Downtown efforts leave empty feeling - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Here is the rub. Chamber of Commerce folks and the PDP (Pgh Downtown Partnership) want big programs, big taxes, big organizations and big lies. Meanwhile, real people vote with their feet. The marketplace is too fluid and too much of a force for the big central planning types who are big, slow and stupid.

At this point in time, the volume of merchants who know best are long gone. There are not enough of the sensible around to counter act the big-time jokers who aim to soil our landscape by grabbing what they can for themselves with the next massive programming ploy.

Downtown efforts leave empty feeling - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Taxes are a problem, said Gerald Schiller, part-owner of several family-owned properties along Forbes Avenue and a frequent critic of government-driven rehabilitation efforts. 'Retailers are deserting Downtown, because they are being phased out of business by the city's tax policy.'

Schiller is particularly disturbed by a Business Improvement District tax increase on retailers. The 3.92-mill assessment, which provides money for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, will increase by 5 percent annually for the next five years. The tax is levied against property owners in a 90-block area.

Barbara McNees, president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, supports the tax increase.

'We must keep Downtown safe and clean, not only for its current retailers and residents, but for visitors, new residents and others in the Downtown area,' she said.

We need real benchmarks too. Let's say things are going well, when they are not. Let's look at office vacancy rates -- but exclude the Lazarus Building. What's up with that? We have way to many blind spots, by design.

Those who make the rules, rule.

I have no hope that the new investment of $35-million for Point State Park will save downtown.

I have no hope that the new T-stop at Gateway Center is really needed to revitalize Fifth & Forbes.

I have no hope that the half-billion dollar tunnels under the Allegheny River will turn things around either. What's the attraction of the underground T? Were people afraid to swim across the river for shopping and cheering for the Pirates?

The surge in residential units is because the value of commercial spaces is at such an all time low.

We have more people willing to move downtown because less are willing to live in our neighborhoods.

They are thinning. They are taking away high-rise buildings and replacing them with green spaces. They are getting rid of density. They are putting capacity out by the airport and other green fields while they are doing demolitions on density and urban spaces.

Our economic engine is not on a rebound. We've choked the hope. We have places to sleep, but few place to earn a pay check are willing to locate here.

We're turning into a slumbering little town. Everyone that says we are building momentum are sleeping. Wake up soon, before the marketplace leaves the state.

Jumpcut - Group Game called, "Where am I?"

Have you seen Jump Cut yet? Check out this new group there to play a game called, "Where am I?" I've uploaded three mini videos there. You watch and comment. Jumpcut - Group Where am I?

Here's the game: Shoot a short video from wherever you find yourself - with enough scenery so that someone could guess where you are, but not too much - and post it here. The first person to guess the location in a comment wins.
tags: travel game
Upload

Sarah Heinz House, hard hat tour photos

Sarah Heinz House - hard hat tour

See dozens of images from a major expansion of a boys and girls club being built by Dick Corporation. It isn't as nice nor expensive as the Polar Bear exhibit at the zoo, but hey -- its for our kids! They are still looking for a couple million to close out the building campaign.

Ex-member of the US Congress, from Georgia, quits the Republican Party and joins the Libertarians.

Down South Jukein from R to L. Do you know the song?

BREITBART.COM - Ex-Rep. Barr Quits GOP for Libertarians Ex-Rep. Barr Quits GOP for Libertarians

By BEN EVANS, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON

A former Georgia congressman who helped spark President Clinton's impeachment has quit the Republican Party to become a Libertarian, saying he is disillusioned with the GOP on issues such as spending and privacy.

Bob Barr, who served eight years as a Republican congressman before losing his seat in 2002, announced Friday that he is now a 'proud, card-carrying Libertarian.' And he encouraged others to join him.

Click the comments for the entire article. Or, see the link above.

This fall, there has been a lot of talk about 'turn overs.' Pittsburgh needs a push to juke from various parties to the Libertarian team.

The Lynyrd Skynyrd song came to mind -- Down South Jukin'. Search Google on "Down South Jukeing" and notice the 5th hit is this blog. I'm high on the list for a miss-spelled rockin tune titles.

