I don't call this reform.

Hard hitting letter to the editor about school district.

P-G LTE: You call this reform?
The Pittsburgh school district needs to be more responsive
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
By Kathryn Fine

Four years ago, the Pittsburgh Public School Schools hired Superintendent Mark Roosevelt to navigate the district through the murky waters of No Child Left Behind, declining enrollment, underused facilities, budget deficits and a racial achievement gap through which you could drive a yellow school bus. While progress has been made toward some of these goals, real success will take the support of every part of the Pittsburgh community: parents, students, teachers, administration and school board.

Parents United for Responsible Educational Reform (PURE Reform) was started last summer by parents and city residents concerned that not enough information was reaching school district stakeholders. We aimed to serve as a clearinghouse for information through our Web site and to provide the opportunity for dialogue on our blog.

PURE Reform grew from the "Save Schenley" movement but now is focused on districtwide reform. Two issues reach into every part of the reform process: community buy-in and transparency.

Community buy-in

Mr. Roosevelt has proposed a myriad of large-scale changes during his tenure. Successful implementation of such changes must be accompanied by stakeholder buy-in. Yet efforts to meaningfully engage communities have been conspicuously absent.

• Sweeping plans were made to create smaller, 6th-to-12th grade, themed schools without community input about the right balance with comprehensive neighborhood schools, the geographic distribution of various types of schools and the impact of these changes on sports and extracurricular activities. Thus, most of the East End may be left without a full-service, comprehensive high school.

• When the merger of the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts with Rogers CAPA Middle School was proposed, the CAPA community, including the committee that was appointed by the superintendent, strongly argued against the move, citing concrete examples of how it would be detrimental to these two model performing arts schools. These stakeholders were ignored.

• Schenley stakeholders raised concerns about the dramatic decrease in diversity that would result from creating the University Prep and International Baccalaureate high schools, only to have their concerns dismissed.

• Many parents and teachers voiced opposition to a policy that allows no grades below 50 percent, which encourages mediocrity and artificially pumps up graduation rates, to no avail.

• A committee formed to select a site for the International Baccalaureate program that was displaced when Schenley was closed did not have a single member from the four schools being considered. Subsequently, Peabody and Westinghouse stakeholders formed committees to discuss the fate of their schools. This would seem to indicate that the district administration was taking its planning process to the streets, but these groups resulted from the community responding to district initiatives that had already set the dominoes tumbling, leaving few options left on the table.

• A year after the school district closed South Vo-Tech, the superintendent pledged to create a new site for the Career and Technologies Education Program. Four years later, there is still no commitment to fulfill this promise.

Transparency

Transparency is another essential component for successfully implementing far-reaching reforms. The current reform process is rife with examples of how the administration has been less than forthright:

• The Pittsburgh Public Schools contracted with Community Education Partners, a private firm that specializes in educating troubled students, for more than $5 million per year despite the fact that CEP has a track record of running what The Nation magazine has called "soft prisons" in other major cities. When PURE Reform requested information regarding performance evaluations for this organization and its facility here, the district stated that no written record of any assessment exists.

• The district administration has touted the University of Pittsburgh's involvement with the University Prep High School as a key to this school's success. To date, the exact nature of this collaboration has not been clearly articulated.

• When the superintendent recommended closing Schenley High School, substantial information was presented that countered the district's claims regarding the school's renovation needs and associated costs. The administration stymied resistance to the closure by including in its propaganda a $76 million-plus renovation figure, which was far more than needed to make the school safe for at least 30 years. The district's own experts, backed up by a committee of community professionals, estimated a $40 million renovation cost. Recent developments, such as information on inconsistencies in asbestos maintenance in the schools and the receipt of $55 million or more over two years in federal stimulus money for "shovel ready," bricks-and-mortar projects, should make revisiting the Schenley closure a real possibility.

PURE Reform is dedicated to the improvement of all of our public schools and wants desperately for public school reform to succeed. We understand that extensive changes are needed but will not accept change for change's sake. Excellent ideas are nothing without credible and efficient implementation.

We certainly do not claim to have all of the answers. We are simply asking for a comprehensive, transparent and truly inclusive reform process. It is now up to the Pittsburgh Public Schools administration to listen.

Kathryn Fine is a co-founder of PURE Reform and lives in Highland Park (www.purereform.com).

