Eventful -- July 4th at our house

Everyone is invited to our 4th of July party -- 108 South 12th Street. It is a low key event. No food, except what people bring. We just supply the lemonaid.

Our house has been under some construction while we were away. Join us and check out the new deck and top room.

Last year, candidate for PA Governor, Russ Diamond, attended.

I'm inviting Ron Paul this year.

Allegheny's base-year property tax system unconstitutional - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Allegheny's base-year property tax system unconstitutional - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Now it's everyone's problem.

The property tax mess that Onorato has made worse has always been everyone's problem. Now it is Onorato's problem too. Onorato ignored the constitution. Onorato ignored his promises to fix the problem from four years ago when he hammered upon Jim Roddey. Onorato is a big part of the problem in this unfolding saga.

Once again these uncreative politicians are fine to go to court for solutions. Rather than judges leading the region, we should have real leaders. Court decisions are NEVER the BEST solution.

Onorato thinks that the judge does not have the authority to rule upon the consitution? Onorato doesn't have the authority to igore the consitution.

Onorato wants to be a base-year county. In other words, Onorato wants to live in the past. In other words, Onorato is content to let the rich get richer and the poor pay more. In other words, Onorato is unfair. In other words, Onorato doesn't want to do his job. In other words, Onorato is interested in buying time, to coast, rather than do the heavy lifting that faces this region.

The assessment system is broken. It needs to be fixed. I want to see it fixed. This venture is a major priority of mine.

Pittsburgh can't live in the past and expect to thrive.

Pittsburgh is dropping its population because people see how unfair it is around here -- and then they depart, voting with their feet.

As a "Geo-Libertarian" -- I look forward to the time when we get these issues out into a community-wide discussion and shift again to a Land Value Tax.

Sprawl, Dan, Sprawl. Dan is going to beg and then sprawl himself on this issue. It is going to hurt him.

It is never a waste of dollars to be fair. It is never a waste to uphold the constitution. It is never a waste to think again about justice when justice isn't happening. This issue will be a sure way to waste political capital -- Onorato's capital.

Funny too how there is another plea to run to the state for a fix, if it can't come from the judges. The state legislature needs to do this and do that. Wrong. I want to be self reliant. I want to fix our own problems. Folks from the other part of the state can't fix our problems. And, the local state reps, such as Tom Petrone and Wayne Fontana, are not capable of fixing these problems either.

Onorato will do all he can to shift the blame to others in this issue as well.

The property tax is the most hated tax when the other taxes are lower. People hate to pay all taxes. When the other taxes increase -- or were to increase -- such as income tax or sales tax -- then the property tax is NOT the most hated tax.

Furthermore, the property tax is the most hated as it is not fair. It is a joke. People hate bad jokes that hit hard upon their family budgets.

Finally, there is one solution that I've talked about a great deal in the past. I'll again raise this concept -- "ASSESSMENT BUFFERING." That's the key to making this reassessment process work.

Bower Round-a-bout

 

Today Erik, Grant and I took a rather long bike ride, in part, along "Bower Road" here in Christchurch. Dick Bower coached the boys last summer at Camp Chikopi in Canada.

Coach Bower would love New Zealand, for many reasons. Bower Road is very near to QE II swim pool. And, it is very close to the beach.

We rode to "Bottle Lake" and did some real mountain biking on trails, up and down some hills, through pine forrest, along the side of sand dunes, past animals (sheep, cows, horses, geese), over lumber roads, and around wetlands. We got there and home after a solid 70 minutes of pushing along with our bikes on roads and side-road trails.

The ride was wonderful. Grant only fell about three times. For a long time in the woods he was the leader. We were too busy to take photos, except of this one for Coach.

Steelers, Majestic Star's Barden must talk, Onorato says - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Steelers, Majestic Star's Barden must talk, Onorato says - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The Steelers are renters. The Steelers don't have a stake in the North Side. The Steelers should talk to the Sports and Exhibition Authority. Then, if the Steelers should purchase Heinz Field -- then we'll talk.

Sell Heinz Field to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then the Steelers will be 'stake holders' and we'll then begin to worry about them making good impressions with neighbors.

Don Barden is going to build his own place with his own money. Don Barden will own the slots parlor. Don Barden is making an investment in the city.

If I'm Allegheny County Chief Executive, I'm putting the Steelers into talks about their ownership of Heinz Field. How much is still owed? How can we get the public money back? How can we be sure that the Steelers stay in town -- and own their own stadium.

