Historical understandings of a one party town -- and the carpet

Dan Sullivan uploaded an article by Frank Chodorov in the July 1940 *Freeman*, based on his interview with William McNair, who had been mayor of Pittsburgh from 1933 - 1935.

http://savingcommunities.org/docs/chodorov.frank/mcnairpurpose.html


People will probably need some background to fully appreciate this article, so here goes:

Pittsburgh was a one-party town. Every mayor but one had been Republican from 1856 through 1932. Serious Democrats didn't want to even try a race there, so McNair became a "perennial candidate" in order to have a soap-box for his Georgist and libertarian doctrines.

The previous non-Republican mayor, elected in 1906, abolished a corrupt assessment system and ushered in a change in property taxes, so that land values paid a tax rate twice as high as the rate on improvements (buildings). McNair wanted to abolish the building tax altogether and put it all on land. There were no other city taxes at that time.

In a strange alignment of forces beyond McNair's influence, he was swept into office. Part of it was that the coat-tail effect of FDR's tremendous popularity carried down to McNair, even though McNair was denouncing FDR's proposals as socialist and totalitarian.

Another was that the Mayor Kline, the Republican incumbent, had just been indicted on an issue that would be considered trivial by today's standards (or lack thereof) but was scandalous at the time. It seems that Kline had the city pay his brother-in-law to recarpet the mayor's office with a very expensive oriental carpet. (That carpet was still looking good in the 1980s, and Democrats would stand on it and say, "Buying this carpet was the best thing old Kline ever did.")

Anyhow, Kline resigned under pressure and was replaced, as both the mayor and the Republican candidate for mayor, by a politically weak councilman named Herron. McNair beat Herron to become mayor, and not one non-Democrat was ever elected to a Pittsburgh office again.

Chodorov, who had taken over the editorship of *The Freeman* from Albert Jay Nock, was, as Nock had been, a proponent of Henry George's land value tax as the foundation of a free-market libertarian system. He was also the director of the Henry George School of New York at the time of this article, but shortly thereafter was fired from the school because he was opposing our involvement in World War II, and opposing related policies like the draft.

Anyhow, that's the main cast of characters, and all the background information one would need to appreciate the article. However, I do want to call attention to the last eight paragraphs, which contain McNair's advice that reformers should educate the public rather than seek office. That advice comes near the bottom of the article. The following URL will link to it directly:

http://savingcommunities.org/docs/chodorov.frank/mcnairpurpose.html#folly

On Foreign Entanglements: The Ties that Strangle

On Foreign Entanglements: The Ties that Strangle: "This is the problem with our government involvement in the internal affairs of other nations. Our friend one day is our enemy the next. And all our friends' enemies become our enemies. How many times have we armed BOTH sides of a conflict because of this? There is little for us to gain from this policy, and simultaneously a lot of trouble we get ourselves into. It is not a rational or intelligent way to interact with the world.

Then there is the "underdog" status.



They say that Iowa is going to have 60% of the people going to the caucus meetings who have NEVER been to one before. And, they are saying that 45% of the participants are non Dems. Humm...

Parks, small businesses top Onorato's agenda - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Parks, small businesses top Onorato's agenda - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Efforts to bolster local businesses and renovate and privatize some Allegheny County park facilities will top the second-term agenda of county Chief Executive Dan Onorato, the Democratic leader said during his inauguration today.

The only time Onorato talks and leads a discussion about parks is around a geese killing.

The way to fix parks is to merge Citiparks and County Parks and Rec into a new Pittsburgh Park District. And, leave the foundations to private efforts -- not parks.

THE HYDRAULIC STINK BOMB

THE HYDRAULIC STINK BOMB THE HYDRAULIC STINK BOMB

The worst satire on the web -- or your money back!

New blog with comments enabled and a blog roll that links to my blog as well!

polishlinux.org -- Free software in Polish schools

polishlinux.org - Free software in Polish schools Thousands of Polish high school students now have a chance to learn about GNU/Linux and the benefits of using free software as Polish FLOSS foundation together with school headmasters, supported by local authorities organize a series of lectures on free software in education. PolishLinux.org has a report — summary of the first 3 months of the campaign.

We are going to get pounded by the rest of the world. Our schools are not using open source software as they should.

The proposed Science and Technology school slated for Pittsburgh, in the future, perhaps, should have everything centered upon open source software. Everything. All the majors would have to have to have understandings into this type of technology.

Pa. official explains plan for high school graduation exam

Pa. official explains plan for high school graduation exam: Pa. official explains plan for high school graduation exam
Wednesday, January 02, 2008

By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pennsylvania high school students would take a graduation exam in stages under a proposal state Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak discussed this morning with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial board.

So, what do you think of this? Reactions welcomed.

The exam would come into play when the present 6th grade class gets to graduation. That's a long time away. I would think, and hope, that the timeline for a district wide exam could be put into place much sooner.

Who gets to speak at the 'hearing?' Is there any public comment? Or, do the experts get to do all the thinking and grading?

Would the need for an exam be something that the PA Board of Ed can do without any legislative action on the part of those that are elected?

To pilot a program sounds a bit like being 'lab rats.' I'm not sure I want our kids being 'test testers.'

Again, the 'officials' have proposed a graduation exam. That's a local aim from 'officials.' But, the officials are not the customers, the parents, the taxpayers nor the ones who need to be 'consulted.'

If the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship depends upon the performance on a test -- why is it important to have the kids in school for a certain amount of days to qualify for the scholarship. If this is a test for performance sake -- then set that as the priority. If this is a scholarship for good behavior and attendance -- then performance and test taking should not matter.

The real 'test' for the kids comes in both getting into the college or university of their choice. And, next, they need to not flunk out once they are there.

Striking Teachers in Pittsburgh -- now without a contract -- loom larger for early 2008

Here is some dirt about an important player in the Pittsburgh school landscape. I don't find this to be too, too, too bad. Union workers have a long tradition of being part of the 'company' and being on 'leave.' Railroad, steel workers and others in other unions and in other industries have been working on behalf of the members while NOT doing the day-to-day job of the rank-and-file.

John Tarka might not be elected by his union members. If that was the case, he'd go back to the classroom, I'd assume.

John Tarka should be getting the same benefits, such as retirement, as the people he represents. Then his deal is like their deal. So, I'm not as outraged as the dirt digging from Simon. But, this is worthy of general knowledge.

Message from Simon (part 1, but not in timeline order)

Dear members of the media (covering the Pittsburgh teacher contract dispute),

With the assistance of Union President, John Tarka, strike authorization was recently issued by the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers (PFT). If there is a strike in the Pittsburgh school district it will be the biggest teacher strike in Pennsylvania in over 15 years (28,000 students, 2,600 teachers). In response to this threat, StopTeacherStrikes, Inc. has publicly posted the individual names & salaries of all Pittsburgh teachers, alongside census data and teacher union campaign contributions at its web site (www.stopteacherstrikes.org). Direct link:

http://www.stopteacherstrikes.org/index.php?pr=Allegheny

There is interesting new information emerging about PFT President, John Tarka. Below is communication with Pittsburgh school district officials. Christopher Berdnick is the Business Manager & Ira Weiss is the district solicitor - please feel free to verify this information with these sources.

John Tarka is listed as a Pittsburgh public employee being paid a salary of $77,800 while on "special assignment". As seen below, his special assignment is working for the private organization called the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. And he's been on this "assignment" for the last 24 years. Here is how it works:

- Tarka is paid his salary every year by the school district and gets annual raises per the union contract (CBA) just like any other teacher

- Tarka receives pension benefits and accrues years of service from the school district just like any other teacher

- Tarka puts in for annual leave every year which gets automatically approved

- The Union reimburse the school district each year for the cost of Tarka's salary/pension benefits while he is on leave

- The Union separately pay Tarka an additional $20,000/year as reported on their federal LM2 disclosure form

So we have the amazing situation where PFT Union President, John Tarka, is able to "use" a public school district while actually working for the union ... thus moving towards a fully vested, taxpayer-funded, guaranteed defined-benefit pension for the rest of his life. At retirement he'll go straight onto the taxpayer's dime, even though he hasn't taught in the Pittsburgh school district in 24 years. It is outrageous.

It is one more example of the abusive power of the teachers' union in Pennsylvania. If John Tarka is not working for the school district then he should be on union payroll and his pension should be private and linked to his work for the union, and not to his non-work for the school district.

PFT union president, John Tarka, has no moral authority to be involved in issuing strike threats inside the Pittsburgh school district. Because Tarka stands to personally gain from additional public monies spent on teacher benefits, yet he is not even teaching at Pittsburgh.

