Eleven of us met at Panera yesterday to discuss high school reform, focussing on Schenley/Frick

Eleven of us met at Panera yesterday to discuss high school reform, focussing on Schenley/Frick. The group represented input from Schenley, Frick, Linden, Colfax, Liberty, former East Hills, and Westinghouse. Sorry if I missed anyone.

As usually happens when we get together, we talked about our frustrations with the admin/board who seemingly refuse to listen to our legitimate concerns. Nick, our engineering expert, repeated again that in his educated and experienced opinion, there is no danger for students to remain at Schenley for another year while better plans are made.

ACTION PLAN: The next board hearing is next Monday, May 12, so sign-ups to speak begin today. If you can take a few hours time, please sign up to speak at the hearing. We need to get the message through to this board that they should not make any more decisions concerning our children using our tax money until a master plan is complete. The rapidly declining numbers of the Pittsburgh Public Schools show an increasing distrust of this system.

Contact your board member by phone, by letter, and or by email, letting him/her know that no actions should be taken at this time that commits more money to a failing reform that does not have the support of its constituents. Individual board members might agree to listen to us. If meetings can be arranged, I am sure that a small group of us would be willing to meeting individually or in pairs with board members, especially Mark Brently, Randall Taylor, Thomas Sumter, Sherry Hazuda, and Heather Arnet, the board members who have demonstrated their willingness in the past to be open to us. (sorry for the run-on sentence).

I am very afraid that many parents have given up the fight and are willing to go along with the stated plans. After talking and listening to various groups, including the Westinghouse parents, I am sorry to say that I do not trust these plans, and I think that we need to stay vigilant to react when the promises are delayed and/or broken. Cate Reed has repeatedly stated that all of our concerns will be answered but it is May and there are still too many unanswered questions. What will happen in September if (when) they realize that we were correct and the sign-up lists didn't mean a thing. If only 50 kids show up at Frick for a program that is geared for 150, what happens to the program and the teachers of that program? Frick is having problems with language teachers now, how is that going to be solved by adding another grade with a need for 4 different language teachers?

TUESDAY MEETING: I will try to be at Panera by 8 pm on Tuesday but I am coming from church in Edgewood, so give me a few minutes leeway. Maybe we aren't accomplishing anything with these meetings but at least we know that there are others that are as concerned as we are. It helps me to know that I am not alone.

I have added a few new names to my list. If you do not want to be on the list because you are already on someone else's, just let me know and I will remove. I do not share my list and only send blind copies.

amy moore
(phone #s nuked from this blog)

Called into Marty Griffin, KDKA Radio

Not on hold any longer, after waiting about an hour.

Marty Griffin of KDKA Radio, reported that he had an epiphany this weekend. Marty, it is GREAT to stand up for the "NAYSAYERS."

The bullies do NOT get it.

Marty is ranting, over and over again, about how there needs to be cuts in government, not new taxes. The small business folks and family folks are facing higher and higher bills. Everyone is cutting, except government.

The theme of Marty's ranting hits a bigger, more fundamental philosophy. I'd like to drag his awareness to a higher understanding. It is more than just the economic conditions. That's a huge burden that can't be down-played. It is the economy stupid. Sure thing. But bigger fights are still to be fought, about and beyond the economy.

The root problems are not just within the economy.

We need dissent for democracy to work. Funny how the bullies are generally Dems.

Marty is mad at Ed, Dan and Rich. They want to say that the small business owners who are putting up opposition to the drink tax are 'crazy.' Seems that Dan Onorato called the radio station on Friday -- as did Rich Fitzgerald? -- to complain saying that the kickback to the drink tax is "not newsworthy."

That same day, Dan Onorato was holding his 'closed door meeting' with select police and fire folks from around the county. (see the post below)

Closed door meetings and pegging opposition as crazy naysayers is their mode of operation.

The watchdogs need to do their duties. We naysayers need to do ours. And, bullies need to get their noses rubbed in the crap that they've littered about these parts for so long now.

