Arena Re-Imagined - News Feature - City Paper

Rob gets nominated for Pittsburgher of the Year.

Pittsburgh - Mellon Arena Re-Imagined - News - News Feature - Pittsburgh City Paper Rob Pfaffmann and other preservationists have resumed a four-year-old campaign to keep Mellon right where it is -- and put the structure to new uses.

We talked (Rob, Violet and I) for a moment at the holiday party hosted by Bike Pittsburgh and the Riverlife Task Force in December.

Participants proposed a "super kid center" with year-round ice and roller rinks, an "ethnic marketplace" and even a "biosphere" modeled after Montreal's re-used Olympic velodrome, which now serves as an environmental education showcase. Participants also envisioned new housing nearby, a crescent-shaped park around the arena, and an overlook on top. Drawings show a large slice of the city dramatically visible through the retracted arena roof.

Today, preservationists still believe the arena could have a new life, and that demolition shouldn't be the only option.

The only tweek to this -- is keep the velodrom! Perhaps we can get the parts from Montreal and stuff that into the arena, then it would be meaningful to say 'go down around the arena, @N.'

Sure. Save the Arena. Make this part of town way more attractive for local business location. Build something that home owners of downtown and Hill District -- as well as Polish Hill, South Side, Bluff and Strip District residents / new investors would want to be close to.

This next point is very important. Sala Udin, take note to what follows.

Many Hill District residents regard the structure as an obstacle to more beneficial development -- and a jarring reminder of redevelopment promises yet to be fulfilled.

First, get over it! This isn't the '60s, still. Seriously, keeping the existing arena is less jarring than a new one. And, a re-deployed civic arena is going to be better blended into the existing landscape once the rest of Mario's properties are purchased by Barden. The surface parking lots of today get hidden and blended. And, when we keep the arena, new buildings get built the hill, throughout the streets of the whole neighborhood. Otherwise, a churn of the same parcel occurs.

You know, the grass field at Heinz Field needs to stay green all season long. What if the Sports and Exibition Authority had the big idea of moving Heinz Field from its present location to a spot two blocks away, sorta where Three Rivers Stadium stood. This way the land around Heinz Field gets the long awaited development that has been promised. And, the grass might be more hardy there, on the sacred spaces once occupied by Exhibition Park.

What good does it do us to build a new arena right next the old one, implode the old one with money still owed on it, and have a net gain of one food court that sells $3 pretzels. Heck, the dipping cheese won't even be a good once they outlaw the trans-fats.

A more beneficial development can sprout out of the shell of the existing Civic Arena. We need to noodle as to what can occur there. The activities and the flow of people to and around the Hill District and Downtown could be better, way, way better than what is attracted by NHL Hockey.

The hoped for gracious near-town living won't come to the lower Hill Distict until and unless a great recreational venue is in the same neighborhood. No city rec center will seal the deal for anyone, sad to say.

The preservationists' first priority, he says, is to win broad support for saving the arena. "Getting people to believe that it is worthy of saving," he adds, "is going to save the building."

Rob and Pittsburgh -- you have broad support from me.

I pledge to save the Civic Arena with more spit and vigor than Jim Ferlo's efforts to save Oakland's Siria Mosque.

Rec Center viewed from two different locations: From the water.

From the land.

I'd love to see Mario's new venue built on the Ohio River -- downstream from Downtown. Our best highway that never needs to be re-paved is the river. And, when it is near I79, the Parkway West 376, and the river -- we'll be able to expand and attract young people as residents!

The Rec Center in the photos is much smaller than the new arena. But notice the hight and density of the near-by buildings. It would be silly to circle the new arena with townhouses. Rather, put in high-rise buildings. Make this a real Olympic Village -- our Pennsylvania Penguins Village.

The Burgh Report says investigation becomes either / or

The Burgh Report Ravenstahl's decision is either a severe lack of judgment or a cognizant willingness to sweep Regan's wrongdoing under the rug.

My hunch goes to the sweeping option.

Did you see this guy biking to Grant Street recently?

From china - bike

ATTENTION BUS AND TROLLEY RIDERS:

The sky is falling.

