Fw: [DW] Amazing local to local exchange at CityCamp this weekend

------Original Message------
From: Steven Clift
To: newswire
To: E-Democracy.Org Projects Group
To: team@forums.e-democracy.org
To: mnvoices
ReplyTo: clift@publicus.net
Subject: [DW] Amazing local to local exchange at CityCamp this weekend
Sent: Jan 24, 2010 8:56 AM

E-Democracy.org is playing a convening and support role at CityCamp in
Chicago this weekend. There are 100+ locally inspired folks passionate about
tranparency, participation, and things Gov 2.0 in cities and local places
mixing it up.

I am learning how to session sort on the fly for this unconference. Watch
for the short session summary videos coming soon.

Check out the links on the top right from:
http://e-democracy.org/citycamp

See the amazing round of introductions in center column.

The #citycamp tag has the vibe on Twitter and
http://citycamp.posterous.comis the group blog.

Later today we will launch LocalLabs an online group for locally inspired
software developers: http://e-democracy.org/locallabs

Steven Clift
http://stevenclift.com
@democracy

-----------------------------------------
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Viddler and Swimming Videos

Youtube is the undisputed leader of video-sharing, sorta like Allderdice High School swimming has been the undisputed champion of city swimming. YouTube, now owned by Google has a world-wide market share of 66%. YouTube is the boss in the market, but it isn't the best. Especially when it comes to the purpose we seek for coaching. Check out our swimming videos at Viddler, not YouTube.

Youtube and Viddler have significant differences.

Viddler has innovative features in its player. With Viddler, we can include and attach comments and tags to particular times in the video.

Probably the most significant difference between Youtube and Viddler is their encoding strategy. Files are converted to a fixed bit-rate. Youtube resamples the video to give a consistent quality at this bit-rate. Viddler does not resample the video, so the quality depends on how well the input video matches the output bit-rate.

Youtube encodes to a fixed format. Video is 320×240 25fps FLASH video, using H.263 at around 250Kbit/s. Audio is 22050Hz mono using MP3 at 64Kbit/s.

Viddler attempts to preserve the original format, changing the specs only when required to match the requirements of FLASH. Video is at the original frame size, 30fps FLASH video, using the VP6 at 400Kbit/s. Audio is in the original format (max 44Khz) using MP3 at 48Kbit/s. VP6 is the “flagship” codec for Flash Player 8, intended to deliver better quality at lower bit rates.

Youtube encodes to a lower bit rate so may work better over slower links. Youtube’s format is constant, so the quality is constant. Viddler encodes to a higher bitrate and uses more compression, so it is capable of delivering better quality although at the cost of more data and CPU processing. Viddler’s video format is variable, so the quality is also variable.

Youtube’s 320×200 format is OK for 4:3 video, but is not good for other formats. For example, 16:9 video is letterboxed so the effective resolution of the frame is only 320×180. Viddler retains the original size, so can support 16:9 or any other format.

Youtube has a limit of 10 minutes and 100Mb on uploaded videos. Viddler's limit is 500Mb without any time ceiling.

Viddler has a decent batch process if you use a more modern browser.

Viddler allows for comments in the video window seek bar.

Tags for videos and comments fit into Viddler and FaceBook too.

The comment points are displayed in the seek-bar, and you can see the comments by mousing over the comment points. Clicking jumps to that point. Comments pop up as playback reaches that point. Anyone can add narratives or explanations to a race, or highligh interesting times. Outside viewers, fans, other coaches and team mates can add their own comments as it is allowed. Those are then be shared with other viewers.

Viddler’s player generates a link to each clip. For web pages and catalog, one can embed code itself.

Viddler requires the FLASH 9 player. Youtube requires only FLASH 7 players, which means that its videos will work on a larger variety of systems including “embedded browsers” (eg. Opera the Nintendo Wii game console).

Both Youtube and Viddler have “members”, “friends” and “groups”. Youtube also has “subscribers”. Viddler also has “forums”, which seem to be implemented using “groups” on Youtube. Both sites have video “tags” and descriptions. Viddler has both “global tags” which apply to an entire video, and “timed tags” which apply to a specific time in a video. It also has timed and global comments.

