Neighborhood groups begin to collect information on proposed casinos

I'll be at the Feb 14 meeting. Hope you can make it too.

Neighborhood groups begin to collect information on proposed casinos On the South Side, where Harrah's and Forest City Enterprises want to build a Station Square casino, the South Side Planning Forum has scheduled a Feb. 14 meeting to discuss the impact of a casino, which would lie about a mile to the west of the South Side's main business district. Officials from Forest City have been invited to the meeting.

'That's sort of the first step in organizing a community discussion about this,' said Rick Belloli, executive director of the South Side Local Development Co.

Mr. Belloli also sits on the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force, the organization charged with studying the various casino plans and gauging their potential social and economic effects.

The development group has worked with Forest City previously -- last summer, Forest City, which owns Station Square, ran a shuttle from Station Square through the South Side, at the behest of the organization. Mr. Belloli hopes the two groups can work together again if Forest City is awarded a casino license."

Did anyone ever see a report on the ridership of the "Free Ride Bus" that was provided last summer on the South Side? I'd like to see that summary report. What accountability is there?

So, Belloli is the exec director of the SSLDC, and a member of the gaming task force and his organization is getting handouts for major programs with Forrest City. Humm... And, the South Side option, where "the fix is in" (so said Tom Murphy at a prior meeting I attended) ... is getting the least opposition.

These guys won't be for nor against. But, rather than help run a scout troup, they'll re-use the scout's motto -- Be Prepared. So, the lesson delivered is it is okay to be a skunk in the middle of the road as long as you're a nimble one.

Carson Street might resemble a parking lot -- after a Steelers game, so he said. Well, it looks like one today, and last night too. There used to be a street sweep program. But, the organization couldn't make that work in a sustainable way for the long haul. They moved along to the bus program, Free Ride. And that was on the heels of the Ultra Violet Loop bus program.

These guys want a clean city -- but they have to push a broom to get it that way. Or, we might need a new broom.

The vision I fear is that East Carson Street is going to become a parking lot for tour buses.

As for residential parking -- we need to stop the TIF on the other side of the MON at Second Avenue. There they want to build new parking garages. Well, it seems to me that we have a parking problem in the established neighborhoods that should get the attention before parking resources are squandered on the other side of the river at some office park.

Zoning isn't going to allow neighborhood groups to "PRESERVE" the strip of South Side up to Sixth Street. Monitor the types of businesses.... give me a break. So far so good as to monitoring the tatoo shops too, or the bars, or the absentee landlords, or the afterhours clubs or the grafitti, etc.

As for D.U., "The school, he (DU's President) said, had "an obligation to our students to stake out a position on this matter."

Right, DU's boss is the salt of the earth. He takes a stand, because of an obligation.

Furthermore, the plan to put the casino on the South Side is not two blocks away from 10,000 students. But it would be 10 blocks away from 5,000 DU students. And, it would be 5 blocks away from another 5,000 downtown students who don't attend DU. Be it 2 blocks or 10 blocks -- I guess that is a long walk or short bike ride vs just a short walk.

The word, "obligation" is good to see in any news coverage of this sort. It isn't a value that is high on many agendas around here.

Meanwhile, what the heck are these groups waiting for?

On the North Shore, where Detroit businessman Don Barden hopes to build a casino near the Carnegie Science Center, community groups have yet to weigh in. The North Side Chamber of Commerce plans to poll board members, said board president Debbie Caplan, while the North Side Leadership Conference is searching for a new executive director and in the midst of revamping its business plan, said interim director Dana Jaros.

Let's start a "leadership" group and then give a quote, "after that happens, we'll probably talk with business owners small and large." Let's give them a new name, The North Side Leaderless Conference. So retro and totally reactionary.

Hundreds of Steelers celebrants pour into the cold Oakland, South Side night

This was noticed. It would have been very nice to have had the trash cans emptied on East Carson Street. And, perhaps more put up along the street. But, those paper cans would not have been able to cut it.

The bigger nights of trouble, with a few broken windows, was on Friday and Saturday nights. The streets needed to be "red-up" before the game began. But, that would have been more "overtime."