OUR PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM IS ABOUT TO DIE!

*State politicians have done NOTHING in 6 years to properly fund public transit in PA!

*Local elected leaders are refusing to go to Harrisburg to ask for dedicated funding that would PREVENT these service cuts and fare hikes!

*The predicted 25% service cuts are INEVITABLE regardless of whether or not we get dedicated funding before June 2007!

SO JOIN OTHER BUS AND TROLLEY RIDERS FOR A MARCH AND RALLY TO DEMAND NO SERVICE CUTS AND NO FARE HIKES!

Monday, January 22, 2007 - 8:30am to 10:00am


PLACE: Mellon Square (Sixth Ave. and William Penn Place, Downtown)

**We will be gathering at 8:30 am at Mellon Square. The rally will begin at 8:45 am. The march will begin at 9:15 am; we will be ending at the Pittsburgh Hilton, where the 1st Port Authority public hearing will be held at 10 am.

SAVE OUR TRANSIT!

No more service cuts! No more fare hikes!

For more information call 412-361-3022 OR email zeidersamanda@gmail.com

I don't like these chants. Stop the tunnel would be high on my list of expressions. Perhaps I'll go to the rally and have a sign that says "I'm NOT Digging It!"

Another good message: Bike to rule in Wabash & on Busways!

Judge overturns demotion of Pa. police commander

NEPA News - Judge overturns demotion of Pa. police commander 'The law is clear. The loss of First Amendment freedoms even for the smallest amount of time constitutes irreparable harm,' Ambrose said.

Freedom wins. Not only are McNeilly and her attorneys overjoyed, but all liberty minded people can take a deep breath and smile.

Good to hear that the city will abide by the decision. Bad that they just don't stop now. I'd not want to take this any further if I was the mayor, or even if I'm a candidate. I really don't want to see the case proceed if I'm a taxpayer -- and I am that.

If it was the Murphy Administation, they would have gone all the way to they could with appeals. To be better -- end the case now.

Luke should chalk this up to a 'rookie mistake' and be done with it as soon as possible.

Still to come: Who is going to be named the public service director? Anyone? Is this an important job? (Hell yes.) Who gets the nod? (???) Does a national search begin? What are they waiting for?

Teachers join 'Pittsburgh Promise' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Way to go.

Teachers join 'Pittsburgh Promise' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and John Tarka, president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, will hold a news conference at 11:30 p.m. Thursday at the union’s South Side headquarters to announce the teachers’ participation. Although Tarka would not disclose the amount before tomorrow’s meeting, Ravenstahl called it “symbolic progress.”

“We recognize The Pittsburgh Promise is a promise to continue to improve the school district, and the teachers support this kind of effort to provide help to students,” Tarka said.

How much do you think that they'll put into the kitty?

How much of a campaign donation do you think that they'll make too? The PFT gives money to candidates. The PFT gave money to Jeff Koch. Jeff is a Democrat.

I hope that the Pittsburgh Promise isn't a key to anything other than a few headlines from now and then. A broken promise is nothing to hang one's hat nor hopes upon.

New Blog: Early Returns from the P-Gers

Rich Lord called this a blog. Ha, ha, ha. This is a web site. A blog generally allows for comments. This is very 1999ish. Well, perhaps it is 2002ish.

I email Rich Lord saying that Les Ludwig started talking about "alternative funding" back in 2003. I felt that the news of Luke's deal with the California firm should have quoted Ludwig. Heck, he ran for Mayor on that as a central platform plank. Furthermore, the words, "Do More With Les" were spoken by young Mayor Luke Ravenstahl at his first budget address in recent months.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Local News - Early Returns Welcome to Early Returns, the Post-Gazette's online guide to Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania politics. Politics Editor James O'Toole can be reached at jotoole@post-gazette.com, and former Harrisburg correspondent Bill Toland can be reached at btoland@post-gazette.com. The Early Returns staff also now includes city hall reporter Rich Lord, who can be reached at rlord@post-gazette.com.

Ora Lee Carol is a candidate for Pittsburgh City Council.

Newest US Citizen Formally Announces Bid To Unseat Harris Of Council Seat

Press Contact: Contact@Dave4Council.Net (412) 894-8743
New American and Returning Candidate.