Job lead: Government Affairs Associate and other: Communications

Interested? Apply there, not to me.

There are two jobs in the same agency.

idealist.org - Government Affairs Associate: "Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a statewide children’s advocacy organization located in Harrisburg, PA, has an opening for a full-time Government Affairs Associate."

The second job looks good for A.S.

idealist.org - Communications Specialist: "Communications Specialist"

I did find a good job for "our hero" too. But that is with another agency. Seems a Philly nonprofit needs a global development czar. See Global Economic Development.

BTW, I'm not sure who reads this blog. Okay to forward to your friends and foes. Click that envelope email button and a message gets sent to them. And, I don't get to read the messages.

Allegheny fire, police mergers explored

Allegheny fire, police mergers explored - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: About 50 elected leaders, administrators and public safety officials from many corners of the county met Downtown on Friday with County Chief Executive Dan Onorato to talk about the possibility of voluntary police and fire consolidations.

News of the behind-closed door meeting is showing up in the newspapers now.

I hate closed door meetings. Still do. Closed door meetings should not be tolerated among public officials. Pittsburgh is still a 'smokey city' because these closed door meetings can occur. Things get hatched in 'smoke filled rooms' where there isn't transparency and open ways. Those things are good for the power hungry and bad for the citizens.

One of the major, initial topics after the closed door meeting begins is 'supporting grants.' They want to spend more money. The idea of mergers is to save money. The money will help to oil the way -- greese the palms. With money, all problems are much smaller. But, the problem is the money! Duhh...

Power is going to shift with mergers. But, these 'supporting grants' is needed for a pay-off.

If the purpose was to make good government and better services for the citizens, there would be no talk of 'pay-offs.' The money is needed to get the good people thinking in terms of greed and envy -- not quality protection in times of urgent need.

Onorato said he hopes to offer incentives to trigger police and fire consolidations, such as offering foundation support, capital money and state funds.

Onorato wants to offer incentives = pay-offs. Onorato needs to buy the support he needs to gain in power for central command and control.

We need to talk about communications. We need to talk about coordination. We need to champion specializations that have already been nurtured among the various departments in various communities. We need to talk about trouble spots, trouble situations, trouble communities and the roots of those troubles.

We need to talk about best practices. We need to highlight recruiting. We need to look at performance of various departments in an array of situations. Where are the benchmarks?

What are the costs and how are the budgets organized? What are real-time expenses in the various locations among various elements of the budgets? Operating expenses and demands should be put on the table -- for all to see -- for all these communities.

The notion of a 'voluntary discussion' and 'voluntary mergers' is interesting. These people are public servants and they often volunteer. That's the talk and focus I'd love to touch upon first. The ranks of the volunteers is depleted as it stands today. And, the one's that are running these departments have to think about raising the bar in terms of getting more volunteers into the various systems. The hinge of volunteerism is localization. The talk of merger means less localization and in turn, less volunteer engagement.

This is about natural, grass roots vs. OVERLORD thinking.

Futhermore, the residents should have their will be measured, with votes, under the systems of democracy, to see if pathway of merger is desired. Citizens need to volunteer their hopes into the merger bandwagon. That is where the real authority for volunteering mergers should reside.

Onorato's 90-minute meeting offered a refreshing take. Humm... It is easy to not answer questions, as many questions went unanswered, and look good. It is easier to look good when others are not watching.

I could hold my own closed door meeting to counter Onorato's closed door meeting and issue a report that my meeting was "super duper refreshing." But, in the end, it isn't refreshing to have a closed door meeting. I can't get past the stench. Even when you eat in the dark you can smell the food.

Volunteers to fight fires don't have rank nor pensions. So, they think that the fire volunteers don't have standing and can be yanked around at will. Wait. They have it backwards. The one's with rank and pensions can be told what to do much more easily than the volunteers. They take orders for a living. If they don't want to do what they are told -- they can give up their pay checks and pensions. Fine. Others can be hired to replace them but under different terms, more ideal terms among departments and service status.

You don't merger and yank around volunteers and expect them to show up 'at the end of the day.'

