Take me. Great for basement, etc.

"I'm cheap."

"No skeletons in this closet."

Find me at 12th Street and Bradish, South Side Flats. Good for paint cans and the garage.

CNN & YouTube Debate among R candidates

RedState is calling for CNN to fire Sam Feist, CNN's political director; and David Bohrman, CNN's Senior Vice President and Executive Producer of the debate.

The debate, which CNN billed as "a Republican debate, and the goal was to let Republican voters see their candidates," CNN either knowingly or incompetently allowed hardcore left wing activists to plant questions and Anderson Cooper willingly gave one of those activists a soapbox so he could harass the Republican candidates about military policy.

Simple googling would have revealed these left wing activists.

Had CNN done its homework, this would not have happened. They either willfully let it happen, or incompetently bungled it. Either way, heads should roll.

Likewise, we hope one or more of the GOP Presidential candidates will call for a do-over debate on substantive policy issues.

To the Directors post here. Erick Erickson, Editor, RedState.com

Ron Paul 2008 › States › West Virginia

Ron Paul 2008 › States › West Virginia: "For West Virginians planning to serve as a delegate for Ron Paul in the State Convention, or for anyone wishing to vote for Ron Paul delegates in the online balloting in January, the application deadline is quickly approaching - you must be registered as a Republican and submit all needed applications by November 30, 2007."

Rockzillaworld Eliza Gilyson, "Highway 9"

Protest folk song.

Rockzillaworld Eliza Gilyson, "Highway 9" So the little man gathered all his chicken-hawks in
and the neo-cons and his daddy's kin
With their own clear channel and a helluva spin
and a white man hidden in a black man's skin.

Q & A about Pgh Ethics Hearing Board from a student at Pitt

Hello Mark,

I am a student at the University of Pittsburgh that happens to be working on a case study involving Luke and the Ethics Hearing Board. The course is Board Governance and we are studying different aspects of board governance (especially those that are not for profit). You seem very opinionated and I am requesting your thoughts on the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board to use in my analysis. I thought instead of using the different newspaper articles and simply highlighting what everyone already knows, I would turn to bloggers to get the “real deal” and see what actual Pittsburghers think about the Ethics Board, Luke, and their actions especially during the investigation period. Please forward this message to your fellow bloggers if you think they would be willing to share some insight as well.

1) Was the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board board structure and composition helpful or hurtful to the organization? Did board members have conflicts of interest?

2) Was the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board board a “good board?”

3) In your estimation, did the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board reach a fair decision on clearing Mayor Luke Ravenstahl on any wrong-doing? Were there any clear signs of negligence or incompetence on the part of the board or any of its members?

4) Did the board operate independently or did it do the bidding of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (recall that two members of the board are nominated by the major)?

5) In your research, did you see any board activities that seemed questionable?

6) What did the board do right? What did the board do wrong?

7) Should the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board change their policies and/or procedures as a result of this set of hearings against Mayor Luke Ravenstahl?

8) What do you think motivated board members to join the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board? What agenda if any do you think each has as a board member?

Thank you, (Student's name and contact NUKED until I hear from him again.)

My replies:

#1) I've come to understand that the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board is nothing but a big joke. It is not helpful. It is not going to improve upon the ethical behaviors of those in local government. It is a sink. It is much like a fiddle for the mayor and others to play at their will. It moves too slow. I've seen glaciers move more quickly.

Those that are presently on the Pgh Ethics Hearing Board seem ill-prepared for the duty of being on the board. They have put in a request for a budget of $40,000 per year to the President of Pittsburgh's City Council. A big portion of that payment is for 'training.' These folks are not trained. They are in the dark and they know it. They are in over their heads. They are frozen with in-action. And, they won't move until others come to their aid and hold their hands.

I think those on the board who are not ready to be ethical and act as they are called to behave should resign. This is not a place for on the job training.

The organization of the board is fine. However, the people they have picked are fine with being in their role as puppets.

The board's leader, Sister Patrice, was in a conflict of interest by putting out a mention about the golf to Luke. She can't be judge and prosecutor in the same instance.