Pittsburgh, PA – Responding to calls from North Side residents for a change in the way council does business, newly naturalized US Citizen, Dave Schuilenburg, affirmed today that he will seek to unseat Darlene Harris of Pittsburgh’s City Council District 1 seat. “It is with deep humility that I announce today my intention to present myself again as an alternative for voters to City Council’s & Darlene Harris’ spending ways” announced Schuilenburg, the 9-1-1 dispatcher & Summer Hill home owner who presented a respectable challenge to the unpopular former Pittsburgh Public School board member in the November 7th Special Election.

Schuilenburg’s confirmation of a re-run for the office comes amidst recent media reports which brought to light a purchase initiated by Ms Harris of a Smoke Eater for her office in the non-smoking City-County building. “Not only are tax payers forking the bill for her Ms Harris’ bad & unhealthy habit, but an illegal one at that, and that is simply unethical & unacceptable!” comments Schuilenburg.

“Not only does this show that Ms Harris has not changed her spending ways,” continued Schuilenburg, “but it also shows her blatant disrespect for the residents that elected her, and the law for that matter. Is this truly the ‘fiscal manager’, as she called herself before the Post-Gazette editors, we want to lead us out of the city’s fiscal crisis for the next 4 years? More importantly, is this the example of leadership we want to set for our children?”

In contrast, Schuilenburg plans on running a campaign focused on concrete reforms he calls ‘An Agenda Of Positive Change’, policy ideas he initially presented during last fall’s special election for the district’s council seat. The platform was overshadowed, however, by his opponent’s tactic of raising concern with his citizenship status at the time. “Though I had heard several reports of my opponents going door-to-door attempting to convince voters to hold back lending me their support due to such, their success was minimal at best. More importantly, however,” adds Schuilenburg “now that my 5+ year process to become a citizen has finally come to end last month, this time around the onus falls back on them to counter with their concrete ideas for change, something none of them, including Ms Harris, did last time around.”

Setting his sights on ‘out of favor’ Harris, Schuilenburg adds “Let’s not forget that she only won based on the electorate’s strong will to unseat Santorum & Hart, and the ‘Straight Party’ ticket wave that accomplished such, despite not having had to run in a May primary. Considering she only had 45% of the district committee members endorsement in the fall, however,” adds Schuilenburg “I can guarantee that she will not win this year without placing a 4 year plan for the North Side & the city out for debate, should she even have one!”

Ms Harris’ unpopularity originates from ill decisions made during her tenor on the PPS board, including one to open nearby schools with low attendance during a fiscal crisis, actions which subsequently cost the school district loss of significant grant money from highly respected local endowments. Temporarily withdrawing their financing of school programs, the Heinz Endowment & Pittsburgh Foundation specifically cited her lack of ‘governance, leadership & financial discipline’ as their reason, and subsequently reinstated the funding when the electorate voted her out of office the following election.

A respected member of various upper North Side community & action committees, including the North Side Weed & Seed and the North Side Public Safety Council, Schuilenburg presented himself last November as the most non-partisan choice to Harris, and was quoted as being ‘the most knowledgeable candidate on the issues’ by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Likewise, Schuilenburg ran a campaign on proposed concrete ideas as opposed to name recognition as attempted to do other candidates, and garnered almost half the votes the candidates with recognizable name did.

Schuilenburg’s documented platform of council reforms includes allowing the electorate the opportunity to vote on downsizing council from 9 to at least 7 members; improvements to public safety, including a reorganization resources so as to free up officers for true police work; pro-merger of city-county administrative & bureaucratic duplicate services; and refocusing capital investments into neighborhoods, a position current Mayor Ravenstahl has taken in his first budget. Schuilenburg even proposes holding a public ‘Socio-Economic Summit’ with North Side neighborhood groups & elected officials of all levels so as to set forth strategies & priorities for kick-starting improvements to the quality of life on the North Side as a whole. “When East Allegheny, Troy Hill & Manchester suffer, we all suffer; and it is time for leaders with ideas from across the North Side to come forth and present those ideas for consideration”.

