Two hour delay for Plum High School (Tues)

A threat was made, so it was reported (WTAE TV) at Plum. The high school has a two-hour delay today.

I'll be in Plum for a 10 am funeral at Our Lady of Joy Church. Hard times.

Another visitation and funeral continues for the Hill family. Tomorrow is the burial. That is in Wilkinsburg. One twin boy is still in Children's Hospital.

Oh brother.

The third reason for heartache is the sophomore Pitt student from eastern PA who was killed this weekend as a Parkway East pedestrian.

Enough.

County looking to consolidate four row offices

This is proof positive of exactly what is wrong with the Dem Party Leadership and the process that only elects Ds. They promise. Then they promise again. And, they often promise some more when it comes to jobs. Political life of Pittsburgh Democrats is about jobs.

County looking to consolidate four row offices County Chief Executive Dan Onorato has promised the workers in those offices that no one, except for the elected officials and the individual solicitors, will lose their jobs.

So, the promise isn't being made about 'good government.' The promise isn't about being effective. The promise isn't to the taxpayers. The promise isn't to do the right thing.

Nope.

The promise is that jobs will not be lost.

The priority is jobs -- and that priority is exactly what I don't want. They've got the wrong goals. They've got the wrong targets and benchmarks.

Hindsight is 20/20. That vision thing.

O'Connor left behind one-page 'vision' for city through 2010 The vision was summarized in 33 words. 'By 2010, Pittsburgh is one of the safest, cleanest cities in the country. It is a vibrant, developing city that is financially sound. All of us as Pittsburghers are proud of our city.' Mr. O'Connor made sure that the vision and the strategies with which he would achieve it were concise.

I don't know if it is safe to talk (and blog) about Bob O'Connor and his vision yet. I have a hunch that it isn't a wise thing to do.

I miss Bob. We all miss Bob.

The 10th Street Bridge is no more, Yeah, right.

We got a new bridge that leads to and from the South Side -- sorta.

Pedestrian killed on Parkway East ID'd as Pitt student

Pedestrian killed on Parkway East ID'd as Pitt studentPedestrian killed on Parkway East ID'd as Pitt student

So sad.

Labor Day Parade

Here we come.
View Larger Map

Go fast. Work hard. Coaching wisdom.

Fellow Bloggers -- I want you phone number. Call me

If you run or help with a blog -- I want you to send me an email with your phone number. Or, just call me. I want to talk to you in the next days.

I'm cooking something new. I'd love to have you as part of the process.

Send your email to me at Mark @ Rauterkus. com.

My cell phone is 412 298 3432.

Hope to hear from you -- now.

t-shirt

From signs

Rick's letter now back to the pipeline

Woops.

Running Mate Rick Hays is supporting Mark DeSantis. He has sent a letter to the P-G giving props. As I get the 'green light' to publish it -- it will appear here.

http://edgewood.freetoasthost.com/
Edgewood Toastmasters web site http://www.d13tm.com/ District 13 Toastmasters
online http://www.metro-cities.com/
Metro Cities Communications worldwide radio/podcasting "Doing ordinary things in
an extraordinary way will assure you of an extraordinary future." Zig Ziglar
"The purpose of our lives is to add value to the people of this generation and
those that follow." Buckminster Fuller

Reviews Mixed For Ravenstahl's Year In Office

kdka.com - Reviews Mixed For Ravenstahl's Year In Office Reviews Mixed For Ravenstahl's Year In Office (KDKA) PITTSBURGH He never expected to be mayor so soon, but from his first hours in office, Luke Ravenstahl was determined to demonstrate he was up to the job.

Luke has stepped to the plate.

That must be the only highlight, other than time with stars and celebs.

Determination. Keep on plugging.

Humm...

Budget and safer streets are the only props even Luke can claim for himself.

If Luke is going to get rewarded for determination and keeping on keeping on -- then this is good news for me. There are few that 'plug along' as I do. I've been running for office since 2001. I've been calling for public hearing in city council chambers, fighting the growth of UPMC, since 1999.