Youtube allows videos to be public or private. For private videos you can nominate up to 25 users who are allowed to view the video. This is useful for example, if you just want to share a file with family members. Video files are not downloadable, although there are third-party web sites (eg. http://www.kissyoutube.com) which allow you to retrieve the encoded FLASH file.

Viddler allows videos to be public, private (only accessible to you), or shared (accessible to you and your “friends”). In addition to viewing rights, Viddler allows you to control who is allowed to comment, tag, embed, or download your video. You have separate controls over downloading the original file, or the encoded flash version. This allows you to distribute high quality videos in their original format which can effectively be viewed on-line via the FLASH player. Viddler also allows you to create a “secret URL” which can be used to access a private video. This means that you can share a private video with users that are not members of the system, something that is not possible on Youtube.

Viddler offers the user many compelling features not found on Youtube:

* Support for videos longer than 10 minutes, with upload sizes to 500Mb.
* Improved control over access to shared videos
* Improved navigation via streaming play, timed tags and timed comments (note: streaming play currently unavailable)
* Support for any resolution format including 16:9
* Extensive statistics and link reporting

RLC Presents Gov. Gary Johnson

------Original Message------
From: Dave Nalle ()
To: Mark Rauterkus
Subject: The RLC Presents Gov. Gary Johnson
Sent: Jan 22, 2010 12:41 AM

**Attention all RLC members, liberty activists, bloggers and anyone
else on the cutting edge of the liberty movement.**

In the first in a series of teleconference events, the Republican
Liberty Caucus presents:

Former Governor
*Gary E. Johnson*
of New Mexico
January 26th at 9pm EST
Dial-in Number: 1-219-509-8222
Participant Access Code: 618486
/Just call in, enter your code and follow along./

The teleconference will feature 20-30 minutes of remarks by Governor
Johnson followed by an hour for questions and answers from
participants.

The teleconference series brings together pro-liberty newsmakers and
RLC members, friendly media and liberty-oriented bloggers to increase
awareness of the RLC candidates, issue initiatives, allied
organizations and important events.

Governor Johnson served two very successful terms as Governor of New
Mexico and has been a champion of individual liberties and fiscally
responsible government, often compared favorably with Ron Paul.
Although there has been speculation about a possilbe 2012 GOP
presidential run, Governor Johnson is now working hard on hiis Our
America Initiative <http://ouramericainitiative.com/>
which is promoting popular awareness of civil liberties, free
enterprise, limited government, and traditional American values.

For more information see Mitchell Langbert's recent interview
<http://www.rlc.org/2010/01/19/interview-with-governor-gary-earl-johnson/>
with Governor Johnson.

Don't miss the teleconference. Space is limited, so call in on time.

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Teach the teacher. Or, list for the list keepers.

Do you host a ...

... neighborhood e-mail list?
... highly interactive placeblog?
... local social network on Ning?
... a private Facebook group for nearest neighbors?
... a local online community of any kind?

Then join your peers on this new peer-to-peer online group for local hosts
from:

http://e-democracy.org/locals

One of the buried factoids from the Pew Internet and American Life Project
last year is that 4% of American adults or 8 million people are members of
good old neighborhood e-mail lists. If the average neighborhood e-mail list
is 200 people (no idea what it is) that means 40,000 people have step up to
successfully create an online public space for their neighbors. However
whether it is on YahooGroups, Google Groups, Ning, or Facebook a quick hunt
for local online groups brings up perhaps 10 empty shells with just a few
members.

The technology made it easy for 360,000 people to fail at a low cost and
40,000 of us broke through and managed to convince our neighbors to join us
online (very much a close to one person a time adventure from my experience)
to the tune of 8 million overall. The neighbors movement online is
completely below the radar and most succesful efforts barely know about the
local online spaces beyond their immediate area. I want to change that by
gathering a few hundred hosts of online neighborhood efforts in a space we
can use to exchange stories, lessons, and advice.

