Observations and Priorities

My voice is generally deployed to address social, afterschool and community stuff -- not instructional leadership.

Dances, plays, sports, use of buildings after the dismissal bell -- are areas where the Pittsburgh Public Schools and I are oceans apart.

The district's weakness in those areas are countered well with my strengths and interests. Afterschool is not a priority for those in the PPS district -- yet it is mine. I care about drop outs, gun violence, a shrinking city -- and even the Olympics.

Nutshell: I want to create literate Olympians here.

I am waiting, still to hear from a new employee, Holly. She is the new czar of afterschool with Pittsburgh Public Schools. My meeting with the principal of the IB School, Dr. Walters, has been on hold since December.

On Monday, I will go to the PPS Board and deliver a position paper about the concept of 13th grade at the new I.B. Jr/Sr High. Stay tuned. I've been talking about this for a few weeks, online and in personal meetings.

The academic viability of IB is unquestioned for some students, for sure. Getting the school to be a success, year-in and year-out where more than a thousand (or more) students thrive, in Pittsburgh, remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, south of the city in Mt. Lebo comes this school news.

These guys can't even build a new swim pool. Now they want a high school. Oh boy.

Some Mt. Lebanon residents ask for new high school: "A group of Mt. Lebanon residents last night asked the school board to consider building a completely new high school, a move that would require the community to approve a referendum on the matter.

Group members, who said their organization is called Build Our School Now, asked the board to vote for building a completely new high school rather than renovating the current structure and to put the issue to a referendum, which would be required under state law.

State formulas for debt limits hold Mt. Lebanon to spending no more than $110 million on the high school project without getting a referendum approved by the community. A new high school would cost about $150 million.

Build Our School Now representatives, including Kristin Linfante and David Brumfield, pledged to the board that they would knock on doors in the community lobbying people to approve the referendum.

Perhaps they could buy Schenley High School. And, for good measure, we'll also air-lift them the Civic Arena as well.

Are you on thin ice for Valentines Day?

We talked about this yesterday with my sons in terms of planning a family date.

Valentine's skates scheduled around the county
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh and Allegheny County have scheduled Valentine's Day skating events.

The annual Valentine's Day skating event Saturday at the Schenley Park Ice Rink, Valentines on Ice, starts at 7 p.m. and includes 2-for-1 admission, chocolates and hot drinks, picture taking, salsa dancing lessons, door prizes, a puck-shooting contest and a free rose for the first 200 women.

North and South Park ice rinks will host Sweetheart Skates on Saturday starting at 7:30 p.m. Couples skate for the price of one and receive a free carnation. Admission for skaters 13 to 59 is $5. Admission is $3 for seniors 60 and older and children 12 and younger.

Down to Dowd - Early Returns - post-gazette.com

Down to Dowd - Early Returns - post-gazette.com: "Down to Dowd"

Unless one overlooks the women, the black women.

I hate to see coverage given for a non-starter of a story. There is more coverage about those who are not running than those who choose to run.

The ONLY announced challenger needs significant coverage. And, it is a blessing that she'll be the only challenger. The best way to beat the status quo politician is to gang together behind ONE opposition candidate. The 4th estate watchdogs need to wake up.

Stimulus Plan and the Senior Senator from PA

US Senator from PA, A. Specter, completely caved and has worked with other 'moderates' to rework the stimulus plan. It is expected to come up for vote today in the Senate.

Here is an email that he sent out yesterday describing his (pathetic) support of the stimulus:
http://specter.enews.senate.gov/mail/util.cfm?gpiv=2100031872.227611.493&gen=1

His contact information can be obtained here:
http://specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

His office fax numbers are:
202-228-1229
215-597-0406
814-455-9925
610-434-1844
570-826-6266
717-782-4920
412-644-4871
570-346-8499
(Two free faxes per email per day can be sent via http://faxzero.com/ )

Here is a sample letter that you can use:
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/senateletter.php (also, remind him that his term is up in 2010)

Pie chart illustrating the spending for the stimulus plan: http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/stimulus-pie-chart/

Citizen lawmaker: Ms. Smith goes to Grant Street

The P-G ponders Theresa Smith.

