Friday, April 08, 2011

Sports are For the Betterment of the human condition

This is an important time and an important story. I've posted before that football, as we know it, is on the downward slope. Its peak has been realized. A long march to the fringes has begun.
Former high school football player sues Highlands School District over head injuries

Friday, April 08, 2011, By Vivian Nereim, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A former high school football player who still struggles with symptoms of brain trauma sued the Highlands School District Thursday in U.S. District Court, alleging that his coach and trainer improperly sent him back into games after violent, damaging collisions.

Zachary Alt, 19, of Fawn, also claims in the lawsuit that school administrators shuffled him through classes after a particularly severe head injury, allowing him to graduate though he was barely able to do schoolwork.

"It has been a nightmare, to say the least," said his mother, Megan Alt, at a news conference Thursday. "It has changed my whole family."

In a written statement, school district officials declined to comment, saying they had not yet reviewed the lawsuit.

"When the lawsuit is presented, the district solicitor, Mr. Ira Weiss, will respond through the court system," said spokeswoman Misty Chybrzynski.

The issue of young football players sustaining head injuries -- particularly concussions -- has gained traction across the state recently, spurring legislative bills and awareness campaigns.

At least two Western Pennsylvania boys have received fatal concussions during high school football practices during the last six years.

Mr. Alt's head injuries were life-altering, his mother said. Since a helmet-to-helmet collision with a linebacker in 2007, the young man has experienced hot flashes, depression, insomnia, nausea, dry heaves and vomiting, she said.

"I don't want to stop football..." Ms. Alt said. "But I do want to stop this from happening to other kids. He's never going to be the same again."

Mr. Alt sat silently through the news conference, his face somber. His lawyer, Robert Peirce III, said the young man's mother would speak on his behalf.

Ms. Alt said her son began playing football at age 8, and later joined the varsity team at Highlands High School, often playing fullback despite his smaller size.

"He really was known as being tough as nails..." Mr. Peirce said. "He was proud that he was able to do it."

The injuries the lawsuit details stem from the fall 2007 season, when Mr. Alt was a 15-year-old sophomore.

According to the legal complaint, he sustained a serious hit to the head during an Oct. 12 game, but continued to play. He was not evaluated by staff, his lawyer claimed. The same thing happened Nov. 2, according to the complaint.

Then, Nov. 9, during a playoff game against Knoch High School, Mr. Alt collided with another player helmet-to-helmet.

"Clearly disoriented," Mr. Alt jogged off laboriously, then began to "aimlessly" walk on the sidelines, the complaint alleges.

Mr. Alt was not removed from the game, despite teammates' worries, according to the complaint. Instead, he was instructed to go after the opposing team's middle linebacker, the complaint claims.

"He went to make the block, went as hard as he could, and that's the last thing he remembers," Mr. Peirce said.

After the game, Ms. Alt took her son to the emergency room at the Alle-Kiski Medical Center, where staff diagnosed a substantial head injury, according to the complaint.

Throughout the year, the boy's schoolwork and attendance declined, his mother said. But despite missing much of the spring semester, he received nearly straight A's that year, the complaint claims. He eventually graduated.

Mr. Alt's lawsuit also names the school's principal, assistant principal, football coach athletic trainer as defendants.

The suit was filed federally because Mr. Alt's lawyers believe the school's actions violated his constitutional right to an education, they said. The complaint seeks damages in excess of $75,000, the standard for federal court.

"He is unable to work an eight-hour day." Mr. Peirce said of his client.

"He tries to work," Mr. Peirce added. "His mother is an operator with a local cleaning business. He tries to clean when he can. Other times he will clean a local office building and will have to lie down after an hour."

Ms. Alt's younger son, a student in the same district, has since asked to play football, she said. She refused.

Vivian Nereim: vnereim@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1413. Staff writer Malak Shaher contributed.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11098/1137891-455.stm#ixzz1Ivj6FPCN

Zachary, I hope you have a good day today, and every day. I expect that that wish is not possible, but your care and health are a worry.

Most of all, I wish that Z and his family do not suffer any other pains and harm that stems from anything else in the community about this 'whistleblower' acts that are now stepping forward in the courts. The court case is going to take a life of its own and it might be a monumental or else trivial set of events. I'd hate to see more hardships heaped upon the situation from any party from coaches, trainers, medical folks, peers, district, community and media. The politics might make this football a hard one to handle. Many will try to get this to go away and 'drop the case.'

Marty Griffin of KDKA radio had a show segment devoted to this case yesterday. I posted a reply to his question, "Would you let your son play football?" Marty has a gimpy knee due to his 'playing days' at Central Catholic. He is reminded of that often. My two sons won't play football. Perhaps when they are in college and out from under my roof, that might be an option. But not before then, I'm certain.

Football is the worst. But soccer, with the plays of the ball off of the head, is also very bad. If that element of the game could be removed from soccer, then they might be permitted to play that sport.

I am not ready to launch a crusade against football, just yet. But, it is something to keep under consideration. Too much good comes from the sports experience to remove it fully as an option. Who am I to say that others can't do this or that -- like play football. I won't lead that charge. I'm too much of a libertarian to think I know what's best for others. If there are others that want to play, coach and watch football, and I'm a big fan at times, then so be it.

I don't have any need to see the sport expand, however. I was sad when Robert Morris and Duquesne University put football into their athletic departments. As they put 80 or so guys into football pads, they take the spots that other Olympic sports players could have. The Title IX reality means football is bad news. Since DU offered football, it was able to cut baseball, wrestling and men's swimming. That's 'wrongheaded.'

Remember boxing? These days you need to be someone like Wayne Fontana, D, to support it. One day football will be as popular as boxing is today. And sadly, there won't be heros in this struggle.

In sports, you win by addition. If any victory can occur, in this long trend, it will come with water polo, cycling, ultimate (Frisbee), golf, lifesaving, kayaking, and the grad-daddy of them all, rugby 7s. Toss in eco races as well.

They don't play American Football, or "gridiron" in Australia and New Zealand, for example. It isn't missed. It is played in some instances, but it is a minor sport. That's fine. That might be its destiny here too, even in western Pennsylvania.

I have no problem with a high school not offering football, as is the case at Vincentian High School.

Schenley High School, set to close as part of Pittsburgh Public Schools, as well as Peabody High School, had football teams. Now that those schools are closing, they won't have football teams come 2011, of course. New to the scene will be a football team at U-Prep. (U-Prep is part of PPS and is to have grades 6-12.) There won't be a team at Pgh Obama, 6-12. But those students, as well as the ones at Sci-Tech will play with the U-Prep football team.

With the low number of boys slated for Pittsburgh Westinghouse, I expect it will be nearly impossible to field a team there in the fall of 2011. Time will tell.

Langley football is a stretch too. There are so few kids at some of the schools.

I suggest we consider making a couple of "Football Factories." Put all the players into a couple of schools and then let the other schools pass on football. If you want to go to a school and play football, enroll at one of the few schools that offer the sport.

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Fw: Legal Notice from U.S. District Court: EA Sports Class Action

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From: "EA Sports Litigation" <ClassActionNotice@EASportslitigation.com>
Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:54:03 -0600
To: <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>
Subject: Legal Notice from U.S. District Court: EA Sports Class Action

To view this email as a web page, click here.

GEOFFREY PECOVER and ANDREW OWENS v. ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
U.S. District Court (N.D. Cal. - Oakland Div.)
Case No. 08-cv-02820 CW

If You Purchased Certain Electronic Arts Brand Football Video Games
Between January 1, 2005 to the Present
You May Be a Class Member.

