No bailout, no connector, agency says - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Shut it down.

No bailout, no connector, agency says - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "unforeseen costs added $117.8 million to the North Shore Connector's $435 million price tag and threaten to shut down the project without a bailout from a proposed federal economic stimulus package.

Education: Board members waiting on CEP progress reports - News - News - Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh

Coverage in the City Paper about schools.

Education: Board members waiting on CEP progress reports - News - News - Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh: "Since the start of the 2007-08 school year, Community Education Partners (CEP) -- a private, Nashville-based alternative education company -- has been in charge of educating the city district's most academically and behaviorally challenged 6-12th-grade students.

Perhaps the high jumps in test scores are from the low starting point.

It amazes me that the elected board members are kept in the dark and allow that to linger. The board is fine in allowing little or no news to reach them. That type of oversight is what is killing this region. I want elected board members to be accountable and I want them to be holding others accountable. I want them to be the ones who hold the light high for all to see what's going on in our agencies and institutions. They have to carry the torch. It has to burn bright. And, they've got to do their jobs well.

Finger wagging isn't the same as lighting a torch and holding it high. Be ready to expose and flame as needed, PPS Board. Enough is enough. If you don't have the numbers and scores and a clear understanding of the methods used, in our schools, then fix it. Find out. Don't let them stonewall you -- nor us. Otherwise, you're just a puppet to the administration and this is the proof.

RootsCamp Pittsburgh is this weekend

Dear Camper:

RootsCamp is only days away! We're going to have a great day of learning, sharing and fun. And you can make it even better if you come prepared for the unique RootsCamp experience.

* Be ready to participate. Rule #1 at RootsCamp is there are no spectators. We expect everyone to share their ideas and experiences.

* Be ready to lead. If you have an idea for a session, propose it on the Sessions page of our website http://rootscamppittsburgh2009.pbwiki.com/Session-Topics Just click on the edit tab near the top of the page, type or paste in your idea, then click save at the bottom of the page. On Saturday, post your idea on the Sessions grid and lead your group's discussion.

* Bring your own materials. We're providing the space, food and fellow travelers. You will need to bring your own pen, paper for note taking and any presentation materials if you leading a session. We will have one projector and we will probably have some flip charts. But not every meeting space will have them. So, if you absolutely need a projector, flip charts or anything else, please bring it yourself.

* RootsCamp food will be basic. We'll have coffee and donuts for a breakfast snack. We'll have sub sandwiches and water for lunch. If you need more than that, please bring your own. We'll have a vegetarian option, but if you have other dietary needs, please bring your own food and beverages. It's not that we're not sensitive to special needs. It's just that we are running this on an all-volunteer basis and charging only $10 for everything. We simply don't have the resources to do everything we would like to do.

* Bring materials about your progressive organization to share. We'll have a table for you to place your literature for other campers to read.

* Bring friends and allies. It's not too late to register. http://rootscamppittsburgh2009.pbwiki.com Invite at least 5 of your progressive activist friends to come. Send them an email today telling them why you're coming, or forward one of our previous emails. The more people at RootsCamp, the better the experience.

I'm excited to be a part of Pennsylvania's first RootsCamp. And I'm looking forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Mike

Michael Morrill, Executive Director, Keystone Progress
Follow us on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/keystoneprogres

I'm at twitter too at http://twitter.com/rauterkus.

Just used LinkedIn to post to Pgh Public Schools forum

Hi Folks with an interest in Pgh Public Schools at LinkedIn,

Here is a FYI about Frick Middle School, located in Oakland, now in its last school year.

Yesterday (WED) the swimmers at Frick had their last city championships and won, again, easily. I'll put a few races onto my blog by the end of the day.

Today, (Thurs) there are two city-wide basketball championship game for boys and for girls (Middle School). Frick is in both games and the games are at Frick. The one starts about 2 or so and the other following. Frick has fine teams there too.