Fund bridge repairs, not sprawl and speculation

David Tessitor, Reform Party candidate for Allegheny County Council's at-large seat had an article printed in this week's P-G. He has started a new website for the campaign as well at www.tessitor.com.

Fund bridge repairs, not sprawl and speculation Fund bridge repairs, not sprawl and speculation To prevent calamities like the Minneapolis bridge collapse, we need to spend our money more wisely Wednesday, August 29, 2007 By David Tessitor

Did you read the article?

What do you think about its message.

What do you think about his campaign?

Pittsburgh’s New Arena: Back to the Future? | News | Architectural Record

Pittsburgh’s New Arena: Back to the Future? | News | Architectural Record “The Penguins have never been a friend of the Hill District, as far as I’m concerned,” Lois M. Cain, a long-time Hill resident and activist, said at a public meeting in June. As to any agreements about community benefits and accommodations from a new stadium, she warned, “You better make sure it’s legal and it’s in writing.”

Don't get me started, again.

The demand of, "Your papers, please." must be stopped now in PA

The "Real ID Act" Rebellion is hitting full stride in Pennsylvania -- now. Your help is needed.

In 2005, Congress passed the "Real ID Act" in attempt to make a SINGLE form of identification linked to all sorts of personal information. Across America, states are in OPEN REBELLION against this infringement of both personal and state's rights!

Now the Bush Administration has unveiled plans to tie the United States, Mexico and Canada into an information-sharing "North American Union." Hey folks – let's share all our personal information with Mexico!

Pennsylvania is not amused. Our state is NOW CONSIDERING H.B. 1351 by Rep. Sam Rohrer that would REJECT the implementation of Real ID in the Keystone State. If passed, we would be the 5th State to outlaw the outrage, while another 16 have passed some form of resolution against it.

WE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO GET HB 1351 PASSED IMMEDIATELY!

Call your state legislator and ask him/her to CO-SPONSOR HB 1351. (The numbers below get you into the clerk's offices of the House and Senate.) Ask for your representative/senator, or go to www.legis.state.pa.us to look up your member by name, district, or zip code.

The message is simple: VOTE YES ON H.B. 1351!

House Clerk #: 717-787-2372
Senate Clerk #: 717-787-7163

Ron Paul Grabs Attention of Alienated Voters

Web Helps to Amplify Presidential Campaign Of Iconoclastic Texan
By JACKIE CALMES

Computer engineer Jonathan Morey says, "I have never voted for a Republican, ever." Nathan Hansen, a lawyer, says, "I've been a Republican all my life." Yet a political meeting in St. Paul, Minn., brought the 31-year-old friends together for the first time -- in support of presidential candidate Ron Paul.
QUESTION OF THE DAY

Officially, Mr. Paul is a Republican, elected to Congress 10 times and now running for the party's presidential nomination. But the party label hardly describes the obstetrician from south of Houston. And it certainly doesn't explain his appeal to a growing, if still small, number of voters across the political spectrum, many of them much younger than their spry 72-year-old idol.

The iconoclastic "Dr. Paul" is a libertarian advocate of minimalist government, a foe of the Federal Reserve and anything else not explicitly allowed by the Constitution, and perhaps the most antiwar candidate in the race. Thanks to the unprecedented number of early debates, he has been able to share the stage with his better-funded Republican establishment rivals.

But it is the Internet that has amplified his message and introduced Mr. Paul to voters alienated from both parties. His rise, though modest, is testament as well to the power of his noninterventionist message, even in a party led by President Bush.
[Jonathan Morey]

As polls track the public's disaffection, political strategists are on alert for a third-party movement. Paulites insist their man can win the Republican nomination, though he has gone from zero to just 2% in polls. If he can't, their fervor suggests they would push him to run independently. But having run as a Libertarian in 1988, when he took just 0.47% of the vote, Mr. Paul has discouraged such speculation.

The Web "is redefining what a grass-roots campaign looks like," says Mr. Morey, the computer engineer. More than other candidates' fans, Paul supporters take matters into their own hands, planning events and raising money in a decentralized process that parallels Mr. Paul's vision of what government should be. Aside from his own Web site, there are free-lancers' DailyPaul.com and RonPaulLibrary.org ("the world's largest collection of writings by Ron Paul"), among others, MySpace "friends" groups and YouTube video-sharing.