I post one happy holiday message with the song, "Oh Abraham" -- and then get this call

Hi. My name is Eugene Gershin. Perhaps we have met online, but more probably you don't know me from Adam. I monitor blogs for SamsonBlinded, and came across your post.

I'd like to welcome you to look at Obadiah Shoher's blog. Obadiah - an anonymous Israeli politician - writes extremely controversial articles about Israel, the Middle East politics, and terrorism.

Shoher is equally critical of Jewish and Muslim myths, and advocates political rationalism instead of moralizing.

Google banned our site from the AdWords, Yahoo blocked most pages, and Amazon deleted all reviews of Obadiah's book, Samson Blinded: A Machiavellian Perspective on the Middle East Conflict.

Nevertheless, 170,000 people from 78 countries read the book.

Various Internet providers ban us periodically, but you can look up the site on search engines. The mirror www.terrorism-in-israel.org/blog currently works.

Please help us spread Obadiah's message, and mention the blog in one of your posts, or link to us from rauterkus.blogspot.com. I would greatly appreciate your comments.

Best wishes,
Eugene Gershin

The things we see on the net are wild, from time to time. Last week when there was a missing young adult, sadly, the thread got attention from his friends. Life.

Told ya. Poppa Penguin says, 'hold the phone" on the adoption. Certainty chatter is a sure stinker.

So, one thing is for certain. My rant about "being certain" as a top priority (Dec. 13, 2006) rings like a bell.

Photos of bells I've used and seen are below. Play the video of the one on the bike -- for effect.

Watch the Video


Historic bells of an emperor (above) and a religious bell tower from a structure in a temple is below.

Oh, Abraham. A song from the past. Chanukah -- a stretch. But worth a listen.

New video for these times.

Chanukah began tonight.

From a new photo album that features Amy Carol Webb.

Amy Carol Webb

---

Amy Carol Webb MP3 Downloads - Amy Carol Webb Music Downloads - Amy Carol Webb Music Videos: "Faith Fortitude Friends

Citizenship Celebration today for David

See my Google Calendar for the details.

David S, a 911 operator, North Sider, who recently ran for Pittsburgh City Council in the special election for Luke's former seat, is getting to take his oath of citizenship today. Way to go.

I hope he runs for public office again. He was talking about issues, more than personality.

More photos. Picasa only takes 500 per album

Buy some corn on the cob from a vendor selling from a hot pot built into the back of his bike.

From china - bike ...

Going to a bike party -- and uploaded more than 500 photos

From china - bike

Enjoy.

Another album is of my bike.

The org, Downsize DC is up in arms about this bill

Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress) H.R.4682
Title: To provide more rigorous requirements with respect to disclosure and enforcement of ethics and lobbying laws and regulations, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Pelosi, Nancy [CA-8] (introduced 2/1/2006) Cosponsors (162)

Multimedia bits and pointers

Heavy Or Not brews here:


• JumpCut.com/rauterkus



• Rauterkus.blip.tv



• Picasa Web Albums from Mark Rauterkus

Red Light Camera - insights about a new law for Pgh

I've crafted a 98 second movie about the pending bill that would bring 'red light cameras' to Pittsburgh's busy streets and intersections.

The devil is in the details. Here what they've found in New Mexico. I'd be okay with this as part of the deal in Pittsburgh too.

Do you think that those in Pittsburgh would insist that the same treatments be put into effect here?

Hope you watch the segment and agree. The photos are from my collection from our visits to China. Check out the crossing guards too.

The audio is from a podcast I'm enjoying, FreeTalkLive.com.

Examining the Libertarian Vote in Depth

This is a great article. Give it a read.

TCS Daily - Examining the Libertarian Vote in Depth By David Kirby & David Boaz

Libertarian Party candidates may have cost Sens. Jim Talent and Conrad Burns their seats, tipping the Senate to Democratic control. In Montana, the Libertarian candidate got more than 10,000 votes, or 3 percent, while Democrat Jon Tester edged Burns by fewer than 3,000 votes. In Missouri, Claire McCaskill defeated Talent by 41,000 votes, a bit less than the 47,000 Libertarian votes.