The board is also building a task force to look at the matter of gifts from the nonprofits. They are all from the nonprofit world. And, they seek more input from the nonprofits. This is okay -- but it comes at the exclusion of taxpayers, citizens, voters, residents. Everyone there has a nonprofit job. The want to increase the direction given to the nonprofit weenies. So, there are certain conflicts of interest because citizens are being excluded.

Rather than reform, however, it is often better to just replace first.

2) The City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board board IS (present tense) a joke. The board stinks. That is NOT a "good board." I'm not sure why you ask about "WAS" (past tense). The board operates. It is not changing, sadly.

3) In my estimation, the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board has not yet reached a clear decision on Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's golfing in the summer of 2007. The code is still up for discussion and changes. Letters have been sent. Various filters and opinions are still brewing. A task force has been called, but not gathered. This matter won't be completed until 2008. Perhaps it will be over by the middle of the next golf season.

If the same offer was put forth again today, I expect that the same outcomes would unfold from the administration. It is not resolved. The lessons are not firm in everyone's understanding. Moving forward, there is much doubt that lingers.

The board members put Luke on trial and that was a very clever way of getting him off the hook. What they found could not stick. The complaint needed to come from a citizen. The Ethics Hearing Board just acts as JUDGE.

4) Without doubt, the Pgh Ethics Hearing Board operates without any hint of independence. It is a branch of the Law Department, in turn, a branch of the Administration, and, of course, the mayor!

5) In my opinion and research, I have found that all of the board activities are to be questioned. First, the entire process is undermined with the confidentiality requirement. Citizens should not be subject to fewer rights of speech because they file a complaint with the Ethics Hearing Board. The Ethics Hearing Board is unconstitutional.

The Ethics Hearing Board should look to all city officials, employees, contractors and candidates. The Ethics Hearing Board seems to think that candidates can't be unethical and that if they are -- that is not within their scope of concern. Go figure.

6) The Ethics Hearing Board has been worthless to the citizens and the struggle to live in a more ethical region.

7) The City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board should change its policies. Radical changes are needed. They should happen quickly. First, those that can't tell what is right and wrong should resign. Those that can't open their own mail without it being screened by the law department should quit. Those that are clueless to the first amendment rights such as freedom of speech, should never be in any public capacity. The board should call for massive changes to the code and operations by saying it will stike down the provisions of confidential behavior from anyone who makes a complaint. And, all liabilities should be revoked as well. The board isn't in any position to dish out punishments. It should never be in that role.

8) Board members are motivated to help with the city for countless reasons. Pride, civic duty, and an awareness of the city's ills are just a few reasons. The agenda of the board members are for them to reveal -- not me. I can't begin to read their minds.

Pittsburgh's Hot Metal Pedestrian Bridge Now Open - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

Bridge over river opens to locals 100-years late.

Pittsburgh's Hot Metal Pedestrian Bridge Now Open - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl led governmental, non-profit, and bike and trail leaders on the first walk across the freshly restored bridge. 'The rehabilitation of this century-old bridge symbolically captures Pittsburgh's economic revival,' Ravenstahl said. The Urban Redevelopment Authority began work on the Hot Metal Pedestrian Bridge in 2003 after the completion of a vehicular bridge.

Funny how Pittsburgh's leadership takes such a front and center stance on something that is so old.

This isn't a new bridge. Rather, it is a facelift on an old bridge.

Pedestrian bridges are great. Don't get me wrong. But, if we really wanted (and I do) pedestrian bridges, we'd do it with a grand style.

Tip of the Spear

Tip of the Spear In the summer of 2005, Pennsylvania state government revealed its seedy underbelly when the General Assembly gave itself and others an unconstitutional middle-of-the-night pay raise.

Is this book on your Christmas list?

Public Comment to the Pgh Public School Board and Administration about the folly they're causing with out schools and children

The city schools have both an enrollment problem and an employment problem.

These are the statements from my son. They were delivered last night to the school board along with 100 other statements from citizens.