Hundreds of Steelers celebrants pour into the cold Oakland, South Side night He also said two trash bins near Carson were set on fire, and around midnight, police in riot gear began advancing east on Carson toward 18th, clearing fans from the streets. Some officers reported that they were being pelted with bottles near 21st Street.

The officers I encountered had their game faces on, throughout the night. They were "on the job" and were not anything other than serious, as they should have been.

For an hour after the game officers for the most part let the revelers enjoy themselves. Some were chuckling at the spectacle, no doubt glad themselves that the Steelers were bringing a fifth world-championship trophy back to Pittsburgh.

Hundreds of Steelers celebrants pour into the cold Oakland, South Side night

Hummm.... I didn't see this fire. Must have been while the kids were getting to bed. That two-hour delay was welcome relief today. My guys slept right to 9 am, giving them two extra hours of sleep.

Hundreds of Steelers celebrants pour into the cold Oakland, South Side night: About 11 p.m., at 12th and East Carson streets on the South Side, a large fight erupted and several arrests were made, said Deputy Police Chief William Mullen. Another person was arrested near 18th and Carson after trying to punch a police officer.

Officials comments for a Steelers victory party

Very clever story by P-G's Gary Rotstein in today's newspaper. It is a must read for the humor.

Officials comments for a Steelers victory party This script of official comments planned for the Steelers victory celebration was found in a booth at the McDonald's on Stanwix Street. What, you thought these things were all off-the-cuff? Someone might say something outlandish. Here's what to expect.

South Side post-game -- Super Bowl

I didn't see any couches on the street in an inferno, thankfull. The choppers are still overhead at 1:22 am.

I'm sure the officers are going to get ready to go home soon. They mobalized a bit around 12:30, and I wanted to end my walk as a neighborhood nebster, but I was past by the Birmingham Bridge.

There were plenty of police on the South Side. I'm going to guess that there were 200 from Station Square to the other end of the Flats and a dozen or two along the hillsides. ??

Everyone seemed to be doing a nice job. The night was filled with a lot of hooting of fans, talking on cell phones and taking of photos and video.

The predicted score -- 3 to 14 -- held for a long time

Okay, if only we didn't have the Neil O'D flashback -- we would have been fine taking a 4th down turn over deep into the Seahawks territory. My game prediction was kinda close.

It was a low scoring game. And, it was an 11 point margin.

I do have a good sense about forecasting.

Faces fit for radio -- and commentary suitable for a city with a future too!

On the Air -- Here we are after our 30-minute radio show on Pitt's radio station. The show is available for your review, from start to end, in the /audio/ directory of the site. Go to http://Elect.Rauterkus.com/audio/ and hear what we had to say.


While we were on the air...

New T-shirts. This is Running Mate Rich Johnson!

New T-shirts: Liberty XL, One size fits all. Pittsburgh, 2006.


The back says, Elect.Rauterkus.com, 3.14. That's the date of the election, March 14.

You can get your own t-shirt too, for a small donation. Call me to place your order: 412 298 3432.

Don't Put Me In a Box -- from the recent campaign concert with Johnsmith at HQ on the South Side

You can hear a song by Johnsmith, as performed at our campaign concert recent Rally for Rauterkus at our brand-new venue at our South Side H.Q. We had more than 50 people attend the festivities on Feb. 2, and a good, meaningful time was had by all.

Quicktime, high bandwidth:

http://Elect.Rauterkus.com/sounds/DPMIABhigh.mov

Quicktime, low bandwidth:

http://Elect.Rauterkus.com/sounds/DPMIABlow.mov


Johnsmith sang, among other things, "Kicking The Stone" -- over the 10th Street Bridge, up 12th Street and all the way to the Super Bowl.

Prediction: Steelers win with a score of 3-14. And NO overtime.

Prediction: Seahawks 3 - Steelers 14. That's 3-14. The statement, 3-14 is more than a football score, as it is a date, March 14, of the special election for district 3, city council, city of Pittsburgh.

