There aren't words to describe this tragedy.

SI.com - Spanish cycling champ dies after bike crash - Sunday November 26, 2006 World track cycling champion Isaac Galvez of Spain, a runner-up in a Tour de France stage last summer, died after crashing during a six-day track race in Ghent. He was 31.

Galvez died Saturday night after crashing against the railing during the next-to-last day of the Madison competition, event organizer Rob Discart said. Galvez, who raced for the Caisse d'Epargne team, was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

kdka.com - Allegheny County Council Loosens Smoking Ban

kdka.com - Allegheny County Council Loosens Smoking Ban (AP) PITTSBURGH Allegheny County Council has loosened its new workplace smoking ban even more.

The ban, which takes effect January second, bans smoking in any work place or public building and was passed to protect the health of people who are forced to work in those buildings.

But the amendment approved yesterday will let people smoke within five feet of a building's entrance, instead of the original 15-foot buffer zone in ordinance.

The smaller zone is meant to make it easier for patrons and employees to step outside for a quick smoke.

But opponents, including the five County Council members who voted against the amendment yesterday, say it will expose some employees -- like doormen and security guards -- to even more smoke than they faced before.

Libertarian Party Gives Thanks

The Libertarian Party wishes Pennsylvanians a happy Thanksgiving, and gives thanks this holiday for:

* Iraq holding free elections with multiple candidates. Perhaps this will serve as an example for bureaucrats who believe Pennsylvanians cannot handle more than two candidates in any statewide race;

* Continued cooperation among independents and third parties regarding reform of Pennsylvania’s unreasonable ballot access laws;

* The Clean Sweep movement for sweeping big government incumbents from office;

* Ed Rendell opposing tax increases for a few months. He waited until the polls closed before he announced his plan to raise taxes;

* Our Founding Fathers, who created a constitutional republic (not a democracy) that established laws to protect our rights to life and property.

The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the United States with more than 600 officials serving in office throughout the nation. Visit www.LP.org or for more information on the Libertarian Party.

Rendell -- we deserve it! Westinghouse to build NUKES for China while Gateway NUKES teachers.

Gov. Rendell says Westinghouse should come to Western Pennsylvania with additional jobs because "We deserve it."

Wrong!

Mary Griffin, on KDKA-radio, just called me a 'naysayer.' Well, he is part right.

Understand that China is going about to build 400 Nukes -- for electrical power (i.e., Three Mile Island) in the next ten years. That is a given. They approved the goal. It is going to happen.

On the table now for Westinghouse is how to supply a share of those plants. They've got the nod to build four, as tests. If these go well, they'll build 100 more, if not 300 more.

A number of suppliers are going to build Nukes in China, and Westinghouse is in the mix. It makes good sense for China to diversify and keep the plants from various builders with various technology applications so as to be competitive.

The business decision made by Westinghouse executives won't put any weight on those attitudes that the Governor talked of -- "We deserve it." And, those attitudes from the top politician in PA say plenty as to where and where not to locate a big business venture.

A tax abatement from the Gateway School District is not going to be the factor to make a "go" or "no-go" decision for Westinghouse in this deal. If those jobs come, they'll come here because of the overall landscape of the business climate for Westinghouse and its hope of doing well in the building of those nukes for its new, best customer, China.

Some hyper charged Keystone Opportunity Zone -- or Enterprise Kiss Butt Tax Give-Back -- is NOT going to factor into this global policy. It amounts to a pimple in the scope of the marketplace forces and the deals that they'll be hatching. A pimple.

But, to Gateway Schools -- it might mean 30 teachers. It will be serious. And, the take-a-way comes from the kids that are with us today. And, the take-a-way comes with a serious cost to our freedom.

If you want to talk about what matters and what doesn't -- let's talk about building NUKES here in the USA. Westinghouse has to go to China to revitalize its NUKE Building Operations because there are no customers here in the USA.

Let's talk about about energy! I like to turn on the lights and have them work. I love to have heat in our home. I'd love to drive an electric bike around town.

China is increasing its competitive outlook for its people and its companies. It is building -- and we're trying to make give-a-ways to benefit some mega corporate deal at the local level. Yet what we build for them is not welcomed here!

Senator Logan talked about building Nukes for Japan. Duhh....

The Governor said that the ones who speak up against these 'corporate welfare' deals might be right when it comes to a philosophical confab. But, then Rendell said, "this is the real world." He needs to get these jobs from Westinghouse to land here in Western Pa and not North Carolina or Tennessee. The other regions are giving incentives too. In the real world you have to give up something. You have to make an investment.