Erik Rauterkus

11/27/07

Statement to the Pgh Public Schools Board of Education

Hello, I am Erik Rauterkus. I live in the South Side. I am a 7th grader a Frick ISA, 6-8, a middle school in the heart of Oakland.

At Frick I am a Spanish major.

Last year Frick started the school year with two full-time teachers for Spanish. My teacher was Ms. Layal. Every thing was going fine until the other Spanish teacher left in the middle of the school year. One fix was a combined class, making our class huge. Later in the year Ms. Layal left too. We were left with about 2 weeks of substitute Spanish teachers that could hardly speak the language let alone control the class.

Then a teacher named Ms. Carter came along and she was with us for about 7 or 8 weeks. After that we had Ms. Llayl again for about 5 more weeks. After that we had Ms. Brunet. We had a handful of Spanish teachers.

This year again we have had many other Spanish teacher problems. The students have no clue what teacher could show up in the door the next day. We have had many very unreliable Spanish lessons throughout the past 2 years at a school. Frick has a specialized language program.

Teacher turn-over has been a real concern. Now the French kids have teacher issues.

Teachers have no clue if they will have a job next year. If great teachers are offered a job in a suburban school, they know they will have that job, that building, that program year in and year out.

The students, families and TEACHERS get yanked around throughout the district time and time again.

Who is going to teach at Frick next year?
Who is going to want to teach at I.B. World?
Who is wanting to teach at the Science and Technology school.
Will Rodgers teachers be merged into downtown spaces at CAPA?

Teachers do not know where they will be. Many will decide to go to suburban settings – and so will the students who want a stable school environment.

Please vote NO as to moving Schenley and Frick.

Thank you for your time.

If others wish to share their statements, please email them to me: Mark -@- Rauterkus -dot- com. I'll do my best to make them appear on this blog.

By the way, KDKA Radio is clearly against the citizens on this matter. Its coverage is crooked. The one blurb on the radio news today was a humorless joke. News pointers:

Group Wants Schenley High School To Stay Open
KDKA - Read more in our Privacy Policy Dozens of supporters of Schenley High School turned out as a last ditch effort to save the school. ...

Supporters plead Schenley High's case
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - An overflow but mannerly crowd of more than 200 people asked the city school board Tuesday night to save Schenley High School in ...

Last night's meeting has a couple of sideline fireworks. There were people held at the door upon my mid-meeting departure who where not able to witness the meeting. There were 45 open seats in the main room. Yet, the citizens were being held at the front door by security. Go figure. In another instance, my voice recorder caused a meeting stir.

Cool Schools: Ten That Get It - November/December 2007 - Sierra Magazine - Sierra Club

Cool Schools: Ten That Get It - November/December 2007 - Sierra Magazine - Sierra Club

CMU makes top 10 list of "cool schools" with Sierra Club.org site.

Informed Reform dot com

Informed Reform

Headline: Put the PUBLIC back into our Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Announcer sacked over spoof messages - Yahoo! News

Announcer sacked over spoof messages - Yahoo! News* 'We would like to remind our American tourist friends that you are almost certainly talking too loudly.'

City League Football Championship 2007, Project: PCTV Special Projects

Play Date / Time Channel Project ID 75, Program ID 1924

11/29/07 Thu 9:00 am PCTV
12/1/07 Sat 3:00 pm PCTV
12/4/07 Tue 7:00 pm PCTV
12/7/07 Fri 4:00 pm PCTV
12/8/07 Sat 8:00 pm PCTV

Tune in and watch as to who gets the blame for the turf at Heinz Field.

CNN / YouTube debate to have eight -- not nine -- not all -- not the black "R"

CNN poised to exclude Alan Keyes from last big debate before primaries

Monday night at 11 p.m., CNN Political Director Sam Feist e-mailed the Alan Keyes campaign to inform the campaign — for the first time — that Ambassador Keyes would not be included in the CNN/YouTube/Republican Party of Florida Debate, scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Prior to this notice, the campaign had received no word from the debate's sponsors about their intentions, one way or the other, to include Dr. Keyes, despite several inquires. The most the campaign was able to learn was that the decision was "ultimately up to CNN."

