Making an Ethical Stand: Ethical operations deals among ethical players.

Part 2 on my series on Campaign Finance Reform

by Mark Rauterkus

Conducting a business presents choices as to who to deal with and who to avoid. The suppliers and providers of the the goods and services you buy matters greatly and impact the end product, the economy and one's sense of satisfaction.

The same holds true for the business dealings of our government entities.

The city of Pittsburgh buys supplies, obtains materials and lets contracts. Municipal, county and state government, as well as the authorities, have massive budgets. Some businesses cater to government sales and contracts, no doubt.

It makes great sense to be particular as to who you do business with and who to avoid.

If we want to live in a more ethical city and region, we need to tell our city leaders that we don't want them to spend any money with unethical suppliers. For instance, the City of Pittsburgh will NOT sell property it owns to anyone who already owes back taxes to the City of Pittsburgh on other property. If you want to obtain new property, from the public holdings, you had better not be a tax cheat. That makes sense.

This same line of thought can be applied to other aspects of city government. Felons need not apply for jobs in the courts. Background checks are needed for those who work in the schools and at parks. Campaign finance issues can come under the same type of scrutiny.

New laws on campaign finance reform are being discussed in city hall this week.
A public hearing is slated for 2 pm on Tuesday, February 26, 2008. Check out the ordinance to supplement administrative code, by adding "Campaign Finance Regulations," sponsored by Council member Bill Peduto at his blog: http://www.reformpittsburghnow.com/ And, visit http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com and search for "Finance."

Holding better campaigns and elections is important to the health of the region. But massive weakness with enforcement and penalties may cripple the good intentions of better elections and cleaner candidates.

If everyone plays above board and follows the (new, proposed) rules, we'd have wonderful new day. Dream on. This is politics. We're in Pittsburgh, a one-party town. Some have been known to cheat in the past.

When cheating occurs, the fair-minded folks get screwed while the cheaters trump the system. Those that are more clever at money laundering shouldn't have an upper hand in getting government jobs. Candidates who can money launder well and win elections would then get put into positions where they'd further refine their skills with tax-payer funds.

Keeping participants more faithful to the rules and spirit of campaign finance reform needs drastic, yet simple, measures.
I suggest a "Scarlet Letter Penalty."

If you want a city contract, you can't break our campaign finance rules. If you are at odds with the campaign finance measures, you're out. Let's live in a city that chooses to only make payments to those who honor our campaign finance laws.

If a culprit breaks any campaign finance reform law, that person, as well as his company, becomes ineligible for any contract from city government. All payments from the city to the offending person and firm, including pay checks, are terminated. These individuals and firms would wearing a 'scarlet letter" so as to be "black listed at the time of cutting city checks."

This "scarlet letter penalty" would apply to both, the candidate and the donor. A candidate that wins an election could keep his post, as the people voted and the election was won. But, the candidate won't get paid.

If a mythical great uncle wants to give a large sum of money to his favorite nephew to run a campaign in Pittsburgh, fine. The money from the great uncle can be taken by the candidate, reported and spent. Meanwhile, the generous great uncle won't be eligible to get any city contract. He won't worry about city contracts and won't try to benefit from them. This great uncle donor has no worries about getting special influences, and in turn, the taxpayers have few fears about corruption from that source.

The length of punishment is another factor to consider.
Some say that a four-year punishment is long enough. In their point of view, if someone gets caught and screws up in the 2009 election and buys a candidate a seat, in part by breaking a campaign finance law, the guilty donor would be eligible for city contracts four-years later, in 2013.

I don't like the timing of a four-year penalty phase. Four years could be too short. Or, it could be too long.

Consider, for example, Don Barden or some other slots parlor operator seeking to buy city council members. Barden holds a contract with the state for the exclusive operation of a slots operations in the city. The state sold license to Don Barden never expires. His was a one-time payment that lasts forever. Four years is NO TIME AT ALL in that type of deal.

A contractor that builds bridges, tunnels and other mega projects -- such as light rail extensions to Oakland and the East End -- would gladly suffer a few years of penalties to have votes on city council and contracts awarded in year five and beyond.

Punishment to the ones that make the infraction to the campaign finance regulations should be in effect for as long as the candidate that benefited is an elected official in any public position. The "scarlet letter penalty" should end when the candidate exits all public positions.

For the sake of example, if a guilty employee at a developer such as Forrest City gets caught giving $50,000 to a council candidate, (the limit is $2,500), then that firm is OUT for all city contracts. However, if the candidate who took the money resigns his or her post, then the firm could get back into the game for city contracts. The candidate who took the money and the company that gave the money are in bed together. They both should be linked while that candidate stays in any government post.

A big payment that exceeds the limits could go to a candidate can not be spent for years. The funds could sit and gather interest for future campaign cycles, decades into the future. The city does not have term limits.

I'm not fine with specific dollar amounts of the proposed fines.
Another suggestion was to set penalty amounts for fines for the rule breakers. They wanted to attach the dollars of the sin in the campaign finance deed to the penalty. The thinking of the rule makers was to charge the villains a three-fold putative damage. Make the guilty pay a fine that is three times what was spent on the candidate.

I think it is impossible to set uniform dollar amount penalties in this realm. In recent times, $50,000 could easily buy a seat on city council. If the risk of getting caught means a pay-back of three times that amount, say $150,000, that's nothing when contrasted with the totals being spent in public building projects. A public financed parking garage, for example, can cost $10-Million. That penalty of three times the amount of damages as tied to the sins that flowed into the election coffers is chump change.

A Sister and Rabbi and a vacant seat huddle and an Ethics Hearing Board meeting breaks out.
The new bills sponsor has the proposed campaign finance regulations being upheld by the Pittsburgh's Ethics Hearing Board. I've seen glaciers move faster than the Ethics Hearing Board. That body is a total failure. The mayor's golf outing with UPMC executives in the summer of 2007 won't be resolved until the spring or summer fo 2008. They want to change the employee handbook to redefine perks from nonprofits. Sad to say, the Ethics Hearing Board in Pittsburgh, as appointed, can't navigate its way out of a wet paper bag. It would be more effective to administer Boy Scout Oaths to candidates, or do nothing.

Employees, companies, and citizens, it is time to ponder these proposals. Those who make and receive political donations are doing so with good intentions, but we need to think them through. I want the new rules to benefit challengers, competition, taxpayers and freedom.

---

Postings in this series:

Part 1: Local Campaign Finance Reform http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2008/02/local-campaign-finance-reform.html

Part 2: Making an ethical stand. http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2008/02/making-ethical-stand-ethical-operations.html

Part 3: Proposal to Bankers for a Campaign Marriage, with drive-through guests http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2008/02/proposal-to-bankers-for-campaign.html

A new platform: The Libertarian Majority

Libertarian Majority: "As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others.

This is great.

Singapore will host first Youth Olympics in 2010

SI.com - More Sports - Singapore will host first Youth Olympics in 2010 - Thursday February 21, 2008 8:09AM: "The event, to be held every four years, is designed to encourage youngsters to get involved in sports and spend less time in front of computer and television screens. The first Winter Youth Olympics will be in 2012.

Let's not bash computer screens. I think it would be great to blog at that event. :)

Rogge said broadcasters will be offered free daily television highlights from the Singapore Games.

"We know that youth sport is a difficult issue for broadcasters who are not showing much of it and I regret that," he said. "However, this exposure will be much bigger than for any other junior world championships."

Perhaps we can get the feed and stream them onto PCTV 21.

Vote on closing Schenley High School delayed - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Vote on closing Schenley High School delayed - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "City schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt said he delayed a vote on closing Schenley High School to give supporters time to raise money to fix it and to study if it would be cheaper in the long run to repair the structure.

In other Schenley news:

The topic of this evening's PSCC was scheduling for next year's classes. Mrs. Facaros facilitated the meeting with counselors Dr. Dillard and Mrs. Martin. Sample course selection sheets for incoming 9th graders, 10 through 12, and IB Diploma Programmed Course Requirements were available. Counselors will be meeting with each student to plan schedules for next year; students will bring schedules home to be signed.

Grades and records of 10th grade students will be reviewed carefully before students sign for IB courses. An attempt will be made to coordinate the block schedules with non-IB classes for flexibility if the student has difficulty with the IB classes. The goal of scheduling is to find the right level of class for each student.

Schedules for next year are tentative, depending on the outcome of the school board's vote next week on the move to Reizenstein, the expansion of Frick to include 9th grade, the move of 9th grade students to Milliones for university prep, and the move of the tech program to Peabody. For example, if the moves do go through, it will eliminate culinary arts as an elective for all but the Peabody students. With the 9th grade in the basement of Frick, the food prep rooms will be eliminated; Reizenstein does not have facilities for food prep either.

Discussion on proposed moves: As usual when there are Schenley parents, there was an informal discussion of the proposed moves for next year. Time is passing very quickly to have classes in place for next September. As stated above, certain aspects of the schedule will have to be changed depending on the location of various students. If the 9th grade is to remain at Frick, renovations will be needed to the basement floor which currently houses the kitchen, sewing, industrial arts classrooms. After the location of students is determined, the placement of teachers will have to be determined. Teachers who have been trained for the IB program will have priority over teachers who have not been trained. At this time, it is planned that the 9th graders at all "Schenley" sites will follow the high school bell schedules. Teachers, especially world language teachers, will probably travel between the two IS sites. It is possible that buses will transport students for advanced math and after school activities although those details have not been worked out.

