WDUQNews: Civic Arena Hearing

WDUQNews: Civic Arena Hearing Civic Arena Hearing
Pittsburgh City Council held a public hearing in Uptown to hear testimonials from residents about whether the Civic Arena should stay or go.

If city council grants the arena historic status, it could save the building from being knocked down. And a lot of people have a lot to say about that.

On Monday night over 70 people had something to say about it – either in favor of re-purposing the building, or knocking it down and redeveloping the land. A little more than half believed the arena should be saved. They gave testimonial to five council members in a church sandwiched between the old arena and the recently constructed one.

Among the speakers was Sala Udin, former councilman and actor who wants the building to come down.

'The redevelopment can begin the healing process to preserve the people,' he said.

From its inception, the arena and the 28 acres surrounding it has been controversial – displacing 8,000 Lower Hill District residents and destroying a community. Last year, after the arena was shuttered for a new neighboring complex, the Sports and Exhibition Authority voted to knock down the building.

Local groups have filed for historic status. Among them, Preservation Pittsburgh, which helped organize a 50th Anniversary of the arena celebration just before Monday’s meeting. Scott Lieb, president of the group said although the arena is a remnant of urban renewal, it is here now and should be used to benefit the community. He also said the building is unique and is part of the fabric of the city.

"This building was revolutionary when it was built in 1961. It was the first retractable dome building in the US. It really is a part of Pittsburgh’s brand, it uses technology from Westinghouse, from US Steel, from American bridge," he said at the celebration.

The city’s historic and review and planning commissions have already rejected historic status.

Council has until mid-August to take a final vote.

Bakersfield Releases Coaches, Combines Programs & Encourges them to Re-Apply

Bakersfield Releases Coaches, Combines Programs & Encourges them to Re-Apply: "Bakersfield Releases Coaches, Combines Programs & Encourges them to Re-Apply"

CSU Bakersfield Athletic Director Jeff Konya met with members of the CSUB men's and women's swimming and diving programs, informing them of a new coaching model that will be in place starting next season. Unfortunately, much of the details of this were misreported over the weekend in published reports about the coaching futures of men's coach Chris Hansen and women's coach Pat Skehan.

Responding to the misleading reports, Konya says CSUB is not renewing the current contracts of both coaches and will have both the men's and women's swimming and diving teams coached by a single head coach or "coaching director." This new position will then assemble a coaching staff that will assist with the programs' needs. He says both current coaches have been encouraged to apply, something that was never mentioned in previous reports.

According to Konya, this coaching model is common in Division I swimming and includes top-25 programs such as Auburn, Florida, Arizona, USC, and Virginia. All of which have one head coach for both programs.

"This is something we needed to due in order to operate more efficiently while still maintaining a quality product in the pool, Konya said. "If this is something that a top-10 team like Auburn can execute, or USC, than why shouldn't we do the same here?"

Another underreported aspect of this decision is the necessity of the move in order to maintain current funding levels for student-athlete scholarships. According to Konya, during these tough economic times, moving forward with one less head coach was much more attractive than limiting the opportunities for student athletes to pursue their education while swimming at CSUB.

"It's very similar to when corporations restructure and cut management positions in order to maintain a series of other jobs that keep the company running," Konya commented. "Without our student athletes, we are nothing, I wanted to protect that and make sure they had the same opportunities next season."

As far as the coaches are concerned, both Skehan and Hansen were encouraged to apply for the newly-created coaching position and Konya says they will be heavily considered. Responding to earlier reports, he also said that claiming they both "won't be returning," is misleading and at this time, false.

"We haven't decided on the future yet, we know we will have some quality candidates in-house and hopefully some outside interest as well," said Konya. "We are starting the search this week and hope to have the position filled shortly so we can build on the success we had in that sport this past season while we move forward in a more efficient manner."