In the meantime, the campaign contacted numerous Florida party, state, and national leaders, encouraging them to ask CNN to include Ambassador Keyes in Wednesday's debate, so that all nine of the presidential candidates selected by the state for its primary ballot might be scrutinized by voters — instead of just eight.

To no avail.

For reasons evident below, CNN's decision to exclude Dr. Keyes is obviously arbitrary, unfair, and presumptuous — overriding, in essence, the prerogative of the State of Florida to decide which presidential contenders voters have a right to learn about.

The effect of this decision by CNN is far-reaching. Any candidate who does not appear in this nationally-televised debate — the last one scheduled before the primaries — will have little chance of compensating for the damage done to his campaign in the public mind. Note that Ambassador Keyes has already been excluded from two previous national debates on dubious grounds, and as a result, most people are not even aware he is running for president.

Excluding Dr. Keyes from Wednesday's debate will arguably do irreparable damage to his campaign — a result that can hardly have escaped CNN. CNN is playing "gate-keeper," and that is not a legitimate role of the media, no matter how much influence they seek to exert in the political arena.

Read the following exchange, and if you believe an indefensible injustice is about to occur, contact the following executives at CNN and encourage them to reverse their decision to exclude Alan Keyes.

Jonathan Klein, President
jon.klein@turner.com

Rick Davis, Executive Vice President of News Standards and Practices
rick.davis@turner.com

Mitch Gelman, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer
mitch.gelman@turner.com

Sam Feist, Political Director
Sam.Feist@turner.com

Laurel Chamberlain, Media Relations Manager
laurel.chamberlain@turner.com

Lou Dobbs, Anchor and Managing Editor
lou.dobbs@turner.com

David Doss, Executive Producer
david.doss@cnn.com

Wendy Whitworth, Senior Executive Producer of "Larry King Live"
wendy.whitworth@cnn.com

Anderson Cooper, Anchor
Anderson.Cooper@turner.com
Anderson.Cooper@cnn.com

---

Sam,

To clarify — for legal purposes — the criteria established by CNN and YouTube for excluding Alan Keyes from Wednesday's debate, please provide the following information, so the Keyes campaign and its attorneys might assess its validity:

1. Exactly which published FEC guidelines do you have reference to in support of CNN and YouTube's "objective criteria" for excluding Ambassador Keyes? Please cite the publication and page where specific guidelines for televised debates are clearly made public knowledge by the FEC.
   
2. What is the "minimum national polling requirement" established by CNN and YouTube that Ambassador Keyes fails to meet, and what evidence do you have that Ambassador Keyes fails to meet this requirement? Please supply polls that reliably assess Dr. Keyes' actual support among registered Republican voters. To be reliable, these polls must include Dr. Keyes' name and give respondents the choice of expressing their support for him, alongside other candidates listed.
   
3. What evidence do you have of the actual amount of "individual contributions" raised to date by the Keyes campaign, upon which CNN and YouTube based their decision to exclude Dr. Keyes? Please describe the factual basis for identifying this amount, since we have never publicly released this confidential information, and explain how CNN and YouTube acquired it.
   
4. Based on entirely objective, proven criteria — not subjective, speculative, or theoretical considerations — what is the definition used by CNN and YouTube to define a "viable national campaign." Note that this definition must apply equally to a grassroots campaign of the sort Dr. Keyes has undertaken in the past, as opposed to a media-based, high-cost campaign typically undertaken by candidates whose goal is to shape public opinion. In other words, to be valid, the criteria can neither favor, nor exclude, either traditional approach.
   
5. Besides the criteria cited in your e-mail, what other possible basis might CNN and YouTube have for demonstrably damaging the campaign of a presidential candidate certified by the State of Florida as equal in credibility to the other candidates the state has chosen for its primary ballot? In other words, what possible reason does CNN or YouTube have to prevent Florida voters from making an informed choice among all the Republican candidates hand-selected by the State of Florida for its presidential primary?
   