A parent requested and Mrs. Facaros will try to arrange a tour of the Reizenstein facility for those who would like to tour the building. This will need to be arranged before any renovations are begun on the building.

Although this was a short meeting, there was a lot of information. If anyone who was at the meeting has anything to add, please email me and I will make corrections/additions.

Next PSCC meeting: March 19. Topic: IB/IS
Please put the April 16 PSCC meeting on your calendar when Duquesne University will be doing a parent evaluation of High School Reform. We need parental input.

amy moore

Great, another institution doing an evaluation on high school reform after the deal has been cut. The evaluation needs to happen in April -- for changes in say 2010 and unfolding to 2014.

David C. Salo is publishing a new book -- June or July 2008

Dave Salo, Ph.D., head men's swim coach at USC, author of the now out of print book, Sprint Salo, is publishing a new book with Human Kinetics.

Sounds good. Total conditioning for swimmers, or something like that.

Can't wait.

Finally the skeleton spotlight to herself. - Wednesday February 20, 2008 2:36PM

We are NOT talking about "BODIES" at the Science Center.

SI.com - More Sports - Katie Uhlaender finally has the American skeleton spotlight to herself. - Wednesday February 20, 2008 2:36PM: "Katie Uhlaender finally has the American skeleton spotlight to herself."

Darfur activists urged to keep Olympics non-political - Wednesday February 20, 2008 10:22AM

SI.com - More Sports - Darfur activists urged to keep Olympics non-political - Wednesday February 20, 2008 10:22AM Beijing Olympics officials defended China's stance on Darfur and appealed to activists Wednesday not to pressure sponsors to pull out of the Games.

Those pesky Darfur activists.... Hey, teacher, leave those kids alone.

Singapore believes size is advantage - Wednesday February 20, 2008 11:20AM

SI.com - More Sports - Singapore believes size is advantage - Wednesday February 20, 2008 11:20AM The Youth Games are likely to only feature one-third of the athletes -- all aged between 14 and 18 competing in 26 sports -- that the Summer Olympics draws.

We are not a rubber stamp. We are the council of the city of Pittsburgh.

Them thar are fighting words from Bruce Kraus.

Gosh. Notes (live blogging) of the city council meeting on Wed, 2-20-08.

Process.

Investigation or Conversation?

"I support a hold," says Jim Motznik. Motznik wants to refer it to somewhere else. Let the buck stop elsewhere.

Bill Peduto introduced a bill to begin an investigation. Too bad there are no others on city council with a backbone.

Even Doug Shields made a wish upon a eclipse that the administration make a statement to rescind the sign deal.

Dan Deasy says that they are a long way off from determining if the sign is appropriate or not. That's called being 'out of touch.'

Rev. Burgess thanks Bill Peduto for his leadership on this matter. The process of how the sign got approved is broken. But he'll want to exhaust the powers of council.

Tonya Payne says we may be getting too far out there. She has not heard one thing from anyone on this issue. Does Tonya read the paper? Does Tonya only live for the mob mentality? She doesn't want to do anything that is so political. She doesn't see the remedy. She is without vision. Her good judgement means following the marching orders of the mayor.

Tonya, the URA is a city authority -- not a state authority, by the way.

Tonya, when things get tossed around in a campaign, such as merging the URA and the City Planning Department, they are NOT real. Campaign chatter is just campaign chatter. Campaign ideas do NOT establish laws.

Tonyna thinks, "If you want to keep this clean -- calling for an investigation only sees who is on whos side." -- NO.

An investigation is NOT a political call. A campaign is a political side struggle.

Bill Peduto says last year is last year. Dennis R, Cathy McN, domestic violence. Bill thinks that city council is powerful and it can pummel. Whew. This isn't just about a billboard. City employees and past city employees put this together. The pattern includes the threat that employees would NOT be able to talk to city councilmembers.

Steps: Zoning, planning, conditional use, bid. Investigate now or get pulled into a lawsuit that the city (Ravenstahl bending over for Lamar Advertising) will not win.

Kraus is proud to sit on this body for an important issue. This is never about politics. It is about our sworn duty. Very difficult territory. One must be willing to leave one's comfort zone. Kraus is unsure about public hearings and post agendas. Kraus is worried about spending taxpayer money if council should hire an attorney. Gosh.

Doug said that this is a civil, not criminal matter. The big fear is the fallout of people being put under oath. Then it gives rise to criminal. None are talking about any criminal matters at this time.

It is a fricking sign. It isn't an important issue. And Pat Ford is playing the city like a fiddle. What is the next verse? Dance on or end the tune?

The cure, for Doug Shields, is to have this go through all the normal steps.

I think that the cure is to fire Pat Ford. Nuke the darn sign too. Then, move to liquidate the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Ravenstahl appoints Lanier treasurer - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Ravenstahl appoints Lanier treasurer - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review She will not receive a pay increase.

This is the second new hire that gets a new job title and does NOT get a pay raise.

If I get hired as the newest member of the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board -- the number of new hires without any pay increase would be three!

Really, I'd be 'appointed' -- not 'hired.' The post comes without any pay.

Yesterday, in my public comment at city council, I told Luke Ravenstahl, that I was available. I had sent him a letter in the past.

Slippery Rock Gets One More Year

CollegeSwimming.com::Slippery Rock Gets One More Year “Women’s swimming just completed its 2007-08 season. With the announcement today, students who will be seniors next year know they will have a final season at SRU and underclassmen will have time to evaluate the options concerning their future. Water polo competition begins in March so those student athletes now know definitively this is their final season.”

There is no honor is cutting a team. To have a phase out is okay -- but don't begin to talk about 'honor.'

SRU President, Robert Smith, sucks. May the pox that falls upon him and his career be painful and forever.

I look forward to the return of those teams in better times.

Learn about publishing on the web with these tutorials

Feds tell Pittsburgh schools to destroy recalled beef

Feds tell Pittsburgh schools to destroy recalled beef - Examiner.com: "The U.S. Department of Agriculture has told the Pittsburgh school district to destroy 323 cases of recalled beef."

Where is the beef?
There are a few things that should be recalled in Pgh Public Schools. High School Reform needs to be recalled.

Inside PA Political Elections

The PA Elections Division is to hold the ballot position lottery drawing for delegates and alternate delegates on Wednesday, February 20, 9:30 A.M. in the Keystone Building - Hearing Room #1 (intersection of Forster St. & Commonwealth Ave.).

The last day for D and R party candidates who filed nomination petitions to withdraw has been extended to Friday, Februray 29, 2008, 5 P.M.

Dear Campaign Finance Reform Supporter:

Pittsburgh City Councilmembers need to hear from YOU!

Next TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH, at 2 PM, City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed campaign finance reform legislation recently introduced by Councilman Bill Peduto that aims to limit individual and PAC contributions to local politicians in election and non-election years.

As observed in Philadelphia and other cities that have already implemented similar rules, passing this legislation would help to further reform the local government process by limiting the impact of large-scale donors and reducing their access to decision-makers, while also enabling less well-funded candidates to run for office.

To help convince undecided members of Council, I urge you to please consider attending the hearing, along with other members of your organization (or with friends!).

The details of the meeting are below, and the legislation and talking points are attached.

Tuesday, February 26th, at 2 PM in City-Council Chambers
5th Floor, 414 Grant Street

If you would like to make a public comment, please call Linda Johnson-Wassler in advance at 412-255-2138 to sign up.

If you have other questions about the meeting, please call Dan Gilman at 412-255-2133.

Links:

Post-Gazette article announcing the introduction of this legislation:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08007/847284-53.stm

Recent City Paper article with quotes from both sides of the debate:
http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A42016

Thanks in advance!

Julia Nagle
(contact deleted by blog owner)

---

Talking Points for the PEDUTO CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM


- Legislation limits the amount any individual can donate to a candidate to $2,500 per year

- Legislation limits the amount any Political Action Committee donations to $5,000 per year

- If a candidate spends more than $250,000 of their own money, the contribution limits for all other candidates double

- Limits the amount a candidate can raise in non-election years. A mayoral candidate can raise no more than $250,000, a controller candidate $100,000, and a council candidate $75,000.

- Prohibits any individual or business that contributes the maximum to a candidate from receiving any no-bid contracts from the City.

- Calls on the City Controller to place all campaign finance reports online

- Requires the Ethics Board to advertise the contribution limits and other aspects of the campaign finance regulations

- May take violators to court for an injunction

- Ethics Board has right to punish for violations

Full bill from Google Document

Costs for 2014 Games have doubled - Tuesday February 19, 2008 11:43AM

SI.com - More Sports - Costs for 2014 Games have doubled - Tuesday February 19, 2008 11:43AM Russia was awarded the games last year, with an ambitious plan to build almost all facilities from scratch at the Black Sea resort. Among them was an elaborate light-rail system leading from the seaside ice-sport venues to the snow sports locations in the Caucasus Mountains 30 miles sway.

