'Right size' is done deal -- but the real quotes isn't for "right size" but for "done deal"

'Right size' done deal - PittsburghLIVE.com The district has 31,148 students.

It wasn't that long ago when the district had 35,000 students. It will not be too long from now when the district has 29,999.

People often vote with their feet. The closing of so many buildings, again, is going to send scores of people out of the city. Many others won't ever show up.

The downward spiral is continues with the plan.

All of those who want to manage decline are at the head of the class now, in our schools, and in our city's political life. Those of us at the back of the room are feed up. Many have already left. Most have their bags packed and are ready to run once the next test comes and a clean break is presented.

Condo plan dead? -- as it should be!

This is a threat.

Condo plan dead? - PittsburghLIVE.com Unless Mt. Lebanon commissioners and the school board approve tax-increment financing worth $4.5 million over 20 years, a plan to build a $28.8 million luxury condo complex will not happen, a developer said.

Zamagias Properties gave commissioners a brief overview this week of the plan to build 60 condos at Washington and Bower Hill roads, a longtime vacant strip of land. School directors were briefed last week.

Don't do the deal. Don't make the TIF. If the condo project can't be done on its own merits, in a sustainable way, then tell the developer to scram. You don't need to bribe real business owners to move into the neighborhood.

When everyone pays their full share of the tax load, then everyone gets equal treatment. When that happens, real development can occur.

Once you give a break to one favorite -- then no others are going to be inclinded to move there too unless they get a break as well. Why move in when you have to compete agasint those who are already given favorite status? Why move somewhere where justice is absent?

Mt. Lebo residents should fight hard against the TIF. Don't stand for it.

URA urges approval of TIF for Technology Center garages

URA urges approval of TIF for Technology Center garages City Council candidate Mark Rauterkus equated TIF to 'bribing someone to move in.'

Building garages is 'promoting dirty air, highway gridlock, oil dependency and suburban sprawl,' said transit activist Steve Donahue.

City Councilman William Peduto urged the URA to finance the lab space, rather than the garages.

Mr. Dettore said the URA will stick with the garage plan.

An interim council vote on the TIF is expected March 15."

Peduto is right on -- but -- in the end, I expect that he'll vote the wrong way.

Case in point, if the city has a shortage of "wet labs" for bio-tech work, then build "wet labs" -- NOT PARKING GARAGES. Keep your eye on the ball.

I want Pittsburgh to be a community where we can raise our families. So, I am not interested in making it into a place where we can park our cars. And, I don't want to see homeowners who pay more than their share of taxes to a school district in crisis mode to pay for subsidized car parking of other people who don't live here, don't raise their families here.

There is an expected vote on this issue on March 15. Our election is March 14. I promise that I'll be down to Council Chambers on March 15, win or otherwise in terms of the election outcome in my favor, to speak out against another TIF.

Pittsburgh school reorganization approved

Pittsburgh school reorganization approved The board voted 6-3 to close 22 elementary and middle schools at the end of the school year; expand 10 elementary schools to include sixth, seventh and eighth grades, so-called K-8 schools; and turn eight low-performing schools into new, more rigorous schools called accelerated learning academies.

Done deal.

Black board members criticize school reorganization plan

Serious words and worries:

Black board members criticize school reorganization plan Celeste Taylor, a Point Breeze resident and community activist whose two children attended city schools, said safety concerns were among the reasons some parents view the plan with skepticism.

Some parents fear movement of children across neighborhood lines would provoke gang violence or turf disputes, while others worry about younger students encountering drug activity or high school students on walks to new schools. Without addressing safety concerns, these parents say, children won't do better in school and Mr. Roosevelt's goal will be unmet.

Solutions I'm hoping to inject into the discussion include:

-- Re-hire the crossing guards as part of the city's budget, not the school district's budget.

-- Re-tool the crossing guards to make them more repsonsive to enformcement matters.