Imagine if we simply captured our top ten lessons and the success rate for
new neighborhood spaces went from 10% to 20% by spreading our collective
advice. We'd serve another 8 million people (far more globally for that
matter) in no time. Wow!

That might be the easy part. The real challenge is finding the first few
hundred online neighborhood hosts who don't yet know they are part of a
movement. Can you help by sending the local revolutionaries you know to:

http://e-democracy.org/locals

Thanks,
Steven Clift
Neighborhood e-mail list host
http://e-democracy.org/se

Steven Clift
http://stevenclift.com/
@democracy

Shani Davis makes peace with host of 'Colbert Report' - 2008 Olympics - SI.com

Shani Davis makes peace with host of 'Colbert Report' - 2008 Olympics - SI.com With Colbert stumbling all over the ice, Davis leisurely parked his car, signed autographs, sipped from a water fountain and put on his uniform. Then he sped around the oval in a time of 35.24 seconds. Colbert's time -- 13 minutes, 43.89 seconds.

Shani Davis makes peace with host of 'Colbert Report' - 2008 Olympics - SI.com

Shani Davis makes peace with host of 'Colbert Report' - 2008 Olympics - SI.com With Colbert stumbling all over the ice, Davis leisurely parked his car, signed autographs, sipped from a water fountain and put on his uniform. Then he sped around the oval in a time of 35.24 seconds. Colbert's time -- 13 minutes, 43.89 seconds.

Architect devises preservation, reuse plan for Mellon Arena - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Of course there is no rush.

Architect devises preservation, reuse plan for Mellon Arena - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Architect devises preservation, reuse plan for Mellon Arena"

To grow, you need to add. You win by addition. When the new Consol Energy Arena is built, we have a chance to GROW and build more capacity. But, not if the existing is removed. Here is the math: 1 + 1 = 2. We grow. But if it is 1 - 1 = ZERO. We don't grow.

When we got the new stadiums, we got Heinz Field (plus 1) and PNC Park (plus 1). However, we lost Three Rivers Stadium and Pitt Stadium (minus 2). Net growth = ZERO.

We did get The Pete. Great. Plus one. And, Pitt got to keep the Fitz too. Yes. That's growth. But, we could have built The Pete on the river down Panther Hollow near Parkway East and new graduate student housing. But, that's another discussion.

With the Civic Arena, we should keep it. We should aim to grow.

In other news, an apartment in my neighborhood is going to be vacant. The tennant is moving out. So, the tennant tells the landlord that he won't be paying rent at the end of his lease and the tennant tells the landlord that the soon to be empty apartment should now be torn down. WTF. The tennant doesn't own the building. The tennant only rented the building. The tennant has no say in what happens with the property after the tennant moves out. The landlord can fix up the place, if desired. And, the landlord can find a new tennant too.

The tennant is the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins are going to move out of the Civic Arena. They have no sway nor say about what happens there next.

Presentation to Pgh Public Schools Committee about East End Plan

Last night I spoke at a public hearing about our schools. The focus was called into question, rightly so. But the aim was to hear from citizens about schools in the East End of Pittsburgh.

A committee was hand-picked by PPS Superintendent, Mark Roosevelt. The work of the committee is to review all the available facts, ponder solutions and make suggestions to the administration and the board.

One recent study looked at the facilities, the downward migration trends of the city and its schools, and suggested, among other things, to close Peabody High School.

In this work, the committee is to ponder the East End, but ignore CAPA, Allderdice and a few other schools that are clearly in the east. Go figure.

My statement goes to the fact that when consultants visit, they looked at the physical building. They'd see a nice gym. A nice pool. However, they overlooked the programs that need to fit into these spaces. The boys varsity team, the JV team and the girls varsity team and its JV team needs to share the court with the middle school girls and boys teams at Schenley / Obama. On paper, the gym is fine. But, it is not good when there are 900 people wishing to go to a game and only 240 fit into the gym so 100 end up sitting outside. Your miles may vary. Same too with the swim pool. The middle school has meets so the high school team gets bumped. But worse is the middle-school PE classes that go for an extra 45 minutes every day beyond the close of the classes for the varsity athletes. Program problems trump building conditions and those consultants didn't lift a finger to ponder the programs that need to fit within our schools.