6. How do CNN and YouTube intend to dispel the obvious appearance that their exclusion of Ambassador Keyes from the debate does in fact amount to an attempt to damage the Keyes campaign? In other words, explain why the behavior of CNN and YouTube is not intentionally self-fulfilling — since it presumes in advance that the Keyes campaign lacks viability, and then proceeds to ensure such lack of viability by excluding Dr. Keyes from the nation's consciousness — even though he is the most eloquent and persuasive Republican candidate in the race, a candidate who in 2000 was widely credited with winning the Republican presidential debates and came in third in the primaries, and whose candidacy, therefore, cannot objectively be considered less than viable.
   
7. Since the lawful role of the media in the electoral process is limited to reporting, influencing, and monitoring that process, by what legitimate means did CNN and YouTube obtain the undemocratic authority to screen from the electoral process a candidate officially chosen by the State of Florida for its presidential primary? In other words, explain to America's voters how CNN and YouTube (and other media or internet giants) have acquired the role of ultimate arbiters in the electoral process. Explain, additionally, how such media control of that process is healthy for America's representative political system.
   
8. Why did CNN wait until there was barely a day left prior to the debate before responding to my inquiry about CNN's intentions regarding the participation of Alan Keyes — and why was CNN and YouTube's basis for excluding him not made known to the Keyes campaign until this late date, eliminating any possibility of including him — if it was in fact the intention of CNN and YouTube to be "objective" and fair toward Ambassador Keyes? Surely, you realize that by utterly ignoring Dr. Keyes until now — and then singling him out for exclusion from the debate despite the fact that the latest Mason-Dixon Florida poll lists him ahead of Duncan Hunter, Ron Paul, and Tom Tancredo — CNN and YouTube have destroyed any claim they might make of objective fairness in this process.
   
9. Finally, what is the position of other Republican presidential candidates toward the candidacy of Dr. Keyes, and have any of these candidates, at any time, expressed to the debate's sponsors a desire to exclude Dr. Keyes from the debate? Bear in mind that this question is fair game in court, as are all the other above questions, and may require the sponsors to testify under oath the truth of their intentions, the basis for those intentions, and their attitudes toward the Keyes campaign and Dr. Keyes himself.

At this late point, there's still time to get Ambassador Keyes in the debate. We request that an invitation be extended to him immediately.

Cordially,

Stephen Stone
CEO, Alan Keyes for President

---

From: Feist, Sam
To: Stephen Stone
Cc: Davis, Rick ; Chairman Jim Greer ; grove@google.com
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 11:02 PM
Subject: RE: Inclusion of Alan Keyes in CNN/YouTube/Florida GOP debate

Dear Mr. Stone,

Thank you for your note regarding Ambassador Keyes' participation in the CNN/You Tube debate on November 28th.

CNN and You Tube have established objective criteria for inclusion in the debate, in accordance with Federal Election Commission guidelines. The objective criteria established for this debate included requirements that a candidate meet a bare minimum threshold in national polling and also that a candidate meet a minimum fundraising requirement.

Ambassador Keyes has not met the minimum national polling requirement. And he has not met our requirement that he raise a minimum of $1million in individual contributions. We believe that this fundraising criteria is an indication of a candidate's ability to run a viable national campaign. These are the identical criteria that CNN used in its recent Democratic presidential debate.

If you have additional questions, feel free to contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Sam Feist

CNN Political Director

---

From: Stephen Stone
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 8:19 AM
To: Feist, Sam
Cc: Davis, Rick; Chairman Jim Greer; Delmar W. Johnson, III; Kirk Pepper; editor@youtube.com
Subject: Inclusion of Alan Keyes in CNN/YouTube/Florida GOP debate

Sam,

I'm writing to learn if CNN plans to invite Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes to participate in the CNN/YouTube/Republican Party of Florida Debate, scheduled for Nov. 28 in St. Petersburg.

As you realize, Ambassador Keyes is one of nine candidates chosen by the Florida GOP — as well as the Florida Presidential Candidate Selection Committee — to be in the state's presidential primary.