It has meant $3 million to Mr. Paul, making him fourth among eight Republicans in fund raising and first among the five dark horses in cash on hand. But the netroots' bottom-up energy poses challenges, too, for a campaign trying to channel if not control it. "We're running a campaign, and we'd like to think we know what we're doing," says deputy campaign manager Joe Seehusen. "And then there's this thing called the Internet, and that has a life of its own."

Messrs. Morey and Hansen met late last spring at a local Paul gathering they had learned of through Meetup.com. Such social-networking Web sites have become an organizing and fund-raising tool for other campaigns, but they are particularly valuable for shoe-string operations such as Mr. Paul's.

RIDE A DARK HORSE

• The Man: Rep. Ron Paul barely registers in presidential polls, but the Republican's libertarian, iconoclastic positions draw growing support from across the political spectrum.

• The Plan: Through the Internet, fervent 'Paulites' have built the candidate's modest warchest and helped raise his profile in straw polls.

• The Upshot: Paul remains among the longest of longshots in his party, but supporters insist the Internet has empowered grass-roots efforts such as theirs.

The men recall about 30 people at that meeting, a number that grew at subsequent gatherings to more than 200 before members began breaking into subchapters. The pair still occasionally attend Minneapolis-area gatherings, but mostly they have taken to acting independently. Though from different parties, they got behind Mr. Paul for similar reasons: They share his stands against what they see as an illegal war, erosion of individual rights and a government that is too big, secretive and corrupt.

Mr. Morey, who bikes to work in T-shirts he emblazoned "Who is Ron Paul?," drove alone to Iowa in June, after learning online that Mr. Paul was being excluded from a Republican debate co-sponsored by the Iowa Christian Alliance and Iowans for Tax Relief. Organizers said Mr. Paul didn't have enough support. In Des Moines, Mr. Morey joined about 1,000 others responding to online alerts. Outnumbering the debate audience, they marched past shouting "Ron Paul! Freedom!" and drew sympathetic media attention statewide.
[Nathan Hansen]

In early August, on a lark, Messrs. Morey and Hansen drove south to Iowa State University for state Republicans' straw poll, a traditional barometer of candidate strength in the state with the first nominating contest. The decisions of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson not to actively campaign for the poll raised the stakes for underdogs like Mr. Paul.

Rivals, especially wealthy former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, bought thousands of the $35 tickets that supporters need to vote. Paulites launched "Adopt an Iowan" online and raised more than $19,000 for tickets. While Mr. Romney had buses, hotel rooms and meals for his supporters, Messrs. Hansen and Morey came at their own expense, as did hundreds of others from as far as New York, Nashville, Tenn., and Seattle, even though only Iowans could vote.

Arriving on the Friday before the straw poll, the two headed to a live-music club on the campus for "Ronstock" -- Paulites' Woodstock of local bands, though the men were too late to catch Mr. Paul's brief appearance. Mr. Paul punctuated his stump speech -- "Regardless of what happens, the fight continues" for "national sovereignty and to defend our Constitution" -- by urging supporters to have fun.

On Saturday, Messrs. Morey and Hansen pulled into a parking lot alongside Romney buses. As mostly older passengers marched off in line behind Romney aides holding "Follow Me" signs, the two men chuckled at the contrast with the free-thinking, free-lancing Paulites.

The Iowa Republican Party rented space to candidates. Mr. Paul had one of the smaller, most isolated locations, but his tent was among the most crowded despite scorching heat.

Unsure how to help, the friends drove to a Sam's Club and spent $100 on bottled water. They walked around with a cooler in their "Who is Ron Paul?" T-shirts, doling out bottles to parched Republicans. That night, long after most people left, scores of Paulites stayed for the straw-poll results: Mr. Paul was fifth of 11 candidates, with 9.1% -- nearly twice the tally of absentees McCain, Giuliani and Thompson combined.

