Pittsburgh - Going Through the Motions - News - News - Pittsburgh City Paper

Tonya says hire them all.

Pittsburgh - Going Through the Motions - News - News - Pittsburgh City Paper 'If a young person put in an application, then hire them,' Payne said at city council's June 5 meeting. 'Hire them all. We need to make it a priority to find work for every one of those kids.'

The program's cost is $125,000. The ballpark figure to hire 726 young people? About $1.2 million for eight weeks of work.

That solution, give them all a job pulling weeds, is not ideal, to say the least.

Google Gadgets: AnswerBall

First came the computer on the mayor's desk in the mayor's office. Soon, Dick S would be fired from the inner circle of Grant Street's fifth floor to call numbers at the weekly bingos in senior centers. Since Google released this new gadget, there is no need for a chief of staff.

Google Gadgets:� AnswerBall Ask a question to AnswerBall and it will give you the response! Got a question? Just concentrate, hold the mouse button down to shake AnswerBall and release it to get the answer!

Na na na naa. So long. Good Bye.

On the last day of school, the 6th and 7th graders at Frick ISA (Middle School) left the building and headed to the buses past rows of teachers and staff who stood at the doorway and down the steps raising their voices, waving their hands. "Na-na-na naaa, Na-na-naa Naaaa, Soo long -- Good Bye. (repeat at will)

Interesting site. Sweet wishes.

Now -- if only the Pgh Public School Administration would get in gear an hire the necessary teachers for that school. This is the time to send out those job offers. This is the time to snag the Spanish Teachers and others who are with special teaching skills in foreign languages.

Two full time Spanish teachers are needed at Frick. Meanwhile, the two that start the year never finish it. I think there were five or so that were used. Double classrooms was the norm for too long. Hiring teachers in September sucks. That isn't the way to run specialized educational classes and schools.

German teachers and others with language class responsibilities are NOT easy to hire AFTER the school year begins, for a middle school, for Pgh Public Schools.

Hire!

Meanwhile, retain, retain, retain. The great teachers and staff that are at the buildings now who are slated to retire should be given contracts NOW for positions they'd like to retain in the year to come. Sign em up for another year NOW, not later.

Remember how there was a great boys basketball coach at Perry Traditional H.S. He was able to retire from his teaching position only to be told that he'd NOT be allowed to continue to coach boys basketball. Everyone wanted him to come back. He wanted to come back. But no. The school board policy was such that it couldn't be done. So, the great coach had to go to a suburban school and continue to coach.

As a family highlight, our son got the leadership award at Frick. And, his classmate from Phillips, T.S., got the student award. Well done guys. And well done Phillips Elem. School (graduates). FWIW, it is lame to say one graduated from Elem. School.

Both of our boys gave school presentations on our trip to New Zealand. The slide show will be posted here soon, I expect.

A new storm is brewing -- and we've got another big hole in our roof

Wouldn't you know -- today the roofers returned and put a big hole in our roof to extend the height of the chimney. What ever happened to the luck of a sweep that will shake off on you? Perhaps the sweeps are really lucky and the roofers sing another tune. (Understanding Hint to hidden blog meanings: Mary Poppins movie and Dick Van Dyke. -- Chim chimmeny, chim, chim cha roo, ...)

Ugh.

The worst is when the rain comes into the second floor via the ceiling light fixtures and drags all this crud -- like our house had been smoking for 125 years with tar and soot baked the bones. But hey, this is the South Side. I doubt that there smokers lived in the house, but the mills blanketed every thing.

Quiz: What's this?

In honor of West Virginia getting table games, here is a quiz question. What's the 'table game' shown in the photo above?

Friendly Father's Day Reminder

This weekend is Father's Day. Not many shopping days remain.

I'll be working as a volunteer at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium with a Dad's group on Father's Day. We'll be rewarding dad's with golden dad goodie bags.

International Mess -- USA Style

The US government has decided to refund travelers who spent an extra $60 to expedite the processing of their passports. The State Department decided to make the refunds as the government continues to grapple with a massive backlog of passport applications that have been flooding their offices as new rules are set to go into effect.

This is a big-time mess. Shame on the USA on this.

Getting a passport is a major problem these days. It was reported that it is taking nine months to get a regular passport from the US. Unreal.

Furthermore, those with trip plans are getting crunched too. The horror stories are hard to understand yet alone believe.

Passport services are nearly impossible to obtain from the US these days.

