John Mac's Question at MacYapper gets an answer from me

MacYapper WHO'S GONNA BREAK IT FIRST?

The answer is you, John. You broke it first.

The MSM (main stream media) is less and less important. Don't hold your breath waiting for the MSM. In the end, the MSM is there to sell soap. And, at the outset of any type of coverage, the other question of, 'is this news break going to help us sell soap' gets asked. Hence, you've got the answer as to why the MSM is so silent on most instances of important watch-dog matters that have a bit of a 'bite' to them.

I've said for more than a week that the court case is a lose-lose and should have been settled. Why wait? Wait to fire the city solicitor, George Specter, then settle?

In other matters, more than $300,000 in contracts went before city council for initial approval so outside attorney fees could be secured. That's money that goes to contractors who are attorneys. There's no 'security' in that spending, if you worry about the taxpayer and citizens of the city. The question came, why even have a city legal department if they can't do the heavy lifting, legal work of the city?

I don't want my mayor, regardless of who it is, to be in a legal battle with a police commander. That isn't healthy.

Peduto won't get much wind in his sales, despite where the pope sqats. Remember, Bill Peduto taught the city about "pay to play contracts." Peduto seems to be fine with the racking up of more than $300,000 in outside legal fees. And, Peduto seems to be fine with the spending of nearly $600,000 on a contract about an evacuation plan for downtown. Those contracts are either corporate welfare or a play-to-play deals. The later, to Michael Baker Corp, goes to the firm that put the worthless, yet very expensive hole in the center of the West End Circle.

Big spenders can't benefit on the fall out of thugs who are also are known the world over as big spenders. The thuggery in contrast is not a big deal vs. the big deal spending.

Both bad habits on display (thuggery and spending) stink. But what is really welcomedis an option that isn't with such illustrations of thuggery nor spending.

Getting cold enough for some real winter fun

Introducing Table Hockey on Real Ice Introducing Table Hockey on Real Ice

How handy are you?

Issues of the hour in City Council: Prop Pgh and a $.6 M contract to M. Baker Corp for what!

My prepared 3-minute statement slated for city council chambers on transportation and PAT (Port Authority Transit) got put to the side today because of pending conversations devoted to the bills on the agenda. Preliminary talk and votes among the nine members was to come. I felt the need to express views on a pimple-faced Propell Pittsburgh legislation effort to creat a new commission in the city. Plus, a give-away to a corporation to the tune of nearly $600,000 was on tap. The expected contract approval came without a clear scope of work and centered on a silly downtown evacution plan process.

Oh my gosh. These typical yet goofy elements get chucked to city council's realm and there is only a short window of time when the public can put in its two-cents. I called on council to think again about both matters. What the heck is the administration thinking? My comments help set the tone of the meeting that followed. Both agenda points were de-railed -- or perhaps delayed.

So, I played a role by speaking and offering up the typical nay-sayer protest. But, this time, today, they listened and back-up was provided.

The Propell ordinance got push aside and will become a topic of a pending public hearing. Great. Calling for public hearings is a great way to shine more light on half-baked proposals. Getting more people engaged is always welcomed on Grant Street.

Pittsburgh needs a new commission like it needs another hole in its head. This Propell Pgh effort isn't about boats. Rather, it is for those 'propeller heads' that seem to vote with their feet and depart Pittsburgh. The sacred 'young people' are to be given their own commission from Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. Humm. It didn't smell right to me. I'm trying to work to smaller and more limited government and the Mayor wants to make it bigger. No thanks. Booster groups are fine, but the booster groups should reside outside the realm of an ordinance and change to the city's code (laws).

A pre-agenda item was the approval of a new member to the Pittsburgh Clean or Green Commission. Whatever. The folks on city council didn't know what that city-sanctioned group did. Neither did the appointee, who is a a current member of the mayor's administration. Duhh.

The approval of the contract to Michael Baker Crop. got voted upon and advanced with a 3 yes, 1 no and 3 abstain margin. But, there are nine members of council. Weirdness prevailed instead of the regular white-washing.

(More to come shortly.)

Urban Farming - series of free lectures and events with CMU

Starting on Thursday, January 18, 2007, series of talks at Carnegie Mellon University focus on topics related to urban farming (permaculture, local economies, youth development, and technologies), endocrine disruption, and environmental justice.