Membership as a class member in the Electronic Arts Litigation is the result of a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, Oakland Division (Case No. 08-cv-02820 CW).

What Is This Class Action About?
The class action lawsuit alleges violations of California's antitrust and consumer protection laws in connection with the sale of certain football video games. Plaintiffs, purchasers of Electronic Arts' football video games, claim that Defendant Electronic Arts entered into a series of exclusive licenses with the National Football League (NFL), National Football League Players' Association (NFLPA), National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), and Arena Football League (AFL), which Plaintiffs claim foreclosed competition in an alleged football video game market. Plaintiffs allege that this series of exclusive licenses caused customers who purchased certain football video games to be overcharged.

Defendant Electronic Arts has denied any liability and all allegations of misconduct. The Court has not decided whether the Defendants did anything wrong, and this Notice is not an expression of any opinion by the Court about the merits of any of the claims or defenses asserted by any party to this litigation.

Who Are Class Members?
The Class includes all persons who, during the period January 1, 2005 to the present, purchased the Madden NFL, NCAA Football, or Arena Football League brand video games published by Electronic Arts with a release date of January 1, 2005 to the present. Excluded from the class are purchasers of software for mobile devices, persons purchasing directly from Electronic Arts, persons purchasing used copies of the relevant football video games, and Electronic Arts' employees, officers, directors, legal representatives, and wholly or partly owned subsidiaries or affiliated companies.

What Should I Do? (Getting Further Information)
If you believe that you may be a class member (see above "Who Are Class Members"), you should get more detailed information about the class action and its potential effect on you and your rights. Further information can be obtained by going to the following website: www.easportslitigation.com. Additional information about the lawsuit may be obtained from Plaintiffs' Counsel website at www.hbsslaw.com, or by calling Plaintiffs' Counsel at 1-206-623-7292.

To Remain a Class Member
If you are a class member and you do nothing, you will be bound by the court's rulings in the lawsuit, including any final Settlement or Judgment.

To Exclude Yourself from the Class
(Deadline to Request Exclusion: June 25, 2011)
If you are a class member and you want to exclude yourself from the class and keep your right to sue Defendant, you must take further action before June 25, 2011. By that date, you must request exclusion in writing to this address:
Electronic Arts Litigation Exclusion
P.O. Box 8090
San Rafael CA 94912-8090

Or submit a request for exclusion electronically at the following website: www.easportslitigation.com

For further information about excluding yourself from the class go to the following website:
www.easportslitigation.com

Please do not telephone or address inquiries to the Court.
April 6, 2011. By Order of the U.S. District Court (N.D. Cal. - Oakland Div.).



Controller: City has $13M for projects

Folly. Folly times three. Pittsburgh has folly in a tiny size, folly in a medium size and folly in a massive size. The problems of the three bears and Goldilocks is nothing next to our woes. The ebb and flow, the diversity, the maddness. STOP THE MADNESS. WHERE's MARTY GRIFFIN?
Controller: City has $13M for projects

Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb on Tuesday estimated that the city has about $13 million for capital projects this year, a figure that puts him between a mayor who claims the city has nothing and council members who contend it has about $25 million.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11096/1137267-53.stm#ixzz1Ik0Xux9T

Go figure Scorecard:
* City Council = $25 Million
* City Controller = $13 Million
* City Administration / Mayor = $0


* Citizens = Duhhhh..... 

* OVERLORDS ICA = ______
* OVERLORDS 2 = _______


* Citizens = Duhhh ..... squared.



So, these folks with office on Grant Street, and this time the talk is only about the elected ones, not those that were appointed as OVERLORDS, can't agree on addition and subtraction. This is not rocket surgery. They are off by tens of millions of dollars with three different voices. These problems happen when smoke and mirrors is part of their tool bag, cause "If I had a hammer," was confiscated by the OVERLORDS.

This smells. Pittsburgh's typical confidence comes into question. So, people who are free to invest their assets into a place don't want to be in the choke hold of those who can't even agree upon an understanding of the value of money.

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Tue pow wow

Candidates Night Come meet the candidates for local elections at the Next SSSNA meeting on Tuesday April 12th.  We have invited candidates for City Council, County Executive, and County Controller. The meeting starts at 7:00 at St Paul of the Cross Retreat Center Main Lounge, 148 Monastery Avenue.  Email info@southsideslopes for more information.
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Monday, April 04, 2011

Pittsburgh Kayakers (ka-"yack"-ers)

Pittsburgh Kayakers (ka-"yack"-ers) (Pittsburgh, PA) - Meetup: "Come paddling with us!"

Hello Kayakers,

Spring is here, and it's time to get the group moving again! Here's some news about what's going on with the group and the site.

First, please take a few minutes to update your profiles. Go to the site, mouse over to the "Members" button, click on "My profile", and then click on "edit group profile". If you haven't already, upload a profile picture and type an introduction. Then please answer these four new profile questions (the old questions have been removed):

1. What kind of kayak(s) do you have, if any? Feel free to answer generally (recreational, touring, sea kayak, etc.) or specifically (color, length, make, model)
2. Where are your favorite places to paddle?
3. What kind of trips are you most interested in? (Easy, relaxed, fitness-paced, adventurous, social, urban, challenging, overnight camping, ??)
4. What other outdoor activities do you enjoy?

You can also update your communication settings, by specifying what types of emails you would or wouldn't like to receive from Meetup.

Second, please consider taking a kayaking class or two this year - some of Venture Outdoors' and Exkursion's classes will be posted on the group's calendar. These classes are fun, and they'll make you a better & safer paddler. The Venture Outdoor "Intro to Kayaking" class this Sunday indoors, so you can get in some nice warm. They teach basic paddling & rescue skills, including what to do if you capsize (yes, you're going to get wet!) The Exkursion classes start in a month and are all outdoors, taught by their friendly expert instructors (ACA-certified). They have a wide range of classes, from their Level 1 beginner class (a "dry" class, everybody stays on top) to advanced paddling, rescue skills, rolling, and coastal kayaking. Exkursion also sponsors our group in return for us promoting their classes. We therefore don't have to charge for Meetup group membership or ask for donations, so when you take an Exkursion class, you're helping the group too!

Third, the group is looking for new trip leaders. If you love to kayak, if you're an instigator, a planner, a teacher, if you like to share your favorite places to paddle with others...there's plenty of reasons why trip leading can be very rewarding. Our biggest demand is for beginner-friendly trips, so you don't have to be a hard core paddler to be a leader. The leader's responsibilities are to post an accurate description of an event (meeting place & starting time, driving directions, distance or time you'll be paddling, difficulty level, etc.), answer posted and emailed questions, show up prepared and on time for your event, do your best to keep everyone safe (the wearing of PFD's is always mandatory), and to have fun! If you'd like to give it a try, please send me an email and let me know.

Welcome to all of our new members. It's great to see this group growing larger, along with the entire Western PA human-powered community - hikers, cyclists, runners, skiers, backpackers.... Hope you all have some great outdoor adventures this year!

Mike
I've got a canoe. Can you canoe? I'd love to spend more time in the river this summer with open water swims. It is nice to have boaters with the swimmers.