Tuesday takes - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

If we are not rule of law -- then we are rule of men. I'd rather have rule of law -- and will work hard against rule of men. Onorato should be in charge, as he thinks he can do what he wants, how he wants it, and when it should apply -- even if it is 2002 for him. That is no way to govern.

Tuesday takes - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review What Constitution? One of the wags with whom we regularly converse marvels at how the laws of Pennsylvania and the state Constitution have become dead letters for Allegheny County Council members and Chief Executive Dan Onorato regarding the now-scuttled smoking ban and base-year property assessment system, respectively. 'What has become of us?' he asks. Good question.

Corporate Welfare Looks like this -- and Dan Onorato is leadership for the future? He is stuck in the past as he backs this give-a-way.

Tuesday takes - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review PNC Financial Services Group says it will acquire Yardville National Bancorp. of New Jersey for $403 million in cash and stock. This is the same banking giant, fresh off a $6 billion-plus acquisition of a big Baltimore bank, that posted a first-quarter 2007 profit of nearly half-a-billion dollars and had a 2006 profit of $2.6 billion. Tell us again, PNC, why you need $48 million of taxpayer money to help you build your new Three PNC Plaza skyscraper?

Pentagon Confirms It Sought To Build A 'Gay Bomb'

cbs5.com - Pentagon Confirms It Sought To Build A 'Gay Bomb' (CBS 5) BERKELEY A Berkeley watchdog organization that tracks military spending said it uncovered a strange U.S. military proposal to create a hormone bomb that could purportedly turn enemy soldiers into homosexuals and make them more interested in sex than fighting.

Pentagon officials on Friday confirmed to CBS 5 that military leaders had considered, and then subsquently rejected, building the so-called 'Gay Bomb.'

Ron Paul interview from Capital Hill with Tucker Carlson

I wasn't able to watch the debate, as we were out of the country. Now I get to catch-up on some YouTube snips. Here is one of Ron Paul in NH's debate.


New:

Allegheny County Controller's Port Authority Rider Survey

Feedback.

Allegheny County Controller's Port Authority Rider Survey

Ron Paul Registry has 28 now from Pittsburgh

Ron Paul Registry: "Pittsburgh, 28"

Nice site, plus, it has a good petition of principles about what he stands for. I just signed.

Keeping up with the Jones now means Table Games In W. Va.

PA does NOT have 'casinos.' Rather, PA has a a few slots parlors.

kdka.com - Table Games In W. Va. May Mean Hit For Pa. Casinos (KDKA/AP) WEST VIRGINIA The votes have been counted and now that table games have been approved to come to Wheeling Island in West Virginia, some here in Pennsylvania are beginning to wonder if it will hurt the casinos coming to our area.

The Meadows in Washington County is slated to open its doors on Monday.

The Meadows has been open for years. A new area for slots is going to open, sure.

Back in the U.S., back in the U.S., Back in the U.S. of A.

We're home as of Saturday night, 11:30 pm.

Our ride from our house to the airport, Cheers Ravi, came at 12:45 pm. We left Christchurch on a 3 pm flight to Auckland. Then it was an 11-hour-five-minute flight to L.A. In L.A. we check the time, and it was 12:35 pm -- still ten minutes before our ride from Ravi was to arrive to pick us up at the airport. Weirdness.

Then we went to Chicago and Pittsburgh.

Saturday night the All-Blacks played a test match against Canada. I still have no clue who won or when. We were on the flight to L.A. by the time the haka would have been performed.

New Zealand All Blacks rugby team official website, New Zealand Rugby Football Union Rampant All Blacks forward power and superior attacking skills in the backs ran France ragged in a nine try feast to win by a record 61-10 in the second Iveco Test at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

So, the All Blacks won, again, big. But, two big time players are now hurt.

We got some departure gifts from Ravi -- and I was hooked up with a flash All Blacks bottle opener / key chain. I looked at it and asked -- does it work in the northern hemisphere.

On the way out of Auckland on Quantus I enjoyed a "Ginger Beer." Quiz question. Does it or does it not include alcohol? What are the big brands for 'Ginger Beer?' -- as a bonus question.

On the flight home, we saw lots of movies. The on-air entertainment, Q, features a TV screen right in the seat back in front of you. A remote and you can listen to CDs, radio, news (feature wasn't working however), movies, encore movies, TV, UK TV, Australian TV, art flicks, flight-progress and even computer games. We all watched 'Wild Hogs' and a bunch of other stuff.

