Commonwealth Foundation Acknowledges Rendell's Economic Policies Are Working | Commonwealth Foundation

Because it is still not midnight:

Commonwealth Foundation Acknowledges Rendell's Economic Policies Are Working | Commonwealth Foundation “We’ve been wrong. Gov. Rendell has proven that you can in fact stimulate the economy by increasing government spending and debt,” Brouillette said. “We thought raising taxes on working families, increasing the debt on our children, and spending taxpayers’ money faster than it comes in was a formula for failure. But the new data from BIG—one of Gov. Rendell’s favored “economic development” projects—reveal that Pennsylvania in fact has become the first state to ever tax, borrow and spend itself to prosperity.“

UPDATE: Lawrenceville Dog Park | Chris Lugo's Bloggy Blog

UPDATE: Lawrenceville Dog Park | Chris Lugo's Bloggy Blog: "NO JOKE! Here’s the skinny on the Lawrenceville Dog Park effort:

We are currently in the process of acquiring the support of our local elected officials and community development organizations. We will presenting our proposal to them in early April. With their support, we will then present our proposal to the City of Pittsburgh and the Urban Redevelopment Authority in mid-April. We plan to have a dedicated site by May.

Pittsburgh won't audit water authority debt deal

Pittsburgh won't audit water authority debt deal Pittsburgh City Council voted tentatively against commissioning an audit of a Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority debt deal today, denying Councilman Patrick Dowd the review he has sought of the $414 million borrowing.

The finance deal smelled bad when I first saw it. All authority dealings need to be put under a microscope. Hell, I'm in favor of getting rid of all the authorities. Liquidate them all.

Plus, a good way to put real accountability into the authorities is not to micromanage each deal. Rather, put some real democracy into the operation of the respective boards. All authority board members should have to face the citizens after being appointed and pass regular 'retention votes.'

The board members need to watch the authorities. Now, however, we've got goofy governance.

Patrick Dowd is a board member of the Water & Sewer Authority. He should insist that they audit themselves.

But most of all, when it comes to audit capacity and powers -- engage the city controller. Mike Lamb, my loyal opponent, used the word AUDIT every other sentence when he was running for office. Get the controller and Lamb to do the blasted audits. We can hold Lamb accountable for audits -- or not re-elect him.

If there is a lack of audits, and I bet that could be the case, as Dowd is trying to make, then blame Michael Lamb, the city's controller.

The job of City Council is NOT to run audits. No way. The job of council is to handle the purse strings and to write legislation.

If council wants to choke the authority -- do so with votes at the purse strings. Dowd didn't deploy his true power when he should and could have. Votes matter.

Hosts Mayoral Debate: E-Mail Your Questions

WPXI PITTSBURGH -- The race for Pittsburgh’s next mayor is an important one, and that’s why WPXI is hosting a debate for candidates running in the May 19 democratic primary.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Patrick Dowd and Carmen Robinson will be in the WPXI studios for a debate on Monday, April 6 at 7 p.m.

The debate, moderated by Channel 11 News anchor Darieth Chisolm, will air live on PCNC from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be rebroadcast later on WPXI.

Your input is crucial in this process, which is why we're asking for questions you’d like to ask the candidates. Please e-mail your questions to Webstaff@wpxi.com.

Your question may be one of the ones chosen to be asked during the live program.

Please include your name and the area where you live.

If you post your questions here, too, I might ask it when I see these folks with my video camera in my hand.

Where Have All the Republicans Gone? - Blogs - Slag Heap - Pittsburgh City Paper

Where Have All the Republicans Gone? - Blogs - Slag Heap - Pittsburgh City Paper: "Where Have All the Republicans Gone?

We tried. But, the Rs do NOT play well with others.

When I was an "R" in the city, kicking up rants about TIFs and such, I was floored when suburban GOPers came out with a plan for Pittsburgh and they didn't even talk to us in the city.

I switched then to Libertarian.

