Lord of the Rings tour was a big success. They came back with a four pack of beer -- 1% beer -- "SoberRing Thoughts"

More than 100 photos of the tour and NZ country are now in the album. Erik and Grant should get more details and messages in due time.

From lord of the r...

From lord of the r...

Write on: Republicans are on the right track in mayor's race

Write on: Republicans are on the right track in mayor's race but for Republicans in the city, it should also be about restoring pride in their local party.

Except -- what kind of pride does it show when the Allegheny County Republicans are telling people to vote for Dan Onorato?

What does it say when County Republicans are pushing a guy who the City Republicans are not? Furthermore, he isn't pushing himself.

Republicans would be better served to write in Pierogie rather than drive the wedge further between different factions of the GOP party.

Oh, by the way -- so much for the 48 hour rule. Told ya, again.

County GOP Party calls on Republicans to write-in Onorato, D

Oh my gosh. This is the stuff of legend.

OK, I’ll Vote For One Democrat | PAWaterCooler.com: The Republican Party of Allegheny County just called and asked me to write in Dan Onorato for Chief Executive tomorrow. The wimpy local GOP hasn’t even bothered to run a candidate, so the contest is between incumbent Onorato and some other guy named Rick Swartz.

The in-fighting among Republicans is now everywhere. The move to put a son onto the ballot is getting opposition from the committee.

Where is Roddey?

I'd love to hear this call -- or read the script.

Advice to voters about the City Council District 3 primary race -- Kraus vs. Koch endorsement

In the hours to come, voters of the D party from the South Side and throughout the nearby neighborhoods, are able to go into a private space and make a decision. They'll have the option of pushing one of two buttons.

One is marked, Bruce Kraus. The other is marked Jeffrey Koch. These are the two options for the Dem party nomination for Pittsburgh City Council District 3 seat.

Humm.

Put on your thinking caps.

I predict, but am not certain, that Jeff Koch will win.

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, many of the toilets have two buttons. How nice. One is for a full flush. The other is for a partial flush.

Or, I guess, you could choose to not even vote at all.

THE NEXT PIG THING

THE NEXT PIG THING:

Then comes this:



So, the next became the prior.

Travel quiz: Name this bird. What are some of its behaviors?

Another bird from another day -- but the same species. See the comments for more insights.

Dunedin - We're going to a swim meet there. Entries are in

Dunedin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Dunedin"

The boys are swimming in a meet in Dunedin. This is going to be fun.

The local team, Wharenui, is sending down a squad. We'll travel by bus. Stay in a hotel for two nights. The meet is pre-lims and finals -- but a different set of events than what we have in the US.

The meet will be in a 25-meter pool.

The 50-meter races are 'timed finals.' But, some of the finals are in the afternoon session. Most of the other events are pre-lims and finals.

Catherine is going with us on the bus and all. However, she has already booked a tour for Saturday, while the meet is being contested. The meet goes for two days. She'll be looking for penguins and long-winged albatross. The only mainland Royal Albatross colony.

Rauterkus, Erik (12) WHAREP101094

# 7 Male 11-12 50 Free 32.80S

# 12D Male 11-12 200 Breast 3:25.25S

# 15D Male 11-12 100 Fly 1:34.34S

# 16D Male 11-12 100 Breast 1:36.36S

# 24 Male 11-12 50 Fly 38.10S

# 42D Male 11-12 200 Free 2:45.00S

# 44D Male 11-12 100 Free 1:13.30S

# 53 Male 11-12 50 Breast 45.00S

# 58D Male 11-12 200 IM 3:15.15S

Rauterkus, Grant (9) WHARGP041297

# 5 Male 10 & Under 50 Free 41.41S

# 15B Male 10 & Under 100 Fly 2:20.20S

# 16B Male 10 & Under 100 Breast 2:10.02S

# 22 Male 10 & Under 50 Fly 51.41S

# 30B Male 10 & Under 100 IM 1:49.49S

# 35 Male 10 & Under 50 Back 51.40S

# 43B Male 10 & Under 100 Back 1:51.20S

# 44B Male 10 & Under 100 Free 1:30.90S

# 51 Male 10 & Under 50 Breast 53.53S

[412] Take the nomination papers to the polls with you today - gearing up for a fall day to come

[412] Take the nomination papers to the polls with you today - gearing up for a fall day to come

Hi,

Today is the primary election day in Pittsburgh. I'm sitting this one out, sorta.

