View From The Burgh Chair

DeWeese Fashion Files

2012-01-23T12:10:00.001-05:00

DeWeese Fashion Files, Day 1

I expected State Representative Bill DeWeese to show up in his seersucker suit for the first day in his corruption trial.

Note my huge disappointment. . .

I'm With Jesus Now

2012-01-21T19:59:00.001-05:00

It's interesting people are now talking about Rick Santorum's wife, Karen, and her living with an abortion doctor years ago--an unlikely pairing, I suppose. I assumed everyone just knew about it, but kept it on the down low, until of course, Rick started eyeing the Presidential job. This life was pre-caftans; pre-conservative; pre-Jesus. I suppose Karen was saved. Conservatives love that kind of shit story.

When you start a bid for the top spot, that's when the vetting really starts. It was fine that Eddie Rendell nailed every tall blonde across the state while mayor, then governor. But once he started thinking about becoming president, or even vice-president, it stopped being gossip and started becoming news.

As I have mentioned in the past; drugs, where once a career killer, is now edging candidates out of a pack. Candidates freely admit blowing coke off of a hooker's body (just not dead ones--now that crosses the line with voters).

Newt Gingrich has quite a predicament. He is vehemently denying his "former" swinger lifestyle. In recent memory, this is the first of this kind, which means, he will suffer the consequences. The second presidential candidate will learn from Newt's mistakes, admit right up front that he's a swinger, and cause a public debate, and still not win. However, the third subsequent swinger candidate will be elected and voters will wonder what the big deal was in the first place (leaving Newt to scratch his head).

Clinton, five years later

Douglas Ginsburg

Rapture Cancelled; Jesus Helping Tebow

2012-01-10T14:07:00.000-05:00

I really do not have much to add about Tim Tebow that already has been said. I just thought my title was funny and I wanted to use it before the whole thing blew over.

I suppose his public worship of Jesus is about as uncomfortable as the argument made by the city police defence expert with regards to Jordan Miles.

As a reformed Catholic, anything religious makes me uncomfortable. I automatically feel I am going to Hell for such crimes as thinking I would like to attach missile launchers to my car for morning traffic to eating a Big Mac at McDonalds instead of a salad.

A God-Talker reminds me that I suck as a human being. I do not donate as much as I should; Volunteer as much as I should; I am way too vain; I drink too much; Sleep too much; Neglect too much . . . Despite my best efforts and resolutions, I ultimately will settle down onto my broken couch in my living room to a long evening of reality television and judgement. A tube of Pringles occasionally jumps into my mouth and I am forced to eat them. You really can't just have one . . .

Are we upset that Tebow thinks he is better than the rest of us? Upset that he is arrogant to assume we do not have enough Jesus in our lives? Are we upset that he is so, so, umm . . . Jesus-loving?

Ravenstahl loses bet with Jesus.

I grew up in a town where God-Talkers were often homeless men who wore women's clothing and carried around duffel bags filled with pieces of rope and bungee cords. And I feel even worse when I do not give a homeless person money because I think, What if that was Jesus? Really, I cannot win.

If an act of God made the Steelers lose, then we must be pretty damn good!

2011 12 Days Of Christmas

2011-12-28T09:26:00.000-05:00

99% Occupy Wall street

56 y/o Steve Jobs passes

30 years of NASA spacecraft fleet

21st came and went in May, then in October--no Rapture . . .

12 Primanti sandwiches eaten by Rick Sebak in one sitting (not a record for him, though)

11th hour default avoided by US

10 years since 9/11

9.0 Earthquake in Japan

8 Sandusky victims so far . . .

7 Roethlisberger gets married

6 Navy Seals bring down bin Laden

5 Jacksons at conviction of Conrad Murray (maybe more . . . )

4(1) years Susan Lucci played Erica Kane on All My Children

3 Gingrich wives

2 And A Half Men star Charlie Sheen meltdown
(2 days Kim Jong-il dead before the world knew)

1 Joe Pa fired

Mental Health Mandatory For Rs

2011-12-16T10:17:00.000-05:00

I wanted to do a whole thing about holiday cards. I had a great idea for Jerry Sandusky's card . . . but thought better of it.

So now I am left to the clowns on the Republican ticket. I have been avoiding the topic, mostly because I've been shopping and watching holiday shows on TV instead of thinking, but the latest round of inept campaigning has left me and hopefully you, scratching heads. I wonder if Obama is sitting in his office, laughing his head off with this slate of candidates.

Really, it is bad news when Rick Santorum seems like a voice of reason and the best alternative with his dog fucking ideas.

To wrap up the best of what the Republican Party has to offer America as an alternative to the Socialist Obama, here is an outline:

Michelle Bauchmann: The HPV vaccine causes kids to go retard.

Rick Perry: Not only is he suffering from Dementia, but he scares 80 year olds into believing Social Security is a big Ponzi Scheme.

Mitt Romney: Just your average flip-flopper. For gay marriage, not for gay marriage; For universal health care, not for universal health care; For Team Edward, Not for Team Edward.

Herman Cain: Even though he is out of the running, his screw ups involve Labia. . . I mean Libya.

Newt Gingrich: Aside from being casted in the newest ABC reality show, I Have Three Wives, his main idea for the Presidential Ticket is to force children to become janitors--after all, hunger and poverty alone does not instill good old American Values.

I would mention the other candidate in the race, but I don't know his name.

I have to question Republicans and their connection to the average American voter, let alone the average American. The party has this fascinating idea for drug testing those who apply for unemployment . . . because we all know those black people use SNAP funds to buy drugs . . .

It leaves me with a thought . . . maybe we should mandate those who register as Republicans to have a mental health evaluation instead . . .

Millennial Women Burned Out

2011-11-22T16:13:00.000-05:00

Check it out here.

93rd Anniversary

2011-11-07T15:52:00.007-05:00

Remember to Vote Today!

I have to admit, I never really took time out to think about Veteran's Day. I called my uncle once and thanked him for his service . . . out of nowhere. It was the thought that counted.

I treat it like any other day I have off--sleepy in time!

Sometimes, I remember to put up a little flag.

I did a little lunchtime research on this particular day, and found Woodrow Wilson was the one who proclaimed November 11th as Veteran's Day:

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

For "the victory."

What is our victory today? Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, and Muammar Gaddafi.

In my own life, these men have been the most feared by me (although I get Gaddafi and Noriega confused . . isn't he the guy who hid in a church after swimming across the Panama Canal?).

It's interesting who every generation fears. The Germans, The Russians, the Islamic Terrorists . . . For my part, the Russians were always Penguin hockey players and a hot dictator who poisoned his political opponents.

I think I fear China more for being our landlord than invading us. I fear India more for taking over Pizza Hut when I call in an order, than for starting a war with us.

I'm getting sidetracked . . .

93 years ago was the War to End All Wars. Maybe someday that will be true.

Take some time to remember those who are serving and who have served our country.

To the 1%: An Open Letter

2011-10-28T15:14:00.025-04:00

Dear 1%:

I was listening to one of the many God channels on the radio while driving the other day, and the God people got into an interesting discussion on Occupy Wall Street, and the economic struggles of many Americans.

God Talker/Host person argued that those who are upset in this economy are envious of the rich, which is a deadly sin. Essentially, us 99% are coveting what we cannot have, and therefore, we are sinners. You who are wealthy are blessed by God and earned it all on your own, with heavenly praises.

Superficially, I get it. Yeah, I guess I am sort of envious that you are able fly to France on a private plane; take golden parachutes after completely fucking up a company and its workers; beg for Government bailouts to help your failing business; while I have unpaid ER bills, bad struts on my car, and a hole in my tooth that stings when I bite down, which surprisingly I cannot get help with from the government unless I am incorporated (right now, I get by on selling crack and babies and SNAP).

When you, as a wealthy business owner, feel you did it all by yourself, I can't help but wonder how you manage every day to get out of bed and hand make 30,000 widgets . . . without any help whatsoever!

But did you? There are no accountants, managers, line workers, janitors, investors, etc. out there helping you?

Why are you the only one who can be blessed with a good standard of living and health care? Are not your workers equally deserving of those things as well?

I wonder if God Talker/Host ever read the Bible. Any of it.

So long as we are throwing around ideas of who is sinning, wouldn't it be you, the rich, who sit idly by, basking in your wealth, not really practicing your religious teachings (and being spiritual does not fucking count)?

If you think of what set Jesus off in the Bible, when he truly goes ape-shit mad, it's when there are "money changers" in the temple: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24).

And what about Job? Job is a guy going along quite well in his life. He has animals and robes and wine and whatnot. One day, Satan is bored watching Comcast and decides to bet God that humans only love him when things are going right; but when something terrible happens, they give him the middle finger. God, a betting man, took him up on the offer and raised the stakes with two Steeler tickets, 50 yard line, that Job would stay faithful (It's in the Holy Bible!).

