Check out the interview with Bob Barr

Got Ink: Double Trouble on the North Shore - Casino Journal - post-gazette.com

My solution, a long-time held and ranted one at that, to the Don Barden and slots parlor mess, got reprinted within the P-G.

Double Trouble on the North Shore - Casino Journal - post-gazette.com: ".. Says Mark Rauterkus:

'Send the builders over to the white elephant Convention Center. Have them roll in the slots machines there. Open the slots parlor next week. And, have the money that Don Barden does have go to pay down the debt of the failing Convention Center. And, Barden's folks can also run the Visit Pittsburgh outfit too. If Barden wants to build in the future -- he can do it in due time after the conditions change.'"

The only thing worse than the finance cruch these days is the cost of gasoline. And the two tragic situations meet and dance together when you look at the Convention Center coupled with the slots parlor not being built.

The Convention Center depends upon travelers. Exhibits, expo vendors, convention goers all need to travel to come to Pittsburgh to fill the Convention Center, week in and week out. That isn't happening. We don't have the hotel (thank goodness). We don't have the airplanes flying into the airport. We don't have the taxi drivers. We don't have the subsidization needs to bribe others to come to Pittsburgh for a fling at that big green building that is really a white elephant.

There is NO HOPE that the convention center is going to be utilized as it should.

We didn't we put Schenley High School in there. Then 1,000 kids and some dozen jobs would put the building to use. The sky is falling there -- for sure.

Don Barden could walk away from the North Shore and set up in The Strip District's Convention Center. And, he could run the booked Conventions that are slated for the weeks, months and years to come along with the slots business.

Taxpayers could foot half of council's legal bill - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Taxpayers could foot half of council's legal bill - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Taxpayers could foot half of council's legal bill

How about if the half that is NOT going to be paid for by Jim Ferlo comes from the excess budget that sits in the Law Department payroll -- since they should be terminated. If Council got rid of the boss of the Law Department, and perhaps had to legislate to get rid of the entire department, there would be plenty of savings and plenty of 'cash flow' to cover this bill, to be paid for by our treasury. I'd be fine with that.

But, city council thinks in other ways. They'd rather keep bad performers and just pay double and triple to others who have to come after and clean up the messes made. That's why the city has TWO sets of OVERLORDS. Council never was creative and vigilant in doing its job in the first place.

www.theyaomingfoundation.org

It is 38 days to the start of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

www.theyaomingfoundation.org

This guy, Yao Ming, must be nominated for "Man of the Year" for his work in southwest China in the period following the earthquake.

Hope his foot is feeling better too.

The first game of pool play for the USA Men Basketball Team is against China.

Builders stop casino work

Builders stop casino work Builders stop casino work
Barden does not pay $10 million, but cuts big deal with investor

Send the builders over to the white elephant Convention Center. Have them roll in the slots machines there. Open the slots parlor next week. And, have the money that Don Barden does have go to pay down the debt of the failing Convention Center. And, Barden's folks can also run the Visit Pittsburgh outfit too.

If Barden wants to build in the future -- he can do it in due time after the conditions change.

Trib says the three should be out of here

Conflict! Conflict! Conflict!: Three members of Pittsburgh City Council will vote themselves out of office today. At least that's what should happen to Council President Doug Shields, Bill Peduto and Bruce Kraus if, as expected, they cast a final vote for the public to cover the nearly $11,000 cost of employing a lawyer without the full council's approval. It's a clear conflict of interest that, given they will derive a pecuniary benefit -- not having to pay a private bill -- might just be considered self-dealing. But no matter what it is, it's wrong. And Messrs. Shields, Peduto and Kraus have no business staying on City Council.

More than just the Trib is saying these three should depart. The first shot along those lines came from the city's attorney.

Shields wants to make everything right by bending time. That's his best solution. He must be a good buddie with Dan Onorato who fixes the folly of the property assessments by turning back the clock to a time before he took office.

Kraus is clueless and offers no solution -- just questions. He'll talk for five minutes after being told by the chair to be brief. He is along for the ride and his rookie mate took another option by not showing up for work.

Kraus thinks that this is important. This is the job of the council, so he says. The $10,000 bill has already taken hours for weeks. There is a great need to have members of council knowing how to behave and how to act as individuals and as a body -- but -- those lessons need to be understood and demonstrated before getting onto council. And, the capacity to move with clarity has to be present too. A city in crisis does not have the luxury of providing "on the job behavior lessons" for clueless members of city council.