-- Re-tool the high schools in the east end so that Peabody becomes a city-wide magnet as a single gender school -- as does Westinghouse.

-- Keep Schenley High School at Schenley for the long-term. But, to save money and to insure safe conditions for students and staff in the rehab phase -- move the Schenley campus for one acadmeic year (September 2007 to June 2008) to another location. One possible alternative location, as suggested by the present Schenley High School Principal, is South High School, recently closed.

-- Migrate all the city leage sports teams into the WPIAL, soon. We need to have our city kids face suburban competition day-in-and-day-out so that they raise their expectations and targets for performance in healthy pursuits.

Some say Montessori move 'slap in face' - PittsburghLIVE.com

What do you want? Choices: a slap in the face, or a kick in the teeth? Or, how about a slug in the gut? Call it what you want -- but let's get past the insults and figure out what's what already.

Some say Montessori move 'slap in face' - PittsburghLIVE.com Under a revised plan released earlier this month, the school would be renamed Pittsburgh Montessori and moved to Friendship, and Lemington Elementary would be closed. Fifth- through eighth-graders from Lincoln-Lemington and Homewood would attend school in Montessori's current home, the Belmar building.

The Montessori program is a great asset for our city school district. Sadly, the program has been without all the support it really needs to stay true to its mission with its different academic focus. The staff training has been weaker than it has needed to be. The supplies have not been kept in working condition -- for 25 years.

Here is another great example where we have had a fumble in terms of on-going stewardship.

The Montessori program in the Pgh Public Schools needs a boost from within the district.

The move to Friendship might make a splendid fit for the greater good of the city.

Perhaps we should move a second Montessori program into Friendship and keep another one in the existing location.

The ALAs (buzz talk for Advanced Learning Academys) is a new style of educational flavor that is about to start in September 2006 in ten elementary schools in the Pgh Public School District. Well, the Montessori brand is already a specialized school that is within our landscape now that acts much like these ALAs are to in the future. The benefits are the same when looking at the global district views.

But, now, the tinker phase.

I wish I could have been to the school board meeting tonight. When is it on TV? How did it go down? Feedback welcomed.

Standing and speaking in opposition to another TIF -- today -- again

A public hearing was held today at 1:30 on Grant Street in City Council Chambers about another URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) TIF (Tax Incramental Finance) deal that gives a tax-break to a development.

I was there to speak against the TIF, along with Steve D, of Save Our Transit fame and the TMC.

The other candidates in the race were not present.

However, it is fair to say that there are three in the race, out of eight candidates, that are speaking up against the concept of tax-breaks for the large corporation and institutions. I've been talking about ending TIFs since 2000. Joining me on the trails now to speak up against TIFs is an Indie, Matt B. and the 30-year-old Republican. It is good to have them help to shift the conversation away from the corporate give-a-ways that do NOT help the neighborhoods.

TIFs are another way where the city has policy that make the super rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

The TIF on the agenda today was to build parking garages on Second Avenue within what amounts to a suburban office park along the river.

There are many reasons why this TIF and all TIFs should end. These are flowing into a more detailed position paper, to be posted shortly.

TIFs present a quagmire of problems that go to the roots of the city's troubles in terms of finances and population loss. I fear that you will not hear the other four front-runners raise a peep of an objection against TIFs. So far, they have been silent on this topic and this makes for a big distinction in the campaign.

Status quo politicians love TIFs. They love tax breaks. They love to spread the kickbacks to those with influence. They love to make complications and feel as if they are going to win at the game of Sim City.

Furthermore, I need to get onto city council so as to ask a series of direct questions and demand better replies. For example, Bill Peduto asked a fair question. He asked how much this TIF is going to cost. How much is it worth? That is a straight-forward question but he didn't get an answer that had a dollar amount. The best the director of the URA could say was, "We'll see." He didn't know. He didn't say. He didn't answer.

As a tax payer, I'm sitting there to wonder about a tax break that they are going to cut for parking garages -- and they don't even know how much is on the table.