I love how the Vo Tech issue was mentioned in the wake of closing of South Vo Tech.

I've enjoyed the PURE Reform blog and the discussions there in the past year.

Faison among 6 feted by Rendells for inspiring lives - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Hat tip:

Faison among 6 feted by Rendells for inspiring lives - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Faison among 6 feted by Rendells for inspiring lives

Casino operators favor adding table games in Pa.

Casino operators favor adding table games in Pa.: "Yes to table games at state casinos, but no to video poker machines in thousands of bars and clubs statewide.

In PA, we sold the rights forever (sadly) for slots parlors to open in a limited way spread around the state.

If they want to have table games, then we must counter with two important conditions.

First, the cost isn't $50-million for table games. The cost is $400-million or more. Put it for bid with a $400-million minimum.

Second, the terms of the license for table games expires in 9 years. And, the term for the slots license expires as well, in 18 years.

Then, the slots and table game licenses can be re-newed in the future or not, based on the wishes of our the generations yet to come.

Talking debates

I posted at another blog:

The debates are not for the candidates. Rather, they are for the ideas and for the sake of democracy.

If you don't use it -- you loose it. Our shared democracy and process of electing people hangs by a thread. When and if that system tumbles, then there is blood (more blood) on the streets.

The steal, take, bully mentality of entitlement is expressed in the deeds of hosting and participating in candidate debates. Is Pittsburgh the place where the gulf grows or shrinks between those that have and others that have not. That is what is at stake. Grow the gap or shrink it. Be fair, or be flip. Be accountable -- or be a king of a less human, less American, dying burgh.

I think Luke, Carmen and Patrick -- and Mr. Aklin too, will do plenty of debates and appearances if the public demands it and sets the stage. None have a monopoly on ideas. Each will contribute. We all will prosper if the system is robust.

Twitter hits the 'thought leader' crowd

Twitter hits the 'thought leader' crowd Twitter hits the 'thought leader' crowd Tuesday, February 24, 2009
By Mackenzie Carpenter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Twitter: It's not just for earthquakes anymore.

Follow me at http://Twitter.com/rauterkus.

Mackenzie just did.

Too bad there are few "thought leaders" on Grant Street. See my tweets to the left of my blog as well. But, I put more onto twitter than on this blog, in recent times. The two work in tandem. Tidbits onto twitter.

Voters Choice Act -- introducd again to PA Senate

From Michael J. "Mik" Robertson, Chair, Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania

Dear Friend of Liberty,

State Senator Mike Folmer has re-introduced the Voters Choice Act as senate bill (SB) 252, the current version of which is printer number (PN) 262. This bill would change the definition of a minor political party in Pennsylvania and reduce ballot access restrictions for minor party and independent candidates.

Current election law places significant restrictions on placement of candidate names on the general election ballot, resulting in limited and often no choice for voters in November elections. Last year, about half of the races for state representative had only one name on the ballot. Several state Senate and even US Congress races also had only one name on the ballot for voters.

Limiting choices on the ballot is not healthy for the electoral process and can lead to government representing special interests over the interests of the citizens. It is true that Pennsylvanians can write-in a choice at the ballot. Unfortunately, quite often write-in votes are not reported or recorded in official vote results. We need this change to help Pennsylvania voters keep control of their government.

The following Senators are co-sponsors of the bill:

Pat Browne
Mary Jo White
Lisa Baker
Jeffrey Piccola
Rob Wonderling
Jane Earl
Jim Ferlo
Lisa Boscola

If your state Senator is not a co-sponsor, please contact them and ask them to support this important legislation for Pennsylvania voters. You can find you state representatives by clicking on the "Find Members By' button in the upper right here:

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/

The Voters Choice Act was referred to the State Government Committee on February 19, 2009. The members of this commmittee are:

Charles McIlhinney, Jr. (Chair)
Mike Folmer (Vice Chair)
Anthony Williams (Minority Chair)
Joseph Scarnati, III (ex-officio)
Michael Brubaker, Jake Corman, John Pippy, Donald White (majority members)
Andrew Dinniman, Christine Tartalione, Leanna Washington (minority members)

If you state Senator is on the committee, please make a special effort to contact them and ask for their support. With your help, we can change the way our commonwealth is governed and put citizens back in control. Thank you for your support!

Cancel Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy

From a Facebook group of the same name.

