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| From Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events |
Excessive Cola Consumption Can Lead To Super-sized Muscle Problems, Warn Doctors The authors argue that in an era when portion sizes are becoming bigger and bigger, the excessive consumption of cola products has real public health implications.My drug had been the boxed iced tea. I drank a lot of that and did serious damage to myself. Now I can't take any of it or I get sick. Not good.
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| From Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events |
Peduto proposes panel to oversee city's stimulus spending - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Peduto proposes panel to oversee city's stimulus spendingBill wants another group to do his job perhaps.
Middle schools targeted in obesity fight: "Middle schools targeted in obesity fight
Grants available to help kids maintain daily physical activity"
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| From Beijing - sports play |
Congratulations to Ms. McKrell, cast, crew, pit, parents, and all personnel who participated in this year's musical on winning the Kelly award for Best Musical in Budget I, best ensemble, and best all-student orchestra. The show was amazing!The boys volleyball team at Schenley didn't pull an upset over Penn Hills.
Public Hearing: Pittsburgh City Council: Friday, May 29, 2009 - 10:00 A.M.Pittsburgh shrinks some more with this.
Public Hearing - Bill No. 2009-1133 - Resolution providing for a professional services agreement or agreements with The Three Rivers Youth Shelter for the purpose of ongoing professional services related to the Youth Curfew Center and providing for the cost thereof. Cost not to exceed $500,000.00.
Looking for 15-20 Football Players/Athletes....June 6th and 7th
I need 15-20 High school (Jr/Sr), NCAA Players or area football coaches for a camp June 6th and 7th at Robert Morris University. You will be assisting NFL coaches and players from Football University. You will be considered a "Football Operations Assistant" and it is ALL volunteer. Sorry. Free lunch though. Good stuff.
You will be assistants to the likes of Ed McCaffery, Andre Rison, Blair Thomas, Lorenzo White, Levon Kirkland, Lavar Arrington, Mike Kruczek, Greg Briner, Perry Williams, Shawen Moore, Jeff Burress, Irv Eating and man more NFL position coaches and players.....This is a nice opportunity to be on the field helping these guys and you can use it on your CV when you need it if you want.
Please email me at EThompson@FootballUniveristy.Org to let me know if you are interested. I need to know this week. If you have friends, reach out to them. But I need 100% committments. I will be also reaching out to other folks I know too. Thanks and hope to hear from you!!!
Ed
Onorato promised to fix assessments; he's done nothing but stallTrouble is, Onorato didn't think anyone watched the KDKA TV Show on Sunday mornings. And, the TV hosts are not going to challenge what Onorato says anyway. So, Onorato feels he is entitled to re-write history. And, none really expect him to tell the truth, really.
Monday, May 25, 2009
By Jim Roddey
Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato appeared recently on "KD/PG Sunday Edition" on KDKA-TV. The subject was property assessments and the dilemma facing Allegheny County as a result of the state Supreme Court's ruling that the county must reassess. Dan's response to that ruling was to ask the state Legislature to declare a moratorium on court-ordered reassessments. It seems to me that such action would violate the provisions of separation of powers in the constitution of the commonwealth.
Dan's defiance of this most recent court order continues a disturbing pattern by the current county administration of repeated efforts to circumvent the court's decisions regarding assessments. All such attempts have so far failed. While Dan's actions may be politically advantageous, it is not a proper way to govern.
During the TV interview Dan stated that he never pledged to "fix the assessment system." During the campaign for county executive in 2003, Dan and I participated in 26 debates. I recall quite clearly that in all those debates Dan said: "I will fix the assessment system." Dan's solution was to freeze tax assessments at the 2002 rate. A majority of the county commissioners did the same thing in 1996 and, like Dan, saw the courts order a reassessment.
Dan and I have a fundamental disagreement about assessments. I believe that assessments should reflect the true value of property and should be kept reasonably current. Taxing bodies should be required to adjust millage so that property taxes will not be raised more than the consumer price index. Seniors on low, fixed incomes should be exempt from any increases and there should be mandated control of school district spending. (Forty-nine states regulate either expenditures or millage for public schools. Only Pennsylvania allows uncontrolled spending.)
I do agree that the county executive's call for the state to administer the assessment system is the best solution. Forty-eight states now control all state property assessments. Only Pennsylvania and Delaware (with just three counties) give this responsibility to the counties.
The consequences of Dan's assessment freeze have been: the already mentioned lawsuits; a significant shortfall of revenues for the county, the city of Pittsburgh and other municipalities; and increased tax rates in most school districts. However, the most egregious result has been the budget deficits incurred by the county.
In 2007, Dan was forced to take $20 million of gaming funds dedicated to airport debt service to balance his budget. (The airport recently had to borrow $20 million to defray high landing fees caused by their debt service obligations.) In 2008, the county deficit was covered by a new drink and car rental tax of $44 million, the highest annual tax increase in the history of the county. This flies in the face of Dan's often repeated statement that he has "held the line on taxes."
