Two board members deride city schools' proposed code of conduct

Two board members deride city schools' proposed code of conduct: "The Pittsburgh school board is considering a code of conduct that supporters described as a move toward better government and critics called an effort to curb criticism of Superintendent Mark Roosevelt.

There is NOTHING that should be in the zone of "confidentiality of privileged information" with a school board member -- other than that of a specific student. And, the board should NOT be dealing with specific students, unless that student is the son or daughter of that board member. Then the board member is a "parent" and not really operating as an elected official as a steward of a public institution.

Privileged information does exits in other very small corners of the duties of board members. There are employee matters and land deals where it would make sense to NOT blab. But, these are tiny elements of the jobs.

They want to make more and more be called privileged. Then they can call for 'marshall law' and make a smack-down to those who object with their voices.

Schools have been closed and then re-opened. Fine. Likewise, tests have been failed and then taken later and passed.

You can't get to third grade and forget everything that happened in first grade. What is past is past. But, it is still something that can be talked about.

Where is that "proposed" code? Can it be sent to me via email or else posted in this thread?

Posting from another blog thread -- I think:

I'm going to pick on Bram again. He wrote, obviously you've (city council critters) got to do both. The the overall city stuff and the neighborhood stuff are both important.

WRONG Bram. Neighborhood stuff is NOT the job of council members. That is the micro-management stuff that council should NOT be doing. That is the political plowing.

In the past, the city and council got turned on its head by the likes of Tom Murphy and Tom Cox. That (past) administration did NOTHING for neighborhoods. So, the members of council had to do the over reaching.

Those ills got the city into trouble. The Neighborhood Needs money $1M to each council member/district was the last big blunder that finally put the city into its OVERLORD status.

As council does neighborhood stuff -- then they are inefficient. Lapses in accountability are easier to make as a legislative body does administration's work. They have made purpose fuzzy -- and accountability shrinks.

Lapses in legality should not be tolerated by voters. Pittsburgh should NOT elect anyone who can't write legislation and understand what's what in those realms.

Even in this present mess and folly -- it boils down to members on city council turning over the crafting of legislation to the wish/whim/work of the Director of the Law Department. The city's attorney should NOT be crafting the city's laws. Shame for council for going down that road. Now council is heartbroken because the lawyer changed his tune.

Who is the piper and who is doing the dance? (council chases its tail, again)

Council members and staffers need to have their noses personally stuffed in legal books for days at a time, trying to fix the problem.

The rub comes in that the brains behind those noses are not of the capacity to understand what's in the history, present and future so as to navigate the city's legislative positions.

Bram says, "Free Council! Let 'em hire a lawyer!" I say, "Lawyers are not free. Council members should be able to write their own ordinances on their own. The boss of the city's law department should not hamstring council. Council's folly makes it easy for them to be snared. If council can't can't write legislation then council members should QUIT.

Ogonowski for Senate

Ogonowski for Senate JIM OGONOWSKI: 'I Am Running For US Senate!'

Blogdigger Acquired by Odeo - ReadWriteWeb

Exclusive: Blogdigger Acquired by Odeo - ReadWriteWeb Blog search engine Blogdigger will be announcing shortly that it has been acquired by SonicMountain, parent company of Odeo - the podcast network that is currently being rebuilt as a full-fledged platform for digital media. Blogdigger's aggregation and media search technology is being integrated into the new Odeo, and Blogdigger founder and CEO Greg Gershman is joining Odeo full time as its Vice President of Search and Engineering.

Speaking of Rutgers, again. I wonder if RMU's Women Hoops team has this on the board for motivation?

Go RMU. Shock the shock jocks and the women's brackets with a speechless win over Rutgers!

Newsmax.com - Obama Defends Rev. Wright, Blasts Imus: "It took Barack Obama more than a year to repudiate his former pastor's racially charged anti-American tirades, but when it came to denouncing Don Imus for his racial slurs against the Rutgers girls basketball team, it took Obama only a week to demand the shock jock be fired, Fox News notes.

In a major speech Tuesday, Obama condemned the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's shocking verbal assaults against the U.S. dating back to 2001.

But in April of last year, Obama was quick to demand Imus' ouster for making a racially insensitive remark.

�There�s nobody on my staff who would still be working for me if they made a comment like that about anybody of any ethnic group. And I would hope that NBC ends up having that same attitude,� Obama told ABC News in an April 11 interview demanding Imus' resignation.

Really, I have little to say about Obama and Hillary. I just thought I'd send out a go, team, go cheer to the locals as they play the underdog's role and head to the 'big dance.'

Advice: When they run -- you gotta run with em -- if not ahead of them at most instances!

So, -- it is time to chase your tail. Do it with a blue ribbon pointer!

