Pick Up the Phone for a Convention!

Russ Diamond and PA Clean Sweep is making progress in terms of a PA Constitutional Convention. Now comes the push to get the bill moving in Harrisburg.

Now that PACleanSweep's recommended language to enable a constitutional convention has been introduced in both the Senate and House, it's time to get on the phone and start pressuring members of the two State Government Committees to move this bill along.

Below, you'll find a phone list of all the members of these committees, the leadership of both chambers and the Governor. Without input from citizens, these people will not act. The most effective citizen input is via live phone calls.

It is highly recommended that you call ALL elected officials listed in bold, because in their committee or leadership roles they are acting on behalf of all Pennsylvanians. If your own Senator or Representative is a member of the committee, place a call to them as well.

When you call these folks, simply urge them to support SB1290 (for Senators) or HB2714 (for Representatives) and ask what they will do to move it along, get it out of committee and on the floor for a vote. Be courteous!

Then call again in a week or so to follow up on what they've done. Keep calling until we get some results!

Each legislator's Harrisburg office number is listed first and the subsequent phone numbers will put you in touch with their district offices.

In the Senate (SB1290)

(click comments for phone #s of specific committee critters.)

Click here to track HB2714

Call the Governor, too!

Edward Rendell, Governor
(717) 787-2500

Click here to read more about a constitutional convention

Who are my legislators?

It is a done deal. Kraus is moving on to litter under windshields

Decision is final to close UPMC South Side, merge with Mercy according to hospital CEOs

The combined July-August meeting of the South Side Planning Forum yielded a response to what residents can do to stop the closing of UPMC South Side, but it wasn�t an answer the roughly 40 audience members wanted to hear.

The decision is final, said hospital president Nancy Magee of closing the facility within five years as it consolidates with UPMC Mercy.

Nope. Can't do anything about it. Over and done. Finished. Caput. Dead. Wasted time there. Fruitless. Oh well. Get over it. Time to punt. Would-a, could-a, should-a don't mean crap. Scrap it. More senior housing or college dorms. Parking will improve.

Now there is a new space for the moved police station. Why not a big harry jail for weekend drunks caught on the video cameras.

Can't get to the South Side anyway -- as the bridges are out.

Ron Paul has been busy this summer -- planning the next chapter

An email from Ron Paul:

If they expected us to retire quietly from the scene, the political elite are in for a surprise.

Today I am making some very big announcements.

First, from August 31 to September 2 in Minneapolis, we will host a handful of events that will shake the political establishment. Everything will culminate on Tuesday with the official launch of the Campaign for Liberty at the Rally for the Republic.

The Campaign for Liberty will be the largest organization for peace, freedom, the Constitution, and sound money in American history. It will launch in grand fashion with lots of special guests and - if the early television and print inquiries we've received are any indication - plenty of media attention.

I would like to personally invite you and your family to join me and thousands of others in Minneapolis for these events and send a message to the Republican Party.

Tickets will go on sale for the Rally for the Republic this Friday, July 25 @ 10AM CST. We want this to be an unforgettable day, so we are holding a ticket bomb all day Friday in the tradition of our famous money bombs. How many seats can we sell on the first day?

In patriotic fashion all tickets will cost $17.76, so you can afford to bring the whole family.

This leads me to the second big announcement. After measuring the excitement and enthusiasm, we decided that the Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota was just too small to hold you. Therefore, we are making a significant upgrade. The Rally for the Republic will now take place at the Target Center, the largest arena in Minneapolis!

This promises to be the most spirited and provocative political event of the year! We held some very large rallies during the presidential campaign, but I have never attempted anything of this scale before. Its success rests entirely in your hands.

Later this week I will announce two internationally renowned musicians as headliners for the Rally for the Republic. We'll also be joined by rock star Aimee Allen, NBC's Tucker Carlson, Barry Goldwater Jr., Gov. Gary Johnson, conservative stalwart Grover Norquist, former Reagan deputy Attorney General Bruce Fein, presidential historian Doug Wead, MTV's Adam Curry, musician Mark Scibilia, and Frank Sinatra impersonator Rick Ellis. Other special guests will be announced soon.