Councilman Wants Stricter Nuisance Law Enforced - News

Councilman Wants Stricter Nuisance Law Enforced - News One local councilman is arguing that Pittsburgh's nuisance law is not being enforced, as it should be.

Motznik wants to see stricter enforcement. How about any enforcement. It isn't being enforced at all.

"This is something that has been holding my community hostage," said council member Twanda Carlisle.

The overlords in this town are also holding the city hostage. We don't self govern. We don't have self reliance. What then do you expect? Yes, Pittsburgh is held hostage.

Accountability is absent.

Transit riders are held hostage to PAT, an authority with an appointed board. The Pens fans felt jolted by the I.O.C. plan for a new arena by the appointed PA Gaming Board. The history lovers are held hostage to the Allegh. Conference folks who want to bulldoze over the significance of Point State Park.

We're in an era of authority madness.

Even the schools are pulled in certain directions by the foundations and their hired bosses, such as Mark Roosevelt.

"Right now, every one of our neighborhoods are being taken over by people who just don't care," said councilman Bill Peduto.

Until there was a fire, folks within the city didn't care. And, now, only the folks on council seem to raise a voice. The city administration does not care. That's the worse.

Motznik said he is going to get a full public airing of this issue with city officials invited to council table in the weeks ahead.

Wrong again. If Motznik wants a full public airing of this issue, then he needs to call for a combined post-agenda and public hearing. The public won't be able to speak at the public meeting Motznik is calling. Motznik doesn't really care to hear the public on this topic. This is not a full public hearing unless the public can speak and be heard.

Duhh.... Actions speak too.

By the way, the house that is next to mine, and the house that is next to that house -- sit vacant. They have been empty for months. They have suburban owners.

By the way 2, there are a number of houses for sale on my street. A house on my street was torn down two months ago as well. It was torn down by private funds, not a city crew.

The economic worry of this original bill could depress the property values of all of us who own in the city. And, it could increase the number of tax leins that the city dishes out. That's been a huge problem for years. Finally, empty lots where good houses used to stand causes blight and a loss of density. With current zoning laws, many of those structures can't be re-built.

The great fix for all of this -- a return to the land value tax.

Another fix -- give 12 year old kids something meaningful to do so that they are net setting fires to empty buildings, like what was done in Hazelwood. There is an empty school building, the former Gladstone Middle School, in Hazlewood, with an empty swim pool and two un-used gyms.

Ghost burgh -- part 2 on why the civic arena's venue should not be a tombstone marker

We all know and hear it often: downtown is ghost town after dark.

If you take the Penguins out of downtown, or really out of the lower Hill District, and that's right next to downtown. Then downtown is going to be a ghost town.

Humm. Downtown is a ghost town now -- with the Pens.

Perhaps the Pens help to insure that downtown continues as a ghost town.

If you take the Pens out of the lower Hill District location, then we'll have great opportunities to make the Civic Arena venue a real vibrant place for hundreds of people every day, every time slot.

When 15,000 people drop in for 3 periods -- they leave their mark. These people don't take mass transit to and from the hockey games. These people generally drive in and drive home.

The big venue in town would become the new hockey venue. If Mick and the Rolling Stones come to town -- they go to Mario's new place. Great. That's just what we want. We want the flexibility of big events in a big indoor venue that can cater to those mega crowds. Perhaps that isn't the Civic Arena.

But the Civic Arena is a great smaller venue. The facility can be re-tooled to suit the neighborhood and handle a constant flow of hundreds of people each hour, thousands a day. Ten thousands each week.

That's not scary. That's how to avoid the traps of being a ghost town.

Plan D objections: See the light -- part 1

Bill Peduto's Plan C was a topic of a brief discussion in council chambers today. I told Bill and a few others, get the talk of building a new hockey venue to another place besides the lower Hill District.

Bill's first quick objection was to the point of the hockey lockout. When the Pens didn't play a season of hockey recently, some in downtown, like Joyce at the Carlynton, nearly went out of business. The hockey fans helped keep him alive by eating meals there, even when the eatery is downtown.

No problem.