Separate Men's and Women's Programs that still remain include:
California-Berkeley
Columbia
Harvard
Massachusetts
Miami (Ohio)
Michigan
Northwestern
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Princeton
Purdue
Southern Methodist
Stanford
Tennessee
Texas A&M
Texas
Air Force Academy
Naval Academy
Yale

Division III
Carthage
DePauw
Ithaca College
Kenyon College
TCNJ
New York
Tufts University
Washington & Lee

Address 'protocol' causes stir in city

Address 'protocol' causes stir in city: "'At this juncture, our advice is that council request that the Address Committee begin sending all recommendations to the body in formal bill form,' associate city solicitor Yvonne S. Hilton said."

Of course. This is a no-brainer. Pittsburgh City Council always wants others to do the jobs of the council for the councilors. The duties of crafting the legislation are going to be passed down to others, such as an address committee. Have the guys in Public Works who sit on that committee, or a 9-1-1 operator, or a firefighter, write the darn law. City council is there to vote on the written works of others, not come up with the laws too.

The proper thing to do is have the member of council who is also a member of the city address committee do the work and write the legislation. After the legislation is written, it should be presented to the address committee for prior approval. Then it should go to City Council for a full vetting among members and the public.

And, the law office does not need to be a referee among workers of the city.

Upper St. Clair budget slashes middle school sports

Preliminary Upper St. Clair budget slashes middle school sports: "Mr. O'Toole said there is about $25,000 left for middle school sports, meaning that most teams will no longer be able to travel to other schools. He said he will work with booster groups and coaches to determine which programs will be eliminated, scaled back or modified."

Wow. Imagine this, a school board and administration working with its boosters. Sad news to need to curb much of the middle school sports program. But, great news in that they are doing so with a cooperative spirit.

Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh Public Schools, our booster organizations are, how do you say, "frail." And even if they are "robust," they are seldom put into a collaborative setting with school and district administration.

Our Beautiful Sport: No shitski!

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2011/05/our-beautiful-sport/

Good sights.

Three Cheers for the Westinghouse High School Alumni Association

http://purereform.blogspot.com/2011/05/reality-based-budgeting.html

The Westinghouse Alumni Association has put together a list of points that make a big plan for Pittsburgh Public Schools. The list is a huge addition to the discussions in our community.

Well done.

Fwd: Save Community Broadband

An awful bill in North Carolina could destroy efforts
by towns and communities to build their own high-speed Internet networks.
The bill was rammed through the state legislature, and is
now sitting on the desk of Governor Bev Perdue, who has until tomorrow to
decide whether to veto it.

If signed into law, it would have repercussions far beyond North
Carolina. The phone and cable companies are waiting to see the outcome
of this bill before they introduce
similar measures in statehouses across the country.

We must stop it now, or we could face a national campaign to kill
community broadband:

Call North Carolina Gov. Perdue and urge her to veto the Level
Playing Field/Local Government Competition Bill (H129).
<http://act2.freepress.net/go/4151?akid=2529.8833392.r_xEin&t=1>
The legislation is sponsored by — guess who? — Time Warner
Cable. It wants only two choices for North
Carolina, and the rest of the country: Second-rate
broadband provided by big cable, or none at all. And it is willing to pour cash
into the election coffers of local legislators to move these sorts
of bills swiftly through statehouses.
North Carolina has long been recognized as a
national leader in community broadband. Networks built by towns and cities
across the state are providing fast and cheap Internet access to local
citizens, including
those in rural and poor areas that have been ignored by Time Warner Cable.
Predictably, Time Warner Cable is up in
arms at the thought that local communities would want to create a homegrown
broadband option.
But we can't let Time Warner Cable legislate away our choices. Call
Governor Perdue and tell her to veto.
 <http://act2.freepress.net/go/4151?akid=2529.8833392.r_xEin&t=2>

What happens in North Carolina could happen in Pennsylvania. If Time
Warner Cable and its cronies are allowed to stop the movement for
community broadband in North Carolina, they'll be emboldened to squash
similar projects in states across the country.
At its core, this fight is about our right to access information.
Don't let big corporations block it.

