Christmas strings concerts

My boys are playing their violins with the Pittsburgh Music Acadmey at PPG Wintergarden at 5: pm on Saturday, Dec. 11.

Plus, you can catch them at 2 pm on December 19 at the Carnegie Free Library in Carnegie.

Ho, ho, ho. Tickets are $0.

I'm not sure when the school concert is, exactly. Their holiday play was scratched as the teacher had a bad fall and messed her ankle. Get well soon! My older boy had a speaking part, 4-lines, and was to play the Mayor.

Row office reform

I talked with Wayne Fontana of County Council on the phone. He worked a lot on the row-office reform measures and process. It seems the idea of 10-ballot questions, one for each elected office, was talked about. Wayne, perhaps being nice to me, said he like that idea and pushed for it himself.

By the way, Wayne and I are both expected to be on the campaign trails seeking the PA Senate seat in the 42nd District. Disclosure ends.

But, the Republicans didn't like the 10-votes idea. Nor did the Dems. Wayne didn't have a lot of support.

The fear was that the public would be so mad that they'd transition all 10 from elected office status.

How about this as a wrinkle for the veto's counter measure. The election is May 2005. Any given office transitions from elected to appointed could occur January 1, 2006. But, if the case of more than five (50%) transitions are voted upon, the remaining ones (6, 7, 8, 9, 10?) are to terminate Jan 1, 2007.

The offices that are mandated with a higher percentage of voters for closing close first. The offices that are less strongly in favor of an appointed leader transfer in 2007, if that is the will of the appointed leader of that office. Sooner would be permitted.

Bill's bill about too many bills. Pay to play -- nickle bets

Newly introduced campaign reform bill in a PDF with notes from me.

Hot off the presses. Some new rules are coming in time for the 2005 mayor's race, if Bill Peduto has his way. Bill is being talked about as a candidate. So, he is going to change the laws in serious ways now? Are you nuts? Let's change the goal post in the first quarter of the game.

I think I'll try to peg this the JIM THORPE rule. Thorpe was an Olympian. Great athlete. Poor background. Won medals. Lost medals because he broke the amateur athlete code and got some cash to play baseball. Those rule at that time were part of the sporting landscape to favor the rich. The poor kids, like today, can't travel to tournaments to compete without some cash to get there. But the rich could.

We do need to put these concepts onto the table and talk about them. There is a lot of "Pay To Play" in the city's fabric. However, this law is not yet ready for prime time. There should be a public hearing put on the law as soon as possible, for starters.

Trend: Too late. This should have surfaced six months ago.

If this isn't the JIM THORPE law, perhaps it will be the Earl Jones law. Earl has a wealthy nephew who could bankroll the mayor's race for Earl. Are the Democrats afraid of that?

Another kicker was today's city council action. A contract was awarded to a firm, Mockenhaupt Benefits Group that finances some of the benefits package of city workers. It is some finance deal that the administration wants to put into place. Deal like this happen all the time. But, two on council, Luke and Jim, voted no. They both, and Gene might have been absent but raised some questions last week, wanted to see a contract of that value be put out to bid -- or at least to a RFP process (Request for Proposals). But no. The mayor of the city wants to spend the money is a fashion as he sees fit -- without a bid. And, Bill Peduto is fine with that. I'm not.

Bid all the contracts.

New campaign reforms would not be needed if everything in the city was done on the up and up. The proposed law states that any person who makes a maximum contribution during an election cycle may not be awarded a contract relating to City affairs, without going through a competitive bidding process. Jeepers. Have all the awarded contracts be done with a competitive bid.

Furthermore, who is to say what's what. Who works at the benefits group, or owns it, or manages it, or rents space to it --- whatever --- who is giving to various campaigns. As it is today, no corporate donations can be made to campaigns. So, Mockenhaupt Benefits Group isn't going to show up in the campaign finance reports.

There are many better things to do than this law. How about, for starters, we give each candidate for office 10 hours on the government station as soon as they are on the ballot. Let's let all the candidates make their case. Rather, we get flashing photo billboards of all the members in office now for free for four years at a time.

RCAC.net team nets Monica for political director

See the comments for a mention from Bob G, the GOP Chair. Lots of strong females are in the upper ranks of the county's GOP team.

Do more with Les

It's a good campaign slogan: Do More with Les. That's Les Ludwig.