Women Ski Jumpers get into the Olympics

------Original Message------
From: SI com Alerts
To: mark@rauterkus.com
ReplyTo: cnnalerts@cnn.com
Subject: 2004 Athens Summer Games News
Sent: Apr 4, 2011 1:05 PM



Alert Name: 2004 Athens Summer Games News

IOC set to approve women's ski jumping for Sochi
04/04/11 10:51 AM, EDT
LONDON (AP) After a five-year wait and an unsuccessful legal battle to get into the 2010 Vancouver Games, women's ski jumping is set to take its place on the Olympic program this week.
Read the full story at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/more/04/04/womens.ski.jumping.sochi.ap/index.html

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Saturday, April 02, 2011

Sad Day for Pittsburgh: Obituary: Nate Smith / Leader who got blacks, women in unions

If you have not seen the Nate Smith video / movie, then you must promise yourself that you will do that soon. It is a classic Pittsburgh story that all should know and be reminded of. It was done by folks at RMU.
Obituary: Nate Smith / Leader who got blacks, women in unions

Friday, April 01, 2011

Wecht Spins Yarns With The Best Of Them On The South Side


In what was once considered “a past life,” I interviewed every important political and leader in Pittsburgh and sometimes Western Pennsylvania. On a few occasions they were even bigger. I interviewed then-Governor Tom Ridge on a golf course during an Arnold Palmer charity event. I was on the tarmac with then-President Bill Clinton.

Once upon a time I interviewed almost everyone of consequence in this region (Mario Lemieux and Fred Rogers notwithstanding) and maintained a fairly decent Rolodex. No list of contacts would be complete in Pittsburgh without Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, one-time Coroner, one-time Medical Examiner, one-time County Commissioner, frequent Democratic Committee kingpin, all-the-time lawyer and omnipresent roustabout.

I've admired brilliant people more than anyone, even more than the less-than-frequent cute girl who would find herself talking to me. I've been fortunate enough to talk with Dr. Wecht lots of times. During a conversation about a dozen years ago he complimented me on knowing a lot about his favorite subject: himself.

I've known about Dr. Wecht since the 1970's or 1980's when he was called in to investigate the deaths of (if I remember correctly) mummified babies a bizarre Gallitzen woman had in her attic at the time. Back then that was a story that garnered only local attention. Today it would be an international controversy.

Before that he was a dissenter of the “Magic Bullet” theory in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He's conducted more than 17,000 autopsies, theorized on countless others, and has been called in for almost every high-profile case there's been for more than 40 years.

It was his word I took when we heard that the jury came back with the O.J. Simpson decision. He was spot on with his conclusion.

In recent years he was targeted for wrongdoing by Mary Beth Buchanan, the U.S. Attorney under the G.W. Bush administration, who happens to be both a fellow California University of Pennsylvania alumnus and Republican. That's where most of our similarities end. I'm a part-time dink, while she's universally revered as a full-timer.

Anyhoo, Wecht was the guest of Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist, at Norman's monthly “Versus” confab. The “debate” is mostly a liberal love-fest (this was Norman's second go-'round, the first being with South Side City Councilman Bruce Kraus), but with Wecht in attendance, the discussion turned more CSI than politics.

Wecht, who recently turned 80 but looks 20 years younger, jumped into action when Norman asked if his JFK assassination theory was hogwash. Wecht effortlessly grabbed a couple from the audience, moved their chairs and in-detail re-enacted the “Magic Bullet” theory better than Jerry dissected the “Magic Loogie” on “Seinfeld.” Wecht's mind remains flawless, and humor almost vaudevillian. The audience of about 80 was enthralled.

Wecht's theories are plentiful. He says that Elvis died of a toxic drug overdose and not from heart disease, O.J. did it, but not by himself, and most remarkably (at least to me) one of Robert Kennedy's bodyguards, Thane Eugene Cesar, accidentally shot the Presidential candidate, and not only Sirhan Bishara Sirhan. He opined that Jon Benet Ramsey's partners were involved in her still-mysterious murder, and motivational speaker Jeffrey Locker rigged his own suicide to look like murder in Harlem (a New York court found a man guilty of the murder in the case nevertheless)..

Norman served as a good host and the hour flew by more quickly than expected. Wecht is no wall flower. He said that the plethora of CSI shows are unrealistic in one distinction fashion: forensic pathology and detective work are two different careers and are not intertwined. That goes along well with the critics who used to say that Jack Klugman's “Quincy” was more nosey than authoritative.

Both Norman and the crowd were disappointed that they didn't touch much of politics. Wecht did blast multi-millionaires (of which he is one many times over) for taking all the money from poor people. He also complained that Marcellus Shale businessmen were raking in big bucks while new Governor Tom Corbett was slashing educational dollars from the budget. It was an extremely easy crowd to excite with such rhetoric. Reminder: Marcellus Shale money goes into job creation, for one. The cash isn't stockpiled in a room somewhere that no one will ever be able to access. The mill jobs aren't coming back to the South Side. There's a Cheesecake Factory there now.

At the conclusion of the night, both Norman and Wecht joked that no Republicans would be in the house. Meanwhile, one sat six feet away. I re-introduced myself to Norman afterward, in front of a couple of typical blue-collar yinzer Democrats who threatened to “string (me) up” upon overhearing my conversation. I retorted that it's always good to hear a tolerant Democrat, and they left, quietly.

Wecht was gone, halfway back to his Squirrel Hill abode. It was good to be back in a room with Wecht.

It was just like old times.

Afterwards, I had a chance to catch up with Mark Rauterkus, one of the most innovative minds I've met in this lil burgh. It's always good to catch up with anyone who thinks creatively and "out of the box."

Those are not ghosts at Bakery Square's hotel, they are ground floor union workers

But the URA needs to know that the joke is on us.
Bakery Square Haunted?

Bakery Square, the transformation of the former Nabisco Bakery plant in Larimer, has received much national attention for its LEED Platinum achievement, and is now making national headlines again.

Guests at the Spring Hill Suites Marriott have been complimenting the hotel manager on the touch of home provided by the smell of fresh baked cookies and cookie turndown service.

“The hotel is really beautiful, and the smell of fresh baked cookies reminds me of my grandmother’s house,” said hotel guest, May Smith. “Boy could I go for one of her chocolate chips now.”

Other guests are confused by the tiny flour footprints found in the hallway, saying it looks as if a group of ghost elves have been up to some nighttime mischief.

“Look, I love cookies and all, but I don’t want some group of ghost elf bandits breaking into my room and stealing my underwear,” said hotel guest, Sherman Oaks.

Hotel Manager Kee Blur says he’s not sure what the guests are talking about. “I have never instructed my employees to leave out cookies, nor have I seen these supposed footprints. Although I have been getting anonymous complaints that our tredmills and other workout equipment isn’t pixie friendly. Whatever that means.”

Concerned for the safety of the guests, developer Walnut Capital has taken action and contacted the guys from Ghost Adventures, suggesting they investigate the situation.

Yeah, April Fools.

But, the development deal from Bakery Square allowed the 'air rights' to the site to be without the need for union workers. So, the ground floor sits vacant with big posters on the windows. That's what doesn't smell right.

Google Motion: I'm hooked

Overview:




As a coach, this makes sense:

Monday, March 28, 2011

Fw: WMF Nomination Form ARENA

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: Rob Pfaffmann <rob@pfaffmann.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:28:55
To: robadmin Home<rob@pfaffmann.com>
Subject: WMF Nomination Form ARENA



Thanks to Hal Hayes, who has been working in NYC on the TWA Terminal and brought this opportunity to our attention. The nomination text is a quick rework of earlier writing by Rob & Jeff for DOCOMOMO Rotterdam 2008 and the HRC nomination 2010.

We will fight this till the wrecking ball swings (Senator Ferlo we are ready to join you even without the Sphinxes ;)

"Pittsburgh: the Crucible of Modernism"
If we lose this fight, we will make sure those responsible for this loss are well documented on the web for posterity and future political campaigns. Like the Syria Mosque (still a parking lot we might add in the hottest real estate in the region), it will become our Pennsylvania Station.