If the Steelers own Heinz Field, then the Steelers can't easily move the franchise. The team would be invested in the area.

Duquesne high school will close

Sigh.

Duquesne high school will close Residents decry state board decision; no plan announced on where students will attend in fall

More than a year ago I talked with public comment and elsewhere about how the city schools, PPS, needed to do much, much more with and about Duquesne.

This is a big deal. Plans needed to be made. Efforts to understand the situations needed to occur. I was pushing the school board and others in the community to go in these directions.

Our region is too small to have a failure of such magnatude. When Duquesne falls flat, and that has been the situation for a long time now, we all fall. Those kids are our neighbors. Their struggles are not just for the streets of Duquesne -- but they wander everywhere else in the region.

When Pgh Public Schools had the "right sizing plan" it failed to address the needs of those in Duquesne. The schools in Hazelwood were closed. That pushed more students away from that border. The nearby schools are full. There isn't any capacity to merge without serious upheavals.

The "right size" for the past quickly becomes the "wrong size" for the present.

Think again. Think without blind spots. Think it through.

Those people are getting stabbed in the back. They have outrage, and it is deserved.

To solve the problem, shut down the high school over a three year period. Don't allow for any freshmen next year. But, if the students who are there want to continue -- let them do so.

School closings should only occur as part of a phase in process over years. Same too with school openings.

Steel Valley, West Mifflin, Woodland Hills and others throughout that area need to watch out. They can't be dumped upon. A phase in would help in many ways.

Here is another suggestion: We should have a few boarding options in our public high schools.

In Christchurch, a city about the same size as Pittsburgh, there are about 30 high schools. Plus, there are a few public high schools with dorms. There are resident halls at a few boys schools and a few girls schools. Some are private and some are public.

Swim Log

SC Meters with development group (Erik was in this group).

Pull 800 meters with stroke count less than or equal to 15 on every 4th length.

4 x (4 x 100)
# 1-4 = pull @ 2:10 with 3 breaths or less on last 25m
# 5-8 = swim @ 2:15 with first 25m with 10 strokes or less (long push-offs)
# 9-12 = swim @ 2:30 with 5 flip turns, perfect. (No breathing in red zones on first and last flip turn.)
# 13-16 = fast @ 2:05 -- perfect

Kick with fins:
6 x 25 underwater
6 x 25 on side with 4 breaths or less at surface
6 x 25 on back underwater for first half of each length
6 x 25 with fins on hands kicking legs and arms in head first fashion
6 x 25 with fins on hands using a pull bouy and going feet first

easy 100

Arkansas: I love ma, I love pa. I love good ol Arkansas

Ravenstahl gets 'face' time as possible rising star in national politics Then there are the Internet blogs.

Hi Mrs. Ravenstahl!

I got to meet Mrs. R, Luke's mom, at a D-party endorsement event at the IBEW Hall on the South Side. I was outside, of course, just to mingle with the folks on the sidewalk. While I was there, she came up to me and we had a nice chat. She like my blog, so I was told.

I told her that I try my best to be real, grounded and not vile -- nor driven by envy. Those were NOT my words, but my intended feelings and desires.

I too have good friends in Arkansas. Politically, that city is home to General Wesley Clark, a regular swimmer. The best buddie I have had the pleasure to know from Little Rock was Paul Blair, a great swim coach and gentleman who founded the Little Rock Dolphins. Sadly, Paul died not too long ago. He grew up in our region and was no stranger to Pittsburgh.

When I coached in the Southwest Conference, when there still was a SWC, the Univ. of Arkansas swimmers were in a relay in the next lane from our team -- and they set a world record. That was cool. It was a short-course meters mark in a sprint freestyle relay. They were flying. It was a pleasure for our swimmers to just get washed down the pool in their wake.

He urged the students in the crowd to "overcome those people who will try to rattle you. ... Somewhere back in Pittsburgh, a columnist is writing his or her perspective on how I could be doing better, a talk show host is flooding the airwaves with half-truths, at my expense. ... Do I care? No."

Then there are the Internet blogs.

"Many of them are interesting in the way they portray what I'm doing," he said. "Very negative. And my mom, she reads those all the time. ... It bothers her more than it bothers me."

I'd love to have this interview on a podcast. Too many ... for my tastes. I'd like to not read between the lines as much.

The negative talk reminds me a bit of the approach Tom Murphy took. Murphy always used the word, "NAYSAYERS." To him, "naysayers" were worthless. I was a huge Tom Murphy naysayer.