The lectures are gratis (no charge). These talks make great food for thought and seeds for discussion and local action.

Reconnecting Our Farms, Food, and Community

A Partnership with the Urban Farming Initiative of Pittsburgh Urban Farming talks are all from 5:30 - 7 pm in Rangos 1 & 2, University Center at CMU.

Thursday January 18, 2007 -- Pittsburgh: Urban Food Forest of the Future?
David Jacke, Author and Ecological Designer, Dynamics Ecological Design, Greenfield, MA http://www.edibleforestgardens.com/

Healthy forests are self-maintaining, self-fertilizing, and self-renewing. Edible forest gardens mimic such natural forests, but can grow food and other products, provide meaningful jobs, and improve people¹s health and the quality of urban life. Since cities are ecosystems like any other, food forests can also teach us how to redesign urban communities for greater abundance, health, and integration. The lessons are simple and practical, yet profound, the possible results astonishing.

Tuesday February 13, 2007 - Creating Livelihoods from Greenhouses and Forest Gardens
Jerome Osentowski, Director of the Central, Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute, Basalt, CO - http://crmpi.org/

I will show from my own experience how we have created a viable commercial culinary and medicinal herb and salad green business within the understory of a forest garden and in greenhouses. The other business we have created and will be talked about is the edible landscape nursery which includes our heritage fruit tree collection.

These will all be presented within the framework of permaculture ethics and principles.

Tuesday March 20, 2007 - Urban Farming with Youth
Patricia Gray, Executive Director, The Food Project of Boston, Lincoln, MA - http://thefoodproject.org/

The Food Project has been farming with young people for more than 15 years. For ten of those fifteen years, we have farmed in Dorchester and Roxbury, two low-income neighborhoods in Boston, MA. We now farm on two and a half acres, including a rooftop site. The food we grow on our urban farms is distributed through three streams: farmers’ markets, donations to hunger relief organizations, and our kitchen and culinary businesses. This workshop will focus on The Food Project’s work in the City of Boston—finding and procuring usable land, distributing local, fresh food to those who have little access to it, working in a community, running successful farmers’ markets and involving youth in all aspects of this work.

Tuesday April 24, 2007 - High Tunnel Technology: A Tool for Economic Development, Job Creation, and Increased Quality of Life through Urban Agriculture
Dr. William James Lamont, Jr. Professor of Vegetable Crops, Department of Horticulture, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA - http://plasticulture.cas.psu.edu/
http://www.sare.org/highlights/2004/tunnels.htm

High tunnels are one of the components of season extension technology. They are not conventional greenhouses, but like plastic-covered greenhouses, they are generally quonset-shaped, constructed of metal bows that are attached to metal posts which have been driven into the ground about two feet deep. They are covered with one layer of 6-mil greenhouse-grade polyethylene, and are ventilated by manually rolling up the sides each morning and rolling them down in early evening. There is no permanent heating system although it is advisable to have a standby portable propane unit to protect against unexpected below-freezing temperatures. There are no electrical connections. The only external connection is a water supply for trickle irrigation. They are used to extend the growing season and a high tunnel without any supplemental heat in Pennsylvania can produce crops from March until early December. Since 1998, and the founding of the High Tunnel Research and Education Facility at Penn State, a wide variety of vegetables, small fruits and cut flowers have been successfully grown
in high tunnels. Crops are either grown in permanent raised wood framed beds or in ground using plastic mulch to warm the soil and help control the weeds. In the urban environment, due to the high levels of heavy metals in the soils the use of raised beds with new soil is practiced.

High tunnels offer the opportunity to take vacant land in urban environments and create jobs while ensuring a continuous supply of nutritious vegetables and small fruits and cut flowers that can be marketed to the local communities or to restaurants, farmer markets and other retail outlets. These activities will increase the quality of life in those communities and offer entrepreneurial opportunities and
careers in all phases of urban agriculture.

Endocrine Disruption:
Extending Rachel Carson's Legacy
Distinguished Lecture Series in Environmental Science, Technology, and
Policy
These talks take place from 4:30 - 6PM in the Adamson Wing, Baker Hall
136A.