I've been much happier since.

I hated what G.W.Bush did to the nation and the world.

I love what Ron Paul said and still says.

Even Mark DeSantis did a horrid job at playing well with others. There were indie and "L" candidates on the ballot, doing TV Shows for & with HIM -- and he worked against himself and us. DeSantis was a failure at building opposition forces to the mindlessness of one-party domination in this town -- as has been James C. Roddey.

call to help with audit of phantom ballots

Please Help Complete our Audit of Phantom Ballots
This Friday April 3rd at the Division of Elections!

We will meet at the Division of Elections at 10 am!

What: Phantom ballots occur when more eBallots are cast than
voter's signed in to vote on the touchscreen voting machines.

Where: The Allegheny County Division of Elections
6th floor of the County Office Building,
542 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

When: 10 am to 2:00 pm (Should only take about 2.5 hours with 6 volunteers)
How: Simple and fun! Follow the link to see how its done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRtsKF4Ox2c


(We ain't April Foolin'! - 16% of the precincts have phantom ballots!)

Richard King, Ph.D.
kinggaines -at- comcast -dot- net

The Pitt News - Minority graduation rates lagging

Not a joke.

The Pitt News - Minority graduation rates lagging: "Minority graduation rates lagging"

Becky Reiser Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Graduation rates for Pitt’s minority students are almost 20 percent lower than those for white students. But Pitt isn’t the only school in the state experiencing this trend, which experts say traces back to grade school.

Information compiled by the state Department of Higher Education indicates that in 2007, the graduation rate, which measures the proportion of students who graduate within six years, for black students attending Pitt and its satellite campuses was 43.8 percent, while Pitt’s non-minority graduation rate was 62.3 percent.

Marilyn Barnett, an educational consultant and chairperson of the education committee for the NAACP of Pittsburgh, said that the disparity of graduation rates stems from problems in education beginning at the kindergarten level.

"The education gap causes polarization and low graduation rates," said Barnett.

Ishioma Opia, a member of the African Student Organization and the Black Action Society who will graduate this month, said she’s seen glimpses of this.

When the minority graduation rates are lower, she said, "It’s not because the classes are too hard. Some students don’t make it for financial reasons or because they transfer out."

Barnett said she believes the philosophy driving education is flawed. Most universities, she said, don’t spend enough time discussing ways to education people from all backgrounds in their classes.

"Teachers tell me they teach without seeing color — but they should see color!" said Barnett. "There is no effort to make students feel welcome. There is no diverse faculty, no history of all cultures. This turns kids off early, and you can see this as early as fourth grade."

Barnett described the "horn effect," which is when underrepresented groups’ grades decrease while other people’s grades increase.

The solution, she said, is to hire teachers who care and will hold their students to high standards. This strategy has prompted an increase in minority enrollment at private and charter schools.

Opia said that college students often face a different set of challenges than grade-schoolers and thinks part of the reason the minority graduation rates are low is because students tend to change their course of study.

"Students end up switching majors as juniors to try and secure a future," said Opia. They might realize that their field isn’t lucrative.

Job placement also causes students to strive for more degrees to become more appealing in the job market.

Opia is completing a major in rehabilitation science and two certificates, one in West European studies with a concentration in Spanish and one of pathokinesiology in rehabilitation.

"I have friends completing like, five majors so they can get a job," said Opia.

Barnett suggested that students would be more likely to graduate within six years if they are aware of the challenges they face.

"Under-represented groups need to understand their history, like civil rights," said Barnett. "There needs to be a psychological change in their minds to understand the social and political impact of civil rights."

Barnett said students shouldn’t use the struggle for equality as an excuse for delaying graduation or failing. Rather, they should use it to motivate themselves.

"People do overcome those models," she said, referring to Pitt’s statistics.

Some have said that the Pittsburgh Promise is but a bad April Fools Joke as too many of our kids that do go to college are not well prepared and are dropping out. So sad.