---
Simon Campbell
President, StopTeacherStrikes Inc.
668 Stony Hill Rd. #298
Yardley, PA 19067
Tel: 215-586-3573
http://www.stopteacherstrikes.org

---

--- Original Message ---
From: "Berdnik, Christopher"
To: Simon Campbell
Cc: Weiss, Ira
Sent: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 08:54:36 -0500
Subject: RE: Question about John Tarka

1. Yes
2. I do not believe so under the language in the CBA
3. Yes
4. Yes

---

-----Original Message-----
From: Simon Campbell [mailto:SCampbell@stopteacherstrikes.org]
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 1:41 PM
To: Berdnik, Christopher
Cc: Weiss, Ira
Subject: RE: Question about John Tarka

Wow. Does it require school board approval each year to keep his annual leave going? Does the school board have the legal right to say "no" to his leave request and require that he return to the classroom?

My presumption is that Mr. Tarka has been getting annual raises per the CBA as an employee since 1984? And I also assume that his years on leave count as years of service for the purpose of calculating his pension benefits?

---
Simon Campbell
President, StopTeacherStrikes Inc.
668 Stony Hill Rd. #298
Yardley, PA 19067
Tel: 215-586-3573
http://www.stopteacherstrikes.org

---

----
On Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:36:02 -0500, Berdnik, Christopher wrote:

Mr. Tarka has been on a leave for union business since 8/23/1984, and applies every school year to be on a leave for that period.

As a side note, I don't think that Pgh Public Schools has that many students in the district as stated above.

---

Update

Pittsburgh talk radio, Marty Griffin, discusses Pittsburgh Union President John Tarka's "sweetheart deal" (Tarka calls in to speak!):
http://www.stopteacherstrikes.org/Media/Radio/GriffinJan3.mp3

Central PA talk radio, Bob Durgin, on same topic:
http://www.stopteacherstrikes.org/Media/Radio/DurginJan3.mp3

Pittsburgh Hires N.C. Company To Find City Surveillance Cameras - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Hires N.C. Company To Find City Surveillance Cameras - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh A North Carolina firm is helping Pittsburgh find a surveillance system that will suit the city's security needs.

Start by pointing all the cameras at the public officials and public treasury.

Look for the missing checks in the controller's office.

See and hear what the questions are in the County Treasurer's office about the new drink tax.

Watch the daily income for PAT on each bus route, now that it costs each rider an extra $.25.

See the now hidden deals of who gets what in the halls of city council as a new president politics for a post among peers.

Look into the parking spaces on Grant Steet to see who is showing up for work and when they arrive.

Alan Greenspan Congressional Testimony on Gold with Ron Paul

Alan Greenspan Congressional Testimony on Gold with Ron Paul The Greenspan-Paul Congressional Exchanges
1997-2005

Next up, FOX News, a billion-zillion-corporation, is getting tanked by the Paul supporters.

Peoria Journal Star hosts a debate with three candidates, no cage, and 5-minutes per answer

I could live with this format in more debates.

PJStar.com - Journal Star News: "In a departure from traditional debate formats, each candidate will get to answer the panelists' questions and then alternate thereafter. From there, the three candidates will be allowed to discuss and debate the answer and the subject as they like for a total of five minutes without moderator interference. This format helps to ensure a combination of traditional debate questions and answers as well as a spirited exchange of ideas.

A pox on both their parties

I'm leaving the GOP, but not for the Democrats

By STEVEN GREENHUT

Senior editorial writer and columnist
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/opinion/columns/article_1681184.php#

Last weekend, I announced my not-so-Earth-shattering decision to leave the Republican Party. In the era of George W. Bush, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger, I simply have had enough. While I've been pleased by the correspondence I've received, most of it from other disaffected Republicans who are sick of the party's abandonment of its stated "liberty" principles, I've left some readers confused about where my allegiances now lie.

Here's my chance to elaborate a little further.

The country has devolved so much into a two-party system that many folks believe that if you abandon one party, you must necessarily take up common cause with the other one. Yet if a restaurant gives you a choice between eating food laced with rat poison or with arsenic, you might want to eat somewhere else, even if it's a long drive until the next rest stop and even if the new restaurant hasn't gotten great reviews.

So ... no, I have not become a Democrat. I haven't criticized Democrats too much in recent months, mainly because it's so pointless.

Let me reiterate the obvious reasons why I will not return to the party of my youth. It's long been clear to believers in free markets and limited government that the Democratic Party is committed mostly to European-style socialism. Ever fearful of the free market and hostile to the free choices individuals would make if left on their own (with the sole exception being what they call "reproductive freedom"), the Democrats ceaselessly advocate for more government control of the economy, more far-reaching cradle-to-grave social programs -- never mind that such programs can't sustain themselves over the long term, and that government "services" are notoriously wretched compared with those offered by market-based companies in a competitive environment.

Listen to the Democratic presidential candidates argue over who proposes the most gigantic government-controlled health care system, with only one candidate (John Edwards) honest enough to admit such a scheme will require massive tax increases. Being a Democratic candidate means that good intentions are more important than rigorous analysis. The party expresses one constant concern: how to get "greedy" working stiffs to shift more of their income to the government sector. As that sector has gotten bigger, with more than half of all Americans receiving support from government or working directly for some agency, it's become easier to call for more government.

This "we know best" attitude also results in the party's constant embrace of the Nanny State -- the term applied to the endless laundry list of petty rules involving even our most personal choices. Because bans on, say, smoking at beaches or driving without seat belts or spanking children are for our "own good," a lot of folks forget that if you pass the above-mentioned rules, then you need lots of cops to arrest smokers, lots of jails in which to put non-seatbelt-wearers and lots of foster homes in which to put the spanked kids rescued from their "abusive" parents. The Nanny State squelches freedom.

I'm convinced that if many Dems had their way, there would be virtually no area of life beyond their prying eyes, no source of income beyond their prying hands (hence their hostility to property rights), no place where we could retreat to get away from their unceasing desire to regulate us, tax us, prod us, improve us, instruct us, educate us and control us. And, of course, there's nothing Dems love more than a good moral crusade (i.e., global warming) to bludgeon the rest of us into giving them more money and power.

That's why I stuck so long with the Republican Party, seeing it as -- in a two-party system -- the only counterbalance to the above-outlined lunacy. But the GOP has become just like the Democrats in pandering to special interest groups, advocating for large government, supporting new entitlements and social programs. Sure, Republican socialism goes only two-thirds as far as Democratic socialism. And, sure, Republicans are half-hearted about the new wasteful domestic programs they propose. But Republicans have their own agenda that truly excites them. It's even more expensive than the Democratic agenda, in terms of dollars and liberty.

Republicans seem to unite on one thing: support for war. Whenever America attacks a nation -- an increasingly common phenomenon, under either party's watch -- Republicans are in the front row, cheering. Never mind that the founders opposed a foreign policy devoted to slaying foreign dragons.

Republicans are the more zealous of the two parties about building up a security state with unbridled abilities to monitor and arrest people. Republicans, despite their blather about limited government, are unyielding in their support for government police agencies at all levels. They seem genuinely unconcerned about police abuses, government secrecy (unless practiced by a Democratic administration) and due process. To them, those are silly fixations of liberal judges. Republicans are so enamored of the "war on drugs" that they mostly oppose even the most modest reforms -- i.e., allowing sick people to smoke medical marijuana, allowing farmers to grow industrial hemp, focusing on treatment of drug-using offenders rather than hard prison time.

Many Republicans take an excessively punitive approach to life. They embrace the idea that everyone in prison is a hardened criminal, and continually pass new laws to ratchet up penalties for every offense imaginable. Hey, I'm all for keeping the really bad guys locked up, but the pendulum has swung too far in the "throw away the key" direction. Yet Republicans view any mention of injustices in our criminal justice system as tantamount to being "pro-criminal," and they seem perfectly happy just building more prisons to deal with the problem.

At the local level, by the way, Republican politicians have been just as hostile to property rights as Democrats as they seek to control everything that goes on within "their" city.

There are great people in both parties, and some good ideas that come from members of those parties. But, in general, I'd say a pox on both houses.

Now, for the answer to the question that most people have asked me: What party am I joining? Nothing wrong with registering as "Decline to State" and avoiding any new entangling alliances. But I'll hang around the GOP long enough to vote in the Republican primary for Rep. Ron Paul, the only consistent defender of freedom in Congress. Then I'll probably re-register as a big "L" Libertarian, if they don't mind having me. I've got some issues with the Libertarian Party -- i.e., I wish it were more serious about fielding winnable candidates in local races, and it has sported some weird candidates on the ballot at times. But it's filled with good, albeit cantankerous folks who love freedom. So I should fit in pretty well.

Video: Polar bear plunge

The P-G calls me, "NORMALLY SANE."

Video: Polar bear plunge: "These normally sane people delight in taking a morning plunge into the icy waters of the Mon.

How Dare You. Not a vote has been cast -- except by the big-time bigots within the media -- such as FOX NEWS executives

The first in the nation folks are not happy. The GOP in NH has sent its support that RON PAUL -- and all candidates -- should be included.