Monday February 5, 2007 - A Revolution in Environmental Health Sciences:

New Opportunities to Prevent Genetic Diseases, John Peterson Myers, CEO and Founder, Environmental Health Sciences

Monday February 12, 2007 - From Silent Spring to Silent Night: Hermaphroditic Frogs, Breast Cancer, and Pesticides

Tyrone Hayes, Associate Professor, Integrative Biology, University of California at Berkeley

Monday March 5, 2007 - Environmental Challenges to Human Fertility: Three Case Studies

Shanna Helen Swan, Professor, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dept. of Environmental Medicine, and Dept. of Community and Preventive Medicine School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester

Thursday April 12, 2007 - Lessons from the Swamp: Contaminants, Alligators, & Your Reproductive Health

Lou Guillette, Distinguished Professor of Zoology, Associate Dean for Research, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida

Environmental Justice
The LaPaglia Ethics Lecture
4:30 - 6PM Adamson Wing, Baker Hall 136A

Friday March 30, 2007 - Nanotechnology, Environmental Ethics and Environmental Justice

Ronald Sandler, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Senior Researcher in the Nanotechnology and Society Research Group, Northeastern University

Getting to the talks:
Free parking is available on campus after hours (very simply, in the lot at Forbes & Morewood, and with gates and card-machines in the parking garage a bit closer to the University Center -- but the open lot is not far, either, just drive in off Forbes on the west side of the intersection and go left through the open gates). Many city buses stop at that intersection, as well; check out

To find the U.C., look at the tall sculpture accurately named "Walking To the Sky" from Forbes avenue, and the U.C. will be on your left. Inside the building, look up and you'll likely see signs above the corridors; the Rangos rooms are on the second floor. Google map. Click on "hybrid" in the upper right-hand corner of the map to see the campus up close and personal (yes, you can even see people. The current image appears to predate Walking To the Sky, though.).

Baker Hall, where the non-farming talks will be held, is on Frew Street near the Hunt Library.

Health Care: www.dividedwefail.org

The SEIU (union), AARP, and Business Roundtable are launching a partnership to reform health care. SEIU's President Stern will stand with Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP, and John Castellani, President of the Business Roundtable, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. to announce the formation of the Divided We Fail partnership today. The groups represent more than 50 million and are joining forces to influence the political debate on health care reform and long-term financial security for working people.

Webcast of the event slated for 2 pm today.

Los Angeles Times has coverage of the partnership in today's edition. Full-page ads announcing the launch are in major national newspapers this week.

More about the campaign, www.dividedwefail.org.

Extended Obit on Grandpa in Boston Globe: Robert Palmer, 73; played key role in reforming state prisons

More on Grandpa (my father-in-law). Great article. Click Boston.com link and see the photo of the man in his prime.

Robert Palmer, 73; played key role in reforming state prisons ROBERT PALMER

By Bryan Marquard, Globe Staff | January 17, 2007

Fix the problem, not the blame, Robert M. Palmer used to say. He spoke those words so often that Mr. Palmer and his proverb of choice became fodder for an editorial cartoon.

Guided by that management maxim and a sense of compassion, he was a force behind efforts in the 1970s to implement prison reform in Massachusetts. Friends and family say he also helped Polaroid Corp. become a pioneer in the emerging concepts of corporate commitment and responsibility, serving as spokesman when the company cut off shipments to South Africa during apartheid.

"He really cared about making the world a better place," said Frank Hall, who was Massachusetts commissioner of correction in the 1970s when Mr. Palmer chaired the Governor's Advisory Committee on Corrections. "We all like to say that, and to have other people say that about us, but he really was that way."

Mr. Palmer, who retired to Maine about a decade ago, died of heart failure Jan. 4 in his Ogunquit home. He was 73.

"He had an enormous understanding of human frailty," said Chet Atkins, a former US representative from the state's Fifth District. "He could hold people to very high standards, but could appreciate their frailty and help them get back on track and help them pick themselves up and restore their dignity."

Born in Boston, Mr. Palmer graduated from Brookline High School and Columbia University and served in the Army before marrying in 1957.

He went to work for Polaroid Corp. and rose to director of corporate relations, becoming the public voice of the company.

Edwin Land, the company's founder, "encouraged Bob to involve Polaroid in the community," said Mr. Palmer's former wife, Barbara of Pittsburgh . "Dr. Land insisted that Polaroid reach out and do good things in the community, and I mean important things, not just playgrounds."