Please call Gov. Perdue now and urge her to stand up for all
Americans and veto this bill.
<http://act2.freepress.net/go/4151?akid=2529.8833392.r_xEin&t=3>
Thanks,

Josh Levy

--
--
Ta.

Mark Rauterkus Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com
http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
http://FixPA.wikia.com
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

Economic event at Pitt, May 24th, 7:30-9pm

Here's something of likely interest to all.

Where
William Pitt Union, Dining Room B University of Pittsburgh

Lectures, conferences and public forums
Created by office@thomasmertoncenter.org

Description
Forum: Capitalism Hits the Fan -- Understanding the Global Economic Meltdown

5/24/2011 7:30 to 9:00 PM William Pitt Union, Dining Room B University
of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, 15260

"CAPITALISM HITS THE FAN -- The Global Economic Meltdown and What to
Do About It" Filmed lecture by noted Economist Richard Wolff followed
by open discussion.

--
--
Ta.

Mark Rauterkus Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com
http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
http://FixPA.wikia.com
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

Libertarian and Green Parties slam GOP

News Release
For Immediate Release—May 19, 2011
 www.lppa.org,
 www.gpofpa.org
Contact: Lou Jasikoff at ljasikoff@gmail.com or 570-677-2607
Carl Romanelli at cjromanellii@yahoo.com

Libertarian and Green Parties slam GOP
Judicial Choice
Stabile not deserving for Superior Court Judge

Wilkes-Barre, PA—Pennsylvania Libertarian Party chair Lou Jasikoff
declared the GOP's choice for Superior Court Judge as nothing short of
shameful.  Mr. Stabile led the charge to get Libertarians knocked off
the ballot in 2008 and was recently quoted as being pleased by efforts
to keep the Green and Libertarian Parties from appearing on the
statewide 2010 ballot.  "Mr. Stabile cloaks himself in the American
flag while trampling on the very cornerstone of our democracy and
should not be rewarded under any circumstance with a judgeship on
Pennsylvania's Superior Court," insisted Jasikoff.
Green Party representative Carl Romanelli stated, "The last defense of
democracy and the Constitution is the judiciary.  When it is corrupted
or co-opted, it represents the most significant threat to the
principles that once made America the grand protector of liberty.  The
shame and disgrace of Stabile should not only be rejected by victims
of his partisan decisions, but also by his peers.  The lack of
meaningful review reflects as poorly on justice in Pennsylvania as
does Stabile's blatant obstruction of our rights.  It is sad to think
that the cradle of democracy, Pennsylvania, has now become its
graveyard."
Romanelli, the US Senate candidate in 2006 for the Pennsylvania Green
Party, has long contended that his own removal from the ballot could
not have been accomplished without the aid of partisan judges.
Romanelli, a retired employee of the Luzerne County Courts, added,
"Stabile's comments, and record in ballot access cases, prove that
both old parties are equally corrupted at the judicial level.  The
prevailing attitude is that anything goes in keeping other voices out
of political debate and participation.  Judges remain in violation of
the Judicial Canons with such partisan behavior."
Ken Krawchuk, the Libertarian candidate for Pennsylvania Governor in
1998 and 2002, was shocked to hear Victor Stabile was running for
Superior Court Judge.  "This is the same man who led the failed
challenge to have the 2008 Libertarian presidential candidate removed
from the statewide ballot.  When someone is so ignorant of the law as
to mount a frivolous challenge, or so inconsiderate of the voters of
Pennsylvania to attempt to limit their choices on the ballot, it's
clear he lacks the knowledge, character and integrity to serve as a
judge at any level."  Krawchuk, who is the Libertarian representative
to the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition (www.PaBallotAccess.org),
added, "If Mr. Stabile had any sense of justice at all, he'd be
working with us to reform Pennsylvania's atrocious ballot access laws,
which are among the worst in the nation, not exploiting them for
political gain."
"Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation where judges elected in
partisan elections determine which candidates may appear on the
ballot," said Oliver Hall of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for
Competitive Democracy. "Now that Pennsylvania courts have begun to
assess costs against candidates just for defending nomination
petitions that they are required by law to submit, it is more
important than ever that judges demonstrate a commitment to protecting
candidate and voter rights to participate in free and equal elections
– rather than the partisan interests of the judges' campaign
contributors."
Wayne Allyn Root Vice-Presidential candidate on the 2008 Libertarian
ticket concluded, "Ballot access is a fundamental right we enjoy as
Americans.  We can no longer allow or tolerate political operatives
like Mr. Stabile to subvert that right; simply put it is Un-American.
To purposely disregard laws on the books that allow for candidate
substitution, or applaud efforts that totally ignore voter intent is
unconscionable.  Mr. Stabile is the face of everything wrong with
Pennsylvania's ballot access laws and his flawed and biased judgment
should not find its way on Pennsylvania's Superior Court."

