At 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb 20, Governor Rendell is to take action to protect voter rights by giving a veto to a Voter Protection Act in an event at The Hill House Community Center, 1835 Centre Avenue.
Then at 3 p.m. Governor Rendell is to make a community development announcement in Allegheny County at the Wilkinsburg Borough Hall, 605 Ross Avenue, Wilkinsburg, PA 15221.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Casey - Santorum - and Chuck P
The Dems must be pulling out their hair trying to figure out what in the world to do with Casey and the challenge for Santorum. Casey is often called Santorum-Light. Meanwhile there is another alternative in the D's primary race, a progressive Democrat. By the Numbers.
100- The number of votes that Senator Santorum has cast in the U.S. Senate since first challenging Bobby Casey, Jr. to indicate how he would vote on the same issues.
2- The number of times that Casey, Jr. has actually said how he would vote if he were in the Senate. That was on the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court and the PATRIOT Act (but only after he flip-flopped on the issue).
86- The number of days it took Casey, Jr. to make up his mind on the nomination of Judge Alito.
10- The number of debates that Rick Santorum has proposed, and that Casey, Jr. has refused.
95- The number of days that have passed since Rick Santorum proposed a series of debates with Casey, Jr.
7- The number of days that Casey, Jr. showed up for work as State Treasurer in December.
91- The number of days Casey, Jr. spent away from his State Treasurer office between March and December of 2005.
839- The number of audits that Casey, Jr. left unfinished when he left the Auditor General's office.
5- The number of statewide races that Casey, Jr. has run in the last 10 years.
5- The number of issues that Casey, Jr. thinks is important enough to highlight on his campaign website. Agriculture, Energy, Health Care, and National Security are noticeably missing.
263- The number of days until the voters of Pennsylvania cast their votes for Senator Santorum, and reject Bobby Casey Jr.'s negative, issueless politics.
No Endorsement Rendered in the District 3 race for city council
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Maria Lupinacci, 412-381-7772
lupinaccim@aol.com
PENNACCHIO, MCDONALD ROBERTS, BERNER AND OTHERS RECEIVE DEMOCRACY FOR PITTSBURGH’S ENDORSEMENT
Seven Candidates Get A Thumbs Up At Endorsement Meeting
PITTSBURGH, PA – Democracy for Pittsburgh (the local coalition group for Democracy for America) announced today the results of an endorsement vote that was held on Saturday, February 18, 2006.
“Candidates need to jump a high hurdle in order to win our endorsement. They needed to receive at least 75% of the votes, not counting abstentions. I believe that no other progressive endorsing group in Pittsburgh requires this level of agreement from their membership,” said Lou Takacs, member of Democracy for Pittsburgh’s Organizing Committee and "meeting host" for the day. “Setting such a high standard also helps to ensure that winning candidates receive not only an endorsement, but a base of volunteers to draw from,” he added.
Chuck Pennacchio was endorsed for US Senate (26/34 votes). Valerie McDonald Douglas was endorsed for Lt. Governor (31/34 votes). Georgia Berner endorsed for US Representative – 4th Congressional District (30/34 votes). Susan Banahasky was endorsed for Assembly District 20 (23/34 votes). William Sargent was endorsed for Assembly District 42 (! 22/34 votes). And, two longtime members of Democracy for Pittsburgh were also endorsed for Assembly: Dan Cindric was endorsed for Assembly District 27 (21/34 votes) and Steve Karas was endorsed for Assembly District 34 (23/34 votes).
No endorsement could be reached in the following races: 14th Congressional District, 18th Congressional District, Assembly District 21, Assembly District 24 and special election for Pittsburgh City Council District 3.
During the meeting, the host asked for a show of hands of those members who were planning on running for Allegheny County Democratic Committee and nearly a quarter of those in attendance signaled their intentions to run – most for the first time.