So, if your in Oakland and want to cheer -- and visit the school -- while it is still a middle school -- drop by.

I'm sad to see Frick close. It has been a good school on most fronts. Next year the school flips to a botique school and rumor has it that there will be NO afterschool activities. NONE. Zippo.

Go figure.

---

Update: I was told these are only playoff games and not the championship game today.

State board proposes no-frills colleges

State board proposes no-frills colleges As college students face mounting debt, state education officials yesterday proposed a new kind of higher-education institution that would offer a 'low-cost, no frills' bachelor's degree.

The schools would have no sports teams, no extracurriculars, no glittering fitness center and no plum dorm rooms."

This is so wrong.

For starters, they made a three page white paper. I've had blog postings longer than that. Might as well have a three page diploma too. Why not do a degree by postal mail as well. There are plenty of people in India and China. I bet some of them would be happy to get a diploma from a university in the United States. Sell it abroad because I'm not happy to see it come here.

We have ITT. We have trade schools. We have Community Colleges. Get each of those the ability to expand, if they see fit.

It is just an idea. Well, think again. We do not need the state to float a new college / university. I'm looking for the white paper now and can't find it.

I am in favor of a 'prep school' component to be a part of the new I.B. High so that kids can get, at their option, a 13th year in advance a real college experience.

Notice the double talk in this one part of the newspaper article:

The board also said it will work on removing costly and unnecessary state mandates from colleges and look to regulate on-campus marketing by credit card companies.

The removal of costly and unnecessary state mandates makes the college more like a charter school. Fine. That move is to less government regulation and less state authority. However, in the next breath, the push is in the other direction. They want to regulate on-campus marketing by companies. That delivers more regulation and more government authority. Buyer beware.

Isn't Clarion a no-frills option. Back in the day, a no-frills option was delivered at the Carnegie Library of Homestead. A college was there. It went out of business too.

Isn't Clarion like a Ford-brand for colleges and universities, if not a Yugo, when taken with a grand view? I have no doubts that it is expensive. Its value is to be questioned.

Pennsylvania's underprepared workforce that can't afford a college education that is only an underprepared experience.

This is the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

The idea I'd love to see them champion is the concept of raising the bar. This only lowers it.

Close the weakest state owned college / university. Close the weakest public schools too, not the one's that are doing the difficult job of educating our students.

If one of the 14 state-system schools was axed, that would save money and make more money available to the others that remain. Make it competitive. Make the kids competitive.

PA Site, http://www.pde.state.pa.us/stateboard_ed/site/default.asp

Here we go.

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/aforathlete/images//f/fc/Super_Bowl_XLIII_Logo.png

Youngstown State U. lowers tuition for W. Pa. students

Youngstown State U. lowers tuition for W. Pa. students: "Youngstown State University, in a bid to attract more Western Pennsylvania students, is cutting tuition by 26 percent for residents of eight counties in this region, including Allegheny.

The reduction for the 2009-10 school year, to be formally announced at a news conference tomorrow, is the latest inducement in the ongoing competition for students between universities on both sides of the Ohio/Pennsylvania line. The cut of nearly $2,500 based on current tuition takes the yearly cost to within $200 of what Ohio residents pay.

And the YSU mascot = Penguins. Feel at home there, and have some cash for beer too.

This summer we went to Youngstown for a swim meet as there was not any indoor 50-meter swim pool that could host the USA Swimming Championships, except in Youngstown.

Now is the time to talk about an expansion of the colleges and universities for kids in Pittsburgh with access to funds from the Pittsburgh Promise.

Solids level declines in Mon River

Solids level declines in Mon River: "The state Department of Environmental Protection announced today that levels of total dissolved solids in the Monongahela River have dropped and remain well below state and federal guidelines."

Day at Ft. Lauderdale

I put a few photos to Flickr from our day in Ft. Lauderdale with Aunt Debbie.