We will then use this as the rallying cry for "Pittsburgh Moderns" a chapter of DocomomoUS that will fight on for Pittsburgh's modernist buildings not as curated objects but as useful and inspirational parts of 21st century Pittsburgh.

We will not forget.

Rob Pfaffmann, AIA, AICP
rob@pfaffmann.com
Reuse the Igloo
www.reusetheigloo.org
and on facebook groups: Reuse the Igloo

Public Transit and Private Investments - Dan Sullivan's mentions

Brian O'Neil of the P-G wrote about a Libertarian friend, Dan Sullivan:

Though hard to believe, private transit was worse
Sunday, March 27, 2011
By Brian O'Neill, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

If ever you get to thinking an idea is new or will solve all problems, read some history.

Take public transit. (And take it quick, before your route is axed.)

Why not privatize it? The very word evokes a cleanup, like Simonizing the car or deodorizing your armpits.

But Pittsburgh had private bus service for a very long time. Only old-timers would remember the almost annual fare hikes in the 1950s, and fewer still would know that the Pittsburgh Railways Co. spent much of the first part of the 20th century in and out of bankruptcy proceedings.

Allegheny County's Port Authority took over Pittsburgh Railways and other transit lines, each with its own fare structure and no transfer privileges, in 1964 -- when these private carriers were circling the drain.

Dan Sullivan, 61, is an Oakland resident who rode the private trolleys as a kid and has been poking the powers on Grant Street for most of his adult life. But he isn't nostalgic for private lines.

A student of local history, Mr. Sullivan reminded me that Christopher L. Magee, Pittsburgh's 19th-century political boss, became nationally famous by artfully ripping off this city through the streetcar lines he owned.

Lincoln Steffens, the great muckraker, outlined that history in 1903 in "Pittsburg: A City Ashamed.'' (So many people were stealing from the city then that someone evidently absconded with Pittsburgh's "h''.)

Pittsburgh long has been allergic to a genuine two-party system, so a Republican machine ran the city then. Mr. Magee, a charming rogue in partnership with the harder-edged William Flinn, ruled all but absolutely.

"The city has been described physically as 'hell with the lid off,' '' Mr. Steffens wrote in McClure's magazine in May 1903. "Politically it is the same with the lid on.

"Magee wanted power, Flinn wealth. Each got both those things; but Magee spent his wealth for more power, and Flinn spent his power for more wealth.''

Rail, specifically the Pennsylvania Railroad, was king then. In Pittsburgh and in Harrisburg, its lobbyists distributed railroad passes to politicians. (Until Super Bowl tickets were invented, lobbyists had to make do.)

Rail barons became so adept at seizing land through eminent domain, Mr. Sullivan says, that America gained a new verb, "to railroad,'' meaning to rush something through. But the Magee-Flinn machine was too canny to just give plums away. The bosses kept the lion's share for themselves and the two men made ridiculous money.

"Magee did not steal franchises and sell them. His councils gave them to him. He and the busy Flinn took them, built railways which Magee sold and bought and financed and conducted, like any other man whose successful career is held up as an example for young men.''

Mr. Magee's Consolidated Traction Company was capitalized at $30 million at a time when the city's public debt was $18 million, Mr. Steffens wrote. Yet Pittsburghers not only tolerated this legal graft for a quarter century, they revered Mr. Magee. When he died in 1901, they began pitching in for his monument.

His memorial stands near the Carnegie Library in Oakland. Dedicated in 1908, when it attracted a crowd of 2,000 people, this bronze-and-granite tribute to Christopher Lyman Magee was one of the final works of the great sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Magee-Womens, the hospital Mr. Magee founded in honor of his mother, stands at the site of one of his old railway administration buildings.


There is a Citiparks swim pool also called Magee.

Mr. Sullivan's website, http://www.savingcommunities.org, has a long section under the heading "Private Railroads and Plunder.'' He believes "forward-thinking plunderers are recognizing that the era of the automobile is coming to an end, and want to get their transit back.''

I don't buy predictions of the car's demise, nor of any wholesale switch from public to private transit. But it's clear the Port Authority can't continue as a vital way to get around without a massive overhaul.

On Friday, the head of the transit union offered the equivalent of 13 percent in wage givebacks (with some of that diverted to the pension fund). The Port Authority board rejected that offer and decided Saturday to move ahead with the route cutbacks that take effect today.

And there's no talk of building any monuments to anyone.
He refers to Dan's website. The pertinent link is:

http://www.savingcommunities.org/issues/transportation/railroadplunder.html

This is what I will touch on at the conference in Minnesota, where several transit experts will speak on funding transit through land value capture.

http://www.cgocouncil.org/conf11.htm

Dan's Note: Our objection to privatized transit is that it consists of licensed monopolies. Truly private enterprise is either unlicensed or based on open licenses to all who can meet safety standards.


Harold wrote: I wish Brian had explained the basis of Magee's "legal graft" - one assumes it was through city and borough councils giving him bankrupted trolley and bus lines for free, rather than making him and Flinn pay the market price through a public auction, but it'd be nice to know for sure.

Navigate to this link: http://www.savingcommunities.org/issues/transportation/railroadplunder.html

The end point from Dan on the page above says: If public transportation is to function properly, it must be placed completely under public control and funded from the land values it creates. 

I support the "Land Value Tax."

But to the point of public transit, I also think that the PAT, an AUTHORITY, is wrong on a number of critical matters. First off, I don't think any authority is really under public control. The board members are appointed and are not accountable to the voters. I would love to see authority board members face 'retention votes' so that they must pass a layer of public review at the ballot box to retain their appointed positions. Last week I squeaked about this to Chelsa Wagner.

Furthermore, the public authority is too big and itself a monopoly. If we must have public transportation, allow for a bit of competition among the public entities. For example, PAT should be split into a bus company, a rail / light rail company, and then a tunnel and bridge and busway company. The third would be a physical asset company, more like a PAT Pike.

If PAT's busway, or PAT Pike, was a stand alone company, then I am sure that we'd have bikes on the East Busway and through the tunnel under Mt. Washington. I'm sure that we'd have the Presidential motorcade hit the busway for mid-day trips into and out of the city without jamming the Parkway West for a full day. And, I'm sure that the operation and maintenance of the tunnel under the river would not be seen as a wise investment as each rider would have to pay far more than $20 a trip. Plus, we'd get real transit hubs with small business development that made sense -- far beyond a few park and ride stations.

How to Design Neighborhoods for Happiness via Neal

It's been a while since I last posted, though the forum came to mind late last week when we (Shareable Magazine) published a story by Jay Walljasper entitled:

How to Design Neighborhoods for Happiness:
http://bit.ly/dIJ4NM

This is a great short post about how to design pocket neighborhoods. I hope it's helpful.