Ron Paul Furious over Fox Debate Snub

Tuesday, January 1, 2008 1:34 PM

Fox News says it has limited space in its studio, which leaves Rep. Ron Paul out of a weekend debate.

NEW YORK -- ABC and Fox News Channel are narrowing the field of presidential candidates invited to debates this weekend just before the New Hampshire primary, in Fox's case infuriating supporters of Republican Rep. Ron Paul.

Fox News says it has limited space in its studio, which leaves Rep. Ron Paul out of a weekend debate.

The roster of participants for ABC's back-to-back, prime-time Republican and Democratic debates Saturday in New Hampshire will be determined after results of Thursday's Iowa caucus become clear.

Fox, meanwhile, has invited five GOP candidates to a forum with Chris Wallace scheduled for its mobile studio in New Hampshire on Sunday. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee received invites, leaving Paul of Texas and Rep. Duncan Hunter of California on the sidelines.

The network said it had limited space in its studio -- a souped-up bus -- and that it invited candidates who had received double-digit support in recent polls.

In a nationwide poll conducted December 14-20 by The Associated Press and Yahoo, Thompson had the support of 11 percent of GOP voters and Paul was at 3 percent. Paul's support is at 6 percent in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll conducted in early December.

Paul was tied with Thompson for fifth in New Hampshire in the most recent Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, each with the support of 4 percent of likely voters. Among all New Hampshire voters, Paul led Thompson 6 percent to 4 percent, but that was within the poll's margin of error.

Jesse Benton, Paul's spokesman, said it was a "big mistake" not to include Paul, especially given Paul's recent success in fundraising. He said the campaign has been trying to reach Fox News to get an explanation for the decision, but its calls had not been returned.

"There very well might be some bias," Benton said. "Ron brings up some topics that aren't very popular with Fox News, as in fiscal responsibility and withdrawing from the war in Iraq ... that does leave us scratching our heads a little bit about whether it was deliberate. Based on metrics, I don't see how you can possibly exclude Dr. Paul."

Some livid Paul supporters are distributing e-mails calling for a boycott of Fox advertisers.

A Fox representative did not immediately return calls for comment about the complaints.

Paul has been invited to a GOP forum that Fox News is sponsoring in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on January 10, Benton said.

To participate in ABC's Saturday night debate, Republican and Democratic candidates must meet at least one of three benchmarks: place first through fourth in Iowa, poll 5 percent or higher in one of the last four major New Hampshire surveys, or poll 5 percent or higher in one of the last four major national surveys.

ABC News anchor Charles Gibson said the criteria were actually quite inclusive. He defended the network taking the initiative in effectively narrowing the field at a point when no actual voters had cast a ballot, except for Iowa caucus-goers.

"You will have had a year's politicking," he said. "You will have had, I think by count, about 641 debates. You will have had national polls and state polls and one state's vote. I think that's pretty indicative."

Gibson said ABC explained the rules for participation in a conference call with all the campaigns and "nobody said, "How dare you!'

N.J. abolishes capital punishment - The Boston Globe

N.J. abolishes capital punishment - The Boston Globe Governor Jon S. Corzine signed into law yesterday a measure that abolishes the death penalty, making New Jersey the first state in more than four decades to reject capital punishment.

Skewz

Ron Paul Supporters Donate Nearly $20 Million in Fourth Quarter — Ron Paul 2008

Ron Paul Supporters Donate Nearly $20 Million in Fourth Quarter — Ron Paul 2008

January 1, 2008 9:55 am

Message of freedom, peace and prosperity rallies record support

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA –Texas Congressman Ron Paul’s presidential campaign had a record fundraising quarter, exceeding its original goal of $12 million by over 50 percent when it raised nearly $20 million during the months of October, November and December.

“Only Dr. Paul has the ability to inspire Americans to contribute and take action that is necessary if Republicans want to defeat the Democrats in November,” said campaign chairman Kent Snyder.

In two 24-hour periods on November 5 and December 16, the campaign raised over $10 million dollars. The total of over $19.5 million represents an increase of nearly 300 percent from its third quarter total of $5.28 million.

For the quarter, the campaign had over 130,000 donors, including over 107,000 new donors. The total was reached with an average donation size that was just under $90.

Of the other Republican candidates, only Mike Huckabee – who reported $5.04 million this quarter – discloses his fundraising total online. However, Dr. Paul’s total is over $9 million more than any Republican candidate raised in the third quarter.

new ebook about Open Ways

The Libre Labyrinth -- Navigating the Maze of Free and NonFree Licenses

School stuff - recaps in two parts -- same meeting

I promised a report from the weekend meeting:

We had 8 adults (and 2 IB/IS students) meet and a chance appearance by someone whose architectural firm is doing some pro bono work looking at Schenley, as well. Better than we expected for a short notice, during vacation meeting! If there is interest in further informal meetings like this, let me know and I'll see what I can set up. There may be something for next weekend planned as well, details as I get them.

I'm putting this in order of length, rather than choosing some other way to organize it!

-- Before the meeting I spoke with someone from the Building/Fundraising group and was told that they "are in ongoing discussions with the district (administration) about saving the building." Overall, the impression is that they feel at least as positive as negative, which seems in the larger scheme quite positive!

-- We discussed the problem of the public hearings: we can ask questions and demand answers, but there is no mechanism for getting those answers. One suggestion is to come up with a list of specific questions that have already been asked /should be asked and present it to the administration, board and media, with a specific request for information and answers.

Questions may need to be divided into the easily answerable (who's in charge of..., who has been contacted, what are the research studies used, etc.) and those that can't be given short answers (what do you envision the district looking like in 2, 5, and 10 years? type questions). The goal of this list would be twofold -- getting answers and perhaps spurring a general meeting (or series of meetings) with board members, administration, program directors, etc. available to answer specific questions in an open house type format (rather than a one speaker/one topic type meeting).

It was suggested later that if this list were formed by January 14th (next board meeting) we could ask for volunteers to sign up and use their 3 minutes to read the list into the record.

If you have questions of this sort, send them along (or if someone wants to compile them, let me know!).

-- One of the contractors in our group spoke about the documents he's been able to look at -- the reports on the condition of the building and the estimates for repairs. Quickly, the 60-65M figure is the number that guts the building to the bare bones and remakes it -- including a 900K skylight for a gym. It's not (and never has been) the asbestos removal figure.

The asbestos removal figure is somewhere up to 8M. There is also an estimate of 38-42M (the higher number gets air-conditioning). That figure abates and/or removes asbestos, but doesn't gut the building. It takes advantage of the structure as it is (very wide hallways, etc.) and basically does all the needed changes (plumbing, electrical, technical), keeps the systems that are already new/newer (security/fire), and puts the new mechanicals above in front of the walls and puts new walls in front of them. That way, there's access to all needed systems, without having to gut the building. [Bear in mind that this is my translation of his simplifying for us!]

Anyway, there's more to it than I've been able to summarize and we still don't have all the information that was requested. But, it's at least enough to be able to explain to people you might talk with that we're not all crazy and that 60M isn't the asbestos figure! If you'd like more details about asbestos in the building or other building topics, let me know and I'll forward the email to someone who can answer you!

-- I reported some from the "Alternative Options Committee" which met with Derrick Lopez about high school reform. Generally, our meeting, while very informative, raised as many or more questions than we went in with. There are a lot of ideas (plans?) in the administration for reforming the high schools, but it's still very unclear what the overall plan or goals for the district as a whole are -- short or long term. It's also unclear how or when parental/community input will be integrated into planning. We did learn that there are four new committees (north, south, east, west) which will all be visiting and studying the high school "triads" (north of the rivers, south of the rivers, between the rivers, I think) over the next three months, planning reforms for three months and then asking for parent input after that (over the summer break, it would seem) before presenting a big plan in September 2008. We didn't get an answer as to who was on the committees or how they were chosen.

[warning: next paragraph is almost entirely my editorializing]
There are lots of reform ideas being kicked around (university partnerships, separate gender schools, more theme schools, more 6-12 schools) and some or many of them may be good, even great. However, it seems like the process being used is one we've become too familiar with already -- plan in secret, big announcement, shock and disdain that there are questions or concerns, last-minute cosmetic changes or tweaks. I'd love to see the district embrace a policy that comes up with a better process. No plan will ever satisfy everyone, but a plan that's had input from the beginning has a much better chance of building consensus -- or even becoming something that most people really want to see happen!

The Sunday Panera group also discussed the lack of vo-tech options in the city and how this seems to be still unaddressed in the high school reform plans we've heard so far.

Sorry for the length, summarizing is not my strong suit!