Shields can go.

Kraus can go.

Peduto can go too. Peduto can also win back his seat in the special election.

They could go. But, I don't predict that they will -- unless some players choose to put their skin in the game. The law department will not. Mayor Ravenstahl will not do anything extra either. And, members of council won't buck up on each other in any real measure. The missing factor is the "push come to shove" jagoff who cares about the pledge of Feb 14 and the commitment of no conflicts of interest: real, perceived and imagined.

PoliticsOnline - News, Tools & Strategies

PoliticsOnline - News, Tools & Strategies Call For Nominations

The 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics

Promise, spend, don't deliver. Make excuse. Pledge more spending. (nuts)

kBruce Kraus offers up another great spending quote:

Computerized city road paving plan going slowly 'I'm not certain that we're putting enough money into doing this,' said Councilman Bruce Kraus. He said some comparable cities have invested $300,000 in systems designed to ensure that paving decisions are made objectively. 'I want everything to be above board, and determined by need, rather than anything else.'

This should be open source software. That's what I'd do.

The city should not be spending any money on closed software solutions. None.

Furthermore, they toss around the 'transparent' word frequently. Prove to the citizens that the spending on the system is not up to snuff. Where is the system? What 200 miles of roads are in there? Where's there in the first place.

Welcome to 2008.

By the way, if Bruce wants to spend some money -- how about if he just hires himself to be a traffic cop on the city side of the Birmingham Bridge, the broken, one-lane bridge. Then he can insure that the traffic on East Carson Street flows.

kdka.com Blogs - Pyrite Age turns to Toe Jam Era

There is a KDKA TV News blog. Wow.

kdka.com Blogs Toe Jammed - Posted by jonesy

Seriously, how long does it take?

7-months ago I crushed my toe.

Too bad the graphic isn't show in a larger frame.

Off-duty officer wounds bystander, faces charges after fight

Off-duty officer wounds bystander, faces charges after fight'The gentleman who was in the physical altercation (with the officer) is an innocent victim as far as we can tell. He was just walking,' Chief Harper said.

I knew it would be a 5-4 vote -- but there were switches

I just watched the Pgh Public Schools board meeting from this week. The Schenley High School topic was part of the agenda.

Weird.

I had hoped to see Heather Arnet vote to KEEP Schenley High School. She didn't. She sided with Mark Roosevelt and the administration.

On the other side, I figured that Tom Sumpter would vote to allow for the closing of Schenley. He didn't. He was with the other black members on the board -- all voting to keep Schenley.

This could have been 5-4 the other way -- since Tom Sumpter voted to retain the school.

NBC offers wide online access for Beijing - SI.com - Olympics

NBC offers wide online access for Beijing - SI.com - Olympics NBC is making more than 2,200 hours of live competition from Beijing available online, giving Olympic junkies more action than they could ever devour in a day.

After barely tipping its toe in the digital world during past Olympics, the network will dive into the deep end: live blogging, 3,000 hours of highlights on demand, daily recaps and analysis and even fantasy league gaming. That's in addition to the 1,400 hours of coverage planned on six television networks, more than the combined total of every previous Summer Olympics.

City Worried About Losing Money If Casino Work Stops - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

It is not too late to turn over the Pittsburgh Convention Center to Don Barden. He could open the slots parlor there. Then finish the building of the other location in due time.

Pittsburgh could have killed two birds with the same stone by doing this sooner. We'd be with the new income since the end of the All Star Game fan fest.

City Worried About Losing Money If Casino Work Stops - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh: "A $780 million Majestic Star Casino is projected to be a sparkling new economic generator for the Pittsburgh region, but there are new questions about funding.

Owner Don Barden has until Monday to come up with $10 million for the contractors who are building his casino on the North Shore. If the payment is missed, work could stop or slow down, and the city would suffer financially."

Why we fight for Schenley

Why we fight for Schenley Last fall, the superintendent's office stepped on a hornet's nest when it proposed the end of historic Schenley High School. While I won't address the achievement gap or renovation costs -- wonks on both sides have debated these to death -- I'd like to explain, or try to, the zealotry with which we're dealing.

