City Paper covers the Rev Burgess, now on council

A big feature in Pgh City Paper covers a member of Pittsburgh's city council, Rev. Ricky Burgess.

Practicing What He Preaches - The Rev. Ricky Burgess tries to heal the wounds of District 9 - Main Feature - Main Feature - Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh Practicing What He Preaches
The Rev. Ricky Burgess tries to heal the wounds of District 9

My thoughts soon enough. What do you think?

Groups can't challenge Stadium Authority land sale, lawyer says

Residents don't have standing, so they think, unless they're already purchased and know their role as part of the status quo machine.

Groups can't challenge Stadium Authority land sale, lawyer says The city's Stadium Authority is asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by two groups challenging the sale of land between Heinz Field and PNC Park for a proposed hotel development, claiming both lacked standing to press their claims.

This isn't a case of every night being a potential nightmare. No way. Rather, we want to save hopes of brewing a nightmare for government trasactions whenever it acts on behalf of special interests to rip off taxpayers.

Local government has too many bits of property. Much of this needs to be sold. However, it can't be done at prices that make the rich richer.

Insanity is selling property at $8 when it should sell at $58.

"It is outrageous for the Stadium Authority to claim there is no public right to question whether they are serving the public's interests," he said in a statement.

From Peking Duck to Chicken Licken -- or Chicken Little

I guess Chicken Licken is the UK bloke's name. We call him "Chicken Little" don't we?

BBC SPORT | Olympics/Paralympics blog From Peking Duck to Chicken Licken in just two months. No wonder the mood was a little muted.

The mood of the Olympics has shifted now that the world's finance crash has come.

See the link on this page: Uploaded a simple PDF slide show from our Beijing visit.

More to come.

Victory on the parking give-a-way

This is good news.

No Free Parking For Downtown Holiday Shoppers

PITTSBURGH -- There will be no free parking this year for shoppers in downtown Pittsburgh, according to the Tribune-Review.

Last year, free parking was available on weekends during the holiday season.

However, the parking authority will not be offering free parking this year due to increased budget costs.

For years, wrongly, the city has been giving away parking to a select few.

It is not good public policy to use bribes to get people to visit, come nor stay in Pittsburgh. Sweeten this and you still get this, if you know what I mean.

Trash day was this morning, but there is no pick-up for recycling until NEXT WEEK

In the South Side, we've got dozens of folks who put out the blue bags for trash pick-up for recycled waste on the wrong weeks. I'd hate to see you get a $500 fine.

Other areas of the city are catching up to us in other areas too, it seems.

Citizen alert:

Criminal mischief in the East end
Over the last several weeks we have had a large number of reports on someone damaging flower pots, trash cans, breaking into cars, and stealing from peoples homes. Please remember that there are few tips you may want to try;
1. Always remember to check your doors on your car to make sure there locked before walking away.
2. Remember not to leave anything that criminal might want in plain view. This small mistake could lead them to break into your car, and then to something more valuable that you may have hidden.
3. Leaving items on your front porch either secured or not, is not a good idea. these criminals are willing to take the risk of stealing off of your property.
4. Finally, look out for you neighbors and hope they will do the same for you. Become a part of your neighborhood blockwatch, or if you don’t have one call your zone Community Relations Officer to start one.

Internet Archive Link of Bob Barr

The 70-minute video of Bob Barr speaking at CMU has been posted to The Internet Archive:

http://www.archive.org/download/Rauterkus-BobBarrSpeaksAtCMUInPittsburgh924/Rauterkus-BobBarrSpeaksAtCMUInPittsburgh924.wmv

Is Pennsylvania a Pro-Pedophile State?

You be the judge

By Mike Ference

PA State Rep. Lisa Bennington, D-Allegheny County, held a press on May 12, 2008, in Harrisburg, PA to discuss House Bill 1137, legislation known as the Child Victim’s Act of Pennsylvania, which addresses statute of limitations and identifying sex abusers.

If the bill passes, it would change the age at which a civil suit could be filed from until the accuser is 30 to 50, bringing the civil statute of limitations in line with the criminal statute. The bill would also suspend the civil statute of limitations for two years in child sex abuse cases in which the statute has expired so that people over the age limit could file a suit. And it would allow the filing of such actions against child sex abusers and their enablers in both public and private institutions.

According to Bennington, it’s the private institutions where offenders have been allowed to move on and continue with their lives. “Their victims have been left behind to pick up the pieces, never getting their day in court and or a chance to see justice carried out. They live with this horrific crime for the rest of their lives,” she points out.

