County to add three food inspectors

County to add three food inspectors - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The Allegheny County Health Department will add three food inspectors, increasing its inspection work force by almost 25 percent, county Chief Executive Dan Onorato said this morning.

From china - foods

Allegheny County Health Department draws focus - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

This blog does more to insure wellness than the County Executive does. And, the power of the Health Department is on his side. Looks like the department has the same sickness as Bob Casey's who hopes for the best by not showing up for work. The work ethic is in the pits. The hope of the workers is even lower due to their crushing challenges. And, Dan Onorato doesn't really care.

I would look forward to being the County Executive to have the opportunity to make radical advancements of common-sense knowledge among citizens, business and the public with the Health Department's assistance.

Read this blog and you'll learn to wash mellons. Recent posts also pointed to the wonders about the Taco Bell in NYC, etc., etc.

It is great that the leadership and management of the health department is now going to be a campaign issue. Wonderful topic. Let the discussions begin with him and continue with the Running Mates.

Allegheny County Health Department draws focus - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review County Councilman Matt Drozd said he was '90 percent sure' that Onorato plans to hire more health inspectors. The county has 13 full-time inspectors.

'My question is, why didn't he do anything about it as soon as he got into office? He was the controller who did the audit. It's just common sense,' Drozd said.

[412] Two film opportunities from a swim coach in six races, TalkShoe on Tuesday Movie on Thursday

This message was just sent to those on my email contact list.

[412] Two film opportunities from a swim coach in six races, TalkShoe on Tuesday Movie on Thursday [412] Two film opportunities from a swim coach in six races, TalkShoe on Tuesday Movie on Thursday

From Art from friends

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Independent Lens . CAN MR. SMITH GET TO WASHINGTON ANYMORE? . Jeff Smith | PBS After filming ended for CAN MR. SMITH GET TO WASHINGTON ANYMORE?, Smith taught government at Dartmouth College. He returned to St. Louis and decided to run again for Senate, this time for Missouri’s fourth district, which lies in St. Louis City. Smith’s campaign utilized many of the grassroots mobilization tactics he employed during his first run for Senate. In 2006, he won the Senate seat with a sweeping victory, and was inaugurated on January 3, 2007.

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WQED Schedule for the movie:

Independent Lens: Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?
Tuesday, February 27, 10:30 pm

Additional viewing: Thursday, March 1, 3:30 am

WQED Link: WQED Pittsburgh: TV Independent Lens

Pittsburgh's pleading for nonprofit money called 'unique'

Interesting how unique is good for some but bad for others. Think unicorns. Think again.

Pittsburgh's pleading for nonprofit money called 'unique' Pittsburgh's pleading for nonprofit money called 'unique'

I posted what I'd do over at 2PJ's blog.

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2 Political Junkies: Rich Lord on a Budget Problem The way to deal with the nonprofit problem is to call it what it is -- a nonprofit opportunity.

The nonprofits are wonderful.

The nonprofits are a success. Pittsburgh is a success. We all win.

Now that the obvious is out of the way -- (tip FYI, they can't tax nonprofits) -- we need to get the nonprofits to agree to curtail all future expansion into a bigger footprint.

I would strike a deal with the nonprofit weenie group to insist that a detailed inventory of space be conducted. I want to know how many inches of land these nonprofit folks control / own.

Then I'd insist upon yearly progress -- and a plan -- to shrink that space.

Nonprofit consolidation needs to occur. We don't need them sitting on idle land.

And when one nonprofit wants to grow its footprint, growth should occur only if another nonprofit makes an equal or greater contraction. Or else, growth of nonprofits could always occur upward. Hint: Build taller buildings.

Nonprofits should be leveraged so as to improve upon Pittsburgh's density.

Last week's example of the Cathedral of Learning by acting controller Tony P was insane. Those were foolish remarks by Tony P.

Finally, the nonprofit universities should do property inspections on behalf of their students / customers. Not the city.