Schenley is a blended school community. Schenley should not be flushed down the toilet, and lost for the future of this city, because some fibers are buried in some of the walls.

The killer: Roosevelt's reform says deform what isn't broken.

Read the editorial.

City-county merger meeting to be held

City-county merger meeting to be held Council received a citizens' petition yesterday calling for the hearing, and deemed the signatures valid. The drive's organizer was John Singleton of Sheraden, and most of those signing the petition were from the city's western neighborhoods.

I signed this petition. Great work John.

John went to the public hearing and also ranted about the closing of Schenley High School.

Cathedral of Learning falcon dies after collision

Cathedral of Learning falcon dies after collision A young peregrine falcon, banded last month atop the Cathedral of Learning in Oakland, died yesterday when it slammed into a Rand Building window and broke its neck.

At least it wasn't killed at 11:30 pm from crossfire from patrons from the "O."

Merger of CAPA and Rodgers is so typical and not what we should do

Roids -- make you go bald -- #12 used em too

Bradshaw Admits To Using Steroids, so says WPXI.com.

Former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw told a reporter he used steroids and
that a doctor administered the injections. VIDEO: Former Steeler LC Greenwood Comments On Steroids

http://www.wpxi.com/tu/5yP5S1OpX.html

P-G coverag of last nights meetings -- part 2 -- Parents were told to leave the building!

Schenley No. 1 topic at meeting
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A leader of the Save Schenley movement last night made a last-ditch appeal to save the Pittsburgh Schenley High School building, but Pittsburgh Public Schools officials again insisted the structure isn't safe.

Okay -- for the sake of discussion -- let's say Schenley isn't safe today. Then what? I was pleased to hear the questions that came from Mrs. Hazuda about fixing Schenley. The fact that Schenley isn't safe is one thing. But, none within the administration are trying to fix it. She wanted to know how it could be done to make Schenley safe into the future. Good questions. But they were not interested. They said -- well, you know, you've got to get building permits to do that. Like building permits are a deal breaker.

Board member Theresa Colaizzi, angry that Mr. Lardas was given time to speak, stalked from the room and returned after he had finished.

Childish, to say the least.

Mr. Lardas said the reports, commissioned by the district, show that the building remains safe for students and that there's no widespread collapse of asbestos-containing plaster. But district officials said the architects and engineers repeatedly have told them that the district no longer can risk exposing students and staff to asbestos.

Mr. Roosevelt and Paul Gill, the district's chief operations officer, said the qualifications of their industrial hygienists and other experts trumped those of Mr. Lardas, a civil engineer and contractor.

"He's not an expert in this field," Mr. Roosevelt said.

Aim arrow. Shoot messenger. Great for you Mr. Roosevelt.

The asbestos in the walls isn't going anywhere. It does not make a danger.

Board members Mark Brentley Sr. and Randall Taylor assailed Education Committee Chairman Thomas Sumpter, who presided at the workshop, for using the first 90 minutes to list and rank members' concerns about improving the district's high schools.

The pair wanted to spend the time asking administrators about Schenley and other high-school issues up for a vote tomorrow.

"What kind of game are we playing here?" Mr. Brentley said.

Mr. Taylor said the listing and ranking of concerns on large sheets of paper was a "filibuster" designed to prevent discussion of controversial issues. When Mr. Sumpter asked him to rank the concerns written on the sheets, Mr. Taylor said, "Hand me a couple of darts, and I'll throw them over there."

Mr. Sumpter said the board was divided into "two camps" on Schenley. He said some of his colleagues didn't understand that the workshop was intended to be an exercise in policy analysis, not a "rabble-rousing" session or forum for discussing Schenley exclusively.

Before the workshop, about six parents and other supporters held a news conference outside district offices to protest the proposed merger of the middle-grade and high-school arts schools. Among other complaints, the group said there wouldn't be enough space in the Downtown building to accommodate both schools.

Because of rain, the group tried to meet inside board offices but were told to leave.
Joe Smydo can be reached at jsmydo@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1548.

Nothing is more telling than that. Parents were told to leave!

Schenley asbestos findings challenged by residents - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

I went to this meeting last night. It started at 6 pm and ended past 10 pm. I've got a lot to say.