The complete list of Republican candidates chosen for the primary by party and state officials is as follows:

Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Governor Mike Huckabee
Congressman Duncan Hunter
Ambassador Alan Keyes
Senator John McCain
Congressman Ron Paul
Governor Mitt Romney
Congressman Tom Tancredo
Senator Fred Thompson

To date, all of the above candidates except Alan Keyes have been invited to participate in the debate.

You might also be interested to know that Ambassador Keyes has already been accepted on ten state's presidential ballots; placed ahead of Duncan Hunter, Ron Paul, and Tom Tancredo in the latest Mason-Dixon Florida poll; and was just invited to participate in the Des Moines Register's Republican PBS Debate, scheduled for Dec. 12.

Since Dr. Keyes hasn't yet received an invitation to join the eight other recognized candidates in the upcoming Florida debate, I would like to know the basis for his apparent exclusion.

Please let me know ASAP the position of CNN in this matter.

Note that if Dr. Keyes is excluded on grounds that are self-evidently arbitrary, discriminatory, or unfair, the campaign will of course review its legal options. Dr. Keyes' civil rights, and the integrity of the electoral process, require CNN to show clear impartiality in the selection of the debate's participants.

The just and reasonable thing to do would be to include Dr. Keyes alongside the other candidates chosen by the State of Florida to appear on its Presidential Preference Primary ballot. Certainly, Florida voters have an interest in seeing and hearing all the GOP presidential candidates.

Best regards,

Stephen Stone
CEO, Alan Keyes for President

Massive Homework! Thanks!!

Our house has been getting an internal and external facelift. Lots of clean up. Today, we made headway! Going room to room has been like putting 10-pounds of junk in a 7-pound sack.

In the process, the internet connection is down.

But, thanks to Andy's party at CyberConnection -- I'm checking email and blogging. This is a cool place. I'm okay at StarWars Battlefront II -- but NOT with these kids. Ouch.

Don't expect to see much of me on the blogs for a few days.

Tuesday night we'll be going to the rally and public school board meeting.

Last night's Penn Hills High School 30th reunion was fantastic too. More blogging about that will come later.

Students praise Schenley's offerings - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Students praise Schenley's offerings - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "they savor the student body's unique mix of diverse cultures that somehow blend and, for the most part, get along.

Schenley's 91-year run could soon end. The city school board will vote Feb. 27 whether to accept Superintendent Mark Roosevelt's recommendation to close the Oakland building because of asbestos problems and an aging infrastructure that would cost $64.4 million to fix.

Allegheny County's top GOP job - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Roddey to run for top GOP job - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review His announcement occurs at a time when the local GOP has been on a downslide, failing to recruit challengers in key elections, losing at the polls, sinking into debt and sailing without a captain.

The mind leads and the body follows.

For many years, Jim Roddey was the one that said that the city could NEVER elect a Republican. He made sure it didn't happen with his statements. If he couldn't do it -- then it couldn't be done, so he thinks.

I'm with Bob Hillen on this.

I think that the Republicans in the city won't be in a good position with Jim Roddey as the county's party chair.

If you want to be part of an opposition movement in the city -- join us, the Libertarian Party of Allegheny County! We are also looking to establish some teamwork in the city with other political parties. I'm sure that day is speeding ahead now that Bob Glancey has departed the scene.

Thankfulness

I'm thankful for a lots. Plenty. Here are just a few, in no particular order.

Broadband.

Cheaper prices for blank media, i.e., blank DVDs and blank CD-ROMs.

Open source software.

Open source ways, thinking and styles of being.

Public domain goodies and creators who have a clue about it as well as Creative Commons designations.

Liberty, freedom, democracy, constitutions, the founding fathers and our legacy of rich common ground.

People who are respectful.

Those who sign a petition without thinking twice.

Blip.tv and other v-cast (video casting) sites such as YouTube.

The widespread reach of the English language.

The arrival of open water swimming as Olympic medal races (5K and 10K swims).

Public comment periods at governmental meetings.

Historic buildings that are still standing and others that are still in reside in our memory.