Well, the real world value of these tax breaks amounts to nothing except a loss of liberty.

The wheeling and dealing that the Governor and those like Jane Orie and Sean Logan are huffing and puffing about with Westinghouse is a power and influence charade. They want to be the one's who are bringing in new jobs. They want to make noise -- then take the credit. They want to say they were instrumental in landing those jobs.

Don't be fooled.

If Marty's Army sends thousands of letters to Westinghouse executives saying -- "stay here", fine. A letter writing campaign will create a lot of noise. The signal should not be, "because we deserve it." Nor should it be, "because Ed Rendell is a nice guy."

Rendell said in the interview on the radio that he is NOT permitted to talk about the specifics of the deal, as ordered by Westinghouse, until a decision is made. So, we've got behind closed doors deals being hatched. And the Governor is proud of this.

Westinghouse has the upper hand and is able to silence the Governor. And, the Governor is happy about his loss of freedom to talk to the public.

I don't want a governor that is able to be silence by corporate interests.

It is China where there are mega problems of humanity because people there are not free to speak without the state's blessing.

It is in China where web surfing at Google gives one set of results that have been filtered to meet the wills of the authorities -- not here.

Now China is going to crack into our landscape by being a big customer for a big corporation -- and in turn our state's top politician is going to act like the Communist Party acts in China.

In the next posting, we should examine what they do in China at its Casinos in regard to free drinks. West Virginia doesn't offer free drinks to those that play the slots. But, in Macao, China, at the Playboy Casino, you get more than drinks if you book a party for more than a dozen customers. Sigh.

My game plan is different. My priorities are not like that of the big-government Dems and Reps. And, this isn't a D vs. R thing. Here, the Ds and Rs are both to blame and are equally guilty. Governor Ridge created the Keystone Opportunity Zones.

The Governor should put together a task force. The task force could be chaired by the Governor himself. He can be the point person on this. It is a big deal, understood. But, don't make any give-a-ways. Westinghouse needs to get what it needs -- and it must pay for what it needs and gets.

I'd insist that Westinghouse pull its own weight, from day one. I'd insist that we be open, transparent, eager partners, flexible, and creative. Be straight with all parties. But, I'd not sell out for hype, nor for the sake of our freedoms. I want state, regional, county, schools and municipal cooperation along with that of the wonks and the lockstep boosters such as the chamber of commerce.

Cooperation does not mean taking from one and giving to another.

We are going to thrive in Pennsylvania, if we are free. That's the hinge.

We've taken the low road. We've lost our freedoms. We've got a frail democracy. We've put so many bobbles on the getting of new jobs that we take from elsewhere and speed up the decline.

The turn around that we seek isn't going to come with 3,000 new jobs that are wrapped with corporate welfare dealings.

Self reliance matters. That's how we need to thrive. We can't take the 'we deserve it' pledge to the global marketplace and expect to get anything other than squat.

Township officials back recreation center proposal

Township officials back recreation center proposal multi-municipality community recreational center.

This is music to my ears. Cooperation. Playing well together. Teamwork.

They are making steps that make sense. They are closer to the formation of a park district.

Hill District activist faces lawsuit - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Speak up. Then speak with the lawyers. Whistleblowers beware.

Hill District activist faces lawsuit - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Hill District activist faces lawsuit

Why not change the name of the campaign from "Raise Your Hand! No Casino on the Hill" to, "Raise Your Finger!" You fill in the rest.

Those with juice and power really don't like it when citizens do reseach and connect the dots.

Frick Middle School Swim Team -- schedule

I posted a Google Calendar for the Frick Middle School Swim Team schedule. It is unofficial. Google Calendar is a nice utility.

I won't put these dates in the Google Calendar.

OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES FINANCIAL AID NIGHT

SCHOOLS DATE TIME PLACE

ALLDERDICE December 11, 2006 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Library
ALLDERDICE January 10, 2007 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Library
BRASHEAR December 4, 2006 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Library
CAPA January 16, 2007 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Library
CARRICK January 11, 2007 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Library
LANGLEY December 12, 2006 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Library
OLIVER January 9, 2007 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Library
PEABODY January 8, 2007 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Library
PERRY January 24, 2007 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Library
SCHENLEY December 18, 2006 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Library
WESTINGHOUSE January 11, 2007 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Library

MercuryNews.com | 11/21/2006 | A final incarnation for Pacific Commons?

OMG2. The Steelers almost left town. Say it isn't so, doubting Tom. My impressions of you have not change a bit.