By now it should be obvious to everyone that Dan intends to kick the assessment can down the road as long as possible or at least until the issue no longer interferes with his quest for the governor's office. Dan's delaying tactics may or may not benefit his political career, but they undoubtedly will leave the property owners of Allegheny County in a very difficult situation.
Jim Roddey, chairman of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County, was Allegheny County chief executive between 2000 and 2003.
Boy drowns in Yough River
Monday, May 25, 2009 By Michael A. Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Authorities late last night recovered the body of a 13-year-old youth who apparently drowned while swimming in the Youghiogheny River near Port Vue.
The Allegheny County medical examiner's office identified the victim as August Berg Jr. of Versailles. He was pronounced dead at 11:58 p.m. after divers pulled his body from the river. An autopsy was scheduled for later today.
August was swimming with an 11-year-old girl in an area known as Birdie's Landing. Occupants of a passing boat spotted the girl struggling and pulled her aboard. She told authorities that August had gone under the waves but didn't surface, according to The Associated Press.
White Oak police were investigating the incident. They were not available for comment this morning.
Dear Jumpcut user,
After careful consideration, we will be officially closing the Jumpcut.com site on June 15, 2009. This was a difficult decision to make, but it's part of the ongoing prioritization efforts at Yahoo!
We have released a software utility that allows you to download the movies you created on Jumpcut to your computer. As well, you can now download your original assets. Please visit the download page at http://www.jumpcut.com/myhome/?subnav=download to get started.
Once you download your movies, you may choose to upload them to another site such as Flickr, which allows video uploads for short videos (90 seconds or less). You can find out more here: http://flickr.com/explore/video
Thanks for being a part of Jumpcut.
The Jumpcut Team
Natalia Rudiak, 29, of Carrick, has received without question, the most fortiutous political victory in the city of Pittsburgh since at least Harry Readshaw's loss for city council in the early 1990's.Readshaw, a Democrat with the fiscal conservative nature befitting the small businessman he continues to be, became one of the most well-respected members of the Pennsylvania Legislature, while City Council District 4 has been a non-stop revolving door of Cusicks, Divens and Motziks.
How did she do it? Because of voters in Carrick, one of the city's least recognized neighborhoods.
Power brokers in the city's other “big neighborhoods” in the District, Brookline and Beechview, normally wage political war with their own annointed sons. This year it was “old hat” Anthony Coghill and “newbie” Patrick Reilly. A fourth guy—Richard Weaver—couldn't inspire 100 voters to push the button next to his name.
Yes, everyone involved are Democrats. Former Republican Governor Tom Ridge carried a couple of districts a few years ago in the area, but otherwise, the vast majority of voters there are blind to a two-party system.
In this corner, Coghill, a part-time roofer/part-time state Senator Wayne Fontana staffer, took on Patrick Reilly, a Wagner family disciple who also had the backing of Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato.
Those cliques have manhandled the 4th District forever; however, the often-forgotten Carrick neighborhood fielded an attractive, talented homegrown girl who obviously benefitted from the never-ending political infighting. Normally, Carrick would field a candidate who wasn't an attractive choice, couldn't raise money, or both. Until recently, those voters who have to wait for scraps from the Wagner and Fontana camps.
It's widely believed that voters in Carrick saved former councilman Jim Motznik's hide when Coghill nearly beat him a handful of years ago. That race was an unexpected barn-burner, as Motznik was reeling from a minor controversy (he fled a television news cameraman and reporter as if the world was on fire). Motznik ultimately gave up the seat so he could run for District Justice (voters overwhelmingly gave him that job despite the fact the video showing him run like a Benny Hill day player is still available online).
Natalia Rudiak has stepped up her community profile in recent years and has established herself as a legitimate neighborhood activist (not in the ACORN “fraud” category, dear friends. The battlers of the status quo...I used to be one once upon a time).
Reports also indicated that city councilman Bill Peduto, the city's true lone revolutionist with a heart of gold, was helpful in getting Rudiak a decent war chest. Peduto should be mayor of Pittsburgh, but isn't related to the backroom deal-makers, so his road has been tough. His endorsement of Rudiak is enough for me.
Congratulations Natalia Rudiak on the most shocking win in local politics since Bob Cranmer beat Coleen Vuono for the third County Commissioner seat. That win wrecked the entire system. That whole governing body was thrown out as a result of that disasterous turn of events. (Long story short: Republicans won the majority for the first time in forever and didn't know what to do with the power. Everyone involved in that improbable election watched as their political lifes imploded in front of their eyes, Democrat and Republican.)
Something tells me that Rudiak, with Peduto and a couple of other potential “movers and shakers,” could be good for my former haunt. She absolutely, positively couldn't do worse...unless another job opens up in the next few years...then it's back to square one all over again.
Allegheny County voter turnout just under 21 percent: "The region's highest-profile race, in which Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl fended off Councilman Patrick Dowd and attorney Carmen Robinson, didn't turn out to be a big draw. In unofficial results, 45,356 votes were cast, compared to 58,843 in 2005, 67,657 in 2003, and 66,730 in 1997."I don't know how 5.5 percent of the people who were not Ds and not Rs got in to vote. Did they wear masks of Nixon and Clinton?
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