Pittsburgh Podcamp and BootCamp and the dozens of organizers that gave of themselves to make those events flourish.

Citizen courage for past, recent and future "running mates." Many of whom I've yet to meet.

Pedestrian lifestyle. Walking to work. Walking to school.

Ian and Mark at FreeTalkLive.com, my favorite podcast.

The Republicans | See you in Iowa | Economist.com

The Republicans | See you in Iowa | Economist.com

A New Recipe -- Turkey Talk with a political twist

A New Recipe to Reunite Our Country | Unity08 What would Thanksgiving be like if we cooked the same turkey over and over, year after year, and served it bland, tasteless, and downright inedible?

Well, it would be kind of like Politics-As-Usual, which has been feeding us that turkey for many years now.

It's time to cook up a new way to lead the country, as you well know, and Unity08 has the recipe. Please review the cooking instructions below.

For your own health, our meal is pork-barrel and mud-slinging free.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Our Country (divided)
• 1/2 teaspoon of American Values (hard work, ingenuity, inspiration)
• 1/2 teaspoon of New Technology
• 5 cups of Crucial Issues
• 1 box of Questions to Ask the Candidates
• 1 handful of Candidates (formed into teams)
• 1 Online Convention pressure cooker (the largest you can find)

Instructions:

1. Boil Politics-As-Usual, pour it out, and start anew.
2. Combine American Values with New Technology (stir vigorously).
3. Sift and rank Crucial Issues.
4. Mull over Questions to Ask the Candidates.
5. Place Crucial Issues, Questions, and Candidate Teams into Online Convention pressure cooker.
6. Reduce to Unity Ticket.
7. Serve hot and complement with election of the next President of the United States.

See more at the site. Clever cooking!

Covering Cost Over Runs in Schenley's Refirb

Some nameless and faceless poster asked about the cost over-runs that would come with the remake of Schenley High School. What is $64-million last week and $42-million this week could be, golly, $70-million in a few years and with dozens of change orders later.

How true. That is something to think about -- long and hard.

The folks who send their children to Schenley or to any of the Pittsburgh Public Schools are the ones who pay for them too. We are taxpayers. We are not interested in breaking the bank to pay for public education. By all means, we know better than any that the taxes in the city are too high.

Furthermore another big message that was delivered to many cheering peers came from a parent who said that we worry greatly about the other schools in the district. What about Oliver? What about Peabody? What about Carrick? We don't want the school district to focus all its attention and energy on new programs for the I.B. program and continue to neglect the rest of the district. Building a 'flagship program' isn't what we want if and as it comes at the expense of the other kids -- our neighbors -- and our other children.

But, the cost-over-runs are something to watch and contemplate. But, cost-over-runs are not nearly as bad as what we've already got in the district in various situations.

What is way worse than cost over-runs is making an investment in a building, paying for the cost-over runs, and then not utilize it to a fraction of its capacity.

Westinghouse High School is a beautiful building. Major investments were pumped into Westinghouse recently. Modern lab spaces, wonderful classrooms and an excellent building for learning has been built. It costs tens of millions of dollars to fix up Westinghouse. Who knows the real price tag?

And, who knows what the budgeted amount was contrasted with the actual amounts?

But today, Westinghouse High School, a 'drop out factory', is way under capacity.

Some in high places have been saying that the administration and district power brokers have starved Westinghouse of the necessary programs, teachers, and overall "software" that is deployed at Westinghouse High School. The hardware of Westinghouse is great. The software is in need of an overhaul.

So, what is going to happen there?

Why would they want to re-do Frick Middle School and turn that into a "Science and Technology School with students from grades 6 to 12" -- breaking a middle school that is working -- and still NOT fully deploying the prior investments that were poured into Westinghouse.

Make WESTINGHOUSE the home for the new Science and Technology 6-12 school! Make Westinghouse a city-wide magnet school.

Cost over-runs are but pimples when they seemingly squander the past upgrades and investments.

Even at Schenley High School -- they upgraded all the windows to the entire building just five years ago. The taxpayers made a major investment into Schenley recently. Now they want to close it.

Unreal.