Dutch lawmaker calls for Olympic boycott

SI.com - More Sports - Dutch lawmaker calls for Oly boycott - Tuesday February 19, 2008 9:44AM: "Voordewind also suggested setting up a venue in Beijing during the games where visitors can discuss human rights.

He expected opposition from organizers, but said, 'If the Chinese are against the plan, that means they are against human rights.'

Voordewind has only just begun enlisting world support. Neither the Dutch government nor the Olympic Committee have backed him."

Well, there is ONE place to eat Kosher food in Beijing. Perhaps that venue can be a place to chat about human rights.

Did Dan Onorato or Luke Ravenstahl visit with this guy while in the Netherlands?

Perhaps I should.

Texas Looms Larger for a number of reasons

Ron Paul posted:

The DC neocons think their old dream is about to come true. They think they can defeat me in the Republican congressional primary in Texas on March 4th. And you know what? They may be right.

My opponent, who describes himself as a traditional conservative, is a dedicated servitor of all the special interests who have given us the disaster of recent years, from unconstitutional wars to a looming recession, from huge deficits to massive new welfare programs.

A Republican operative allied with the worst forces in DC recently said: "Give what you can [to Ron Paul's opponent]. Ron Paul is running scared -- using his Presidential campaign's donors' money to subsidize a desperate last-minute attempt to save his Congressional seat."

That is a lie, of course. It is illegal to use presidential campaign donations in my congressional race. The congressional campaign has to stand on its own. But so far, we have raised only about a third of what a well-funded effort would need.

In my 10 terms in Congress, I have not only been able to serve my constituents, and help them, for example, negotiate federal red-tape. I have also been able to defend our principles of less spending, lower taxes, no inflation, and strict adherence to the Constitution. Some people in DC laugh at the idea that I should obey my oath of office, and ask first of any proposed legislation, is it constitutional? But I know that you share my support for the vision of the framers.

My friend Congressmen Wayne Gilchrest (R-Maryland) was just defeated in his primary election by a neocon fraud similar to the one I face. My friend Walter Jones (R-North Carolina) is under heavy pressure as well. People like our hand-picked opponents will do anything to gain and keep power. They represent everything that is wrong with DC.

If I am defeated in the upcoming congressional primary, our ideas will be held to have been defeated as well. It will be proclaimed from the rooftops in DC that such "ridiculous and outmoded notions" as the free market, sound money, personal liberty, limited government, and a pro-American foreign policy are through.

I am determined not to let this happen. All that you and I believe in is far too important to the future of our country, and to everyone and everything we love, to let the neocons dance on its grave.

Please, help me stop the lies, the distortions, the pressure groups, the special interests that benefit from DC rip-offs. There is still time to run radio and tv ads, to set up phone banks, to get out the vote. But unless you help, my reelection to Congress may be in jeopardy. Please help me return to Congress to fight for the people of my district, and for the ideas that can save our country from the path to trouble we are now on.

I hesitated to ask you, since you have already done so much. But my wife Carol said, "When you need help, you ask your best friends." So I do ask you, to hold out your hand in support.

Please give today http://www.ronpaulforcongress.com, as generously and as quickly as you can.

Sincerely,

Ron

Public comment delivered to Pgh Public School Board and Administration: Schenley High School can stay open

From moments ago, a fellow parent delivered these comments to the Board of Ed and the Administration in public comment. Nick's son and my son are school mates and team mates at Frick Middle School.

Good evening everyone. My name is Nick Lardas. I am a resident of Oakland and am here to speak again as a concerned parent, taxpayer and voter.

I request that the board vote no on moving students out of Schenley HS, and no on further expenditures on HS reform. These issues are interrelated and until complete information and complete plans are available spending any money down any one path is a waste of our precious resources.

Ten days ago because of my engineering & construction expertise I was invited along with a group of construction professionals to tour Schenley HS with some PPS Facilities personnel. Base on that visit and the information in this Facilities Portfolio on Schenley I have concluded that the building is safe for students now and next year. There is no emergency. There is time to plan wisely before spending money.

There is not now, nor have there ever been according to your records any asbestos fibers in the air at Schenley.

According to WJE, your expert, the plaster that fell last summer was the result of prior water and vibration damage that was never fixed. Now that all the plaster has been addressed there is no imminent threat. Furthermore there’s no such thing as sudden catastrophic adhesion failure in 90-year-old gypsum plaster. Go search the web or the public library.

High moisture readings in water damaged plaster are to be expected regardless of humidity levels.

Contrary to what has been reported the ventilation system is partially working. The exhaust fans on the roof penthouses are actively pulling air out of the building. While the intake fans are off, the ducts and dampers are open so makeup air is being drawn into the building through them.

The new windows do not seal well. In fact your facilities personnel are screwing them shut because of this. I don’t understand why you do not have the manufacturer who warranted these windows fixing them.

If you would like to act in an abundance of caution, remove the plaster ceilings in Schenley this summer. This is work that will have to be done as part of the renovation of Schenley, so you will not be throwing money away on any temporary move.

The cost to renovate Schenley according to your portfolio is $37.8 Million, not the higher figures reported.

There is not enough time in the 3 minutes allotted here for me to explain everything I know related to these issues. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with each of you individually or together to more completely explain your own documents, as well as tour Schenley with you and facilities personnel to point out these items. If you are interested my contact information is included below.

Thirty years ago this school district rushed to embrace the latest in educational trends and wasted tens of Millions on open class rooms & windowless schools. Concepts which have proven to be a failure. There is no emergency. The sky is not falling. Don’t be fooled by fancy names and feel good salesmanship. Ask for all the data. Ask for the cost benefit analysis of all the options studied. Take the time to get all the information and make an informed decision.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Nicholas D. Lardas

Nick's contact info has been nuked by the blog owner. If you want it, leave a note in the comments.

Tom Kawczynski pulled out of a race for R nomination for PA House

Tom Kawczynski posted to a public email list this notice. He had been working to get onto the ballot for the Rs in a state house race. Tom lives in Bellvue. He had also been a key organizer for the Ron Paul MeetUps.

Hey Everyone,

Since some of you didn't know, I just wanted to confirm that I am dropping out of my state legislature race. Although I very much wanted to run, and was very grateful that the support so many of you gave, there were circumstances beyond my control that forced me to withdraw. If I had a choice, I would have continued my run, but that did not seem feasible.

I believe now as I ever have that it is important that all of us stay involved, howsoever we choose, to spread the important ideas that this campaign has illuminated. People want to hear about liberty and limited government. I spent a great many hours out there talking to people, house by house, door by door, and they accepted this message. It transcends parties and policies.

For the same reasons that I'm withdrawing from this race, I'm going to be taking a much lower profile. Rest assured this is not because of any change in my ideas, but driven by a new dedication and focus in creating a situation for myself where I am more able to facilitate the changes I believe are so necessary. We all need to get smarter in how we act, and myself more than anyone.

I just wanted to say thanks to those who helped. I'd like to especially thank Scot, Jay, Lionel, Dave P., and Sara. I couldn't ask for better people or better friends. Value the people you meet here. They're a special bunch, and together, we're the best hope for the future.

Yours,
Tom

I don't know if Tom will stay on the Libertarian Party board or not.

Modern China in Recap from AP -- without a byline

Don't you love the AP and Sports Illustrated?

SI.com - More Sports - China hoping Olympics will bring international fame - Monday February 18, 2008 11:25AM: "Return of prestige"

This article (link above and reposted below) provides a modern day re-cap of China with a review of a reporter who has been there. He knew Chairman Mao. He reopened the AP office in Beijing after the rules of the Cultural Revolution were changed to allow Americans to return to China. However, the reporter / writer is without a byline on this posting from the S.I. web pages.

Nice article:

Return of prestige
China hoping Olympics will bring international fame
Posted: Monday February 18, 2008 11:25AM; Updated: Monday February 18, 2008

HONOLULU (AP) -- On Aug. 8, 2008, when the Beijing Olympics begin in promised splendor, a few may reflect on how far or how fast China has come to host this high mark of international prestige.

A little more than a year after the games finish, Oct. 1, 2009, China will mark its 60th anniversary as a communist nation. It is a survivor when many Marxist regimes have met their demise beginning with the first, the Soviet Union.

To my old eyes, it seems almost a miracle that China has survived the pain and bloodshed to emerge from poverty and become one of the richest of Earth's nations in so short a time.

Torn by internal strife for years, long shunned internationally, China now seeks to acquire something intangible but precious, to match its new prosperity. It seeks prestige, or "weiwang" in Chinese. Prestige is a quality China once had in abundance as the ancient Middle Kingdom, an empire to which other nations regularly paid tribute.

To understand why Olympic prestige is so important to China, it is important to remember how low as a nation China had fallen -- and how little real prestige it enjoyed -- as a result of power struggles during the first few decades of its communist existence after the Nationalists were vanquished in 1949.

It is useful, too, to remember the three powerful, larger than life figures who dominated the Chinese landscape early on.

They were Mao Zedong, its founder, a peasant's son and dreamer; his ambitious, once bone-poor third wife, Jiang Qing, and Deng Xiaoping, the no nonsense realist. During the early years of Mao's dictatorship, quarrels within the Communist party over China's direction brought it to the edge of collapse, a blood-spattered period remembered today for its cruelty and chaos.