Neal

ps. more neighborhood stories and how-tos can be found on your neighborhood channel: http://www.shareable.net/tag/neighborhoods



Neal Gorenflo

About Neal Gorenflo: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/5uDGHs6vM6wnnONRLUHFXG

View full topic, share on Facebook, Twitter, etc:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/707D8Tu6BQFlKtv8EfNun2


Help our volunteers in Christchurch, New Zealand with post-quake forum outreach:
http://e-democracy.org/chchdonate

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Losing Our Way - NYTimes.com

Losing Our Way - NYTimes.com

So here we are pouring shiploads of cash into yet another war, this time in Libya, while simultaneously demolishing school budgets, closing libraries, laying off teachers and police officers, and generally letting the bottom fall out of the quality of life here at home.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Flurry of Education Bills hit PA Senate

Thanks Ron C.
On March 22, the chairmen of the Senate Education Committee, Senator Jeff Piccola (R-15) and Senator Andrew Dinniman (D-19), announced the introduction of an 18 bill package aimed at providing mandate relief for school districts. The following bills were introduced:


Senate Bill 202 (Sen. Dinniman, D-19) would allow alternative certification pathways for principals and teachers; 

Senate Bill 293 (Sen. Eichelberger, R-30) would increase the thresholds for bidding contracts to $25,000;

Senate Bill 296 (Sen. Brubaker R-36) would increase the thresholds for bidding contracts to $25,000;

Senate Bill 329 (Sen. Dinniman, D-19) would suspend non-essential reports from districts to PDE in years in which state 
education funding declines;

Senate Bill 537 (Sen. Rafferty, R-44) would require a 2/3 vote by school boards to raise property taxes;

Senate Bill 612 (Sen. Folmer, R-48) would allow school districts to furlough for economic reasons and require proportionate reduction of administrators;

Senate Bill 801 (Sen. Waugh, R-28) would allow districts to bid single prime;

Senate Bill 802 (Sen. Piccola (R-15) would allow school districts to hire either school certified nurses or registered nurses;

Senate Bill 803 (Sen. Piccola, R-15) would allow districts to advertise from a menu of options including the internet;

Senate Bill 814 (Sen. Corman, R-34) would reauthorize the Mandate Waivers program and allow bidding for school construction projects both multi-prime and single prime;

Senate Bill 844 (Sen. Dinniman, D-19) would allow districts that are making AYP and showing adequate PVAAS growth be waived from PILS administrator training requirements;

Senate Bill 857 (Sen. Smucker, R-13) would repeal language that requires school districts to use increases in basic education funding for new programs and expansion of existing programs;

Senate Bill 858 (Sen. Waugh, R-28) would allow districts to hire certificated superintendents or candidates who have degrees in business or finance;

Senate Bill 869 Sen. Alloway (R-33) would no longer require school districts bordering Pennsylvania to provide transportation for students to attend out of state private schools;

Senate Bill 870 (Sen. Eichelberger, R-30) would repeal sections of the School Code that require 10 paid sick days and paid sabbatical leaves;

Senate Bill 871 (Sen. Brubaker, R-36) would suspend continuing education and professional development for teachers for 2 years;

Senate Bill 872 (Sen. Brubaker, R-36) would remove requirements for the establishment of concurrent enrollment committees and quarterly meetings;

Senate Bill 873 (Sen. Brubaker, R-36) would require the Secretary of Education and the State Board of Education to review and overhaul the PlanCon process for school construction and reimbursement.

The Senate Education Committee is scheduled to consider this package of bills on April 5.

2011 NCAA Division I Men's Championships

Fw: My underwater hockey team IN a commercial!!

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®


From: DEB RAMAGE <dramage1@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:18:04 +0000
To: aem55@pitt.edu<aem55@pitt.edu>; Amy Ramage<amoid@comcast.net>; AndreaMcQueen<fishswimtoo@yahoo.com>; Arlene Kensinger<arlenekensinger@yahoo.com>; Barb Gutzwiller<blgutzwiller@zoominternet.net>; Ben Holtzman<benjamin.holtzman@gmail.com>; Betty Davic<edavic@kent.edu>; Bev Bradford<bbradford@camelotcoal.com>; Beverly Kerkam<beverly_kerkam@verizon.net>; <bradley.ramage@sunmed.com>; brecallender@hotmail.com<brecallender@hotmail.com>; Carol Lewis<cjpyatt@msn.com>; Carrie McDermitt<camcdermitt@gmail.com>; Char Morris<char514@zoominternet.net>; Cindy Byers<mgxb98@yahoo.com>; Cindy Reisser<crrpres@comcast.net>; Dale Wagner<mrdrwagner@gmail.com>; Dave Sherrieb<dsherrieb@indy.rr.com>; <david@relaxnow.org>; Dawn Gilson<vlangel@hotmail.com>; Dianne Gabel<di_gabel@yahoo.com>; Dianne Wagner<dikenkoda@zoominternet.net>; <dreckless@aol.com>; <ebusredos@comcast.net>; Gail Pebworth<pebwortg@wabash.edu>; Gary Torick<gwt52@consolidated.net>; Georgianne Barry<manatee7@zoominternet.net>; <gracenewstart@yahoo.com>; Grant Butson<grant.butson@lfg.com>; Gregory McQueen<c.gregory.mcqueen@erieinsurance.com>; Guillaume Besson<guillaume.besson@yahoo.fr>; Heath Wagner<hkw1973@yahoo.com>; Helen snead<helensnead122@gmail.com>; Jack Ramage<jramage@mbawpa.org>; Jack Beaulieu<jackbeaulieu@verizon.net>; Jay Ammon<jay@jayammon.com>; Jay Egar<eger@consolidated.net>; Jeff Grover<felix43@hotmail.com>; Jeff Banyas<jbanyas@zoominternet.net>; Jerry<bigmacsmlfry@yahoo.com>; <jmclaughlin@att.net>; Joe Humbert<josephbhumbert@eaton.com>; John Wagner<john.wagner85@gmail.com>; Jordan Wallace Ramage<jramage@mix.wvu.edu>; JoycePratley<jpratley@verizon.net>; Judy Wagner<jwg60@verizon.net>; JudyGoodhart<ljgoodhart@bresnan.net>; june00@zoominternet.net<june00@zoominternet.net>; karen Lucovich<klucovich@zoominternet.net>; KathyNevins Green<dksummers@ma.rr.com>; Larry Kuremsky<estates@kuremsky.com>; Len Schoettker<resist@zoominternet.net>; <lewfarm1@consolidated.net>; LindaHeery<heerys@zoominternet.net>; Linda Nath<snowbird@zbzoom.net>; LindaNeugebauer<wneug@atlanticbb.net>; Linda Schulte<lindaschulte29@gmail.com>; <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>; Martha Smith<mas1920@earthlink.net>; Mary melick<marymelick@bigpond.com>; <matt@yanniassociates.com>; Matt Leisie<leisie1@zoominternet.net>; Max<maxwell.e.hand@gmail.com>; meyergab@verizon.net<meyergab@verizon.net>; <mgruetze@gmail.com>; MichaelKernan<mikernan76@gmail.com>; Michelle Ramage<michelleramage17@gmail.com>; Mike<mitchnd@yahoo.com>; <mkernan@planthealthcare.com>; <nettie5646@yahoo.com>; patrickandnugget@aol.com<patrickandnugget@aol.com>; patti3@zoominternet.net<patti3@zoominternet.net>; pdemarco@zoominternet.net<pdemarco@zoominternet.net>; Phil Bell<bellpb@muohio.edu>; Pohla Smith<pohla@aol.com>; pracoach@gmail.com<pracoach@gmail.com>; robert neubert<neu7@hotmail.com>; Robin Hazelgrove<robynhazelgrove@bigpond.com>; RoseMcQueen<roseandgordo@aol.com>; Ryan Mcdermitt<mcdermitt@yahoo.com>; SallyRadke<sally.radke@gmail.com>; Sam Gonzalez<samuelgonzalez2@eaton.com>; Shirley Golden<shirley25@comcast.net>; Stan Patterson<stan.patterson@poacfl.com>; Stephanie Kingston<stephanie.kingston@poacfl.com>; Steve Davis<stevejdavis@sbcglobal.net>; Susie Fleming<swfleming@verizon.net>; tessaandavie@aol.com<tessaandavie@aol.com>; Tom James<tjfirefly@aol.com>; Tom Swogger<tswogger@gmail.com>
Subject: My underwater hockey team IN a commercial!!

http://apps.facebook.com/unstoppabletour/
 
FINALLY!! Our Pine Richland Underwater hockey team is featured for FIVE minutes on this Utube/ facebook commercial just out. We helped film it last October but I couldn't tell very many till now. TOTALLY cool & so proud I didn't wind up on the "cutting room floor"!! Didn't know if they'd include a WOMAN fighting underwater with this "jock" or not!!  Love, Deb



Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Sunday, March 20, 2011

In the army now?