We made the sweet 16 -- in a bad way -- air quality and asthma capitals
AAFA Home Page There is no place safe from asthma, and some cities make living with asthma more difficult. More than 20 million people live with asthma in the U.S., and more than half of them have allergic asthma.
Pittsburgh ranks 16th worst in this year's asthma capitals listing.
Part 2: Falbo projects fall behind in paying tax
I don't like the URA. But, I really don't like subsidized housing for the rich. To be building downtown housing with taxpayer's money in the mix, is wrongheaded. Rather, let downtown housing happen on its own, as a private sector development. I have no problems with people living downtown, not at all. But, I have a problem when we pay some of their way to reside downtown.
We should be putting the efforts and attention of the governmental programs to work in the areas where they are needed the most -- mainly with the poor, the edge communities (such as Knoxville, Beltzhoover, St. Clair Village, and other areas around our town and county where the crumbling of the infrastructure has begun, sadly.
It is much better to build up Brighton Heights (i.e., neighborhoods) rather than downtown. Everyday working people live and own property in the neighborhoods. The little-guys are the lifeblood of the city. Downtown property owners are generally big corporations. Ask, who should GOVERNMENT cater to?
The best answer is NOBODY should get a free ride. NO special interest group should get favorite attention and handouts.
The worst of the worst are the big downtown handout deals. The $18-million TIF to PNC for PNC PLAZA goes on top of the $30-million GRANT already given for the project by Gov Rendell. That state money is our money too. Comcast's building in Philly got a $300-million tax break.
Those numbers are huge and this is where we need to lay the shovel down.
The answers from both O'Connor and Weinstein are on the mark. Way to go.
As the abandoned property sits idle, the entire neighborhood goes into a tailspin. Everyone's property is pulled downward. Those little bumps are significant to the families.
Furthermore, we've been rewarding, with cash, those that do the wrong things. You start a crack house and you get money from the URA. You let your property go into the toilet -- you get a tax break. If you fix up your property, you get a tax hit.
The best solution is the freedom-based solution. Liberty and justice for all. So, everyone gets treated as they should -- no favorites. Mr. Falbo wants "constitutent services treatment" -- not justice for him. You're not doing a favor for Brighton Heights. The tunes have changed since Tom Murphy was mayor, perhaps. Or have they just changed because of Rich Lord, the P-G reporter?
Mr. Falbo said he was doing the city a favor by holding the property. "Do I just walk away and give the thing to the taxing bodies and let them deal with the drug parties and all the other problems?" he asked.
URA's Jerry D said it wasn't uncommon for developers to delay tax payments. "I think it's wrong," he said of the practice. "I think it's unfair to the municipalities."
A good developer in Pittsburgh is one who knows all the angles and can play the system. They use things. They squat where they need to. They get and give favors. They wheel and deal -- and the taxpayers get the bills and the lower home ownership values. The URA said that the developer knows the funding programs -- knows the red tape -- knows the hoops to jump through.
Take the funding programs and put them in the trash. We need HONESTY. PAY THE BILL. EVERYONE PAYS. No give-a-ways. No more funding programs. LAY THE SHOVEL DOWN. Game over.
Without fairness in the system -- we'll never have prosperity, unless it goes to the cheats.
Such a JOKE: But, he added, Mr. Falbo "is a very good developer. He knows the funding programs. He's very good at managing the projects. He's a risk-taker."
Here is another game of corruption that needs to be fixed once and for all: These assessment fights where an independent living center in Allegheny Center was reassessed by the county at $4.9 million, and taxed accordingly. The partnership appealed and won a reduction to $2.5 million. It appealed that and, on Feb. 1, the assessment was cut to $1,125,000. The value dropped from $4.9 Million to $1.1 Million.
That is a massive discount. What if everyone in the city and county paid only 20% of their tax bill? And, to put insult onto injury, this is a project that was another governmental boondogle -- Allegheny Center. This is what's crushing us.