The violence only ended with Mao's death and his wife's imprisonment in 1976.

Twice purged by Mao, Deng emerged from house arrest a few years later to halt China's headlong tumble into anarchy and begin the remarkable economic recovery and regaining of national prestige reflected in these Olympic games.

As an AP reporter, I knew all three of the lead players: Mao and his wife in 1940s Yanan, the Red base before the victory of 1949, and Deng in 1979 Beijing.

Mao was a dreamer with his feet firmly planted in the past. He believed China was powerful enough to achieve greatness by itself without relying on the outside world.

When Mao's grandiose national economic campaign resulted in failure and famine, the pragmatists led by Liu Shaoqi and Deng removed him from office and took over. Mao meekly accepted his punishment. But Jiang Qing, furious at losing her place as First Lady of China, fought back.

Cannily, she used Mao and his great national popularity and organized the Marxist sounding 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution. With the help of defense minister Lin Biao, she turned Mao into a demigod, a genius born once in every 10,000 years. Then she denounced Liu and Deng as villains for trying to diminish Mao's greatness. The nation's students, organized into Maoist Red Guards, attacked anyone daring to belittle the Great Helmsman's name. The "no school" bell rang throughout China and the students gleefully went on a hot-eyed rampage.

I wrote about the Cultural Revolution mostly from Hong Kong and Tokyo -- Americans were barred from China -- but got a glimpse of China under Mao when I was allowed to accompany the U.S. ping pong team to Beijing in 1971. I made more visits later, after the ban against American reporters was lifted.

Beijing under Mao was drab, emotionless and bureaucratic. The Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, once a delight to visit, were stiff with plaster statues of Mao. Huge portraits of Mao adorned the walls of the Forbidden City and China's Great Wall.

The little red book of Mao quotations, compiled by Lin Biao, and tin Mao portrait badges were everywhere. I acquired one.

By the end of 1971, only months after the American ping pong visit, Lin Biao's agenda had become clear: he plotted to murder Mao and take his place at the head of party and nation. Discovered, he fled, and died when his Moscow-bound plane crashed en route.

Madame Mao, high priestess of her husband's cult, banned the famous Peking Opera, put in its place a half dozen dramas of her own composition which glorified Maoism. I suffered through several of them, bemused by the heroes, bigger than life, and amused by the villains -- usually running dogs of American imperialism.

I had the good luck to reopen the AP Beijing bureau in 1979 and thus become a daily spectator during the early days of Deng's determined campaign to recover China's lost prestige. Unlike Mao, who dictated the smallest details of Chinese life from Beijing, Deng believed in openness and few controls. He gave the cities and the provinces license to make their own rules, draw up their own contracts.

I developed a bantering friendship with Deng, one of the few Marxists I knew with a sense of humor. Remarkably modest for a man with so much power, he described himself modestly as the first among equals and insisted he had no desire for titles like party chairman or president.

He intended, he told me, to gradually introduce controlled democracy along with his limited capitalism. Later, the student protests that brought chaos and bloodshed to Tienanmen Square in Beijing in 1989 soured his view of democracy. He ordered the troops to fire on the unarmed demonstrators. He died at the age of 93 without apologizing.

Some observers say the games now give the Communist party an ideal public opportunity to achieve for China, after all its suffering and sacrifices, the prestige it so apparently desires.

Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

New Ron Paul money bill

Quotes of the Day:
"Inflation has now been institutionalized at a fairly constant 5% per year. This has been determined to be the optimum level for generating the most revenue without causing public alarm. A 5% devaluation applies, not only to the money earned this year, but to all that is left over from previous years. At the end of the first year, a dollar is worth 95 cents. At the end of the second year, the 95 cents is reduced again by 5%, leaving its worth at 90 cents, and so on. By the time a person has worked 20 years, the government will have confiscated 64% of every dollar he saved over those years. By the time he has worked 45 years, the hidden tax will be 90%. The government will take virtually everything a person saves over a lifetime."
From: G. Edward Griffin


The above quote may need some explanation. Most people don't know that the Federal Reserve has the power to create new dollars out of thin air.

It does.

Most people also don't know that this is one of the ways the government pays its bills. The process is simple . . .

* The Federal Reserve creates new dollars
* It transfer these dollars to the federal government in return for Treasury bonds
* The U.S. Treasury uses this money to cover some of its expenses

It's a neat trick. The politicians don't have to raise your taxes, but they have more money to spend.

What happens when this new money hits the economy? Apologists for the Fed use a clever supply-and-demand argument to claim that nothing at all happens. Here's how the argument works . . .

* Economic growth equals increased productivity equals an expanded supply of goods and services
* An expanded money supply equals an increased demand for goods and services
* If the expanded demand equals the expanded supply prices will remain stable
* Insto, presto, no price inflation will result

But there are two big problems with this argument. First, it assumes that the Fed will be able to determine the total supply of goods and services in the economy, and keep the money supply in balance with it. This assumption causes the argument to fail, instantly.

Total U.S. economic activity amounts to many trillions of productive events. No amount of reporting to the government could possibly measure this with any degree of precision. It's inevitable that the Fed will misjudge how big the economy is, and thereby misjudge how much money creation is consistent with avoiding price inflation.

When the Fed causes the money supply to grow faster than productivity grows, supply and demand will be out of balance. There will be more money chasing relatively fewer goods. The result will be higher prices on the things you buy.

Each of the dollars in your pocket will buy less than they did before. Your savings will lose value. This is one way you pay the government's inflation tax. Here's another way . . .

Your wages will rise slower than prices will. It's much easier for a super-market to change a price tag on a carton of milk than it is for your employer to adjust your compensation. Your standard of living will decline as your paycheck buys less. This is another way you pay the inflation tax.

How do we eliminate the hidden inflation tax? Congressman Ron Paul has developed a simple approach to this. He wants to end the Fed's monopoly over the money supply. He wants to make the Fed compete with other forms of money, such as gold. This competition would reduce the Fed's ability to inflate the dollar supply. Toward this end . . .

He first proposed the "Honest Money Act," which would repeal the legal tender law and provide people with increased legal security to make transactions in other forms of money, such as gold.

Now he has a new bill, designed to remove the federal government's monopoly control over the creation of coins. This new bill is called the "Free Competition in Currency Act."

We have joined these two bills into one campaign!

If you want to stop paying the inflation tax please send Congress a message asking them to co-sponsor these two bills. You can do so here.

Thank you for being a part of the growing DownsizeDC Army.

Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

Reloading candidates from the D and R parties in competitions for US Congress -- or lack of them

The list of D and R candidates running for public office in 2008 in Pennsylvania is here (PDF). Third party challengers are NOT yet on the radar as third-party types are just now able to get signatures to get onto the ballot.

PA has 19 members of the US House. Only one is slated to retire this year. Eighteen are seeking re-election. Not a single member presently in the US House is facing a challenger within his or her party. They all are getting a 'free ride' on April 22.

The one member presently in the US House who is going to retire has NINE candidates seeking to fill that seat. The retirement, from a R is from the district that includes State College. Nine R candidates have filed as that soon to be open seat.

The US House delegation from Pennyslvania is presently with 11 Ds and 8 Rs. So nine Rs are running for one seat and seven Rs are running against nobody.

The list of Rs seeking the open seat in the US House in the primary include:
* Chris Exarchos
* John Krupa
* Lou Radkowski
* Keith Richardson
* Matt Shaner
* Jeff Stroehmann
* John Stroup
* Glenn W. Thompson
* Derek Walker

Three Ds are running too:
* Bill Cahir
* Mark McCracken
* Richard P. Vilello Jr.

Six districts (out of 19) are expected to have candidates from the two-old parties (Ds and Rs). Competition from third party candidates is still unknown.

Republican Tim Murphy (18th District near Pittsburgh) has four Ds in a fight to square off against him in November: Wayne Dudding, Beth Hafer, Steve O’Donnell and Brien Wall.

In the 4th District near Pittsburgh, former Rep. Melissa Hart is challenging Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire in a rematch of a 2006 campaign that Altmire won by 4 percentage points.

In the northeastern 10th District, freshman Democratic Rep. Christopher Carney will face the winner of a three-candidate Republican primary that includes Dan Meuser, Chris Hackett and Davis Haire.

In the 8th District (Bucks County north of Philadelphia and includes a small part of the city), Rep. Patrick J. Murphy, D, the only Iraq War veteran currently serving in Congress will have competition. The R primary has two candidates: Tom Manion, a retired Marine Corps colonel whose son was killed in Iraq, and Joseph Montone, who lost a Republican primary in the 8th District in 2004 and also was unsuccessful in 2006 in a state House race.

In the 7th District (most of Delaware County west and southwest of Philadelphia) freshman D,. Joe Sestak, will face Republican W. Craig Williams. Neither faces opposition in the primary.

In the northeastern 11th District, Hazelton mayor Lou Barletta recently announced that he will challenge 12-term Democratic Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski.

In the northwestern 3rd District, four Democrats filed to challenge Republican Rep. Phil English: Kathy Dahlkemper, Kyle Foust, Tom Myers and Moise “Mike” Waltner.