Citizen lawmaker: Ms. Smith goes to Grant Street: "Theresa Smith has spent years working to improve her city and her Westwood neighborhood, always from outside the government looking in."

Well, that isn't true.

Theresa worked for Pittsburgh Public Schools as one of five directors of a PERC, Parent Education Resource Center. The PPS budget is larger than that of the City's budget. So, she wasn't in city government, she was a government employee in a neighborhood.

The experience issue here is that the P-G, as journalist and news reporters, doesn't get it right.

Theresa was also experienced by helping Dan Deasy's campaign in his quest to become a State Rep.

Sure, there has been countless hours as a volunteer. Sure, she has been tireless. But she is no novice.

Sadly, the P-G editorial board folks are just too far out of touch. I don't care about their opinions. But, I do care that they weave them from facts and awareness. I wish they'd work to get out of the bubble in the bottom of the "Main Stream Media" river.

Well wishes are fine. But, just as it is going to take more than Grant Street to solve the problems of the city, it is also going to take 'watchdogs' of the fourth estate to be better clued into the reality of our landscapes. The P-G needs to help too. Too often it has been on the wrong side in the struggles of bettering our city.

---

My statement on the day after the special election win of Theresa Smith.

(Updated from 9:30 am.)

Michael Phelps, Kellogg's and being dumped upon

Olympic champion Michael Phelps was photographed taking a hit from a bong.

Amidst the media uproar that ensued, Kellogg's announced that it would not renew its sponsorship deal with Phelps.

Call Kellogg's now and tell them that if they dump Phelps we dump them
http://dpa.convio.net/site/R?i=uoHTEyF3QmqQCLb2Jv-svA..

Like you, we're sick and tired of the public outings and forced apologies and recantations, which perpetuate this shameless hypocrisy.

More than 70 percent of Americans say that marijuana should be decriminalized and that no one should go to jail for its use.

We agree. Even the residents of Kellogg's home state of Michigan recently passed (by an overwhelming margin) a ballot initiative legalizing marijuana for medical purposes.

Dropping Phelps hurts the Kellogg's image far more than associating with someone who smoked marijuana. Call them to tell them what you think (you'll find helpful instructions and talking points if you follow this link to our website).
http://dpa.convio.net/site/R?i=5NqcyH2v4BvQxClyevHapw..

Sincerely,

Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director Drug Policy Alliance Network

P.S. You can also read my piece in the Huffington Post on this issue.

http://dpa.convio.net/site/R?i=066Uqk70AGF3vI2WSHXMDA..

Pittsburgh Twestival 2009 in McKees Rocks on Thursday

Homepage | Pittsburgh Twestival 2009: "Pittsburgh US Twestival 2009

12 February 2009, 19:00, Downey House , 6080 Steubenville Pike Mc Kees Rocks, PA 15136-1398"

Anyone going from South Side?

Mike Ference, running mate, Letter to Editor, Time to Attack in Pennsylvania

By Mike Ference

Clairton, PA 15025, Email: Ference@icubed.com

Every day brings new evidence that we no longer live in a civilized and principled society. The worst part, it usually concerns another case of corruption involving a member of the PA Senate or House; a PA judge; law enforcement officer; District Attorney or some other Pennsylvania public servant. (I prefer, serpent). However, the latest news of wrongdoing in Pennsylvania involves what I call child trafficking at its lowest level.

As reported in the Associated Press, Pennsylvania President Judge Mark Ciavarella and Senior Judge Michael Conahan agreed to plead guilty to various federal charges (no state charges, PA politicians take care of their own) and face seven years in prison. Their crime, court documents said they took kickbacks for sending children to detention facilities run by PA Child Care in Luzerne County and a sister company in western PA. Altogether the judges took $2.6 million in bribes.

PA Child Care is owned by Gregory Zappala, a son of former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Zappala, Sr., and brother of Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr.

As more and more cases of corruption — and cover-up — come to light, one begins to wonder whether Pennsylvania politicians should be considered any more trustworthy than, say, Saddam Hussein.