Satan does his worst, killing his family, animals, and making him wear Ravens gear. Even Job's friends in a painful series of arguments, tell him God is punishing him, for what, who knows. But Job remains faithful.

What am I getting at with all this actual Bible talk?

God does not punish people, good or bad.

Note One: Unless he makes a bet against Satan, and this is the only one I know of for sure;

Note Two: Well, God was a real a-hole in the Old Testament, punishing people every other day and smiting them constantly; this is attributed to by many scholars as his "dark times" when he experimented with drugs and listened to Rock and Roll music.

Gay or straight.
Rich or poor.
Pepsi or Coke.
Team Jacob or Team
Edward.

As a side note, why is it when a hurricane comes to the East, it
is God punishing us, but it's nature at work in the South?

Let's just cut the bullshit all out.

It really seems to me it is about entitlement, and the fight of who gets more. If you conceive of a business empire, shouldn't you be entitled to keep its spoils? Absolutely. But at the expense of those who got and keep you there?

No.

Especially when record profits of corporations are reported, and yet worker wages and health benefits are ever declining.

If you are going to quote the Bible, be sure it is accurate. Be sure it is contextual. And for God's sake, don't use his name to make you feel better about your fellow humans suffering in the world today.

Sincerely,

I am the 99%
Lady Elaine

Occupy WallStreet

Occupying

2011-10-17T08:56:00.019-04:00

Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) said in The Wedding Singer, "No, sir, I have no experience but I'm a big fan of money. I like it, I use it, I have a little. I keep it in a jar on top of my refrigerator. I'd like to put more in that jar."

I have a coin jar I keep. I took it once to a bank to cash it. They outsource the counting to a machine that does it automatically, yet wanted to charge me a "counting" fee. WTF. I went to the grocery store to use a coin machine to count my pennies, and they assess a fee to it as well.

Everyone wants a piece of me. EZ Pass I think is the biggest scam for charging fees, as well as museums, you know, those entities that use public funds, yet charge me an extra fee to purchase tickets over the Internet, that I pay to print out on my own???!!!

I was not sure about Occupy Wall Street/Pittsburgh. If you take a look at the signs and pictures, it seems anyone with a complaint is there, from veterans, to environmentalists, to unions. I thought it was silly; like G20, protesting just to protest (was it really about anarchy?).

But then I read an article about President Obama's job creation panel.

I cannot wrap my head around having some of the biggest assholes on this panel helping to figure out how to solve unemployment, when they themselves are the problem.

Look at D. Raja . . . we are in a recession (really, we are), hurting from high unemployment, low wages, high cost of living; and yet he is running for County Executive after outsourcing jobs in his own company. I suppose that's supposed to make us feel like he is a real businessman, and we all know having a business-attitude in the government solves everything . . . and the newspapers around here say there is no difference between Raja and Rich Fitzgerald? Really?

Getting back to Occupy . . .

I wrote last year about the 80's Steel Industry collapse, and the sense of helplessness that was felt. The deregulation of, well, everything in the 80's, led the way to corporate greed. All of a sudden, unions became weak; wages did not grow with the cost of living; workers took a backseat while CEOs lined their pockets. Is this really capitalism? According to Karl Marx it is. . .

Is it really necessary to lay off workers after making a billion dollar profit? Who is kidding who here?

I always thought in a Capitalist society, everyone benefits; and when everyone benefits, money, products, and services all increase.

Henry Ford seemed to believe that if workers are happy, the business will be more successful--he offered double wages in order to keep turnover low, and attract the best employees.

Milton Hershey built the town around his factory--houses, transportation system, schools, library, etc., all to keep his workers happy.

Bill Gates installed ping pong tables and dress however the fuck you want to, to make his employees happy.

I love the fact that many wealthy people insist they did it all themselves . . . I would like to meet a person who really did it all themselves. Taught themselves using their own handwritten books and did not use the library, school, or college; drove on their own roads; never used a hospital; kept their money under their mattresses and not in an FDIC insured bank; you get my point. Or do you?

Occupy is a movement that hits upon all that is wrong with today, mostly sacrificing the worker for money. The American Dream seems to only apply to those with a trust fund. I like it when a politician says that "we" have to start saving more.

How?

No health insurance (Start a health savings account! With what money?); college tuition rises every 8 seconds; milk and bread are almost affordable, while chicken and beef are out of the question; utilities are a fucking disgrace.

Invest in the stock market . . . you mean the one that doesn't know which way is up?

If you just stop drinking your latte mocha cappuccinos every day, you can put that money aside . . . oh my God, you're right! I would be saving like a $100 a year! Let's see, what would I be able to buy with all that fucking cash . . .

I like the eff word. It has such power to a peon like me.

Tea Party vs Occupy: Which One Are You?

2011-10-10T11:01:00.010-04:00

I was listening to the radio, and I heard some Conservative blowhard talking about how those in the movement, Occupy Wallstreet, are an angry mob. Yet, gun-toting Tea Partiers are just exercising their rights? GMAFB!

In case you have no fucking idea what's going on . . .

Tea Party:

"Our mission is based on the U.S. Constitution's original principles and not on any political party platform. We must return the United States to the States and the people as spelled out in the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Constitution was written by our founders to limit the powers of the federal government, instead, giving the power to the people and the States."

"As a committed group of ordinary Americans, we will achieve this by introducing candidates who commit to the original founding principles of the U.S. Constitution of limited federal government, states' rights, balanced budgets, individual liberty, freedom and personal responsibility."

"We will also expose the candidates who do not adhere to these basic Constitutional principles. We will support and promote the new 'Contract From America,' asking each Senator and Congress member to sign annually to show their commitment. For those who refuse to sign the new 'Contract From America,' we will expose those candidates or current politicians who will not commit to these basic principles of freedom and accountability and, instead, believe it is Government who 'knows best.'"

"We believe most Americans do not want out-of-control spending in Washington, bailouts, government controls of private businesses, socializing of Americans' health care and other non-essential government-run services."

"We will support candidates from any party who commit to these principles and expose those who do not, and let the people decide on Election Day. In a nutshell, we need American patriots' help by joining the Tea Party movement, donating if you are able to and passing along the information about the Tea Party movement to your family, friends and neighbors."

"Here are some of the tools our website resource center offers to help the movement achieve its goals:

· Start a Tea Party
· Find local Tea Party groups in your area
· Receive a daily newsletter listing events
· Register to vote
· Communicate with others in the Tea Party movement

If we all grow together and do this, we WILL save the Freedoms that are so
precious to all of us and are the core of our founding principles. Thank you for
your support and may God Bless America!"

Occupy Wallstreet

"We want freedom for all, without regards for identity, because we are all people, and because no other reason should be needed. However, this freedom has been largely taken from the people, and slowly made to trickle down, whenever we get angry."

"Money, it has been said, has taken over politics. In truth, we say, money has always been part of the capitalist political system. A system based on the existence of have and have nots, where inequality is inherent to the system, will inevitably lead to a situation where the haves find a way to rule, whether by the sword or by the dollar."

"We agree that we need to see election reform. However, the election reform proposed ignores the causes which allowed such a system to happen. Some will readily blame the federal reserve, but the political system has been beholden to political machinations of the wealthy well before its founding."

"We need to address the core facts: these corporations, even if they were unable to compete in the electoral arena, would still remain control of society. They would retain economic control, which would allow them to retain political control. Term limits would, again, not solve this, as many in the political class already leave politics to find themselves as part of the corporate elites."

"We need to retake the freedom that has been stolen from the people, altogether.

1. If you agree that freedom is the right to communicate, to live, to be, to go, to love, to do what you will without the impositions of others, then you might be one of us.

2. If you agree that a person is entitled to the sweat of their brows, that being talented at management should not entitle others to act like overseers and overlords, that all workers should have the right to engage in decisions, democratically, then you mightbe one of us.

3. If you agree that freedom for some is not the same as freedom for all, and that freedom for all is the only true freedom, then you might be one of us.

4. If you agree that power is not right, that life trumps property, then you might be one of us.

5. If you agree that state and corporation are merely two sides of
the same oppressive power structure, if you realize how media distorts things
to preserve it, how it pits the people against the people to remain in power, then you might be one of us."

"And so we call on people to act:

1. We call for protests to remain active in the cities. Those already there, to grow, to organize, to raise consciousnesses, for those cities where there are no protests, for protests to organize and disrupt the system.

2. We call for workers to not only strike, but seize their workplaces collectively, and to organize them democratically. We call for students and teachers to act together, to teach democracy, not merely the teachers to the students, but the students to the teachers. To seize the classrooms and free minds together.

3. We call for the unemployed to volunteer, to learn, to teach, to use what skills they have to support themselves as part of the revolting people as a community.

4. We call for the organization of people's assemblies in every city, every public square, every township.

5. We call for the seizure and use of abandoned buildings, of abandoned land, of every property seized and abandoned by speculators, for the people, for every group that will organize them."