The Libertarian Party along with the Green Party and groups like the
Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition, Free and Equal Organization and
other liberty groups in Pennsylvania intend to make ballot access a
major focus of conversation this election cycle.  Only when all
Americans can freely compete in the arena of ideas will we be able
break the back of corruption that has so permeated our political
system.

--
--
Ta.

Mark Rauterkus Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com
http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
http://FixPA.wikia.com
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

Two days of water polo come Saturday and Sunday

Day one is at North Allegheny High School pool. Day two uses two pools at Chartiers Valley High School.



Grant will "cap up" for high school games on Saturday, starting at 9 am. Then he has a full day of action on Sunday. He plays 3 games in the morning and then plays as part of the house league in the 2 pm to 4 pm period. There will be two games there, at least.

Shaler's team, with some city kids, is team #4 in the Sunday League, Sunday 2-4 pm. But, Morgan and Erik won't be present.

newly elected Chair for the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania: Lou Jesikoff's first letter

My name is Lou Jasikoff and am your newly elected Chair for the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania. I would appreciate you taking time to read this letter as I believe it is important to you as a Libertarian and for our future in Pennsylvania as citizens and for our Party.

I would like to thank Mik Robertson for all the work he has done with LPPa as Chair for over four years now. Having been a former Chair myself for two years in New Jersey, I understand first-hand the enormous amount of personal time and resources it consumes. Mik has been a friend and always helpful to me in the past, and I will rely on his knowledge and expertise in many areas as I move forward to build on his successes.

We, as Libertarians, are presented with enormous opportunities, not only this year but for years to come, to make the LPPa a force to be reckoned with in the politics of Pennsylvania. Never before have we heard the word “Libertarian” used as much in the media and press. It was not so long ago when I told people I was a Libertarian, they would look at me and say, “Huh? Liberal, librarian, what is a Libertarian?” Today Libertarians are in vogue, it is ‘chic’ to be a Libertarian. And so it should be. No other party talks of limited government, personal responsibility, and individual rights like Libertarians do. Tell me what other party understands the true meaning of “property rights?” I, for one, am damned proud to be a Libertarian and hope you feel the same. Collectively we can make a real difference, and collectively we will, but it takes us all to make it happen.

So for those who don’t know me, or little of my background, let me fill you in on what you are getting. I have a degree from Fordham University in Accounting and have been pretty much self employed most of my life. Started and built a small restaurant and motel in Montana, where we raised our family for over 20 years. Returned back east in the 90’s and after a successful but brief stint in the corporate world once again went the private business route and built a nice transportation company with 50 employees, in Totowa, NJ. In 1994 went to my first Libertarian meeting, (almost my last, but that is a different story for another day). In 1995 was asked to put my name on the ballot as a paper candidate for NJ State representative and in 2006 was asked to run for Congress as the Libertarian candidate.