I saw this on Facebook and it makes sense to repeat:
1. We will NOT obey any order to disarm the American people.

2. We will NOT obey any order to conduct warrantless searches of the American people, their homes, vehicles, papers, or effects -- such as warrantless house-to house searches for weapons or persons.

3. We will NOT obey any order to detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” or to subject them to trial by military tribunal.

4. We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state, or to enter with force into a state, without the express consent and invitation of that state’s legislature and governor.

5. We will NOT obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty and declares the national government to be in violation of the compact by which that state entered the Union.

6. We will NOT obey any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.

7. We will NOT obey any order to force American citizens into any form of detention camps under any pretext.

8. We will NOT obey orders to assist or support the use of any foreign troops on U.S. soil against the American people to “keep the peace” or to “maintain control” during any emergency, or under any other pretext. We will consider such use of foreign troops against our people to be an invasion and an act of war.

9. We will NOT obey any orders to confiscate the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies, under any emergency pretext whatsoever.

10. We will NOT obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.

Organizational Chart for Pittsburgh Public Schools as of March 2011

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/aforathlete/images/1/1b/PPS-Org_Chart_2011_PDF.pdf

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/aforathlete/images/1/1b/PPS-Org_Chart_2011_PDF.pdf

or

http://aforathlete.wikia.com/wiki/File:PPS-Org_Chart_2011_PDF.pdf

Discussions are best at another blog: http://purereform.blogspot.com.


Friday, March 18, 2011

Fw: Next Week is Big!

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®


From: "Ron Paul" <ron_paul@libertypacmail.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:20:39 -0700
To: Liberty Activist<mark@rauterkus.com>
ReplyTo: ron_paul@libertypacmail.com
Subject: Next Week is Big!



Dear Liberty Activist,

Congress is out of session next week, and I plan to take full advantage!

I will be making two important trips, one to Iowa and one to New Hampshire.  People are really paying attention, and I hope that if you are in the area, you will attend some of my public events.

On Wednesday, I will be traveling to Des Moines, Iowa to hold several key meetings and speak on the steps of the State Capitol to the Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators, a wonderful group representing homeschool families.

Support from the homeschool community was key to Mike Huckabee’s victory in the 2008 Iowa Caucuses, so this is an important speech.

There is no bigger supporter of homeschool education than I, and I am confident we can forge a great relationship with this group. Just last week, I introduced the Education Improvement Tax Cut Act, which would provide $5,000 tax credits to homeschool parents. I am looking forward to sharing my vision to protect Liberty in education and give parents freedom to escape government schools and raise their families as they see fit.

My speech will be at 12:00 pm CT on the steps of the Iowa Capitol. There will be a lot of press and a lot of attention, and every single supporter that can turn out will help me. Please consider attending if it fits your schedule.

I will also be traveling to New Hampshire on Thursday and Friday for more important meetings, plenty of press opportunities, and two public events.

The first event will be a speech and rally at the University of New Hampshire in Durham on Thursday, March 24th, co-hosted by Young Americans for Liberty and the UNH College Republicans.  The event will begin at 3:30 pm at the Memorial Union Building right in the heart of campus.

Always remember that our strength lies in our numbers, and just by turning out and showing your enthusiasm for Liberty, you can send a powerful message. I very much hope to see you there!

I will also be speaking to the Dover City GOP at their annual dinner on Friday, March 25th, at 5:30 pm.  This function will help support New Hampshire GOP Chairman Jack Kimball, a TEA Party leader who has so far really impressed me.

It would be great to turn out as many folks as possible, because, as we all know, money talks, and helping to make their event a financial success will send the Republican Party a powerful statement about the strength of our movement.

You can get more information on the event here.

March is shaping up to be a great month for our efforts. Of course, I have you and all the supporters of Liberty PAC to thank for making these trips possible.  Your financial support means the world to me, and these trips are only the beginning of where your generous gifts will allow me to take our message.

To help keep our momentum going, please consider a gift of any size, up to the maximum legal contribution of $5,000. As I always say, our strength lies in our numbers, so contributions of $100, $50, $20.12, or even $10 make a real difference.

Please consider joining me as we fund Liberty PAC to lay the groundwork for our political action in the 2012 cycle.  Together, we can reclaim our Liberty and restore our Constitution.

For Liberty,


Ron Paul

P.S. Your support is critical in guiding my 2012 decision making and guaranteeing a successful political operation so we can elect the type of President who will take our country back from the statists. Please, click here to make a contribution of $500, $250, $100, $50, or even $20.12 today.



Paid for by Liberty PAC.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
www.Libertypac.com

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Message: Get in the game.

Sunshine Week

http://www.sunshineweek.org

Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public's right to know.

Sunshine Week as a national effort is spearheaded by the American Society of News Editors. The key funder has been the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with significant support from ASNE Foundation. In 2011, The Gridiron Club and Foundation contributed $10,000.

Though created by journalists, Sunshine Week is about the public's right to know what its government is doing, and why.

Sunshine Week seeks to enlighten and empower people to play an active role in their government at all levels, and to give them access to information that makes their lives better and their communities stronger.

Sunshine Week is a nonpartisan, non-profit initiative.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Fast Times at CMU High!


wats:ON? Festival-School of Architecture - Carnegie Mellon University

wats:ON 2011: Speed

Event: The Jill Watson Festival Across the Arts

Date: Thurs., March 17-Sat., March 19

Curated by Pablo Garcia and Spike Wolff

Notions of speed in contemporary culture are often tied to technology and its impact on everyday life. Information dissemination and interactions are accelerating, and with it hopes and fears of the future change with every new invention or discovery. Our culture of speed harnesses energies beyond our comprehension, while calling into question the nature of our everyday reality.

Speed is not merely acceleration, but a magnitude of velocity, fast or slow. It becomes a measure of time and space, of dislocation and change, of transformation and evolution. The extremes of fast and slow heighten our awareness of our surroundings, creating a seamless interface between the visceral and the subliminal. Speed creates a blur between what is real and what is imagined.

wats:ON 2011 will examine speed in relation to the production and presentation of creative work encompassing a range of interdisciplinary events.

The Jill Watson Festival Across the Arts (wats:ON?) was created to honor the life of Jill Watson, whose interest in the arts inspired others through her work and her teaching. The festival celebrates Jill's commitment to an interdisciplinary philosophy as an artist and celebrates her accomplishments and reputation as an architect. Jill Watson was a Carnegie Mellon University alumna, adjunct faculty member in the School of Architecture and acclaimed Pittsburgh architect who died in the TWA Flight 800 plane crash on July 17, 1996.