"We call for a revolution of the mind as well as the body politic."

Politicians . . .

2011-09-21T13:47:00.001-04:00

Proyectos tratan de convertir el inglés idioma oficial Pensilvania

2011-09-15T13:12:00.003-04:00

Por Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Si usted quiere ser parte de nuestra sociedad, nuestro idioma," dijo el Rep. Scott Perry, R-York.

HARRISBURG - Es un tema político candente que divide a los conservadores en el estado de los liberales, los residentes rurales de habitantes de las ciudades multiculturales, y las personas cuyo idioma principal es el Inglés - es decir, la mayoría de los residentes de Pennsylvania - de los que se refieren sólo a una segunda lengua, con españoles suelen ser los primeros.

Dos proyectos de ley se han introducido en la Legislatura para hacer Inglés el idioma "oficial" del Estado Keystone, lo que significa que ya no habría ninguna panfletos del gobierno estatal o publicaciones impresas en cualquier otro idioma.

"Este es nuestro país, nuestra cultura, nuestro estilo de vida y de nuestra lengua," dijo el representante Scott Perry, republicano de Nueva York. "Si nuestro idioma no le conviene, nadie te obligó a venir aquí y nadie te obliga a quedarse."

Los proyectos de ley también podría significar disminución de la financiación estatal de Inglés como un Segundo Idioma programas, que se utiliza para enseñar Inglés a inmigrantes de origen extranjero y sus hijos. También podría prevenir los camioneros que no hablan Inglés de obtener una licencia de manejo comercial y la conducción de sus equipos pesados por las carreteras del estado en el que no puede leer las señales de tráfico.

"¿Qué tan seguro se siente sabiendo que usted está conduciendo su vehículo a 60 mph al lado de personas que operan vehículos de hasta 40 toneladas que han sido autorizados con las normas mínimas de competencia Inglés?" Perry pidió a la Casa de Gobierno Junta de Gobierno el miércoles.

Que ha patrocinado el Proyecto de Ley 888, que - junto con el Proyecto de Ley 361 por el representante RoseMarie Swanger, R-Líbano - haría Inglés el idioma oficial en el estado y evitar que los fondos que se están utilizando para las publicaciones bilingües.

Algunos legisladores republicanos dijeron que es una pérdida de dinero de los contribuyentes para imprimir los documentos gubernamentales en otros idiomas además del Inglés. Dijeron que 29 idiomas distintos del Inglés se habla en el estado, con la mayoría no hablan Inglés con el español, pero muchos otros que hablan uno de los varios dialectos de China, Filipinas y otros idiomas asiáticos, más el ruso, alemán, francés o italiano.

"Si quieres ser parte de nuestra sociedad, aprenda nuestra lengua," dijo Perry. "Pongo en duda el derecho del Estado para obligar a los contribuyentes para subsidiar ... elevados costos de la enseñanza y otros costos impuestos elevación ... por el bien de una minoría de las personas que no hablan Inglés."

"¿Qué tan seguro se siente sabiendo que usted está conduciendo su vehículo a 60 mph al lado de personas que operan vehículos de hasta 40 toneladas que han sido autorizados con las normas mínimas de competencia Inglés?" Perry pidió a la Casa de Gobierno la Sra. Swanger refutó las críticas de que su proyecto era "perjudicial o racistas, y añadió que 'animará a los inmigrantes a aprender Inglés, ayuda a conseguir empleo y reducir su dependencia de la asistencia social. "

Leer más.

Stimulate This

2011-09-08T11:30:00.009-04:00

Deja Vu all over again with President Obama's stimulus plan. Wake me when it actually includes job expansion.

Snore* on the Republican debate. Wake me when it is actually worth listening to.

I have some ideas.

Propose a reality television show for those who want vanity plates. Don Rickles, Dennis Miller, Rosie O and Chris Rock can all be judges. Everyone applying for a plate is on the show; a contestant can keep the plate with a mix of majority votes from the public and the judges. If a contestant's vanity plate is dismissed, their plate is cut up by a federal inmate and fitted with a new standard plate. Money from advertisers go directly to Transportation/Infrastructure needs.

Outlaw women's pant suits and soul patches.

Run NASA like Star Trek, fitting all ships with lasers and messing around with food materializing in our bedrooms. In the same vein, I would like lasers attached to our cars to bully slow drivers out of the fast lane.

Candidates participate in the Thunderdome. "Two men enter! One man leaves!" Fuck this debate crap.

Moderator Jim: Lady Elaine, this question is directed to you from some random person in the audience we do not know, and have not hand picked to ask you a question we are sure you didn't prepare for at all . . . Do you believe puppets can run the presidency as well as humans?

Lady Elaine: Thank you, Jim, for inviting me to this important debate. I appreciate all of the work you and your staff have put into this event. To answer yourimportant question, which is on the minds of many Americans out there now, watching this semi-live broadcast of candidates for the United States Presidency, I can tell you from personal experience that my friends and I, who are as different and diverse as America herself, certainly deserve a chance to run for President, as it is the foundation of the American Dream, the dream we all have when we are little; the dream that pushes us to have a life far better than our ancestors; the dream that I know for sure, Mitt, Rick and Michelle will destroy for us and our children if they are given the chance to represent you into a Socialist, Masonic, Godless future country. . .

Moderator Jim: Times up, Lady Elaine. Thank you. Rick, would you like to respond?

Rick Perry: Thank you Jim for allowing me to attend this great event, one that allows Americans to pick who will represent them in the Presidency and I am honored to be a candidate for this position, which I do not take lightly. I do believe everyone should be able to be president who was born here in America . . .AAAAAAAAAAaaaarrrrrrrggggggggggggg I'm bored with my own parody!!!!!

Or how about a Rock 'em Sock 'em Robot contest, winner takes all?

Naming Betty White as running mate.

Actually being honest.

Ahhhh, Errrrr. . . Yeah

2011-08-31T12:49:00.006-04:00

Tim Solobay

Yeah, those kids who "attacked" him right before his tough re-election . .
. well, one is found Not Guilty.

John Perzel

A plead? Get the hell outta here!

Jane Orie

Rejection !

Fucking Asshole Politicians

When someone runs, they are most certainly corrupt in some way,
especially when they run on a no corruption platform!

Luke

Really?

Who Does It Better?

2011-08-25T12:24:00.021-04:00

I was thinking of Barack Obama and how far we have come in America. Not too long ago, we didn't elect Al Gore as President because he smoked pot once, in college. Now we elect presidents who had cocaine habits (and who are black)!

Think about Ronald Reagan's nominee to the Supreme Court, Douglas Ginsburg. Spotless record. Admitted to smoking a little pot in college (in the 60's mind you). Tanked his career. Today, we would have brushed that off as a mere parking ticket.

Bill Clinton's admission to pot inhalation was only one election cycle after Gore's, and we elected both of them.

But now comes sex scandals.

Clinton barely escaped. Numerous other politicians, Anthony Weiner included, have become casualties. At what point will adultery, swinging and sexting become something we shrug our shoulders at and point out, Who hasn't? I would think shooting your friend in the face is far worse than grab-assing interns.

As more and more social faux pas become acceptable, what will fill in for being unacceptable? Definitely killing puppies with shovels. Now killing ex-boyfriends . . . that is acceptable.

Stupidity? Our track record isn't so great at this. I expect we will elect more morons. Karl Rove is betting his undies Sarah Palin will get in the Presidential election mix. Right now, she's like Taylor Swift, covering everyone's events.

Witches may come into fashion. Former Representative Tracy Seifert of Crawford County was thrown out, not because she stole a generator from the local fire department for Y2K; but because she is a witch. Christine O'Donnell and her may be trail blazers for witches!

Campaign Donations by giant corporations: the possible new trend is to, get this, stop donating to campaigns, and start investing in the work force! Pigs must be flying!

Muppets . . .

2011-08-23T12:12:00.002-04:00

Gay Muppets, or just Muppets?

El Gray Passes

2011-08-18T13:55:00.001-04:00

Womenfolk N'At

2011-08-17T11:09:00.019-04:00

I was trying to recite the Gettysburg Address the other day . . .

Fore score and seven years ago our fathers who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name . . .

I tried several times and realized I just couldn't do it without mixing up The Lord's Prayer with it. Why is my brain on autopilot?

Like many American voters . . .

I am struggling with the idea here in Pittsburgh, that we are giving tax credits to the makers of the Batman movie; yet Pittsburgh Public Schools (and may other schools around the state) have to cut back on our pre-K program, leaving many young children out of the Early Childhood Development Program that is vital to their learning.

I am struggling with womenfolk like Sarah Palin. Why is she upstaging the other candidates with Town Hall meetings, and yet still not officially running? Is she trying to make a case for 2016? Is Michele Bachmann her doppelganger? Will Debbie Wasserman Shultz run in 2016 to even things out for the Democrats?