So — what should be done? Given the level of wreckage and anguish caused in the lives of so many people, it seems appropriate to look to the war on terror for a model strategy.

A first prong of attack might involve a Special Forces unit made up of highly skilled and trained military personnel capable of tracking down and obtaining confessions from any current or former owners of businesses that deal in child trafficking. Did more judges take kickbacks for sending innocent children to detention homes? How many dysfunctional Pennsylvania politicians, police officers and other scoundrels working for the state were involved?

If rights are violated, if military personnel sometimes go a little too far, so be it. Those incapable of civilized behavior shouldn’t expect the rights and privileges of civilization.

A deck of cards can be created to help identify the hard-to-find as well as the disgraceful political leaders who permitted, and in essence, condoned the incarceration of young children. Photos of the most deviant and reprehensible Pennsylvania officials accompanied by a list of their offenses will encourage us all to do our patriotic duty in helping the authorities track down suspected Pennsylvania politician/terrorists.

Another option would be to divide Pennsylvania into territories. A color-code warning system would be established, alerting parents about crooked judges, corrupt cops and district attorneys holding court in their respective regions. Depending on the designated color for a particular region, parents would know whether their children should attend a juvenile hearing or escape to a third world country where children are treated with more dignity and respect.

To aid this unique war on terror, a pool of money should be collected, not involuntarily from taxpayers, but voluntarily from those decent human beings who believe crimes committed against our children are sins that God takes very seriously. Some of the funds raised could then be turned into outrageously tempting reward sums for information leading to the capture of our targeted criminals. Once the rogue politicians have been imprisoned and forced to talk, I recommend that their confessions be given to someone like Steven Spielberg or George Romero. Hollywood writers and producers could create a blockbuster movie like Roots or Schindler’s List to serve as a bitter reminder that these crimes should never again be permitted to occur. Tom Savini could be hired to recreate the horror on the faces of child actors chosen to play parts.

Proceeds from the movie could go to victims of abuse and their families. And no matter how old the crime, compensation would be available. There should be no statute of limitations when the rights of children have been violated by those who lived much of their adult lives perched on a pedestal heightened by the trust of innocent and vulnerable residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In fact, I would extend compensation to the second and perhaps even third generation of sufferers. It would certainly include siblings denied the experience of growing up with a brother or sister untraumatized by such abuse. And since crimes of abuse tend to echo, it would extend to the victims of the victims as well.

If all else fails, is it any less rational to declare war on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of a war on child abuse than it was to declare war on Iraq (which had nothing to do with 9/11 or Al-Qaeda and apparently had no weapons of mass destruction) as part of a war on terror? How many innocent children have been verifiably lost to this menace — and how many more will be lost if we don’t make a preemptive strike?

Child trafficking and those who willfully hid the crimes as far as I can see, this brings us much closer to the realm mortal sin. And the sinners include not just the judges who sentenced the children and took the money but also those who are staying silent because of concerns about a paycheck, a 401K, a pension, or a fear of standing up to the mobsters who orchestrated this crime. God has a place for everyone — and if you abuse children or protect the abusers of children, we can only hope that your place is called hell.

My first religious film is out. To debut on Church on Sunday!

I just uploaded this.

Sunday, tomorrow, is our Religious Education Sunday. Once a year we take some time to talk to the adults as to what goes on with the kids in "R.E." (our term for Sunday School).

Updated Sunday afternoon:

Steelers Nation: Are you ready for some baseball?

Baseball season is just around the corner. The cold weather is about to break.



Plus, Baseball star Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003. But this is news in 2009. Meanwhile, Congress looked into this in 2006. Go figure.

Common Sesnse from Ron Paul about bailouts

District 4 City Council Race: Ho Hum...Natalia Dropping the Ball!!!

Thanks to Mark Rauterkus, I listened to Natalia Rudiak's introductory campaign speech. Ho Hum.

As a long-time, fairly active member of that community, I can honest say I never heard of Natalia or her family surname. The good news is, Natalia is now involved in the Carrick Community Council, the same organization I tried in vein to bring any life to for about five years. Good luck to her, a huge mess has been left behind.