My staff has been working overtime to provide you with three full days of entertainment. Please visit the schedule page of the website and read all about upcoming events. We also have a lodging page to help you find accommodations in Minneapolis.

Together we are taking back our government and restoring the republic. Please join me in Minneapolis to kickoff the Campaign for Liberty and support our Revolution. Can I count on you to be there?

In Liberty,

Ron Paul

P.S. I know that you have done so much already, but with both major party nominees threatening to lead us into bankruptcy at home and more wars abroad, the success of the Rally for the Republic and the launch of the Campaign for Liberty is crucial. Please do what you can to be in Minneapolis August 31 - September 2 and send a loud and clear message of freedom, peace, and prosperity.

------------------------------

Pol. Adv. Paid for by Committee to Re-Elect Ron Paul

Plan to cut Beijing's traffic in half under way - 2008 Olympics - SI.com

Plan to cut Beijing's traffic in half under way - 2008 Olympics - SI.com: "Traffic flowed a little smoother. Busy avenues had fewer cars. By nightfall, even the hazy sky had mostly cleared."

Speaking of car free -- or -- fewer cars, consider Beijing.

The real photo for me is not the cars on the highways. What about the bikes on the bike lanes? I'm not going to be driving. I'll be biking.

Bush gives U.S. Olympians a rousing send-off - 2008 Olympics - SI.com

Bush gives U.S. Olympians a rousing send-off - 2008 Olympics - SI.com 'You're not going to be alone in Beijing,' Bush said as he toasted the athletes. 'Because you're going to be accompanied by the hopes and pride of millions of Americans.'

Nobody goes alone, and wins.

Who else is going to Beijing in August?

My family and I are going to be there. But, sadly, this blog is not able to be seen in China.

Councilman wants to ban fliers placed on windshields

Councilman wants to ban fliers placed on windshieldsCouncilman wants to ban fliers placed on windshields

Ban on free speech due next from Councilman Kraus.

Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

I re-posted a Libertarian Party press release from the PA Party guys, I'm the vice-chair of the Allegheny County Libertarian Party, and it was picked up at the Alex Jones Radio Blog. It how has 34 comments over there.

Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!: "REAL ID – A very real threat to gun rights

Mark Rauterkus
Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events
July 21, 2008

Homeland Security claims far reaching power over your guns"

Update:
Another blog has the same article as well:

Mark Rauterkus - “REAL ID – A very real threat to gun rights” � The Revolution Will Not Be Digitized.: "The Revolution Will Not Be Digitized."

Can You Give Up Your Car For 30 Days? - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh

Can You Give Up Your Car For 30 Days? - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh Can You Give Up Your Car For 30 Days?

I will take this challenge. I'll start on August 4, 2008.

If I was (fill in the blanks), I'd work hard to promote a 'Car Free Day' in the city of Pittsburgh. Do you know about Car Free Days?

That ZipCar challenge is interesting -- but really Zip Car urges: "Don't drive your car. Rather, drive our car, the ZipCar."

REAL ID – A very real threat to gun rights

Homeland Security claims far reaching power over your guns

Harrisburg, PA - Pennsylvania gun owners breathed a sigh of relief at the Heller vs. DC Supreme Court ruling, but the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (LPPa) warns that major threats to gun rights still exist. One such threat is REAL ID, the federal mandate turning driver's licenses into national ID cards.

The long-term plan for REAL ID is to force its biometric ID functions on federal, state, local and private entities for all transactions. Thus, ID confirmation by a distant bureaucracy becomes permission for essential daily activities including banking, doctor visits, transit, school attendance and purchases -- including guns.

According to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) final rule handed down in January, DHS "will continue to consider additional ways in which a Real ID license can or should be used and will implement any changes to the definition of 'official purpose' or determinations regarding additional uses for Real ID consistent with applicable laws and regulatory requirements. DHS does not agree that it must seek the approval of Congress as a prerequisite to changing the definition in the future."

Do you want to risk your gun rights on the appointment of someone opposed to our second amendment rights as Secretary of Homeland Security?