Part of that outreach included Mr. Palmer's work with the state's prison system. As chairman of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Corrections, he became an instrument of change in the early 1970s when the riots at the Attica Correctional Facility in New York prompted systems across the country to contemplate reform.

"I think Bob really understood what was going on in the system," Hall said. "He helped bring about some of the reforms in corrections in Massachusetts, and he was immensely helpful to me."

Mr. Palmer's advocacy, he said, helped lead to the prerelease programs for inmates that significantly reduced recidivism.

"He was very much of an advocate for having a balanced parole board," said Paul Chernoff, a Superior Court judge who was chairman of the state Parole Board in the early 1970s. Mr. Palmer, he said, pushed for a parole board that included members "from many walks of life, not just law enforcement," and which included lawyers and treatment professionals.

"He was also an advocate of due process hearings," Chernoff said, adding that Mr. Palmer helped bring about changes now taken for granted.

"In a way, he was ahead of his time in a lot of things that he attempted to do," Barbara Palmer said.

She said Mr. Palmer, who formerly lived in Boston and Concord, brought a quality of mercy to his work.

"He didn't think we needed to blame people, he thought we needed to fix what went wrong," she said. "That pretty much sums him up. He didn't have any time for witch hunting. He wanted people to settle down, look at what was going wrong, and remedy it."

"He didn't care who you were or where you were from," said his son, Robert, who works in Connecticut. "He was a big believer that everybody makes mistakes, but you try to fix it. In my daily life, in the management work I do, I quote him every day."

"He had such a positive way of looking at people," said his daughter, Catherine, a physician in Pittsburgh. "He could really see what was the best in people and their potential and what they had to offer. And then he would step back. He didn't want to take credit for it; he just wanted to help them have the opportunity to do what they wanted to do."

Whether he was working with inmates or speaking with his children and grandchildren, Mr. Palmer did not condescend because of age or social background, his daughter said.

"He was very funny and had a quick wit. As kids, we always enjoyed him because he treated us as thinking people," his daughter said, adding that her father developed a warm bond with his three grandsons by taking the same approach.

"I think he left an extraordinarily lasting impression," Atkins said. "He was a man of enormous compassion and with very, very strong values."

In addition to his son, daughter, former wife, and three grandsons, Mr. Palmer leaves two brothers, Charles of Wayland and E. Samuel of Arlington, and a sister, Judith Muggia of Winchester.

The service will be private.

One tiny correction. His daughter, my wife, Catherine V. Palmer, of Pittsburgh, works with physicians as Director of Audiology at UPMC's Eye and Ear and Pitt. She has a Ph.D, not a M.D.

Answer to questions on Early Returns

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Local News - Early Returns And does Patrick Dowd, running for council against incumbent Len Bodack, draw money and volunteers away from his old ally Mr. Peduto, or do their bids complement each other?

Depends. Plus, you really need to dig a bit deeper to find out all that is there. The school board race for Dowd's present seat might be a good one too.

On face value, Peduto and Dowd can be great for each other. However, teamwork isn't a strength of either nor with anyone in the D's party. They might swap post-cards. But, I don't see them working hand in hand as they could and should.

Red Light Cameras and a public hearing, next week

BS-010: "You think all those little cameras are for traffic control, don't you?"

Schools + Swimming and Weight

Talk about B.M.I. and schools.

Kim L, a reporter for the Trib, is working on a story about the new state mandate requiring parental notification of their child’s body mass index, or BMI number. What do parents think? Good information, not enough information, too much information? Are parents even aware that the figures were being reported?

CollegeSwimming.com :: View topic - Swimming and Weight It is an interesting way to look at the top swimmers, but the BMI is rarely ever used anymore, and when it is used, it's used for the general (non athletic) population.

BMI is not a measurement that I would want to hang my hat upon. It isn't that valid. I would rather go to percent body fat or a functional fitness test, such as number of pull-ups. Pull ups can be done with weight assistance as well, say from a stand with 30-pounds of assistance.

A once a year measurement isn't as good either. If done well, it should be more seasonal and more frequently. Kids grow at such different rates and different speeds that a hight and weight chart with a lot of data points would be more helpful to the kids understanding of themselves -- and that of the parents too.

Once a year benchmarks might be fine for a vision and hearing screening -- but not for real understanding of growth and development.