Jen Lakin

---

Another parent wrote about the same gathering:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A really quick report on our meeting Sunday at Panera -- Jen will be sending a more in-depth report (she actually took notes on her laptop!). Eight of us met for 2 hours at the Boulevard of the Allies Panera, sharing information and discussing what our next moves should be.

Nick discussed the engineering reports that the board has released so far so that we have a better understanding of what really needs to be done with the building to make it safe and useable. Complete information still has not been given to us.

The next board hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14 with sign-ups beginning Jan 7. Someone suggested that we try to coordinate our speeches somewhat so that we are sure that we hit the main talking points.

We would like to have a meeting with someone who can actually answer questions. The board hearings are good for us expressing our thoughts, but no one has answered the questions that are proposed.

We will continue to have meetings of interested parties until the final vote is made. If you want to become more involved, attend one of the meetings. Jen and I (and others) will attempt to keep parents up-to- date on the information that we have. Some of the information concerning funding cannot be disclosed yet but there are some people working very hard to try to save the building.

Now that the holidays are over, it is important that we keep pressing the issues. IF you are happy with the proposed plans, speak out. IF you are not happy with the proposed plans, or if you think that we have not been given enough information, speak out. Changes will be made next year whether or not we agree with them. If we make enough noise, maybe we can be part of the decision-making process. I am not confident that Mr. Roosevelt or Mr. Lopez or many of the board members understand the needs of our program (and our children) well enough to be making the changes that they have proposed.

If you wish to be removed from this email list, let me know. Hopefully, it will one day go back to being a communication mode for the IS/IB program. If you know of anyone who is interested in getting more information, please give them my email address and I will add them to the list.

amy moore

Pittsburgh has a "president" -- of city council. Yawn....

Background from another post here and another blog post elsewhere.

Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events: Comments from another blog as to a post from another person as to what Patrick may have written Get a grip on this concept, that came from, so we are to think, Patrick Dowd, a new guy due to take the oath to uphold the consitution, on Jan 7, 2008.

My distilling of Patrick's email about decision that might come about on or after Jan 7, 2008, as to the picking of a president of city council.

First, reversing population decline.

Improving the quality of life.

Financial challenges. Debt. Pensions. Not leaving these problems unresolved.

Look at other governments, the Pittsburgh Public Schools, to see where operational efficiencies can be achieved.

Examine the question of city-county merger.

Move from patronage to performance.

Determining how to utilize data in decision making.

Green up the city.

Transportation and parking are core issues yet council has no committee dedicated to examining these.

Housing and economic development need a clear agenda.

Leadership brings together individual concerns of the members and articulates and acts as a body.

Beg for “The Pittsburgh Agenda.” If ... not policy, then popularity. Hence, population shrinks.

Humm...

My top priorities, the advancement of the constitution (and laws) and an expansion of freedom isn't even hinted upon. Enslaved people will depart. Many vote with their feet. Pittsburgh is shrinking because liberties are not valued.

Pittsburgh's population decline is a result of governmental employees (especially mayor, council members) pressing their quality of life action agendas onto that of the public.

Their approach as illustrated by Patrick Dowd doesn't wash with everyone.

In 2008, the goal is to 'green up' the city. 'Redd up' is so 2006.

Sure, city council lacks specific committees concerning transportation and parking. However, authorities do the same. PAT (PORT AUTHORITY TRANSIT) and the PARKING AUTHORITY have boards and a mission that tackle those issues. By the way, I hate the authority mindset and the specific authorities. Authorities are without accountability. Authorities zap freedom.

But worse than the parking authority and the transit authorities would be TWO entities with those missions. I don't want city council to focus on authority duties while those authorities exist. That's an expansion of government.

Get rid of the Parking Authority. Then make a parking committee on city council. I've been calling for reduction of authorities, such as the PARKING AUTHORITY, for many years.

More over-reaching comes as he calls for city council to jump into the business of the school board. I don't want city council to look at other governments. Look within. Look at what council is to do. If he was worried about Pittsburgh Public Schools operational efficiencies -- Patrick Dowd should have stayed on the school board. And, as a school board member he he did plenty to hurt operational efficiencies when he moved to hire consultants to dismantle better performing schools (Schenley, Frick, Rodgers) and ignore troubled schools (Oliver, Vo Tech, etc.).

On the topic of city-county merger, the aim is to "examine the question."

Navel gazing AND over-reaching. My oh my. It is going to be a long year.

Tell me about your pending Steelers' party

Time to plan that party for the Steelers game, next weekend.

Penguins switch time for Saturday game - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The Penguins game against the Florida Panthers at Mellon Arena on Saturday has been moved to 3 p.m.

The game was originally scheduled to be played at 7:30 p.m. Team officials sought permission to push the game to an earlier start to accommodate fans that might also wish to attend the Steelers' AFC wild-card playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Heinz Field at 8 p.m., Saturday.

Pittsburgh controller's personal woes grow - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Here is an example of "TRIB Math" -- or is it "Boren Math?"

Pittsburgh controller's personal woes grow - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review If Pokora wins the job, it would mean a pay cut. The post pays $76,837 a year. Pokora makes $86,629.

That is not how the rest of the world sees it. If Pokora wins the job as city treasurer, it would be a pay raise. He is about to get $0.

Pokora has been without any angle of a government job since mid-May.

With Boren's reporting, a number of other wives of ex-city hall employees just got a new number one task for the "Honey, Do" lists of their respected spouse.

Mrs. Koch, Mrs. Boadack and Mrs. Pokora are now wondering about the opinions of Mayor Ravenstahl and that $76k job.

Who will Luke hire? Will he do a NATIONAL SEARCH, again?

Would you hire Pokora for the Treasurer post?

Would Len Boadack, Jeff Koch be a 'good fit' for the job?

Since Luke is always seeking diversity in the administration, perhaps there are others who might be suggested? How about Melissa Hart? Or, what about Lynn Swann?

None need to crash this party as all are invited

Dear Friend:

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato invites you and your family, friends and colleagues to attend his swearing-in ceremony and inaugural celebration on Wednesday, January 2, 2008. Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, please open the below invitations. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

• Inaugural Party Invite
• Swearing-in Ceremony Invite

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Help us support the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank by bringing a canned good or non-perishable food item to the inaugural celebration. Nice.

Dickheads of the Year : Photos : Rolling Stone

Dickheads of the Year : Photos : Rolling Stone His slogan should be 'Not on my watch . . . again.'

Newsmax.com - Huckabee: Romney Okayed $50 Abortions

These guys are getting down and dirty.

Newsmax.com - Huckabee: Romney Okayed $50 Abortions Huckabee: Romney Okayed $50 Abortions

You're hot! Skate this way.

The Steel City Derby Demons, Pittsburgh's only all-female, flat track roller derby league, is recruiting new skaters now!!

Tryouts will take place on Sunday, January 20th. Recruits must be female, at least 21 years of age, and have basic skating skills.

Email Alvilda Kil at skateyourfaceoff@hotmail.com to register or for more information.

Why is there no Socialism in the United States

From Dan Sullivan.

Werner Sombart, the most influential socialist of his time, came to America in the late 1800s to investigate why American workers had rejected the socialist approach. He published his findings in a series of essays called, "Why Is There is No Socialism In the United States?" and put them in book form in 1906.

I have written a critical synopsis of Sombart's findings, with extensive quotations. It is online at:

http://savingcommunities.org/docs/sombart.werner/nosocialismus.html

It is an important work, even for those who oppose socialism, for two
reasons. One is that it gives a pretty clear picture, from a socialist
perspective, of the American anti-socialist temperament.

Another is that Sombart accurately predicted that socialism would become more popular as American workers lost access to free and inexpensive land. His analysis will help anti-socialists understand why the land issue is the Achilles Heel of anti-socialist ideologies.

Socialists can also benefit from an understanding of how much more important the issue of land monopoly is than the issue of capital monopoly, and that Marx's confounding of capital with privilege was a critical flaw in Marxist thinking. They will not get a full understanding of that from Sombart, as he did not understand it
himself.

Although it is clearly indicated from his observations, he did not "connect the dots." This is understandable, as blaming capital was the core premise of Marx's departure from classical liberalism. The mind shift from blaming wealth back to blaming privilege creates "cognitive dissonance" in the mind of anyone steeped in Marxist ideology.

In any case, the portrait of the American temperament is fascinating. If you think Americans are libertarian individualists today, wait till you see how they were viewed back in the 1890s.

Also, for those who have not seen it, or saw it before the revisions of this last few days, I have a site showing why sales tax destroys commerce. I will soon be adding separate pages showing why it is a terribly regressive tax and why it promotes monopoly at the expense of new business. It is at:

http://savingcommunities.org/issues/taxes/sales/destroyscommerce.html

When and where are those polar bear swims?

When and where are those Pittsburgh polar bear swims? Last year I took the plunge on the Mon Wharf around 9:30 am -- It think.

Update: It happens at 9:30 am!