1million poured into new local swimming pool : Nottingham City Council

1million poured into new local swimming pool : Nottingham City Council: "This boost for local swimmers comes as the Government announces that free swimming for everyone aged 16 and under or 60 and over is to be extended from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2011. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is providing 140m to fund the nationwide free swimming programme, which will be available at all eight of Nottingham City Council's pools. Proof of age (which could include a Citycard or Leisure Card) will be required.

The Brits are going to be hard to beat in 2012 Olympics.

City to get less aid from local nonprofits

This plan of begging with the nonprofits was always a bad idea. Talk about pay to play! My solution is still pending.

City to get less aid from local nonprofits: "The City of Pittsburgh will get less aid from local nonprofit organizations than it did in recent years under a payment schedule submitted to City Council yesterday,

The city should do a complete inventory of all land owned by the nonprofits. Then the gross amount of nonprofit land should be reduced year by year.

Pittsburgh should call for and implement, in a cooperative way, a moratorium on all land expansion from the nonprofit sector. If the nonprofits want to expand, they should grow upwards. Or else, the nonprofits can rent from a tax paying owner.

County Announces Plans To Build Taxpayer-Funded Professional Wrestling Arena

Allegheny County authorities, along with the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA), announced today that a new, publicly-funded professional wrestling arena will be built in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood.

Persons close to the negotiations revealed that the $4.1 million structure will be erected next door to the Lawrenceville Moose at 120 51st Street.

Real estate taxes will also be excused as part of the deal for five years, according to county authorities. The tax abatement is a part of an economic stimulus plan to encourage small business growth.

Industry insiders call the deal revolutionary, especially since it falls on the heels of the Mickey Rourke-Oscar nominated, “The Wrestler.”

Landon Mark, real estate liaison for the county, says that breaking ground on the multi-million dollar experiment will occur within a few months. “Next to building the new hockey arena, and with the possible exception of a NASCAR track in the Hays neighborhood, this is simply the biggest, best news for the region in these tough times,” added Mark.

Funding will be made possible through money from the current Regional Asset District (RAD) budget. There is also talk of siphoning from a proposed half-cent “sin tax” increase on cigarettes to assist with overruns. Authorities say that naming rights is also a possibility.

Organizers and promoters with the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance expressed gratitude and applauded the decision. “The region has been a hot-bed for professional wrestling and this beautiful arena will be the crown jewel of the industry,” said Francis Gotch, senior vice president of real estate development.

Originally a warehouse, the future KSWA Arena will sport a glitzy outdoor waterfall, a parking garage for 200 cars, and a chain restaurant called HEADLOCKS.

La Lucha, a Mexican immigrant who has become one of the KSWA's most celebrated Megastars—and a former World Champion—will be on hand for an official announcement soon.

Special tax incentives will also be given to KSWA stockholders as part of the plan. The arena is expected to create dozens of jobs and should be open April 1, 2011.

Patrick Dowd talks about tip of iceberg with garbage cans

Updated with video, inserted below:


Patrick Dowd came to my neighborhood today to talk about the cost of garbage cans, again. He put a price tag on the one at 11th and East Carson Street, $1,010.

The inflated price of garbage cans is but the tip of the iceberg, so he said. Jeepers. Why talk about the tip of the iceberg? I want a candidate that is going to address much more than the pimples of life.

More to come.

I asked a few questions too.

Dowd claims Pittsburgh wasted $20 million: "Councilman Patrick Dowd outlined what he called $20.2 million in 'wasteful spending' by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's administration today -- almost all of it associated with a water authority debt deal -- and repeated his call for changes in how the city spends money."

To me, the irony of it all is what is NOT able to be seen. Putting a price tag on a garbage can is a ploy and it is a dumb ploy. It doesn't resonate with anything as it isn't really a huge deal in the bigger picture of life.