We would have been better to leave Allegheny Center alone. Lay the shovel down -- and we all have a chance to have prosperity. Otherwise, they mess things up in a big, big way.
When we see things that are "billed as a boon for the struggling" -- watch out.
The county assessed the houses at $37,000 to $85,000, with most around $50,000. The partnership challenged those assessments and got them reduced to $3,700 each. So, the changes in assessment went from $50,000 to $3,700, EACH.
This is how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. This is how corruption wins the day. This is why we need a fresh voice on council who knows that the way to prosperity, for all, is with the taxes on the land. Land can't be fudged like they have been doing in these instances and throughout the county.
The real solution here is simple, and it is proven, and it has been something that has been in our legacy for generations. The solution is NOT about a UNIFIED TAX, such as pushed and later agreeded to by Bob O'Connor and Tom Murphy. Bob O'Connor, then City Council President, pushed for and got a UNIFIED tax and that leads to troubles such as these. Now we've got a quagmire that needs to be undone.
We need to tax the value of the land. This is often called a LAND VALUE TAX. The Land Value Tax is what caused our downtown to be a dense business climate with many high-rise properties. The Land Value Tax is what has allowed our neighborhoods to flourish in the past generations while keeping our total cost of home ownership as the most affordable in any urban region in the nation.
If the Land Value Tax comes back into our policy direction -- we'll see another boom in home values, home ownership rewards, and downtown buildings. Presently we are seeing folks who can't sell their homes as they are worthless on the open market. Neighborhoods are a big risk for new home buyers. We are seeing the tax shift from the big fish to the smaller families. We are seeing many of the downtown buildings be torn down because it is better to make green space or a surface parking lot.
Oh my oh my.
We should be putting the efforts and attention of the governmental programs to work in the areas where they are needed the most -- mainly with the poor, the edge communities (such as Knoxville, Beltzhoover, St. Clair Village, and other areas around our town and county where the crumbling of the infrastructure has begun, sadly.
Falbo projects fall behind in paying tax His 151 First Side project, Downtown, to include 82 condominiums, got a $1.5 million loan in 2004 from the Urban Redevelopment Authority.This is bad policy, to subsidize housing for the rich in downtown.
It is much better to build up Brighton Heights (i.e., neighborhoods) rather than downtown. Everyday working people live and own property in the neighborhoods. The little-guys are the lifeblood of the city. Downtown property owners are generally big corporations. Ask, who should GOVERNMENT cater to?
The best answer is NOBODY should get a free ride. NO special interest group should get favorite attention and handouts.
The worst of the worst are the big downtown handout deals. The $18-million TIF to PNC for PNC PLAZA goes on top of the $30-million GRANT already given for the project by Gov Rendell. That state money is our money too. Comcast's building in Philly got a $300-million tax break.
Those numbers are huge and this is where we need to lay the shovel down.
The answers from both O'Connor and Weinstein are on the mark. Way to go.
"There's nothing in the law that addresses sitting still and being patient," county Treasurer John Weinstein said. "I give all the credence in the world to anyone who would take an abandoned piece of property and redevelop it. But someone owns it, and someone ought to be paying taxes on it."
As the abandoned property sits idle, the entire neighborhood goes into a tailspin. Everyone's property is pulled downward. Those little bumps are significant to the families.
Furthermore, we've been rewarding, with cash, those that do the wrong things. You start a crack house and you get money from the URA. You let your property go into the toilet -- you get a tax break. If you fix up your property, you get a tax hit.
Even as it failed to pay taxes, the partnership received $625,000 in loans and grants in 2002 from the URA to demolish the old hospital. The abandoned hospital had become a scene of drug dealing, teen parties and occasional fires.The philosophy and policies are wrongheaded.
The best solution is the freedom-based solution. Liberty and justice for all. So, everyone gets treated as they should -- no favorites. Mr. Falbo wants "constitutent services treatment" -- not justice for him. You're not doing a favor for Brighton Heights. The tunes have changed since Tom Murphy was mayor, perhaps. Or have they just changed because of Rich Lord, the P-G reporter?