Pennsylvania's voting laws include the hosting of closed primary elections. As a Libertarian -- a 'third party' -- I'm not voting. Today the Ds and Rs get to do their thing and the rest of the citizens do ours. Trust me, I'll be in the majority -- by a landslide.

A recent push for write in candidates among the ranks of the GOPers is of interest to me. If you are going to the polls, you can always do a write in. And, if you'd want -- you could write in my name, "Mark Rauterkus." I've said I'll stand for office, raise issues and sustain conversations that impact our public lives Others are less interested in doing those tasks. Few are willing to worry about liberty and freedom as well.

But more precious to the cause -- beyond a write in vote -- is your help in getting onto the ballot. I'd love for you to print out a copy of the nomination papers and get a few signatures for our ticket of candidates. Election day is a great time to gather signatures.

http://elect.Rauterkus.com/papers

The form needs to be printed on legal sized paper -- front and back.
Various forms are for county residents and others for city residents
by city council districts.

County Voters sign:
http://elect.rauterkus.com/papers/petition-county.pdf

City Voters sign:
http://elect.rauterkus.com/papers/petition-city.pdf

City voters who reside in city council district 7 sign:
http://elect.rauterkus.com/papers/petition-cc-7-pdf.pdf

City voters who reside in city council district 9 sign:
http://elect.rauterkus.com/papers/petition-cc-9.pdf

City voters who reside in city council district 3 sign:
http://elect.rauterkus.com/papers/petition-cc-3.pdf
(and get page 2 here) http://elect.rauterkus.com/papers/2nd-page-petition.pdf

Since I'm not going to the polls myself, I'm going to enjoy a wonderful fall day. Yes, it is fall here. I'm on the other side of the world presently, in Christchurch, New Zealand. I've already been to a swim practice and on a bike ride. More to come of both. My family is on a Lord Of The Rings tour today. We've been busy seeing wild birds including the kiwi, exploring different lands and appreciating different cultures.

Thanks for your efforts so far on helping to get our ticket onto the ballot in November. Rest assured that when we get back to the states, we'll be we'll be in top shape and ready for additional action-packed adventures in our own community

Ta.

Mark Rauterkus Mark@Rauterkus.com
http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
http://Elect.Rauterkus.com

7-7-07

Jerry Bowyer writes with an invite to ask

Where will you be on 07-07-07?

FreedomFest 2007!

My good friend Mark Skousen is a financial economist with many wonderful books to his credit, including: The Making of Modern Economics[1] and The Compleated Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin[2]. Many of you have heard him as a guest on my radio program and also as a guest on some of the shows that we produce on the Leadership Radio network. Dr. Skousen is also putting one of the most creative conferences imaginable, with 7 themes (investing, geo-politics, science & technology, philosophy, history, healthy living, and economics), with 77 speakers and over 777 attendees from around the world. It’s called FreedomFest, to be held July 5-7, in Las Vegas (where else would you want to be on 07-07-07?). You’ll find a link for more information below. I urge you to attend and enjoy the greatest show on earth in a fun city. It’s going to be unforgettable.

Regards, Jerry
http://m1e.net/c?30089296-FKJXyX2GqmXQ2%402465922-hX1ouKJZXDH/s

Looks like a great event. I'll be coaching and gathering signatures, I expect.

KQV Newsradio Pittsburgh

KQV Newsradio Pittsburgh Does the local Republican Party have a solution? If it does, we have yet to hear about it!

Mr. Dickey. The solution comes in one word, "Libertarian."

The Pittsburgh May 15th Primary Ballot...Verifies That It's a One-Party Town!

One of the saddest commentaries on our city of Pittsburgh is a review of the upcoming May 15th Primary Elections on a number of offices. If you want confirmation that it's a one-party town, just take a look at the offices that are in the mix.

Here's how it shapes up...Mayor of the city - no Republican candidate filed...Controller -no Republican candidate filed...District 3 - no Republican candidate filed...District 5 - no Republican candidate filed...District 7 - no Republican candidate filed...District 9 - no Republican candidate filed!