Another point I made goes to the 'feeder patterns.' Perhaps it is time to take all the feeder patterns and kill them. We've got schools of choice where families from anywhere within the city can opt to have their children go to CAPA, or Perry (Tradational), or Allderdice (engineering magnet and Chineese language magnet), or Obama (I.B.) or Sci-Tech, or U-Prep. Others exist too. The point is, if you live on a certain street some are forced to certain schools. That stinks.

The district could move to an 'all-magnet' or 'all-choice' system. Then if a certain school is failing, people could vote with their feet and leave.

And if there were more choices in an all-choice system, one of the options could be a single gender school for boys and a single-gender school for girls. Let's open a public school alternative to Central Catholic, Oakland Catholic and even Ellis (an all girls school).

Westinghouse could be a city-wide all girls school and Oliver could be the all-girls school. Or, the boys and girls campuses could switch or even flip every three to five years.

Open East End Planning meeting 1 summary

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Fw: LP Monday Message: Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: Libertarian Party <info@lp.org>

Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:00:00 -0800

To: <mark@rauterkus.com>

Subject: LP Monday Message: Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 18, 2010 Dear Friend of Liberty, While Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. never held political office, his impact on American politics and public policy was huge. Dr. King knowingly risked his life working for freedom and equality during dangerous times for blacks in America. He advocated using non-violent means, such as civil disobedience, to achieve change, and he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. Shortly before his assassination, he was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War. I do not think Dr. King was a libertarian. I think he had much more faith in the ability of government to fix unfairness and lift people out of poverty than most libertarians. However, I think most Libertarians agree with Dr. King's goals of ending government-imposed discrimination, segregation, and oppression. The following is from the Preamble of the Libertarian Party Platform: We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be banished from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized. Consequently, we defend each person's right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world we seek to build is one where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power. I'd like to thank again all of our Libertarian Party members, volunteers, and candidates who continue working daily to promote freedom for everyone in America. Sincerely, Wes Benedict Executive Director Libertarian National Committee P.S. If you have not yet become a member of the Libertarian Party and wish to do so, please click here and join the only political party dedicated to free markets and civil liberties. If you need to renew, please click here. If you would like to make a contribution separate from membership, please click here. GET INVOLVED: Paid for by the Libertarian National Committee 2600 Virginia Ave, N.W. Suite 200, Washington D.C. 20037 Content not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. You are currently subscribed as "mark@rauterkus.com". Click here to unsubscribe.

Dr. King and Sports

From: "Dave Zirin"

Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:37:29 -0500

Subject: [E of S] Dr. King and Sports

Folks - If anyone is in Vancouver this week, I'm speaking at multiple spots. Check it out at

http://www.facebook.com/edgeofsports?ref=profile#/event.php?eid=249378115627&ref=ts

Also, here is a short piece on Dr. King and sports. If you want to reprint, please credit sportsillustrated.com with the complete url.

In struggle and sports,
Dave Zirin

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/dave_zirin/01/18/mlk/index.html?section=si_latest

One thing about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: the man understood sports.

I don't mean that King was any kind of a star athlete. The only sport that the young, roundish "Mike" King was known to excel at was pocket billiards, which isn't exactly a sport (the golden rule: anything that you can gain weight or smoke cigarettes while doing is not a sport). But Dr. King understood with remarkable acuity the political and symbolic power of sports. He understood that the athletic field -- and athletes -- could be a powerful megaphone for civil rights and racial justice.

As a teenager in 1947 he watched with rapt attention as Jackie Robinson broke the racial barrier in major league baseball. A decade later, as Robinson's career was winding down with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson started to speak out for civil rights. Many people in the press and civil rights community discouraged Robinson from taking this step, worried it would tarnish his image, and even argued that as an athlete Robinson had no vocal place in the struggle. But King, by then the movement's undisputed leader, said that Robinson had every right to speak because he was "... a pilgrim that walked in the lonesome byways toward the high road of Freedom. He was a sit-inner before sit-ins, a freedom rider before freedom rides."