We witnessed the worse of the worse. I would have rather have been in a dentist chair than see the behavior of the school board and the top school administrators. It was painful. They got to think out loud and some of them should never do that in public.

Last night Tom Sumptner, elected school board memeber, was the captain. He took charge of the microphone, standing, writing on the big post-it notes, and proved next to nothing except how folly should unfold.

The school board and superintendent spent hours in fruitless discussion so as to rearange the chairs on the deck of the Titanic.

The highlight of the meeting was a mini presentation from fellow parent, Nick Lardis. He went 100-miles an hour to knock the school districts spin silly only to have board president Bill Isler ask if Lardis was a certified engineer. They all shot the messenger -- missing the message.

I should be clear to qualify both Isler and Sumpter as "outgoing elected school board members" because their present terms are so soiled that they'll never win re-election again.

Schenley asbestos findings challenged by residents - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Schenley asbestos findings challenged by district residents
By Bill Zlatos, TRIBUNE-REVIEW, Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Supporters of Schenley High School disagreed Monday night with officials of Pittsburgh Public Schools over the danger of asbestos in the building.

"Now, from everything I've seen in the reports and from what I know about plaster and asbestos, the building is as safe as any other Pittsburgh public school for students to be in," said Nick Lardas, 53, of Oakland.

Lardas, who runs a contracting company that specializes in historical renovation, made the comment during the school board's workshop on high school reform.

His qualifications were immediately challenged by district officials.

"Were I to hire you to tell us about asbestos at Schenley, I should be fired," said chief operations officer Paul Gill.

Gill said the district has received four reports from architectural firms stressing the risk of asbestos-containing plaster at the landmark high school in Oakland.

He said the majority of plaster samples in Schenley show levels of about 3 percent asbestos, with some as high as 7 percent. The safety threshold is 1 percent asbestos.

The school board is scheduled to vote Wednesday night on a recommendation by Superintendent Mark Roosevelt to close the school because of that risk and the estimated $76.2 million cost to overhaul the school.

"Mr. Lardas is a reputable contractor," Roosevelt said. "He is not an expert in the (asbestos) field."

Citing advice from the architects and Solicitor Ira Weiss, Roosevelt added, "It is inconceivable to me that we would be discussing to have students in the building."

Before yesterday's meeting, the Task Force for Excellence in Education at CAPA -- a parents' group -- held a news conference to discuss its opposition to the proposed merger of Rogers Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Garfield with the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Downtown.

"It's just not a matter of packing it up and bringing it over," said Linda Doernberg, 58, of Point Breeze. She has four daughters who went to the Pittsburgh High School CAPA, three of whom went to Rogers.

Parents raised concerns about possibly cramming students into rooms, greater wear on facilities and equipment, safety and the teacher-student ratio.

Doernberg complained that a feasibility committee met just once on the merger. The school board is scheduled to vote next month.

Bill Zlatos can be reached at bzlatos@tribweb.com or 412-320-7828.

The superintendent, the attorney, Ira Weiss, Mr. Gill of the facilities side are reading from The Old Testament. Over and over and over again we've heard about the things in the past. Roosevelt calls names and dwells on things that happened last summer, last fall, last reports, last decade, last superintendent. He is Mr. Rear-View Mirror.

The board of the school district listed dozens of serious issues about how the district is failing to meet its established goals, and Mr. Roosevelt is only about to whine about how this is the cost of doing business in this city.

The engagement sucks. Mr. Lartis got the microphone and another outgoing elected school board member, Theresa Colazzi, stormed out of the room, fearing that her mind might be opened, beyond her control.

Mr. Roosevelt wants his "high school reform" to "meet the kids where they are." Somehow, he thinks boutique schools are going to accomplish that mission for the district. Pittsburgh is just bursting at the seams with 5th graders who are itching to get into a Science and Technology focused career path. Or, I.B. Or, with 2 hours of violin a day for the next seven years when you can't change majors, or University Prep.

If there is anyone in the world with fewer credentials of meeting kids in Pittsburgh "where they are," beyond Mr. Roosevelt, they must live in Antarctica.

Just for the record for those who were there. I want our kids to graduate. Yes, it is important to graduate, school board -- as that was debated a bit. And the PPS experience should aim to make lifelong learners from its students. The classroom lessons should put a value on critical thinking. The kids need to know how to better oneself, and that should be done in association with our schools -- with engagement.