Fore score and seven years ago our fathers who art in heaven . . .

It is interesting that this speech was not met with rave reviews until later. What made it good, later? Did people wake up one day and think to themselves, "Boy that crappy short speech Abe gave the other day was actually quite impressive."

When we look back, what will we learn?

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to give tax credits to movie makers, now that those 4year olds are 18, working, driving, and voting.

Maybe letting Marcellus Shale companies dump shit in our rivers wasn't such a great idea after all!

Wait, I can't hear you. I have cancer in my eardrum from my cell phone. Did cell companies forget to mention studies done in the 80's about cell phone use and cancer? Their bad.

I'm rambling again.

Fore score and seven years ago, our fathers who art in heaven . . .

"Youz better stop shooting each other n at," declared our Mayor after more shootings by rival gangs happened in the city (Beltzhoover, et. al.). The mayor assembled some gang committee almost a year ago. "It's stupid. To shoot. Each other," the mayor reasoned (btw, I'm more or less speaking in the "character" of the mayor). More on that committee . . . Gang Group Outreach and the Pittsburgh Initiative to Reduce Crime

And what the hell is wrong with being promiscuous and having STDs? If it's in the Bible . . .

Fore score and seven years ago, our fathers who art in heaven . . .

Topics

2011-08-09T09:10:00.017-04:00

INDEPENDENTS:

I watched Face the Nation on Sunday and saw Bob Shieffer's interview with Obama's boy, David Axelrod. What occurred to me was Axelrod's lack of persuasion. Shieffer kept asking him, Can we recover? Will we recover? Especially in time for the election. Axelrod just kept repeating "compromise" and "bipartisanship," blahblahblah.

Why is the administration not saying, "The bank bailout was a success; the automobile industry bailout was a success; what makes you think we cannot bail out our country?"

Oh, that's right. . . Independents.

It is a shame that this election (yet again) is going to come down to such an ignorant voting population that sees itself as "voting with their gut." The same group of people who vote for Rick Santorum and John Kerry and wonder why the country is so effed up. The same group of people who get pissed when Bush Jr. does exactly what he promises to do and vote in Obama, who does exactly what he promises to do and are ready to vote in another candidate . . .

VERIZON:

Made bazillions of dollars last year; but their low-down greedy workers are just bleeding them dry with all their whining about cost of living wages, health benefits, and so on. Verizon really has no choice but to start out sourcing their jobs! Poor Verizon.

DRILLING:

Pittsburgh City Council wants the Elections Bureau to proceed with plans to put a ban on drilling to referendum. Isn't this a moot point? It will be struck down in the courts.

Or are they taking advice from their former colleague, Tonya Payne; "Who really cares about it being unconstitutional?"

PAGES:

The two-century-old page program at the Capitol is gone. News to me. I thought it was abolished when former Congressman Mark Foley was fucking around with the boys. On Wikipedia, way before I paid any attention to the news, there was another Congressional Page scandal. It really was only a matter of time . . .

DIRTY DANCING REMAKE:

Don't.

Too Depressing To Think About

2011-08-05T11:32:00.007-04:00

But we have to. The situation in Somalia is absolutely unconscionable. And what's even more embarrassing is I myself haven't really understood what was going on there until I read a story about 29,000 children under the age of 5 starving to their death. In the last 90 days. Dead.

One story on the AP centers around a mother and father leaving their home to go to Mogadishu for food for their five children; four of whom die along the way from starvation.

Please check out the World Food Progam to find out how you can help.

Dan Savage defining "Rick"

2011-08-03T14:10:00.000-04:00

Dan Savage's New Threat to Rick Santorum from Dan Savage

Top Ten Things To Do In Government Shutdown

2011-07-31T16:14:00.008-04:00

10. Calculate the debt children take on to pay for millionaire tax-cuts.

9. Break out the Y2K generator and tell stories from the 80's steel collapse.

8. College students taking over panhandling territories.

7. Instead of camping at state parks, park off the turnpike and camp in the random woods.

6. Withdraw retirement money from 401K and hide it under your mattress.

5. Stock up on fake ids and passports.

4. Sample Canadian health care system.

3. Garage sales and lemonade stands to pay military.

2. Lousy politicians for once are earning their pay.

1. Good time to test the theory that welfare and food stamps should be faith-based.

Stay Thirsty, My Friend.

2011-07-26T12:23:00.004-04:00

I checked out the whole Old Spice channel and I think their attempt to create hype with Fabio isn't working out on You Tube. There were only over 300 people who even bothered to look at any of their videos there. Well, it might have been just me bc the download wasn't working and I kept clicking on it.

However, on their FB site, over 24,000 people participated in a "Who is the best Old Spice guy" poll. And over a million and one half "like" the page.

Some of their polls:

Favorite Old Spice body wash ingredient?

punching
grenade explosions
football touchdowns
39,570 people voted

What do you want to smell like?

Old Spice handsomeness
Rejection and pepperoni
A bag of damp toupees

20,742 people voted

Anywho, I thought old Old Spice Guy was that man who is the Most Interesting Man in the World. Stay thirsty.

Message To Politicians: Stop Effin Around!!!!

2011-07-25T13:18:00.005-04:00

Have you heard the one where a politician goes into a bar and asks for Sex on the Beach? No, not the drink; actual sex on the beach.

Rep. David Wu (D-Ore)--have you not been paying attention????

Find me a politician who hasn't slept around and I will find you a bat that hasn't met Ozzie Osbourne . . .

Can you be a monogamous politician? Is there such a thing any more?

This kind of stuff is actually blowing my mind. It's making Gene Simmons look like a priest!

How many does this make in recent years? Newsweek has some idea. . .

Lets just get back to the day of discreet affairs with actresses.

Strippers Strippers Strippers!

2011-07-07T12:18:00.017-04:00

City Council member Theresa Kail-Smith is introducing three ordinances (2011-1781; 1782; 1783) to prohibit strippers from, ummmm, well, stripping. Read City Paper's article to get up to speed. I really don't have time to tell you, I'm working the pole right now.

The ordinance is modeled after Ohio's, because there is a state with many great ideas, namely Cleveland.

The ordinances would prohibit nakedness (is that a word? i don't like the word "nudity"--too old), touching, tipping, and registers the naked offenders--tattoos and all, as if they belong on Megan's List.

The stated purpose of the ordinances is to help the police make sure the adult establishments are "working properly," keep property values stable, and to cut down on seedy behavior like prostitution, miming, and burglary.

Bram Reichbaum scientifically studied crime data, and came to the conclusion that the level of crime is higher within a 6 mile radius of the strip club, Cricket, than the rest of the city (or something like that). Maybe the nearby Methadone Clinic or bars has something to do with that . . . and with regards to Blush--it's right downtown by the Convention Center. I hear those Furries like to Par-Te!!

And a registry? Can we make it any easier for strippers to be harassed and stalked? How about publishing it in the newspaper or online!

I've been told that if a man touches a stripper inappropriately at a strip club, his head will end up in his ass. And that is if the guard is being kind.

It seems to me if we want to keep our town from becoming a Cleveland, we should:

1. Continue to win Super Bowls;

2. Not vote for politicians who campaign on taking away jobs;

3. Construct new zoning laws that provide for so many strip clubs/bars/casinos within a certain radius.

I would like to know what the real concern is behind the ordinances.

Is it protection and safety; in which case, lets put more police on the beat.

Is it property values; in which case, lets close down problem bars, and limit college students, ACDC concerts, couches on the front lawn (well that really is an enforcement issue), and casinos!

Is it naked women; in which case, lets ban half of Carson Street, Ross Park Mall, gyms, spas, that person who wears a bikini in the Strip District, and Penn Hills.

Is it prostitution; in which case, how about, I don't know, enforcing the already existing law.

Is it burglary; in which case, lets start profiling!

My break is over. I have to go. But seriously, are strippers and strip clubs the real problem, or misguided activists and politicians?

Common Sense Justice

2011-07-06T10:39:00.006-04:00

I want to write something about Casey Anthony and her murder trial. Honestly, I don't know what I feel.

I read an article some time ago that the television show, CSI, was tainting juries. People expected the level of evidence to be like that on crime-solving shows. Was this the case in this trial?

DNA is identified, bones put together, a spec of quartz and chalcedony traced to a remote part of Presque Isle; all in less than 60 minutes.

Has the burden of proof gotten more strict?

Are juries becoming more sympathetic (i.e. Andrea Yates)?

I understand "burden of proof." Yeah, I learned all about that in Political Science 101. But what do you do when you are presented with a mother who has a missing child and who doesn't report it for weeks, partying instead? Do we then say, "She was in denial?" "She was afraid of the truth?"

Is that good enough of an excuse?

I thought of this . . . when a person sits on a jury, they have a responsibility to up hold the law. So, do we then put aside common sense and rely strictly on evidence ( I suppose that is the definition of burden of proof . . . )? What role does common sense play in a court?