MercuryNews.com | 11/21/2006 | A final incarnation for Pacific Commons? Another example is Pittsburgh. Tom Murphy, a senior fellow with the Urban Land Institute, was mayor of Pittsburgh overseeing the development of a stadium. Failure would have meant losing the Steelers. The odds were long that the team would stay in town and even longer that a new stadium could be built, but the city got it done.

``The referendum to pay for the development was defeated by 70 percent. But we decided we're going to do it anyway, because the Steelers were important to Pittsburgh in terms of our psyche and in terms of who we were,'' Murphy said. ``We were a Rust Belt, declining city and we were losing our Steelers.''

Murphy said $262 million was raised from the team, the state and hotel and sales taxes to build a baseball park, a football stadium and a convention center. The former mayor believes the development succeeded because it was incorporated into the city, rather than standing apart.

``We built the stadium into the community and the city -- it's not sitting there as an icon surrounded by 25 acres of property,'' he said.

Well, where to begin.

The stadium known as Heinz Field was built into a community -- yet today it still needs light rail under the river to succeed. ???

The stadium is not surrounded by 25 acres of property -- as I guess it is an island surrounded by water????

The stadium's surrounding property includes a Parking Authority garage that isn't being used. And, if the garage was used, it would finally empty each Sunday around halftime of the Monday Night Football game.

Don't those VIP tents look great next to the stadium on the surface parking lots, built into the community. The deadlines for the re-development of the land have long passed. What's up with that? Do the Steelers still have the rights to the land too?

If you really want to see a stadium that was built into the community then you needed to look no further than what was once Pitt's grand dame -- Pitt Stadium. That was built into the community. That was were hospital patients could take a wheel-chair walk and catch a bit of the game. That was where players could walk to work. That was where injured athletes could go from dorm room to whirlpool or visit with the rehab folks -- without getting onto a bus and crossing the river.

Pitt Stadium was where you could go after an alumni reception with professors, on campus. Go to Pitt Stadium and watch a game with the family after a visit that injects a sense of academic pride of the research, knowledge and student-life a campus setting should engage. That's community.

Good luck Freemont. Take the advice of Tom Murphy and cronies like him for what they are worth. Zippo.

Pedestrian Planning Meeting slated for 2 pm on Saturday, Dec. 9, at Pitt's School of Public Health Auditorium.

Hill clergy lead effort to rebuff slots casino in Hill

OMG. That's short for either Oh my gosh. Or, in this case, might as well say, Oh My God!

Hill clergy lead effort to rebuff slots casino in Hill 'We don't want it in Pittsburgh, period. If it must come, let it go to the North Side or Station Square. We don't want it near our residential district,' he said.

Bless their souls too.

The ministers are now backing the plan for the casino placement at either the North Shore or at Station Square. That makes sense.

They are right in saying that few people live near the Station Square and the North Shore site. Those locations are already entertainment destinations. They are not residential areas.

But what kills the story is the fact that they hit upon Toyna Payne of Pittsburgh's City Council but gave a free pass to Gov. Ed Rendell. It was Rendell that was the one who put gambling into our local landscape. It was the state reps who passed the bills to allow it to arrive.

If the ministers had been against Ed Rendell in the past season, I'd have more understanding of their actions now.

The ministers are saying good things -- but it is too little and too late.

Russ Diamond was a candidate for Governor and he wanted to get rid of the gambling law. He wanted to nuke the entire bill.

Rev. Tom Smith of Monumental Baptist Church said, in the article, "This is our first action to ensure that the spiritual and economic well-being of this community is not compromised." The first action should not come a month before the final decision is announced. The news is expected December 20, 2006.

Folks, it is good to speak up. It is always good to speak up. When you speak up late -- fine. Do it. But, we really need more people to speak up sooner.

Frankly, the Isle of Capri plan should not be considered because of the silence treatment the public has been subject too from the Penguins. The "Lockstep Boosterism" and "contract agreements" of non-statements between the NHL's Penguins and the Isle of Capri effort to secure a gambling casino sucks.

The closed-mindedness stinks. It is only matched by the other killer action of hatching deals behind closed doors.

If the Penguins and Isle of Capri want to get into bed with each other -- fine. They can hop in bed with each other on their own time, and with their own dime too. Don't expect to win a public license for an exclusive gambling license from under the covers. Don't wager a secrecy campaign in our public spaces where we have the calling to be concerned as citizens, neighbors and taxpayers.

The pathway that the Penguins, as an organization, has taken is sad. I had hoped that the new ownership group would have been more bold and open-source in their ways. This amounts to a communications deal. And, the Blackberry's screen has gone blank.