Faith and Fortitude vs. HOG WASH

Various attempts of spreading hogwash thought have been on the upswing in a few instances around the blogosphere.

Here is a peek at what I mean from a prior posting in a thread at the Admiral's site. Hogwash looks like this, "As many believe, the winner of this election will be in office a minimum of 10 years."

Smitty from the flats, some unknown person, posted that gem. Give Pittsburgh a break from the know-it-all future telling.

First of all, the winner of the May 2007 D's primary (mayor's race Bill Peduto vs. Luke Ravenstahl) gets to be in the general election in November. PERIOD. And, the winner of the 2007 general race in November gets to take the oath of office in January 2008. Period TWO.

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Hurdle for members of the old parties (Ds and Rs). Get the endorsement and party backing. But, the endorsement isn't a go or no-go hurdle. Candidates can continue without the party endorsement.

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Hurdle for members of the D and R parties: The primary election in May. Only the winner of the primary can advance to the general election.

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Hurdle: Getting elected to the office means winnng the November general election. In the general election, the old-party candidates get to meet with Libertarians, Greens, Indies and others, if they show up.

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Smitty, as proof, could you show us the archives on the web that prove to us all how YOU predicted the death of Bob O'Connor???? After we see that, then I'll feel an ounce of confidence in your statement is anything but hogwash and a 10-year done deal mind sink.

Then anonymous asked of Matt Preston and Bill Peduto, "What are you waiting for?"

Duhh..... They are waiting for 2009. Chill. Be cool. Going hyper and off the handle could be the death of Peduoto's long-term career and long-term campaign(s).

No doubt, Peduto (and us all) have to work on statements, messages, leadership and relationships. But life takes many turns.

One needs faith.

One of the last things in life that Bill Peduto needs is me coming to his defense on how he should operate his campaign, in his attempt to be my mayor. But this advice isn't so much for Bill, but for his supporters. Be strong, honest, direct and leave the wine at the vineyards.

Meanwhile, at the PG's early returns thingie (sorta like a blog), they posted a new factor for the race. A NEW hinge. A new tipping point. A new pressure point. Hark, the internet has been discovered: Web masters.

More on hogwash and my reaction to it can be found in the Oocomment utility on the left side of this blog. Clicking there takes browsers to many of my postings on many of the other threads I've posted to.

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Get the signatures to enter the race and be on the ballot. No dead people should sign. The Ds and Rs have to have members of their party sign the nomination petitions. Meanwhile, those who run as Libertarians, for example, can have any eligible voter that resides in the district sign the nomination papers.

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Once the nomination petitions or nomination papers are put into the election department, then comes a period of about one week when challenges can be made. People get tossed off the ballot all the time for many different reasons. The practice is standard among un-democratic democrats seeking to retain power and who are fearful of letting the people decide with the instrument of the vote.

Taco Bell had passed a health department inspection the day before

The Three Rivers Post & Standard ... the impetus for this post was an article we came across regarding the local news having exposed a rat-infested KFC Taco Bell in New York City that passed an inspection from the NYC Department of Health one day earlier. Of course, after the news item made it onto TV, the health department rushed to close the store and tell everyone they’d get to the bottom of the problem. That’s very typical of government: give the impression that you’re taking care of the problem. Fail miserably. Rush in to very publicly solve the problem and blame the company for the problem.

Swimming: UMASS Men beat D.U., in A-10 Meet

Way to go John. He is a Pittsburgh guy who had swum for a lot of years at Carlynton Swim Club.

CollegeSwimming.com::UMASS Men, Richmond Women Top A-10 La Salle freshman John Nemeth claimed silver with 2:07.29

My, The Dukes turned in some good times. They have improved greatly. Well done.

CollegeSwimming.com::Eastern Soars to MAC Championship

When I was a swim coach in the MAC -- there were ten teams in the league. Next year the league won't even be able to have its own conference championship swim meet. How sad.