Journal-Pilot Online Kraus wins two pointing titles

:)

Ponder this for Good Friday. Best video of the moment.

Dear Friends of Democracy Rising PA,

Top Line
VotePA, www.votePA.us , has issued an important alert. If you registered to vote online this year, your registration may not be valid. The only way to guarantee that you can vote on April 22 is to check with your county voter registration office. That office must have a signed, paper copy of your registration form by the close of business next Monday, March 24.

You can download a registration form from the state web site ( CLICK HERE ), but you must get the signed form to your county voter registration office by Monday's deadline.

More of the Story
A security flaw with the online registration form made it possible to change the names on registration forms that voters already filed. The state Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation has disabled the page where the form was located.

It is entirely possible that the problem was discovered before any harm occurred. But it's also possible that your registration was changed. We don't know. So check with your county voter registration office.

But this isn't the only problem. According to a report in the Allentown Morning Call, some voters believe that filling out the online form is enough to register. But it's not. To register, voters must also print the completed form and mail it, or take it, to their voter registration office. CLICK HERE for the full story by reporter Scott Kraus.

VotePA's Marybeth Kuznik says that when you are registered correctly, you receive a registration card with your party and precinct on it within a few days. If you registered some time ago and have not received your registration card, check with your county voter registration office.

Bottom Line
Make sure you are properly registered to vote by close of business next Monday.

Also, make sure you know where your polling place is. Sometimes they change.

And please forward this alert to others. If you have trouble forwarding, please copy and paste the text into an email.

Thanks. Keep up the good work. And remember: Only you can keep democracy rising!

Signs of time: Digital ad fight spreads across city

This is a good reason to NOT try to impose a moratorium. Dumb non solutions can backfire.

Signs of time: Digital ad fight spreads across city: "Lamar Advertising submitted applications to transform many of its signs, including 10 Downtown, from vinyl to light emitting diode technology late Monday, just in time to beat a moratorium Pittsburgh City Council imposed yesterday.

I'll blame Bruce Kraus for this.

Kraus is counter productive.

Kraus needs a speech coach. Or, he needs to speak only about his feelings and nothing else.

Kraus wants a cooling off. He should bit his lip and say little to nothing.

People on council don't get to 'cool off the marketplace.' To govern isn't to tell those in the private sector what to do. Kraus wanted Lamar to remove its permit -- as part of a 'will of council' statement that he didn't have the moxie to bring to a vote.

I fear to ask what it is that Kraus is trying to 'accomplish.'

There is a hearing tomorrow. Watch the Pitt game instead. The fast breaks will be quicker there. Some seeding.

Amid heated debate, council supports take-home car limits

Great recap article. Must read.

Amid heated debate, council supports take-home car limits: "Amid heated debate, council supports take-home car limits"

The city's attorney, Specter, needs to quit, retire, or else be fired.

Heads need to roll. His should be soon.

Ohio voting machines declared an official crime scene - The INQUIRER

Ohio voting machines declared an official crime scene - The INQUIRER: "Ohio voting machines declared an official crime scene

My comment at another blog thread

Recap: Some say we need two sets a legal advisors, not one. Then some predict that the mayor's lawyers might battle the lawyers of city council.

Then Ed also suggests that we get legal help for the ethics hearing board too. Then we'd have three.

Folks, that is a pathway to FOLLY!

When the Solicitor is being told what to do by people who are only interested in serving themselves, Council needs to

WRONG: --> have its own attorney.
RIGHT: ---> budget adjust the LEGAL DEPARTMENT to ZERO.

Purse strings is the pressure point of council.

Don't grow government by hiring more lawyers.

Get to the roots of the problems by getting rid of the lawyers we already pay for that are NOT helping the situations at hand and have hurt the city greatly in the past.

We have 1 now. The fix is NOT to go to 2 or 3. The fix is to go to ZERO.

Council is trying to put a moratorium on 'business' (no billboards). Rather, I want a moratorium on paying piss-poor lawyers with taxpayer funds. Moratorum the growing of government. Stop hiring bureaucrats. Stop hiring others to fix ills of those who should have been fired.

The Netherlands Blast Women's 400 Free Relay World Record

Lane 9 News Archive: European Championships: <font color=red>Flash!</font> The Netherlands Blast Women's 400 Free Relay World Record The Netherlands Blast Women's 400 Free Relay World Record -- March 18, 2008

EIDNHOVEN, Netherlands, March 18. THE Netherlands blasted the world record in the women's 400 free relay at the European Championships held in Eindhoven.

The foursome of Inge Dekker (53.77), Ranomi Kromowidjojo (53.61), Femke Heemskerk (53.62) and Marleen Veldhuis (52.62) clocked a blistering time of 3:33.62 to demolish the 3:35.22 set by Germany's Petra Dallmann, Daniela Goetz, Britta Steffen and Annika Liebs in 2006.