For a complete schedule of events, visit http://www.cmu.edu/architecture/lecture/watson-festival/index.html

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Fight for Public Media at NCMR


Free Press
Right now, NPR, PBS and your local public radio station are facing unprecedented threats. They're being targeted by extremists in Congress, ambushed by dirty tricks, and vilified on cable news.
These attacks fly in the face of the fact that public media in America enjoy broad public support. This April, public media supporters are coming to the National Conference for Media Reform to discuss ways we can rescue public media and build new support for hard-hitting journalism that is free of partisan politics.
We'll tackle these issues — and a whole lot more — with people like Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!, Salon's Glenn Greenwald, Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz; award-winning journalists David Shuster and Carole Simpson; Free Press co-founders Robert W. McChesney and John Nichols; and people from news organizations like Mother Jones, Oakland Local, Brave New Films, FRONTLINE and The Nation.
Want to join us? Register for NCMR 2011 now.
Here's what you'll find:
  • The Fighting for Public Media session will feature multimedia presentations from leaders like Paula Kerger of PBS; Laura Walker, president of New York Public Radio; David Fanning, executive producer of FRONTLINE; and Maxie Jackson of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters.
  • Public Media's Innovators will demonstrate the apps, tools and programs that are helping to capture the history of our communities in new ways.
  • And the organizers and advocates who fought for more than 10 years to pass the Local Community Radio Act will be there. Meet them and find out how you might build a radio station in your hometown.
That's just the top of the list. The full program — which covers technology, media policy, politics, social justice, music and much, much more — is now online.
When it comes to the future of news and democracy, it’s clear that there’s a lot to talk about. But there's even more to do. Register for NCMR 2011 now.
See you in Boston,
Josh Stearns
Associate Program Director
Free Press
P.S. The full program and list of presenters is now online. Check it out!
P.P.S. Hotel rooms in Boston are selling out fast. Go here to reserve a room.
 
Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Learn more at www.freepress.net

PA Education Policy Breakfast

Thursday, March 17, 2011 with Continental Breakfast at 8:00 a.m. and Program from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Holiday Inn Select - University Center - Oakland

SUBJECT: Governor Corbett’s Proposed Education Budget for 2011-2012

Governor Corbett will deliver his 2011-2012 state budget proposal to the General Assembly on March 8. This Policy Forum will be an early opportunity to get up-to-date information about what is in the proposed education budget, the budget’s relative strengths and weaknesses, and key issues.

Ron Cowell of EPLC will provide an overview of the Governor’s proposed budget for early education, K-12 and higher education. A representative of the PA Budget and Policy Center will provide an overview of the state’s fiscal situation, a reality that shapes the state budget in any year. The overviews will be followed by remarks from a panel representing several statewide and regional perspectives concerning state funding for education and education related items. These speakers will discuss the impact of the Governor’s proposals and identify the key issues that will likely be considered during this year’s budget debate.

While there is no registration fee, seating is limited and an RSVP is required.

You can RSVP on-line at http://www.eplc.org/forum_westernpa.html

I hope you will be able to join us.

In addition, please feel free to share this information with colleagues who may like to attend.

Tea Party Activist, Tom, ponders teachers

Tom Kawczynski 2011

When I started working with members of the Tea Party movement back in 2008, I was joining a movement I thought was about stopping huge corporate bailouts on the taxpayer dime, about protecting choice in health care options, and looking out for the regular person. Those were important fights, and the Tea Partiers took positions that I supported, along with many others.

Today is different.
Teachers are not the bad guys. Read it.

Beyond Books - News, Literacy, Democracy, and America's Libraries - MIT - 6-7 Apr 2011

Assessing the common mission of journalists and librarians April 6-7, 2011 / MIT Center for Future Civic Media

**** EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION RATES END MARCH 1. ****

WHO'S COMING:
http://journalismthatmatters.org/biblionews/whos-coming

DOWNLOAD POSTING NOTICE:
http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/images/c/cb/Biblionews.pdf

REGISTER NOW:
http://www.biblionews.org

For three centuries, in American towns large and small, two institutions
have uniquely marked a commitment to participatory democracy, learning and
open inquiry - our libraries and our free press. Today, as their tools
change, their common missions of civic engagement and information
transparency converge.

Economic and technology changes suggest an opportunity for collaboration
among these two historic community information centers - one largely public,
one largely private.

But How? The capability of newspapers to provide community information is
declining. Library budgets are under challenge. At the same time, informal
sources of local information are rapidly increasing.

On Wednesday and Thursday, April 6 and 7, 2011, Journalism That Matters,
LLAMA, the Office of Information Technology Policy of the American Library
Association, the MIT Center for Future Civic Media, the Media Giraffe
Project at UMass Amherst, the New England News Forum, the Donald W. Reynolds
Journalism Institute and the Cambridge Public Library invite you to join in
a work session for civic information transparency that builds from and
beyond books.

Our intention is to assess shared purpose -- and now shared channels and
technologies -- among librarians and journalists to promote civic engagement
and open access to information. More and more, libraries are becoming
"community information centers" -- an evolution broadly supported in the
recommendations of the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of
Communities.

Libraries and legacy media have always shared a common purpose -- helping us
acquire the information we need to be engaged, informed (and entertained)
citizens. They used different tools - newspapers, broadcast stations and
books. Now the tools are converging - web search, data taxonomies, database
creation and analysis, social networks - as librarians and journalists
together foster civic literacy and engagement.

Librarians want to expand public access to accurate information, including
trustworthy local news. So do journalists. How do we expand libraries as
community information centers beyond books - perhaps even beyond their four
walls - facilitating and engaging with journalists? What can libraries and
journalists do - together - to foster improved access to community
information?

Thus, as the tools and mission converge, it's time to ask: "What's possible
at the intersection of libraries and journalism that serves the information
needs of communities and democracy?"

Via a pre-event social network, an evening agenda-setting dialogue, a day of
roundtable planning and closing action commitments, we'll discover what's
possible at the intersection of public spaces, open documents, citizen
reporting and journalistic purpose. Among the questions we may ask:

* What does engagement mean to journalists and librarians?
* What might libraries do to facilitate community social news
networks?
* Must free speech be absolute within a taxpayer-supported
institution?
* How do we define the boundaries between engagement and
partisanship?
* Are libraries poised to become public-access media centers as
cable fades?
* Should a library operate a news collective, non-profit or
citizen-journalism service?
* How can libraries help preserve a free digital information
commons?

STIPENDS AVAILABLE

If you are a graduate student in library or information science, a
technologist or journalist with relevant experience to our purpose, you may
apply for a travel/lodging stipend. Stipend awards will be made based on
need around March 15. To apply, register now and choose the "request
stipend" option.

REPRESENTATIVE COLLABORATORS

Among our growing list of collaborators are(alpha order): Joe Bergantino
(New England Center for Investigative Reporting), Jessica Durkin (New
America Foundation fellow), Mike Fancher (RJI / Seattle Times-retired),
Fabrice Florin (NewsTrust), Renee Hobbs, (Temple Univ.-Media Education);
Marsha Iverson (ALA and King County libraries), Library Leadership &
Management Assn. (LLAMA), Alan Inouye (director, Office of Info Tech Policy,
ALA), Barbara Jones (ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom); Nancy Kranich
(Rutgers Univ., chair ALA Center for Public Life), Lorrie LeJeune and Andrew
Whitacre (MIT C4FCM), Leigh Montgomery (SLA news-division chair-elect,
Christian Science Monitor librarian), Donna Nicely (Knight
Commission/Nashville Public Library), Patrick Phillips (Vineyard Voice),
Josh Stearns (FreePress.net), Colin Rhinesmith (Univ. of Illinois) and Bill
Densmore, (New England News Forum/Media Giraffe Project/Reynolds Journalism
Institute).

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Email jtm@journalismthatmatters.org or call Bill Densmore at the the New
England News Forum, 413-458-8001.

-------------------------------------
Bill Densmore, director/editor
The Media Giraffe Project / Journalism Program
108 Bartlett Hall / Univ. of Massachusetts
Amherst MA 01003
OFF: 413-577-4370 / CELL: 413-458-8001
densmore@journ.umass.edu

-----------------------------------------
Group home for Newswire - Steven Clift's Democracies Online Newswire:
http://groups.dowire.org/groups/newswire

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Summary of Governor Corbett’s Proposed Education Budget from Ron C.