Can you imagine that? Was I excited! I was going to run for Congress and have the full backing of the Libertarian Party behind me! Life was great! It was later that year I realized we needed to be better organized and looked for ways to make that happen. After the election, I was nominated for Chair of the New Jersey Libertarian Party and promised myself to give it everything I had to help build that organization. I believe most feel I did that. We marched across the state in support of medical marijuana, found a way to have an office right on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, qualified for the “clean and fair” election program in New Jersey (yes, an oxymoron), ran candidates and partnered with Jim Babb and the LPPa for first combined convention NJ ever had. We were active and people knew who we were. And that was years ago, when people never heard of Libertarians and had a biased NJ media that once told me there is no room at the table for you Libertarians (but quite honestly it is New Jersey you know, must we say more?). The opportunities here in Pennsylvania and in this current political atmosphere are one hundred-fold with what we had to work with in NJ.

More recently, I served as Eastern-Vice Chair for LPPa and Chair for the Northeast Pennsylvania Libertarian Party. A little over a year ago I got together with longtime activists Betsy Summers and Brian Bergman to form the NEPA Libertarians Group. What a great group we have here and growing! Tim Mullen ran as a Libertarian in a very competitive three way race for State Rep in the 120th District. Although finishing third, it was the second highest vote total a Libertarian received in a three way race this past year in the United States. But more importantly, all these NEPA candidates are running again this year. They are known, well-liked and we are in the media all the time. This same enthusiasm and success are what we will bring to you and your groups throughout Pennsylvania.

So what is the call for action, what can you do to help make us as an organization be successful? Since this is the first letter you are receiving from me, let’s keep it simple. Visit our website and join, or re-join the LPPa if you are not a current member. Many receiving this letter have either expired memberships or just dropped out. Expect a welcome call from me shortly. I promise you this: I will give it my all and hope you do the same to ensure our success. Contact me anytime with the good, bad and the ugly. If you would like me to come to your Libertarian organization and help build your local membership, let me know and I will show up. If you have things you would like to implement to get your groups moving, let me know. Our goal is to assist and help, not put up roadblocks. Your ideas are important, so let me know what you are thinking. The only thing holding us back is ourselves. The future is ours and the future is now. Help us make the Libertarian Party one to be feared and relevant in the politics of Pennsylvania. The state and country needs us now more than ever to be heard.

Lou Jasikoff
Chair, Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania
lou@jasikoff.com
www.lppa.org
www.nepalibertarians.org

Cycle to JCC Sailfish practices in Monroeville

View Larger Map

Sports Reform: Business as usual is not welcomed, then. But now?

In the spring of 2010, Mr. Lopez, one of the top administrators of Pittsburgh Public Schools, hosted a meeting to talk about sports reform.

Democratic County Executive Candidates Debate Issues � CBS Pittsburgh

Democratic County Executive Candidates Debate Issues � CBS Pittsburgh: "Democratic County Executive Candidates Debate Issues"

Study: 90% of Pittsburgh's young adults unfit for military service - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Study: 90% of Pittsburgh's young adults unfit for military service - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Study: 90% of Pittsburgh's young adults unfit for military service"

Fw: [PURE Reform] New comment on Athletic recommendations released.

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: Anonymous <noreply-comment@blogger.com>

Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 12:02:42 -0700 (PDT)

To: <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>

Subject: [PURE Reform] New comment on Athletic recommendations released.

Anonymous has left a new comment on the post "Athletic recommendations released":

We continue to talk as though kids cannot be motivated to learn unless extrinsically rewarded or punished. The reality that we've lost sight of is that every kid inherently wants to learn and in fact IS learning all of the time. Poor grades, suspension, detention, expulsion, 10th periods, "interventions", removal of music, arts, athletics only serve to further marginalize, ostracize, drop out, alienate, victimize, disenfranchise, etc. our young people. Opportunities to develop productive futures based natural talents, desires, goals are closed off by school administrators in PPS who believe that "one-size--fits-all" and that negative consequences will somehow 'turn on lights" motivate, inspire, and prepare students for productive futures. It does not work for the vast majority. How many failures, drop outs, jails do we need to see before we begin to change our educational systems in ways that produce intelligent, educated, athletic, artistic, creative, productive, successful adults?