We started the day with a morning workout, on our own, in the ISHOF pool. The swim pool, 50-meters, is owned by the city. So, it is a public pool. But, it is home to a world-class swim and dive program. We paid $10 to enter. The pool complex was set up with 50-meter course, the other 50-meter pool was with warmer water and set up with 25-yard lanes. A dive pool, 25-yards, and a covered swim-lesson pool is part of the mix too. The team, FLA, had practice at 4 pm, but we'd not be done with the days activities to join them. And, Erik is in a mini-taper of sorts. His school championship meet is Wed -- and we were visited on Monday, MLK Day.

Girl shot during high school basketball game in Erie

This sucks.

Girl shot during high school basketball game in Erie: "Girl shot during high school basketball game in Erie
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Associated Press

ERIE, Pa. -- A girl is injured from gunfire at a northwestern Pennsylvania high school basketball game.

Erie police say the girl was shot once in the left hip last night at East High School. The Erie Times-News reports that she appeared conscious and alert as she was wheeled out of the school on a gurney.

Police say witnesses saw several males run out the back door of the gym just after the shooting. No arrests were immediately made.

The gunfire came during a boys basketball game against Harbor Creek. The game was called off and the visiting team immediately left."

Deadline for Dems -- come and gone

Death often comes in stages.

Deadline approaching for candidates who want Democrats' endorsement: ".

Mayoral contenders have to pay the Allegheny County Democratic Committee $3,500 to seek the party's endorsement at its vote March 8. Common Pleas Court candidates have to pay $2,500, county row office contenders $2,750 and City Council hopefuls $1,500. The charges are greater than they have been previously.

'That's a pretty hefty sum of money,' said city Councilman Patrick Dowd, who is considering a mayoral bid. 'One could ask if that's a sort of barrier to entry, at least as far as endorsement goes.'

The best reasons for being of a third party are often delivered by the leadership of the ruling party.

These fees are expensive. The fees are not equal to the value delivered.

I don't want government to be run like a business.
"It is a business and we have to run it that way...

The purpose of a political party is NOT to be a business.

Curfew center

Pittsburgh seeks organization to provide, run curfew center: "The city today posted a request for proposals from firms on its Web site. Responses are due at the Police Bureau's headquarters on Feb. 9.

First things first.

If the city was serious about getting bids for operators to a new curfew center, today would be more of a presentation as to the pending request for proposals. The mayor should talk about philosophy and vision first. Then the mayor and his team should listen. Then the draft proposal for the RFP would be released and adjusted, if necessary.

Tell the citizens and the pending partners what is going to happen. Then make it happen, more or less, based upon feedback. Be open for adjustments, minor or major. Then release the final RFP (request for proposals).

Once the RFP is put out into the open, allow for 60 days, at the least, for such a project. This RFP hits on Jan 20 and is due by Feb 9. That's not enough time. That's a rush. That's a key to an insider job. That's how done deals are floated -- in haste.

This is not a traditional request for bids -- like getting toilet paper or rock salt. This is a specialized package with specific skills, careful duties and a change in regular operations.

Furthermore, the controller should have a role in the bid process. How these projects are awarded and even if they are awarded, is subject to a whole mess of subjectivity. There isn't always a logical clear winner.

Rather than the controller's office -- it would be a good job for an ombudsman's duty, but Pittsburgh doesn't have one of those, sadly.

Frankly, I'd rather not be in a position of sweeping people off the streets and putting them into curfew centers, nor jails. People should be free to move about the city, any time of day or night.

If a kid is in a bad situation, and he needs to come home from a sleep-over or party at 4 AM, I'd rather not have him worry about an escape from the police as well as the problems on his heels.

If a young person works a night shift, he or she should not be 'jumped by the police' just because they are walking, biking or driving home -- or to a friends house -- or whatever.

If a kid is departing his or her house at 5 am for a morning swim practice -- strange as it may be -- travel should be without excuses and extra worries.