An emboldened Robinson toured the south to speak for civil rights and became the most requested speaker on the circuit: more requested than even Dr. King. He would end every speech the same way, saying, "If I had to choose tomorrow between the Baseball Hall of Fame and full citizenship for my people I would choose full citizenship time and again."

In the 1960s, Dr. King also embraced, albeit privately, a boxer named Cassis Marcellus Clay (a.k.a. Muhammad Ali). We now know about their friendship because the FBI recorded their discussions. Their relationship was private because Ali, with his membership in the separatist Nation of Islam, was rebuked by the civil rights community. Prominent civil rights activist Roy Wilkins once said, "Clay is like a voluntary member of the White Citizens Council."

King and Ali appeared in public together only once at a demonstration for fair housing in Ali's hometown of Louisville. But the connection was a strong one. In 1967 when Dr King, in the face of torrents of criticism, came out against the war in Vietnam, he invoked the champ saying, "Like Muhammad Ali puts it, we are all-Black and Brown and poor-victims of the same system of oppression."

Also in 1967, track stars Tommie Smith, Lee Evans, John Carlos and others were organizing the Olympic Project for Human Rights arguing that African-American athletes should boycott the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Their demands were to have Muhammad Ali's title restored, to have apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia disinvited from the Olympics, to hire more African- American coaches and to see IOC president Avery Brundage removed after 32 years of iron rule.

Many civil Rights leaders were again appalled. Protesting the Olympics was unpatriotic, even unseemly. But Dr. King offered his unwavering support saying, "This is a protest and a struggle against racism and injustice and that is what we are working to eliminate in our organization and in our total struggle ... No one looking at these demands can ignore the truth of them. Freedom always demands sacrifice and ... they have the courage to say, 'We're going to be men and the United States of America have deprived us of our manhood, of our dignity and our native worth, and consequently we're going to stand up and make the sacrifices ..."

King even met with a group of the athletes weeks before his assassination in 1968. As John Carlos said to me, "Dr. King was in my mind and heart when I raised my fist on that podium."

Despite criticism from his own civil rights community, Dr. King was involved in three of history's most critical collisions of sports and politics. Yes, the man sure knew his sports.

Dave Zirin is the author of the forthcoming “Bad Sports: How Owners are Ruining the Games we Love” (Scribner) Receive his column every week by emailing dave@edgeofsports.com. Contact him at edgeofsports@gmail.com .

First Conference Call for Swim Team

Former Pitt star DeJuan Blair stands tall as an NBA rookie

Former Pitt star DeJuan Blair stands tall as an NBA rookie: "Just one week after Pitt was eliminated from the NCAA tournament in March, Mr. Blair decided to leave school two years early to begin his professional basketball career. After he plummeted to the second round of the NBA draft in June, there was much debate as to whether he made a mistake, but he has zero doubt that he made the correct choice to pursue his dream.
'I just sit back in the house. I just think, man, I made the right decision,' said Mr. Blair, who earned All-American honors at Pitt last season after a celebrated high school career at Schenley. 'It's just wonderful. I feel so blessed"

I went to the Schenley basketball game on Friday night at home against Perry. The home team lost, but it was a fun game to watch. If you want to go to a Schenley game, get there early. The gym is small. Seating is only on one side. The place fills and then no others are permitted into the gym for good reason. Show up when the JV games are played.

Bruce Kraus is so foolish to wish to play the role of ruler of the marketplace

Not only is he foolish, but he puts the economy of the region in danger.

The last attempt was to limit the number of bars and it failed. There were others on city council who supported it too. And, the mayor even signed the bill. But the courts won. Freedom won. Kraus lost.

So, the next round is even worse. He lost the last battle with a stick -- so now he picks up a bigger stick. He wants to double down or something.