"The very thought that the sale of firearms and ammunition could be stopped based on some political agenda in Washington is frightening," remarked LP Activist Mark Crowley. "We saw the disastrous consequences of such an agenda in New Orleans during Katrina when some police abandoned their posts leaving citizens defenseless and criminals armed. We must never put Pennsylvanians into a position where they can only hope that distant Washington bureaucrats will do the right thing."

“The implementation of REAL ID presents a significant threat to gun ownership in the United States of America." added Michael Robertson, LPPa Chair.

By participating in REAL ID, Pennsylvanians will be subjected to scrutiny by a host of federal agencies with every swipe of a REAL ID card. This is de facto gun registration, only worse. Once a gun buyer is identified, other information such as military service, purchases, rentals, travel, and medical history will be easily cross-referenced and subjected to interpretation. It's inevitable that politicized standards will emerge that can be used to deny Pennsylvanians the right to keep and bear arms -- everyone except violent criminals and politicians' bodyguards.

LPPa Media Relations Chair, Doug Leard, added, “A few years ago when the NICS [National InstaCheck System] computer system crashed, no one could be validated for a gun purchase. A political agenda is one thing and bureaucratic incompetence is another. When a state submits to REAL ID, it submits its citizens to the possibility of being denied not just gun purchases, but ATM cash, credit card purchases and even a critical prescription pickup. Pennsylvania must emphatically reject REAL ID."

The LPPa urges Pennsylvanians to contact their state legislators and instruct them to support state House Bill 1351 and state Senate Bill 1220. Be wary of other recently introduced legislation such as H.B. 2537 that claims to oppose REAL ID, but ignores the central issue of biometric data collection of Pennsylvanians.

Despite the Heller case, the anti-gun movement will continue to seek alternatives to eliminate our gun rights. REAL ID provides them an unguarded backdoor. Let's nail it shut in Pennsylvania.

The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in Pennsylvania and the United States. More than 200,000 people across the country are registered Libertarians, and Libertarians serve in hundreds of elected offices. Please visit www.LP.org or www.LPPA.org for more information.

Source:

Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania

3915 Union Deposit Road #223
Harrisburg, PA 17109
www.lppa.org

For Immediate Release: July 21, 2008

Contact: Doug Leard (Media Relations) or
Michael Robertson (Chair) at 1-800-R-RIGHTS / chair@lppa.org

Chris Brogan asks on Twitter:

When you pick your knows, where do you put the bloggers?

Hope Boston has a great PodCamp. The light the opening torch on Saturday morning.

Mayor Unveils Plan To Curb Violence

So, do you rest easier knowing now that they were untruthful in the past?

kdka.com - Mayor Unveils Plan To Curb Violence Mayor Unveils Plan To Curb Violence

For years, we've been told by the city's leadership that where the police station sits is not a factor in preventing violence. The officers were all in their designated zone and didn't respond to calls by departing their desks in the police station. They had sectors. They stayed in those sectors, by and large. The station was just a place for the commanders to hang out.

Getting to a call for the police is much unlike that of the firemen. Firemen and even the EMS have stations. They have equipment. They respond to calls from a base. The police are rolling. They rove around. Where the police station sits -- West End -- matters little.

Well, now Luke Ravenstahl has a new plan. He'll curb violence by moving the police station.

Are we going to have COPS again. The COPS are "Community Oriented Police Stations." They are mini-stations for one person.

Furthermore, what happens in St. Clair Village is still not within sight of the new location for the police staion at the corner of Warrington and Arlington Ave.

Luke didn't mention a peep about the new cameras that he promised to have installed by summer.

I don't like the cameras. I think we need more cameras that are pointed at the politicians and the police -- and not the people. However, what's up with that?

Beijing steps up battle against smog - World Blog - msnbc.com

Beijing steps up battle against smog - World Blog - msnbc.com Twenty-two days before the Olympic Games open here, the capital is awash in smog – an unseasonably thick haze that seems part pollution, part humidity.

More negative press from the Mainstream Media.

Where did I put those rose colored glasses?