There were teams at Toledo, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Kent State, Bowling Green State University, Northern Illinois. Marshall was NOT in the league when I was there, but we swam them in a meet and MU would be in and out of the MAC since then.

CollegeSwimming.com::Eastern Soars to MAC Championship 2007 MAC Swimming and Diving Championship
1. EMU 1008.5
2. Miami 801.5
3. Ohio 584.5
4. Buffalo 378
5. Ball State 349.5

The opportunities for guys to swim is much worse now than it was in the past. We're going backwards. That sucks.

Wrong turn on red lights?

Wrong turn on red lights? - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Before Peduto or any mayor of Pittsburgh starts installing the Band-Aids of red-light cameras, maybe they ought to propose a modern, coordinated traffic signal system for a city that desperately needs one -- and hire a traffic engineer to make it work.

Dan Sullivan is looking for running mates to attend a global warming event by PENN Futurre

Dan Sullivan wrote:

Would anyone like to come with me to this event? I am working on a brochure that takes an anti-alarmist perspective, but I'm not sure I can have it finished in time. If not, it would still be good to make a lot of contacts and set ourselves up to issue a real challenge down the road.

Subject: Join PennFuture at our 2007 Pittsburgh Global Warming Event

Join PennFuture on March 31 at our southwestern Pennsylvania global warming conference "Global Warming 2007: It’s Time for Action."

This FREE conference will help you:

Learn the latest on federal and state legislation, policies, and global warming science.

Discuss what Pennsylvania can (and is) doing to slow global warming.

Network with citizens across the region and state taking action on global warming.

Hear experts and policymakers, including:

United States Senator Bob Casey, Jr.

Angela Anderson, Director, Clear the Air

Jeanne Dworetzky, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority

Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel, Climate Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists

John Hanger, President and CEO of Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future

Sister M. Christopher Moore, Provincial Minister, Felician Sisters of Pennsylvania

State Representative Jake Wheatley, Jr. (District 19)

... and other experts in global warming and clean energy policy. Saturday, March 31, 2007 from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM

Mercy Hospital, Sister Ferdinand Clark Auditorium, 1400 Locust Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Registration is free, but required, with light breakfast and lunch included.

Free exhibit space available to organizations. Space is limited.

RSVP today by calling PennFuture at 717-214-7920/ toll free in PA 800-321-7775 or by using our online form.

Mercy Hospital has ample parking and is readily accessible by many PAT bus routes.

Libertarian Badnarik endorses Ron Paul - Homeland Stupidity

Libertarian Badnarik endorses Ron Paul - Homeland Stupidity Badnarik spoke about how our founding fathers knew, when they signed the Declaration of Independence, “that they were signing their own death warrants.” He asked the audience how many people would be willing to do the same, and nearly everyone raised their hands.

“If we had one last chance to restore liberty without bloodshed, how many of us would jump at the chance?” Badnarik asked. “That is why I’m asking you to dedicate your lives, your fortunes, and your sacred honor to Ron Paul’s campaign, because this may be our second to last option, and none of us want to go to the point where we face the last option.”

Presidential Poll -- I voted for Ron Paul

A new poll started today. Ron Paul is currently tied with Hillary for third.

I like that there was a full list of candidates in the poll.

Mascot from Pensblog.com has the runs

ThePensblog.com

Someone is upset at The Duquesne Club, it seems.

Wellness tip: Wash your mellons

Health news says, "Wash your mellons." Some are being recalled. Some have been packaged in containers that are tainted. Cutting with a knife can pull the bacteria onto the food.

From texture - foods

Independent Lens . CAN MR. SMITH GET TO WASHINGTON ANYMORE? . Jeff Smith | PBS

Must see, free TV for all running mates.