A 2005 Philadelphia Grand Jury Report uncovered 63 priests in the Philadelphia archdiocese who had abused hundreds of children over several decades. In some cases, archdiocese leaders intentionally concealed the abuse to protect the church.

And Bennington stresses, her bill does not target the Catholic Church. Rather, “it pertains to all religious institutions, public schools, youth groups and any organization where child sex abuse has occurred. This bill would give all Pennsylvania victims their fundamental right to hold those accountable that afflicted or allowed the abuse to occur.”

Sounds reasonable and seems like a good thing. Similar legislation has passed in California and Delaware in recent years. In California, about 1,000 victims came forward and 300 predators were identified. Yet, there’s one PA lawmaker who strongly opposes the legislation and doesn’t even intend to give the bill a hearing.

State Rep. Thomas R.Caltagirone D., (Berks County), the House Judiciary Committee chairman, says the proposed bill is driven by victims’ desire to win large legal payouts. Caltagirone goes on to say the bill is all about money, not about justice.

Ironically, Caltagirone was quick to vote with fellow legislators for a 50 percent increase in their pensions in 2001 and the infamous middle of the night pay raise in 2005. The state rep along with other lawmakers chose to take the self-induced pay grab immediately in unvouchered expenses. Many PA residents felt this made the elected officials look like money-hungry crooks, as it was eventually declared unconstitutional.

As expected, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference deplores the bill. Choosing to continue to protect perverted priests, rather than seek justice. Likewise, the Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania is also against the bill. And while Caltagirone has officially declared HB1137 dead, his puppy-protection bill seems to be racing for the finish line.

Could the PA state rep be more concerned about protecting puppies than innocent children abused as sex toys by grown men and women? His recently unveiled, HB 2532 which would forbid dog owners from performing surgery on their pups went before the Judiciary Committee on May 14 and could be voted on as early as June 10.

As someone who has been investigating clergy abuse in Pennsylvania for almost 20 years, this writer can’t help but thing that something is amiss.

On the eastern side of the commonwealth of PA the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office issued a scathing report on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for the high level of sexual abuse among Catholic priests and the cover ups and the reassigning of credibly accused Catholic priests by Cardinals Bevilacqua and Krol and their aides. It should be noted that Bevilacqua first served as Bishop of the Pittsburgh Diocese before his transfer to Philadelphia. Insiders claim Bevilacqua left his successor, Donald Wuerl, quite a mess.

For example, while Bevilacqua was still assigned to the Pittsburgh Diocese he agreed to place Fr. John P. Connor, an admitted child molester first within the Pittsburgh Diocese and later, after Bevilacqua took over in Philadelphia Fr. Connor was assigned there. According to testimony in the Philadelphia Grand Jury the arrangement was based on a “tradition of bishops helping bishops.” Sadly, Fr. Connor went on to abuse others and Bevilacqua was found to be a liar according to the grand jury report.

One has to wonder why the Pittsburgh Diocese voluntarily settled with 32 alleged survivors of clergy abuse. $1.25 million for crimes the Pittsburgh Diocese will never have to admit ever occurred. The settlement would not tarnish the stellar reputation of Archbishop Donald Wuerl who never had to pay a dime to any clergy abuse victims during his tenure as bishop in the Pittsburgh Diocese.

Oddly enough, an underling – so to speak – Auxiliary Bishop Bradley reconciled the situation, only weeks before Bishop David Zubik was to be installed as the new leader of the diocese. So it seems everything fell into place.

Thirty-two survivors received a few bucks, the diocese is off the hook for any future civil or maybe even criminal suits based on the settlement. Wuerl continues to do in Washington D.C. whatever it is that Archbishops do and Zubik was allowed to get a fresh start in the Pittsburgh Diocese without the interference of those civil suits that were resting in limbo for several years.

The settling of the civil suits certainly allowed for an impressive and dignified installation of Bishop Zubik, no hecklers or demonstrators from any groups with compassion for children sexually abused by Catholic priests.

And, although I have no proof, nor anyway to calculate, I would be willing to bet the farm that more money was spent on Zubik’s festivities than was awarded to 32 survivors of alleged abuse by Catholic priests from the Pittsburgh Diocese. No big deal, the worst is over.

Unless of course, somewhere down the road – maybe a year, a few months, a couple of weeks, or perhaps in the next few days – information turns up that the cases of sexual abuse actually occurred and that cover ups were the norm in the Pittsburgh Diocese just like cover ups and shifting priests from parish to parish was the norm in the archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Anyone with a little common sense would be concerned that a man of the cloth might be tempted to hide crimes of clergy sexual abuse of young children only on the eastern side of the commonwealth of PA and not the western side as well.