President Obama just signed a $787 BILLION stimulus package on top of Bush's grossly mismanaged $700 BILLION TARP bailout from last September. While many parts of the stimulus bill will act to stimulate the economy, many parts of it simply won't. Tax rebate checks DO NOT stimulate the economy - history shows that people either spend such rebates on paying off credit card debt, or they simply save them, doing little to nothing to stimulate the economy.

The Wall Street financial institutions, auto manufacturers and countless other irresponsible actors have received BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars to bail them out of their self-created mess. This, too, does nothing to stimulate the economy. It merely rewards bad behavior and does nothing to encourage institutional change. There is a better way.

How many times have we heard from our leaders in Washington that education is the key to solving all of our underlying societal problems? The so-called "Silver Bullet." For decades, Presidents, Senators and Members of Congress have touted themselves as champions of education, yet they've done nothing to actually encourage the pursuit of one on an individual level.

Some of us have taken advantage of Federal Stafford Loans and other programs to finance higher education, presumably with the understanding that an advanced degree equates with higher earning power in the future. Many of us go into public service after attaining such degrees, something that's also repeatedly proclaimed as something society should encourage. Yet, the debt we've accrued to obtain such degrees have crippled our ability to reap the benefits of our educations, causing many to make the unfortunate choice of leaving public service so as to earn enough money to pay off that debt.

Our economy is in the tank. There isn't an economist alive who doesn't believe that the economy needs stimulating immediately. The only debate now centers on how to go about doing it. While the new stimulus plan contains some worthy provisions, very little of it will have a significant and immediate stimulating effect on the economy. The Obama Administration itself doesn't expect to see a upsurge in the economy until mid-to-late 2010.

Instead of funneling billions, if not TRILLIONS of additional dollars to banks, financial institutions, insurance companies and other institutions of greed that are responsible for the current economic crisis, why not allow educated, hardworking, middle-class Americans to get something in return? After all, they're our tax dollars too!

Forgiving student loan debt would have an IMMEDIATE stimulating effect on the economy. Responsible people who did nothing other than pursue a higher education would have hundreds, if not thousands of extra dollars per month to spend, fueling the economy NOW. Those extra dollars being pumped into the economy would have a multiplying effect, unlike many of the provisions of the plan presently under consideration. As a result, tax revenues would go up, the credit markets will unfreeze and jobs will be created.

Let me be clear. This is NOT about a free ride. This is about a new approach to economic stimulus, nothing more. To those who would argue that this proposal would cause the banking system to collapse or make student loans unavailable to future borrowers, please allow me to respond.

I am in no way suggesting that the lending institutions who manage such debts get legislatively shafted by having these assets wiped from their books. The banks and other financial institutions are going to get their money regardless because, in addition to the $700 TARP bailout, more bailout money is coming their way (stay tuned!) - this proposal merely suggests that educated, hardworking Americans who are saddled with student loan debt should get something in return, rather than sending those institutions another enormous blank check. Because the banks will receive their money anyway, there would be no danger of making funds unavailable to future borrowers.

The new Obama Administration is supposed to be about change. Nothing in the new economic stimulus package represents a significant departure from the way Washington has always operated - it's merely a different set of priorities on a higher scale, but it's certainly not materially different from any other economic stimulus package passed during the past few decades.

Washington cannot simply print and borrow money to get us out of this crisis. We The People, however, can get this economy moving NOW. All we need is relief from debt that was accrued under the now-false promise that higher education equates with higher earnings.

Free us of our obligations to repay Federal Stafford Loans and WE, the educated, hardworking, middle-class Americans who drive this economy will spend those extra dollars NOW.

If you believe that there's a better way of climbing out of this economic crisis, one that empowers us to directly spend money, start businesses, free up credit and create jobs, then please join this group and encourage others to do so as well.

There's strength in numbers - the more people to join this group, the louder our voices and the greater the chances of being heard by President Obama and Congress.

I'm sure Harvard would love this plan. More news.

W&J: Game Summaries

Local athletes playing DIII hoops, and doing it well.

W & J Game Summaries Senior guards Lindsey Hyre (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) {right} and Veronica Kust (Oakmont, Pa./Riverview) both posted career-high scoring performances on Senior Day for the Washington & Jefferson College women’s basketball team during a 93-77 PAC victory over Bethany on Saturday afternoon in the Henry Memorial Center.