Today Mr. Ludwig tossed his hat, officially, into the Democratic Mayor's race primary. He talked about the lack of leadership in the city council chambers, in the administration AND with the unions.

Doubt you'll see much in the newspaper or on the radio. His arrival into the race is going to make it rocky for Bob O'Connor. There is some history between the two. Bob O'Connor, as his city councilman, didn't help in a home-care operation.

Les has dug on a few different issues. I've posted his comments on the issues to the internet at my sites.

PG: The people lose / Needed repairs come to nothing

EditorialThe legislation that brought casino gambling to Pennsylvania was flawed in various ways, but the most flagrant irritant to many ordinary people was the provision allowing public officials to have up to a 1 percent stake in gambling entities. A public outcry went up to fix this open invitation to a conflict of interest, and lawmakers hurried to oblige.

That effort has come to nothing... When Republican Sen. John Pippy of Moon introduced Senate Bill 1209 in August, it was a simple affair dealing with the 1 percent problem. When it reached the governor's desk last month, it was anything but simple. The bill was loaded with amendments and Gov. Ed Rendell vetoed it....

This was a collective failure of the executive and legislative branches, Democrats and Republicans. Many Pennsylvanians wanted something done and what they got was a parody of casino life: a lot of action and no final payout. Shamefully, it is another thing that the politicians did without getting right. It's a piece of unfinished business that must be revived next year."

This goes to the trends of doing too little, doing it too late, and one-step better than the worst possible. We need higher standards. Perhaps our expectations need to be raised? When you aim low, it is hard to miss.

10-4 vote for 10-4 question on row office reform

Passed council, 10-4 for 10-4.: "'I think this is a historic moment to reform and reorganize county government,' Rich Fitzgerald said after the meeting."

Everything is so dramatic and so historic. Give us a break.

And, to say it is only 'fair' to let the officials serve out their terms is NOT fair to the will of the people. Fair for row offices. The fair thing to do is put each office before the voters and have it stand on its own.

Give us 10 ballot questions, one for each office. Then let's see how the campaign works.

Dan could veto their plan and get the necessary signatures to put his 10-2 plan onto the ballot. Or, Dan could counter with a 10 office 10 vote plan. Thankfully, there is still a little time.

Anyone else what to offer a ballot question for discussion? This is the time to toss it out into the marketplace of ideas for review.

Place those orders to getting ready for Christmas?

In the next days I've got to come to grips with our final purchase for our kids. Do they do Linux at the North Polo or do we have to get an elf from Round Rock, TX? My kids don't read my blog, as they are generally into Backyard Baseball. But, if you have had any good values let me know in the comments. Thanks in advance.

Christmas Party -- RSVP form

Thanks for the RSVP. Idealist.org: Christmas Party, slated for 7:30 pm on Wednesday, December 15 on the South Side.

You can use this page to invite up to six others as well. Thanks!

Sunday's Libertarian Party, Dec. 12, 7 pm - Monroeville

I'll be there. Hope you can consider it and attend as well. To RSVP, send me an email or put it into the comments.

Sunday, Dec 12th 7 PM. Annual Libertarian Party of Pgh (Allegheny County) Holiday Party at John Harvard's on Business route 22 in Monroeville. This is next to Penn Center and across the street from the Cinnemette East. Everyone on this list is invited. We have to plan the details in the next few days, gather RSVPs and send out additional invitations. Admission will be free. There will be separate checks.

We will probably have a 50/50 raffle to get funds for the party. Anyone can join the LPPgh for an additional year for the reduced rate of $20 at the holiday party. We should hold a short meeting, ratify the chapter election results, possibly nominate someone to run for Jack Wagner's vacated state senate seat, then adjoun. There is no out of town speaker this year, but potential candidates may wish to speak.

We should also take a few minutes to recap 2004 and lay out a general plan for 2005. John Harvard's is a brew pub that makes about 20 varieties of beer. Their food is British/American and includes entrees like chicken pot pie, shrimp scampi, blackened chicken something or other, Oriental chicken salad, grilled salmon,
etc.

Replacement sought for Wagner's state Senate seat

Replacement sought for Wagner's state Senate seatThough no date has been chosen for the special election, the election will probably be in the spring, and could coincide with the spring primary."

To date, the only Republican to publicly express interest in running for Wagner's Senate seat is David Jason, a Scott Township commissioner.

(Bill Toland can be reached at btoland@post-gazette.com or 1-717-787-2141.)