FY 2011-12 for Basic Education

The Education budget for 2011-2012 proposed by Governor Tom Corbett on March 8, 2011 has Pennsylvania students bearing most of the burden of his budget cutting ideas. It is very likely that this budget proposal, if enacted, would be harmful to students in early childhood programs, elementary and secondary grades, and higher education.

The effect of the budget proposal would be to starve K-12 programs for resources and drive tuition up at higher education institutions in Pennsylvania. It is important to remember that Pennsylvania starts out with one of the nation’s most inequitable funding systems for K-12 resources across our 500 school districts; has among the lowest levels of state support for K-12; has a $4.6 billion funding shortage to get to “adequate” funding for all students to have the opportunity to become proficient relative to state academic standards (2007 Costing Out Study); and has some of the highest public higher education tuition rates in the nation.

School districts would lose more than $1 billion of state and federal stimulus funding.

* Basic Education Subsidy reduced by $550 million. The $5.226 billion currently being proposed by the Corbett administration represents the 2008-2009 level of funding.

* Accountability Block Grants are eliminated, a loss of $259.456 million. Much of this was used by districts to support early education.

* Charter school reimbursement to districts is eliminated, a loss of $224.083 million. These payments reimbursed school districts for about 25% of their charter school costs.

* Special Education would be flat-funded for the 3rd consecutive year at ($1.026 billion).

* Career and Technical Education was level funded at $62 million.

* Other cuts to school districts amount to more than $50 million.

These other basic education items are eliminated entirely:

* Basic Education Formula Enhancements ($1.984 million)
* Dual Enrollment Payments ($6.959 million)
* School Improvement Grants ($10.797 million)
* Education Assistance Program ($47.606 million)
* Science It’s Elementary ($6.910 million)
* Mobile Science Education Program ($1.6 million)
* Intermediate Units ($4.761 million)
* School Entity Demonstration Projects ($600 thousand)
* High School Reform ($1.762 million)
* Lifelong Learning ($825 thousand)
* Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic ($69 thousand)
* Job Training Programs ($3.442 million)

Additional information and analysis about the budget will be posted on EPLC’s website as it becomes available.

The EPLC Education Notebook (current and past editions) also is available by visiting the EPLC website at http://www.eplc.org/ednotebook.html

Proposed education cuts termed 'catastrophic'

Proposed education cuts termed 'catastrophic'

"You're breaking people's dreams," said Kaitlyn Grzywinski, 19, of Saxonburg, a freshman at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. "This decision will ruin some people's chances of going to college. Cost is a huge factor."

Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/11068/1130619-455.stm#ixzz1G73mwonS
Great quote.

Transit Cut protest rally slated for Sq. Hill on Saturday

Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) is having a rally to protest the unfair service cuts proposed by Port Authority. This rally will be held on Saturday March 19th @ 12p in Sq. Hill at the corner of Beacon & Murray. We ask that everyone assemble at this location a few minutes before noon; once the crowd has gatheres we will march with signs to the intersection of Forbes & Murray for a demonstration.

They are hoping for a large turn-out and can use as much support from us as possible to fight these cuts! As members and/or friends of the Black and White Reunion we ask you to join us in supporting this cause because there is not one organization, community, or business in the city of Pittsburgh that does not benefit from transit so please urge all of your members, friends, interns, students- whomever you know to come to this rally and add their voice to this movement. We hope to see you there.
Thanks!!

Monday, March 07, 2011

Pittsburgh school election needs higher voter turnout, group says

I don't think so.
Pittsburgh school election needs higher voter turnout, group says

Pittsburgh school election needs higher voter turnout, group says
Monday, March 07, 2011
By Eleanor Chute, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A+ Schools, a public education advocacy group, today launched a campaign aimed at increasing voter turnout in the upcoming school board primary election in Pittsburgh.

Four seats are up for election this year: District 2, held by Dara Ware Allen; District 4, held by Bill Isler; District 6, held by school board president Sherry Huzuda; and District 8, held by Mark Brentley Sr.

According to A+ Schools, voter turnout in those districts ranged from 14 percent to 26 percent in 2007. The organization has set a goal of increasing voter turnout by 26 percent or 6,000 voters.

"Our community consistently lists education as a top concern, but each year the turnout rates remain pitifully low. If we expect the Pittsburgh Public Schools to improve performance, we -- the voters -- must show the board we are paying attention and hold them accountable by voting," said Carey Harris, A+ Schools' executive director, in a news release.

In the campaign, volunteers and partner organizations will help get voting pledges. A+ Schools also will conduct a candidate forum and publish a voter guide.

The primary is scheduled for May 17. Candidates must file their petitions by March 8.
Education writer Eleanor Chute: echute@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1955.

Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/11066/1130341-100.stm#ixzz1FwjYad8k

If you don't know who to vote for, don't vote. It isn't bad to skip questions on a ballot.

What is needed are public discussion and public candidate debates. We should zap ignorance. Vote totals that are elevated only to increase ignorance is -- well -- just more harm than good. It is far worse to ask for uninformed voters to vote than almost anything else.

UK scrambles to explain SAS Libya blunder: News24: World: News

Where is James Bond when you need him?
UK scrambles to explain SAS Libya blunder: News24: World: News

UK scrambles to explain SAS Libya blunder
Frankly, I don't think they need James Bond. What is needed and what is wanted may be different.

China: Tibet won't fall apart if Dalai Lama dies | Stuff.co.nz

China: Tibet won't fall apart if Dalai Lama dies | Stuff.co.nz
the order was conveyed verbally, as is often the case with official directives that the government does not wish to defend or explain.

Friday, March 04, 2011

Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee will Vote on Castle Doctrine Bill on Monday, March 7

This Monday, March 7, the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee will vote on important legislation. Introduced by state Representative Scott Perry (R-92), House Bill 40 (Castle Doctrine legislation) would permit law-abiding citizens to use force, including deadly force, against an attacker in their home and any place outside of their home where they have a legal right to be.  If enacted into law, it would also protect individuals from civil lawsuits by the attacker or the attacker's family when force is used. 

In 2010, both the state House and Senate overwhelming passed this important self-defense legislation, which was vetoed by anti-gun Governor Ed Rendell before he left office.

Please contact members of the House Judiciary Committee today and urge them to support a Pennsylvanians right to self-defense by voting for HB 40. Contact information for the House Judiciary Committee can be found on thw web at http://www.NRAILA.org.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Here is how some ask for money for a cause -- at the end.

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Parker: Don't take RWC away - the-press | Stuff.co.nz

Those who will be missing the NFL next fall can turn a lonely eye to Rubgy.

Parker: Don't take RWC away - the-press | Stuff.co.nz

Christchurch is ''utterly'' committed to holding its Rugby World Cup matches, despite the damage wreaked on the city by last week's earthquake, Mayor Bob Parker says.

Questions have been raised about whether the city will be able to host the event, given predictions that it may take months to get essential services up and running following last week's 6.3-magnitude quake.

Christchurch is scheduled to host five pool games and two quarterfinals in the Cup which begins on September 9, 2011.
The comments in the article are interesting. They want to bring in cruise ships to give housing to the guest when the world cup for Rugby comes. But why wait. Thousands are without homes and safe sleeping quarters now. Bring in the ships to Christchurch now and then you'd have some support for the tourists in the months to come.

In other news, icebergs now cover a quarter of the 5km by 2km Tasman Lake, which is about 200km west of Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island.