Casino plan criticized - PittsburghLIVE.com

Casino plan criticized - PittsburghLIVE.com With at least 3,000 slot machines, Pittsburgh's casino will be too big and could end up looking like a 'shed,' Anne Swager, co-chair of the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force, said in a recent magazine interview.

That's assuming the state ever awards the casino licenses. Swager also said lawmakers have impeded a casino selection process marked by 'politics as usual.'

EXACTLY. But, the blasted casino can't look like a stinking shed if we INSIST upon the placement of the casino within the nice looking CONVENTION CENTER. Make it go there and no where else.


Convention Center isn't an ugly box. It is the place to make the casino work for Pittsburgh.


Green building, big arches, sky lights -- and all at a cost of about $6-million per year in regular operational COSTS, not counting the debt for building the cool building. The $300 million to build and the annual subsidization of the building -- makes it a weight around the necks of the taxpayers. Here is an opportunity to sell the building to a casino operator. Let's get rid of it now, before the casino operator needs to build another building.

Major software upgrade for concept maps: CmapTools v4

CmapTools v4 has been released and is now available for download from http://cmap.ihmc.us/

Version 4 adds a lot of new features and functionality. See the comments for the notes.

The next round of CDs that are to be provided with the campaign is to include this software.

Welcome to Pittsburgh Public Schools

Welcome to Pittsburgh Public Schools Monday, February 6, 2006
Two-hour delay. No AM half-day programs.
Staff is to report on time.

Road Delays and School Delays

Roads around town are going to be closing at certain times. The horses are out already, and one is in front of our home / headquarters.

The Pgh Public Schools is going to have a two-hour delay on Monday, to allow for the hangovers I guess.

Super Bowl Party

Still don't have anything to do for the Superbowl?

Then get a life. And, you're in luck. We've got a few extras to spare if you so desire.

Go to the Rex Theatre on the South Side. As you may already know, many of the bars on the South Side have decided to close for the Superbowl. Not the Rex Theatre! The game will be shown on the movie screen with full surround sound. There will be food provided and a cash bar. Admission is $10 in advance or $15 at the door as a donation to the Isaac for Congress Campaign. If you are interested, reply to Stacy Kletter, Volunteer Coordinator, Stacy@isaacforcongress.org and they'll hold tickets at will call for you. This is a wonderful opportunity to support a local candidate, and watch the Steelers win the Superbowl.

The Rex Theatre
1602 East Carson Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203

Mike Isaac for Congress
311 East Carson Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
412.670.2940

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At Station Square, the Junior US Senator from PA will be hosting a party as well.

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If you really need a life, perhaps you could go to Station Square and protest outside their Superbowl party.

Hey Jack: Haste makes waste. Think again.

Wagner urges fast action on arena Southwestern Pennsylvania must come together as a community to demand that slot machine profits fund a new arena, Auditor General Jack Wagner said yesterday during the taping of KD/PG Sunday Edition.

This is another attempt by Jack Wagner to get the Penguins a new arena. He is charging along with this same tune.

The Penguins who are not able to think again as the organization is wed to the Isle of Capri gambling proposal. They won't think again. It is turning into a game of chicken -- do or die -- winner take all.

If Jack wants to be a promoter for the Penguins, I'd wish he'd go do that because I'm not sure what is happening in terms of him being an Auditor General. Is the Auditor General turning into a partisan fanatic for a team in a floundering league?

It is okay to prode and poke the do-nothing mentality of other leaders. But frankly, I think Dan Onorato should do nothing with the Penguins. The Penguins didn't do anything last year -- remember. The NHL didn't play any games for goodness sake. How trustworthy are they?

If you want to talk about doing nothing -- then lets talk about how the Penguins didn't do jack for a year. They went into nothingness. And, they've come back to life -- and could still toss the switch to off in a heartbeat.

PA Senate Bill 1085 -- call to Wayne Fontana from Mark Rauterkus

A major healthcare reform bill has been introduced in the PA Senate by Jim Ferlo.

Contact your State Senator and ask that he or she co-sponsor the bill, www.legis.state.pa.us.

Contract your state representative and ask if him or her to consider a co-sponsor's role. A lead sponsor is still needed.

Write, phone or e-mail Sen. Ferlo and thank him for taking the lead in sponsoring this legislation.

Lean about the bill and pass around the insights on the bill to others.

The next PUSH strategy meeting is tomorrow, Friday, Jan 28, 2006, 9:30 a.m., 33 Terminal Way, South Side. This big building is between 3d & 4th Streets.

Add your name to the PUSH address list so you will receive occasional mailings. You can become a member of PUSH by sending $10 or more to PUSH at the above address.

ANNOUNCEMENT:
Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1085 - "The Balanced and Comprehensive Health Reform Act."

This legislation assures comprehensive health coverage for every Pennsylvanian, adopts the cost efficiencies of a single payer Health Care Trust, solves the medical malpractice through a no-fault system that assures fair compensation where appropriate while reducing doctor/hospital malpractice premiums, embraces and underwrites a new "wellness curriculum" in our schools and encourages a community wide "culture of wellness" to support a renewed personal commitment to a healthful lifestyle, it supports sensible strategies to eliminate medical errors, ends unjust disparity, and much much more.

Groots effort by citizens across the Commonwealth and mainly in Pittsburgh have been pushing behind the scenes on top-flight solutions for Pennsylvania. This effort is a comprehensive and innovative approach to health care reform. Pennsylvania can be the center of the health care reform.