My adivce is headed to Harrisburg in a letter soon. I'm asking that the special election for this open seat be held on May 17, 2005. That special election can occur at the same time as the primary election day so as to save money. The costs of a special election for a Senate seat are too steep to hold on its own day.

I was at an organizational meeting this weekend with some former DEAN supporters from throughout the county. They started to talk about the open PA Senate seat and the need to get good candidates. I spoke up and said, "I resemble that remark." Later I had the floor for a three minute update and invited them to the wiki, Platform.For-Pgh.Org.

Row office reform solution -- unbundle and take on a case by case vote.

I wrote to Erik Selby, Program Manager, KQV, and asked if I might provide an audio editorial.

Row office reform is a big topic in 2005. Our county's chief executive has a plan to reduce the elected offices from ten to two. Others on council and in our political system have different plans, be it 6 or 5 or otherwise.

Rather than a bundled package, I'd love to see the voters of the county deal with each office on a case by case basis. Rather than one question for the voters with an outcome of for example, 10-2, take it or leave it.

Let's think again. Let's ask ten questions.

Should the county charter be changed so as to keep and elected position of:

Treasurer: vote "YES" or "NO."

District Attorney: vote "YES" or "NO."

Sheriff: vote "YES" or "NO."

(and so on)

Listing all the office postions could be squeezed into the radio's message.

The voters are smart enough to take this apart on a case by case basis. The vote would allow each office to campaign or not for their role within the new structure.

When there is a bundled deal, this gives cover. The process should be open, honest and clear for all to see.

As voters are not aware of the issue, they'd be encouraged to not vote and leave the decision to those who have strong opinions on the matter. But, in the course of the campiagns, good news outlets would rise to the call for more voter eduction, also on a case by case basis. This educational exposure would make the county stronger and serve as a civics primer to many.

Western Pennsylvania lags in terms of our use of democracy. Let's provide more power to the people. Our use of referendums and ballot questions is horrid. We should enliven this process as a tool of democracy. Self-reliance is in short supply and greatly needed before we can solve the various crises we face.

###

Of course, I'd re-write for length before going to the studio.

What to do with three Apple Laser Printers?

I've got three broken Apple laser printers. Two are LaserWriters II and one is a LaserWriter Pro (600?). There was a time when these cost thousands. All have had heavy use and served me well. Is there a repair guy out there? Is a rehab even possible? Anyone want them for parts? The Apple stores don't deal with them.

Thanks for your advice and tips, Mark at Rauterkus dot com -- or in the comments.

First edition of Homespun Bloggers Radio

Well worth the listen. Running mates will play here too. And, we're now working on our own multimedia efforts, yet to come.

PPS boss, Dr. Thompson, do we re-up or not?

Dr. John Thompson gets ink in Trib on Nov. 28. More ink flows in early December as a "secret consensus" seems to be flowing from the School Board -- but yet un-announced.

I do love the headline, "It is never going to be a smooth ride. ... It's the name of the game of a large city school superintendent. It's never going to be a smooth ride," said Thompson.

As a coach, it is my job to take people out of their comfort zones. As a challenger in politics, perhaps, I've got to walk with the same type of passions. To learn is to grow, to change. To break the machine, we'll have to teach, to fuel efforts in new directions, to get out of our rut.

If you are content, like Mr. Rooney, perhaps, then I don't expect I'll get your vote. And, I expect to be escorted away from the gates of Heinz Field again some time soon. But back to the school's super, Dr. T.

There are deadlines and then there are sunsets and expirations. Our contract-speak, for both Walt Harris and Dr. Thompson is being reported upon poorly. "The deadline might have to be extended." Fine. No worry at my end.

The quote last week was, "Thompson will be offered a fair contract." Fair Warning, as in "fair share" and "fair tax base." This week the headline is not so certain, "set to decide."

Challenges remain, but why would one of them be listed as "a school board opposed to raising taxes." I'd say that is an asset. So, the legislature goes and robs the school district.

Also included in Dr. J. Thompson's priorities is cultivating a better relationship with the school board, ... and other area politicians.

"It really concerns me that I haven't built a better relationship with the board and some of the politicians in the area. That's a must in order for the school district to move forward," he said.

Bingo. This is a huge statement. Huge. Let me explain. When Dr. Thompson first came to Pittsburgh I wrote to him and said, "Garbage in = Garbage out." This is an old slogan from the world of computer programming. If you have a bunch of junk programming, your program is going to be junk. I explained to him that our political system is ill and sick. Hence, the only one's he'll get on the school board are going to be products of that environment.