When the Penguins move to another venue in Allegheny County, perhaps there will be an opportunity to establish a new resturant within the complex of the new hockey arena, say out near the airport.

More to the point however, when the Pens move to another venue outside of Allegheny County -- the Civic Arena is still going to be there where it sits now. The Pens might play hockey elsewhere -- and in turn -- there will be more and different events slated at the existing Civic Arena.

Perhaps civic events hosted at the Civic Arena after hockey leaves the venue will be able to generate more customers for downtown eating establishments than what was done with Penguins fans.

If the lower Hill District, and the rest of the Hill District swells with new business and new home/condo owners, then the resturant will have tons of additional traffic on a day in and day out basis. Let's beef up the hill with new housing and in-fill developments and make that area attractive. Then there will be lots of new customers who are not there now.

Furthermore, the new customers I'm speaking about would never choose to live in the shaddow of a mega hockey venue. They won't want to live next door to Mario's new ice palace.

The entire east end of Pittsburgh's central core can flourish after the Pens depart. A hockey night in Pittsburgh is an exciting time. But, if you have to go home after work to give relief to the baby sitter, or go to a school event, or dash out for grocery and what-not, it sucks to be stuck in hockey game traffic for 30 minutes.

Case in point: I go every month to our Libertarian Party meeting at Ritters Diner on Baum Blvd. I drive from my home on the South Side. On a hockey night this trip can take me 40-50 minutes. The game traffic brings a good section of the city to gridlock. That isn't fun for everyday headaches. People will choose to live elsewhere.

People won't want to develop the Hill District and beyond if the Pens build a new arena there. Those neighborhoods will continue to slide.

People won't want to invest in a new business and put it so close to the new hockey venue so as to prevent delivery trucks, have sky-high parking rates, contend with fans who fill every available parking spot for miles, and so on.

Council eyes nuisance properties. Eye em all they want. Head scratching next?

Council eyes nuisance properties - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pittsburgh City Council this morning said it wants to resurrect a 2-year-old 'nuisance property' ordinance that hasn't been enforced since it was created.

Let's NOT make laws (or in this case, ordinances) that are not enforced. Serious enforcement problems exist. But, the enforcement comes because of a hyper-active legislative body that can't come to grips with its own mission.

Blogger is back

Blogger has been out for a good portion of today. It seems to be back. Yesterday Picassa was not working. It too is back.

Supreme Court refuses to hear Nader's appeal of Pa. ruling

AP Wire | 01/08/2007 | Supreme Court refuses to hear Nader's appeal of Pa. ruling HARRISBURG, Pa. - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday let stand a Pennsylvania court ruling that requires former independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader and his running mate to pay more than $80,000 for costs incurred by a group who challenged their nominating papers in the 2004 general election.

Arena 'Plan C' offers Penguins profits.

This is bad, and its outcome goes the wrong way in the end.

Once again part of what Bill Peduto says makes sense and is worthy of support. Then the other part of what he says is hated. A little bit of good and a ton of bad.

If this was football, Bill Peduto played the game like Ohio State played last night. Opening kickoff goes for a TD and the rest is ugly.

Or if it is one play, Bill Peduto takes the conversation, the ball, downfield on a sweep to the sidelines. His student body left or right advances more than 10 yards giving a first down -- if only he did a Franco and ducked out of bounds then and there. But no. Peduto doesn't allow himself to stop where he should (IMNSHO). Peduto keeps on his feet. He reverses field. He goes back the other way and ends up seeing daylight. He runs backwards for 30 yards. He runs in the opposite direction ending up with a net loss of three times what he could have gained. Ouch.

Cheering for Peduto feels a lot like cheering for Ohio State in last nights big BCS Championship Game. The opening kickoff is a great run and touch down. Excitement swells! Then comes the rest of the game and a total disappointment follows. Florida blew the doors off of Ohio State after the first play.

I'm glad to see Bill Peduto do something to address the Pens situation. He finally went onto the field.

Last week I asked City Council to call a combined post agenda and public hearing concerning the Penguins and Civic Arena situation. They didn't. They had little to loose. They should have gotten some discussion moving on this hot topic.