This year there is a bike ride getting some advance ink too. Nice.

Annual Icycle Bicycle Ride to be held Jan. 1 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Annual Icycle Bicycle Ride to be held Jan. 1

Saturday night football: Jags to Pittsburgh for a do-over

The last time the Jags played the Steelers, we were there. Grant and I had lots of fun. The game started at 1 pm in a blizzard of snow as they sang the National Anthem.

This week, the Steelers get a do-over. The first round of the playoffs are slated for Saturday evening at 8 pm-ish.

I expect that the results will be the same, sadly. This time, we'll be home and watching on TV.

Poll to the top left -- at 21 votes

Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events Should Mark Rauterkus stand for public office, again, in 2008?

The question is clear -- but the voting results are not yet resolved.

With 21 votes, 12 (or about half) say that I should 'give it a break' and not run for public office in 2008. However, the other half (or so) say I should. Humm....

Your opinion is welcomed. Place your vote now!

The Free Market: A False Idol After All?

I'm a big fan of the free market place. We need more freedom, generally.

In this NY Times article the pros and cons of 'market place forces' are considered.

Peter S. Goodman | The Free Market: A False Idol After All? 'The way they justify it is that you've got to protect the stupid people who can't read a contract,' Mr. Henderson said. 'But they're treating everyone as stupid.'

But in Washington, and under the roofs of many homes now worth less than a year ago, there appears to be a shift in the nation's often-ambivalent attitude about regulation.

Back in the boom, banks made loans to homeowners who did not have to prove their ability to pay, then quickly sold the loans to other companies. By the time it emerged that a lot of homeowners could not pay, these loans had been pooled with other loans and chopped into strange new paper assets that were sold to unsuspecting buyers around the globe. The subsequent reckoning has forced major banks to write off vast sums of money.

"Here you had all these people who were supposed to be sophisticated investors, and it turns out they were buying billions of dollars worth of debt where they didn't even understand what they owned," said Dean Baker, co-director of the liberal Center for Economic and Policy Research. "There is going to be a willingness to re-regulate financial markets."

Liberal critics have long asserted that dogmatic devotion to market forces has skewed American society toward those of greatest means. More wealth is being concentrated in fewer hands, with rich people capturing the best housing, private education and health care services, and, as the argument goes, only crumbs left for everyone else.

What gets me is that there were lots of loans sold. These loans were paper transactions. The assets and/or debt were not valued as they should have been. Big time corporate folks didn't do their homework.

Now what????

Here is where we as a nation cave and do the 'corporate welfare' things. They do a 'bail-out for the bankers.' They do deals that help the heavy hitters.

If the US Gov had 'dogmatic devotion' to the market forces then there would not be any bailout options for the bankers and corporate entities.

The willingness should not be to re-regulate. The willingness should be to let some of them tank. Tough love!

More wealth is being concentrated in few hands, with rich people, because government comes to the rescue for the rich, the connected, the corporations, the elite.

The market needs less supervision than the politicians and their over-reaching promises.

When untethered market forces lead to bad things, and the governmental wonks try to fix them -- then the market is not 'untethered.' When the wonks try to make the bad things okay, they aid their buddies with corporate welfare.

You can't run an economy as complicated as ours today with only ideology and do nice things for your friends. Generally, those with influence hate those who are driven by ideology alone. Those with influence and special privileges who crave more of the same are the quickest to complicate situations to prove their points and justify their special handouts.

---

More to think about.

REPUBLIC MEDIA | THE MEDIA OF THE PATRIOT MOVEMENT - So you're a citizen journalist, are you?

Interesting web site.

REPUBLIC MEDIA | THE MEDIA OF THE PATRIOT MOVEMENT - So you're a citizen journalist, are you? This country needs more original news being generated by independent journalists to cause a flood of information that will seep into the mainstream. This is the entire purpose behind RepublicMedia.tv. We've established this site to be a connecting point between indy journalists who are focusing on freedom-based issues so that they can more easily collaborate and organize, and also to be a powerful distribution and syndication tool to get their works out to the masses!

I found this 10-minute video at the site.

KDKA-TV proves its lack of journalism with year in review slideshow � BurghBoy Blogs

KDKA-TV proves its lack of journalism with year in review slideshow � BurghBoy Blogs KDKA-TV proves its lack of journalism with year in review slideshow

Where Will You Be January 2nd?

Where Will You Be January 2nd? - Pennsylvania Ron Paul Meetup Alliance (Carlisle, PA) - Meetup.com I asked where you would be January 2nd. As for myself, I'll be in New Hampshire, hitting the pavement to spread the message of freedom, liberty, and Ron Paul until January 9th.

Did I mention I'm not spending any money to get there?

Have fun.

Comments from another blog as to a post from another person as to what Patrick may have written

Get a grip on this concept, that came from, so we are to think, Patrick Dowd, a new guy due to take the oath to uphold the consitution, on Jan 7, 2008.

HaloScan.com - CommentsI cannot, however, reach out to some folks without breaking confidences. Thus, I am stuck being silent and taking lumps for falsehoods. ...

Say what?

Here is a novel idea, speak for yourself.

Another idea, break confidences! Don't hold any secrets.

Furthermore, Dowd does offer a pie-in-the-sky approach for council. He wants a 'legislative agenda.' And, after that is detailed, in public, he'll decide who should get his vote for city council president.

How nice. But, it is also filled with irony. How can a member of council reveal something as important as a 'legislative agenda' -- yet be worried about 'breaking confidences' should he speak in public AND need another citizen to post his messages for him.

To tip-toe and then worry about 'secrets' gives two big steps in the wrong direction. And, he's not even on council yet. His last act as a school board member was very bad. And, his recent interview on KDKA about the Pgh Promise didn't wash either.

Since there is a shortage of public policy directions and leadership from members on council, and since they all have a hard time sharing those thoughts (if they exist at all), we might need some citizens to come foward and be front folks for members of council.

Jim Motznik is the chairman of the Citiparks and Youth Policy committee on city council. Motznik has held that role for a few years now. Motznik is bucking for the job as city council president in 2008. In my not so humble opinion, Motznik makes a great case for getting the nod for city council president by doing such a poor job in his role as chair of the committee on Citiparks. As far as I can tell, Motznik's big splash of leadership with his Citiparks duties is his willingness to hand out popcorn and huggies (drinks) at the movies in the park in his neighborhood.

What kind of 'legislative agenda' has Motznik advanced in recent years in his recent positions when he was a chair of a committee?

What have these other members of council done in their roles in council when they are 'at the wheel?'

Looking into the past is a good way to predict what to expect in the future. But it is also prudent to ask people what they hope to do in the future too. Politics is about the future.

What would Jim do?

What would Tonya do?

What would Doug do?

What does a 'legislative aganda' look like?

What was the promise of a 'legislative agenda' for city council in 2007? What there ever such a statement or set of objectives in the past?

DownsizeDC.org's script for the second Ron Paul American Freedom Agenda Act radio ad

DownsizeDC.org Blog | Second Ron Paul American Freedom Agenda Act radio ad No snowflake in an avalanche believes itself responsible ...

Sunday huddle with parents concerned about Pgh Public Schools

The parents are gathering at a meeting at 2 pm at Panera in Oakland on the Blvd of Allies. We'll talk about our Christmas breaks and gear up to write checks for the other hundred million dollars to fund the continual scholarship of our children.

There is a lot to do. High school reform is still ugly and not something I agree with in the slightest. Closing Schenley votes may come in next month. The engineers have taken another look at the historic building with new windows and exterior recently.

City Council fumbles historic building - abandon buildings rise

Glenn A. Walsh reported:

Thursday morning, Pittsburgh City Council approved a resolution which will allow The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to abandon America's first publicly-funded Carnegie Library, the Allegheny Regional Branch of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (originally, the Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny).

The vote was 7 in favor, 1 opposed. City Councilwoman Darlene Harris, whose district the historic Allegheny Regional Branch is located within, was the lone dissenting vote. She stated that she had to vote against this bill, as the majority of her constituents oppose the abandonment of the historic library. Beyond this statement, she did not make much of a fuss. As a new councilwoman with limited influence, she could "read the political tea-leaves" and realize that the rest of City Council considered this a done-deal.

Bill number 2007-1944, now approved, allows the City's Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to sell a vacant piece of land on Federal Street (which formerly held a gasoline station), three blocks north of the Allegheny Regional Library, to The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for construction of a new library building. The groundbreaking for this structure, which was postponed from last Autumn, is now expected in the Spring of 2008.

In addition to Councilwoman Harris' comments, five members of the public also addressed City Council prior to the final vote, all opposing the abandonment of the Allegheny Regional Branch: Yvonne F. Brown, Mark Rauterkus, John Petrack, David Tessitor, and Glenn A. Walsh. Along with the printed statement I submitted to City Council, I included a letter from Heather Steed, who could not attend the meeting, also opposing the abandonment of the Allegheny Regional Library. I want to thank all of those people who have been supportive of retaining a library use for the historic Allegheny Regional Library.