The winners of the local elections for school board are not sick. But, the process they need to navigate is. The process in our local democracy is frail and can't craft a method that insures great outcomes, as should be the case.

Dr. T needs to work with the school board much more than with the teachers and far more than with the students. Dr. T needs to be concerned with the board, its make-up, and the landscape of our politics in Pittsburgh.

Until that statement was in the paper, Dr. T has been sleeping at the wheel. He has blown many great opportunities to do things in new ways with political implications. Now, perhaps, he thinks this is the time. There is no time like the present. But there is much to do. Might be too little too late to come to this observation. I'm very excited to get this progressing.

The unresponsive and insulated remarks are sure to stick when he didn't engage in the politics.

So, as a fix the board and leaders say the rancor is to be reserve for private sessions. Wrong. Let's be civil. Let's be open. If you got to rumble and step in some rancor -- do it in public. Don't revert to the stone age and do a non-debate Allegheny Conference style. Then we have to wonder if the board is getting better or just getting hi-jacked.

Hate to see PG reporting such as this: "even Thompson's attire has beomce ammunition for detractors, who say he is overdressed. He favors tailored suits, starched collars and flashy neckwear."

Brently: "This process has not been clearn or open or honest." Does Mt. Lebo have a board member who can break ranks and say that? But, on the flip side of the same conversation Brently accused one un-named board member os saying Thompson is "too dark" to continue as superintendent.

Romaniello said he would have exposed the person who said it. Exactly the right thing to do, rather than smear without a name being mentioned.

All in all, I think we have a long way to go. But, I think we are making some good progress. The schools in the city in much better shape than the city itself. But, the bailout will cause a good bit of pain for the schools.

If Dr. T stays, I hope he wakes up to the need to do more politically with the district. And, I'll give him a long list of things to consider. He can start with the Pittsburgh Park District white paper.

12TH ANNUAL POLITICS ONLINE CONFERENCE

Road trip?
http://www.PoliticsOnline.com

The 2005 Politics Online Conference at The George Washington University, March 10 - 11, 2005, will analyze this year's successes and, more importantly concentrate on what lies ahead: innovations on the horizon that will set the path for the industry and shape the future course of Internet politics.

The 2005 Politics Online Conference will be the largest Conference to date featuring over 70 speakers and expanded to a one and a half day format comprising 15 breakout sessions, 2 plenary sessions, 2 evening cocktail events, a keynote luncheon and the Politics Online Conference Great Debate. To register: www.ipdi.org/politicsonline

Secretary of Health and Human Services resigns

Another Bush administration resignation came. Former Wisconsin Governor, Tommy Thompson. Thompson is show on stage while Grant entertains the Harlem Globetrotters.

Click the photo for a larger version.


We were in DC on the lawn pushing the awareness of the closed swim pools and rec centers here in Pittsburgh. The little guy in the middle, Grant, is my son. Today is Grant's birth day. He is now seven.

Thompson's brother is a Libertarian and former mayor. He too has run for the Governor's office as well.

Winning logo? Reactions welcome on "We the people" design

New version shows PA outline.



What do you think? Do you like the logo and design?

The site, Elect.Rauterkus.com is not expected on December 15, 2004. That day is devoted to more general efforts.

Homespun Bloggers Symposium III

Homespun Bloggers What, in your mind, represents the single greatest long-term threat to the United States of America, and what should be done about it?

I'm a swim coach. Because of my background, I know that the greatest threats are those that are found within, not without. An external threat is, generally, less of a factor than internal ones. In swimming, we often coach the athletes to get of ouf their own way. Get off the brakes. Reduce drag.

Canada? ... Naw. Mexico? Sure. Outter space? You bet.

Our biggest single problem internally might very well be our poor handling of the wider concept of democracy. I wonder what from the outside can topple that internal system, and I don't see much. I'm stuck on this internal nexus.

I better read what you others have written as I'm not moved to rant about oil, solar flares nor aliens.