Presently, the school board and the district is nothing but a waste of time and money, as proven last night in spade.

Kids drop out. Families leave. They say the district in in declining enrollment. But they don't see themselves as the cause of that poor performance nor the outward migration of the city's residents.

It is ironic how they worry about the 'big picture' and about being 'open minded' but then storm out of meetings when a different perspective comes. They can't even add numbers nor keep time.

It took 2-hours into the meeting to the point where it should have started. No wonder the principal at Oliver can't execute a school year for seniors. They don't value time nor know how to manage it.

Reform for them sounds like "de-form" for the city.

To reform, one needs to see what is before us at present. Then chart a course for the future based upon where we are now. Mr. Roosevelt said staging the reform agenda is the hardest part of the process for him. Of course it is because he is lost on the course as to where we are today. He can't meet the kids where they are. He can't meet the citizens where they are. He can't stage a series of changes that make sense as he is clueless on what has been unfolding in this district the past years. And, he's been her for three years as well. He has no excuse.

These "Schenley supporters" who don't listen are really just city taxpayers, parents, and experts that can't be purchased. My opinion, as a parent and connected person of the community, can't be bought. I'm not for sale. My report is not able to be hired.

Only a fool like Roosevelt would stand behind experts and think that the opposition won't understand that experts can craft the reports that the one's paying the bills want them to generate.

The out of town experts are meaningless when contrasted with the un-paid, in-town, insulted yet still in your face, parents and students who pay for these schools and still show up in them day after day.

When we go away, there will be nobody to attend his boutique schools. And, many are tugging at us to just go away and allow for the collapse of the city and the school district.

When does the lesson on 'fight or flight' get taught in the science and tech lesson plans?

The fight rages on. We will win because they proved, last night, again, that they are clueless and without logic.

The building at Schenley has troubles. We understand that. Fix it. Fix it when the kids are not there.

Now we are hearing that the building was a danger and yadda, yadda, yadda -- go talk to the solictor and read from the Old Testament again. That's a rear-view mirror approach. Fix it.

Moving to the four other schools costs more. It is more expensive to not just fix it.

The asbestos that is in Schenley is just like that of the other buildings in the district. It needs to be managed. Manage it. Do the job that needs to be done. And, be honest about it.

We don't want our kids to be in a dangerous building. And, we don't want to be paying for a palace either. But most of all, we don't want to put our kids in failed buildings that cost plenty for the short term and have no upside with those investements.

We don't want to toss good money, rare money, down the drain in Reizenstein. Sell Reizenstein. That wasn't mentioned once last night. There is no plan for the long-term home for the I.B. students and the middle school ISA (Internation Studies Students).

A committee without names, without budgets and without a track record of getting anything done in the spirit of engagement in PPS, does not make for a plan.

Finally, around 10 pm last night, Randall Taylor, elected school board member, talked about some of his plans. His plans save millions of dollars. Perhaps up to $15 million in a two year period and millions each year for the future as well.

Furthermore, the Taylor plan saves good schools and helps to boost lagging schools.

Furthermore, not another board member said a peep about what he delivered.

Furthermore, there was not even a peep from the Administration about Tayor's plan. The only grunts from our paid administration was clarification that the solutions would fit and would save millions.

But, that came at the very end.

Randall Taylor's plan is to move Robotics from Schenley into Peabody. That is already happening with the Roosevelt High School Reform efforts. Plus, Taylor wants to move all the rest of Schenley's students, I.B., Spartans, ESL, etc., as well as all the faculty, staff and support people too -- into Peabody High School. Everyone in the school would go together into Peabody and join with those at Peabody now.

Peabody is a big, rehabed, building that is way under capacity. And, Peabody has the space.

Moving into Peabody means Reizenstein, presently closed, could be sold. No short term money is needed there for a temporary solution.

Moving into Peabody means that Frick does not need to change. That saves $14-million.

Moving into Peabody means that Milliones does not need to be set up as is under the present plan.

Furthermore, Taylor wants to see the extra two floors that have been purchased at CAPA be devoted to high school students. Expand the high school component there. Don't move the middle school to CAPA.

The Peabody + Schenley School gets I.B. as well as a mix of other disciplines, as a blended high school experience in an accessible space.

Plus, the science and technology programs gets into Westinghouse High School.