The UK press might have a smog alert feature now -- but have you heard that the site in Londor for the 2012 Games is radioactive!

Mark Cuban in Pittsburgh on Monday with FCC meeting

Mark Cuban is part of the line-up for the FCC meeting at CMU on Monday. I blogged about this on Thurs -- scroll down to FCC and see the comments.

Welcome home Mark!

The last time we talked, face to face, was in the Bay Area in some convention center when he was doing webcasts, pre-buyout. That was a long, long time ago, perhaps 1990.

I wish he would have purchased -- not the Pirates, not the Steelers, not the Pens, not the slots parlor -- Pitt Stadium. That could have been a crown jewel for his portfolio.

NowPublic Blog - Career posting

NowPublic Blog � Careers NowPublic.com, the world’s largest Citizen Journalism web site, has an immediate need for a Deputy News Director.

I'm watching these guys as they are getting into some Beijing coverage too.

Need to tag: BG08

Looks like there is an effort to have tags for Flicker for photos and blog posts for Beijing, #BG08. I'm not sure if the # is to be there or not. Please advise. So, I've set up a new tag at this blog too.

YouTube: Beijing Boomtown

City to move police station from S. Side to Allentown

City to move police station from S. Side to Allentown When news of another St. Clair Village shooting reached Mayor Luke Ravenstahl yesterday, he was in a meeting about moving the South Side police station up to the Hilltop and decided, then and there, that it was time to pull a different kind of trigger.

More boots. That is the same kind of trigger.

So, South Side is without its High School. Without its Catholic Schools. Without its private elementary school, (Waldorf). Without its hospital shortly, as UPMC South Side is closing. Without its hockey rink. Without its Rookie Ball in the park. Without its South Side Summer Street Spectatuclar (horray). Without its rec coordinator at the South Side Market House. Without its indoor swim pool in the summer months. Without its Youth Hostel. (woops, that is in Allentown.) Without its debates for candidate elections. Without its parking. Without its EMS. Without its bridge lanes on Briminham to Oakland. Without its bridge, off and on, to Mt. Washington.

What else?

Frankly, I'm so excited that we have the lights on the Hot Metal Bridge.

These are quotes from Bruce Kraus:

"We have a revolving door in the commander's office," he said. "I am staffing 18 neighborhoods with 22 officers being my prime number at any given time."

Moving the station, he said, "was a unilateral decision made from an ivory tower by someone I'm not convinced knows the community."

Kraus is doing this?!?!?!?

Democracy Rising Reports about the PA Folly

Dear Friend of Democracy,

The latest news from the Capitol tells us one more time what we already know: Our legislature can't police itself, and it can't reform itself.

It's time for us to reclaim our government. But how?

By holding Pennsylvania's first comprehensive Constitutional convention in 135 years.

We need to re-invent our government - without touching the parts of the Constitution that guarantee our basic rights as citizens.

To do it right - to inform and engage the voices of ordinary citizens - won't be easy, and it won't be cheap. To be prepared, Democracy Rising PA spent two years collecting your ideas for changing our Constitution. You can find them all at our web site: www.democracyrisingpa.com . Click on " Constitution Rx ."

To meet the challenge of giving your ideas real power at a convention, Democracy Rising PA needs your help now. Please donate now to strengthen the voice of citizens at the convention.

Most of us already get it.

Even the opinion polls that our political leaders have bought - using our money - say so. Even before the most recent scandals, a clear majority of us understood that Pennsylvania needs a Constitutional convention to:

* Stop the perks.
* Stop the wasteful spending.
* Stop the self-dealing.
* Stop the insider trading.

But a Constitutional convention isn't just about stopping the corruption. It's also about debating and deciding ideas that citizens have for making our government better. It's about creating a government we can believe in again.

DR has been pushing for a constitutional convention since our founding, and we will keep pushing. But we need your support to:

* Educate citizens about our Constitution and about how our fellow citizens think we can improve our government.

* Help citizens understand how a convention works and how they can become a delegate.

Now is the time to push even harder and louder, and we need your support to do it.