Mr. Falbo said he was doing the city a favor by holding the property. "Do I just walk away and give the thing to the taxing bodies and let them deal with the drug parties and all the other problems?" he asked.
URA's Jerry D said it wasn't uncommon for developers to delay tax payments. "I think it's wrong," he said of the practice. "I think it's unfair to the municipalities."
A good developer in Pittsburgh is one who knows all the angles and can play the system. They use things. They squat where they need to. They get and give favors. They wheel and deal -- and the taxpayers get the bills and the lower home ownership values. The URA said that the developer knows the funding programs -- knows the red tape -- knows the hoops to jump through.
Take the funding programs and put them in the trash. We need HONESTY. PAY THE BILL. EVERYONE PAYS. No give-a-ways. No more funding programs. LAY THE SHOVEL DOWN. Game over.
Without fairness in the system -- we'll never have prosperity, unless it goes to the cheats.
Such a JOKE: But, he added, Mr. Falbo "is a very good developer. He knows the funding programs. He's very good at managing the projects. He's a risk-taker."
Here is another game of corruption that needs to be fixed once and for all: These assessment fights where an independent living center in Allegheny Center was reassessed by the county at $4.9 million, and taxed accordingly. The partnership appealed and won a reduction to $2.5 million. It appealed that and, on Feb. 1, the assessment was cut to $1,125,000. The value dropped from $4.9 Million to $1.1 Million.
That is a massive discount. What if everyone in the city and county paid only 20% of their tax bill? And, to put insult onto injury, this is a project that was another governmental boondogle -- Allegheny Center. This is what's crushing us.
We would have been better to leave Allegheny Center alone. Lay the shovel down -- and we all have a chance to have prosperity. Otherwise, they mess things up in a big, big way.
When we see things that are "billed as a boon for the struggling" -- watch out.
The county assessed the houses at $37,000 to $85,000, with most around $50,000. The partnership challenged those assessments and got them reduced to $3,700 each. So, the changes in assessment went from $50,000 to $3,700, EACH.
This is how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. This is how corruption wins the day. This is why we need a fresh voice on council who knows that the way to prosperity, for all, is with the taxes on the land. Land can't be fudged like they have been doing in these instances and throughout the county.
The real solution here is simple, and it is proven, and it has been something that has been in our legacy for generations. The solution is NOT about a UNIFIED TAX, such as pushed and later agreeded to by Bob O'Connor and Tom Murphy. Bob O'Connor, then City Council President, pushed for and got a UNIFIED tax and that leads to troubles such as these. Now we've got a quagmire that needs to be undone.
We need to tax the value of the land. This is often called a LAND VALUE TAX. The Land Value Tax is what caused our downtown to be a dense business climate with many high-rise properties. The Land Value Tax is what has allowed our neighborhoods to flourish in the past generations while keeping our total cost of home ownership as the most affordable in any urban region in the nation.
If the Land Value Tax comes back into our policy direction -- we'll see another boom in home values, home ownership rewards, and downtown buildings. Presently we are seeing folks who can't sell their homes as they are worthless on the open market. Neighborhoods are a big risk for new home buyers. We are seeing the tax shift from the big fish to the smaller families. We are seeing many of the downtown buildings be torn down because it is better to make green space or a surface parking lot.
Oh my oh my.
Falbo projects fall behind in paying tax
Great reporting by Rich Lord, again.
Falbo projects fall behind in paying tax: "Falbo projects fall behind in paying taxThis is why some people don't want to have open and transparent government. I do. I helped to fight for the property records to be posted upon the county's web site, for all to see, even that of judges.
Key developer urging patience over $533,000 that he owes
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
On First Avenue, there's a hole in the ground that represents Pittsburgh's dream of turning Downtown into a neighborhood.