CELEBRATE PITTSBURGH'S FILM & TV INDUSTRY

Heavy Or Not, that's the name of my TV show. http://hon.cloh.org. This would be fun. But, scoll down a bit and see what I'll be doing -- getting people off of their couch and into life.

at Dowe's on Ninth Street Entrepreneurial Thursday's Year-End Event --
An Evening of Live Jazz, Interviews & Networking Hosted by Jessica Lee & Adrienne Wehr

Thursday, December 16, 2004, 5:30 - 8:00 PM, $5 cover at the door

Dowe's on Ninth Street, 121 Ninth St. - Downtown

PANEL:
"Building and Growing Pittsburgh's Film/TV Industry"
City Councilman William Peduto
State Representative Tom Stevenson
Tom Savini & Marty Schiff - "Tom Savini's Chill Factor"
Don Marinelli - CMU's Entertainment Technology Center
Rick Sebak - WQED
Brian Bronaugh - Pittsburgh Advertising Federation

PROFILE INTERVIEWS WITH:
Janet Smith - Trifocal Media
Brady Lewis - Pittsburgh Filmmakers, "Daddy Cool"
Amy Lamb - Lumiere Films
Bill O'Driscoll - Film Kitchen
Jared Early - Oaks Theater
Aisha White - Rights and Responsibilities
Gary Kaboly - Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Jeff Garton & Hugues Dalton - "The Lift"
Laura Magone - "One Extraordinary Street"
Joe Giacobella - Bello Productions, "Doing Therapy"
Kevin Clark Forsythe - Another True Story Publishing

New Pittsburgh's New Trustees Board Survey

New Trustees Board Survey Are you aware of the New Trustees for a New Pittsburgh Program?

With depth like this, (3 question survey), the crisis is going to be grave. Hey guys, use eVote. If you really want to get things cooking -- and I do -- then we'll need bigger, better, more effective tools.

Putting Humpty back together again, after the great fall, is going to take a lot of helpers with far more interaction than what has transpired so far.

TAKE HEED! New CDC Virus Warning nationally and local rash warning follow-u

2 Political Junkies blog: New CDC Virus Warning. The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning about a new virulent strain of sexually transmitted disease. This disease is contracted through dangerous and high risk behavior. The disease is called Gonorrhea lecthim (pronounced 'gonna re-elect him').

Locally, we have another problem, a new rash that is sweeping Pittsburgh this winter and spring: gonna-not-elect-em-tri-fecta. Comes from hugging and a peck on the cheek from Bob O'Connor as he tries for his third run at the mayor's race.

Cure: Long, 3 to 5 minute embraces. Bear hug him like a clam and avoid the pain of hearing him speak on the issues. If he only hugged, we'd all be safe. So, don't let go.

PG coverage of O'Connor gears up for mayoral run.

Seriously, it was good to see Bob resign from the state position as there are ethical matters to deal with if he kept campaigning while on the job there. So he did do the right thing. But to have him say he is still considering the run is outlandish.

It was interesting to see Bob O'Connor outside of Heinz Field the night of the WPIAL football games. Bob was cheering for Central Catholic. Meanwhile, deals were being cut in the final hours in the legislature for Pittsburgh's bailout. Go team go.

I love Central Catholic too. Hope they win in Altoona and take states the next weekend. Central is to play a part in the position papers, Platform.For-Pgh.org. The school needs space for its own athletic complex. The city should help to make that happen. That's a priority that values the sandlots over stadiums.

Honest Wagner & being juiced on Roids puts clouds in the night sky

Honest WagnerA posting from a fellow burgh blogger covers some of the insights about the recent news of steroids in baseball.

Sports are games of time, space and relationship. Poor sports hurt one or all four of those factors. Great sports excel in them.

The relationships one has with yourself (health and wellness if not ambitions), your team, competitors, the game, its history are all to be judged, valued and managed.

We teach kids, and learn for ourselves, many lessons in these games. The big value comes in the transfers of those lessons to life beyond the game.

A star will shine less brightly if juiced on roids. And same too for the overall game. This is like clouds in the sky that are sure to darken the stars.

You gotta think again and get to the roots of what really matters. Then the decisions and judgements we make are based on principled understandings.

These are big society and culture questions. How we treat ourselves and our kids are going to matter. The hindge to prosperity and wellness is values. That talk exceeds money.

I think the talk is important. Keep it flowing. Share it, (all dimensions) with your kids too. We all have a lot to learn in these areas. And make Lyle Alzato part of the early lessons too.

Ta.
Mark Rauterkus
http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com

Blog lookup story from AP

TechBits: Showtimes, blog lookup, music videos, holograms, electronic eye: "'Blog' is most-searched word in online dictionary
NEW YORK -- 'Blog' is now the most popular search word in the online version of the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

Its frequent lookup paralleled its growth on the political scene this year as keepers of Web logs aggressively chronicled campaign developments they thought were undercovered or ignored by traditional media.