On the kick off, Bill takes the ball and scores big points with me by saying tht the Penguins should share in the profits of activities that go beyond the game day transactions. The Pens greed makes it so that they'll need to have a better upside in the dealings so as to have long-term mega profits. The luxery and corporate boxes, naming rights, concessions and broadcasting elements are just not enough. Poor, poor, Pens.

I like the idea that Bill Peduto is thinking out of the box. He understands that there are creative ways to put the Pens operations into the bedrock of Western Pennsylvania. This makes it so the team won't threaten moves again in the next 5, 10 or 20 years.

I like the move too so as to link Don Barden's offers to the Pens and a proposal to invest in the Hill District.

Then everything else just sucks.

The Pens should NOT build its new venue on the lower Hill District. But, the Pens could sell its existing land interests in the lower Hill District to Don Barden.

Barden's money can provide an exit plan for the past investments of The Pens so as to not tie up that property for entertainment.

The lower Hill District and the upper Hill District need some serious attention. We need to make sustainable development work with the fabric of the community. We can't wedge a new venue in there that doesn't fit to the scale and desires of what we really needs -- affordable housing, mixed use properties, density of development, home owners, small businesses. The whole Hill District should start to thrive again by getting back to the basics. From Oak Hill to the edge of the Civic Arena property, there is a lot of potential.

I predict that the population throughout the Hill District to Oakland could increase by 20-times in 10 years if the right leadership emerged.

Presently, there is a lot of vacant land there. That land should be taxed heavily. Then the fix ups to the properties should be without new taxes. As we shift back to a land value tax, the Hill District would boom., as would other places in the inner core of the city.

One of the keys to getting The Hill District to flourish again is develop without the mess and snarls of a new hockey venue. Putting in a new palace, right in your face, isn't going to offer the stability and investment understanding that people want as a close neighbor.

If a public owned, public financed hockey venue goes into the lower Hill District, as proposed by Plan C, then tens of thousands of other home owners won't show up as residents and small business owners in those nearby neighborhoods.

I feel that you could put a ton of public housing around a new hockey arena and force people to live there. But we've tried that. It failed. We took down the projects -- for good reason. Or, you could put the new arena somewhere else in Allegheny County and thousands of people will move back into the Hill District in an organic way.

Calm the Hill District with peace keeping and by supporting basic needs -- and then we'd see those neighborhoods flourish again. Sensible development would work. New investments from a slew of owners would welcome a new day for the torn corners of The Hill.

A new hockey venue isn't a way to calm that part of the city.

I do love the concept of having local and state officials working with the Penguins to partner in development efforts so as to share in the profits. That concept would be key to negotiations to keep the team from moving out of state.

But don't give away a great part of the city to The Penguins. The greatness of The Hill District won't re-emerge under the guidance and ownership of The Penguins.

Get the Penguins 300, 400, or 500 acres of land out by the airport. We have the land there. We have the highways. We want a new palace for the Penguins. It could fit next to a new, urban, Olympic Village where The Penguins could sell high rise condos for people of all ages.

Remember Washington's Landing? That whole development sprung up around a rowing center. But this Olympic Village, the Penguins Village, should be with high rise buildings, not golf course town houses. We have Neville wood already. This would be a short van ride to the golf courses and the botanical gardens at Settler's Cabin. But, this vision is for new urban living, mixed use, long-term investment, home owners, condo living, vertical office park, recreation, and day cares for both babies and seniors.

If the Pens had a big chunk of that in the negotiations and 5,000 of its fan base was within walking distance on game night -- we'd be onto something new for exansion that the world would value and celebrate.

Arena 'Plan C' offers Penguins profits Peduto proposal would allow team to share in Mellon Arena site, Lower Hill development

Tuesday, January 09, 2007
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

State and local politicians should go beyond Plan B to offer the Penguins something other cities can't -- a share of the profits in the redevelopment of the Mellon Arena site, city Councilman Bill Peduto says.

City: Row house should have been sealed - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Fix the problem, not the blame.

Some would blame ex-mayor Tom Murphy. He's been out of office for more than a year.