Furthermore, volunteers who fight fire have standing. They are there because of quality of life issues. They are there out of a call to duty and service for their neighbors. If you mess with the system and best practices are going to suffer -- you'll not only kill the ranks of the volunteers, you'll also kill the entire community. People will vote with their feet two ways. They won't volunteer for the fire service. And, they won't volunteer to live there. The community will empty. Houses will be put up for sale. Properties will become vacant. Economic prosperity will nose dive.

"Consolidating police departments would be more of a challenge because of pay and pension issues," he said. "These people have rank, and what do you do? But fire departments are volunteer."

Mr. Onorato and his staff will help set up meetings and attend. But, will these always be closed meetings? These meetings will be IR communities want to discuss mergers. But real communities don't hold discussions behind closed doors.

The money matter raises its head again, in terms of bricks and mortar spending. Onorato pledged to seek state matching money to help with mergers such as building or enlarging a fire hall. Gosh. The sticking point isn't in a bigger development deal with a larger fire hall. Development is the extent of what Onorato does. Too often, Pittsburgh gets politicans that only focus upon the ribbon cutting opportunities -- the bricks and mortar projects. They are about buildings. They are about 'hardware.' But the real solutions are within software, programming, services, acts, deeds, humanity.

Whenever there are closed meetings, I get upset. But others are not invited too. Most police chiefs ... of the Alle-Kiski Valley said they were not invited to the meeting ...

Updated post.

LOST -- my iPod Nano

So sad.

Today, Sunday, at the JCC (Jewish Community Center) in Sq. Hill, my iPod with a black arm strap with velcro went missing. We got home and the only thing here was the ear buds. Went back to look and didn't find it.

If you find my iPod -- I'd love to get it back.

Call me: 412 298 3432.

Thanks!

support COMMUNITY vote GRANT

I like this guy.

support COMMUNITY vote GRANT: District 45 and all Pennsylvanians,

Meet Mr. Michael Grant.

He is running for PA House. He lives in the western part of Allegheny County.

Check out his web site.

Pittsburgh Parents Confused By High School Reform

kdka.com - Pittsburgh Parents Confused By High School Reform: "The Pittsburgh Public Schools District calls it high school reform, but some parents are calling it high school chaos.

Darn tootin.

The sweeping changes have not helped to improve grades at all.

Where are the numbers and the proof of improvements in the formation of the K-8 Schools?

Where are the numbers and proof of improvements in the ALAs?

Where is the proof in plain old attendance figures for the expanded school year? The kids are not showing up for classes in August.

Most of the things that have been championed in recent years have been a failure.

Sweeping changes -- yes. For the good of improvements in grades and graduation rates -- NO.

The drop out rates are high. And, after South Vo Tech was closed, the drop out rates have gotten higher. The kids that were going to South and getting a diploma are now dropping out. South was a safe place for many kids and gave them opportunities to finish school and learn a trade.

The problems that have been identified are middle schools, first and foremost. So, they focus on high school reform. What about middle school reform?

Then there are know problems with certain schools. Five of the Pgh Public Schools are tagged as "drop out factories." But, the schools that are getting the sweeping changes are NOT these failing schools.

Roosevelt's method is to fix what is NOT broken.

Massive changes are being pushed upon Schenley High School and CAPA High School. Those are good schools. Furthermore, the best middle school in the district, Frick Middle School in Oakland, is getting starved and it is slated to close too. WRONG move PPS.

Frick works, mostly, for many kids. Now they are killing it.

The time and attention needs to be put upon Westinghouse, Oliver, Peabody, Carrick and Langley.

Roosevelt went out and closed 20 schools a few years ago. Now his goal is to OPEN new schools. Go figure.

Roosevelt went out and made schools that span from grade K to grade 8 just two years ago. Now he wants to make smaller, more specialized schools. Go figure.

And, the figures are not in. They are not releasing the reports and self evaluations.

South Vo Tech was closed because it was a 'smaller and specialized' school. Now they want to open smaller and specialized schools. Go figure.