Hyre finished the game with a career-best 13 points, while Kust collected 14 of her career-high 17 points in the first half.

With the win, the current W&J senior class comprised of senior forward Emily Hays (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman), Hyre and Kust now have 87 wins to become the most successful class in the W&J women’s basketball history. The senior classes of 2006 and 2008 both accumulated 86 career wins.

Pittsburgh Steelers Wiki

Pittsburgh Steelers Wiki: "Pittsburgh Steelers Wiki"

Personal Organization

Personal Organization: "During this depression try to maintain your membership of clubs and community organizations. Don't allow yourself to become isolated. Maintain and build your relationships with other people. Try to find things that you can do together that are useful. Online networking is also a useful way to connect yourself to the world of ideas and to possible help and assistance.

My political litmus test: Subsidize a North Shore amphitheater?

My political litmus test: Subsidize a North Shore amphitheater?: "But Mr. Dowd was careful to say that the Rooneys, owners of the Steelers, were looking to breathe life into an area that had been nothing but a sea of asphalt for decades and 'to the extent we can laud that, I want to laud that.'

The Rooney family has been the reason why the North Side is mostly for surface parking spaces. They are to blame! They had the rights to develop the space around the stadium and the fumbled year in and year out.

The Rooney family should buy Heinz Field. If they want to hold concerts -- hold them in Heinz Field.

Sure, smaller end-zone concerts can be held in Heinz Field. Stages can be set to entertain only one side of the grandstand too. The Great Hall is under utilized.

Sell Heinz Field to the Steelers. The development deals have expired. If the Steelers want to put life somewhere -- they should do it with the stadium spaces, not new spaces.

Where is Forrest Gump?

Check out this photo.

You can zoom in too.

Divsion I Cap Relief - Could Division III Be Next

CollegeSwimming.com::Divsion I Cap Relief - Could Division III Be Next: "The NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Committee met via conference call Monday, February 9, to discuss the potential effects of the technical swimsuit on the competitor caps for the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.

Erik, 54.32, 100 free and wins BB Champs with AA time

Proud dad moment:



Wow. This is great.

Tour of Pittsburgh Peabody: 6 pm on Monday, March 2, 2009

Yes We Can!

This is an exciting time for Pittsburgh Peabody Stakeholders Committee.

As part of the process, Bloomfield Garfield Corporation has requested a tour of the Pittsburgh Peabody campus. The expected tour will include an inspection of the entire facility including areas of the building such as the auditorium, swimming pool, gymnasium, and computer labs. Below you’ll find a copy of the request.

We seek the committee’s full participation in this process. Please RSVP by 5:00 pm on Friday, February 27, 2009 by e-mail at cecilydmrandolph@aol.com or calling the office at (412)441-9833.

Sincerely,
Cecily D. Randolph, BCG MSW Intern

UPDATE ON FUTURE EVENTS:
The BCG has requested a representative from Senator Arlen Specter’s provide a review of the federal stimulus package. The discussion will include information concerning additional school district funding. The presentation date and time will be announced.

School board member to kick off council campaign

School board member to kick off council campaign Pittsburgh School Board member Mark Brentley will launch a repeat bid for Pittsburgh City Council tomorrow at noon at the Manchester Citizens Corp. at 1319 Allegheny Ave.

A board member for 10 years, Mr. Brentley, 52 and of the Central North Side, last ran for council in 2005, taking 15 percent of the vote and losing to Tonya Payne, who ousted Sala Udin. This time he faces Ms. Payne, 44, and Daniel Lavelle, 31, both of the Hill District, in the May 19 Democratic primary.

Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania supports government diet

Libertarian Party of PA calls on Harrisburg to adopt spending cuts cited by the Commonwealth Foundation

Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania
3915 Union Deposit Road #223
Harrisburg, PA 17109
www.lppa.org

For Immediate Release: February 19, 2009

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

The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (LPPa) today praised the work of the Commonwealth Foundation and endorsed their call for Ed Rendell and the state legislature to adopt the $5 billion in spending cuts identified in their report released last week “Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009.” (http://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/docs/SpendingTips2009.pdf)

Ed Rendell has increased spending more than 35% since taking office in January 2003. Due to the administration’s spending habits, Pennsylvania ranks as the 11th worst state in state and local tax burden. Pennsylvania ranks 40th in job growth and 40th in personal income among the 50 states.