Council Getting Lawyered Up! (hat tip to comet)

Bram talks about city council. I offered my opinions and solutions there, repeated below.

The Pittsburgh Comet: Council Getting Lawyered Up! Council Getting Lawyered Up!

Repeat after me: Purse strings.

If council is upset with the present city attorney -- and I called for his head years ago as he is nearly worthless -- then council needs to nuke that department's funds. Starve em.

Meanwhile, our council would NEVER spend less. They'd rather spend DOUBLE. Pay those that don't do the work. And, pay new sources to do work you want, even if it amounts to little.

The needs of the city will not be realized upon the hiring of more lawyers.

I say the city could move ahead more quickly after it fires a bunch of lawyers. Move forward and fire all the lawyers.

My solution: I'd love to see city council go to the OVERLORDS and get their lawyers to do the necessary legal wranglings for the super majority will of city council. But, council doesn't have a super majority. And, council is still going to be paying for the mayor's attorney. And, council does not have a clue as to how to navigate its way out of a wet paper bag.

---

Marty G on KDKA Radio is playing the song from the Wiz of Oz, "If I Only Had a Brain."

Jim Motznik comes on the show and objects to the song. Then Motznik defends the mayor's.

Jim Motznik says: Jim's Aunt goes to different doctors until she gets the diagnosis she wants. We have a law department. We should not be wasting taxpayer money to get our own attorney.

Making a Recession Great

Making a Recession Great House Democrats recently adopted a budget with massive tax hikes, many of which are directed at those Americans who can least afford them. By allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire in 2010, this budget will raise income taxes not only on those in the highest income brackets, but raises the lowest bracket from 10% to 15% as well. Estates would again be taxed at 55%. The child tax credit would drop from $1000 to $500. Senior citizens relying on investment income would be hurt by increases in dividend and capital gains taxes. It's not just that the Democrats want to raises taxes on the rich. They want to raises taxes on everybody.

This is why I'm of a third party.

Ds want to tax and spend.
Rs want to borrow and spend.

Ron Paul says policing the world is expensive. The D's budget gives the President all the funding he needs for foreign policy.

In another blog elsewhere I asked a fellow blogger why he took off his candidate campaign button while standing with others at a peace rally. Wars are all about the break down of the political process. Today's wars that Americans are funding are the result of too many willing Ds and Rs.

Of course people want to take off their campaign buttons and stand for peace, hoping that an end of war is going to be nonpolitical. Dream on.

Many so-called "Iraq War critics," criticize this administration rather than truly opposing the decades old policies that led to war. They claim they will eventually get the troops out of Iraq, but the danger is that they simply plan to move them around to other countries, not bring them home. The American people want peace.

I agree with Doctor Ron Paul. Americans do want peace.

Excellent: Swimmers speaking and wishing for further education: Schoeman wants Oly Comm. to speak on human rights - Monday March 17, 2008 11:30AM

SI.com - More Sports - Schoeman wants Oly Comm. to speak on human rights - Monday March 17, 2008 11:30AM: "He said Dutch swimming star Pieter van den Hoogenband 'made a valid point' when he called on the IOC to make a statement to China about human rights on behalf of all athletes.

But Schoeman said he was not ready to make a decision about possibly skipping the games to protest China's rights record.

'That's something I'm going to have to educate myself further on. I'm a firm believer in human rights, always have been, always will be,' he said. 'It is something I have to educate myself in before I can make a rational decision on it.'

Schoeman said Olympic organizers should have acted earlier -- when China was awarded the games in 2001 -- to discuss human rights.

We all need to stay or become more aware.

Doing too little and too late isn't helpful either.

Expectations Lose to Reality of Sports Scholarships - New York Times

Expectations Lose to Reality of Sports Scholarships - New York Times: "the average N.C.A.A. athletic scholarship is nowhere near a full ride, amounting to $8,707. In sports like baseball or track and field, the number is routinely as low as $2,000. Even when football and basketball are included, the average is $10,409. Tuition and room and board for N.C.A.A. institutions often cost between $20,000 and $50,000 a year.

Going Irish

Anne sent this. I also suggest you hook up with Johnsmith, singer of the tune, "Don't Put Me In a Box."

Happy St Patrick's Day!

I know that sometimes you're too busy to read the Fellow Travelers' Advisory from cover to cover. If you've missed this invitation in past newsletters, I hope that this St Pat's Day you'll take a second to learn about the three fabulous tours of Ireland that I'm organizing for this summer...

http://annefeeney.com/Pages/enchantedwaytours.html

If you found yourself somewhere this past weekend swilling green beer and listening to a band singing "McNamara's Band" you may be asking yourself if that was an authentic Irish experience.... How I'd love to show you what Ireland is REALLY about...