Future action on this issue is indefinite. We are still evaluating the feasibility of a legal challenge to the City's action yesterday.

We still believe that, even if a new library is to be built, the Allegheny Regional Library should be reopened until such a new library is completed. So far, the Lower North Side has been without library service for more than a year and a-half. And, this is despite the fact that $2 million of insurance money was used to repair the damage from the lightning strike, and annual funding from the State and the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD) continues to be available for Lower North Side library service.

It is unknown what has become of the State and RAD subsidies, allocated for the Allegheny Regional Library, since the closure of the Library in April of 2006; library repairs were completed in May of this year. We do plan to address the RAD Board of Directors on this issue, next month.

You can read more about yesterday's City Council votes, including my public statement and Heather Steed's letter, at this link.

History and photos of the Allegheny Regional Library

Continue to use the following web site for updates on this issue.

Pew identifies social networking gender split - Social Marketing - BizReport

Time is still ripe for a YOUTH TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT.

Pew identifies social networking gender split - Social Marketing - BizReport Ninety-three percent of all teens are online, up from 73 percent in 2000 and 87 percent in 2004. And, in a culture where it’s increasingly the norm to create and share information, 64 percent of online teens have contributed to online content in one way or another, up from 57 percent in 2004.

watch for a new web site or two

Bruce Kraus - Democrat for City Council District 3
Bruce Kraus, 52 years old makes his home on Pittsburgh's Historic South Side. Raised along with his two brothers to have a strong work ethic through the ...

I don't know if it will be as good as the vanishing Motzinik blog or not. He hired a secret agent to do his site for the primary.

In real news, Dan Sullivan is building a site on sales tax policy. The sales tax drives commerce away.

http://savingcommunities.org/issues/taxes/sales/destroyscommerce.html


Another page shows that the sales tax is a regressive approach, even with Pennsylvania's exemptions for food and clothing. Additional insights show how the history of sales tax disasters.

Anyone who wants to work on this with Dan should let him know.

Dan Sullivan, director, Saving Communities, director - at - savingcommunities -dot- org.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - A local satirical news Web site is slowly being assimilated by mainstream media outlets - Main Feature - Main Feature Extra

Nice ink about media ink for a local blog via the City Paper.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - A local satirical news Web site is slowly being assimilated by mainstream media outlets - Main Feature - Main Feature Extra - Pittsburgh City Paper - PittsburghA local satirical news Web site is slowly being assimilated by mainstream media outlets

I only wish that the CSB was able to take comments within its blog postings. Perhaps they can run an 'open thread' once a week within the blog.

If comments were permitted, that would could prove to increase the humor ten-fold.

UPMC drops tax credit bid - Let the games of the Pgh Promise begin

UPMC drops tax credit bid UPMC drops tax credit bid
Goes forward with pledge of $100 million to Promise
Thursday, December 27, 2007
By Matthew P. Smith, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Citing the controversy that has embroiled its $100 million pledge for a city high school scholarship program, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center yesterday said it was dropping its request for a possible tax credit in exchange for its commitment to the Pittsburgh Promise.

This is what victory looks like.

Now we can get rockin on the challenge grant. Now we can rev up the potential boom for the city.

Now, we can begin to look for the arrival of the three wise men. Faith has been restored, partially.

But, Post-Gazette reporters, understand that the balking that happened within council chambers did NOT come from the majority of city council. Two on council put up some objections. That's Doug and Bill. A third, Darleen, asked some deer in the headlights questions.

Then there was Len who was okay with the deal as long as it stroked his special interest too -- and was able to be go to students at Catholic schools. Len is a dead duck in the same flight path as Barbara Burns, hopefully.

The balking of the Pgh Promise was citizen centric.

Yesterday, I was invited to call into the KDKA Radio Show hosted by Marty Griffin. We talked on the air about the deal for more than 20 seconds! (giggle)

He claimed to have 'insider knowledge' that the Pgh Promise was a 'done deal.' I told blew back his 'honestey, openness and integrity' mantra to me -- asking if he talked to the three new members of city council, yet. He was off base in many ways. The Pgh deal is unlike that from Kalamazoo. And families don't want to move to a city where there are backroom deals, special interest calling the shots and more. The college scholarship won't overcome the corruption in a day-in-day-out setting.

Later that day, I posted over at the Burgh Report. In that post I was asked if I would reject the deal. I predicted that the deal would get major changes.

This is what I posted there:

---

There should be NO business of government within the transaction of one nonprofit giving money to another nonprofit.

It is fine (if not noble) for UPMC to gift money to the Pgh Promise. Wonderful.

However, the city of Pgh has no role in that transaction.

The city of Pgh does have its own budget and its own incomes and expenses. Within the city's 2008 budget, $1.5 (or so) is expected from UPMC as part of the Pgh Service Fund. That is cloaked -- which I hate.

If the city's budget changes, with a loss of $1.5 M, then a new budget must be associated with any new terms.

Finally, if the UPMC deal goes as it was introduced before council -- it is sure to KILL the Pgh Promise. The challenge grant will flop. And, the boom to Pgh among the students, families and potential new residents will never occur.

The side-deal (as structured) makes the Pgh Promise dead in the water.

Changes will need to occur. Mark Roosevelt and UPMC need to think again. And, they will, I expect.

Better to put $8.5 into the Pgh Promise and $1.5 into the Pgh Service Fund -- and do that without any additional strings. Then we can get to work to make the challenge grants come true.

Philly Amber Alert -- seeking 2 young children

AMBER ALERT 12/26/2007 7:00 PM CHLDRN: 3 YR OLD W/F, PINK COAT, FLOWER PANTS; 6YOA W/M, NAVY BLUE COAT, BLUE JEANS. VEH: SILVER 2005 BMW SUV, PA TAG GDF-1692, VEH STOLEN FROM BARING ST, PHILA. PA. UNKNOWN SUSPECT. IF SEEN CALL 911

The Pennsylvania State Police has issued an Amber Child Abduction Alert on behalf of the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

The Philadelphia Police Department is searching for two children: Kaliopi Hionas, a 3 year old white female child wearing a pink coat and flowered pants, and George Hionas, a 6 year old white male child wearing a navy blue coat and blue jeans. The children were in a vehicle when it was stolen from Baring Street in Philadelphia. The vehicle description is a 2005 silver BMW X5 sport utility vehicle with Pennsylvania registration GDF-1692. The vehicle was last seen traveling northbound on 31st Street from Baring Street in the city of Philadelphia.

Anyone with information about this incident should immediately contact the police by calling 911.

This has been an Amber Child Abduction Alert for the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

Affected Counties: Philadelphia, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks

This email is not intended to and does not empower members of the public to act as police officers or to take police action. Additional information regarding this activation may be available through the investigating agency. General information about Pennsylvania's Amber Alert Plan is available at www.amber.state.pa.us.

It's a dream undeterred for Browns sub Dinkins - cleveland.com

Feature article on an ex-city kid, (Schenley HS), Pitt-player, and Pgh Colt too!

It's a dream undeterred for Browns sub Dinkins - cleveland.com Darnell Dinkins, a reserve tight end for the Browns, has grown accustomed to overcoming obstacles during his improbable journey to the NFL.

A star quarterback at Schenley High School in Pittsburgh, he was buried deep on the depth chart at that position after arriving at Pitt and ended up playing safety after spending some time at wide receiver and linebacker.

Dinkins was a starter for two seasons at Pitt, but no NFL teams came calling after his college career ended.

Schenley eases into new era - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

This team has its backs against the wall. Defending state champions -- and asbestos (so they claim) as well!

Schenley eases into new era - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The Spartans (8-1, 5-0) lost to graduation two players who are starting in the Big East. Longtime coach Fred Skrocki resigned after Schenley won the City League and PIAA Class AAAA championship last year. With talk of the school closing at the end of the year, this could be the last season for Spartans basketball.

The team's game in Greensburg on the 28th of December will be on the radio.

More than 2 political junkies hang here, making a ruckas

Ruckus on Newsweek.com

There's a new group blog on Newsweek.com: The Ruckus (http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/theruckus/default.aspx) , focused on the 2008 presidential race and authored by nine members of the Media Bloggers Association (http://www.mediabloggers.org) .

The initial lineup features several well-known, outspoken, and even frankly partisan bloggers: John Amato , Crooks and Liars (http://crooksandliars.com) ; Faye Anderson , Anderson at Large (http://andersonatlarge.typepad.com) ; Dean Barker , Blue Hampshire (http://bluehampshire.com) ; Adam Fogle , Palmetto Scoop (http://palmettoscoop.com) ; Joe Gandelman , The Moderate Voice (http://themoderatevoice.com) ; James Joyner , Outside the Beltway (http://outsidethebeltway.com) ; Ed Morrissey , Captain's Quarter (http://captainsquartersblog.com) ; Oliver Willis (http://oliverwillis.com) ; and Chris Woods , Bleeding Heartland (http://bleedingheartland.com) .