Are you getting the message? It's coming across loud and clear - Pittsburgh is a one-party city and unfortunately, we're all paying the price for the lopsided Democratic registration majority...6 to 1 and we've been paying the price since the 1930s. In our opinion, a tenured and dominant one-party control of a city, regardless of which party it may be, is a real prescription for trouble.

Pittsburgh, of course, is not the only city in America with this problem, but we're certainly one of the major cities having this albatross around our necks for more than 70 years!

In our opinion, without competition at the ballot box, there is no serious debate on the city's vital issues; no exchange of ideas; and no development of problem solution strategies or philosophies.

Just take a look at the financial problems that have been haunting our city for decades and will be for decades to come. The root of many of those problems can be found in our city's one-party hang-up and its back room political cronyism.

But our major concern - as reflected by the absence of Republican candidates on next Tuesday's ballot - is that nobody seems to care and no conscious effort is being made to rectify the problem. Over these many years, the Republican Party in Pittsburgh seems to have surrendered and shown the white flag.

We think the Republican Party of Pittsburgh, if there is one, needs to get off its padded posterior and at least make an effort. Otherwise we're going to continue to sing this swan song forever while the city suffers the stifling consequences of one party dominance!

Does the local Republican Party have a solution? If it does, we have yet to hear about it!

Robert W. Dickey, President, KQV Newsradio

Broadcast: May 11, 12, 13, 2007

We have a ticket, a Libertarian line-up, that covers all the spots you mentioned above. Candidates have been recruited. Nomination papers have been drawn up. http://Elect.Rauterkus.com/papers. Now we need KQV to alert the public so signatures can be obtained.

You can do a sack dance on the shell that was the GOP -- or -- you can help to make viable opposition elsewhere.

Reason Magazine - Pittsburgh: Livable or Leavable?

Reason Magazine - Pittsburgh: Livable or Leavable?: "Since 1985, despite bleeding people and slowly converting to a sluggish service economy based on health care and organ transplants, the region has always been ranked among the almanac’s Top 20 most livable cities. That’s mainly because the ranking system favors the area’s many priceless assets, which include an abnormally low crime rate, a populace of regular-guy, smart-ass Michael Keaton-types (Keaton's a native), great old city neighborhoods and big suburban homes so cheap they’d make a Washingtonian weep. Pittsburgh also has top universities like Carnegie-Mellon and Pitt, major league sports teams, and a beautiful green landscape of hills, hollows and wide rivers. Sure, pay scales are low and the populace can be a little bigoted, too Democrat, and too working class. The two unofficial regional religions—unionism and Steelerism—can be annoying. And pop culturally, it's at least 5 years behind L.A. But Pittsburgh is a good city to raise a family in, grow old in and die in."

GOP puts up name to oppose Onorato

Too little. Too late.

GOP puts up name to oppose Onorato 'Not having a candidate in the fall does a disservice to all the people of Allegheny County, because it doesn't give them a chance to hear the issues,' he said.

Pittsburgh City Council candidate brings honest cents to campaign - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh City Council candidate brings honest cents to campaign - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "YANKEE CLIPPED. California University of Pennsylvania has one of the top graduate athletic training education programs in the country, but don't tell that to the New York Yankees.

With a slew of Yankees suffering muscular injuries this spring, General Manager Brian Cashman decided Wednesday to eject the team's new strength and conditioning coach, Marty Miller, 34, CalU class of 2004.

The last straw was 12 days ago when the Yanks' phenom pitcher, Phil Hughes, suffered a left hamstring injury after keeping the Texas Rangers hitless for 6 1/3 innings.

Miller earned a degree in exercise science from the Washington County school and is scheduled to appear at the university for two sports 'performance enhancement' camps in July. Miller had been in the position only a couple of months."

Talking with ... The Riverlife Task Force's Lisa Schroeder

I hope Antirust blogs about this article.

Talking with ... The Riverlife Task Force's Lisa Schroeder She's helping to make her vision of city riverfronts a reality

My quick reply: The international city that best uses its rivers: Vienna. Another good one, Prauge.

I'm thinking and dreaming of a wake-board tow line in a big rectangle between two bridges.

The Citizens Voice - City chooses Wi-Fi provider

The Citizens Voice - City chooses Wi-Fi provider WILKES-BARRE - Telecommunications provider Frontier was selected to build and maintain a wireless Internet service throughout the city.