This isn't the first time Republicans have had to worry about losing votes to Libertarian Party candidates. Sens. Harry Reid, Maria Cantwell, and Tim Johnson all won races in which Libertarian candidates got more votes than their winning margin.

But a narrow focus on the Libertarian Party significantly underestimates the role libertarian voters played in 2006. Most voters who hold libertarian views don't vote for the Libertarian Party. Libertarian voters likely cost Republicans the House and the Senate—also dealing blows to Republican candidates in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Another telling quote:

President Bush and the congressional Republicans left no libertarian button unpushed in the past six years: soaring spending, expansion of entitlements, federalization of education, cracking down on state medical marijuana initiatives, Sarbanes-Oxley, gay marriage bans, stem cell research restrictions, wiretapping, incarcerating U.S. citizens without a lawyer, unprecedented executive powers, and of course an unnecessary and apparently futile war. The striking thing may be that after all that, Democrats still looked worse to a majority of libertarians.

re-public: re.imagining democracy - Richard Stallman - The free software movement

re-public: re.imagining democracy - Richard Stallman - The free software movement Could you explain free software activism?

Richard Stallman: First I’d better explain what free software means. Free software means software that respects the user’s freedom. There are four essential freedoms that the user of any software ought to have:

Freedom 0: the freedom to run the program, as you wish.

Freedom 1: the freedom to study the program’s source code and then change it so that it does what you wish.

Freedom 2: the freedom to distribute copies of the program when you wish.

Freedom 3: the freedom to distribute copies of our modified versions, when you wish.

Freedom 2 is the freedom to help your neighbor; freedom 3 is the freedom to contribute to your community. Both of them include both private distribution and publication–whichever you wish. Both include gratis distribution as well as sale of copies, whichever you wish

So what is free software activism? It is the struggle to establish and maintain these freedoms. This is a struggle because most computer users do not have these freedoms. They were taken away back in the 1970s, when a tiny fraction of society used computers; when use of computers spread widely in the 90s, what spread was the use of user-subjugating proprietary software.

Pens open to Plan B concept - Certain is as certain does

First published on Dec 13, 2006

I'm certain that being certain should not be the top priority, for sure.

The guy who has Blackberry -- the company that took a gamble on patents and nearly went dark and off the air a year ago -- is full of talk to the gambling control board.

How can you have a slots parlor and have certain results? To gamble is to take risks. There is mystery and uncertainty when you drop the money and panic and are left with the cold-hard-results.

The value of being certain falls to an owner of a sports team with a deal on the table who doesn't even own the team yet. Everyone thinks he'll own the team. But, it didn't close yet.

Pens open to Plan B concept - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 'Our plan is the only plan that brings certainty to this entire process,' McMackin said. 'There's clear-cut certainty the Penguins will stay in Pittsburgh. Under the concept of the other plan there is nothing but uncertainty.'

Under the backup plan, Forest City or Majestic Star would pay $7.5 million a year for 30 years, while the state would pay $7 million a year. The Pens would have to pay $8.5 million up front and $2.9 million a year, while forgoing $1.1 million a year in naming rights.

Balsillie said Isle of Capri's proposal is the best plan because it removes any doubt about the team's future and doesn't use 'taxpayers' money.'

'I see a three-for-one here,' Balsillie said, adding that Isle of Capri's proposal provides a sports and entertainment destination, economic revitalization in the neighborhood and a gambling facility.

'The promise of being a good neighbor isn't just a promise,' Balsillie said. 'It has to be fulfilled.'

Balsillie said he hopes to conclude his purchase of the Penguins by the end of the week.

Sports is about living in the present and not knowing what's going to happen, especially when played on ice with a little rubber puck at the center of attention.

I'm certain that taxpayer money is going to go into this new arena. For starters, the new arena is going to be built and then given to the public to operate. If they want to build a new arena -- do so and keep it.