In Pennsylvania’s 6th District, Republican Rep. Jim Gerlach has won each of his three elections by the same 51 percent to 49 percent margin. The three Democratic candidates challenging Gerlach are Mike Leibowitz, Bob Roggio and Bob Rovner.

Pennsylvania’s 15th (Allentown, Bethlehem and Lehigh Valley) has two-term R, Charlie Dent. The Democrats’ 2008 candidate will be Siobhan “Sam” Bennett, a local party activist who twice ran unsuccessfully to be mayor of Allentown.

Congressman Mike Doyle, D, (Pittsburgh area) is without a R opponent. Is Mark DeSantis, R, going to wage another write in campaign? However, Titus North, Green, is expected to enter the fray for the general election.

US admits it fired on anti-Qaeda fighters - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Want to be friends?

US admits it fired on anti-Qaeda fighters - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "The incident, coming on the heels of other incidents in which a total of 19 group members have been killed, sparked mass resignations from the US-sponsored Awakening.

The birth of a nation: not always pretty -- time will tell

Kosovo Declares Independence From Serbia Kosovo's parliament declared the territory a nation on Sunday, mounting a historic bid to become an 'independent and democratic state' backed by the U.S. and European allies but bitterly contested by Serbia and Russia.

Serbia immediately denounced the declaration as illegal, and Russia also rejected it, demanding an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. President Bush said the U.S. would work to prevent violence after the declaration and the European Union also appealed for calm.

Check out the flag and other insights at Wikipedia.

Kosovo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Kosovo (Albanian: Kosova or Kosov�, Serbian: Косово, Kosovo) is a newly-independent European nation, situated in the Balkans."

Wonder if they'll be headed to the Olympics?

Richard Florida's latest book

It's a mantra of the age of globalization that where you live doesn't matter: you can telecommute to your high-tech Silicon Valley job, a ski-slope in Idaho, a beach in Hawaii or a loft in Chicago; you can innovate from Shanghai or Bangalore.

According to international best-selling author, Richard Florida, this is wrong. Place is not only important, it's more important than ever. Globalization is not flattening the world; in fact, place is increasingly relevant to the global economy and our individual lives. Where we live determines the jobs and careers we have access to, the people we meet, and the "mating markets" in which we participate. And everything we think we know about cities and their economic roles is up for grabs.

Richard Florida is Professor of Business and Creativity at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He is the founder of the Creative Class Group, an advisory services firm charting new trends in business, communities, and lifestyles. His national bestseller The Rise of the Creative Class was awarded the Washington Monthly's Political Book Award and the Harvard Business Review's Breakthrough Idea Award. He lives in Toronto with his wife. www.creativeclass.com

Who's Your City? By Richard Florida

$26.00 US or $32.00 CND, Hardcover

Available in the US & Canada on March 10, 2008

(In Canada please contact Random House Canada at 905-624-0672)

Lane 9 News Archive: USA Swimming Grand Prix, Missouri: Flash! Natalie Coughlin Lowers 100 Back World Record

Three world records in swimming in recent days.

Lane 9 News Archive: USA Swimming Grand Prix, Missouri: <font color=red>Flash!</font> Natalie Coughlin Lowers 100 Back World Record: "COLUMBIA, Missouri, February 17. THE weekend just witnessed its third world record in less than two days as Natalie Coughlin went off during the preliminary heats of the 100 back at the Missouri Grand Prix.

With Eamon Sullivan tracking down Alexander Popov in the men's 50 free as part of the NSW State Open Championships, and Kirsty Coventry erasing Krisztina Egerszegi's global standard in the 200 back, the mood was right for Coughlin to perform with an incredible time of 59.21 in the 100 back.

That dropped Coughlin's previous global mark of 59.44 set at last year's World Championships in Melbourne, Australia."

Renovate or Replace

Renovate or Replace? -- also put out by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (among others).

This is a long PDF file, and it doesn't have a table of contents, but it's filled with interesting/important information about all aspects of renovating old school buildings. It's as though they wrote it with Schenley in mind!

Feel free to pass it around!

Thomas Gillooly noticed Mark C's letter to the editor in the P-G about mortage fraud.

Today's Post-Gazette carries an excellent letter to the editor by Mark
Crowley on the Fed's responsibility for the mortgage 'crisis'. It packs a great deal of information into a few words, and points out an extremely important aspect of the situation that the mainstream media generally ignore. Great letter -- and the P-G highlighted it by putting it conspicuously into a box in the corner of the Letters section.

Congratulations, Mark!

Mortgage fraud prime suspects are the feds themselves


If U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan really wants to prosecute subprime criminals ("24 Indicted as Mortgage Fraud Probe Widens," Feb. 5), then two prime suspects from the Federal Reserve warrant her attention.

Former Chairman Alan Greenspan bailed out technology firms and investors with easy credit to soften bad investments. This distorted the marketplace, rewarding and encouraging more bad investments. It also levied an "inflation tax" that robbed honest savers and made the poor even poorer. Think theft and counterfeiting.

Current Chairman Ben Bernanke continued this bailout scheme for the banking and mortgage industries. Easy credit generated more bad debts further ravaging our currency. In 2007 the dollar index fell from 85 to 75 -- 12 percent inflation. Imagine the national magnitude of that theft. Think RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act).

Messrs. Greenspan and Bernanke had partners. Multiple Congresses and administrations distorted, hid and quietly accepted inflation statistics that in no way represented the drastic decline in the dollar's purchasing power. In exchange the partners received debt-generated revenue that funded unconstitutional warfare, welfare and wealth transfer scams.

Think evidence tampering, conspiracy and treason.

Unfortunately, Ms. Buchanan is part of the same syndicate. It focuses her attention far down the food chain. So when might she investigate a prime suspect?

Think never.

MARK CROWLEY, Plum

Edge of Sports gets an interactive face lift

New site makeover now allows comments on every article.

Edge of Sports Behind the Clemens, Congress Claptrap

School update -- it's going to be gut check time this week

Public Hearing: Monday, February 18th, 7:30 pm, Board of Education (BOE) Building in Oakland. Email your comments or sign up to speak before noon by calling 412-622-3600.

Agenda Review: Wednesday, February 20th, 6:30 pm, BOE.

The Board and staff review and discuss the education and business/finance items on the agenda.

This meeting will be available for viewing on City Channel Pittsburgh, Comcast Channel 13, on the following dates and times:
Thursday, February 21, 7:00 PM
Friday, February 22, 10:00 AM

Legislative Session: Wednesday, February 27th, 7:30 pm, BOE.

The Board will take action on education, business/finance and personnel matters on the February agenda.

This meeting will be available for viewing on City Channel Pittsburgh, Comcast Channel 13, on the following dates and times:
Thursday, February 28, 7:00 PM
Friday, February 29, 10:00 AM

---

So, the vote to begin moving programs will take place at the meeting on the 27th. Guess when the first meeting to "ask for input" from parents about these changes (the A+ schools meetings) is scheduled? On the 28th.

As far as we know, the plans for Schenley have not changed at all, save for the building closure vote being taken off the table. That means these plans are likely to be voted on at the legislative meeting (sorry for all the asterisks, they're at the end, no need to skip down there now):

1) Moving the 10-12th grade Schenley students to Reizenstein.

2) Keeping current Frick 8th graders at Frick for 9th grade.*

3) Creating University Prep** at Milliones, starting with a single grade of 9th graders* (how many?) next year.

4) Spending $ to make changes to Frick to accomodate the 9th graders (estimated at 150 students***).

5) Spending to renovate Milliones for the University Prep program (6-12).

6) Spending to renovate Reizenstein**** for a 6-12 IB program.


So, we're still asking for pretty much the same thing we've been asking for since the beginning. Right now, we'd at the least like the word TEMPORARY put into any plan to move students and any further spending on renovation cut out.

Or in other words, move all Schenley students together, temporarily, and save the big costs of renovation or changes at 3 buildings (Reizenstein, Milliones, Frick). Clearly renovation spending at 3 buildings greatly reduces the chances for Schenley's future. It also guarantees the creation of a far more segregated school in University Prep at Milliones.

Except for CAPA, there are no solid plans for any of the other high school reform plans proposed. Where is the new Science and Technology going to be located? How can we plan responsibly without knowing that? There will be 4 high schools clustered in the East End with at least two of them far under capacity. What are the plans to deal with that? Call your board member if you're comfortable with that and also encourage parents not directly concerned with Schenley but interested in the future of the district to email the school board asking them to get more information and get it out to the public!

Write to the board yourself, too, (not sure how effective the spoken testimony is, unless it's centered solely on money or building condition issues. We're hearing that they're sick of hearing how great Schenley/Schenley spirit is. ;-D) and encourage them to either:

-- vote for a temporary move and no spending on renovation until a complete plan is developed

-- vote not to move the students at all (ceiling plaster could be removed this summer, preventing any danger from falling plaster)

-- vote to table these items until all information about changes are available to the district and to the public.

Just a little more in support of these options:

Other districts are committing to their historical structures. Delaying or postponing a vote would give the district time to actually completely develop the plans for high school reform and determine where the best practices should be implemented and to further gain community support for these programs.

We've not yet been given the go-ahead on fundraising for Schenley. Without district support for that effort, we can't ask for money -- grants, personal, corporate.