Four miles away in Brighton Heights, there's a weedy lot that epitomizes the recurring nightmare of tax delinquency and neighborhood stagnation.
Both are the work of Ralph A. Falbo, 68, of Squirrel Hill, a determined developer and reluctant taxpayer. A builder of scores of subsidized homes for low-income families and the elderly, he has emerged as an important player in Downtown redevelopment, even while delaying or not paying $533,000 in city, school district and county property taxes, according to records.
PA Libertarian Convention Line-Up
The 2006 LPPA Convention will be held March 3 - March 5 at The Atherton Hotel in State College, PA.
Headline speaker: Matthew Brouillette is president and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation, an independent, non-profit public policy research and educational organization located at the foot of the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg. The Commonwealth Foundation is dedicated to advancing state-level public policies based on our nation’s founding principles of limited government, economic freedom, and personal responsibility.
8:30 am – 12:15 pm - LPPA Business Meeting
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Luncheon
Rep. Kerry Benningoft, PA House of Representative, R - Dist. 171 is a fifth-term Republican and former Centre County Coroner. Benninghoff remains an advocate for improving Pennsylvanians health care and is a strong voice against additional government spending and tax increases. The Commonwealth foundation rated Representative Benninghoff in the smaller portion of representatives in respect to the liberty indey. Kerry actually voted to increase liberty – unlike the majority of the Pennsylvania legislators.
2:00 pm – 3:20 Property Rights Panel – Topics Kelo, Heritage areas, invasive species, Green ways.
3:30 – 3:50 Shauna Moser – Penn State YAF (Young Americans for Freedom) Chairperson on campus activism
4:00 - Petitioning for Liberty Panel Discussion with Chuck Moulton, Jim Babb, Ron Goodman, Berlie Etzel, Ken Krawchuck, Paul Teese (chair of the Pennsylvania Green Party) and John Murphy (for the Ralph Nader campaign).
5:00 – 5:15 pm Dr. Julian Heicklen: Separation of church and State.
6:00 - 9:30 pm Cocktail Reception and Banquet with Mr. Russ Diamond Pa Clean Sweep
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Joey and his application to Havard
Here goes some more college talk. Yes, I did go to college. Yes, I did respond to the gaffe in the South Pgh Reporter -- scroll down. But this story is about a speedskater who hopes to go to that Ivy League School in Cambridge.
SI.com - 2006 Winter Olympics - What about Joey? (cont.) - Saturday February 18, 2006 7:02PM After Joey won the 500, he announced that he was donating the $25,000 he received from the United States Olympic Committee to the Right to Play organization, which promotes sports for children in the third world. After winning the silver earlier today, Joey said that he planned to also donate the $15,000 he will receive for that medal. He said that eight or nine companies had decided to match his original donation and that his efforts in Turin have so far raised $250,000. The person who oversees Right to Play is Johann Olav Koss, the former speedskater and one of the great Olympians of the 20th century. He won our magazine's Sportsman of the Year in 1994, and told one of our reporters today that because of Joey efforts, donations are coming in from people in Norway and the Netherlands.
Team wins in Slippppery Rock by less than 20 points
Our swim team went up to The Rock early this morning, fighting the wind and ice along the way, to win a swim meet by a very narrow margin. Nice event in the SRU pool.
Sadly, I hear, the powers that be at The Rock are about to close the mens and womens swim teams, water polo programs and wrestling. That stinks.
My kids did very well. The end of the scholastic swim season is here too. No more HS dual meets, just championships. Good luck swimmers. It's taper time.
Sadly, I hear, the powers that be at The Rock are about to close the mens and womens swim teams, water polo programs and wrestling. That stinks.
My kids did very well. The end of the scholastic swim season is here too. No more HS dual meets, just championships. Good luck swimmers. It's taper time.