I'm fine at blaming Tom Murphy for plenty of our ills. But I can't pin all the blame on him for a fire that happened one week ago. But, it was started by a 12 year old kid who isn't on a water polo team, isn't able to play ball at the sports complex on the flat land next to the river at the bend in Hazlewood.

City: Row house should have been sealed - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review City Council President Doug Shields, whose district includes Hazelwood, said about 25 percent of the neighborhood's housing stock should be demolished.

What we should have done is build new housing down Panther Hollow and have a graduate student housing there, next to the Peterson Event Center.

Hazelwood matters. The nonprofits are doing nothing with this asset. We can blame Murphy and Doug Shield for this lack of action.

Don't point many fingers Doug Shields. You've been working on Grant Street for how long?

Honz Man and Tunnel Call

I got to speak with Fred, the Honz Man, as a call in on his afternoon KDKA Radio show yesterday. I wasn't clicked off the air too quickly. This is worth a re-cap as there was a funny moment, just after our conversation ended.

I hate the tunnel (Honz likes it) and the same for the "fair tax." We never got to talking about the fair tax however. Plus, I don't like the re-do of Point State Park either -- and Fred agrees with me on that waste.

The tunnel is a bad idea because it has a poor return on investment. R.O.I.

Honz's point of 'where was I' in offering opposition to the tunnel years ago does not wash with me. I hated the tunnel for a long time and I spoke out against it on many instances over the years. Too many to count. http://Ratsburgh.blogspot.com.

We naysayers did score a victory when they decided to nix the change in the light rail stop for the back of the Convention Center.

Honz wonders what we gain if the tunnel under the river for expansion of light rail is stopped.

I point to the Wabash Tunnel as a real example that has direct connections. The Wabash Tunnel was built with federal money. The capital construction cost for the Wabsh Tunnel was significant and today it is fair to say that the tunnel, owned by PAT, was a poor investment. The R.O.I. for the Wabash Tunnel is very, very bad.

The project was missguided and the spending was a huge waste. Furthermore the operation of the tunnel is so expensive that PAT wants to jetison the tunnel. Only 400 autos use the silly tunnel each day. It isn't worth the upkeep. PAT wants to get rid of the tunnel or close it.

PAT built a downtown t-stop that is seldom used. PAT owns a HOV car tunnel that is seldom used. Light rail to the North Side Stadiums is sure to be a seldom used extension. It won't help our quality of life in the region. People can walk over or back. Each ride to the North Shore would cost about $40 -- for every passenger. That is a low side estimate. It could climb to $80 or $100 to cover the capital costs and on-going upkeep of that tunnel. It isn't worth it.

Honz Man didn't see the obvious links between the Wabash Tunnel, after it was built, and how it is still a weight around the necks of this year's operational budget. Some projects are a drain to keep, year in and year out, beyond the one-time capital cost. The $1-Million per year for the Wabash Tunnel upkeep could go a long way in keeping other bus routes alive in this pending service cuts.

Honz pressed and asked again, "what does it gain by killing the tunnel?"

I said "trust."

Fred said, "You make some good points. But, trust doesn't buy you anything." He must think trust and rightous acts are worthless. I think that they are valued for our times and for that of our kids in the years to come.

Click. Call ends.

Then comes the clincher! Going into the 4:00 news, right after Honz finished our conversation by implying trust among citizens, government and budgets is to be blown-off, KDKA's producer airs a news promo -- "NEWS YOU CAN TRUST, KDKA-Radio." My sons and I were were in the car heading to swim practice and we laughed and laughed.

I love a good turn-about when words and concepts spin. The big-mouth (Honz Man) makes a senseless claims ("Trust buys you nothing.") and then his own forces (KDKA-radio promo) goes directly counter to what he just said. There is VALUE in NEWS YOU CAN TRUST. Bang, bang. It was like Honz got hit in the face by a pie -- thrown at him by his own station.

Too bad I was driving and wasn't able to run a tape to capture those 15 seconds.