That’s a lot of ifs ands or buts – only time will tell if Pennsylvania is indeed a pro-pedophile state. For now it’s three cheers for Rep Bennington and HB 1137 as for Rep. Caltagirone – one politician who obviously cares more about dogs than children – maybe it’s time for the law maker to rollover and play dead.

Mike Ference is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker and amateur investigative
reporter who has been probing clergy abuse in Pennsylvania for almost 20
years. He’s currently sharing details about his investigation with
Pennsylvania State Trooper John Woodruff. Is a formal investigation
forthcoming? Only time will tell. Mike Ference may be reached at
412-233-5491 or email him at Ference@icubed.com.

Verify our voting software before November

Make sure that our voting software is the approved and authentic software!

Our county has never checked. They must do it before this November's election. The county isresponsible for safeguarding our voting software. Please, politely call Dan Onorato, D, Allegheny County Executive, 412-350-6500. He has blocked this request for months.

Voters of Allegheny County want our voting software verified. Authenticate our voting machines Dan. The public has a right to know that our software is authentic. No more excuses and delays. This was promised two years ago.

http://Pa-verifiedvoting.org

Bob-Barr08-CMU-all.wmv

Oct 10, 2008 Bob Barr, Libertarian candidate for US President, gives a one-hour talk in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University on October 10, 2008.

read more | digg story

Bob Barr speech via Google Video

The same 1-hour 10-minute presentation from Pittsburgh's CMU that featured Bob Barr, Libertarian candidate for US President.

Depending upon your computer and net connection, you might have better success watching from Google Video or Blip.TV.

Check out Bob Barr's speech in Pittsburgh at CMU

Oct. 16, National Ferrell Cat Day

National Ferrell Cat Day is Thursday! There is no content on the page at wikipedia about ferrell cats. http://en.wikipedia.org/Ferrell_cat

Through the miracle of modern technology, voters will finally have a chance to compare Bob Barr with Barack Obama and John McCain.

Starting this evening at 9:00 PM EDT, live and concurrent with the broadcast of the closed debate between the Republican and Democratic nominees, you will be able to see where Bob differs with his opponents. Using digital video recording technology, Bob's responses to the moderator's questions will be spliced in in real time for viewing at the campaign's website at www.bobbarr2008.com/counterdebate Bob will be broadcasting from Newport News, Virginia on the campus of Christopher Newport University before a live audience.

I encourage you to watch and I ask a favor of you. Would you please forward this message to your friends who may be interested? This is their chance to learn that there's not a dime's worth of difference between McCain and Obama - and that Bob Barr offers hope for real change in Washington.

Election Day ballot includes on PA referendum question

On Election Day, Nov. 4, 2008, voters in Pennsylvania decide on a statewide referendum question.

The lone statewide referendum isn't about the drink tax, giggle. Keep reading.

Touch screen ballots will ask whether the state should incur $400 million in new debt to pay for repairs to the state's water and sewage infrastructure.

The funding would be provided in grants and loans to municipalities and public utilities for various construction, improvements, expansions, or repairs to our drinking, storm, and wastewater treatment systems. Projects could also aim to alleviate pollution created by rainfall, snowmelt, former mining operations, urban and agricultural runoff, and sewage systems. Grants and loans would be awarded by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority.

Judges are still in the process of deciding about the Allegheny County questions about reducing the drink tax.

America could use a few Lessons in Liberty?

Campaign Updates Could America use a few Lessons in Liberty?"Could America use a few Lessons in Liberty?"

Of course we need lessons in liberty. But, I don't like the sales question to be asked. New book: Lessons In Liberty.

Sadly, when Bob Barr visited Pittsburgh on Friday there were no books on hand for sale. This book is another book.

New parents group wants city school board's ear

Tuesday, October 14, 2008 By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A group of parents and taxpayers is coalescing around concerns about the Pittsburgh Public Schools' changes to middle grades and high schools.

Parents United for Responsible Educational Reform introduced itself to the school board last night, saying it expects input into district initiatives and wants officials to answer a raft of questions about school changes.

The group sprang, in part, from some members' unsuccessful fight last school year to stop the closing of the Pittsburgh Schenley High School building. At the time, parents said the district didn't listen to their views or adequately plan for Schenley's dismantling.

Now, they're hoping an organized, unified voice will force officials to pay attention.