Putting kids on a scale for weight records is okay with me if it is part of the learning that should happen -- and not a 'contest.' A meaningless task of stepping on a scale to satisfy a state mandate is just nuts. Teacher and principals without the dedication and seriousness for the duty should just do nothing rather than provide a bad lesson for the students.

The numbers of one person should not be ranked against that of another. Rather, the points on the chart of the same kid over time is where the real value resides.

This should all be part of a decent course of study for phyical education. I feel that physical education should be part of the school day. We've ignored PE on many instances. Beefing up PE programs (pun intended) is fine with me.

However, we've really got to use athletics and additional after-school activities, beyond school, for our kids and their health.

Advice to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl -- and my comments to Pgh City Council

I spoke for three minutes, again, today in City Council Chambers.

Headline: Luke should fire Mr. Specter, the city's solicitor. Luke's been getting bad advice. Next, Luke should settle the case with the police commander now. I don't want my mayor to be in a court battle with a police commander. Finally, Luke needs to nominate and appoint a person as the boss of public safety. Luke in a rush to appoint a political cronie but the post is still empty. Did care and concern for the public's health die?

Another speaker was before City Council to ponder and plead for the re-deployment of Commander B, formerly of the east end and recently at Zone 3. She's been put to another area of the city.

I don't want to micro-manage decisions on the police force and with the administration. That isn't a job of those on city council. However, those decisions do reflect upon the administration. Having a revolving door of police commanders in the zone sends a message.

Cry-baby talk of 'mine, mine, mine' isn't going to prove to region that the zone is getting back on its feet. Spare the tears Bruce Krause.

In other points:

The South Side is going to be home to a running club for kids. They meet at 3 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays at Ormsby Rec Center.

The South Side Market House is going to come back to life with indoor hockey again. The season starts this week for the little kids. The fall season of indoor soccer was nixed, sadly. Good that the tykes and kids are getting some organized programming and gym time.

From Market House

A public hearing in city council chambers is slated for Wed afternoon. See the Google calendar called Pittsburgh City Hall. This talk about the PAT service cuts is a big issue that needs attention.

Today is a sad day on other transportation news as they are advancing the under river tunnel for light rail. I've spoken out against that project for many years. When asked about 'transportation' a year ago as I campaigned with Jeff Koch for the city council seat -- Mr. Koch said he wanted to re-pave Arlington Avenue. I said I wanted to not build the tunnel under the river, saving more than enough to re-pave Arlington Ave.

Going underground. Digging to China might make for a better Return On Investment.

Signature requirements to get onto the November 2007 ballot

Blast from the past. Mechanical voting machines.

To run as a third party candidate for an Allegheny County office that is 'county wide' (such as County Executive and At-Large member of Allegheny County Council) one needs 2,345 signatures.

To run as a third party candidate for City of Pittsburgh offices that are 'city wide' (such as Mayor and Controller) one needs 804 signatures.

To run for City Council, district 3, (my district) in the election slated for November, one needs 100 signatures.

To run for Allegheny County Council in district 13, (my district), one needs 270 signatures.

Allegheny Institute: Issue Summaries

The think tank, Allegheny Institute, pulled together a meta page of issue summaries. Nice work.

Allegheny Institute: Issue Summaries Issue # Title

Enjoy. Now I've got to blend them in with the Platform.For-Pgh.org/wiki.

Steelers coach sure to trump the mayor

Cute comment, except the part about the coach making more money. I'm a coach. I don't make more money than the may. But, as a coach, I have much better rewards and job satisfaction.

Steelers coach sure to trump the mayor - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (T)here are more candidates for the Pittsburgh Steelers' head coaching vacancy than there are for the Pittsburgh mayoral opening.

Tom Murphy used to say that being mayor was the best job in the world. He was wrong, yet again. Ex-coach, Bill Cowher now joins the ranks of the few who have the best duties that life can deliver. That's the calling to be a parent.

When coaching and parent mix within the same realm, then being a candidate for mayor but just a pain in the ass and yet another deed and investment of effort for the sake of the next generation of Pittsburghers.

We had a great time at Pine Richland's swim meet this Saturday and Sunday. Erik and Grant are evolving into swimming athletes. Erik won today's 100 breast and was second in yesterday's 400 I.M. Grant scored in the 100 fly. I've got some video to share shortly.

Whizenhunt out as Steelers' Coach Running Mate and in at the helm of the NFL Cardinals.