Our community concert and rally is tonight!

We still have some room.... Mostly at the 7:30 arrival time with music and program from 8 to 9 pm.

It is Thusday.... 2/2.

The groundhog has spoken --- and now it is time to sing, "Don't Put Me In a Box."

House Concert with Johnsmith

PR handout for the event.

Academies would add hours, days to city school year

Academies would add hours, days to city school year
The accelerated learning academies proposed for Pittsburgh Public Schools would add 45 minutes to students' school day and 10 days to their school year.
Lynn Spampinato, deputy superintendent for instruction, assessment and accountability, gave the figures at a school board Education Committee meeting last night.

412 email blast

Hi Friends and Neighbors,

Our CD for the campaign for city council includes a story called Diamonds by Meg Barnhouse. Her great message from a mom's perspective cuts to the chase on the value of baseball. I'd love for you to get the CD and listen to her story.

P-G reports that NINE players are in the race for city council:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06031/646962.stm

I'm the one who wants to work with our most precious resources:
+ our kids, and,
+ our liberties, as in FREEDOM and JUSTICE for all.

We're getting t-shirts too. White jerseys, black ink. Front says:

You'll be able to get the CD, the t-shirt -- and hear a wonderful
concert in our home / office on Thursday, Feb 2. The performer is
Johnsmith. He'll do his tune that I love: "Don't Put Me In a Box."

Here two tunes -- and -- a 30-minute radio interview with me from the
Pitt radio studios.

http://Elect.Rauterkus.com/audio/

Hope to see you at the rally and concert on Thursday night.
+ Media at 5 pm.
+ Family set, arrival after 5:15 pm, music and program from 6-7 pm.
+ Set for civic leaders, arrival after 7:15 pm, music and program from 8-9 pm.

Details: http://S6.CLOH.org.

If you can't make it this Thursday, next Thursday evening starting at
6:30 pm we'll be holding another special event for the Olympics in
Oakland at the Three Rivers Fitness and Sports Medicine Center, near
Carlow. Our opportunity to focus on messages of kids' fitness and
performance won't be lost.

I'm going to help to promote two contests with a fun prize package
geared to the Olympics.
+ Predict the USA team's medal count: gold, silver and bronze.
+ Predict the top five nations in total medals at the Olympics.

More news soon.



Ta.

Mark Rauterkus Mark@Rauterkus.com
http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
http://Elect.Rauterkus.com http://Platform.For-Pgh.org
412 298 3432 = cell

Candidate for Pittsburgh City Council, district 3, special election on 3-14-06.

509 Bandwidth Limit Exceeded at Pghbloggers.org

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Apache/1.3.34 Server at www.pghbloggers.org Port 80

Yes, this is great news! The end of the month, Jan 31, saw a short black-out of the site. Wonderful. No joke. The PghBloggers.org site is rocking the fiber, so to speak.

Infrastructure is important. Now our sewer lines under the city streets are frail -- and -- our WIFI wireless isn't there yet in a universal way throughout the city -- and our popular bloggers' hub is pushing new limits of its capacity as well.

That's progress.

Consider me like the little Dutch boy who sees a hole in the damn and plugs it with his finger. :)

My heart's wish for Feb 2006: I wish there were more bloggers covering the politics within the City Council special election on March 14. I'm in the race and have a different perspective, of course. But, I'd love to bounce around among a few of the other web sites and bloggs to make a sustained discussion.

Original post from 9:54 pm on Jan 31, 2006, but now updated.

Johnsmith -- great singer and good times -- guarantee

Johnsmith played in Pittsburgh at last year's concert.

New video uploaded to site from last year's concert.

Intro to Rooks and the Castle

House Concert in two days -- this Thursday evening

Our community concert is in two days. Be there! But do let us know if you are to be expected.

More details at S6.CLOH.Org.

Let's talk education.... even if it goes over some of our heads.

State of the Union follow-up.

With eighty-two percent of our nation's twelfth graders performing below the proficient level on the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science test, I feel it time to do something about it.

http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/science/science.html

Furthermore, Pittsburgh's kids are not doing as well as the kids in many suburban districts.

Pittsburgh's future as Knowledge Town can lead to prosperity.

Forumula:
Knowledge Town > Buddy Burgh.

Smart Politicians + Smart Solutions - Handouts to friends - Freerides of apathy + Care for the youth = Knowedge Town

And, FYI: Pi is close to 3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288 41971 69399 37510

Dave Eckhardt's Voting Machine Page

Dave Eckhardt's Voting Machine Page For now all that's here is a link to my January 31, 2006 statement to the Allegheny County Board of Elections. This was written on a deadline to address a particular go/no-go decision on Diebold voting machines and hence doesn't represent my full thinking on this topic, which has many complexities. So I'll probably add more later.

Overtime hits city budget hard

P-G news: Overtime hits city budget hard

While not the #1 pay earners, Bob and Dan get to go to the Super Bowl. Is that a perk or overtime?

Just as long as the game doesn't go to overtime then everyone will be happy.

The scooter goes, even with some snow and ice.

The 2-on-2 game of football, on the beach. The setting is not near a Great Lake -- and Detroit. Rather that's the Atlantic Ocean and a beach in Maine. The gang is home from a trip to see Grandpa.

Hut, hut....