They continuous yanking around of the families that choose to send their kids to Pgh Public School is overboard. The yanking is leading to the decline of the district. People are feed up. They are departing and voting with their feet.

Parents are not being consulted with. Rather, they spend more and more money on consultants.

And, you ask the administrators and they think that they are keeping the parents in the loop. Yet the administration CLOSED the Parent Education Recource Centers. They were called PERCs. They were shut in one of the first moves after the arrival of Mr. Roosevelt.

The kids are not playing 'musical chairs.' I love music. Rather, the kids are being treated like rats in labs. The maze and roadblocks are by design it seems.

Choice is great. I love choice. I want all the kids and all the families to have choices. But, there is no choice when your school closes. There is no choice in the programs that are being designed by this administration. The choices are fabricated by the administration on a macro basis and being lost on a micro basis.

No kid wants to go into 9th grade and enter high school by going into a school that is for grades 6, 7 and 8. There is no choice for those that need to stay at Frick Middle School -- rather than being in high school.

No kid wants to go to high school and be the big man on campus in 9th grade because there isn't anyone in that school in 10th, 11th and 12th grades.

Those choices suck.

Those are the choices that are being dished out to our kids NOW, thanks to the bone-headed leadership of Mr. Roosevelt as superintendent.

The kids at Schenley High School loved the interactions among all the students as a student body. The smart kids (and Schenley is sending kids again to Stanford) and the not so smart. The robotics and the I.B. and Spartan kids mixed well in all the sports and after-school efforts. The social fabric of the urban educational center is now ripped into bits.

Roosevelt and his solutions are awkward.

"I would agree with you this is an awkward time in re-creation of high school in Pittsburgh, greatly exacerbated by what happened at Schenley," Roosevelt said.

Nothing happened at Schenley, other than the LACK of BUILDING UPKEEP, awkwardly avoided by the administration of the district. They didn't fix the new windows -- still under warranty. They didn't fix the leaks in the roof -- so some plaster got soft. They didn't take care of the building with on-going upkeep.

Schenley was raped by the district's administrators.

Schenley was to be closed when the 'right-sizing plan' came out four years ago. But the right-sizing plan was only for elementary schools -- except for Schenley High School.

The story of Schenley was told to the board then and the school was taken off the 'closed list.' They forgot. They failed. They should be sent back in grade and made to repeat the lessons that were not mastered.

The asbestos problem at Schenley was taken care of in the 1970s. Look at the records.

There has NEVER been a threat of ASBESTOS at Schnley in the past couple of years. They monitored. They found NOTHING in the air. Schenley is safe.

The plan was a lie. The high school reform plan took a year to complete and it went out the window in one meeting. Mr. Roosevelt ignored the plan and made a crisis.

Those who had been on the special hand-picked committee to chart high school reform that did not agree with the closing of Schenley, because it was NOT a part of the high school reform plan, were not invited back. They were left out in the cold once the changes of Mr. Roosevelt seized the day.

The blue-ribbon-task-force was flicked apart and didn't meet again. Experts were isolated and left to wither.

Then comes the justification for moves -- all lies again. To set up Reisenstein was only peanuts -- but now the costs are four times as much. To rehab Schenley was expensive. Well, to move the multitude of students and change the half-dozen schools is way more expensive. And, those are short-term expenses, not long term fixes.

The consultants are racking up $200,000 at first blush. Then the change order comes and it becomes $3-million.

The move of Rodgers Middle School, a good school, to Downtown CAPA, another good school, was studied. Then studied some more. The prices are going up -- double, triple. Yet the results are still the same.

You can't put 10 pounds of shit into a six pound bag!

This is a FAILURE.

And the parents are upset.

The kids are being yanked around.

The costs skyrocket.

And our kids are still not learning enough.

But Roosevelt now says the cost to renovate Reizenstein has come in much higher than expected. So again - confusion.

Told ya. That is not "confusion." Rather, it is called being untrustworthy. It isn't stewardship. It isn't prudent. It isn't ideal. It isn't Pittsburgh. It is a formula for failure for a generation to come.