...Sounds like fun. I just wonder how well Newsweek.com's editors have thought through the ethical and practical differences of bloggers and journalists. I'd hate to see another ugly implosion of a group political weblog due to miscommunications, culture clash, and political pressure -- like what happened recently at Cleveland.com (http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=132398) .

Making the world a much more literate place. What are YOU waiting for?

Some great things are happening, again and again, with open source ways, more freedom and hard work in the community to help everyone, rich and otherwise.

People of Pittsburgh, it is time to get on this bandwagon. You need to be running open source software -- this year, this month, this week! We can't be left in the dust. The rest of the world is work and understanding technology. They are blowing past us. We need to take the plunge and get serious about OpenOffice.org, about open-ways and open-source.

The article link goes to three predictions for the future. One of them details the embrace to all things open.

Article in The Economist.

Surfing—and everything else computer-related—will open

Rejoice: the embrace of “openness” by firms that have grown fat on closed, proprietary technology is something we’ll see more of in 2008. Verizon is not the only one to cry uncle and reluctantly accept the inevitable.

Even Apple, long a bastion of closed systems, is coming round to the open idea. Its heavily protected iPhone was hacked within days of being launched by owners determined to run third-party software like Skype on it.

Apple’s initial response was to attempt a heavy-handed crackdown. But then a court decision in Germany forced its local carrier to unlock all iPhones sold there. Good news for iPhone owners everywhere: a flood of third-party applications is now underway.

The trend toward openness has been given added impetus by the recent collapse of the legal battles brought by SCO, a software developer. Formerly known as Santa Cruz Operations, the firm bought the Unix operating system and core technology in 1995 from Novell (which, in turn, had bought it from its original developer, AT&T).

Short of cash, SCO initiated a series of lawsuits against companies developing Linux software, claiming it contained chunks of copyrighted Unix code. Pressured by worried customers fearing prosecution, a handful of Linux distributors settled with SCO just to stay in business.

But IBM, which uses Linux, was having none of it, and fought the firm through the courts until it won. SCO is now operating under Chapter 11 of the American bankruptcy code.

The verdict removed, once and for all, the burden that had been inhibiting Linux’s broader acceptance. Linux is now accepted as being Unix-like, but not a Unix-derivative.

Bulletproof distributions of Linux from Red Hat and Novell have long been used on back-office servers. Since the verdict against SCO, Linux has swiftly become popular in small businesses and the home.

That’s largely the doing of Gutsy Gibbon, the code-name for the Ubuntu 7.10 from Canonical. Along with distributions such as Linspire, Mint, Xandros, OpenSUSE and gOS, Ubuntu (and its siblings Kubuntu, Edubuntu and Xubuntu) has smoothed most of Linux’s geeky edges while polishing it for the desktop.

No question, Gutsy Gibbon is the sleekest, best integrated and most user-friendly Linux distribution yet. It’s now simpler to set up and configure than Windows. A great deal of work has gone into making the graphics, and especially the fonts, as intuitive and attractive as the Mac’s.

Like other Linux desktop editions, Ubuntu works perfectly well on lowly machines that couldn’t hope to run Windows XP, let alone Vista Home Edition or Apple’s OS-X.

Your correspondent has been happily using Gutsy Gibbon on a ten-year-old desktop with only 128 megabytes of RAM and a tiny 10 gigabyte hard-drive. When Michael Dell, the boss of Dell Computers, runs Ubuntu on one of his home systems, Linux is clearly doing many things right.

And because it is free, Linux become the operating system of choice for low-end PCs. It started with Nicholas Negroponte, the brains behind the One Laptop Per Child project that aims to deliver computerised education to children in the developing world. His clever XO laptop, costing less than $200, would never have seen the light of day without its clever Linux operating system.

But Mr Negroponte has done more than create one of the world’s most ingenious computers. With a potential market measured in the hundreds of millions, he has frightened a lot of big-time computer makers into seeing how good a laptop they can build for less than $500.

All start with a desktop version of Linux. Recent arrivals include the Asus Eee from Taiwan, which lists for $400. The company expects to sell close on four million Eees this financial year. Another Taiwanese maker, Everex, is selling its gPC desktop through Walmart for $199.

When firms are used to buying $1,000 office PCs running Vista Business Edition and loading each with a $200 copy of Microsoft Office, the attractions of a sub-$500 computer using a free operating system like Linux and a free productivity suite like OpenOffice suddenly become very compelling.

And that’s not counting the $20,000 or more needed for Microsoft’s Exchange and SharePoint server software. Again, Linux provides such server software for free.

Pundits agree: neither Microsoft nor Apple can compete at the new price points being plumbed by companies looking to cut costs. With open-source software maturing fast, Linux, OpenOffice, Firefox, MySQL, Evolution, Pidgin and some 23,000 other Linux applications available for free seem more than ready to fill that gap. By some reckonings, Linux fans will soon outnumber Macintosh addicts. Linus Torvalds should be rightly proud.

Recent Services: Poet

Get about 30% into the service to hear the main speaker.

Presented by Lynn Chandhok

Lynn is the daughter of Vijay and Shelly Chandhok and was a part of Sunnyhill from age 3. She reads from her first book of poems, which won the 2006 Philip Levine Prize, and talks about writing, religion, motherhood, memory, politics and history.

Listen to this service:

Romney Attacks McCain Tax Votes

Newsmax.com - Romney Attacks McCain Tax Votes: "Romney largely ignored Giuliani, telling reporters he was focusing on McCain rather than the former New York mayor because Giuliani had curtailed his campaigning here and polls showed his support flagging.

Libertarian Party of Allegheny County -- board members for 2008

The installation of a new Board of directors for 2008 has happened. There being no objection, the 2008 Board will consist of the following:

Chairman - Dave Powell
Vice-Chairman - Mark Rauterkus
Treasurer - Richard Loether
Secretary - Henry Haller
At-large members include:
David Eckhardt
Jerry Gloekler
Tom Kawcznski
Harold Kyriazi
David Weiser

Chairman Dave Powell asked for unanimous consent to install a new Board to consist of the people that served on the 2007 Board with the exception of Tom Kawcznski in place of Rob Willis.

$4.5 million spent on keeping the city in line

$4.5 million spent on keeping the city in line But critics ask: Are the state's oversight costs really worth it?

The worth of the OVERLORDS is much less than it should be because they don't meet as they should. I'd have less of a problem with the OVERLORDS if they really worked.

Pittsburgh has had a huge problem over the past decades because too many fell down on the job. The slumber has killed this city.

The watchdogs don't guard as they should. Here, I pin a lot of the blame on the Post-Gazette and the Tribune Review. They both miss too many important stories. Recently, they've been better. But back in the day of Tom Murphy, Tom Barnes and others were absent -- and in a deep sleep fueled by too many bologna sandwiches.

The checks within government also have to bear a lot of the blame. The city's controller and the county's controller stink. Tom Flaherty was barking at the wrong things, if he barked at all. Michael Lamb won't be too different. He is a bureaucrat. We need more.

The academics have been in a deep slumber too. From time to time, great work comes from them. But, it is rare. They should have lots of projects in the air at the same time. And, every college and university should have a dozen or more who are 'go-to people' on various issues. Most of the time, we are fighting against the higher educational leadership. They should be on the side of the people, the students, and generally helping with the stuggles concerning quality of life issues for the region.

Then the last group to fumble time and time again are the neighborhood groups. They need to be holding debates, forums, issue discussions and sending their open-minded people to events. But they all worry and try to NOT bite the hand that feeds them. Trouble is, the feed is not energy of empowerment.

So, we needed OVERLORDS. But, the overlords are lazy.

Dr. Wrestling:Armageddon Live at Civic Arena from Dallas

Recap from another blog about a trip to the Civic Arena for Rasslin.

Dr. Wrestling:Armageddon Live When we arrived at the show we noticed a ridiculously long line that stretched from the building down to the side walk and very similar to when we attended Smackdown, there was only one gate open to enter the building. Now for those that haven't been to the Mellon Arena let's do some simple math here, the Mellon Arena has ten gates to enter the building and no that's not a typing mistake. There's ten possible gates to enter the building and there was only one gate open when we arrived at the Mellon Arena. As a result, even when people started entering the building there was still a wait to get inside and out of the cold weather. Despite the ice and the snow mostly everyone was very understand and there wasn't any type of traffic jam to enter the building.

Lumps of Coal go to Roosevelt, Ravenstahl, PPS Board and Fischetti

The Pgh Tribune Review had nothing good to say about the Pittsburgh Promise side-deal disclosure and quickie approval by the school district.