"PURE Reform's mission is to review district proposals for public school reform, ask relevant questions, pursue answers to those questions and in general seek transparency and effective public participation in the reform process. We act as a clearinghouse for parents to seek and share information," Annette Werner, a Shadyside resident and group steering committee member, said at a news conference outside district offices.

Later, at the school board's monthly public hearing, Ms. Werner said a commitment to public input only can help the district's leadership turn city schools around.

The district's six-year strategic plan, up for a board vote next month, emphasizes the importance of community input. Asked about the work PURE Reform plans to do, school Superintendent Mark Roosevelt said, "I have no problem with it at all."

Ms. Werner said the group so far has interested "hundreds" of school supporters. It has a Web site at http://www.purereform.com.

Its concerns include whether schools configured for grades six through 12 are effective. The district is moving forward with plans for four such schools, including two that will absorb Schenley's student body.

The group also has questions about extracurricular activities in six through 12 schools, the district's system for evaluating principals and district enrollment decline. In all, 20 questions are posted on the group's Web site.

"Questions we have been asking in person, in the press, via e-mail, via letter and to the school board for more than a year have largely gone unanswered," Ms. Werner said before the hearing.

Ms. Werner said the group wants to work with district officials, not be in conflict with them. But she said the group intends to make an impact -- and get answers to those questions.

"We look forward to the district's response," she told the school board.

Missing cat stirs post-no-bills debate. New champions of US Constitution have 4 legs!

Conventional wisdom says that a dog is man's best friend. Only in Pittsburgh can the four-legged pets be best friends to the US Constitution.

From china - sculpture

Thanks to Bruce Kraus, this is what our city is doing and worrying about.

Missing cat stirs post-no-bills debate: "When John Stocke's cat, Mulva, got away two weeks ago, he put up lost pet signs, hoping the city of Pittsburgh government had decided how to handle fliers for finding Fluffy or Fido.

He soon learned otherwise when, a few days later, a Department of Public Works employee started ripping them down.

'They take 3 percent of my income and spend it obstructing my efforts to find a lost pet?' he fumed. (The city's earned income tax is shared with the school district.) He said he then called the department, and was told he could keep the signs up for just three days.

Furthermore, the start of the weekly city council meetings, Bruce Kraus is keen on putting the cats and dogs of animal shelter at the front of the agenda, before the business of the city and before the citizens have a chance to speak.

Getting the signs torn down is bad -- but wait for the bill to arrive. There can be fines too.

From PPS Safety

I don't want some city employee to be the one who determines the reasonable numbers and durations for signs. If the sign is about fluffy -- okay. If it is about freedom -- then watch out.

So, the public officials are to tolerate some statements, despite the city code's overall ban on posting fliers on public surfaces, but take others to jail. That's a typical Councilman Bruce Kraus' effort.

Lost cat! From china - sculpture

Life is always about an exemption from the bans when the bans are everywhere. Rather than make these exceptions to undo the loss of freedom, it would be refreshing to just propose freedom in the first place. Use what is already in place, at the least.

"There was some miscommunication with these posters," said Mr. Costa of Mr. Stocke's signs.

He said his employees are supposed to remove most fliers. "We do allow lost pet fliers only when they're at intersections," he said. There are two other unwritten rules: "[Do] not blanket the area and don't exceed two-week postings."

Now it is written -- at least in the newspaper and this blog. Unwritten rules from government officials are not healthy.

"A written policy is in the works," he said.

How many exemptions are there?

That could be tricky. In July, Mr. Kraus included a line in a piece of advertising legislation saying that the city's post-no-bills rule "does not prevent the posting of fliers regarding lost pets."

"We had to take it out," he said, because he concluded that the exception would favor one message over others, and could be deemed unconstitutional.

Darn constitution gets in the way of another pea-headed action by some over-reaching legislative do-gooder.

Now we've got constutional champions named "Mochi."

The issue came to the fore when the Shadyside owners of Mochi, a Shiba Inu, were threatened with a fine for posting lost pet signs. The city withdrew the threat, the signs went back up, but the dog was not found.

Mr. Stocke said his friendly, black, white and brown long-haired Mulva has been spotted by someone put on alert by the fliers, but hasn't yet been caught.


Tell Bruce Kraus to put the animal shelter public service announcements at the end of the meetings or at another time.

Lights On Afterschool is in October

http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/

Mark ranting to the PPS School Board - notes

What about this quality? Reactions welcomed

Save me from making a mistake! Feedback welcome.

What do you think? Too hard to see? Too small?

We're playing with a new PC and video software settings, in advance of PghPodcamp, of course.

Test #2 goes here:

Click to play