Roosevelt wants to apologize for the uncertainty. He manufactured the uncertainty. He needs to say, "I'm sorry. I quit."

He tried. He failed. He left us much worse than when he arrived. He is spent. The district is at the brink. He can't get onto the high road again in Pittsburgh.

College scholarships like the Pittsburgh Promise are not going to get the kids a decent 6th grade language arts teacher. That's what Mr. Roosevelt should worry about -- and he did the distraction game.

Mr. Roosevelt and the PPS are to worry about the public education of the kids in grades K to 12, not college. We've got a great higher education system in this country. We don't have much to brag about in our public school system. He worried about the wrong things. He didn't worry about what he should have been working upon.

Perhaps the best line in the article is this:
And for the time being, International Baccalaureate students from Frick Middle School will be spending their 9th grade at Frick until this sorts itself out.

Alert to Mr. Roosevelt. Sort yourself out. Then the solutions are sure to surface upon your departure. We told you what needed to be done years ago, months ago, weeks ago, and just yesterday.

Our kids can't stay in 9th grade forever. The kids are growing up. They are getting older but they are not getting more edumacated.

Fix:

Keep Rodgers Middle School open. Don't close it. The school works.

Replicate Rodger Middle School in another building. Have two. Perhaps Rodgers South should open in the now empty Knoxville Middle School.

Expand CAPA downtown. The new space that was purchased can be utilized for high schoolers in a high school building. Perhaps you'll be able to attract more students at the high school level there in the years to come.

We don't need kids in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades downtown.

We don't need yellow school buses downtown either.

The Gifted Center works. Don't fuss with it. A pilot program is going to occur for the next three years. That's bunk.

If you want to have five-day-a-week gifted education for kids that are gifted then you should open a gifted school.

Mr. Roosevelt wants specialized, small, learning communities. Then open a 'gifted high school.'

Mr. Roosevelt wants specialized, smaller, learning communities -- then find a way to re-open a school just like South Vo Tech High School. Perhaps you need to re-do Connelley High School and make that into a Vo Tech School. Make it part of the new development in The Hill District.

By all means, fix the windows at Schenley. Fix the plaster. Do a modest fast lift of Schenley High School and get the kids back into that school in one or two years.

While Schenley High School is closed, keep the gym and swim pool open. Those are new facilities.

Do NOT put 9th graders in FRICK Middle School. Send them with the rest of the high school student body.

Expand Frick Middle School.

Close the K-8 schools, in a gradual basis. Don't yank the families without a 2, 3, or 4 year phase out.

Give out teacher contracts to the language teachers in April. Time and time again the district is trying to hire teachers that speak other languages in September. Good teachers are hired sooner than that. Too often the district is too little and too late in getting talented teachers. Focus on that for once!

Get all the sports teams in the PPS to join the WPIAL. Scrap the city league. It is a joke, by and large. Pittsburgh is a sports town. We'll play well with others if we are only given the chance.

A+ Schools needs to compare and contrast what happens in the city schools to what happens throughout the rest of Western Pennsylvania. Families don't choose between Roosevelt and Phillips (both Pgh Public Schools). The real action and real choice is between a city school and a suburban counter-part. What about Brentwood, South Park, Baldwin, USC or Mt. Lebo schools -- next to PPS offerings and opportunities.

Don't start any school year before Labor Day. Ninth Grade Nation can wait too.

Put some sports, lifetime ones especially, at CAPA.

Open a second I.B. program, if you must, at REISENSTEIN. It can be a regional magnet for people in EASTERN ALLEGHENY COUNTY. Then that 2nd I.B. program can compete with the 1st I.B. program at Schenley.

Put the University Partnership program with Pitt at Schenley high school too. Make that the "Spartan" program. Then Schenley can have I.B. and University Prep. Give choices to the kids and the families at the micro level. They can switch between majors and not need to leave their school.

Put the new Science and Technology program at WESTINGHOUSE.