Surrounded by Frontier employees on Public Square at a press conference Thursday, Mayor Tom Leighton and City Administrator and Wire-Free Wilkes-Barre CEO J.J. Murphy announced the wireless initiative will enhance public saftey.

re-public: re.imagining democracyRe-public : re-imagining democracy - english version � Pete Ashdown - Open source politics

re-public: re.imagining democracyRe-public : re-imagining democracy - english version - Pete Ashdown - Open source politics The Internet is blind to wealth, ability, race, creed, gender, and background. A good idea presented through collaborative technologies will rise to the top and be implemented, regardless of the source. That is good for all including the minority.

I'm not okay with that statement. The internet isn't blind to ability.

San Francisco WiFi agreement said to save internet users $9 to $18 million annually

The Pittsburgh controller, as well as the Pittsburgh wi-fi deal, are poor. I've not been happy with either. Meanwhile, here is what they have cooking in S.F.

San Francisco Sentinel � Blog Archives � San Francisco WiFi agreement said to save internet users $9 to $18 million annually San Francisco internet users stand to save from $9 milliion to $18 million annually if an agreement between the City and EarthLink is adopted, according to a study by San Franicsco Controller Ed Harrington.

The agreement, proposed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, also would reduce the digitial divide by “helping to incorporate low-income and disadvantaged populations into the economic mainstream,” according to Harrington.

Download YouTube Videos

Download YouTube Videos: "Web based"

Pokora: Tax-exempt UPMC, Pitt 'bleed' city of $23M - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pokora: Tax-exempt UPMC, Pitt 'bleed' city of $23M - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pokora: Tax-exempt UPMC, Pitt 'bleed' city of $23M

Bleeding -- bull.

Well, to use the same expression, then, in my not so humble opinion, Pokora should call for a stop of the bleeding.

The bleeding is expanding. The bleeding needs to be understood. Tony Pokora just wants to tax the bleeding.

A study and inventory of all nonprofit properties and a call to halt to all growth of nonprofits is prudent.

Tony wants to target the largest and most profitable -- an act that is similar to eating one's young.

Tony should pile on upon the city and the property tax breaks that they get. The city's land is not performing, has never performed and is growing as well.

Where is the list of the properties where the tax liens were acquired?

City: Nonprofits pay fraction of tax rate of what their taxes would be

Plenty of other places -- such as Evanston, Illinois, home of Northwestern University, have a larger percentage of its space devoted to nonprofit ownership. Pittsburgh has a bunch of nonprofits, to be sure. However, those nonprofits are nonprofits by design. The benefits of the nonprofits are too great to calculate -- by the likes of Tony Pokora.

City: Nonprofits pay fraction of tax rate of what their taxes would be Large, cash-rich universities and hospitals are paying the city of Pittsburgh small fractions of what they would if they were taxable institutions, acting city Controller Tony Pokora said in releasing an audit yesterday.

Mr. Pokora looked at the property owned by eight institutions of higher learning and 14 health-care concerns, in an effort to find out what they would be paying in taxes if they weren't exempt. Some are members of a group called the Pittsburgh Public Service Fund that channels voluntary contributions to the city, but has not agreed to do so beyond this year.

Tony wants to tax the Cathedral of Learning. Tony is barking up the wrong tree.

When I'm in charge, I'll change the tune.

First, how much space is owned by nonprofits. I want to know the square foot space. Value doesn't matter. Value changes. Let's inventory the nonprofit space and make a list of the parcels and total the size of each.

What is the nonprofit footprint of space in Pittsburgh and in each municipality of Allegheny County.

With this research, we'll also begin to get a handle upon how much space and how many spaces are owned by governmental agencies. The city, the county, the URA, the Parking Authority, the Stadium Authority (they still are paying on Three Rivers Stadium I think) and others have lots and lots of space.

Then the mission would be to greatly reduce the governmental ownership of land throughout the city and the county.

Furthermore, at the same time, a moratorium on nonprofit land expansion must be put into place for the city and the county.

UPMC should be able to grow all it wants -- if the growth is upward on land it or another nonprofit already owns.

Lots of nonprofit space in the city and county are used poorly. That's the big crime. That is what needs to change. The nonprofit sector has been taking more and more space, year to year.

Pokora doesn't get it. He needs to clean up from within -- and look at the city's holdings first and foremost. Then he can look at the bigger trends of nonprofit expansion.