Murphy killed our city because he didn't listen to the naysayers. Time will tell what Luke does. To me, Luke looks to be in the same rut that Tom Murphy resided within in the last 8 years (or more) of his career.

In a rich life, there is both a ying and a yang.

For an eagle to 'soar' -- it needs both the right wing, left wing plus plenty of tail feathers.

To listen to the naysayers is mandatory, in my opinion. To do what naysayers suggest isn't.

I understand that everyone can't be pleased all the time. Fine. But I don't understand how some can feel so cocksure as to think that they know it all and can shut down their receptive senses from certain quarters.

Pittsburgh is too small to have an administration that caters to only certain populations and sub-groups. We need to get on the right track and then have everyone's input -- to fire on all cylinders.

Two more examples:

In athletics, I love to go up against an arch rival. Competition is welcomed and desired. Athletes want to be pushed and stretched by serious challengers.

In academics and with research, it is a practice by some brilliant people to send their latest works to their harshest critics. Enemy evaluations are solicited before the papers get published in peer review journals.

Time will tell how Luke behaves.

Quiz: What happens when an English Chap in Christchurch "punts?"

From NZ Punting

Hint: Erik and Grant are very good at it. They could earn some income doing it in the summer months, once they get older.

GOP Bill Aimed At Ending Teacher Strikes

I haven't been happy with our Republican friends in Harrisburg, as they haven't done what was "right" for the most part. This on the other hand is a "no brainer." Special Interest Groups should not be allowed to derail our children's educations.

By Tracie Mauriello, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HARRISBURG -- A group of House Republicans is striking out against teacher strikes.
Led by Rep. Todd Rock, R-Franklin, the lawmakers this morning introduced legislation that would ban teacher strikes, mandate a negotiation schedule when talks stall and require public disclosure of negotiating positions throughout the process.
"The legislative solution we are introducing today has nothing to do with punishing or taking away any legal rights from teachers in Pennsylvania's 501 school districts," Mr. Rock said. It "has everything to do with ... restoring to every Pennsylvania child the legal right to a strike-free, uninterrupted public education."

Do I expect that the Democrat-led state legislature will do what is right? Absolutely not. There isn't a hefty tax-increase included (unless you talk about funding these Special Interest Groups).

Thirsty?

 

Four-fifths of the world is covered with water. Thirsty for more?

New Zealand has the best water in the world. Pittsburgh has a great deal of water as well.

Milford Sound photos -- yet to come

 

Many photos are yet to be uploaded. Milford Sound was great trip with lots of impressive sights. Here is a teaser.

Maori and Auckland photos

From NZ auckland-1

Went to Auckland Museum and have uploaded a bunch of photos from there and some other places in the biggest city in New Zealand.

Look around and you'll even find some videos. One is a haka. Enjoy.

Quiz: Lake in New Zealand

Today's quiz question: It is said that nobody drowns in this lake. It is in New Zealand. Photo from our visit to Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world.

Why would it be so that nobody ever drowns in this lake?

(Click image for larger view of the lake.)

Put your answer (or guess) into the comment of this blog post.

Pittsburgh violence rate outpaces U.S.

Pittsburgh violence rate outpaces U.S. Pittsburgh violence rate outpaces U.S.
2.6 percent increase here last year; that's double the rate of nation

Ouch.

How about if violent crime were to decrease, not just stay on pace with the rest of the nation.

Superintendent Moffatt concurred that crime prevention begins with civilians.

"We're constantly on the lookout to have better development in our relationship with the communities, and we're going to have to do more of that," he said. "Communities have to step forward -- there has to be more collaboration between the police officers and the communities we serve."

Right on.

Ron Paul on The Daily Show

Well, Congressman Ron Paul was on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" tonight. He did well. He didn't appear, or sound like a very old man. John McCain, who is a year younger, sounds older.

His appearance was pretty straight forward. I went in with an open mind, perhaps even wanting to like him. He earned a good "B." He was a classic politician, not "funny" like Al Gore can be. Or Rudy Guiliani.

It is a major coup for a second-tier candidate to be on the Daily Show. I hope that he's on again. I'm just glad that Stewart would welcome any Republican. The comedian was a very vocal champion of John Kerry's, and all but endorsed him. I'm sure he's had other Republicans on, but he's still very much in the Liberal's corner.

Ron Paul continues to do "all the right things."

It's still Rudy Guliani's race to lose...and Fred Thompson might just be the spoiler. It won't be Ron Paul, even though I like him a lot more now than before.