Pittsburgh council gets new approach to Carson Street bars - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 'I don't believe this ordinance is the be-all and end-all to solve the unruliness of the Carson Street corridor,' said Kraus, who hears complaints from residents about public drunkenness and vandalism. 'It puts a stop for now, until we can catch our breath and decide where we're going from here.'

The end all and be all to the problem is the marketplace.

Max and Erma's in Shadyside is closed. So what! Let it be. The corporation had problems. The economy took a dip. Nationwide, they couldn't stay in buesiness. Places open, and places close. There is good and bad. Time marches to a new day. That's how it should be without the city putting up red tape and hurdles to marketplace entry.

Kraus wants to see a balance. Of course he does, but it is his balance. He wants to rule the day, the streets and the lives of others. What Bruce wants is not what Bruce should legislate just because he won an election. Bruce can't legislate balance. Others are smart enough to realize their roles.

Frankly, I want to see freedom and liberties so that others who have a good idea can come here and set up shop as they wish. And, I want to have the people decide if they should support that business or not. And, decisions of employment are to be with the workers. Should they take jobs in that business or not is up to them. And, the banks get to decide if the owners should get capital to invest in that business or not. Thousands of decisions have to occur. Few or none of those decisions should be at the will of Bruce Kraus and others in City Hall.

What isn't serving the business district well is government intervention. "I don't care if it was drugstores that were opening. ... It's not serving the business district well to have almost a monopoly of one certain type of business," he said. Hey, the worst kind of monopoly is a state controlled monopoly. Furthermore, to curb the bars, he needs to curb the eating establishements. That is NOT the monopoly he wants to attack.

Nancy Eshelman, president of South Side Chamber of Commerce, opposes Kraus' ordinance.

"How dare he," Eshelman said. "What happened to free enterprise in this country? What's next? Is he going to decide how many tattoo parlors there are?"

There's no reason the city should restrict any small businesses from opening, said Eshelman, co-owner of Morning Glory Inn, a bed-and-breakfast on Sarah Street. "It's very hard to open a business, and if someone is willing to go through the effort, invest the capital, go through the process -- which is grueling -- he should not be able to say there are too many of them here. It's rather devious."

Kraus said his bill would attempt to prevent late-night drinkers from causing property damage or contributing to crime. "This is not about punishing anyone or going after businesses with alcohol licenses," he said. "This is about keeping people safe."

Again, he is miss directed, fully. No bar nor eating establishment ever wandered the neighborhood and caused property damage. People do that. Places don't. People from those places, perhaps, should be held accountable.

"We just have to begin enforcing the laws we already have instead of having new laws," she said. "I don't think controlling the number of restaurants and bars is going to change behavior."

More:

Bits of this & that ... - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Pittsburgh City Councilman Bruce Kraus, stymied in his efforts to supersede state law in determining the number and proximity of bars on the city's South Side, now wants to limit the number of restaurants there.
'I don't care if it was drugstores that were opening,' he said. 'It's not serving the business district well to have almost a monopoly of one certain type of business.'
Such arrogance cannot hide Mr. Kraus' ignorance. The South Side (excluding the SouthSide Works) long has been a wonderful, living, breathing laboratory for the free marketplace. Indeed, the success of such a funky and eclectic district has bred some problems, such as open drunkenness and public urination.
But not only are the South Side's problems tailor-made for beefed-up enforcement of existing laws by the local gendarmes, the Kraus proposal would be a slippery slope toward all manner of even more onerous government diktats that very well could kill the geese that lay so many golden eggs for Pittsburgh's tax coffers."

So sad.

In other news, this dude, is both a Spartan and Olympian.

Waterpark planned for Mills mall site

Waterpark planned for Mills mall site: "Waterpark planned for Mills mall site"

Think again, about swimming

Part 2:



Part 3:



Part 4:



Part 5:

Pay up on over due taxes -- and float another $2 Million in the budget

City council says, "Take this baseball bat and club the voters of the city, but do it under your name, not that of the City Council."

The overall theme of this policy brief is on the money. The city gives tax breaks to the new developers and that means it takes more from those who have been paying all along. The city is not fair.