The dollar amount is a big unknow.

These are the types of answers you get when you have eight members of city council all from the same political party.

Sure, I would NOT be able, as a lone vote on city council, to defeat the TIF. However, I would be able to ask pressing questions from at the table and be able to have a dollar amount stated to the public, understood by all the others who are going to vote 'yes' -- and inject a bit of transparency to the process.

Then there is the question of 'when.' This TIF is a deal that could come about in the next 10 years. There is not 'start date.' The project may or may not happen -- say -- when the first graders are in high school.

So, there were total failures on what amount and when it begins and end -- plus comes the kicker. No RFP. The project is going to be a hand-picked deal. There will not be an open-bid process. There won't be a competitive process. There won't be a chance to hear from other developers about ideas that they might have for a deal for the property. There won't be any 'master plan' critique from the market, at large. Nope, this is a good under-the-table, smokey city deal of the highest order.

Let's take some prime, flat, river-front property, right next to our biggest highway, between our three most vibrant business districts (Downtown, Oakland and South Side) pinch it between a new $5-million pedestrian bridge and bike path -- and give it to some developer cronies without so much as an "OPEN CALL FOR PARTICIPATION" to anyone other than a hand-picked windfall agent.

TIFs stink. The TIF process stinks.

What did I do with the phone number for the F.B.I.? This is HIGHWAY Robbery. This is why Pittsburgh is going down the tubes still. We need to turn the tide -- and rather than 3 out of 8 candidates in a race against TIFS, we need every candidate against them.

Kraus, Krane, Koch, Phillips, .... your no-show and no-voice is noted.

There is a simple way to come onto the record when there is a public hearing, such as what happened today. Just call the City Clerk's office and have your name put onto the agenda as either "FOR", or "AGAINST", or "COMMENT" -- and then you can show your true colors.

As I expected, you won't be able to watch the public hearing on the city's cable TV channel because the cable-casting of the meeting was not ordered by anyone on city council. That is like another ring of smoke to complicate deals and keep the city residents and taxpayers in the dark.

But, both the P-G and Trib Grant Street reporters were there to witness the folly. I expect we'll see something in the newspapers, I hope.

This is NOT what I mean by an upgrade to activites on the lake at Panther Hollow

Last night, I released a statement that called for new activites at Panther Hollow -- in the lake / pond there -- with kayaks. We can do more in terms of recreation. Another buddie wrote to me and say I was onto something as that place has been going to the dogs for far too long.

This is close, but not exactly, what I have in mind.

Click on the image for a little video clip of three folks in kayaks and a suprise visitor.

Mayor may fill finance vacancy

Mayor may fill finance vacancy - PittsburghLIVE.com Under O'Connor's administrative reorganization, Kunka could become director of the mayor's Management and Budget Office, which might replace the position of finance director. City Council would need to approve a change.

This is a great appointment. If I was elected a member of city council, I would, after an extensive interview, in the open, in public, move to approve the changes necessary to allow for a new directorship for Bob O'Connor's Administration.

Scott Kunka gets a great deal of respect from me for the job he has done in the past years. He does not get a new job without sitting on the hot seat for a few minutes. But, he's a good person for these duties. He could offer a lot of insight to the new mayor in an area that is pressing, like few others.

New ink at South Pgh Reporter

: Mr. Rauterkus believes the best way to make the city attractive again is by getting neighborhood youths more involved in activities. He claims the problem with juvenile delinquency makes this part of the city unattractive and unsavory for any one planning to raise a family to want to move to this area.

Running out to swim practice now, so I can't do much but put up a pointer to the latest article. The City Paper article on the race will appear on WEDNESDAY. The PG gives the race coverage on Friday, I expect.

Thanks to all for the effort for the fine event last night in Oakland, at the Student Union.

My League of Young Voters statement

Focus on freedom, liberty and justice for all favors everyone, not specific cronies nor constituents from single demographics.