Now I Googled her and it took a little while to find out what the young lady looked like. Ms. Rudiak is a looker. With the possible exception of Chelse Wagner (who really knows...the almost never spotted Ms. Wagner is an urban myth in my estimation), Ms. Rudiak might just be the most attractive figure in Pittsburgh politics. That's with all due respect to Mr. Rob Frank, the hardest-working Democrat the corrupt system doesn't want.

Her campaign website, until recently, contained only a link to donate. Now you can find a marginally better site. When I watched the original podcast of her speech, I held my breath when I heard her jam union rhetoric down our collective throats. That's because that 10% of the voting population is given the weight of the world in our little corner of the planet. (However she did mention empty storefronts and entrepreneurship. Those terms were non-existent in possible DJ-to-be Jimmy Motznik's jargon.)

Next up, Facebook. In 2009, a young, presumably dynamic and smart candidate doesn't have a Facebook page. Nor does she have a MySpace presence. Pittsburgh's friend Bill Peduto still updates his, or has someone do it for him. Rumor has it that Rudiak has supporters who are also pals with Mr. Peduto. You'd never know it on the technological front.

This is a race the Wagner family wants to control in the worst way. And that means planting their contractor-in-the-hole Anthony Coghill on Grant Street. The seat is almost always controlled by the Brookline and Beechview contingent of the district. Communities like Rudiak's Carrick are generally underperforming bystanders. That being noted, Motznik barely squeaked by in his re-election bid against Coghill because of Carrick voters. He in turn thanked his blue-collar, union supporters by snubbing them when it was time for the city's infamous walking around moneys. His potential District Justice seat doesn't include Carrick.

Rudiak may split the ticket with Anthony Mosesso, a decades-long mover-and-shaker in the tiny hamlet of Bon Air. Mosesso is the candidate who would take the District 4 City Council seat seriously. It's historically been nothing but a stepping-stone for young Democratic whipper-snappers. No one has taken the post seriously in many, many years. Mosesso would. Mosesso runs laps around all of the other candidates when it comes to visibility and accessibility. The guy lives for the neighborhoods.

Rudiak is THE candidate who could inject spunk into the race. It's hard to tell where School Board member Jean Fink stands. It's even harder to determine if she has any political sway whatsoever when it concerns this race.

The District 4 City Council race promises to be a good one...IF some people get into the 21st Century. It's just too bad that the district, with its huge amount of hard-working, loyal Pittsburghers, haven't been treated to a candidate who cares about them for more than 20 years.

Let's hope that changes. The RIGHT candidate has not yet stepped to the forefront.

The Real Reason Why The GOP Is Changing Registration

The Post Gazette and its fine political reporter, James O'Toole, posted their interpretation of an electoral phenomenon: why Republicans are becoming Democrats.

The following: "Recent Republican losses in Pennsylvania have been spurred by defections from among the party's more affluent and better-educated voters.

One of the strongest recent currents in Pennsylvania politics has been a shift of registered voters from the Republican to the Democratic Party. A new survey suggests that this change has been led disproportionately by some of the GOP's more upscale members, estranged by the Bush administration and the unpopular war in Iraq."

Point one: despite measurable advances and progress, liberal rags like the P-G will tell us that the war in Iraq is unpopular. Of course it is...while people are worried about losing their jobs and/or homes, we are force-fed tripe that the war in Iraq isn't successful. When in fact, it is remarkably successful.

"Muhlenberg College's Institute of Public Opinion looked at a sample of the hundreds of thousands of former Republicans who have swelled the ranks of Democrats over the last two federal election cycles.

In May 2006, just months before an election in which the GOP lost four U.S. House seats along with Rick Santorum's Senate seat, Democrats held a registration lead of roughly 550,000. By last November, as President Barack Obama was carrying the state by the widest margin of any White House contender in decades, the Democratic advantage had grown to 1.2 million voters."

Point two: REPUBLICANS WERE SICK OF RICK SANTORUM! That's what happens when you have a pompous jerk in an influential position. Santorum deserved to get the boot!

