am in favor of keeping Schenley at its present location, with a modest building rehab, even if it means a one-year vacation to South Vo Tech.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