Frankly, I'm worried about OVERTIME. I don't want any overtime in the SuperBowl.

Likewise, I don't want to see so much overtime in the payroll of city workers so as to drain the city's annual budget. Nearly ten percent of the city's payroll budget is being sucked up in overtime charges including public safety workers: Emergency Medical Service, Firefighters and Police. They've had a flock of retirements and a shortage of new employees hired. The miss-management hurts in the day-to-day lives of these workers, their families and productivity. Plus, the second bit of pain comes from the inflated salaries that lead to higher pensions for years to come as these folks retire.

Most of all, we can't have any OVERTIME tonight, past the game. Outside my door and up-and-down the South Side the police have deployed road blocks and barracades. Stores are boarded up, like a hurricane is expected. Nobody should be tackled or sacked on the streets of the city AFTER the game ends. Leave the trash talking to Joey Porter too. Let lawlessness reside in Detroit (if it must reside anywhere). Lawlessness isn't welcomed in Pittsburgh and elsewhere throughout our region.

Super Bowl XL = can come to mean, Extra Liberty = Everyone Wins!

Around the South Side today, I hope to post mini, 4-color, artistice Pittsburgh signs that say:
Liberty
XL
Everyone wins!

Meeting with folks on the North Side -- to talk about big issues -- Health Care Reform.

Wilburn Hayden, Ph.D., briefs a group of people from various chuches around the county on the efforts of Health Care Reform in PA. The measure has a bill number in the PA Senate. Wilburn is the director of social policy and research for the Elect.Rauterkus.com campaign.

I took the photo.

500 show support for Penguins' new arena-casino proposal

500 show support for Penguins' new arena-casino proposal Ms. Harris, 17, of Carmichaels, Greene County, was holding a sign that read, 'Rendell ... No Arena, No Vote!'

For starters, a 17-year-old does not vote. Now, that is a shame, but it is a fact. Plus, the payment for the arena does NOT generally fall upon the backs of the people in Greene County -- but rather upon the people of the city of Pittsburgh.

The sign should read: "No Arena, No Vote, No Smarts." Logic is absent. Think again.

I was NOT asked to be a speaker at this event, by the way.

If the Civic Arena was BAD URBAN DEVELOPMENT -- why hasn't Peduto fixed it already? Why have the Dems not fixed the urban development of Three Rivers Stadium -- nor Heinz Field's urban development project too. I say the North Side is bad urban development too. Deadlines have passed and the only thing that is really happening is the shifting of jobs from other offices downtown to the North Side, leaving big holes in the downtown market. And, we get a massive parking garage that is going to be empty most of the time.

It is bad urban development to churn. The civic arena is a historical site now. It can be better blended into the fabric of the city. I think I know how to make that occur. Heck, the civic arena is the only indoor ice rink in the city.

Worse urban development -- far worse than the civic arena -- is the closing of an indoor ice rink on the South Side behind UPMC's South Side Hospital within a park. That is a dark hole that has been ignored by the likes of Bill Peduto and others on City Council. Gene Ricciardi, our former city council person, was the Chairman of the Citiparks when that was closed and NOT re-opened. He didn't care nor did he do much at all.

These guys are quick to stand up and grab a new shovel and want to re-do everything. They want big projects. They want big-ticket spending. But, they also drive up the debt. They also make earth move and nothing else moves -- not the economy, the the jobs, not the quality of life for ALL the city's, county's and region's citizens.

The Pens should stay, of course. The Pens should build a new arena, of course. But, they should do it on their own land with their own money.

The windfalls from gambling need to be diverted to more pressing needs, not a new hockey arena in a league that is about to die and didn't play a game last season.

Carmine's audio still rings true in most instances

Index of /~player/history/audio/carmine Another audio directory with many strong statements from years ago that still hold today.

Volunteer call

Audio of a call for volunteers.

The War on T-Shirts - Yahoo! News

My new t-shirt, by the way, came out for the first time on Thursday, for our campaign concert with singer/songwritter, Johnsmith. I had talked about it and shown the artwork to the audience at the candidate forum on Monday night. Its buzz began, right on this blog.