Point three: ACORN. Fraudulent organizations like this one led the way to voter changes. Nowhere in those paragraphs does it say anything about Republicans changing positions.

"But the Muhlenberg findings suggest that it also reflected a longer-term reaction against Republican policies."

Point four: Hogwash. In fact, conservative Republicans did not have much of a choice in the last election. Conservative candidates like Mitt Romney were inexplicably cast aside early on as John "Mr. Moderate" McCain somehow gained control of the party's nomination. Conservatives were energized by the "real rock star" of the Presidential campaign, Sarah Palin. Alas, the "Messiah" tag was given to Barack Hussein Obama and scare tactics were thrown out to scare moderate Republicans and a new, vast parade of fawning Obama-ites.

Point five: It's too early to tell if the voter-registration changes will stick. Let's see where we are in a year from now.

Onorato supports combining communities by school lines

Merger mania.

Onorato supports combining communities by school lines Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato said today that consolidating the state's 501 school districts into 100 -- as suggested by Gov. Ed Rendell Wednesday -- might be a bit extreme, but he would favor consolidating the county's 130 municipalities into 43.

What Rendell said was all about the schools. What Onorato said was nothing about the schools. Neither of them have offered to do a darn thing about quality of life nor freedom.

The Allegheny Insitutue pointed out that the biggest school districts in the state do the worst in terms of educating the kids and cost the most. So there is a forumla that is worth avoiding.

Bigger isn't better. Bigger is bigger. Better is better.

ADVISORY: BLOGGER CONFERENCE CALL on PA budget

Chris Lilienthal, Communications Director
Phone: (717) 255-7156, 717-829-4823 (cell)
E-Mail: lilienthal@pennbpc.org

Think Tank to Host Blogger Conference Call on Pa. Budget

HARRISBURG, PA (February 6, 2009)—The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center will host a conference call on Tuesday, February 10 at 11 a.m. with Pennsylvania bloggers to discuss Gov. Rendell’s state budget proposal and a new report from the center on state and local tax policy in Pennsylvania. If you plan to blog on state and local budget issues in the coming months, this call should be your starting point.

WHAT: A conference call on state tax and budget issues hosted by the Pa. Budget and Policy Center. The call will include an introduction to the center’s new publication,

The Common Good: What Pennsylvania’s Budget and Tax Policies Mean to You.

WHO: Sharon Ward, Director, and Michael Wood, Research Director
Pa. Budget and Policy Center

WHEN: Tuesday, February 10, 2009, 11:00 A.M.

DETAILS: Call 1-800-272-0950 and enter Passcode 607821 to access the conference call.

You can view a copy of The Common Good: What Pennsylvania’s Budget and Tax Policies Mean to You on the center’s Web site at http://www.pennbpc.org/pdf/PBPC_Tax_Primer_08.pdf and a three-page summary of the reports’ findings at http://www.pennbpc.org/pdf/PBPC_Tax_Primer_Summary.pdf.

Girls Swim Camp: June 15-19

If you can't go to Ak-o-mak, this might be a wonderful camp experience.

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Tuition is $300; register and pay in full by April 30 and tuition is $250.
The Cougar Swim Camp is an intensive training experience offered to young women in grades 7-10 who want to improve their stroke mechanics, start and turn technique, goal setting, pre-race preparation, nutrition and strength training. The camp will emphasize the “how” and the “why” of competitive swimming and incorporate water training, video analysis, lectures and a daily training table. Leading the camp will be Chatham University swim coach Michael Meyers, who began his coaching career while earning his masters degree at New Mexico State University and serving as assistant swimming and head water polo coach. As head coach at Peters Township High School, Coach Meyers’ swimmers earned 32 National High School All-American honors, as well as several WPIAL and PIAA High School records and a USS American record. An accomplished swimmer in his own right, Coach Meyers was a four-year NAIA All-American and All-WVIAC swimmer for West Liberty State College and was inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. Camp tuition will includes a t-shirt, a DVD of all the swimmers’ strokes, starts and turns, and a workbook to chart, measure and monitor their future progress.

Guys need not apply.