Make Peabody an all girl city-wide magnet. That school should compete as a public all-girls school against Oakland Catholic.

Make Oliver High School an all boy city-wide magnet. That school needs to compete with Central Catholic.

The kids that go to Langley should be able to spend their 10th grade at a boarding school.

Open two to five PPS boarding schools. Build a few dorms. Get some partnerships with others from around the state. The kids can come home on the weekends.

In Christchurch, New Zealand, a city about the same size as Pittsburgh, 300,000 residents, there are a handful of boarding schools, in the city, with great academics.

We spend too much money putting our kids in prison and Schuman Center. Let's allow for some of them who want to learn to get into a different environment on a 24-hour period. That's how you make for a longer school day and longer school year.

waterbasketbal.nl

I'm getting excited about our pending trip to The Netherlands. There, I want to check out "Water Basketball." The Dutch have been playing water basketball since the 1970s and have a national championship.

waterbasketbal.nl

Peek at things to come

Just opened.

http://CLOH.Wikia.com

also known as

http://AforAthlete.wikia.com

Meeting BEHIND CLOSED Doors

Onorato to host meeting of minds on mergers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "from at least 10 communities will meet with Onorato Downtown behind closed doors"

Behind closed doors. That sucks. Bad, bad, bad.

Pittsburgh installs first energy-efficient LED street lights - NewsFlash - PennLive.com

Pittsburgh installs first energy-efficient LED street lights - NewsFlash - PennLive.com: "Pittsburgh is installing the first energy-efficient LED street lights in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The TV interview on last night's news made us giggle.

The new street lights are 'clean.' They can be simply put into the trash without ramifications and nasty issues later. Meanwhile, the old and existing street lights have a lot of mercury in them and are quite toxic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_toxicity

So, the city has plenty of traffic lights that are NOT able
to be thrown away and recycled.

It might make sense to keep the lights right where they are so that they are not going into a dump and contaminate.

Sometimes, upgrades are expensive.

Penn State in NCAA Championship Game -- volleyball

The Nits have done it (last night) -- and beat Ohio State and will play in the championship game tomorrow.

Cheese & Volleyball: Promote Volleyball in Wisconsin by Watching TV Tomorrow Night: "At Cheese & Volleyball, our dream is simple: We want our all-time favorite sport to become ever more popular in our all-time favorite state. That's why we're ordering you (OK, politely asking you) to plant yourself in front of ESPN2 or ESPNU tomorrow night at 8 p.m. to watch the first NCAA D1 men's semifinal between Penn State and Ohio State (featuring Shorewood's own Daniel Mathews). And while we're at it, we strongly suggest that you encourage the following folks to watch as well:"

Missing: Single-Payer in Pennsylvania

CJR: Missing: Single-Payer in Pennsylvania: "Missing: Single-Payer in Pennsylvania"

Wellness theme continues.

Complaining Bridgeville Neighbor Arrested For Harassment - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

This is so wrong.

Team 4: Complaining Bridgeville Neighbor Arrested For Harassment - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh Complaining Bridgeville Neighbor Arrested For Harassment

Team 4:

BRIDGEVILLE, Pa. -- Marshall Pappert admits that he has been a pain to government officials from Bridgeville to Harrisburg.

But Pappert says that if those officials had to live where he lives, they'd be complaining, too.

While he expected to get a fight, or to be told off, or even ignored, Pappert says he never expected to get arrested.

I think this guy should be Pittsburgher of the Year!

The story about the 'noise' applies to the one that follows about hearing.

Constant exposure to racket of daily life takes its toll on hearing

Article in the P-G about wellness -- that quotes Catherine V. Palmer, Ph.D. (my wife).

Constant exposure to racket of daily life takes its toll on hearing: "Constant exposure to racket of daily life takes its toll on hearing

One of Catherine's classic quotes is in the article:

"It is an invisible problem," Dr. Palmer said. "If loud music made your ears bleed, something would be done about it. But the damage can take 10 years before you notice."