Friday, February 17, 2006
NHL won't commit to Olympics past 2010
SI.com - 2006 Winter Olympics - NHL won't commit to Olympics past 2010 - Friday February 17, 2006 12:27PM The NHL will review several factors -- including the risk of injury -- before deciding if it will commit to sending players to the Olympics past the 2010 Games in Vancouver.This is why the NHL is such a bad bet, pun intended. The NHL didn't have a hockey season recently too.
This isn't about the chances of injury for the players. This is about a lack of capacity in terms of relationships.
But, the NHL's Penguins franchise is married to the Isle of Capri plan -- and NOT able to think again in terms of alternative or twists to the plan. So, the commit seems to be there -- sadly -- the commit is going to the wrong avenues.
The world gathers its greatest snow and ice athletes together once every four years. To take a week or two off from the season, or to have a 100 players absent for a couple of weeks, or even months, is worthy.
PA Constitution
WARNING: The version of the PA CONSTITUTION SEEMS TO BE WRONG.
See the comments. Posted elsewhere in HTML.
Wow. Version of the PA Constitution are WRONG, it seems.
Talk:Pennsylvania Constitution - PittsburghPlatform: "'Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age and Representatives twenty-one years of age. They shall have been citizens and inhabitants of the State four years, and inhabitants of their respective districts one year next before their election (unless absent on the public business of the United States or of this State) and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service.'"
See the comments. Posted elsewhere in HTML.
Be careful what you wish for - PittsburghLIVE.com The Pennsylvania Constitution does not need a makeover. The commonwealth does need new politicians -- governor, legislators and judges.
Wow. Version of the PA Constitution are WRONG, it seems.
Talk:Pennsylvania Constitution - PittsburghPlatform: "'Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age and Representatives twenty-one years of age. They shall have been citizens and inhabitants of the State four years, and inhabitants of their respective districts one year next before their election (unless absent on the public business of the United States or of this State) and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service.'"
Tech Companies Grilled by U.S. House in terms of China's demands
Sparks flew in a crowded courtroom as House Representatives demanded explanations from technology giants Yahoo, Microsoft, Cisco and Google in their involvements with China. After taking heavy fire from concerned Democrats and Republicans for their adherence to China's restrictions on free speech, representatives from each company faced hours of grueling questioning.
Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Tom Lantos (D-Ca) were among the most passionate speakers against the corporations. They criticized the companies for allowing China to censor their own Web searches and content. House members asserted that by giving in to China's regulations, the companies were furthering social oppression and totalitarian principles.
Only one Representative, Adam Smith (D-Wa) defended the companies, saying that blame should be focused more on the Chinese government itself, and that withholding Internet business from the country would not ultimately change Chinese policies. Company representatives whistled a tune similar to their previous reactions over the past several weeks, claiming that it was better for Chinese citizens to have censored information as opposed to no information at all.
More:
House Member Criticizes Internet Companies for Practices in China
CNET Roundup: Capitol Hill's Fury on China
Video: Taking Heat over Censorship in China
Video: Tech Giants' 'Nauseating Collaboration' in China
See links and the newsletter at PoliticsOnline.
Have you been watching the Winter Olympics?
The kids and the grand parents, are getting into the Olympics. I've been too busy, but shut down today and watched day-time TV including women's curling and women's hockey.
Team USA lost both. The Sweeden Hockey squad upset ours in a shoot out. Excellent goalie games on both sides.
Number 7, from Sweeden, in a post game interview was asked how much of a difference her coach made in the game. She said, "at the end of the game we couldn't hear him as he had lost his voice."
The USA's 'Big Kinger,' Katie King, summed it up by saying, "Their goalie played well and she stood on her head."
There has been a lot of talk about 'wipe outs' in the Games, overall. The game wasn't a wipe out. But, I'm better fitted to the summer Olympics where conditions are better monitored.
Republicans consider Pittsburgh - PittsburghLIVE.com
I blogged about this elsewhere a day or two ago, so I'll repost my thoughts here.