Grandpa's (my father-in-law) Obit from Maine

York County Coast Star Obituaries: Robert Palmer

OGUNQUIT -- Robert M. Palmer, 73, died Jan. 4, 2007, after a brief illness.

Mr. Palmer was born in Boston, Mass., and grew up in the suburb of Brookline. He graduated from Columbia University and served in the U.S. Army. Most of his career was with the Polaroid Corporation in Cambridge, Mass., where he became Director of Corporate Relations. For six years he served the Commonwealth as Chairman of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Corrections, first appointed by the late Governor Francis Sargent. He left Polaroid in 1981 and after several positions in the field of corporate relations, left Boston and settled in Ogunquit, where he became an active participant in the community. He joined the York County Coast Star where he wrote a weekly column, "Just Neighbors".

He leaves a brother, Charles of Wayland, Mass.; a sister, Judith Muggia of Winchester, Mass.; and a brother, E. Samuel of Arlington, Mass. In addition, he leaves his former wife, Barbara and their son, Robert of Conn.; and daughter, Catherine of Pittsburgh, Pa.; and three grandchildren, Cameron, Erik, and Grant.

Services will be private.

Contributions may be made in his name to Beacon Hospice, 42 Brickyard Road, York, ME, 03909.

The obit will run on Sunday in the Boston Globe. A story might also come from Boston too.

---

Update from Boston.com from Sunday, Jan 14, 2007:

Boston.com / News Robert M. Palmer

Age 73, Jan. 4. Died at home in Ogunquit, ME. Born in Boston, MA. Graduated from Columbia University & served in the U.S. Army. He was employed at Polaroid Corp. He leaves a brother Charles of Wayland, MA, a sister Judith Muggia of Winchester, MA, and a brother E. Samuel of Arlington, MA. In addition, he leaves his former wife Barbara and their son Robert of Connecticut and daughter Catherine of Pittsburgh, PA and three grandchildren. Services will be private. Contributions may be made in his name to Beacon Hospice, 42 Brickyard Road, York, ME 03909.
Published in the Boston Globe on 1/14/2007.

Another candidate joins crowded city Council District 9 race

Another candidate joins crowded city Council District 9 race A third challenger to City Councilwoman Twanda Carlisle emerged yesterday, as K. Chase Patterson, 23, of North Point Breeze announced plans to join what is shaping up to be a crowded field.

How do these journalist count? The lead says a THIRD challenger. Humm.

In no particular order:

K. Chase Patterson

Rachel Cooper

Ricky Burgess

Ora Lee Carroll

Judith Ginyard

Why the blind spot in the math?

In my race on March 14, 2006, there were NINE on the ballot. But, we were not working to take down an incumbent council member.

Tribune-Review editorial on ballot access

The Nader case: Pay up, Ralph - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review It is even clearer that Pennsylvania's political duopoly rigs ballot access against third-party and independent candidates.

See my video statement below.

City broadens path to police command

City broadens path to police command New Cmdr. Ross, 50, of Lincoln Place, will run Zone 3, which covers the South Side and South & West areas of the city. The 27-year veteran of the bureau rises from the rank of sergeant, which has long been a launching point to commander.

Cmdr. RaShall Brackney, famous for making Duke's Tire do a re-model of the building so as to not change the tires on the street as had been the practice for 30+ years, is headed back to her former stomping ground in the East End.

Could Plan C Keep Pens In Pittsburgh? - Sports

Let's be clear about Plan Z vs. Plan C:

Could Plan C Keep Pens In Pittsburgh? - Sports Pittsburgh is going to have to go further than Plan B to keep the Penguins in town.

Pittsburgh is going to have to go further than Plan C to keep the Penguins in Allegheny County.

As the web article and video snip from WPXI reports, the goal is to keep the Pens in "town." Plan Z's (my 'think again' plan) hope is to move the discussions further and inject a sense of long-term health of the team, fans, city, and region by thwarting a move out-of-state and insisting a move occurs from the lower Hill District to elsewhere within Allegheny County.

Bill Peduto's Plan C does offer the team more profits. At least Bill Peduto put a light on this topic. Dan Onorato said that "Delvelopment rights has always been up for negotiations."