Been away for a while. What have I been missing?

I've been on the other side of the world -- and doing my best to stay in the loop with Pittsburgh's political and cultural happenings. It is time to put my ear to the ground and figure out what I've been missing?

Nationally, I think the political news it Ron Paul's momentum.



I'm open to other suggestions and ideas as to what I've missed. It is time for us to re-enter the American mindset of being a Pittsburgher again.

In our extended family, I've yet to miss the arrival of our newest baby. Our boys will be getting a new cousin. The birth is any moment now. We were just talking about new baby names and Catherine suggested "Jade."

Another new development -- a new roof and deck re-make.

But, there has got to be more beyond the primary election. We'll be getting three new members to city council, of course, but -- that only means that three that are there now won't be returning. The new members are not yet elected as that happens with the general election.

Magical beach side tour

From NZ-yellow-eye...

While the boys and I were at the Neptune Swim Meet, Catherine, my photo impaired wife, enjoyed a magical tour of splendid nature around Dunedin, New Zealand. She set out at 1 pm on Saturday with the digital camera. Her images are posted in the web album above.

For the first part of the day, she thought she had broken Erik's digital camera. But, no. It was set to the 'download mode' and not the photo taking mode. That was fixed with an easy flip of the switch.

Catherine was keen to see the giant albatross, yellow-eyed penguins, blue penguins and more. See got a treat. They were all there and in volume.

Seems that the wind needs to be right for the giant albatross to come back into their nests. Their wings are so long that if the wind is weak or if the wind direction is such they can't land. They need a bit of a runway to land and head into the wind to slow. The conditions were perfect and they were flocking in to feed their chicks.

The albatross nests around Dunedin are the only place in New Zealand where they are to be found. All the others are in sub-artic islands, except for this colony.

These are huge birds -- with 3-meter wing spans. We saw some of the junior-types on other trips, but were not with these. Their flight is so impressive. They move, swoop and seemingly float just above the rolling waves of the ocean. Feathers at the tips of the wings right to the water's surface among swells and waves.

Then the yellow-eyed penguins -- such a hoot. The eyes are yellow as are the areas around the eyes. They surf in the waves to the beach then plop -- stand upright and waddle to the hillsides to their nests. These guys spend the day in the ocean and the nights at their land-based nests. Swimming, they look a bit like ducks. Then when they go vertical on land, Catherine said it was a riot to see.

The blue penguins are smaller and more to themselves and less in a clan. They nest in these small boxes that had been built for them by the local farmer.

The penguins avoided the sea lions. But, the sheep and penguins got along fine. The sheep help to keep down the height of the grass giving the penguins better footing to get to their nests. If the grass was tall, they'd be finished.

The bad guys are nasty, ugly, blood-thirsty critters that are hated. We're talking about the ferrits and the stoaks. Neither are native to this island. Now that they are here -- they've gone and made a real eco mess.

These stoaks kill tons of birds and there are traps for them all over the place. They kill for the thrill -- not even for the food. So, if one gets into a hillside, it will knock out a handfull of nests in one swoop. Three nests were hit recently until it ended in a trap.

The local farmer lways has a rifle with him as he walks and if he spots a stoak or ferret -- he'll shoot it. Drivers too aim for them if they are on the roads.

When we were driving in Queenstown, I saw one in the headlights running across the road into the bush. The traps are marked with pink triangles so the rangers know where they've been placed.

The Price of Delaying the Inevitable in Iraq

Wait and see turn around of roles is predicted.

The Price of Delaying the Inevitable in Iraq This wait and see attitude in Washington, and the promised reassessment of events in Iraq later on, strongly motivates the insurgents to accelerate the killing of Americans in order to influence the decision coming in three months. In contrast, a clear decision to leave would prompt a wait and see attitude in Iraq, a de facto cease fire, in anticipation of our leaving, the perfect time for the Iraqi factions to hold their fire on each other and on our troops and just possibly begin talking with each other.

Ron Paul updates

June 4, 2007: Congressman Ron Paul will be a guest on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" tonight at 11:00 pm ET.

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/index.jhtml

The third GOP presidential debate will be held tomorrow night, June 5, at 7:00 pm ET in New Hampshire. CNN will broadcast the debate with Wolf Blitzer as the moderator.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/

Sunday Forum: In praise of property taxes

Right on.

Sunday Forum: In praise of property taxes property tax remains the best way to fund schools.

The Pgh Comment had a post about this too.