Politics dominated Merriam-Webster's top-10 list, with 'incumbent,' 'electoral,' 'insurgent,' 'partisan,' 'sovereignty' and 'defenestration' among the top searches. Rounding out the list were 'hurricane,' 'cicada' and 'peloton,' the main body of riders in a bicycle race.

Last year was the first that the company kept a list of the top words looked up online. As with this year, the most popular words were frequently in the news.

Last year's winner was 'democracy.'

As for a blog, Merriam-Webster defines the noun as 'a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer.'

The story above was by Ellen Simon, AP Technology Writer. My AP contact, Judy Lin, is no longer with Pittsburgh's AP office. I'm now pitching a story to M. Crissey about the 2nd Pittsburgh blog fest -- to happen Dec. 15. More news, I hope, very soon.

Dept. of Parks and Rec -- BIG LEAGUE members invited to an open discussion.

A form letter arrived to invite participants to an open discussion regarding the 2005 BIG League sports season. They are looking to create an advisory board and want input from the community. Citiparks Director asks that one person represent each athletic association at the meeting. Participation is voluntary. A volunteer committee will be set up to give athletic associations the opporutnity to have a positive impact on the future of youth sports in the City.

The meeting will be held at 7 pm on Thursday, December 16, 2004 at the South Side Market House.

www.leaguelineup.com/pghbig

412-488-8585 or
412-488-8580

From Joseph Defeo and Michelle Aul

The BIG League program has been axed. Gone. There was a day when a handful of full time employees and a number of part time staffers helped organize the sports leagues in the city. Kiss em good bye.

I was involved in the Aquatics Task Force in past years. Such a joke. We used to have 32 outdoor swim pools. Now we'll be looking at 12. But, there is $0 in the capital budget. So, if one pool needs a pump or a new fence -- I doubt it will happen. These places have been held together by band-aids for years. Neglect has been the rule. What do they say about making chicken soup without a chicken?

We need a new Pittsburgh Park District. We need some leadership coordination and training. We need some peer review. Time will tell.

Put one of these under your kid's Christmas tree, a domain name.

Resign Tom Murphy

A guy I know wrote to me (and I think a similar email went to Doug Shields as well):

Resign Tom Murphy

Step down. Your time ruining this City is over. I hope they stick to their votes. I would rather pay the $200 more per year so we can insure that our mayor leaves a sour taste in everyone's mouth.

Start-up dot com movie tonight with mixer and Ron Morris

Good event slated tonight at DU:
http://americanentrepreneur.net/sub_index22.asp

Changes at RCAC.net and their holiday party

See the comments for a message from the County GOP chair. Mike and Mike are moving on and women county executive director returns to take over. Their party is at Sports Rock too.

Chess invites for kids. Its often all about playing well with others. Great lessons must be taught.

Source: Jerry Meyers, Chessmaster, Western PA Youth Chess / Pittsburgh Chess Club

Your children are invited to participate in the Tri-State Junior Chess Championship, which will be held on Saturday, December 18 at Carnegie Mellon
University. This event is intended as the championship for PA, Ohio, and West Virginia. Usually attendance runs between 250 to 400 kids.

Many newcomers ask if their child is ready and why they should encourage their child to play chess.

If your child can play a full game without help and carry out simple checkmates, they can play in a tournament. I firmly believe chess is good for kids. It focuses them, helps with their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and even helps teach some lessons about being better winners and more gracious losers. If your child has never tried a tournament before, why not discuss it with them. Chess will give them a chance to exercise their brain, and our tournament will provide a positive atmosphere. Our message to your kids will be "Win or lose, if you do your best, You are a Winner!"

Children of different ages and ability levels are placed in different sections. For instance, there is a Grade K to 2 Beginner section, Grade 3 & 4 Beginner section, etc, as well as numerous sections divided by ratings. Different sections allow them to play others of similar ability and still have a chance to win some games or even a ribbon or trophy.

Full details, and a registration form.

You can also look up your child's current rating on the website and look at the "Honor Roll," which shows the top 15 rated kids in each grade.

Entries are accepted until the day before the tournament. However, if you mail your entry by next Saturday, December 4, you will save $5 by avoiding the late fee.