I do not understand the count of manslaughter and child abuse she was acquitted of. She lied, a lot; her child drowned (we think); she covered up something for sure . . . I suppose that is it--we just do not know and therefore, cannot convict.

Like OJ Simpson, Casey Anthony probably will never have her life back again.

Is that the real justice in today's world?

2011-06-27T13:50:00.002-04:00

If you didn't watch Marriage Ref last night (as many of you might not have), check out Big Pumpkins. And it really is just that.

Color the Frack

2011-06-20T11:50:00.002-04:00

PS: Yes, I stole his face from a cartoon drawn by Randy Bish, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Green Muppets

2011-06-17T11:35:00.000-04:00

The Muppets just crack me up!

Rules for Boomers

2011-06-07T09:03:00.007-04:00

1. Know the difference between a direct message and a tweet
2. Set up a fake account, Seriously
3. If sending pics of self, send from your fake account; not your personal FB, Twitter, etc. accounts
4. Know what BBW, shaved, h/w, etc. means before you start screwing around on the Internet--these phrases are dangerous in ignorant hands
5. If "perkybreasts11" IMs to tell you she's naked with her roommates, tossing salad--its a spambot. You will never get that lucky
6. Know how to erase your chat history
7. Nothing beats good lighting when webcamming--otherwise, you look like Ozzie Osbourne in a dungeon
8. If something goes terribly wrong, just be frank--"I was horny and RedTube just wasn't cutting it for me" or "I wanted to see what all the young people were doing"
9. Stick to the bars if you're an idiot with technology
10. Everyone's doing it can be a great excuse, but maybe not to your spouse

*****

I'm not sure if Rep. Anthony Weiner is doing something all that horrible. For me, the real problem is lying. I certainly can understand being scared that as a public official, you literally got caught with your pants down, but aren't there worse things in life to be caught doing?

I heard once, never be caught with a dead girl or a live boy. Those are career-killers. Ask Gary Condit. Ask Mark Foley.

The internet is a vast place to explore many things--don't we all do it, married or not married; politician or housewife; it just seems to me sexting, IMing, camming, etc. are becoming the normal.

LE

Diplomat has just arrived at the airport!

2011-05-31T15:19:00.003-04:00

I was lost without Diplomat Jimmy Edwards! But luckily, I found this e-mail in my SPAM box:

新しいメールアドレスをお知らせします

新しいメールアドレス：

immmadiatatmmnigiircppitsdbugo2@yahoo.co.jp

I am a Diplomat named Mr.Jimmy Edwards sent to deliver

your contract/inheritance fund of$9.6M to you. I'm

presently at jfk international airport.Reconfirm your

details, Name,phone,occupation and your proof of

identification

- Mr. Jimmy Edwards

WOOOWEEEEEEE! I'm gonna eat meat tonight!!!

LE

Duh!

2011-05-27T08:09:00.007-04:00

Unionized Coal Mines have better safety records than those not unionized.

Is the Pope a former Hitler Youth?

Tell me something I didn't know!

Black and Yellow!

2011-05-24T07:50:00.002-04:00

Tonight DWTS finale 8:00 ABC.

In case of Rapture, this blog will be unmanned.

2011-05-23T13:46:00.005-04:00

I thought of this line AFTER the fact.

It really would have been hilarious on Saturday.

Oh well, I'm a little late to the game.

****

Do you know who I AM?

Who says that, and at a diner similar to Pamela's, but caters more to the lunchtime crowd. And pretty much everyone goes there. It's not like it was some random Denny's off the turnpike. Roxy's is directly across the street from the capital. I'd like to know what would have happened if his orange juice had pulp in it!

LE

Mayor's Spokesperson . . .

2011-05-19T08:13:00.005-04:00

Paul McKrell on his Facebook page:

"Tim McNulty's right. In the end, Pgh is by definition a "strong mayoral form of government." With respect to some great people who make up the majority of council, that isn't bitter/obsessed with becoming mayor, & that will be augmented by an independent voice from the 5thCD, a Mayor doesn't need council to govern. Never has. Never will. But it sure does help to be able to have a conversation."

Matt Merriman-Preston's response:

"Enjoy it for the next two years."

Paul's comeback:

"Thanks, Matt! We will enjoy it for as long as we want to."

Take it for what you should . . .

LE

CANDIDATE INTERVIEW: Rich Fitzgerald

2011-05-17T08:54:00.003-04:00

ALLEGHENY COUNTY EXECUTIVE

Candidates answered questions submitted over e-mail. Nothing is edited, except spelling.

1. How do you balance standing up to elected egos when they are wrong?

Allegheny County residents take top priority and as elected officials it is our JOB to put their best interest first. I’ve never been one for subtleties so if someone is wrong and their decisions and opinion will/would hurt our residents, I will let them they are incorrect.

2. Do you believe that large developers and other interests have too much influence on city government and its policies? Why or why not?

Not necessarily. I believe a strong voice, such as my own as County Council President and in the future as potentially the next Chief Executive, will provide the voice that our residents deserve and to watch out for their best interest.

3. Which civic arena proposal do you favor, if any?

I believe we should look at ways to utilize the arena/site in a manner that best serves the residents and the area.

4. Do you foresee a need to privatize county services and/or assets? If so, which ones?

We can’t let private companies pick and choose areas and leave other locations to suffer without services. Government has a responsibility to ensure citizens are taken care of while private companies can argue they have to do what is best to maximize revenues.

5. What responsibility does the county have for Marcellus Drilling?

To ensure drilling is done in a safe and responsible manner, to ensure taxpayers have a voice in whether or not there will be drilling on county land, and to above all, protect our region for future generations

6. what is your opinion on our transit situation? Should money restored to transit, or should you work to have the public adjust to the cuts? Have you rode the bus in the last 6 months?

We need to work with Harrisburg to get our promised funding and restore the cuts as soon as possible. I have not recently due to the campaign but have taken regularly public transportation in the past. I speak with voters everyday who are upset because the cuts have impacted their daily lives and I will work with elected officials locally and Harrisburg to address this situation.

7. Please name one under-utilized public attraction/restaurant you would like to see promoted on the city's tourist site.

Frick Park

*****Constituent Questions:

8. Do you prefer merging municipalities or preserving the existing structure?

I believe there are ways to allow local municipalities to benefit by using county services. For example, we saved taxpayers millions of dollars by consolidation emergency centers and if necessary, we could save small cities and town money by allowing them to utilize the county police.

9. Explain your priorities in the job.

As the father of eight children, I want nothing more than to see my children one day raise their children in Allegheny County and as County Executive, I will strive to make Allegheny County a place where people want to move and stay. I believe that by encouraging business development, stabilizing our property tax reassessment system, and continuing to develop our riverfronts and waterways are key to moving Allegheny County forward.

CANDIDATE INTERVIEW: Barbara Ernsberger

2011-05-13T15:10:00.004-04:00

COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

l. Why should voters elect you to be a judge?

The voters should elect me as a Judge of the Commonwealth Court because I will be an experienced, diligent, and fair judge. I have represented people for 34 years in workers' compensation, unemployment, consumer, zoning, land use and election law that are areas of law that are heard by the Commonwealth Court. On behalf, of injured workers and defrauded consumers, I won landmark cases that protect and enhance the legal rights of Pennsylvanians. My experience as a Commissioner on the City of Pittsburgh Department of Planning gave me insight into zoning and land use decisions .

Along with my husband, Daniel Ernsberger, I successfully represented Veterans against the City Of Pittsburgh School District when the school district ignored the Veterans' Preference Act in the evaluation of teachers applying for employment.The Commonwealth Court is a trial Court ad has a mediation program for cases. My experience in litigating 250 individual cases against the largest life insurance company in North American, and then negotiating a settlement, will be of assistance in the trial and mediation aspect of the Court.

2. Should law students, who are increasingly racking up school debt for programs that do not prepare them for the reality of being lawyers, continue to shell out this kind of money or should there be an overhaul of the system? What kind of changes would you make, if any?

Law school debt is a significant problem, and it is worse for students in a down economy. The law schools and law alumni should address the issue by lowering tuition and/or raising more grant money to assist students. Law schools have adopted programs to provide students with initial experience in the Courts to give them some real life experience. I do not see the cost of law school decreasing although the schools might offer night school, part-time enrollment, or an extension in the number of years to ease the tuition burden.

The students should be given realistic information by the school administrations about employment opportunities after graduation before they enroll.

3. How can a voter decide who is the better judge when candidates cannot/will not answer issue related- questions?

The voter should look at the experience of the candidate in the practice of law and in the candidate's involvement in the community. Answering issue related questions will not enhance the process because then the judge will be forced to recuse himself or herself if the issue should arise in a case.