Post a comment.

Unsubscribe to comments on this post.

Posted by Anonymous to PURE Reform at May 11, 2011 3:00 PM

Two Athletic Reform Documents

Two documents from last night's school board meeting with Pittsburgh Public Schools' Education Committee are now available.

The executive summary is 13 pages:

PDF

Slide share:

Athletics reform executive overview & summary

View more presentations from Mark Rauterkus.

The presentation was put onto video tape that night but is going to take some time to put onto the web. There were a number of questions from the board members, naturally.

The longer document is 71 pages and in PDF format.

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/aforathlete/images/e/ef/Athletics_Reform_Recommendations.pdf

Or here in SlideShare.

Athletics reform recommendations

View more presentations from Mark Rauterkus.

Tip: Click the button on the lower right corner to expand the document to your full screen size. Press the "Esc" key to return the computer screen to continue.

City League, WPIAL merger still far off - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

This is a concern from an educator:

City League, WPIAL merger still far off - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "'What would it mean, in terms of what time kids would have to leave in the afternoon to go to games? What would our costs be for the transportation? What about our families who don't have access to a car? How do they get to watch their daughter play basketball if it's not here in Pittsburgh? Those are some of the things we need to think about.'"

Her concern is unfounded.

To join the WPIAL is just what students, teachers, coaches and families need when it comes to missing less classroom time.

Presently, in the PPS City League, (District 8, not WPIAL), the sports schedules include plenty of games and matches at 2:15 pm. The kids need to miss their last period, at the least, even if playing a HOME game. The kids who are going to play the game at another school's pool, gym or field depart earlier and often have to miss most of the afternoon of classes.

Meanwhile, afternoon games -- while kids are still to be in classes -- do not happen on a daily basis within the WPIAL schedule. The WPIAL is filled with evening games. Then parents can get home from work and go to watch their children play. And, above all, the students don't need to be pulled from classes.

In the city, we play a lot of 2 pm games because if the kids when to a whole day of school, then had to care for themselves for a couple of hours and get on a bus at 5 pm or so, some whould not show up. And with an evening game, there are other time problems too, such as a return trip to home at 10 or 11 pm, often on a school night.

The abundance of 2 pm games on the PPS sports schedule is not 'fan friendly' nor 'family friendly.' Getting younger siblings to the high school games are often impossible too.

With the current system, plenty of athletes miss plenty of classes, and those coaches who are teachers miss as well. I've heard of baseball coaches who are also teachers in core subjects who have to miss two consecutive weeks of classes with those in periods 6 and 7. They are in the building until the team needs to go to play a game, either home or away, with a 1 pm dismissal. That isn't fair to the students who have those periods with those teachers to miss so much instructional time.

In the city league, those afternoon games are a big problem. Moving to evening and night games makes another set of problems, no doubt. But, when it comes to missing class time, there would be a lot less of that going on with a move to the WPIAL.

We talked in the athletic reform committee about a few elements that would need to occur to make the move to the WPIAL work for the PPS student athletes in terms of the schedule adjustments to evening matches.

+ Night games and longer bus rides in some instances means that the kids get back to the school at later times. Arrival to the school at 9, 9:30, 10, or 10:30 pm is not out of the question. Consider a Friday night football game that starts at 7:30 pm. Those kids are getting back to their home school after an away game at 11 pm or so. The rub is with PAT, the public bus schedules, and a city-wide magnet. Students get to their home schools after the game but these are not NEIGHBORHOOD schools any more. A kid who goes to a North Side or East Side school might live in the other end of the city, say the South Side. We know that the bus schedules have been greatly reduced. The non-peak times of buses are on a schedule that is often one hour between pick-ups, if the bus runs at all. Using mass transit and getting from Peabody or Westinghouse at 10 or 11 pm to the North Side or West End after a big game is asking plenty.

As a solution, we'd need to work hard to drop off kids at various parts of the city from the team bus on the way home and the bus would need to have to make a run out to various points after visiting the home school. Car pools are necessary too.