Independent Lens . CAN MR. SMITH GET TO WASHINGTON ANYMORE? . Jeff Smith | PBS After filming ended for CAN MR. SMITH GET TO WASHINGTON ANYMORE?, Smith taught government at Dartmouth College. He returned to St. Louis and decided to run again for Senate, this time for Missouri’s fourth district, which lies in St. Louis City. Smith’s campaign utilized many of the grassroots mobilization tactics he employed during his first run for Senate. In 2006, he won the Senate seat with a sweeping victory, and was inaugurated on January 3, 2007.

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WQED Schedule for the movie:

Independent Lens: Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?
Tuesday, February 27, 10:30 pm

Thursday, March 1, 3:30 am

WQED Link: WQED Pittsburgh: TV Independent Lens

Expert coach, mentor, Joe Bernal, in Boston

Saturday morning, we had the pleasure of getting up at 6 am, while away in Boston, to go to a swim workout hosted by the great New England USA Swim Team, Bernal's Gator Swim Club. Joe Bernal and I are in the photo above.

In 1980, I moved to Boston (then located at Harvard) to be an assistant coach with the team. I pulled out of college to get the experience. That was the year of the 1980 Olympic boycott.

More photos shortly.

Large Post-Gazette Union Approves Deal | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Personal trivia. When the P-G was locked out when the Pgh Press was in melt-down, a few of the staffers got some work with me and my sports editing / publishing efforts.

Large Post-Gazette Union Approves Deal | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's editorial union approved a new contract Thursday, another step in the financially ailing newspaper's bid to finalize a deal with its more than 1,000 employees.

The Post-Gazette reached tentative labor deals with its 927 full-time and 115 part-time employees earlier this month. The 240 editorial workers make up the newspaper's second-largest union.

Good to see some progress in this story. But, because it is a media story -- the media does a bad job at covering it. Weirdness is generally the way the story breaks locally for many compounded reasons. Trying to get one media outlet to cover what another is doing is harder than getting coverage for a Green Party Candidate. Except, of course, from Chris Potter and the City Paper. They report upon the way the wind blows in media circles and companies.

Save the date for friends of the Paddle

Full Schedule for PA Waterway Trips Spend Your Summer Paddling with the PA River Sojourns

* Chartiers Creek Sojourn – June 9 – 10, 2007
* Clarion River Sojourn - June 9 - 10, 2007
* Lake Erie Sojourn - August 16 - 19, 2007
* Ohiopyle Falls Festival - August 25, 2007

Early Returns

Both candidates botched their year end campiagn finance reports. Both should blush. But, it's not a big deal.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Local News - Early Returns: "File Councilman Jeff Koch under 'shouldn't-feel-too-confident.'

He won his seat in a March special election by taking 1,449 votes, or 43 percent of the vote. Finishing second was Bruce Kraus with 1,271 votes, or 38 percent. The third-place finisher in that eight-man race was named Bruce Krane, whose similar name and 216 votes (more than Mr. Koch's margin of victory) led some to believe that he spoiled the race for Mr. Kraus.

So far it looks like Mr. Kraus may face Mr. Koch in a one-on-one this time. Mr. Kraus predicts he'll have less money than the incumbent, but enough to run an effective campaign.

It's as yet unclear where Mr. Koch's money is coming from. His campaign expense report failed to itemize nearly $10,000 worth of campaign contributions he got at a golf outing. We're told an amended report that meets the requirements of state law -- disclosing the names of everyone who contributed more than $50 -- is coming soon."

Meanwhile, the P-G blog has not been updated since Feb 13. Things are buzzing, except on the P-G blog.

Sunday night date with a blogger

Shadow Lounge this Sunday for a grandiloquent, bombastic panel discussion with the John Fetterman (Mayor of Braddock), Nish Suvarnakar (Pgh League of Young Voters), and Deborah Todd (New Pittsburgh Courier) on the state of Pittsburgh political affairs. Hosted by Bram Reichbaum of the whip-smart "Pittsburgh Comet" blog, DJ'd by hip-hop DJ Carazmatic.

Sunday, Feb 25, 9 pm at The Shadow Lounge, 5972 Baum Blvd - $5 cover.