Furthermore, one of my t-shirts is already in Detroit -- on the back of a Steeler fan. She doesn't have a ticket -- but she has the kwel Liberty XL shirt!

In other t-shirt news....

The War on T-Shirts - Yahoo! News Minutes before the President of the United States would tell the Congress how much he appreciates 'responsible criticism and counsel,' the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq was dragged from a gallery overlooking the House chamber where Bush would speak, handcuffed and arrested for the 'crime' of wearing a T-shirt that read: '2245 Dead. How many more?'

Cindy Sheehan, who had been invited to attend George Bush's State of the Union address by Representative Lynn Woolsey (news, bio, voting record), the California Democrat who co-chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, did not put the 'dangerous' shirt on for the event. The woman whose protest last summer outside the President's ranchette in Crawford, Texas, drew international attention to the antiwar movement, had been wearing it at events earlier in the day.

Indeed, as Sheehan, who had passed through Capitol security monitors without incident, noted, 'I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the ticket and I didn't want to be disruptive out of respect for her.'

No one has suggested that Sheehan was in any way disruptive.

So why was she arrested?

Because, as Sheehan recounts, she was identified as a dissident.

Dissent -- a fine concept. Another word for a person who causes dissent in Pittsburgh is nay-sayer. I've been a 'nay-sayer' to the N-th degree.

Casino plan criticized - PittsburghLIVE.com

Casino plan criticized - PittsburghLIVE.com With at least 3,000 slot machines, Pittsburgh's casino will be too big and could end up looking like a 'shed,' Anne Swager, co-chair of the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force, said in a recent magazine interview.

That's assuming the state ever awards the casino licenses. Swager also said lawmakers have impeded a casino selection process marked by 'politics as usual.'

EXACTLY. But, the blasted casino can't look like a stinking shed if we INSIST upon the placement of the casino within the nice looking CONVENTION CENTER. Make it go there and no where else.


Convention Center isn't an ugly box. It is the place to make the casino work for Pittsburgh.


Green building, big arches, sky lights -- and all at a cost of about $6-million per year in regular operational COSTS, not counting the debt for building the cool building. The $300 million to build and the annual subsidization of the building -- makes it a weight around the necks of the taxpayers. Here is an opportunity to sell the building to a casino operator. Let's get rid of it now, before the casino operator needs to build another building.

Major software upgrade for concept maps: CmapTools v4

CmapTools v4 has been released and is now available for download from http://cmap.ihmc.us/

Version 4 adds a lot of new features and functionality. See the comments for the notes.

The next round of CDs that are to be provided with the campaign is to include this software.

Welcome to Pittsburgh Public Schools

Welcome to Pittsburgh Public Schools Monday, February 6, 2006
Two-hour delay. No AM half-day programs.
Staff is to report on time.

Road Delays and School Delays

Roads around town are going to be closing at certain times. The horses are out already, and one is in front of our home / headquarters.

The Pgh Public Schools is going to have a two-hour delay on Monday, to allow for the hangovers I guess.

Super Bowl Party

Still don't have anything to do for the Superbowl?

Then get a life. And, you're in luck. We've got a few extras to spare if you so desire.

Go to the Rex Theatre on the South Side. As you may already know, many of the bars on the South Side have decided to close for the Superbowl. Not the Rex Theatre! The game will be shown on the movie screen with full surround sound. There will be food provided and a cash bar. Admission is $10 in advance or $15 at the door as a donation to the Isaac for Congress Campaign. If you are interested, reply to Stacy Kletter, Volunteer Coordinator, Stacy@isaacforcongress.org and they'll hold tickets at will call for you. This is a wonderful opportunity to support a local candidate, and watch the Steelers win the Superbowl.

The Rex Theatre
1602 East Carson Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203

Mike Isaac for Congress
311 East Carson Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
412.670.2940

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At Station Square, the Junior US Senator from PA will be hosting a party as well.

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If you really need a life, perhaps you could go to Station Square and protest outside their Superbowl party.