* Click here to receive our FREE electronic newsletter, Democracy Rising PA News.
* Click here to donate securely online. Your donation is fully-tax deductible.
* Forward this appeal to your friends and neighbors so that they can become part of this movement for a government that truly represents the citizens of Pennsylvania.


Do your part for our future.

In the past three years you have made history by voting key public officials out of office. Now it's time to make the future by reclaiming our government.

Help us prepare citizens for a Constitutional convention. Please take a few minutes and make the most generous donation you can - today!

I say that it is time that we stop the staff. We don't need to shrink the size of the house members and state senators as much as we need to fire all of their little drones who campaign, file petition challenges and have do-nothing jobs.

I'm sure that some are fine workers. But, they didn't do enough work to not allow the others from putting poision into the well of trust with the citizens and voters.

Flush them all down the drain. Then, perhaps, in a couple of years, we'll see where we need help. Help the citizens -- not government workers.

Your input is welcomed:

AforAthlete.wikia.com

The Next Steps with Pgh School Reform, replacing bad board members with good ones

From an email list and Barb (see comment):

It seems that an excellent effort has been made to participate in and influence government at the School Board level only to find out that the outcome and results were very unsatisfactory.

It turns out that as good as the effort of the Schenley supporters was, bad government prevailed and frustrated the efforts.

The focus should now be to change bad government itself so that better government is available to respond to the needs of the parents, students, voters and taxpayers.

As Dr. Moore (using a speech prepared by Larry Myers) stated to the Board, 'every time the Board looks over their shoulder, they see the posse of Schenley supporters following'.

It is possible that a Schenley graduate of 2008 could serve on the School Board in 2009.

The requirements to run for a School Board seat are:

Age 18
Residency of 1 year in the district
10 signatures on a nominating petition
No filing fee

School Board members who voted to close Schenley are:

Heather Arnet District 2
Bill Isler District 4
Theresa Colaizzi District 5
Jean Fink District 7
Floyd McCrea District 9

Odd numbered districts are up for election in 2009. ( Colaizzi, Fink, McCrea)

The election process should start in January 2009.

Determine who in the Parents group resides in the appropriate districts.

Find a candidate to run against the Board member. There may already be someone out there who plans to run, they need to be contacted and supported as necessary.

Frequently, School Board members get reelected because there is no opposition. (Fink, McCrea in 2005)

Need to circulate a petition to get name on the ballot (10 names).

Make contact with Democratic Committee to identify Ward Chairs. Their leadership stated their support of Schenley at the hearing on June 16, 2008.

Try to obtain endorsement of Democratic Committee. These folks can do Poll work.

The following table shows the election results in 2005. It indicates some vulnerability of all three candidates, especially Colaizzi where Tom Baker was able to get 2,493 votes while running as a Republican in the general election. Since the others had no opposition, it may turn out that they can be voted out by a viable candidate.


Candidate District Votes % Opposition Votes

Dem. Primary 2005:
Colaizzi, district 5 = 3825 vs. Tom Baker = 2224
Fink, district 7 = 4,000 vs. for none
McCrea, district 9 = 3,282 vs none

Dem. General 2005:
Colaizzi, district 5 = 4,303 = 63.3% vs. Tom Baker (Republican) 2,493
Fink, district 7 = 3,722 vs. none
McCrea, district 9 = 3,707 vs. none

I am presently gearing up for a trip to China in August. And, I'm on the ballot in November 2008 as a candidate for the Electorial College.

However, I'm considering a run for school board in 2009. I live in district 5 -- a seat that is presently occupied by Ms. Colaizzi.

Not only do we need to get good school board members, like those who won't storm out of meetings when a non-paid citizen is permitted to speak, we need to get candidates for Mayor and some city council seats too.

From PPS

Update:

Candidate	District	Votes	%	Opposition	Votes
Dem. Primary 2005
Colaizzi	5	3825	63	Tom Baker	2224
Fink	7	4000	100	none
McCrea	9	3282	100	none
Dem. General 2005
Colaizzi	5	4303	63.3	Tom Baker (Republican)	2493
Fink	7	3722	100	none
McCrea	9	3707	100	none