Next -- fighting jet lag and getting the other four bags from American Airlines. We had them all going through customs. But only one of five made it to Pittsburgh. The plane switch in Chicago was quick (50 minutes).

The new house construction looks great. Still a bit of work to do, but huge progress has been made.

I'm an uncle -- one more time.

A new baby has arrived, MEGAN JANE. She was born Thursday, June 7th at 2:30 PM. 7 lbs 13 oz. and 21 inches. She is beautiful. Takes pacifier. Looks like her sister. Both she and her mom, (my yougest sister) are perfect. They will come home in the AM.

Excellent news for travels home. And, a brilliant reason to be headed home, among others.

Hope to see her soon.

Zappala tabs McKeesport for auxiliary county courthouse

The Daily News - Zappala tabs McKeesport for auxiliary county courthouse Parties have been engaged in discussion for years - envisioning a Mon Valley location for satellite courtrooms, row offices, bond clerks and attorneys. Now, the project is becoming more than a vision.

Dates for summer swimming with the Crafton Crocs - 2007

Exclusive WTAE/Pittsburgh Trib Keystone Poll Released - News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

Look how they write this sillyness to try to sway public opinion. My spin is that the Ron Paul was not even a foil in the questions -- and he can claim the 24 percent. It is a race that is too close to call at this point.

Exclusive WTAE/Pittsburgh Trib Keystone Poll Released - News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh Rudy Giuliani may be the front-runner nationally for the Republican nomination, but in Pennsylvania he's in a dead heat with John McCain. Both are pulling 29 percent of the vote.

Mitt Romney is a distant third at 12 percent. The undecided vote still sits at 24 percent.

Looking at the PDF of the results, the 24% percent should get an extra 6% boost for those who say 'other' -- giving a total of 30%. That means Guiliani and McCain are both down by 1-percent.

If the polling people can't ask a question that has all the answers, they should be fired. This is trash reporting.

Might as well ask, do you favor the teaching of I.D. or Adam & Eve? Stupid question just like the stupid poll.

Onorato: County Will Appeal Assessment Ruling

kdka.com - Onorato: County Will Appeal Assessment Ruling "This administration is not doing a reassessment, let me be as clear as day," Onorato said. "We are not reassessing 550,000 properties in Allegheny County, not when other counties in this Commonwealth are allowed to use a base year."

When does this become 'treason?' When does this become grounds for impeachment?

If this Administration isn't going to follow the constitution -- Dan needs to NOT take another oath of office for public service. Onorato gave his word. Onorato was sworn into office when he agreed to uphold the constitution of the US and of Pennsylvania.

This is no mini separation of power.

Onorato could have done something. He failed, repeatedly. He needs to do something else. Going back to the courts is not good enough for me an my neighbors.

The mini separation must stand for the North to South and East to West distance for the container of creativity that Onorato has been able to exhibit in solving this problem. Onorato's capacity to fix this bread and butter issue has been next to nil. Mini fits.

In the meantime, many people are wondering how the decision will affect them. Depending on the State Supreme Court's decision, it could affect counties across the state.

Exactly. People are getting jacked around again. Are we going to get two, three or four property tax bills? Are we going to get them one week after they were due? Are we going to get extra mailings from county council with homestead exemption campaign literature too? Yanked here. Yanked there. Where is the sanity? It isn't in 2002 -- when Onorato was County Controller.

When 2009 comes, the year the reassessment was ordered, will 2002 amounts still be valid? Will 2002 values still be valid in 2012? In 2016? In 2020?

Another big problem is the fact that spending throughout the years has not been flat, as is the case in other counties. Allegheny County spends -- for tunnels under the river, for stadiums, for arenas, for demolition of other buildings, for river-front parks.

Furthermore, Allegheny County has not done anything about the expansion of the nonprofits. Nothing has been done about re-tooling the RAD Tax. Nothing has been done about regular funding for mass transit. Nothing has been done about mergers beyond 9-1-1, including the dual dog-license sales departments, except adding cats.

We've got some of the greatest health care opportunities and hospitals in the world for the rich who can afford it. But Allegheny County has done nothing new about getting sensible delivery of health care and wellness services to public workers, those who have retired, our seniors nor our citizens -- yet alone the infants. Except -- (drum roll please) -- four new hires (two are replacement workers) are due to be on the job working for the Health Department as inspectors at restaurant by the end of 2007. Big time cause for celebration for Allegheny County.