Follow-up questions for Natalia Rudiak

The Pittsburgh Comet: Interview: Natalia Rudiak: "Interview: Natalia Rudiak"

I have some big picture questions for Natalia Rudiak as follow up to what Bram delivered.

I agree that the city and its citizens need greater public knowledge about decisions being made. Hence, the flaw of cooperation and more communication between Act 47, the ICA, Council and the Mayor's office deals with the elimination of all OVERLORDS.

The citizens and people as well as accountability is all in the trunk, yet alone back seat, when there are OVERLORDS in the role of driver.

So, the way to fix that isn't with more memos. Rather, toss the OVERLORDS out of town. And do that AFTER cleaning up our own (Grant Street) house first.

So, the goals and expectations need to be self-governance. That requires self control.

We need to elect people to council, the controller's & mayor's office who are sick and tired of OVERLORDS calling the shots because of a history of folly making by those in the past (and sadly, the present as well).

Furthermore, the URA has a history. And, it isn't good either. I don't want to work closer with the URA. Rather, I want to do away with what doesn't work.

The URA is an AUTHORITY that does deals and makes decisions without public knowledge.

Does Natalia Rudiak want to expel the cronies and OVERLORDS, or be the one at the table with them herself?

Is a TRID (that she wants) really just a new name for more bureaucratic red tape without accountability? Is the TRID a thing to create and have a life of its own? Or, can we just have a shared vision and make Beechview into a more wonderful neighborhood with splendid transit assets?

USA Swimming Suspends Phelps For 3 Months - Sports News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

USA Swimming Suspends Phelps For 3 Months - Sports News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh 'There are a lot of people who have been in my shoes in other sports … and that's been a lot of help the last couple of days,' he said.

Still think it would have been great to have Santonio and Michael together in the parade on Tuesday. I would have pulled my kids out of school for that.

USA Swimming Suspends Phelps For 3 Months - Sports News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh ... the picture of the ... incident was taken during a November house party while Phelps was visiting the University of South Carolina.

Humm. I remember a November incident when at the University of South Carolina with swimmers that I was involved in. I was very happy that photos were not being taken. True story.

We swam a meet against the Gamecocks on our way to our Florida training trip. This was just before, on or after Thanksgiving. We departed our campus, Athens, Ohio -- home to the Ohio University Men's Swim Team -- in our custom green bus, the Magic Bus. The bus could sleep 24 or so in bunks. It had three types of heat, a head, roof rack, tow hitch and lots of comforts of home without any of the privacy.

Our incident didn't include any drugs nor alcohol. No way. We were not that dumb, even in the age before cameras in cell phones. I'm talking 1980 or 81, I think. Our team never had any brushes with drugs nor booze, if you don't count that time at Bush Gardens. But, that was nothing.

We all stayed in the bus, by design, over-night. The bus was parked next to the pool, plugged into the electricity via an extension from the building. The bus was our hotel while on the road. The Gamecock Natatorium was, for some, our hot tub, complete with jumps off the 10-meter tower. The campus was closed. No need for clothes. Cell phones weren't invented, thank goodness.

I stayed dry, and warm. Bundled even. No trouble came.

Moral of the story: Be on your best behavior in November in South Carolina. For some reason, that's a place where swimmers have been known to take a dip on the wild side.

From the CollegeSwimming message boards:

I thought Michael Phelps had the opportunity to bring swimming to another level, but it would appear that he is more interested in having fun with his fame rather than giving back. I don't have a problem with him wanting to do that, but wouldn't it be nice to try and grow the sport as one of the great athletes of all time.

Time will tell.

Benedum Foundation pledges $2.5 million to scholarships

Wow. Can't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Benedum Foundation pledges $2.5 million to scholarships 'We view the Pittsburgh Promise as an integral part of the school district's reform efforts to prepare all students for success in college and provide the means to make higher education possible,' said James Denova, Vice President of the Benedum Foundation, Downtown.

I view the Pittsburgh Promise as something different. I view it, well, how should I say, as something that is $2.5 million richer.

Cold Weather Alert

  Drip those sinks!