The police need to fight crime. It is no crime to be out at strange times of day. If there is probable cause -- then fine. The police have enough power and authorities already to grab a person making trouble.

The operation hours differ from Sunday to Thursday nights. And the hours of the center end at 6 am? So, is it okay to be out on the streets at 6? Who is up and ready to deal with issues then, other than those headed to morning swim practice. Weird.

I'm not in favor of a curfew. And, I'm not in favor of allowing my kids out late either.

rootscamppittsburgh2009 / Session Topics

rootscamppittsburgh2009 / Session Topics: "RootsCamp 2009 Session Topics"

Parking Lease Plan from Mayor -- close to my suggestion. Better yet: LIQUIDATE

Darn it. He tried. But, he didn't finish the thought.

Hey Luke. Don't try to 'lease' those parking garages. Rather, liquidate the Parking Authority.

I've been calling for the liquidation of the parking authorty for years. The parking spaces should already be leased.

Sell the buildings. Sell the land. Have the buildings become tax assets for the long-haul. When the parking decks are sold, there will be some up-front money that can go into the pension fund, if that is where you want to put it. And futhermore, the annual tax on the property will come to the city. If the buildings are leased, fewer dollars would arrive to the city.

If the real aim is to raise money, then sell.

Mayor: City to explore leasing parking facilities to pay pensions
Thursday, January 15, 2009

By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said today that he has asked the Parking Authority to explore the possibility of leasing its network of garages to a private operator, with the aim of raising money to shore up the city's pension fund.

Mr. Ravenstahl said the leasing of parking garages and meters raised $1.7 billion in Chicago, and that Harrisburg is working on a plan to bring in $215 million that way. He said that given those results, it's something he has "a fiduciary responsibility to explore."

"This is another piece of the ultimate, I believe, plan for the long-term legacy costs of the city of Pittsburgh," he said. "Clearly, in order to have a fully funded pension fund -- we're going to need some sort of influx of cash."

He said it could result in some increase in parking rates, and said he would try to structure any deal so that it would limit the effect on people who use the lots.

At the end of November, the pension fund contained $261 million, which is 29 percent of what it should hold to cover the payments due to retirees and current employees when they retire. The city must now put 11 percent of its operating budget into the fund.

If the city does nothing new to address the problem, the fund will be just 19 percent funded in 20 years, and will devour 20 percent of the city's operating budget.

City leaders have long viewed the authority's garages as an asset that could potentially be converted into cash, but none has gone so far as to study it, he said.

Next Thursday, he wants the Parking Authority board to vote to solicit proposals from consulting firms that would advise the authority on how it might lease the garages for, perhaps, 75 or 99 years. The chosen firm would then craft a second request for proposals to companies that would actually lease the garages.

Both processes, like all city-related contracts going forward, should be competitive, he said.

Mr. Ravenstahl said he wouldn't pull the trigger on a deal unless it would pay off the authority's $108 million debt, plus yield "hundreds of millions of dollars" for the pension fund.

If the city can pump $200 million into the fund, projections are that it would be 61 percent funded in 20 years. A $300 million infusion would bring it to an 87 percent funding level, which is considered to be healthy.

Why have the Parking Authority get proposals for consulting for the future of the Parking Authority? That creative thinking and vision efforts are why we have boards and parking authority administrators. And, the work of the city is for the mayor and the mayor's office too. You can do the report with administration folks -- not outside contractors.

After you all write the report, then you can put it onto a web page or wiki and then the citizes can go at it. Citizens from anywhere in the world should be able to look at the plan, offer improvements and debate it on its merits. We'll make projections and hold you all to the high standard of being open, honest and prudent with these resources for the sake of the future.

Or, the mayor could let out some consulting contracts to beef up his campaign war chest. This is the ugly side of pay-to-play, more consultants.

As the process unfolds, we'd expect to see open bids -- perhaps a couple on eBay event. Sell the buildings to the highest bidders.