Interestingly, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Education website seems to agree with our position, here are some quotes from School Construction Reimbursement Criteria:

" School districts must develop a complete building facility study of all
district educational facilities "

"School districts are encouraged to consider the impact of acoustics,
daylighting and other factors on academic effectiveness and building
efficiency in the design process. "

"In addition, school construction projects should be planned in the context
of sustainable community development."

"School districts should take all reasonable efforts to preserve and
protect school buildings that are on or eligible for local or National
historic registers. "

*********************************************************

* How does the district intend to staff three separate schools? Are they going to ask teachers to drive around, losing instructional time to travel time? How do you even begin to attempt to insure the possibility of equal access to the best teachers and classes? As a parent of an 8th grader, I admit to having a vested interest in that one year of schooling -- if this 8th grade class hadn't seen so many changes in teachers already, I might be less concerned, but they've been subject to a revolving, uh, classroom of teachers over the last few years.

** The University Prep is predicted by the district to have an 80% African-American, 20% "other" split. The only way that is possible is counting the "other" students from Arsenal Middle School. Will they join the University Prep program at 9th grade and with a disadvantage to the other students or is Arsenal the next school on the chopping block, if all of its Schenley feeder students are moving to Milliones over the next few years?

*** I'm not sure where this number of students continuing on in IB/IS comes from. I have not been asked if I still intend to keep my child in the IB program and I know there are others who are choosing other school options in light of these changes.

**** I have yet to hear an architect (or contractor) in Pittsburgh say that spending money on Reizenstein is a good idea. Those that have been in the building are the most opposed to using it as a school! I have heard plenty about the green aspects of Schenley, about the importance of natural lighting, and about the fact that money spent on a solidly designed and solidly built building is better than money spent on a building that won't last for nearly as long. Many of the open school, 70's era buildings like Reizenstein have already been ditched or are being closed now, across the country.

I should definitely give out prizes for reading! Thank you if you've made it this far --

Jen Lakin

Ravenstahl Appoints 28th Ward Chair to End Political Plowing

The Burgh Report: Ravenstahl Appoints 28th Ward Chair to End Political Plowing Ravenstahl Appoints 28th Ward Chair to End Political Plowing

Pittsburgh's Plan For Better Snow Removal Announced - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh's Plan For Better Snow Removal Announced - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh: "Pittsburgh's Plan For Better Snow Removal Announced

Hold the phone headline crafters and spin generators. The plan is to spend money on equipment and software for fall of 2008. That's it. There is little else.

Extras: One guy in Public Works gets a new title and no increase in pay. Another guy gets put only on the desk job. Plus, the drivers are told to follow their route and not go elsewhere. Going out of their way is not allowed, even if Moses says that the the Bat Cave under the Mon Warf is under 10-foot of new snow.

A better headline would be, "Don't call 3-1-1 or else I'll get really mad."

Or, "Garbage trucks to damage more cars on narrow streets with snow plows."

20/20 on ABC to uncover the already naked, skin-less bodies of dead people

The Science Center is hosting the exhibition, Bodies. Yada, yadda, yadddda.

Go see Lion King instead.

We're going to see Amadeus tonight.

Question: If these bodies come from the prisons of China --are the babies and kids from the same places?

On campus at the university in Chengdu, China, there is a "Body Building." They don't mean "body building" like flexing of muscles and striking a pose after lifting weights for years in a competition. That "body building" had no windows -- or if they did -- they were kept open. Medical students went there so others don't.

That was part of our tour that we didn't take. Likewise, I've not been to the Science Center's exhibit.

And, I'd not want to say that our choice is a 'boycott.'

EU: Avoid political issues at Games. Goofy POLITICIANS should boycott their own advice to athletes

Sports is too important. Humm....

SI.com - More Sports - EU: Avoid political issues at Games - Thursday February 14, 2008 3:22PM The European Union wants athletes to resist raising human rights and other sensitive political issues during the Beijing Olympics.

'Sports is too important. It is too important to use it as a political instrument,' Milan Zver, the sports minister of Slovenia, which holds the EU presidency, said Thursday.

This is weird. Heavy Or Not, perhaps.

Perhaps this is a bit of the 'nonprofit brotherhood' in action, but on the world stage. In Pittsburgh, the nonprofit folks always stick together. For example, the North Side's Childrens Museum wants to see its neighbor, the a historic branch of the Carnegie Library, move away. The buildings are side by side in a park / commons. The two offer great programs for the public that work in harmony with each other. However, the nonprofit weenies that work in one site want to back the others and enable them to move out of the neighborhood.

Only in the world of Pittsburgh nonprofit weenie can you find a person who thinks that the library is a bad neighbor.

Well, here, in the world stage, the EU officials don't want those pesky citizens nor jocks to rain upon their own parade and make a stink about politics. But the parade is on the other side of the world.

Who is the coach of the EU Olympic Team?

How do those with the IOC expect to enforce the notion that athletes can't discuss political issues within the Olympic zones when these people are all decorated in the flags of their home nations?

Crazy.

Zver argues that political pressure through sport doesn't work. He said the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games was largely politically ineffectual, but did major harm to sport and the Olympics.

I agree to a point. The 1980 Olympic boycott was ineffectual. It was bad. Very bad. President Jimmy Carter insisted that the USA team would NOT travel to Moscow to compete. Carter was a jerk with that move. Bad move.

The boycott then, and elsewhere, does hurt sport. They hurt humanity too.

The stupidity of the boycott was found within the statements and actions of the politicians -- NOT the athletes. The screw up as that of the party official working in a capital. The harm was to the athletes, coaches, fans, societies and world of sports. But the talking and the guilty were not those athletes.

It is the E.U. jagoffs that need to see what's what and come down hard in favor of the newest retraction from the Brits. Allow the athletes to speak freely. Allow the games to go on. Allow the play to occur -- without restrictions.

Boycotts suck. So, let's be certain to NEVER repeat the same mistakes. Let's NOT put boycotts onto the backs of the athletes in their actions. And, any IOC boycott of political chatter is going to be ineffectual.

Time again, for those whacked out (not Mac) high school basketball scores

The city league sports scene features league play were nobody wins. It happened again last night in a playoff game. The final four for girls basketball had a final score of 79 to 27. Playoffs. Winner advances to the city league championship game.

Plus, South Vo Tech isn't playing any more. This isn't a WESTINGHOUSE score.

Our city schools need to get into the WPIAL.

Pittsburgh needs to figure out how to compete -- day in and day out. Every day competition needs to flourish here. What we've got now sucks. And, it won't be expensive. It is a cheap improvement.

The city's boys' semifinal basketball game this evening at Brashear at 6:30 PM: Schenley vs. Carrick, (got 4th seed).

Girls' basketball last night saw Schenley winning their semifinal match against Perry at the Allderdice gym by score of 79 to 27. Even with the one-sided action, the games are very exciting with some amazing passes and lots of 3 point shots in preparation for the finals at the A.J. Palumbo Center on Thursday, at 7 PM. (boys' finals are at 5:30).

Schenley's swim team finished its dual meet season last evening with a loss to Allderdice, the perennial city league champs. The city league championships are 12 pm Saturday, February 23 at Trees Hall, University of Pittsburgh. Last year, the Schenley Spartans came in second to 'Dice and our swimmers won several medals. Ellie Tecza qualified for states at that meet ( 'Dice had only one qualifier).

PSCC: The regularly scheduled meeting of Schenley's PSCC is Wednesday, Feb. 20th at 6 pm in the Schenley library. The scheduled topic this month is world language/IS/IB. If you have questions about the program, block scheduling, sequence of classes, electives . . . Wednesday will be a good opportunity to get some answers. High school reform will be discussed at a later meeting.

Did anyone attend the workshop held on 2/11 for filling out the FAFSA forms sponsored by NEED?

If anyone has IS related information to share with the email list, I will be happy to send it.

amy moore

My boys and I dropped into the swim meet yesterday, between traffic jams. The meet was nice.

Jen found the anti-talk -- from developers (?) of Arena deal

Jen posted in an email blast:

It was brought to my attention that Craigslist Rants and Raves is full of anti one hill posts today, many of which are ignorant and racist. My biggest concern is that they are publicizing Dan and Luke's phone numbers and asking people to call (first link) an that supposedly some folks have sent emails (second link). If you want to see the whole discussion its the third link, though its pretty infuriating. Rather than argue with anonymous idiots and trolls on rnr I thought a better response might be to have people from around the city drop Dan and Luke a line and ask when negotiations are going to continue and to express support for not only one hill but the whole cba idea. Please take a few minutes today to do this, and feel free to pass on this request.


Dan Onorato Phone# 412-350-6500 Email- executive@alleghenycounty.us

Luke Ravenstahl Phone#412-255-2626 Email- mayorcompl@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/rnr/574867125.html

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/rnr/574972252.html

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/rnr/

Some time ago, Bram ran into a group with the same type of chatter as well. Are these the same?