Short answer: Pass.
We don't need the Republican Convention here in Pittsburgh for many reasons. The biggest reason is we don't have the right spaces. If we had a new arena along with the old, existing, Civic Arena, then we'd be with a different discussion. We need to have a net gain in terms of assets. Let's build a new arena and keep the old arena. And, let's make all of these facilities owned and operated by the private, not the public, sector.
Short answer: Pass.
We don't need the Republican Convention here in Pittsburgh for many reasons. The biggest reason is we don't have the right spaces. If we had a new arena along with the old, existing, Civic Arena, then we'd be with a different discussion. We need to have a net gain in terms of assets. Let's build a new arena and keep the old arena. And, let's make all of these facilities owned and operated by the private, not the public, sector.
Republicans consider Pittsburgh - PittsburghLIVE.com: "Before the Democrats settled on Boston, Pittsburgh had a real shot to host the Democrats' 2004 convention, said David Morehouse, a Beechview native who served as Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's traveling chief of staff. Morehouse now works as senior consultant for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the hockey team's attempt to build a new arena.
China set to pardon shunned athletes
The outside wall of a Recreation Center in China that we visited.
SI.com - Olympics - China set to pardon shunned athletes - Friday February 17, 2006 5:23AM Chinese sports officials have repeatedly said the country is unlikely to repeat its Athens haul of 32 golds in 2008.
But state media and national coaches have made far bolder predictions and by most indications China appears determined to top the medals table when the Games come to Beijing.
Five rings, but not Olympic Rings, exactly, on a fence / divide at the swim pool in Chengdu, China.
TV 11 Promo: Lot of Shame
There are snakes and groundhogs in an empty lot and people are waiting for someone to come clean it up.
What's so bad about snakes and groundhogs in an idle bit of land? Snakes might eat upon the mice and rats.
Furthermore, why don't the people who are waiting for someone else to come and clean the lot just do it themselves? They might be able to turn the ground into a presentable space if they just did the work. Why wait for someone else?
We need to be self-reliant. If you see the news clip when it airs, let me know the details. Or, we'll watch the TV 11 web site.
What's so bad about snakes and groundhogs in an idle bit of land? Snakes might eat upon the mice and rats.
Furthermore, why don't the people who are waiting for someone else to come and clean the lot just do it themselves? They might be able to turn the ground into a presentable space if they just did the work. Why wait for someone else?
We need to be self-reliant. If you see the news clip when it airs, let me know the details. Or, we'll watch the TV 11 web site.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Factual errors in news attributed to Krane
 |
Press Release: February 16, 2006 From Daniel Repovz, Media Coordinator,
Elect.Rauterkus.com,
Media@Rauterkus.com, 412-904-2976 Factual errors in this week's news attributed to Krane
A statement in the South Pittsburgh Reporter, a local weekly newspaper with a coverage area that includes the South Side of Pittsburgh, from Tuesday, February 14, needs to be addressed. The quote that is at odds with the truth, ran in a front page article about candidates in the special election for Pittsburgh's city council.
The WRONG quote reads:
"Candidate Bruce Krane emphasized his professional background as a major asset over the other candidates. He is a graduate of Washington & Jefferson College, the only college graduate among the candidates since Mr. Sweeney dropped out."
A retraction from the candidate, in a press release or web statement, is in order. And, a correction from the editors and/or publisher should be run in the newspaper as well.
Suggested CORRECTION:
It was wrongly reported within a quote in last week's edition of the South Pittsburgh Reporter that only one candidate seeking the city council seat has a college degree. Bruce Krane claimed to be the only candidate with his own a college degree. Three others in the race have a four year degrees.
Mark Rauterkus, candidate for city council, has earned a college degree, BS in Journalism from Ohio University, 1982. Rauterkus graduated with honors and also attended graduate school in Texas at Baylor University.