4. Who is your favorite judge on television?

For entertainment purposes, Judge Judy

CANDIDATE INTERVIEW: Valerie McDonald Roberts

2011-05-13T15:07:00.003-04:00

ALLEGHENY COUNTY CONTROLLER

Candidates answered questions submitted over e-mail. Nothing is edited, except spelling

1. Should the County Controller be more outspoken to prove independence from the County Executive?

Being outspoken for the sake of being noticed or making a name for oneself is not productive. The controller should ensure that tax dollars are used as intended through fact-finding and analysis, which differs from the role of the county executive and county council. The controller should not be "friend or foe" of government officials but an advocate for taxpayers and consumers.
The controller should provide accurate, timely recommendations for any lack of financial compliance in county contracts to ensure that the county is quickly reimbursed for disallowed past costs incurred by contractors; and report excessive spending above budgeted appropriations among county offices to hold them to the same standards as independent contractors.

2. Which approach in this office is best--cooperative, or aggressive?

The controller must increase collaboration with the offices of the City Controller, County Council, and the County Executive to promote the sharing of resources and information. This will result in greater efficiencies, and thus savings of taxpayer dollars. Regular collaboration will include scheduling of quarterly meetings to ensure that county officials are advised of budgetary issues, projected revenue surpluses and shortfalls in a timelier manner, and to guarantee efficient coordination of budgetary activities.

3. Should work in the office be privatized, or continued to be done by its employees?

It is usually preferable and more efficient for the employees in the Controller’s office to handle the day-to-operations. Specialized expertise could be retained on an as-needed, contract basis in usual circumstances.

4. How will you address budget shortfalls in the coming years?

The controller's role in the county economy is important because the office receives the first indication of inefficiencies in spending and shortfalls in revenue. As such, the accuracy of the controller's auditing and reporting, as well as the controller's abilities to come up with clear strategies that can contribute effectively to an overall fiscal plan, is extremely important.
As Allegheny County Controller, I would mandate that the Association of Local Government Auditors (ALGA) regularly conduct an external quality control review on the Audit Divisions of the office to ensure the office receives receive full compliance. In addition to ensuring efficiency, achieving full compliance would also authorize the Allegheny County Controller’s Office to expand the scope of its audits. The controller's office has only had one ALGA review in its history but I would make the review into a routine procedure to ensure the professionalism, accountability and reliability of the office and its procedures.

I would also instill a process of "look-backs", in which the outcomes of reviews and audits of government offices and non-governmental contractors would be evaluated six months later to ensure that appropriate administrative action has occurred and that taxpayer dollars are no longer being wasted.

5. What kind of experience should a controller have to be prepared in this tough job?

The breadth of my career experiences prepares me to handle the essence of the County Controller’s job – independent fiscal responsibility for Allegheny County. ‘Good government’ and ‘reform’ are great concepts, but I have actually implemented them, and will always strive for nothing less than excellence in government.

I am currently the manager of the Real Estate Department of Allegheny County, where I oversee a multimillion-dollar office and technology management system and supervise dozens of key employees. I was originally elected to the position of Recorder of Deeds when the real estate department was a row office within the county-wide system. I am the first African American elected to a county-wide executive position. Prior to election to a county position, I was elected to Pittsburgh City Council, eventually serving as President Pro-tempore and Chairperson of the Finance and Budget Committee. While on the City Council, I concentrated on community development, accountability and fiscal management. I got my start in politics when I was asked to run for Pittsburgh School Board after being very involved in my children's school activities. Prior to political endeavors, I worked 17 years in private industry. I hold a B.S. degree in Medical Technology and an M.S. degree in Forensic Chemistry, both from University of Pittsburgh.

6. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? No.

CANDIDATE INTERVIEW: Mark Patrick Flaherty

2011-05-13T13:29:00.004-04:00

ALLEGHENY COUNTY EXECUTIVE

Candidates answered questions submitted over e-mail. Nothing is edited, except spelling. **PLEASE NOTE THIS POST WAS TAKEN DOWN DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS ON BLOGGER.

1. How do you balance standing up to elected egos when they are wrong?

Strong convictions.

2. Do you believe that large developers and other interests have too much influence on city government and its policies? Why or why not?

The question is about city government. As County Chief Executive I would study the question as how it might relate to county government, and take an appropriate stand based on the findings.

3. Which civic arena proposal do you favor, if any?

I believe the residents of Pittsburgh should have the last word.

4. Do you foresee a need to privatize county services and/or assets? If so, which ones?

I believe county government and the private sector should create partnerships to help leverage economic development and maintain and create jobs.

5. What responsibility does the county have for Marcellus Drilling?

Gas exploration can be a major asset locally, but we shouldn't be in a hurry.

The county must help make sure that any drilling is done safely, cleanly and economically. And our local community must share in the economic benefits in the short term as well as the long term. The revenue received by the county should not be plowed into the general fund but put in a fund to help maintain and lower property taxes.

6. What is your opinion on our transit situation? Should money be restored to transit, or should you work to have the public adjust to the cuts? Have you rode the bus in the last 6 months?

I strongly advocate for management and workers at the Port Authority return to the bargaining table and reach an agreement that will restore services lost in the most recent cuts. In the long term, I will push for the state Legislature to return to the drawing board and adopt a solution that really works to provide a dependable funding stream for transit. I ride public transit on occasion and find it a good experience and a valuable aspect to the quality of life of our region.

7. Please name one under-utilized public attraction/restaurant you would like to see promoted on the city's tourist site.

Boomerang ..... Toomerang .... ZOOmerang ... The PittsburghZOO and Aquarium ...

I think we should do a better job promoting all our region's assets to attract more tourist dollars.

*****Constituent Questions:

8. Do you prefer merging municipalities or preserving the existing structure?

I support merging services where it makes good sense and saves money for the taxpayers, such as the recent merger of the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County's financial record systems. I was spearheaded that merger, which will save taxpayers millions of dollars.

9. Explain your priorities in the job.

My biggest priority is to take charge of Allegheny County's budget and make sure that every dollar is being spent effectively, efficiently and transparently.

CANDIDATE INTERVIEW: Arita Gilliam Rue

2011-05-09T11:05:00.006-04:00

PITTSBURGH SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 8

Candidates answered questions submitted over e-mail. Nothing is edited, except spelling.

WEBSITE: electarita.com
FACEBOOK: Elect Arita Gilliam Rue
TWITTER: ElectArita

1. Now that the state has slashed school funding by $34 million, according to the Governor's proposed budget, how do you propose your school district deals with this?

Fundamental services like transportation and special education must be provided and values like equity and academic achievement must not be compromised. I believe that proactive measures must be taken to insure the maintenance of services and values which will require an informed community and collective action. The process must be reflective, deliberate and student-centered. I will consistently advocate for responsible stewardship and smart cuts that do not compromise student achievement.

In addition, academic disparities must be addressed and appropriate spending in the areas of curriculum and instruction, parent engagement and student services must also be given consideration.

2. If you have children, did/do they attend public school?

I have one daughter and she attended Pittsburgh Public Schools. She attended Friendship Elementary School, Rogers CAPA Middle School, and Schenley High School.

3. The state is going to end the reimbursement of charter school costs to public schools. What is your opinion on this?

I agree that ending reimbursement is “like pouring salt in a deep wound”. With state budgets for education being cut and public schools losing enrollment to charter schools, ending reimbursement presents another hindrance to districts improving performance. The funding mechanism needs to be looked at to ensure equitable distribution of available resources.

4. Do you agree or disagree with a voucher program?

I am concerned about the potential for discriminatory practices with vouchers. Currently many charter schools have waiting lists and many private schools have rigorous admissions requirements. I haven't seen anything that assures me that poor, educationally neglected children will benefit from vouchers. Instead, I am concerned that they will be left out.

5. Do you have an Allegheny County library pass?

Yes

6. Do you agree or disagree with cutting kindergarten days in half to save money?

I disagree. We need children to enter the first grade ready to learn and acclimated to the school environment. Cutting kindergarten days will undermine that goal.

7. Do you agree or disagree with making private bus companies more accountable with transporting our students?

Anyone who is transporting students must be accountable. So yes I agree with making private bus companies more accountable for transporting our students.

8. If you were voted a superlative, what would it be?

Most Passionate

CANDIDATE INTERVIEW 2011: Darlene Harris

2011-05-03T09:10:00.007-04:00

PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 1 (INC.)

Candidates answered questions submitted over e-mail. Nothing is edited, except spelling.

1. If the state rejects the city's parking garage plan passed by City Council, what do you propose to do then?

Various state agencies have endorsed/acknowledged the legislation passed by Council at the end of 2010. The two oversight boards and PMRS agreed that present-value calculations would be quite sufficient to avoid state takeover of Pittsburgh’s pensions. Beyond that, the State has little say in the City’s parking situation, other than as concerns taxation. Remember, the State took away the provision under Act 47 that would have permitted the City to tax commuters, which has been granted to every other municipality under Act 47.