Gushing blood flowing out the side of a head would do plenty to promote hearing protection. But, it doesn't work that way.

This is another classic and one where lots of work has unfolded in changing behaviors.

One day in the future, a high school or college marching band will show up for a Pittsburgh Labor Day Parade and NOT have hearing protection for its members and be sent home. Being sent home, without marching in the parade, with instruments still in their cases will come with healthy hair cells working as they should within those sensory organs.

Could you see a high school football team take the field for the kickoff and opt to NOT wear their helmets? They would not be permitted to play the game.

Nice article.

State Senate approves ban on political robo-calls

This stinks.

State Senate approves ban on political robo-calls: "The fall campaign season could be a lot quieter for Pennsylvanians, who during the weeks leading up to the recent primary became accustomed to automated phone calls from presidential and other campaigns.

The state Senate today approved a bill preventing candidates and campaign committees from placing automated calls to residents who join a do-not-call list.

I did NOT get one single phone call in the primary campaign. Not one. We have five cell phones and two land lines. Not one. The member of the PA Senate said he thought every resident in the state had multiple robo calls.

To avoid the call, be a Libertarian. Then I'll be the only one to call you. Those Ds and Rs don't like to call me (us) -- it seems.

I think that it is much more intrusive to knock on doors than call on a phone line.

This law hinders free speech.

The ban is only against 'recorded messages' and not those made by 'live people.' That is to prevent those without big budgets to reach lots of people.

Hats off to Jim Ferlo. He voted the way I would have wanted. Senator Ferlo is on the mark with this statement.

"Free speech should trump personal annoyance and inconvenience, except in the limited case of personal cell phones which cost the owner minutes and money," Mr. Ferlo told the Post-Gazette in an e-mail message after yesterday's vote.

I also agree that it is better for our carbon footprint to NOT cut down trees, print brochures, and pay to have them delivered by snail mail. The printed propaganda is expensive and an ecological nightmare. The phone calls only use recycled electrons.

Trip for Translator; Spanish to English to travel to Guatemala for two weeks

idealist.org - translator Spanish to English to travel to Guatemala for two weeks Global Coalition for Peace, a 501(c)3 non-profit, is seeking a person to serve as translator and traveling companion for the director of the Women's Self-Reliance Program on her upcoming 2-week trip to El Remate, Guatemala, leaving May 25th and returning June 7th. Plane fare, food, and lodging will be provided ...

Job posting for techie: Coordinator, Online Giving

idealist.org - Coordinator, Online Giving: "Coordinator, Online Giving

Kids in Cities - Learning Network

CEOS for Cities - Newsroom - News & Events: "08.24.07
Kids in Cities Learning Network

CEOs for Cities will convene urban leaders from New York, Akron, Chicago and Portland for its first-ever Learning Network on Kids in Cities, Sept. 25 at 10 a.m. before the kick off of our national meeting.

Learning Networks bring three to four member cities together to collaborate on a particular project over an 18-month engagement. Topics of the Learning Networks are driven by members’ interests and needs and participation in the Networks is driven by a delegation’s own decisions about its priorities. Learning Networks focus on a single pressing theme and are aimed explicitly at producing action on the ground.

The Kids in Cities Learning Network will help urban leaders understand, support and scale the behaviors of pioneering urban families. Researchers from the IIT Institute of Design studied parent concerns of safety, space and schools, developing concepts to counter them through density, public space and using the city as a classroom.

Participants will apply concepts from our research in new initiatives in their cities with the aim of achieving real local gains and refining ideas and strategies that can then be shared among our national network.

To learn more about the Kids in Cities project, go to www.ceosforcities.org/kidsincities.

You may download the report on Kids in Cities by clicking here."

I've been talking about this for years. Good to see it begin to get a little attention elsewhere.

The Tax Foundation - Pennsylvania's State and Local Tax Burden, 1970-2007

The Tax Foundation - Pennsylvania's State and Local Tax Burden, 1970-2007: "Pennsylvania's State and Local Tax Burden, 1970-2007

What do you make of this?