Two other candidates on the ballot, Michael Waligorski and Neal Andrus, stated they have four year college degrees as well. Meanwhile, Jason Phillips, 24, has a two-year college certificate and is in college.
"Krane is displaying difficulty in his counting ability," said Rauterkus. "We need to elect a person to city council who can look past the end of his own nose.
It seems to me that there are four or four-and-a-half, among the eight person field for this race who have college degrees -- certainly not one."
Krane has made other gaffs at candidate events. Krane said he was the only candidate with legislative experience while Eileen Conroy was present. She objected.
At an event on January 30, 2006, at the City Theater, on the day Kranes disaffiliated from the Democratic Party, Krane stood and told the audience that he was a Democrat. Krane's blatant error was retracted at the end of the night in his closing statement.
Rauterkus said, "It is important to hold candidates and government officials accountable. Let's give Krane his due. I have no problem saying Krane is the only one in the race who has advanced to the special election ballot after earning zero votes from his old party's endorsement." The city's Democratic committee for district 3 voted on January 29. Krane came in last on that ballot with zero votes.
At an Arlington event on February 7, Rauterkus spoke in disagreement with another Krane premise. Krane mentioned that nothing can be done until Pittsburgh fixes its budget problems. Rauterkus firmly asserted that we, as a community, can play with our children even as the city's
floundering and broken budget crisis lingers. Rauterkus stresses, "Our kids can't be put on hold until fiscal solvency comes to Pittsburgh." Rauterkus feels that a broken budget isn't a good excuse for continually ignoring our kids.
"Volunteerism, programs and coaching doesn't cost much, if any money, for the city's budget," said Rauterkus. "Many events, such as The Great Race made money for the city. The Great Race was nixed one year to heighten the crisis for the Democratic mayor."
Another bogus self-proclamation from Krane goes to his lone status among candidates as a veteran of the armed forces.
Earlier this month, Rauterkus filed papers with the courts to object to Krane's signatures on nomination papers that granted him access to the ballot for the special election. The judge ruled on Tuesday that Krane could still be on the ballot despite the fact that none of the signatures from 200 the electors in the district were obtained after Krane changed his registration from Democrat to political body, Krane for Council.
Rauterkus pushed the election rule matter to an Administrative Judge, Jos. James, to decide upon the validity of nomination papers from political body candidates who gathered signatures and put them in escrow until after they lost the special election's nomination as a political party member. "We had clear case law on our side," said Rauterkus.
"When we had the day in court, a clerk for the judge and a cryptic PA Supreme Court decision from the early 1980s overruled what I felt to be sound practices for signature gathering of candidates," said Rauterkus, who is not going to push for an appeal.
Rauterkus welcomes both Bruce Krane and Bruce Kraus onto the ballot and said that both candidates are worthy opponents who are sure to assist by pulling votes from the endorsed Democrat.
"We can get a Libertarian onto City Council given the crowded field and bumbling campaign statements from status-quo office seekers," said Rauterkus.
"Many of my supporters said that my election day victory is more probable with two additional disgruntled Democrats still on the ballot, rather than off. For this reason, some suggested that a ballot challenge win would prove counterproductive. Conventional wisdom and the mathematical facts prove this to be true, of course. However, the legacy of politics as usual has to change for Pittsburgh. We need people to step up and take on issues when and where they are presented," said Rauterkus.
Speaking to the school board: Among other things, "Don't Sell South."
The statement as part of the wiki: To PPS on 2-13-06 - Platform.For-Pgh.org
Or, as a one-page PDF: Statement to the Board and Administrators of Pittsburgh Public Schools is available in a PDF format, one-page. This can be printed and handed out to school teachers, PTOs and others with an interest in the schools.
Original posting was 2-13.
Or, as a one-page PDF: Statement to the Board and Administrators of Pittsburgh Public Schools is available in a PDF format, one-page. This can be printed and handed out to school teachers, PTOs and others with an interest in the schools.
Original posting was 2-13.
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