2. How do you balance standing up to other elected egos when they are wrong?

I feel it is most important to maintain a working relationship with other elected officials. When you use the term “wrong” it is very polarizing. Each elected official is responsible to their constituents. What works for one community might not work for another, it doesn’t make it wrong. This is why it is crucial to work as a team through our differences to ensure the City of Pittsburgh’s interests are first and foremost. We must work together to resolve problems. There are bound to be differences of opinion, but my experience and leadership give me a distinct advantage in working with others.

3. Do you believe that large developers and other interests have too much influence on city government and its policies? Why or why not?

Pittsburgh needs development, there are empty spaces and buildings everywhere. There needs to be an open and transparent process to ensure the needs of our city’s residents are being met and that everyone is being treated equally and fairly. Backroom deals and favors are unacceptable.

4. Which civic arena proposal do you favor, if any?

Since Council will be holding public hearings on this, I cannot take a position at this time. I look forward to hearing from the public, especially those who live in the neighborhood in question. I almost always support what the neighborhood wants, but I enter these hearings with an open mind.

5. Federal cuts are going to be devastating to our city. What do you propose to do to offset some of those cuts?

I think as fuel prices go up and the cost of living rises as well, we will see more people wanting to move into the City. They will want the amenities we have here – neighborhood shopping districts, convenient travel options, etc. And the more residents we entice to move here, the more input toward the City’s infrastructure. The most important functions of City government are infrastructure and quality of life. We have already cut our spending way back, and as we learn to share services with other municipalities, we become more of a region than just one city alone. I think we are going to do just fine as we trim just a bit and maintain our assets – infrastructure and residents.

6. Does the city have the right to ban Marcellus Shale drilling within city limits?

When it concerns the health, safety and welfare of the residents of Pittsburgh the city council most certainly has the right to ban Marcellus Shale drilling. Council introduced two bills simultaneously concerning the Marcellus Shale, and should the one law we passed be challenged, we still hold a strong position against the pillaging of our city with the other.

7. Should City Council force the Mayor to release money to the public libraries? Do you have an Allegheny County library card?

Our libraries are, and were, the national model for the current library system. I am angered when it becomes a political issue. Andrew Carnegie believed access to information and books was the key to a better future. Council voted money to the libraries, and the Mayor is obligated to follow the legislation passed by Council.

8. Should City Council have money restored to transit, or should they work to have the public adjust to the cuts? Have you rode the bus in the last 6 months?

Transit is a County matter, and the City has very little input. I have fought for the individual routes that traverse District 1, and have fought to help citizens keep their routes. County Council, though, the County Executive, the Board of the Port Authority and the State, are the ones who are responsible for transit.

I have not ridden the bus in the last six months. From where I live, it would be quite a hike to the bus stop, and a long trip into town. Since I have to go to various meetings in various locations in my District and elsewhere at various times of day, it would be somewhat inefficient to use public transportation for work.

9. Please name one under-utilized public attraction/restaurant you would like to see promoted on the city's tourist site.

I feel the Northside is consistently left out of the tourism equation, partially caused by the news media lumping all of the Northside together. If something unsavory happens in one neighborhood, that does not mean that all neighborhoods are bad. There are so many neighborhoods in the Northside. And there are some wonderful gems throughout. Riverview Park, one of Pittsburgh’s four large regional asset parks, is home to hiking, biking and horse riding trails, tennis courts, community buildings, a dog park (which I helped develop) and the Observatory operated by the University of Pittsburgh which offers free astronomy classes. Max’s Allegheny Tavern is one of the oldest pubs in Pittsburgh and was a vital community meeting location and overnight spot when the Northside was still Allegheny City. Also, St. Anthony’s Chapel, in Troy Hill, holds the second largest repository of relics in the world – second to the Vatican. Besides all the amenities which are in Council District 6, my district, District 1, has the New Hazlett Theater, the Children’s Museum, The Priory, Penn Brewery, Billy’s, numerous wonderful little cafés and restaurants, wonderful neighborhood businesses, numerous athletic facilities, and so many other pleasurable places that I simply cannot choose. I feel that the Northside itself is the one under-utilized public attraction!

*****Constituent Questions:

10. Should local government honor or break existing labor contracts?

They should be honored, and renegotiated where appropriate.

11. If the Mayor's Pension Plan were to come back in some other form through another city council member, would you vote to pass that one instead?

I want to pass a pension plan that is the responsible thing to do for our residents. We need to be thinking long term and know the true cost of every detail. I have no problem voting for the right plan, I don’t care who proposes it. What the Mayor proposed was a lease of the City’s parking assets. For $452 million up front, only $2 million would have gone to the pension fund, and we would have given up billions of dollars of revenue over 50 years. That is not sufficient for me; the citizens of Pittsburgh who attended 19 public meetings did not like it; and Council voted it down. I take my fiscal responsibility very, very seriously. We are in office not to play games and to connect ourselves to the highest bidders, but to further the interests of the City into the future, and to serve the citizens.

WE REMEMBER

2011-05-02T09:00:00.002-04:00

CANDIDATE INTERVIEW 2011: Chelsa Wagner

2011-04-25T09:22:00.006-04:00

ALLEGHENY COUNTY CONTROLLER

Candidates answered questions submitted over e-mail. Nothing is edited, except spelling.

1. Should the County Controller be more outspoken to prove Independence from the County Executive?

Without a doubt, controller is an office built on the premise of independence. While I hope to work cooperatively with the executive on the reforms and initiatives I advance, I will never hesitate to identify the shortcomings of the administration or any agency under my purview.

2. Which approach in this office is best--cooperative, or aggressive?

Effective governance requires employing both of these approaches when appropriate. Cooperation will no doubt be essential to achieving needed reforms for our citizens, but I will vigorously pursue my goals of an open, transparent and effective county government despite any resistance.

3. Should work in the office be privatized, or continued to be done by its employees?

As a legislator, I have prided myself on the effectiveness of my staff and have no doubt that I will have a similar experience as controller. While specialized assistance from outside the office may be appropriate in limited cases, I fully intend to rely on my public staff.

4. How will you address budget shortfalls in the coming years?

A function of the office of controller is to identify inefficiency as well as areas where revenue could be effectively enhanced without harming county residents. These are the type of efforts that I will be pursuing daily.

5. What kind of experience should a controller have to be prepared in this tough job?

The controller should have the proper perspective to see county government not through the lens of how things have always been done, but how they can be done better. Through my experience as an analyst reforming state and local governments and a legislator elected on a reform platform, this is the perspective I will bring to the office.

6. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy?

No.

CANDIDATE INTERVIEW 2011: Lucille Prater-Holliday

2011-04-18T10:22:00.010-04:00

PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 9

Candidates answered questions submitted over e-mail. Nothing is edited, except spelling.

1. If the state rejects the city's parking garage plan passed by City Council, what do you propose to do then?

I applaud City Council for their leadership in tackling the pension crisis and developing a parking based solution. Should that plan be rejected, I would urge my colleagues to demonstrate the same leadership, inviting all parties to the table –including the Mayor – to roll up our sleeves, identify the best options and make the decisions necessary to move forward.

2. How do you balance standing up to other elected egos when they are wrong?

To be effective, all 9 members of this Council should strive to have constructive, cordial and collaborative relationships. We will have our differences, but we should be able to respectfully manage those differences so they don’t interfere with our work. As a longtime community advocate, I have encountered individuals who are not always respectful. It does not matter if I am working with an uninformed elected official or an “elected ego,” my goal is the same – to educate them on the pertinent issue and keep the lines of communication open in a way that is respectful to all parties.

3. Do you believe that large developers and other interests have too much influence on city government and its policies? Why or why not?

I am saddened when the interests of a corporation take precedence over the best interest of a community. It diminishes us all when we fail to remedy these conflicts. Tools such as campaign finance reform that prioritize transparency are essential.

4. Which civic arena proposal do you favor, if any?

I am in favor of any proposal that most positively benefits the residents of the Hill District and the One Hill Coalition.

5. Federal cuts are going to be devastating to our city. What do you propose to do to offset some of those cuts?

City Council should have open lines of communication with our State and Federal delegations. We will need to begin these dialogues as soon as possible so we can identify the programs and services that are on the line and respond.

In addition, my proposal to establish neighborhood based Neighborhood Councils will strengthen the flow of information in both directions. Let’s get out into the neighborhoods and talk with those most affected by the proposed cuts AND get their input on solutions.

6. Does the city have the right to ban Marcellus Shale drilling within city limits?

I believe we need to take a stand to protect every resident in this City from the environmental impact of the drilling. As of the now, drilling is illegal. If the Courts rule differently, we will continue to enforce the strictest guidelines and hold everyone accountable for the health and well-being of City residents.

7. Should City Council force the Mayor to release money to the public libraries? Do you have an Allegheny County library card?

My love for the library dates back to my junior high school days when the library provided a refuge and contact with one of the few adults who took an interest in me. I am a firm believer in the power of the library to change lives and transform a community. I am proud to carry my library card. As a member of City Council, I will take a strong stance to ensure we fund the library system.