All benefit with: Bike lanes on streets; Trust in democracy; Annual Youth Technology Summits; Day-cares and Preschools; Subsidized housing for poor (not rich); and Graduate housing at Pitt's "River Campus" in Hazelwood.

In-fill-parking treatments in established neighborhoods make more sense than subsidized garages on Second Ave.

I'll deed city-owned properties to college juniors and post-grads as bonus scholarships to encourage home-ownership and roots to Pittsburgh past graduation.

Cutting taxes, (i.e., the deed-transfer-tax) helps young home buyers.

Expect kayaks in Panther Hollow, under lights, a marathon, and community fitness to give urban participants goals to shoot at and for, not each other with guns.

My tech interactions push fairness, transparency, engagement and open-source solution building. Give input at Platform.For-Pgh.org/wiki.

Business as usual? - PittsburghLIVE.com

Honeymoon. JSM makes a case that what I call a honeymoon might be ending.

Business as usual? - PittsburghLIVE.com Everyone wishes O'Connor well. Yet even some of O'Connor's supporters already are grumbling that the man who ran as the 'business' mayor is looking a lot more like the 'business-as-usual' mayor.

I do think that time has been wasted. But, O'Connor has done okay in getting that 'dream team.'

The next key to the dream team is the 9th member of city council. If it is one just like O'Connor, or just like what we used to have -- then that hope for change goes down the drain.

Hooking O'Connor's fate to a hockey arena -- well -- say it ain't so media pundit. Because O'Connor is NOT kissing up to the hockey arena thing is proof enough that this is NOT business as usual. Murphy already built two new stadiums and a convention center that will never be used to its full capacity. We don't need another mayor to build massive things that then act like anchors to our public life.

The arena, now, is simply a distraction. Talk of the arnea takes the eye off the puck (or ball) to what really matters around here. Pittsburgh is more than a bunch of professional sports spectators.

Bob told the Pens to "Think Again." Wonderful.

Bob told the Pens, he has some more pressing things to handle, like the budget. Fine. Now Bob needs to move on those areas, then we'll re-measure his honneymoon and his team's effect on change -- or not.

The arena proposal is not O'Connor's Waterloo! I'm certain of that, despite what Pens fans and Mario might think.

Taxpayer score of Congress Critters

VS_2005.pdf (application/pdf Object)

USOC intends to address bad-boy behavior - Saturday February 25, 2006 1:13PM

Woops.

SI.com - 2006 Winter Olympics - USOC intends to address bad-boy behavior - Saturday February 25, 2006 1:13PM Miller failed to finish in the first run of the slalom and officially ended his Turin stay with zero medals in five races.

Scherr was obviously aware of reports from the Alpine venues of Miller's late-night tequila shots at the Irish Igloo.

'We have certain expectations,' said Scherr, detailing the code of conduct for the U.S. team. 'The athletes have to prepare themselves and compete to the best of their ability. And their behavior should bring honor to the United States.'

Student crowds Downtown discussed

Student crowds Downtown discussed She said Pittsburgh's Downtown should still be perceived as 'one of the safest urban centers in the country,' and will be helped further in summer by the partnership's hiring of 'ambassadors' who will walk the streets and serve as extra eyes and ears for police.

I think it is sorta silly to hire ambassadors. We should hire crossing-guards.

I think it is sorta silly to put more and more kids onto PAT buses when we should have some service for school buses to and from neighborhoods to our high schools.

I think it is dangerous to close Schenley High School -- in Oakland. I don't like the idea of moving Schenley HS to the east end into Reisenstein Middle School's building. That would put Westinghouse, Peabody and Schenley all into an area that is too close to each other -- and -- someone else has said it would be "a hornets nest."

Building a guys only campus and a girls only campus is another trend that should be examined in Pittsburgh.

The other cheap and obvious solution, should violence become more and more of an issue for the high school kids is to go to a 'uniform' policy. The uniforms are not 'fool proof' of course, and there is some downside to that move, but, it can help and everything needs to be on the table.