Policy Brief

An electronic publication of

The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy

---

January 13, 2010                                                                                                       Volume 10, Number 3

---

  Pittsburgh Tax Revenue: A Better Approach

When Pittsburgh’s plans to use projected tuition tax revenues were denied by the Oversight Board, the resulting loss of $15 million in projected revenue for 2010 necessitated some reworking of the budget to meet the balanced budget mandate.  One of the revenue sources picked for enhancement was delinquent tax collections. Instead of the $4.4 million anticipated in the earlier budget, the City boosted the amount to be collected by $2 million. The amended budget notes that “in anticipation of aggressive collection from a new agent,” the 2010 collection would rise to $6.4 million.

The new agent referred to in the budget document is a private company already employed to collect back taxes owed to Allegheny County. The company will add delinquent City, school, and Water and Sewer Authority bills to its efforts. How serious is the agency likely to be in going after delinquents?  One City Council member noted that the City was “…essentially handing a baseball bat to the tax collector and saying, ‘be more aggressive.’”

Just how forceful the collection agency will be depends heavily on the level of public outcry and pushback by those owing back taxes or water bills.  But it is fair to say that if the City is going to push forward to collect money from overdue bills it ought to expand the tougher approach to the other sources of taxes it already collects by strengthening efforts to ensure correctness and fairness across the board.  This would stand in sharp contrast to its previous modus operandi of appealing to Harrisburg for new taxes or higher allowable rates on existing taxes. 

The foremost example that leaps immediately to mind is the real estate tax, which accounts for $127 million in general fund revenues for the City.  Given the level of dependence on property tax (it represents 30 percent of all general fund revenue, tax and non-tax), one would think that the City would be doing everything in its power to guarantee that the County produces timely and accurate assessments.  Instead, the City remained silent and did nothing during the nearly five year battle over the County’s base year system. It did comment, albeit quietly and somewhat surreptitiously, in the 2009 budget message when the Mayor wrote:

Like all other municipalities in Allegheny County, the City of Pittsburgh

is faced with the prospect of little or no growth in this largest revenue source

due to the County’s use of a base year assessment system…The base year assessment system also fails to reflect changes in property values, suppresses growth, and leads to inaccurate assessments and disproportionate taxation throughout the City.

The last point in the statement about disproportionate taxation goes to the heart of the fairness question and uniformity issue the Supreme Court ultimately cited in tossing out the County’s base year system.

However, to its discredit, the City never felt the level of outrage necessary to prod it into joining the lawsuit against the base year or filing its own lawsuit. Assuming the City truly believed its claim about disproportionate (unfair) taxation, it should have worked much harder on behalf of its taxpayers who are over assessed or correctly assessed and are thereby forced to carry an inequitable share of the tax burden while the under assessed properties pay less than they should. 

Add to that the City’s policy of encouraging development that takes property off of the tax rolls completely and replaces it with very expensive structures such as PNC Park, Heinz Field, the new Convention Center, and the new Penguins Arena to mention some really large examples—well over a billion dollars worth of buildings.  Likewise, the City has engaged in massive subsidies for private development such as Lazarus using Tax Increment Financing, low cost loans, etc., that have failed miserably to earn a return for taxpayers. Indeed, several of these subsidies have resulted in huge losses.

Achieving solvency for Pittsburgh is probably more in its own hands than most people might realize. Tough enforcement of overdue tax collection is a start, but there also needs to be a shift toward making sure the City is collecting taxes fairly and uniformly from its tax base.  Perhaps revenues would rise enough to permit a tax rate cut, something the City needs.

Still, when all is said and done, there is simply no substitute for freezing—or even reducing—spending. Generating more revenue through available sources without raising tax rates is helpful but is not a permanent solution if spending is not controlled much more rigorously than anything yet undertaken by the City government. A continuation of the same old policies will inevitably lead to future attempts to find new sources of tax revenue such as college students, hospital patients, or people parking in Downtown.  

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Jake Haulk, Ph.D., President                                                        Eric Montarti, Senior Policy Analyst

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Parks are in the news again

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