I'm certain that the public will pay dearly for the new arena as their plans call for the take down of the old arena. When 1 + 1 = 2 we'll have a net gain. But, we're getting 1 - 1 = 0. We own the civic arena. We have it paid for now. We don't need luxery boxes for Disney on Ice nor a high school graduation.

I'm certain that we'll not have a civic venue with the new arena with low-rental costs, like we can manage wit the existing facility that will be torn down, according to their plan. We've got a historic structure that is authentic -- for sure -- for certain.

So much for a sure bet. The guarantee seems to be a broken heart and upside down priorities.

Joe Jencks is to play a house concert in Pgh on Jan 7

Check the Google Calendar for January 7, 2007.

From Joe Jencks ho...

Pennsylvania using Google Earth to promote tourism | News.blog | CNET News.com

Pennsylvania using Google Earth to promote tourism | News.blog | CNET News.com Pennsylvania using Google Earth to promote tourism

Tourism is nice. But why not leverage the utilities to service the people that are local, here now. Too often we're trying to make our Pennsylvania places, including our home town, into something that it isn't.

Google Earth and other tech tools can be used to help understand our places -- for those that live here, pay taxes and raise our kids here.

To jump on the notion of Google Earth for tourism is another tiny example of the tail wagging the dog.

Heck, the Governor wants to sell the PA Turnpike. It would go, we expect, to a firm with finance resources that resides outside the USA.

Wait. Perhaps there is a connection. Get Google Earth to help sell the PA Turnpike.

Perhaps Google Earth could have been used by locals to give feedback to the PA Turnpike Commission -- to point out potholes -- so it wouldn't have been so miss-managed and in need of a bailout.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Superintendent Mark Roosevelt Announce Partnership to Create The Pittsburgh Promise

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Superintendent Mark Roosevelt announced a collaboration between the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Public Schools to develop The Pittsburgh Promise, a college access program and revitalization strategy for the City of Pittsburgh.

“Our goal with The Pittsburgh Promise is to help our children and their families plan, prepare and pay for education after high school,” said Superintendent Roosevelt. The Pittsburgh Promise would make higher education achievable for all Pittsburgh Public Schools students regardless of need or income. It also would enhance the economic development of the City.

“To advance the economic vitality of the City of Pittsburgh we need to invest in our neighborhoods, create a business friendly environment and strengthen our school district,” said Mayor Ravenstahl.

The Pittsburgh Promise will prepare students for success in the 21st Century by addressing the three primary barriers to college access: academic preparation, accessibility and affordability. As an integral part of the District’s Excellence for All plan for improving student achievement, The Pittsburgh Promise will begin working with students at a young age to make post-secondary education an achievable goal for
everyone.

The Pittsburgh Promise anticipates making funds available to Pittsburgh Public Schools graduates for tuition at an accredited post-secondary institution within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Students would be required to make regular progress toward the completion of a degree or certification-seeking program and remain in good standing at the post-secondary institution. It is expected that the Pittsburgh
Promise will be funded through an endowment and an annual fundraising campaign from private donors.

An official cost analysis is currently underway. The Mayor and the Superintendent will be forming a joint task force to develop a comprehensive plan for The Pittsburgh Promise. Preliminary work has been done by members of the District’s High School
Reform Task Force and the Mayor’s Business and Economic Development Committee.

What is this saying?

An official analysis is underway. Perhaps someone got a clue that there might be some link between economics and education in this city.

If you get great grades and make serious progress in academic areas, kids will get into college. No joke. If you have a heartbeat, you'll be able to get into some college these days.

Isn't need also part of income too.

I don't think this is much of anything.

I'd love to see a deal cut with Mark Roosevelt and Mark Nordenburg. I'll broker it. It would go like this:

1. Every kid who graduates from any Pgh Public School and is in the top 20 in his/her class gets three years, including summers, of paid tuition to Pitt, CMU, Duquesne, RMU or Point Park.

2. Every PPS High School grad in the top 100 of his or her class gets automatic admission and a one year tuition scholarship to those schools.

3. Everyone who graduates from a PPS high school in good standing (regardless of class rank) gets a one year academic scholarship to CCAC.