On Aug. 23, the men learned from a Meetup group of a Minnesota straw poll, sponsored by Republican state legislators for $100 a ticket, to be held that night. "I was a little hesitant to go and spend a hundred bucks," Mr. Morey said, "but I'd driven all the way to Iowa for a straw poll, so..."

They joined roughly 150 voters, he said, and Mr. Paul came in third with 16%, behind Mr. Thompson's 21% and Mr. Romney's 20%. Mr. Paul has placed high at a series of local party straw polls this summer, given such self-motivated fans, and has high hopes for tomorrow's Republican straw poll in his home state.

Messrs. Morey and Hansen insist Mr. Paul "absolutely" has a shot at election. Mr. Morey says he used to lose sleep thinking of the country's problems. "Now I sleep fine at night," he says, "because I'm taking action."

Ravenstahl hush-hush on findings by Pittsburgh ethics panel - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Be open. Be honest.

Ravenstahl hush-hush on findings by Pittsburgh ethics panel - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The mayor received those recommendations in the form of a letter from the board Tuesday, but he has kept it secret.

Rule #1 in public life: "Don't keep secrets."

I hate secrets. Everyone in Pittsburgh hates them too. We are nebby.

Luke, it isn't going to work. It looks bad. It is bad policy. It is not what public officials are to do.

Here are the four cornerstones of my ideal and what I want to be and project:

I care. I think it is important to have care and concern for others and our shared spaces. And, I want to be able so say I offered care too. I care for my kids as a stay-at-home-dad.

I want to be loving. Love is what makes the world go around -- beyond the science of it all. I love the city. The love I have for family and friends should not be questioned. I offer tough love advice -- but they come from a love of coaching and a love for the hope of improvements. I'd love to make this world better. I love to talk about and advance solutions, mine and from elsewhere.

I am open. There is nothing to hide when you do you best and give your all. When things are open, things can improve. Issues can be talked about, in the open. The best solutions can be found -- when things are open. Be open for business, remarks, attacks and contributions.

I want to be honest. Facts, data, research and objective observations are necessary. We can't fool ourselves and others. We can't ignore issues, problems and people for any reason. Lies stink. So do half-truths.

Update: The letter was released by the Ethics Hearing Board today.

Pittsburgh Laurels & Lances - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Laurels & Lances - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review On the 'Watch List': The Mark DeSantis campaign. Pittsburgh's Republican mayoral nominee has named a seven-member policy team. And with it, a bunch of catch slogans. But two months before the Nov. 6 election, there remain no specific policy proposals. The time for those proposals to be unveiled was weeks ago. Time is running short. Specifics, Mr. DeSantis, specifics.

Watch, watch, watch how much coverage the Trib gives to specifics I've put forth for the city controller's race.

Hey Buco! What are you doing for Labor Day? It isn't half as cool as what Ken is up to. And, he needs Pittsburgh's help.

Hear recent podcasts, On Your Mark. Click the top segment in the blue TalkShoe box in the left column.

The Sports & Exhibition Authority is doing too little and it is too late.

With Friends Like These ... - Even Ravenstahl's backers may be having doubts - Views - Vox Pop - Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh

With Friends Like These ... - Even Ravenstahl's backers may be having doubts - Views - Vox Pop - Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh... This town is full of high-minded, well-intentioned wimps.

I'm not a wimp. But, I'm not in the majority either. Jon is right. There are a lot of wimps. And, many wimps are 'smart.'

My question then is, are the wimps wimpy because they are smart. And, because I am NOT a wimp, does that make me not smart?

Perhaps the wimps are smart enough to know that blow back, backlashes, and other repercussions exist. Payback is a bitch, buddy, weenie-wimp.

Jon thinks, perhaps, that the wimp behavior is from a sense of civility and politeness.

Kenneth Foster Lives

He was due for his execution in Texas. The Governor said he can live.

Kenneth Foster, Jr. (born October 22, 1976) is a prisoner formerly on death row in Texas. He was convicted of murdering Michael LaHood in August 1996. His conviction and execution were contested because he was convicted under a law of parties, not for physically committing the crime. He got a reprieve from the Governor of Texas only a couple hours before the execution, which was supposed to take place on August 30, 2007.