New Video site on politics -- Ron's good here

Danny Glover, former editor of the National Journal’s Technology Daily and Beltway Blogosphere, and current editor of AirCongress, launched Eyeblast.tv, “an online platform for people to share and view videos, photos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them — from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.” The About page doesn’t mention that the content is exclusively conservative; it’s supported by conservative media watchdog group the Media Research Center. In an interview with techPresident contributor David All, he makes it clear that he’s “proud to be a conservative” and that’s “it’s nice to be out of closet.” Somehow, we always knew! We’ll keep an eye on the new project.

A popular remake.

Urban Conservative

Grow the Economy, Not Government

What does it mean to be an "urban conservative"? The Center of the American Experiment recently asked this question of 40 different writers. Matt will chat with four of them--Mitch Pearlstein, Michael Barone, Andrew Cowin, and Roger Magnuson--to find out what they think. Read more (PDF).

When I was a Republican, I called myself a 'free market Republican. I've said to many that we need to have an "urban Republican' tag and understanding too.

I'll have to read the article later. But, there is a different understanding of what it means to live in community in an urban setting.

I don't know if this will catch on or not. Another tag that I liked that never 'stuck' was from Professor James Carmine. He talked of a "New North.' Pittsburgh can be a leading city in the 'new north' just as Atlanta was at the vangard of the "new south.'

Kraus on KDKA Radio

Kraus read a list of streets. He said there are dozens of streets that have not had a spec of salt put on them.

First of all, those are NOT the streets of "BRUCE KRAUS." He calls them, "MY STREETS."

Kraus calls this, "political plowing." Kraus was the victor. To the victor go the spoils. Kraus isn't worried about political plowing. He just wants to be the one to call the shots. Kraus wants the spoils.

You don't micro manage and say that Koch should be in an administrative position. There is a problem -- and we need all hands on attack mode. Those that are in the administration need to be putting the shoulder to the wheel. Koch is getting in trouble for doing a job.

The over-reaching is from the one in the legislative role.

Some of the dozen streets that are still not salted are flat. Some of these streets have never been salted.

By the way -- the solution I'm waiting to hear still isn't being talked about: SALT BOXES.

In another blog:

The Burgh Report: Insubordination!: "By the way, MG (Marty Griffin), it's not 'political plowing' until we can establish that Doug Shields' street never gets plowed, or that Bill Peduto's driveway gets the snow plowed into it.

UPDATE: It's treason, then. Um, we mean insubordination.

Marty said you can't get 4 inches of ice off your street. He hung up on Dorothy.

One salt treatment can't take care of 4 inches of ice either. However, a coating of cinders can really help.

The streets need attention throughout the storm.

Another caller debunked the Kraus claim that a woman called via personal friend to Koch.

Live blogging via radio.

Mayor put a plan together.

Rob is Dept. Director for Operations of Public Works. Reports to Guy Costa.

Mike Gable is in charge of administration.

Will be purchasing best snow removal and routing system. He doesn't know what that means. Unscientific poll. Luke says 9 out of 10 says no. Garbage gets 9 out of 10 saying yes.

Put in a scientific model in Envir Services to put into snow removal.

Not wanting to suggest a silver bullet will work. It is clear that we need to do a better job.

Take a look at snow plows on refuse trucks and other trucks.

The sound is poor. They are chasing their tails. If they go off their route there will be repercussions.

Luke wants to commend the city of Pgh employees. They are doing the best that they can. Luke is not satisfied with the equipment and the directions they are given.

Luke is frustrated, upset and angry to lack of attention to the detail.

That has to change: 1,100 calls to 3-1-1.

Winter of next year -- sounds like we'll install a bubble over the city.

Questions, then KDKA goes to hype and commercials.

Where do you want to go? Why isn't Pittsburgh in that list?

Tech Pointers of Mark Rauterkus

* Amsterdam, The Netherlands
* Beijing, China
* Bratislava, Slovakia
* Budapest, Hungary
* Dundalk, Ireland
* Orvieto, Italy"

Where do you want to go? Place a vote.

InstantStretch v3.0 - Instant Stretching Routines

InstantStretch v3.0 - Instant Stretching Routines: "Have you ever tried to design a stretching routine for yourself or your clients?"

Snow removal frosts mayor and councilman Kraus micro-manages

Slow snow removal frosts mayor: "Mr. Kraus also got into a feud with a former political rival who he said interfered with snow removal in his district.

'It was like running a telethon this morning,' he said. 'The streets are beginning to dry, but I see no salt residue anywhere. ... Whatever we're doing is not working.'

The snow situation is what it is. Those like Darlene Harris and Bruce Kraus that want to "over reach" are sure to hinder and not help.

Just so you know, I was not the political rival mentioned in the story. I guess it was Jeff Koch, the new czar of 'special streets.' Mayor Ravenstahl gave him that post after Kraus voted for Doug Shields as City Council President. But now the mayor is going to have a press event this morning to yap about streets and his scorn for their treatment this week. Go figure.

The way to fix the streets, by the way, is to re-deploy the salt boxes. Back when Gene Ricciardi was on city council and Mayor Murphy wanted to make a crisis, he nixed most of the salt boxes that would get stationed on most of the steep city streets.

With the salt boxes, we don't need city employees at critical times nor as often.

The salt boxes are a bargain. They need to be managed. They need to be planned. They need volunteers too.

Mayor Murphy really screwed this city. And, the folks who have been there since then have done little to nothing to un-do the harm that he caused.

Salt boxes!

The real problem isn't street cleaning after snow and ice. The traffic on the streets has never been worse. And, there is no hope for improvement.

Yesterday afternoon, traffic in and around OAKLAND sucked. The gridlock on 2nd Ave, Bates, EAST CARSON STREET, 18th Street, 10th Street, Hot Metal, and Bingham all stink.

It took an hour to get out of Oakland yesterday afternoon. Snow was NOT a factor.

We're screwed. People can walk and get there two to three times faster. This is why we need to have the Brimingham Bridge open to pedestrians.

"I know there were trucks on my street," he said. "They don't listen to me."

He said he will reiterate the order.

So few words, yet so much to say.

First of all, if I'm the mayor and people don't listen to what is told to them -- they don't work here any more. Secondly, only a fool would tell the crew that ONE STREET is to be the LAST STREET. The mayor is telling them WHAT NOT TO DO.

People should NOT get in trouble for doing MORE. The MAYOR should NOT be telling the work crew to DO LESS. The Mayor's management style is upside down.

Furthermore, globally, the mayor pegged Jeff Koch to handle the oversight of the street program. Fine. Ravenstahl tossed an 'ex-politician' at a political problem yet wants to remove politics from the tasks. Give us a break.

The guns could not protect McCain from his own words

Local Campaign Finance Reform discussion comes back into focus

by Mark Rauterkus

Part 1 on Campaign Finance Reform

Hot Political Topic: Campaign Finance Reform

The issue of campaign finance reform is coming into focus again. Nationally, John McCain, R, helped to pen a bill that changed the rules and earn him plenty of scorn among the conservatives. In Pennsylvania, PA's top court recently gave the green light to changes for campaigns in Philly. In Pittsburgh, Bill Peduto of city council has re-tooled his suggestions. Even the media is getting in step, as the City Paper devoted this week's cover story to campaign finance reform. (http://PghCityPaper.com)

Local, recent HISTORY:

A few years ago, other campaign finance reform measures were introduced by Peduto for Pittsburgh. Some feeble effort unfolded in Allegheny County too. Back then, I helped to derail the city's legislation. Nothing was enacted. As citizens, we calling a public hearing, raised a ton of questions, and insured that the bills were tabled. A task force on campaign finance reform was organized. After some begging, I got included.

A conversation resumed through a diverse task force. We devoted a few months and dozens of meetings to cover the angles of Peduto's bill and the issue. A list of suggestions, a work product of the task force, never got any public review. Our discussions were suspended for the next few years, at the will of the bill's sponsor, until last week.

We're back.

GLOBAL PROBLEM:

As a city and region, if not nation, our political landscape is fragile. Citizens face corruption at every turn. Money goes to the root of the troubles. Campaigns are costly. Elections and influence hinge upon pay outs and pay offs. Issues and solutions take a back seat to electability and power struggles among those with massive amounts of cash from their own PACs (political action committees) and cronie PACs.

As a lover of liberty, I hate to see new solutions that restrict freedom and generally cause new sets of problems. Swiftboats came rushing out of past efforts to clean up elections. Campaign finance reforms are needed as the system is such a mess. But, elections and the democratic process can turn for the worse. We need to think it through.

If all of us are able to put on our thinking caps from time to time, we can avoid some future pitfalls. This is one of those times, locally, when it comes to campaigns in Pittsburgh. Let's not toss the baby out with the bathwater, like was done with the decision to get those electronic voting machines without a paper trail.

HAMMER HOME The LOVE

The first major flaw within the entire discussion of local campaign finance reform is focus. This is clear within the first mentions in the above mentioned article by Chris Potter in the City Paper. Every year, city gives out plenty of "No Bid Contracts." No bid contracts are, by design, an avoidance of competition. Sweetheart deals having nothing to do with Valentine's Day, flow outward from the public treasury all the time.

Politicians love to spread around governement work to certain businesses who choose to play in those quarters.

Of course, Pittsburgh has a big problem with "No Bid Contracts." But, fixing no bid contracts should have nothing to do with campaign finance reform.