To make matters worse, according to the Governor’s website http://www.governor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?, we are facing a potential $2.3 billion shortfall for 2008-2009 for which the Governor is hoping for a $1 billion federal bailout to address.

“Harrisburg cannot spend its way to prosperity for Pennsylvania,” stated LPPa Media Relations Chair, Doug Leard. “The Governor and the Assembly should take a serious look at adopting the well thought out recommendations of the Commonwealth Foundation.”

In the report, the Commonwealth Foundation identifies three categories of savings. First, the report identifies over $1.7 billion in potential savings in corporate welfare. Examples include sports stadium financing, subsidizing Hollywood, bailing out Boscov and using tax funds to build an airport (which cargo carriers have expressed no interest in using and in which key players are facing criminal accusations).

Second, the report identifies over $2.5 billion in savings by eliminating government-provided goods that compete directly with private enterprises. For example, in almost all states, the distribution and sale of liquor has been turned over to the private sector.

As another example, other states have received a far better return on taxpayer dollars by leasing their turnpike to a private operator. The PA Turnpike Commission has become a haven of political patronage and nepotism. The PTC increased tolls 25% in January and is racking up massive amounts of debt.

Finally, the report identified almost $700 million in savings by eliminating expenses that work to the detriment of citizens, for the benefit of government officials or reward the misuse of tax dollars. For example, legislative bodies have racked up millions of dollars in legal fees protecting those involved in Bonusgate (which involved misspent millions of taxpayer dollars). Another example involves Governor Rendell hiring his former law form for a $1.8 million no-bid contract to work on the failed Turnpike lease despite hundreds of attorneys already being employed by the state.

Michael Robertson, LPPa State Chair, commented “Unless the spending by the commonwealth can be brought under control, the business climate and ultimately the quality of life in Pennsylvania will deteriorate. The General Assembly and the Governor should learn the lessons from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia that bigger is not better when it comes to sound fiscal policy.”

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.

Dowd officially enters race for mayor

Hope.

Should, could. would....

Dowd officially enters race for mayorMs. Robinson welcomed his entry. 'At the very minimum, hopefully we can get a healthy debate among all three of us.'

Carmen should rip the points of Dowd and Ravenstahl to bits. Start that debate herself.

Getting the debate is not going to be easy.

Who is hosting debates? Work on yours -- people.

If your organization can't host a debate, call another and offer to co-host or else bring your people to their event. These events need to be planned now.

Debates in front of video cameras are also worthy. You don't need a fancy hall and Jon Delano for goodness sakes.

Golly. Dowd should step it up.

Don't strip the URA of its planning capacity. Rather, liquidate the URA. Strip the URA of its life. The URA is the problem too. Take it down. Then, if necessary, in the second term, re-build a better, different, agency within the context of accountable government.

Don't ask, "Where it the mayor?" Rather, tell those who will listen exactly that the mayor didn't show up and was instead doing XYZ.

I think the city could exist without ANY no bid contracts -- from campaign donors and everyone else.

If the planning efforts of Pittsburgh are suffering from decentralization -- does that mean he'll offer central planning? I rather enjoy organic planning and planning with freedoms in mind.

Do not "scale back the use of tax incentives to entice developers," when ending all tax incentives would work better. The tax incentive should be universal -- as in the land value tax. That's real incentive to invest in the city/region.

Swimming New Zealand Update on Swimsuit Regulations for Competitions

To SNZ Membership

We have been receiving a number of queries recently in regard to the regulations for swimsuits used in Age Group competitions. We are aware that some countries have introduced new regulations restricting the type of swimsuits that may be worn by Age Group swimmers.

Please note that Swimming New Zealand will not be making any changes to its regulations at this time.

FINA is currently considering new regulations in respect to swimsuits and has scheduled a meeting in Lausanne on February 20, 2009 inviting the swimwear manufacturers and the representatives of the FINA Technical Swimming Committee as well as FINA Athletes, Coaches and Legal Commissions to discuss the issues.

The recommendations from this meeting will be considered at the FINA Bureau meeting being held from March 12-14, 2009 in Dubai.

Once FINA publish their final rulings from this meeting, we will advise all our membership through our Website/Regions.

Mike Byrne, CEO, Swimming New Zealand