The Penguins have fumbled an opportunity to connect with the city and region. But, fumbles don't really happen in hockey as the puck sits on the ice.

The Penguin ploy was to rush the ice with wave after wave of public officials to speak in support of the new arena. They had line changes down pat in the first period. They went to an early lead, sure. But once the counter-attacks came, the only defense was to field multiple goalies.

The entire process is built upon some false hopes. The new arena isn't the top priority. Oh well.

Retired sheriff to plead guilty to macing

The backlashes around Pittsburgh are real. The culture of corruption and insider tricks could use a big kick in the pants.

Retired sheriff to plead guilty to macing Recently retired Sheriff Pete DeFazio is expected to plead guilty to one misdemeanor count in federal court tomorrow -- the culmination of a more than five-year investigation into corruption in the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office.

Mr. DeFazio, who retired at the end of October, will plead guilty to macing. That charge is defined as denying a benefit to a government employee for not contributing to a particular candidate or political party.

Time will tell if this is the wake up call that is necessary.

We can dream, can't we?

City teams with Garfield businessman to provide bikes to needy

City teams with Garfield businessman to provide bikes to needy A Pittsburgh police officer walked into a Garfield bike shop two years ago, introduced himself, told the owner about some unclaimed bikes at the nearby East Liberty station and asked if he'd 'tune them up' so they'd be safe to give to needy children at Christmas.

'Sure,' said Jerry Kraynick. 'Let's take a look at them.'

Sure. Everyone should have a bike. But, I really want to say that everyone should have a safe bike ride on a safe bike lane on the roads.

Bikes need to be taken off of the sidewalks. Bikes on the riverfront trails are nice. But we need to bike to work, to shop, to church, to schools, to friends, to life!

Bike lane along a road in China.

Bike lanes look like this in Eurpoe. Big Ben was here!

The Recycle a Cycle program looked like this -- in Pittsburgh!

Thinking again about newspapers

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200612/hirschorn-newspapers

The Atlantic offers advice from VH1 exec and Inside.com co-founder Michael Hirschorn:

"Not only do you allow your reporters to blog; you make them the hubs of their own social networks, the maestros of their own wikis, the masters of their own many-to-many realms." He suggests the Washington Post create an interactive online universe around Dana Priest's intelligence reporting. "Turn the site into a clearinghouse for global intelligence information, rumors, conspiracy theories, and so forth ... Go even further: incentivize the critics and reporters by allowing them to profit based on the popularity of their sites; make it worth their while to stick around.

And another set of tips:

A 10-point prescription for ailing newspapers

Law to limit South Side Bar expansion faces red-tape until 2007

Councilman Jeff Koch introduced a bar bill concerning the South Side. The bill has been sent to City Planning where they'll do their magic and hold a public hearing. Then a public hearing will happen before City Council. The bill might be voted upon by city council in March, 2007.

The new law would apply to Local Neighborhood Business Districts. So, it won't impact upon places such as Downtown, South Side Works, Station Square nor the North Shore.

So, the bill isn't going anywhere fast.

Seven new bars are in the pipeline with the approval process now. Some of those could open and close again by the spring of 2007. Perhaps an additional 20 will come into being, even it is is only on paper, before the bar bill hits again.

All existing bars would be exempt from the law.

I value the conversation. But, I'm skeptical as to the outcome. My rants and insights will flow later.

Running Mates -- plays well with others -- want to work together

The only bit in the short video above, click image watch the video, that I have a bit of trouble with is the line that this type of collaboration was not even possible a few years ago. Not true. Before there was a Creative Commons, there was the DSL. And, before the DSL, there was the public domain. I still use the public domain for most of my offerings.

It is generally a bad policy to take credit for being the 'first' one who did anything.

'Pres. Romney' sounds good to one Pittsburgh blogger

deseretnews.com | 'Pres. Romney' sounds good to many Experience and agendas
The Frenches, along with Charles Mitchell, who works for a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., and Dawn Meling, a business banker in Pittsburgh, started the blog in July, prompted by the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Tennessee in March.
Romney finished second in a straw poll of potential 2008 contenders, behind Tennessee's own Sen. Bill Frist.

Charlotte Observer | 11/05/2006 | Coach closing gap for Olympic hopefuls

Charlotte Observer | 11/05/2006 | Coach closing gap for Olympic hopefuls Mecklenburg Aquatic Club creating post-college training center for elite swimmers

Swimming buzz...