Furthermore, it is not wise to talk about the incomes being attached from one project to the expenses of another. The sell off of the parking authority should not be linked, as you have done, to the pensio fund. Sure, pension cash issues present a big problem. Sure, it should be talked about. But that's for another discussion.

After we liquidate the Parking Authority, over time, in a prudent and open way -- then we can talk about breaking up the Port Authority into a bus line. Then we can spin off PAT's RAIL into its own agency or private business. Same too for the tunnel and bridge and bike (err) busways.

If you followed me on TWITTER, you'd know of the "bird strike"

Some wild thoughts fit on blogs. Some fit elsewhere -- as in a twit via Twitter. http://www.Twitter.com. I'm @Rauterkus.

The Hudson River crash and rescue was about a bird strike. Those words, "bird strike," were used in some news reports today.

Bird strike. Humm.... Omen? 3 of 4 squads in NFL games have birds as mascot: Eagles, Cardinals, Ravens. (Seahawks = out) Everyone survives.

That's one of the last things we want to see this weekend. First, I'm flying to Florida on Friday. So, let's keep the safety streak alive. And second, we've got some football to watch as well.

Many are talking about the 'Turnpike SuperBowl.' Let's just insure that the men of Steel make is a game where the feathers fly from only one team, not two.

Yes, birds may have been the cause of the downing of the US Airways flight today on the Hudson. But, everyone lived. What could that 'signify?'

Coincidence?

Were the football gods sending a message?

Well, as stated above -- some things are best left for twitter -- and not well suited for blogs. This is one perfect example.

How did the Mighty Ducks do on the ice today?

Is the Jets QB going to return for next year?

Pass it on email about texting and crime

My mother sent me this one.

A woman has changed her habit of how she lists her names on her mobile phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet, etc...was stolen.

Twenty minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says 'I received your text asking about our Pin number and I replied a little while ago.'

When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text 'hubby' in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.

Moral of the lesson: do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc.... an d very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back. Also, when you're being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message cam e from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet 'family and friends' who text you.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON. I never thought about THAT! As of right now, I no longer have 'home' named on my cell phone.

Another moral of the story is to not put PIN numbers into a text message, even to your spouse.

Less rain this summer

The weather is looking better for the end of spring / early summer in 2009 in Pittsburgh as a week has been cut from Arts Festival schedule. It always rains -- and rains hard -- at the time of the Arts Festival.

Week cut from Arts Festival schedule: "The Three Rivers Arts Festival announced today that the 50th anniversary edition will take place June 5 to 14, running a week less than the 17-day norm of recent years. But short doesn't mean lean."

ISHOF points out problems with being safe and being black

I'll be going to the International Swimming Hall of Fame soon. s

ISHOF News/Awards"Blacks in America are nearly 15 times more likely to drown than whites. But, Wigo added, it wasn't always that way, and with Irvington native Cullen Jones winning a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, barriers that had prevented blacks from learning to swim are swiftly disappearing.

Wigo's presentation at the private school for children with behavioral problems came at the invitation of Windsor's principal, Sherrif Upton. A former college swimmer and water polo player, Upton was coaching water polo at St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark when he met Wigo.

The two maintained a relationship over the years, and when Wigo contacted Upton about a program he had researched about the history of black swimmers, Upton arranged for Wigo to appear in the school's gymnasium.

In a multimedia slide show called "Black Splash," Wigo tracked the history of black swimmers from the days when African fishermen were renowned for their aquatic abilities to the years after the Civil War, when blacks were prohibited from setting foot in public beaches and swimming pools.

Many of the clashes during the Civil Rights movement, Wigo said, occurred over unequal access to swimming pools, and the Black Panthers even started a swimming initiative.

Urban access to pools remains an obstacle to teaching black children to swim. A 2008 study of 1,800 children between the ages of 6 and 16 by the University of Memphis determined that more than half of the black and Latino children were swimmers of low ability and at risk of drowning. Only 31 percent of white children fell into that category.