For those who are interested, there is also information on the website about our next set of Sunday chess classes at the Pittsburgh Chess Club. Those classes will begin on Jan 9. Beginners and Advanced Beginners meet from 2:30-3:30 and Intermediate players meet from 1-2pm. Cost is $35 for 6 weeks. There is also a class for Advanced students on Monday nights, starting January 10. Details.

Lastly, I would like to mention that there are 3 spots remaining for my Chess Camp from Dec 27 to 31 for players rated roughly 700 to 1000. Details on the website.

Thank you for your consideration. I hope your children are enjoying chess.

Closed for good

The Station Square nightclub, Chancey's, is closed for good now. The one attorney said that the sting and shut down was like shooting a wounded animal. The owners had a plan and it was due to close in early January.

Perhaps we should hold the 2nd blog fest there? (joking)

Cascade of closings:
1. The curfew center.
2. Chauncey's.
3. The roller rink in Forest Hills.

Some in the community might be itching for a good fight -- or a hockey game.

Dartmouth, Notre Dame, Stanford

Three great educational institutions gave football coaches the pink slips. Notre Dame's student athletes are to vote about NOT going to the Insight.com bowl game. That's interesting too.

Row office reform and Dan O on Bowyer

Our Chief Executive, Dan Onorato, was on the Jerry Bowyer show and spoke about his bill on row office reform. The bill is presently in committee and should surface to a vote soon. Until the vote on council, we're not sure where the people stand. This vote, by the way, only gets the question to change the row office onto the ballot.

Dan's is a 10-to-2 plan. We end up with two row offices. This is the next logical discussion. The second step in home rule is here. Home rule -- there is an interesting point that gets kicked around in the city. We don't have home rule when we have two oversight boards. So, we've swapped out row offices for oversight boards and Over Lords.

The so-called machine, so says Dan, is something that makes him chuckle. He said, "I don't know how much machine is left." We'll find out.

"A lot of those things are from a prior era. It really does not exist. Most of these jobs are civil service jobs. You can't bring in your friends. Merit hiring is in place."

Today's machine is around, but not in the employee ranks. However, the machine is in the funding, campaign ranks in terms of donations to campaigns. The machine is in place in terms of the media coverage too, I expect.

Running from duties! Wear these 'sneakers' -- sneakers.

If you are going to recess and run from duties, might as well be prepared with nice shoes. Sneakers are also good to play upon the lack of soul.

Throwing an anvil to a sinking swimmer

Recess!

Oh my gosh. I was always good at recess. Gym class and firedrills were other favorite classes of mine. Plus music too.

The city council at 12:30 pm on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2004, pulled out a rule to recess its meeting. Only the chair can end the recess. Now we wait. Closed door meetings are to happen again, perhaps?

If you don't know what the heck I'm talking about -- join the rank-and-file club. We all don't know for sure, sadly.

The Act 47 vote to switch out the ordinances was about to go down. The 5-4 vote from the summer was about to be a 4-5 vote.

I went to speak before city council today and I asked for "self-reliance." Rather, when the going go tough, they ran and hid. Gene Ricciardi asked for the recess. He holds the gavel. So now, the citizens wait. The workers wait. The tax hikes are looming larger.

Carpenters rally on Friday with Anne Feeney

Invite from a friend:

Rally at the Carpenters' Hall this Friday evening, 12/03/04. All are welcome.

CARPENTERS AND FRIENDS,
Please join us for a show of SOLIDARITY with ANNE FEENEY, INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED UNION LABOR SONGWRITER AND PERFORMER.

At 7 to 9:00 pm, Friday December 3, 2004 at the Carpenters' Hall, 3rd floor, 495 Mansfield Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15205

Nationality rooms at the Cathedral host holiday open house, Dec 5

I'll be at a birthday party for a special 6-year old, but you might check it out. We could put some holly on the sign, Fire Mayor Murphy.

The University of Pittsburgh's Nationality Rooms are traditional classrooms created from 1938 to 2000. Rooms, including Irish, German, Hungarian, Lithuanian, and 22 more, are decorated in holiday style traditional to each culture, and truly are magical for the young and old alike. The Holiday Open House is Sunday, December 5, from noon to 4; food, crafts, and tours will be offered by guides in ethnic dress.

Transportation blog needs a dozen worthy volunteers and contributors

This current events blog outsources chatter on transportation to a sister blog, http://Ratsburgh.blogspot.com. The issue of transportation stretches from roads, potholes, river-traffic, light-rail extension, PAT's doomsday budgets, Mon Valley Toll Road and bikeways, to name a few.