R.I.P. Milton Friedman, 1912 - 2006

Info from Wikipedia.

Friedman advocated minimizing the role of government in a free market in order to create political and social freedom.

Friedman also supported various libertarian policies such as decriminalization of drugs and prostitution. In addition, he headed the Reagan administration committee that researched the possibility of a move towards a paid/volunteer armed force, and played a role in the abolition of the draft that took place in the 1970s in the U.S. He would later state that his role in eliminating the draft was his proudest accomplishment.

He said, as do I, don't put me in a box. Labels don't work.

He said that he was a libertarian philosophically, but a member of the U.S. Republican Party for the sake of "expediency" ("I am a libertarian with a small l and a Republican with a capital R. And I am a Republican with a capital R on grounds of expediency, not on principle.") But, he said, "I think the term classical liberal is also equally applicable. I don't really care very much what I'm called. I'm much more interested in having people thinking about the ideas, rather than the person."

Democracy Rising blast and Tim Potts has been on KDKA radio with Marty G

www.democracyrisingpa.com

It costs us about $30,000 a day for per diems (on top of salary and catered meals) when the legislature's in session. Today was not a session day, but the House Education Committee held an informational meeting.

This entitles lawmakers on the committee to collect a per diem for today. But as Capitol reporter Michael Race reported Tuesday in several northeastern PA newspapers, there seem to be few days when lawmakers can't collect per diems.

Race reported that retiring Rep. Gaynor Cawley, D-Scranton, in 2005 "claimed 210 per diems totaling $27,666 – more than the annual salaries of lawmakers in 30 other states that year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures."

There were only 80 actual session days in 2005. Not content with more than $100,000 in income, Cawley also voted for the pay raise.

No one begrudges lawmakers reimbursement for legitimate expenses. But since lawmakers don't have to submit receipts in order to get the money, there's no way to know whether these are legitimate expenses or not. That's why the IRS treats their per diems as additional income on top of their already generous salaries, benefits and other perks.

Wouldn't you like to see an online list of lawmakers and how much they collect in per diems every month? So would we. But there isn't one, and don't hold your breath for it. Read on.

Lame (-Duck) Quote of the Day

On Tuesday, House Speaker John Perzel (R-Phila.) and Majority Leader Sam Smith (R-Jefferson), newly re-elected to their leadership positions, talked about those of us, including reform-minded Republican lawmakers, who want higher standards of integrity in government. Smith said, "Their message was heard. But we don't want reform simply for reform's sake."

Really. How about reform for the citizens' sake? How about reform for the sake of democracy itself? How about reform to elevate Pennsylvania's pathetic standing among the states? We sure do need it.

Pennsylvania is the only state whose legislature has exempted itself from its open records law.

Pennsylvania is the only state whose Supreme Court has exempted itself from its open records law.

According to the Better Government Association, Pennsylvania ranks behind only Alabama and South Dakota in citizen access to public records, making it much harder than necessary to find out how government spends our money and makes the decisions we have to live with and pay for.

Pennsylvania is the only state that doesn't have all of its laws available to citizens free of charge on the Internet.

Pennsylvania has one of the worst lobbying control laws in America. Our new law ignores the 66 percent of citizens who want to prohibit public officials from taking gifts, meals, entertainment and travel from lobbyists, according to the Spring 2005 IssuesPA/Pew Poll.

Pennsylvania has the highest payroll for lawmakers of any state in America.

Pick your motive – to honor the citizens, to honor democracy, to end our national disgrace – but even reform for reform's sake doesn't look like such a bad idea to us.

Report Card arrive and other get to do things.

Pgh Public Schools provides report cards for the students today.

Light Up Night was last night for the South Side, while Pitt hosted WVU. You gotta finish in championship sports. Pitt was ahead at halftime. But scored no more points in the second half while WVU got 21.

Glad we didn't have any extra furnature to torch on the streets.

Tonight is Light Up Night for Downtown. Yawn. But in other downtown news, the families and kids of Phillips Elementary who are able get to go to the Opera in its outreach program. They'll see Romeo and Juliet. The rest of my clan goes while I'll be at swim practice.

Saturday morning our swim team goes to Hopewell for the second dual meet on the winter. Then, Ohio State hosts Michigan on Saturday afternoon. I agree with Mark Madden that the game with #1 and #2 and for the Big 10 title is a much bigger deal than the Steelers vs. Browns on Sunday.

But at 4 pm, I'll be at a violin concert with Pgh Music Academy performers at First Unitarian in Shadyside on Moorwood. Hope we can get the game on the radio.