Onorato wants to discount what Peduto put on the table and ignore Plan C as a step forward because of three reasons. First, Onorato would be happy to rip off the taxpayers and provide a give-a-way to the Penguins that wasn't disclosed. The more complicated the dealings, the less attention from the media and taxpayers. That's all good for Onorato who is a live-in-the-moment politician and care's little about the long-term ramifications. Peduto's Plan C shines a light on this type of dealmaking that Onorato had up his sleave. Tricks should be out on the table.

I also advocated this 'trick' concerning development rights. It could be injected into the dealings with the Penguins.

More talk about 'development rights' needs to occur in the mainstream media and the past stadium deals on the North Side (of Three Rivers Stadium), existing civic arena site, North Shore (between PNC & Heinz with Pirates and Steelers) and elsewhere in Allegheny County (Hazelwood, old airport site, Neville Island, and even around the new Convention Center).

The number of properties that have been ganged together, the amounts of investments and the public foolery that occurs is outlandish and hardly reported.

The Steelers and Pirates have broken their side of the deals to develop the land around the stadiums on the North Shore. They fumbled their duties. They have let time pass and little has been done. The outdoor concert venue is but one example that did get attention, more than two years ago, when Gov. Rendell promised $4-million in a state grant to get that project done. It isn't done. It's design is bad. Progress has choked. The public interest has been given the shaft in a complicated dealing.

To prove my point, do you know how much land the county owns around the new Greater Pittsburgh Airport? Remember the boom that was to happen in the airport corridor?

New highways have been built. Vacant land sprawls.

Remember the Pittsburgh Motor Speedway fiction? It was to be an indoor Indy oval.

Onorato also wants to discount Peduto's Plan C mentions because of political buddies. Luke Ravenstahl and Dan Onorato are connected at the hip now. This jazz of Plan C gives a wedge and spotlight where they don't want buzz.

Finally, Onorato wants to be the quarterback in this deal and be able to huddle in private. When huddles happen, the main guys turn their backs to the rest of the world.

Don Barden, winner of the lone Pittsburgh slots parlor license, pledged $350-million to Pittsburgh for development of the Hill District. That money goes along in addition to the $7-million per year for 30-years to help finance a new arena in Plan B.

My Plan Z called upon the use of some of Don Barden's pledged money, perhaps $20-million, to be used to acquire the property that is presently owned by Mario and the Penguins. They had purchased a bit of land near the present arena. The one building is getting aesbestos removed now.

Who is paying for that remediation, by the way? I think that it might be the Stadium and Exibition Authority, back-room deal. I'd like to see some journalist / watch dog investigate the letting of that contract.

Buildings will be demolished, of course. Buildings around the arena and the civic arena, to the tune of $7-million. This tear down that Plan A, Plan B, Plan C advocates is NOT a part of my Plan Z. We should keep the Civic Arena. We could even keep the buildings slated for demolition up on the hill if possible.

Years ago my position was to turn five floors of the old hospital into an International Youth Hostel. They let the building rot. Pittsburgh's Hostel in Allentown closed due to weenie board members lack of creativity. It still sits empty I think.

Perhaps a garden, Hostel with its safe warm beds and the lunch program that is already in place at the near by church could do wonders for many people and go a long way to helping to clean up Market Square.

As much as possible, we've got to insist that the Barden investment earmarked for the Hill District go up into the neighborhood. Let's not churn the lower Hill District. Rather, see it flow like an artery all the way into Oakland and Oak Hill. Much of the hill needs a lot of attention.

Consider $350-million. That's enough to build a street car line on Center Ave from the edge of town to Oakland. Sure, you can't run it all the way to the basement of USX, crossing the highway, and avoiding the Hill District until it pops back out again at the Merry-go-round in Schenley Plaza as some would want. But screw them.

Consider a street car line with back and forth service running along the spine of The Hill District with street treatments modest stops, mini shops, vendors, lighted, coffee counter, ajacent bikeway, ramps, occasional footbridge over traffic.

This is the time to allow the entire Hill District to bloosom.

Finally, two additional points before this wrap up to go to a two day swim meet at Pine Richland. Blog postings are needed to dive into the realm of giving away prime property to the Penguins for their profits -- rather than for the overall economy of the city. You don't cut off your nose despite your face.

I think that the Pens should have development rights and a property value upside when they create the investment energy. The windfall isn't theirs to capitalize upon if it is in The Hill District. But, if they made an Olympic Village by the Airport -- then they should get the mega profits and potential that they'd create.