Music, culture, politics, poetry, history, scenery ... (not to mention Guinness Stout!) ... Ireland has it all... and I'd love to show it to you. And now, thanks to my wonderful Irish partner, Tom Pigott, of Enchanted Way Tours, I can...

I'm leading small tours to the west of Ireland this summer on:

June 10-19 (filling up fast!)
August 15-24 (only one seat left!)
September 30- October 9thhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

The $1750 cost of this tour includes ALL ground transportation, ALL accommodations, ALL breakfasts, THREE dinners AND admission to many many special events... making this an extraordinary value, not to mention WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much fun!

Tom and I will show you the 'best of the west' -- the real Ireland. I really hope you can join us ... if not this year, then next...

Thanks for your interest in my music -- I hope your St Pat's
celebrations are lots of fun. I'll be wearin' the green today and
doing two shows in Ft Myers, FL (but I won't be singing McNamara's
Band...)

All the best

Anne

PS - For all three of these tours, I'd expect the weather to be San Francisco-like... warm in the sun, cool in the shade, chilly by the seaside... light layers, a fleece vest, a snuggy sweater, windbreaker & a pair of good walking shoes ... and you're packed! these trips will be casual, filled with wonderful adventures - and you'll travel with the coolest people in the world - activists from all over the US, Canada, Sweden & Denmark... I really hope you'll come along!

and if my dates don't work for you, take a look at Tom's website... other wonderful artists are leading similar tours all summer long...


April 15 - 24 - Chuck Brodsky
May 27 - June 5 - Dana Cooper
June 10 - June 19 - Anne Feeney
July 5 - July 14 - Brian Mallon
July 16 - July 25 - Johnsmith
July 29 - Aug 7 - Johnsmith
Aug 15 - Aug 24 - Anne Feeney
Aug 26 - Sept 4 - Kate Mc Donnell
Sept 6 - Sept 15 - Johnsmith
Sept 17 - Sept 26 - Johnsmith
Sept 30 - Oct 9 - Anne Feeney
Oct 14 - Oct 23 - Montgomery Delaney

Tom's website is full of great information about the tours as well..

http://www.enchantedwaytours.ie/?page_id=4

Hope to see you in Ireland!

Fantastic show: "Black Magic" on ESPN. Part 2 tonight from 9 to 11 pm -- without commercials

Hats off to State Farm Insurance and Russell, sponsors, for the ESPN show, Black Magic. The show ran last night (part 1) from 9 to 11 pm. Part two is tonight. Tune in. It is very good.

The show looks at blacks in basketball from high school, to college, to pros and even some mentions of Olympic Teams and the Globetrotters.

It fits well with the Hollywood movie I saw a couple of weeks ago about the fictional team -- Flint's Tropics, an ABA Team. The movie was humor, rated R. Okay.

But the TV show was historical. Lots of first person interviews with lots of game changing players and coaches. Lots of talk about the Black Colleges: Grambling, Southern, Tuskegee, Tennessee A&I, etc. Lots of talk of the stars we all know -- and many we don't.

Historical context too to with the teacher who invented basketball, Springfield's Dr. Naismith. He went to Kansas later and hated to see half-court basketball.

James Naismith

Powerful historical video too of celebrations in 1963 after the killing of JFK.

The Pipers were mentioned -- with Cleveland roots. There was a Pittsburgh Pipers. The team must have moved? George Steinbrenner was the owner. Humm... Lots of talk of city players going south for college.

The show aired without commercial break. Wish I had it on tape to show my kids. It was just too late. Hope it is put onto Google Video soon.

My $.02 comments got air time via Marty G on KDKA Radio

I sent in my reactions to the St. Pat's Day madness on the South Side to Marty G at KDKA Radio. He was asking how things went throughout the parade and day of parties.

I didn't save my exact words. I hit submit nad sent them to Marty and he read them on the air.

Replay:

Our front door was broken. Open containers, urine on the street and goofy behaviors were everywhere. Called 911 for a girl-fight at midnight. Enforcement was fleeting.

St. Patrick's revelers cause heaps of litter: "St. Patrick's revelers cause heaps of litter

A caller to the show suggested that the St. Pat's Parade was not different this year from past years.

The contrast between this day an other days with parades is huge. There are not drunks at 9 am at the Christmas, Labor, Memorial nor flavor-of-the week parades. People like to go downtown. But, do the drinks need to flow as often?

If I'm mayor, I'd give serious consideration to ending the St. Pat's Parade -- just as the South Side Summer Street Spectacular was ended. The SSSSS was a drunken stumble for many years and its ending was a blessing.

People involved with the St. Pat's festivities need to look in the mirror. Shame and guilt seem to work in some quarters. Guess that is why God invented hang-overs.