Still, Wigo implored his audience to head to a local YMCA or Boys and Girls Club. With Jones' summer victory in China now a part of history, he said, "the last walls have fallen."

Upton, who presented Wigo with a Speedo swim brief as a token of the school's appreciation, said the staff and students were impressed by the presentation.

"A couple of students made jokes, but everyone seemed to have an upbeat attitude (about it)," Upton said. "I have had very positive feedback."

What's in a name? If it's 'Steelerstahl,' some idiocy - San Jose Mercury News

What's in a name? If it's 'Steelerstahl,' some idiocy - San Jose Mercury News: "What's in a name? If it's 'Steelerstahl,' some idiocy

Attorneys for the Promotion and Defense of Swimming

There is an old joke and new organization forming.

"What do you call 10,000 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?"

Answer.... "A good start."

Well, this guy is an attorney and it seems he had a great start in his day as a competitor, Olympian and Yale scholar. His group is now formed and it arrives in time to make some waves -- if more can get on-board.

Yale Olympian to Head Swimming Defense Fund
Phoenix, AZ , January 15th, 2009

Steve Clark, former world record-holder in the 100-meter freestyle and a triple gold medalist at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, has agreed to serve as chairman of the newly formed Attorneys for the Promotion and Defense of Swimming (APDS). Clark is an attorney in San Francisco.

The announcement was made this morning in Phoenix by Phil Whitten, Executive Director of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).

A former Yale NCAA Champion, Clark is charged with recruiting a network of practicing attorneys and legal scholars – most likely, former competitive swimmers, themselves -- willing to devote time, pro bono, for the defense of intercollegiate and interscholastic swimming. “We would like to have members of this group in every major metropolitan area in the USA,” he said.

As outlined by Whitten, depending on their strengths and specialties, these attorneys will be asked to:

* Provide legal advice to programs that are threatened;
* Litigate or help litigate on behalf of programs that have been cut and that have a reasonable chance of success in the legal arena;
* Provide advice on Title IX-related issues
* Write legal and popular articles on the above topics
* Be interviewed by local and national media on the above topics
* Provide advice on endowments to ensure that endowment money is only used for purposes consistent with the benefactor’s wishes;
* Share relevant legal input and information with other attorneys in the CSCAA legal pool; and
* Work with the College Sports Council, Equity in Athletics, the Pacific Legal Group and other legal allies in behalf of issues of mutual concern;

“Steve is perfect for this position,” Whitten commented, “and we are privileged to have him in our corner. As one of the greatest swimmers in history and a well-known and highly respected San Francisco attorney, he has the stature to attract other outstanding attorneys to the defense of one of America’s most popular sports and by far, our most successful Olympic sport. He won’t litigate, but he will help choose cases to pursue and take a major role in developing strategy.

“I am delighted to take this position and work with Phil and the CSCAA to defend the sport of swimming at the collegiate and high school levels,” said Clark, a five-time individual NCAA champion.

Eric Pearson, head of the College Sports Council, offered his support for the newly-formed network. “This is a major development,” he said, and we wish Phil and Steve good luck in making it a reality. Over the years, other groups have talked about similar projects, but this is the first time anyone has actually tried to make the idea a reality. We would be pleased to assist Phil in any way he asks.”

More on Steve Clark now at the AforAthlete wiki, http://AforAthlete.wikia.com/Steve_Clark

Attorneys interested in becoming part of the legal defense network can contact Clark by phone at (415) 421-0535 or by e-mail at seclark -at- csicapital -dot- com.

We need lawyers in Pittsburgh and this region to contact him to get into the program too.

Pittsburgh is facing an interesting time with sports and swimming. A Title IX survey has been started to look at the number of girl participants in sports, as well as other resources, at the Pittsburgh Public Schools.