I don't want to spend money on a business district period -- trash cans or otherwise. Does he want to replace the spending on trash cans spent for a business district and get cheaper cans? Let's not just re-arrange chairs on the deck of the Titanic.

The real waste is government is the wasted capacity.

We don't have programs in the parks because we have too many dogs that have taken over the parks -- and too much red tape to get things done with volunteers.

I told Patrick that the biggest waste in the South Side was the closed, indoor ice rink that sits in a park that is behind a padlocked gate. The park is closed for the most part. The rink has been closed for five years. There is only one indoor ice rink in the city and that is the Civic Arena -- a place that is slated for the wrecking ball. The Pens get a new arena -- but our kids don't have a place to play. So, people move out of the city. Families move out of the city.

And Patrick was in charge of the parks committee for the past two years. Nothing got done with parks on his watch. Nothing due to his watch.

Furthermore the school district is no great model for reduction of wasteful spending. In contracts alone, the taxpayers paid out big bucks for Dr. Lynn Spampinato. She vacated her office at the PPS and went to US Virgin Islands with plenty of additional paydays and a golden parachute.

The school district fired Dr. John Thompson six months before his contract was to expire. I had no problems with the district telling Dr. Thompson his time with the district was finished, at the end of his contract. But, it made no sense in a prudent financial sense to release him of his contract before his work was finished. I hate to see folks getting paid for not working.

Government waste = Lynn Spampinato.

How much did she cost PPS?



Update on April 2:
Strings attached! Photograher asks, shouldn't Bruce Kraus write an ordinance about this?

Worse than being a Pitt fan is...

The only thing worse than being a Pitt fan tonight is being a Pitt fan and living in Philly.

Come on home. We'll leave a light on for you.

Lewis, Clark and Dog from Pittsburgh, Seaman

The Phillips Elem School Think-a-thon team goes into its competition today at Brashear High School.

Meanwhile, I'm going with the Chatham University women water polo players to Erie for three matches.

Updated w photo.

Pittsburgh approves first round of surveillance cameras

Pittsburgh approves first round of surveillance cameras: "Ending a 21-month selection process, the city of Pittsburgh today announced it has picked Maryland-based Avrio Group to deploy a network of public safety surveillance cameras, starting along riverfronts and extending into high-crime areas.

If they are going to point cameras into high crime areas, then there will be a lot along Grant Street, inside the buildings and among the Authorities too.

I want to point the cameras at the public officials before they are pointed at the citizens.

Great Re-Cap of the win over the X-Men

Pitt Blather — The Rantings Continue Permalink » Survive and Advance Talk about rewriting a legacy in half-a-minute.

As great as Levance Fields has been for Pitt, the senior was hardly anything special for 39 minutes. He had 9 points, 6 assists and 3 turnovers. He probably should have had more turnovers. He shot 3-9 at that point. Only 2-5 on free throws. He just had not come up with much in the most important game of his career. It looked like he would go down small and his team would join yet another Pitt squad that couldn’t break that barrier of winning a third game in the NCAA Tournament.

Then. Then. Then it all changed. Drilling a 3 with under a minute. Deep. Hand in the face. A “NO.NONONONONONONO! YES!!!!!” moment. After that coming up with a steal when Blair poked it lose and racing like he never raced before to the other end with a lay-in. Wow.

Nothing about this game was pretty. I do not understand what is wrong with Pitt in the first half. Whether it is playing too tentative because they don’t know how the game will be officiated. Whether it is overconfidence. Whether it is tightness. Obviously, Coach Dixon has been reaching them at halftime.

Still, it was ugly. Credit also has to go to Xavier for playing that hard and tough against Pitt. They also do well in this type of game and clearly it was their game as well.

Ultimately Pitt did enough. Pitt was tough enough. Physically and mentally. Never gave up. Never stopped.

Now this Pitt team gets to keep playing.

My reply:

Pitt wins if it can do three things. Really, only one, but I'll cover all the bases.