Ororato and Peduto want to give away one of the jewels of the city with their profit windfalls to the Penguins. No. They get it and the public doesn't. We, collective public, lose, there -- forever.

Give them what isn't a jewel now -- and allow them the opportunity to create another. The Pens team is an asset. It can spawn more value for the region if they build elsewhere -- in a bigger, more grand, more diverse setting for our region.

To some, I admit, the civic arena is like a pimple on the landscape of Pittsburgh. But, to others, it is like a birth mark or dimple that makes us unique. The existing arena is there and it can be used as a point of strength.

People, investors, small business and home-owners will want to be near the existing civic arena once the Pens depart from their lease and the uses can be made civic again. The fitness and culture of the Hill Distrct and central city depend upon a wholistic re-use of the public spaces in and around the Civic Arena.

Democracy is important. Flashback from September 2004

Watch the Video of my (Mark Rauterkus) public address on 9-28-2004.

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The following news story is recent.

Supreme Court hits Ralph Nader with $89,821 bill for his 2004 Pennsylvania ballot bid upholding first-of-kind ruling

News by Michael Richardson

The U.S. Supreme Court, by refusing to review a decision of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, has upheld a hefty $89,821 penalty levied against Ralph Nader for his failure to obtain ballot access in 2004 during his presidential campaign.

Nader has been ordered to pay the costs of the nineteen lawyers hired by the Democratic Party to challenge his nomination petitions in the Keystone State. This ruling will have a pronounced chilling effect on future candidates in Pennsylvania concerned about large legal bills if they lose. The original bill was $81,102, but has swelled because of interest accrued during the appeal.

Many Democrats blame Ralph Nader for the outcome of the 2000 presidential election where he supposedly siphoned off Democrat voters from the candidacy of Al Gore. Because of that animus, the Democrat Party waged a powerful war of attrition on Nader's 2004 candidacy bringing litigation against Nader in twenty lawsuits in seventeen states. Nader won fifteen of the lawsuits but lost after a hard-fought legal battle in Pennsylvania.

Around the nation, the Democrat Party hired eighty-nine lawyers from forty-eight law firms for the battle to keep Nader off the ballot. Coordinating the legal army was a command group called The Ballot Project whose stated goal was to "neutralize" Nader's campaign by forcing him "to spend money and resources defending these things."

Pennsylvania's restrictive ballot access law required Nader to submit 25,697 nomination petition signatures. Nader doubled that number up and turned in 51,273 signatures. The Democrats sued to challenge Nader's petitions and eleven Pennsylvania judges were assigned to hear the case in courtrooms around the state. Judge James Colins led the judicial team and eventually decided that Nader only had 18,818 valid signatures.

Dissenting from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court majority, which upheld Judge Colins, was Justice Saylor who found that 8,976 of the disqualified signatures should have been permitted, enough to have placed Nader on the ballot.

Emboldened by the state high court support for unbounded discretion, Judge Colins has since assessed the 2006 Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate, Carl Romanelli, with another punitive penalty of $89,668 for failure to make the ballot in a challenge brought again by the Democrats. This new doctrine of imposing stiff financial penalties to losing candidates is expected to sharply reduce candidacies of independent and minor party candidates who can little afford to take the risk of bankruptcy to run for office.

Romanelli had the additional burden, due to a quirk of the election cycle, of needing a whooping 67,000 signatures to place his name on the ballot under Pennsylvania's restrictive election code.

The ruling against Nader is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania and since followed by a similar ruling against Romanelli signals a new method of attack against political opponents that will have a chilling effect on candidate's First Amendment rights. Whether the two major parties start using the tactic against each other, or save the punitive penalties for independent and minor party candidates remains to be
seen. Nader's attorneys argued in their brief to the Supreme Court that the Pennsylvania ruling would spread to other states and greatly diminish voter
choice in future elections.

Michael Richardson is a freelance writer based in Boston. Richardson writes about politics, election law, human nutrition, ethics, and music. In 2004 Richardson was Ralph Nader's national ballot access coordinator. "The way to be happy is to make others happy."

Mr. Zober of the Ravenstahl administration earned his experiences in law doing this type of work -- and he's proud of it.

It makes no sense to burn $1 on a campaign in Pennsylvania given their crooked ways. Some are willing and ambitious and want to spend $1-million to get, perhaps, 30,000 votes.

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