Finally, the kids are not going downtown to play basketball or use recreational facilities. That's for sure as there are no decent facilities for them to gather in productive ways downtown.

Until recently, there used to be a swim pool at the Salvation Army -- closed. There used to be a swim pool at the YWCA -- closed. The gym spaces are for the more up-scale corporate clients in town.

What do we have for our kids to shoot at or to shoot for -- other than themselves? That is the nagging questions I want to ask and fix. I want to attack the problems from the other end of the spectrum, from a holistic approach. We need to challenge and coach our teens.

Seniors vote. Seniors have been not only at the top of the priority list -- but the only thing on the priority list. That mentality has lasted far too long.

We have a generation of kids having babies. We need to give new focus to parenting and support areas such as pre-schools and day cares and playgrounds where coaching occurs.

Just 150 words needed to answer this question

What specific policy initiatives will you implement to improve campus
life, the quality of life in Oakland (South Oakland in particular) and make the city more student friendly?

* Deadline for submission: Monday 2/27/06 @ 5 pm.

This question begs for a few wise guy answers, for blog submissions. Suggestions welcomed.

chill, wait, double fallback, could, should,

Those words don't sound like the words of hockey.

Penguins will wait out slots process - PittsburghLIVE.com The county and city continue to discuss an alternate plan, O'Connor said. They could release details by late March.
'We all want the same thing,' he said. 'We want the Penguins to stay here, and we want a multipurpose arena.'
Onorato's spokesman Kevin Evanto called the Plan B a 'double fallback position.'
'If we lose the team because there's not an alternate plan, then people are going to come unglued because of that,' he said.
Evanto encouraged Penguins supporters to lobby the other casino applicants to include money for an arena in their plans.

What became of grinding it out? Pass, shoot, block, counter-attack. Change lines. Do it again. There is political football -- why not political hockey. A hockey game in the political relm is desired instead of our politicians, dear sports franchises and upstart casino bidders playing a game of chicken with eventual lawyering on the sidelines.

Going somewhere? Vote anyway

Allegheny County Elections Division Announces Absentee Ballot App lication Deadline for March 14 Special Election - 2/22/2006

PITTSBURGH - The Allegheny County Elections Division today announced that County residents who need an absentee ballot for the upcoming March 14 Special Election to fill the vacancy in Pittsburgh City Council District 3 must apply before 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7.

Absentee ballots are available to registered voters who will be absent from their municipality on March 14, or to those who cannot reach the polls because of an illness or physical disability.

Absentee ballot applications may be requested through the mail or in person at the Allegheny County Elections Division, 601 County Office Building, 542 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Eligible voters may also obtain an application by calling 412-350-4520 or by visiting www.dos.state.pa.us.

Registered voters are encouraged to request their absentee ballot application as soon as possible. Applications must be completed and returned to the Elections Division no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 7. An absentee ballot will then be mailed to the applicant.

The voted absentee ballot must be returned to the Elections Division no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 10.

Hoops update

Westinghouse Bulldogs Girls basketball, Overall Record: 22-3, Section Record: 15-1, hosts Schenley's squad tonight, Friday, at 6:30 pm.

In the boys city league....

Schenley powers way to final - PittsburghLIVE.com Schenley advances to the City League championship game next Thursday night at Mellon Arena to face Allderdice, which beat Peabody, 63-43. It will be the Spartans' third trip in a row to the championship game. Last year, they beat the Bears in the title game, and two years ago, they lost the crown to Perry.

U.S. wins first curling medal

Another excuse to drive around town beeping your car horn is here! Curling rocks!

SI.com - 2006 Winter Olympics - U.S. wins first curling medal - Friday February 24, 2006 10:06AM U.S. wins first curling medal

Did you get a peek at the Curling Calendar?

The Curling News Blog They even got a photo of the streaker on the blog.