We need a number of others willing to chime in on these matters, posting pointers and insights, at that blog. Interested? Willing?

Seems as if the special session to the legislature called for by both Jake Wheatly and Don Walko isn't happening in 2004. Snip from the New Pgh Courier:

Steve Mishkin, spokesman for House leader Sam Smith, R-Punxutawney, said the session is over and the governor is to blame.

“The administration would not do a supplemental, they wanted permanent taxes and fees as a temporary fix,” he said. “The governor can use surplus Intergovernmental Transfer Funds to tide PAT and SEPTA over. There’s $250 million right there and he doesn’t need legislative approval.”

In a letter sent to Rendell Nov. 12, Smith noted the legislature held off on discussing transit funding at Rendell’s request until an audit of SEPTA and PAT was completed. “Having just indicated (Nov. 22) that you received the final audit report Nov. 12, I am concerned that it has not been shared with either the House or Senate Transportation committees, or leadership as far as I know,” said Smith. “This information may have been helpful as we sought to reach an agreement on temporary funding for public transportation.”

Smith said he remains committed to working on further dedicated funding for mass transit early in the next session and urged Rendell to use the funds at his disposal, which he would have to do anyway since his proposed taxes would not yet be available.

“If using any of these funds truly creates a secondary problem, I propose we consider any transfer as a loan, which can be subsequently addressed during the general budget process,” he said.

PAT spokesperson Judy McNeil said the staff is assembling its public comment report for the board of directors and has put the process in motion to increase fares, cut service and layoff 500 employees by March.

“With nothing happening in Harrisburg, there is not enough we can do administratively to close a $30 million budget deficit,” she said. “On (Nov. 21) SEPTA sent out 1,400 pink slips. So it’s pretty gloomy around here.”

Too many secrets, closed door meetings and double-dealings

Rendell's double-dealing by the Trib's Brad Bumsted: It was one more public relations nightmare for Gov. Ed Rendell. ... Rendell had a secret plan for a commuter income tax.

Only with the legislature's blessing could a commuter income tax be pursued. But the legislature won't bless anything Tom Murphy champions. This plan wasn't solid for the city nor the region. But even if Murphy had figured out how to cure cancer, The Murphy/Rendell/O'Connor plan would not get a reception in Harrisburg.

It's obvious that Rendell and/or the Murphy administration were angling for a loophole in the law. These guys try to wiggle past the letter of the law. And, at the other end of the spectrum are others who would rather value the spirit of the law and do the best things on the basis of a higher calling.

House members insisted on the provision because they don't trust Rendell. (And Tom Murphy too.)

A disaster for Rendell is that his credibility - and his top staff's - was already damaged in negotiations with legislative leaders during the final weekend of the session. Senate Republicans aren't sure how they can deal with Rendell in the future based on how he botched things with what they say was a disorganized agenda with shifting priorities.

Rendell and Tom Murphy are good together. They broke campaign laws together. They spin each other's lies together. A special on the city cable tv shows Rendell giving a big check to the city and Rendell says how he is unaware of anyone in the city raising the white flag and leaving. None. I don't know how he can say that with a straight face.
Stephen MacNett, counsel for Senate Republicans, said he hadn't seen such a poor effort since the tail end of Democrat Gov. Milton Shapp's administration (1971-79.) He called it "a shameful performance by the front office."

Speaking of Comcast, Rendell was demanding a huge annual tax break for cable giant Comcast in Philadelphia.

The flap over the conference call was an example of "what we've been dealing with. He (Rendell) says one thing, then he's running around doing something else.

Does this slogan work for you?

Could it be more clear? Comments welcomed.

Senior Showcase Night -- a western PA tradition

Seniors talk here is not about blue-hair bingo players. Rather high school seniors who want to scramble for a football scholarship for college.

This outfit, www.akrecruiting.com, of which I know nothing, is holding a Senior Showcase Night on December 7 at the Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena (up Rt. 28). More info contact AK at 724-826+1331 or email - akrect at salsgiver dot com.

Swimming is so simple next to football.

Saw DU's head football coach at the All-Star game at Cupples today. By the way, the city kids scored 44 points and the north team (mostly from the burbs but also included North Catholic) had zero. I don't think that the scoreboard was broken, but it is very old. (Snicker as to the scoreboard's age.)