More background: PAT wanted to build a new stop behind the Convention Center. Citizen outrage and a pinched budget deleted from the plans of that new stop on the line, thankfully. An existing t-stop on downtown's light rail system is already near the Pennsylvanian and just 2 short blocks from the Convention Center. It is there now. It is only used once a day to keep the rails from getting rusty. PAT wanted to move the stop a half block! How dumb. Moreover, how expensive. Put up a walkway from where it is to where people need to flow to. Install signs. Run the trains where you've got the stops and move the people from point to point in a light, safe, flowing way. But don't move train stops underground for no real gains.

Moving the stop would have also taken the course of the tracks off of the right of way for the busway that flows to the east. That would have been a fatal killer. One day, and the sooner the better, the east bus way should be re-tooled as a light-rail line. Then there is a straight shot out of downtown, past the block behind the Convention Center, to the east. That's where the next logical expansion should occur.

They wanted to move the stop to the Convention Center to insure that the east would not get the expansion.

I think it is better to put a t-stop in areas that need a pick-up so as to make an investment where it is needed. You don't run the t-stop to the Convention Center because we've already made a huge investment there. You want to spread out the opportunities. You want to get the entire area buzzing.

The area around the Convention Center would pick up if you put the t-stop slightly away from the Convention Center. The area around the Convention Center would decline if you put the t-stop right at the Convention Center.

Same too for the North Side. I think it is wrong to put a t-stop at PNC Park and Heinz Field. Put the t-stop at CCAC, at Allegheny General Hospital, in the North Side Business District. Presently, one can get off at the t-stop in Gateway Center and walk over Clemente Bridge to PNC Park. That walking from stop to destination is great for pedestrian traffic. It is great for the hundred of other locations that can spring up from here to there. We want street merchants. We want sidewalk cafes. We want a flow of walkers with a wide choice of destinations.

Steel City Derby Demons, female roller derby debut

Running Mates!

Don’t miss the excitement of girl-on-girl roller derby action, as Pittsburgh joins over 100 other cities in this new version of an old favorite.

DON'T MISS THE STEEL CITY DERBY DEMONS EXHIBITION BOUT! Doors open at 5:30 and game starts at 6 pm on Saturday, January 27, 2007, at Bladerunners in Harmarville. The venue is less than 30 minutes from downtown off of Route 28.

Tickets cost $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Kids 10 and under get in FREE!

Purchase tickets at www.steelcityderbydemons.com/events.htm and click the “Buy Now” button.

1st Half: The Wrecking Dolls vs. The Hot Metal Hellions

2nd Half: The Bitch Doctors vs. The Slumber Party Slashers

More.

The fight for speaker - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

I posted to this blog, a day before the vote in the PA HOUSE, Neither Perzel nor DeWeese.

The fight for speaker - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review many reformers said the fact that neither Perzel nor his Democrat foe, Rep. Bill DeWeese, D-Greene, was able to win the speakership was a signal that internal House reform is on the way.

Crazy as it sounds, they're right.

Told ya.

O'Brien has no credentials as a government reformer, just like Ravenstahl, our mayor. And O'Brien got to his present position, just like Ravenstahl, as a compromise candidate. O'Brien is Harrisburg's version of Luke Ravenstahl.

I don't want Dennis O'Brien leading the charge to reshape the way they conduct our government. The steps I seek are first, replace, -- then reform.

Dem leader wants to reduce size of Pa. legislature

Reform is getting more talk.

Dem leader wants to reduce size of Pa. legislature A Democratic senator from Berks County is joining the call for a smaller Legislature and for making two other changes he says will improve state government.

Sen. Michael A. O'Pake, the Senate's No. 2 ranking Democrat, wants to reduce the Senate to 40 members (from the current 50) and reduce the House to 121 members (from the current 203).

The reductions are similar to those proposed last year by Sen. John Pippy, R-Moon. They didn't go anywhere but calls for reform have increased in the wake of the repealed 2005 pay raise and defeats of three dozen incumbent legislators last year.

Reducing the size of the Legislature would need a constitutional amendment which could take two years or more.

Mr. O'Pake also wants a nonpartisan panel to redraw the state's congressional district boundaries after the 2010 census.

He also wants residents to be able to put political 'robo-calls'' on their list of Do Not Call numbers, an idea suggested last fall by Rep. Michael McGeehan, D-Philadelphia.