First, Pitt needs to take care of the ball. At times the team can't even make an in-bound pass.

Second, Pitt needs to get the rebounds. Tip it, swipe it, swat it -- whatever -- except have the ball hit you when your standing off the court.

Third, Pitt needs to score more points. I'll take #3 any time over 1 & 2. As long as Pitt scores more points, any way, any how, -- I'll be happy. Older of course, but happy and grey.

THESE BASTARDS: Culture under siege

THESE BASTARDS: Culture under siege Et tu, boy mayor? Must you treat us like lowly Morgantown dwellers? I'll bet this solves everything. No more fires. Nothing else in Oakland is flammable.

An era is ending. No more sitting on the porch discussing literature getting shit faced and skipping class. Now people will have to steal lawn furniture or milk crates and sit on those. They will have to defend and protect these new sitting implements from theft. This flies in the face of the whole dirty porch couch concept: that no one in their right mind would ever try to steal one.

City's lack of glitz now a selling point for conventions

Re-branding?

City's lack of glitz now a selling point for conventions VisitPittsburgh is now marketing the city as a glamorless destination for the post-luxury age.

I've been saying and wishing others would promote that Pittsburgh is a great place to be frugal -- and for living as a family. The combination of the two are slam dunks for most and better than what they've ever come up with.

Getting the casino means some new business. But, it also means others won't come. The net effect is marginal at best.

So, only VisitPittsburgh would begin to bill the city as less than glamorless a few months before the casino opens. Go figure. The timing is wrong again.

When one does organize an event, it is a draw to have a city that can function yet not distract those who attend. This means that the conference attendees go to the trade show, attend the lectures, have time to socialize among themselves in the profession. That's an ideal world for event organizers. Especially if the family of those attending can hook a trip too and have sideline activities -- like Kennywood, Sandcastle, Warhol, Science Center, and so forth.

One Dollar DVD Project Is No Longer... a one man operation.

Better than NetFlicks, sorta.

...no longer a one-man operation, that is.

Two assistants help get the orders out, now. I suppose it is a good thing the project is too much for me alone.

The DVDs are still a dollar each when purchased in bulk (over $100). Otherwise, they are now two dollars each.

http://www.onedollardvdproject.com/DVD-new/Order.html

Do not blame inflation, I am no longer able to do it all, at my age. Some will be bummed, sorry.

Smaller orders will be more costly. If regular, repeat buyers will order less often and buy more per order, little will change for them. Besides, why give the Post Office all the shipping charges, anyway?

Please, buy a box full ever so often and help this project continue to grow.

Also, a new Recurring Subscription Project is available. Receive monthly deliveries of the most popular or newest DVDs; four DVDs a month for only $9.95 or, nine a month for only $19.95. You will receive more than one copy so, pass the extras along to friends and neighbors after viewing.

Again, thank you all who work the front lines of the info war. Please, just consider me part of your support team.

Ron

http://www.onedollardvdproject.com

Pittsburgh Crosswalk Injuries Hit Five Year High - Target 11 News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh

I care about pedestrian Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Crosswalk Injuries Hit Five Year High - Target 11 News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh: "'The problem with that area is it's a straightaway and people are leaving town and there just aren't enough traffic signals there to slow the traffic down,' said Hal Waldman, Price's attorney.

But, traffic lights are not the tool for slowing down traffic. Same too for STOP signs. Traffic lights are for taking turns. STOP signs are for stopping.

Slow down traffic with speed limits and enforcement.

Pittsburgh would be wise to build dozens, if not dozens of dozens pedestrian bridges and walkways -- away, above, below and apart from the traffic on the street.

Pitt prepares for possible NCAA riots - College Basketball - Rivals.com

Yes.

Pitt prepares for possible NCAA riots - College Basketball - Rivals.com: "Dave Jedlicka, president of the Oakland Zoo and a member of the Celebration Task Force, said he thought any student linked to destructive activity should be immediately expelled.