4. Any kid that graduates from a PPS high school and presents a 4-year degree from any college/university within five years of his or her graduation gets a ticket into an semi-annual lottery run by the city so as to pick a free piece of property in the city-owned inventory. The graduate has to own the property for three years, or else some of the sale income goes back into the Pittsburgh fund. (i.e., 50% of sales price in year one; 40% of sales price in year two; 30% of sales price in year three.)

In the past, I've ranted about how the city should present a program to liquidate much of its land / property holdings on a regular basis to college grads and grad students who make a pittsburgh pledge.

A+ Schools Report in today's PG and on the web

A+ Schools has published the second annual "Report to the Community on Public School Progress in Pittsburgh," as an insert in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The report contains data about each school with a few blindspots.

The Report is based on the 2005-06 school year. So, the new Accelerated Learning Academies (ALAs) were not included in this year's Report. They were "reconstituted." The K-8s that were elementary schools last year are listed in the elementary section of the Report.

More to come from me.

In general, in my humble opinion, A+ Schools is but a bad joke. The organization used to have a web-based discussion group -- but that was taken down. I've never been able to see any minutes to any of the A+ School meetings. Who attends? When? What is said? The bold support from A+ schools for the 'right-sizing' came without a board vote.

The organization is built for political leverage and little else. Michael Lamb is associated with the effort, and that is one of the worst things he has ever done.

There are hundreds of things that A+ Schools could and should be doing. Our schools need lots of help and support with critical thinking among many sectors of the community. But, we've got another entity that strives for a scripted, elitist, top-down agenda.

Just as I don't want my schools to cater to some students and ignore others -- nor do I want organizations that are about our schools to do the same.

A comprehensive look at the schools that isn't comprehensive is fine. But, trouble comes when they say and think this is a comprehensive view. If they called it what it was -- I'd be fine with that approach.

There are serious blind spots in this report about our schools, about our school district and about our communities.

The ALAs (Accelerated Learning Academies) have been reconstituted. But, the kids that go to those schools have not been reconstituted. And, the performance of the schools that closed are just ignored and not a part of the report. What's up with that? If we reconstitute schools every year, we'll never need to put important data into a report.

Furthermore, getting base-line numbers of the old system is not welcomed when you have a new system. Let's erase all hopes of being able to fail. Don't publish the numbers of the old schools. Then the new schools numbers are never going to be worse that that of the old school -- because we're not going to reveal the numbers from the old school.

Shame on the report for selective reporting by not sharing results that enable us to look back. Perhaps 'history' isn't part of the new accelerated math and reading programs -- and that's another failure.

How did Knoxville Middle School stack up? How did Greenway Middle School stack up? Those schools just are NUKED from the report. There were kids that went to those schools last year. Those schools fed into other high schools.

The best thing we learned about Knoxville -- Hanna Montana was in a movie that was filmed there last month. The place is a nice movie set now. That's it. That's their version of comprehensive.

Perhaps they should have done a phone book. Perhaps they are trying to make a hype and PR brochure to get people to move into downtown loft apartments.

The expansion into the realm of charter schools is welcome. Next, let's see an expansion into private schools and catholic schools too.

My big knock when it came to the report last year was that there were no benchmarks as to how the kids in the city did with a contrast to those in suburban schools. Face the facts. A family that is able to move from one school setting because they see that the kids are not progressing as they should won't look at this booklet and say -- humm.... Frick vs. South Brook vs. Schiller ... ??? No way. People who are pulling their kids out of the school district are moving outside the city. The choices are South Brook vs. Baldwin. Or, Frick vs. Shaler. Or, South Hills or Montour.

This isn't being framed well. It isn't really a battle among city schools. The real contrasts need to be among schools in the region, city and not, public and not.

On the last page of the report is a call for opinions. I've given my opions on a number of topics central to our schools and communities -- at the A+ Web Forums in the past. Then they pulled the plug on that communication tool. They don't really want to hear my opinions.

With watchdogs like A+ Schools, we're sure to stay in a heap of trouble. Comprehensive trouble.