Lance: To Luke Ravenstahl and Mark Roosevelt. Can these two "leaders" prove any more convincingly that they are unfit to serve? Mr. Ravenstahl, Pittsburgh's mayor, talks of UPMC's feelings being hurt because the public has the audacity to question a secret tax-credit deal. How warped. Mr. Roosevelt, the Pittsburgh school superintendent, calls those raising questions "demagogues" and disseminators of "misinformation." How dare he. These are unacceptable statements by two people who suddenly have forgotten who their bosses are.

Lance: To the Pittsburgh school board. In full "Ramming speed, Mr. Sulu" mode, the board adopted a resolution Wednesday approving potential dollar-for-dollar tax credits for UPMC's pledge of up to $100 million for a college scholarship program. Board members received the resolution all of 35 minutes before voting on it. There was no public hearing. But given the public outrage, this is despicable -- a "public-purpose" perversion. The tax break was not disclosed on Dec. 5 when UPMC announced its pledge.

Lance: To Lisa Fischetti. The chief of staff of Pittsburgh Public Schools seems to think it's much ado about nothing that it was not initially disclosed that UPMC demanded, and public officials are attempting to give it, tax credits for its up-to-$100 million pledge to The Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program. The "focus" was the "scholarship component." Oh, so it was the sizzle, not the steak, eh?

Meet The Press with Tim Russert - Video, Podcasts, News and Politics, Transcripts- msnbc.com

Lots of quotes from Tim Russert, host of the show, from the 1970s and 1980s. Jeepers. Time to think about 2007, 2008 and the next five years! Wish MSNBC would come into modern times.

Meet The Press with Tim Russert - Video, Podcasts, News and Politics, Transcripts- msnbc.com Texas Rep. Ron Paul (R) joined us for an exclusive interview. Watch our netcast or read the transcript to find out where the congressman -- who has raised more money this quarter than any other Republican candidate for president -- stands on the major issues facing our nation.

Happy 90th Birthday, mayor

She's 90.

Pittsburgh Pist-Gazette

The Pittsburgh Promise has more required reading than the application to the Naval Academy.

Char hits with her blog.

Pittsburgh Pist-Gazette My bottom-line conclusion is that if The Promise does not deliver on its promise, it will be because of the program’s complexity. Because with complexity comes a certain level of uncertainty.

The Trib did an article that looked at the West Virginia Promise.

Drink tax revenue more than needed, restaurateurs complain

Drink tax revenue more than needed, restaurateurs complain The 10 percent drink tax in Allegheny County could raise a lot more than the $30 million the county needs for its Port Authority subsidy next year and beyond, say restaurateurs who contend the county didn't do its homework in estimating revenue from the tax.

The same concepts were spoken at the public hearing on this topic. The speaker right before me said so. Her name is Chelsa Wagner.

Chelsa hit it out of the park. She explained how getting this tax was like getting a $1-million line of credit for home improvement (new bathroom) when the worth of the house is $50,000.

Sunday, 10:30 am, Meet the Press visits with Ron Paul, WPXI, TV 11

Tune in to TV 11, WPXI TV, Sunday at 10:30 am for Meet the Press and an interview with Presidential candidate, Ron Paul, R, born in Pittsburgh!

Pittsburgh Council balks at Promise qualifier - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Not only are the P-G editorial folks wrong with what happened -- so is the news reporter who works with the Tribune Review, J.B.

City Council had no choice. City Council did not "refuse" anything. City Council had to do what it did. City Council needed to call for a public hearing -- and that is what happened.

It was the citizens who refused to let the side-line deal with the city and UPMC pass concerning the Pittsburgh Promise. The refusal was our, the citizens. Refusal was NOT a good description of what council wanted to do.

Had city council had its way, the deal for tax credits would have passed. Folks on council are still trying to rush the public hearing. They'd love to play the refusal role -- by refusing to allow the citizens to exercise rights to demand public hearings.

The desire to study the resolution is not that of council. Rather it is of the citizens.

A women, citizen, parent, spoke to council on Tuesday. She demanded a full discussion and public hearing. And, she has a child in the 12th grade of Pgh Public Schools. She has the most at risk. The first tuition payment for he soon to be college freshmen would be expected in a few months. However, she wants accountability. She wants to have an open process. She wants to live in an honest city. She wants what is best for the region -- greater than her own self interest of getting a $5,000 check in eight months.

Pittsburgh Council balks at Promise qualifier - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pittsburgh City Council refused to be rushed into granting UPMC potential tax credits Tuesday despite political pressure from Mayor Luke Ravenstahl to reward the hospital giant for jump-starting a scholarship program for city school graduates.

No, no, no -- the P-G editors got it wrong about Pgh Promise

No, no, no. The P-G did NOT get it right in their editorial.

Hasty promise: Council must do right by UPMC's pledge Time out, everyone. That was the welcome call Tuesday from City Council to stop the runaway train that followed UPMC's pledge of up to $100 million to the Pittsburgh Promise, a scholarship program for city high school graduates.

The call for a "time out" came from the citizens. We shouted it in council chambers. The council would have been quick to rush to action had the citizens not called for the public hearing. The majority of the members of council, were willing to jump onto that runaway train.

They all botched the communication on this. It started in early 2007 when the first hint of the promise came with a $10,000 check from the PFT (Teachers Union). That was scripted by Mark Roosevelt. The thing died then and there.

SabrinaSpiher.com: A Media Empire

SabrinaSpiher.com: A Media Empire: "And even sillier for them to threaten to renege on this 'donation' unless we just do what they say and guarantee that they'll never have to pay taxes no matter what.

Make a bid. Burgh to host NRA. How about the OpenOffice.org event?

News says that the NRA is going to return to Pittsburgh.

Well, I'd love to see a bid go in for OpenOffice.Org's annual event.

OpenOffice.org Annual Conference 2008 - Call for Location

Would your team like to rise the challenge? Full details of the Call For Location process are available on the website http://marketing.openoffice.org/ooocon2008/cfl.html There is also a conference organisers' mailing list with open discussions.

http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=announce&msgNo=345

Working with open source software is sure to help thousands of people, as well as schools and government.

Blowback: Why they hate us. From Dan Sullivan

Dan Sullivan, Pittsburgh, fellow Libertarian, wrote on another email list, reposted below:

This attempts to explain why Muslims hate Americans so much that they would be willing to strap bombs onto children or kill themselves in suicide attacks. Those who insist that this is some irrational, unprovoked, religious jihad should look at how many of them and their children have suffered terrible, protracted deaths due to US foreign policy.

This is not about GW Bush. Even though he has done terrible things to Americans and has completely botched the second undeclared Iraq War, the hatred of America's intervention was already established by our previous foreign policies that attempted to subjugate these people to control their oil.

Probably the best recruiting tool Osama Bin Laden ever had was this clip of Clinton's Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, saying that half a million Iraqis dying due to our embargo of Hussein was "worth it." Here is a very short clip.

http://qurl.com/nzzd3

Yes, Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator. But those who make that argument ignore the fact that Hussein was already a brutal murderer when we helped him overthrow the Qassim government, and a brutal mass murderer who was getting "weapons of mass destruction,"
including nerve gas and biological weapons, from the United States.

This slideshow, made to the sound of Bing Crosby singing "Thanks for the Memories," lasts 4 1/4 minutes.

http://www.bushflash.com/thanks.html

Yes, Saddam killed hundreds of thousands of Iranians and Kurds, but he did so, not only with our acquiescence and approval, but with our resources. The reason we figured he still had anthrax-causing bacteria was that we had sent it to him to use on Iran.

Why did we help him make war on Iran? Because the Iranian people had overthrown their own brutal dictator, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (the Shah of Iran), whom we had installed in 1953 after we overthrew the democratically elected President Mossadech.

The Shah's denial that he engaged in torture now echoes in our own similar denials. This clip is one minute and 20 seconds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8u2UKWCHtM&feature=related

Our imperialist brutality has existed under many of our regimes. The following Bill Moyers Journal episode focuses on Reagan, because it was made in the wake of the Iran Contra Scandal. However, its historical background implicates every President since Truman, with the exception of Jimmy Carter.

This documentary, made by liberal journalist Bill Moyers over two decades ago, said exactly what Ron Paul is saying about the dangers of ignoring the Constitution, and said it very, very well. And the excuses made for trashing the Constitution then are very much like the excuses being made today. This 86-minute video is EXCELLENT!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3505348655137118430

In looking at all of these videos, I keep thinking of the people in other countries where we did these things, and asking Ron Paul's question, "How would we feel if some foreign power did things like this to us?" How many of our own children would have to die at the hands of these brutal murderers before we become desperate enough to want one of those children to take a bunch of foreign imperialists down with him?

-ds