+ Night games are fan friendly. They'd attract more people. It is dark. In the winter, it is also cold.

+ The student athletes need places at the schools to be open for them upon their return. Getting dropped off by a team bus and waiting outside is not prudent.

+ The student athletes need places at the schools open to them for non-playing time situations. Kids need places to hang and be productive from 2:30 pm (end of school day) to they depart at 5 pm for an away game or are due to hit the locker-room for their home game at 6 pm. Team rooms, weight rooms, cardio rooms, training facilities, student lounges, on-school coffee shops, library access and rec room settings are needed. Getting into the library to do homework after school is a problem now. To extend library time to 6 pm, only now and then as homework is due and as the team needs it -- while eating even -- is a dreamworld fantasy the way things operate now.

+ The student athletes need to be concerned with nutrition and food. We are hungry. We need a good meal. We need to eat after school on game days and practice days. We need to hydrate. We need more than a vending machine. Kids should not need to sneak to find access to a microwave oven just to have something warm to eat before or after practice and games.

With an evening game, many of the kids won't have the time to go home after school, eat, do homework, and return for the game. They'll need to be productive at the school in places where they don't get into trouble.

People have been known to freak out when a single McDonalds wrapper comes back into the school's doors. I'm talking about PRINCIPALS. Sure, kids need to put their trash in the cans, but expectations and hospitality at the schools for being a place for our young people to settle and be secure are far from ideal within PPS. They've been promised student lounges in the past and they've never been delivered, unless there is a whole building re-hab as is the case at Sci-Tech. Even there, getting access to a student lounge in odd times is doubtful.

We need to care for our kids well beyond the end of the school day or the end of the last play in the game. And often, the kids face hostilities around their schools even from within. Perhaps this is part of the duties of the boosters and volunteers, granted. But those in PPS have a lock it and leave it mentality that can't work with a reform agenda that keeps our kids productive settings.

Erik's TV interview about Sports Reform in Pittsburgh Public Schools

This is part 2 of the interview that should run on TV soon. Erik Rauterkus, 16, (proud dad moment injected here), sophomore, gives a sit-down interview with activist and show host, Kenneth Miller, about sports reform pending before the board of directors of Pittsburgh Public Schools. The conversation is pressing as the matter goes to the Education Committee, a sub-group of the board, tonight. The decision is pressing in light of the state budget cuts and the outward migration of many in the city.

The city schools are shrinking! Families that desire great opportunities for their children often move out of Pittsburgh, in large part, in my not so humble opinion, because of the lack of quality offerings in sports, music, after-school activities and holistic living beyond the end of the school day.

Watch this show segment and hear from me again, at the end of the clip.



The other part of the interview will be put online as time permits.

WPIAL, here we come, perhaps, sorta, we hope, one day, maybe.

On the Elimination of Osama bin Laden

Ron Paul's remarks make sense to me, again.

On the Elimination of Osama bin Laden: "Last week marked an important milestone in the war on terrorism for our country. Osama bin Laden applauded the 9/11 attacks. Such deliberate killing of innocent lives deserved retaliation. It is good that bin Laden is dead and justice is served. The way in which he was finally captured and killed shows that targeted retribution is far superior to wars of aggression and nation-building. In 2001 I supported giving the president the authority to pursue those responsible for the vicious 9/11 attacks. However, misusing that authority to pursue nation-building and remaking the Middle East was cynical and dangerous, as the past ten years have proven.

It is tragic that it took ten years, trillions of dollars, tens of thousands of American casualties and many thousands of innocent lives to achieve our mission of killing one evil person. A narrow, targeted mission under these circumstances was far superior to initiating wars against countries not involved in the 9/11 attacks, and that is all we should have done. This was the reason I emphasized at the time the principle of Marque and Reprisal, permitted to us by the US Constitution for difficult missions such as we faced. I am convinced that this approach would have achieved our goal much sooner and much cheaper.