They go hand in hand. Sure, those that get no-bid contracts are the same one's that make big campaign contributions. However, the fix comes with a total elimination of all no bid contracts. In the government sector, all the contracts should proceed through a sealed bid.

More problems will surface as campaign finance laws are written to fix no-bid contracts.

TRANSPARENT

Campaigns for public office are public activities. Everyone should be able to witness every move. I want to know how candidates are raising and spending their money. Who gives, how much and when matter. Every transaction should be fully visible in real time. Those who want to know should be able to research daily updates from the internet with ease of real-time and online banking simplicity.

Trust funds and online banking systems can allow for open access to witness deposit and expense transactions.

I'd love to chart new ground with the formation of TRANSPARENT PAC ACCOUNTS. PACs are the political action committees. Those PAC bank accounts can be put into a new class of banking product so the general public can witness deposits and expenses.

Enterprise Bank, expect my call. Let's make a best-practices product and model what could and should be done for greatly increased observations on the campaign process of candidates.

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Postings in this series:

Part 1: Local Campaign Finance Reform http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2008/02/local-campaign-finance-reform.html

Part 2: Making an ethical stand. http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2008/02/making-ethical-stand-ethical-operations.html

Part 3: Proposal to Bankers for a Campaign Marriage, with drive-through guests http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2008/02/proposal-to-bankers-for-campaign.html

County Parks News

Onorato preps new parks organization
By Justin Vellucci, TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato charged the new county Parks Foundation with repairing and maximizing the potential of 12,014 acres of park land.

"I'm glad that we're finally here at this point," Onorato told board members Wednesday at the nonprofit's first meeting. "We are talking about rethinking the whole park system."

The foundation, formed in September to help clean up county parks while privatizing some operations, includes a dozen members representing regional groups and businesses -- from the University of Pittsburgh and the Eat'n Park Hospitality Group to Mascaro Construction Co. and U.S. Steel.

Onorato budgeted $1 million to get the group running and find its executive director. An additional $10 million is available as matching dollars for projects and deferred maintenance the county has neglected for the better part of 30 years.

"It's a huge number," Onorato said. "We'll start picking it off project by project."

The board's first projects will address North Park's boat house, the stables at Hartwood Acres, the South Park fairgrounds and Boyce Park's activity center, Onorato has said.

The idea of forming a park foundation dates back to at least 1998, and was endorsed by then-Chief Executive Jim Roddey and County Council around 2002.

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, a city entity similar to what Onorato has created for the county, has tended to Schenley, Frick, Highland and Riverview parks for several years.

North Park, at 3,000 acres, is the county's largest park and nearly seven times larger than Schenley Park.

Marty's radio show reveals

Marty is talking with Dan Onorato about his recent trip to Europe and the lack of direct flights from Pittsburgh.

My wife and I are going to Amsterdam in May 2008.

But, another real problem for direct flights is the TSA (Transportation Security Administration of Homeland Security) body cavity searches. The way our officials play smashmouth customs practices to our visitors and guests is a HUGE turnoff. Sure, we don't have the market need, nor the other links once people land in Pittsburgh too.

Come to the US via Pittsburgh only if you want to rent a car. And, that isn't so easy for those who are used to driving on the other side of the street. And, it is a major problem with navigation too. But, if you need to rent a car and then drive to West
Virginia -- Pittsburgh is a great flight destination.

In other conversations, we now know that Darlene Harris has cameras on her house. She can roll the tape.

Matt H of the Hoagie blog is blasting the Public Works Dept and the handling of the road cleaning efforts.

Price: The Silent Partner

Part 1:

SI.com - Writers - S.L. Price: The Silent Partner - Wednesday February 13, 2008 11:56AM The Silent Partner
As China quashes critics, IOC continues to look away

Part 2:

SI.com - Olympics - China says links to Darfur are 'nonsense' - Thursday February 14, 2008 12:37AM: "Efforts to link China to the Darfur crisis are 'irresponsible and unfair,' a government spokesman said in comments published Thursday, following director Steven Spielberg's decision to drop out as a Beijing Olympics adviser on human rights grounds.

Jeepers. The folks at Sport Illustrated are starting to jump on the China bashing theme -- before the Olympics.

If they want to replace Steven Spielberg's role as an Olympic advisor, I'm available.

The 2008 Pennsylvania Leadership Conference announces Campaign School! As an added bonus, the PA Leadership Conference will present a Campaign School hosted by the Westlawn Group and the Leadership Institute on Friday, April 25th from 9:00 A.M. until 12 noon at the Four Points Sheraton. There is no additional charge to participate in this seminar. We hope that you'll join us for this informative pre-conference event!

Date and Location: April 25 & 26, 2008 Harrisburg, PA - Four Points Sheraton

Register at www.paleadershipconference.org.

Save the Internet - Fighting for Internet Freedom

Save the Internet : Fighting for Internet Freedom: "Don't take the Internet for granted"

Last night, a bill was introduced in the U.S. House that would stop Comcast, Verizon and AT&T from controlling the free flow on information on the Internet.

The only way we can stop these gatekeepers is if we all take action to support this crucial legislation:

Tell Rep. Michael Doyle to Support Internet Freedom

In 2006, your voice helped stop mighty phone and cable companies from gutting Net Neutrality. In 2007, you pried open their cell phone networks and gave users a choice.

This year, we're going to stop Internet blocking and censorship once and for all.

Why This is Important: Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) introduced the "Internet Freedom Preservation Act" (HR 5353) to stop relentless corporate attempts to set up roadblocks on the information superhighway.

It guarantees Net Neutrality by restoring it in the foundation of communications law. This bold move promises that the public -- not phone and cable companies -- will control the fate of the Internet.

The legislation also calls for a nationwide series of public hearings before anyone in Washington hands these gatekeepers and their lobbyists more power. (Read more about the bill here)

Take Action Now: Save the Internet

How Far We've Come: In 2006, more than 1.5 million Americans called on Congress to keep gatekeepers off our Internet. Last year, more than a quarter-million people sent comments to the FCC and opened up cell-phone networks to user choice and innovation.

This new bill was made possible by our amazing grassroots movement. SavetheInternet.com has brought together Democrats and Republicans, consumer groups and small businesses, bloggers and video gamers, in a new bottom-up majority that's shaking up the status quo.

What You Can Do: For too long, communications policymaking has been rigged against us. But by taking action to support this bill, you're telling Congress that high-priced lobbyists will no longer set the agenda.

Tell Rep. Michael Doyle : 'Support the Internet Freedom Preservation Act'

The purpose of the Internet is to give power over information to everyone. The role of our elected leaders is to protect our basic right to communicate from those who want to take it away from us.

We've started a new chapter in the fight for an open Internet. We realize that it takes more than one piece of legislation to reverse decades of corrosive telecom policies.

But with this bill -- and your help -- we are on our way.

Thank you,

Timothy Karr
Campaign Director
SavetheInternet.com

P.S. Bloggers, activists and Internet experts are logging on to the Free Press Action Network to discuss Net Neutrality, an open Internet and people-powered broadband policy. Join the discussion at http://www.freepress.net/action/

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Take action on this important campaign at: http://free.convio.net/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=241

Tell your friends about this campaign at: http://free.convio.net/site/Ecard?ecard_id=1161

Schenley Winter Sports

Both the girls and boys are in the city league basketball playoffs. The boys' quarterfinal game was postponed from yesterday because of the snow. They will be playing this evening at Schenley. Due to the size of Schenley's gym, it is quite possible that the game will sell out.

The girls' team will be playing tomorrow, Thursday, at 6:30 PM at Allderdice High School against Perry, the third place finisher. The girls could really use your support as they battle for a place in the finals and the Allderdice gym can hold a lot of fans. The girls have had some really impressive wins with balanced scoring and a lot of exciting moves.

Also at Allderdice, at 3 PM is the final regular swim meet of the season. Allderdice, once again, has a very strong team but the Schenley swimmers do have a chance to beat them, or at least make for some very exciting races.

amy moore

Ron Paul had 21% -- and then the counting stopped

People who take short cuts in counting votes need to spend the next 10 years in jail.

Local News | Huckabee won't concede state; GOP resuming delegate count | Seattle Times Newspaper According to the GOP's Saturday tally, Arizona Sen. John McCain won about 26 percent of delegates, Arkansas Gov. Huckabee won 24 percent, Texas Rep. Ron Paul finished with 21 percent, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has dropped out of the race, got 17 percent. Most of the rest were non-committed.

We needed a 2-hour delay today!

Only 2 of the 8 buses arrived to Phillips Elem School today.

The middle school buses were called off from the bus dispatchers. So, Erik and his mates were at the stop for a while and then we departed. We'll drive to middle school in another 30-minutes.

City Council to review planners' OK of billboard

City Council to review planners' OK of billboard Pittsburgh City Council will look into a decision by planners to allow a 1,200-square-foot electronic billboard Downtown without any public hearing or vote, members said yesterday.

'The question is not about the sign at all. Most parties, including myself, seem to think it's appropriate,' said Councilman Ricky Burgess, who heads council's zoning and planning committee. 'We just want to make sure we're following a transparent process.'

Can a giant (20-foot by 60-foot) electronic sign be 'transparent?'