8. Should City Council have money restored to transit, or should they work to have the public adjust to the cuts? Have you rode the bus in the last 6 months?

Transit is essential to the strength of Pittsburgh. I have ridden buses throughout the County. We need to be realistic in our approach to this issue. We should be fierce advocates for the routes and services that keep our neighborhoods strong. However, we must also do our best to adjust to reductions. I would like to see each member of Council navigate their way from their district to the City-County bldg and perhaps even throughout their district. Let us lead by example.

9. Please name one under-utilized public attraction/restaurant you would like to see promoted on the city's tourist site.

The Greater Pittsburgh Coliseum and Trolley Station in Homewood. I was proud to launch my campaign at this historic site, a reminder of the vital role Homewood played in the City’s prosperity.

*****Constituent Questions:

10. Should local government honor or break existing labor contracts?

If we need concessions, dialogue and good information is the best path for negotiation. Events in Wisconsin prove that breaking the back of the middle class is not growth oriented. I believe we can work side by side to ensure transparency and implement the changes necessary to keep Pittsburgh’s middle class thriving and provide opportunities for the working poor to access these resources.

11. If the Mayor's Pension Plan were to come back in some other form through another city council member, would you vote to pass that one instead?

I would need information on “some other form” to answer this question. If elected, I can promise to make informed decisions based on policy, not personalities. I am there to serve the residents of District 9.

CANDIDATE INTERVIEW 2011: DARA ALLEN

2011-04-13T10:28:00.006-04:00

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOL DIRECTOR, DISTRICT 2; INCUMBENT

Candidates answered questions submitted over e-mail. Nothing is edited, except spelling.

1. Now that the state has slashed school funding by $34 million, according to the Governor's proposed budget, how do you propose your school district deals with this?

Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) has already begun to deal with the pending proposed cuts to education in Governor Corbett's budget. First, the 2011 approved PPS budget proactively plans for a loss of $17M in stimulus funding not being restored. Secondly, Dr. Lane required all central office administrators to cut their budgets by 10%. Thirdly, the Board approved a revised capital budget plan to reduce PPS' debt burden and modest corresponding operational costs. Going forward, I would propose cuts that start the farthest away from the classroom as possible to minimize the impact on student achievement.

2. If you have children, did/do they attend public school?

I have two young children: Evan (5.5) and Micah (almost 3). Evan attends PPS as a PreK student at Dilworth PreK-5 in Highland Park.

3. The state is going to end the reimbursement of charter school costs to public schools. what is your opinion on this?

It’s very harmful and further strains the relationship between charter schools and the sponsoring districts at a time when collaboration between the two is necessary. All families deserve choice in selecting a school for their children. However, the way charter schools are funded needs to be reformed. If the state budget takes effect on July 1, 2011 as currently proposed, PPS projects an additional $4.7M to its current budget that ends on December 31, 2011 and a total of $14.4M in 2012 in lost charter school funding.

4. Do you agree or disagree with a voucher program? Why?

I am strongly opposed to vouchers for public and religious elementary and secondary schools. The voucher position in Senate Bill 1 is a well intentioned but ill-informed and harmful proposition. While students that meet strict poverty guidelines that attend persistently failing schools, we know that these students are the least likely to exercise choice. Instead, it is likely that the students the Bill aims to help will be disproportionately negatively impacted. For students who don’t make a choice, they will attend schools whose resources will be further depleted by state dollars that follow students which choose to leave. Who has the responsibility for educating these students? Pittsburgh Public Schools and other public urban school systems across the state assume this responsibility as they should. It’s the role of public education. Senate Bill 1 abdicates the state’s responsibility of public education for all.

The Bill is also ill informed in that it ignores the reality of fixed costs. Funding of individual students is not a 1:1 ratio in regards to the costs of educating students. For example, in a classroom of 25 students, if 6 students opt to leave through the voucher program, it does not cost any less for the District to employ a teacher and pay facility costs to operate a classroom. But, it does mean that there are less operational dollars to match the actual costs. It also could mean additional adverse affects on teachers and students. If a class size becomes too small, teachers become displaced and classes combined. Ultimately, this could result in displaced teachers and more of our most challenged students in larger classes with fewer resources to address their needs.

Regarding public dollars for religious schooling, I do not believe that public dollars should be used for this purpose. Parents that desire such an education should pay for it or seek funding from various non-profits such as the Crossroads Foundation that provide scholarships to attend such schools.

5. Do you have an Allegheny County library pass?

YesJ

6. Do you agree or disagree with cutting kindergarten days in half to save money? Why?

No. Unfortunately though, many urban school districts are faced with this challenge based on elimination of specific funding such as the Accountability Block Grant in Governor Corbett’s proposed budget. Districts are forced to choose between no-win situations.

7. Do you agree or disagree with making private bus companies more accountable with transporting our students? Why?

I agree that bus companies should be more accountable with transporting our students. For example, PPS has increased stronger requirements to deal with limited instances where bus drivers have parked their buses without making sure that every student is off the bus. In this instance, not only are there stronger requirements but the feedback loop to ensure compliance is tighter.

8. If you were voted a superlative, what would it be?

Most likely to help others.

Not Exactly Rocket Science . . .

2011-04-11T16:21:00.000-04:00

Check out this article on Yahoo news!

Darlene Harris Fundraiser

2011-04-07T08:59:00.007-04:00

It was a who's who of Pittsburgh Progressives at Darlene Harris' fundraiser last night at The Priory Hotel on the lower North side. From Tom Sokolowski to Natalia Rudiak to Matt Merriman-Preston (well he is the campaign consultant), a lot of movers and shakers were there to get in their face time with the President of City Council (and smoke cigarettes outside).

Which leads me to the "mayor's candidate," Vince Pallus, and his campaign headquarters in Brighton Heights. If you have taken a drive at some point, you must have seen his campaign headquarters--it has decals on the windows. DECALS! Some fifth term Senators don't even have that. Oh, and a flash site on his landing page.

So far, it is unclear if the decals will beat Darlene in the Primary.

Almost Ready!

2011-04-03T14:56:00.003-04:00

Several candidates, as you can read to the right, have agreed to be interviewed on my blog. If you don't want to be left out, please contact me at lady_elaine68@yahoo.com.

Time is running out.

Need Some Motivation?

2011-03-26T15:02:00.016-04:00

Help Japan

2011-03-15T19:34:00.001-04:00

Link here to find out how.

Google Site about earthquake

Participate in the Interview

2011-03-13T21:30:00.001-04:00

Send questions you have for candidates of Pittsburgh City Council, Allegheny County Executive, and other hot races to lady_elaine68@yahoo.com; or just post them in the comments section.

Stimulus E-Mail

2011-03-10T12:47:00.002-05:00

A fan sent to me this e-mail:

Sometime this year, we taxpayers will again receive another 'Economic Stimulus' payment.

This is indeed a very exciting program, and I'll explain it by using a Q & A format:

Q. What is an 'Economic Stimulus' payment ?

A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money ?

A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money ?

A. Only a smidgen of it.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment ?

A. The plan is for you to use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China ?

A. Shut up.

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the U.S. economy by spending your stimulus check wisely:

* If you spend the stimulus money at Wal-Mart, the money will go to China or Sri Lanka .

* If you spend it on gasoline, your money will go to the Arabs.

* If you purchase a computer, it will go to India , Taiwan or China

* If you purchase fruit and vegetables, it will go to Mexico , Honduras and Guatemala ..

* If you buy an efficient car, it will go to Japan or Korea .

* If you purchase useless stuff, it will go to Taiwan .

* If you pay your credit cards off, or buy stock, it will go to management bonuses and they will hide it offshore.

Instead, keep the money in America by:

1) Spending it at yard sales, or
2) Going to ball games, or
3) Spending it on prostitutes, or
4) Beer or
5) Tattoos.

(These are the only American businesses still operating in the U.S. )

Conclusion:

Go to a ball game with a tattooed prostitute that you met at a yard sale and drink beer all day !

No need to thank me, I'm just glad I could be of help!

LE

The Mayor of Baseball, Ed Rendell

2011-02-22T09:30:00.018-05:00

Have you ever heard the saying, if you hear a rumor three times, then it must be true? In the case of Ed Rendell, America's Mayor and becoming the next baseball commissioner, I have heard that at least a dozen times from different people. Most specifically, from people who used to work for him in his administration.

BTW, the commissioner is chosen by a vote of team owners.

Bud Selig, the current commissioner, has made many

changes in baseball, to the wild card, interleague play, a shrewd negotiator, curtailing steroid use, and implementing new rules to that effect.

So what would Rendell's legacy be if he were to become baseball's next commissioner?

1. Threaten to lay off or furlough hundreds of baseball players and those attached to their clubhouses in favor of privatization and outsourcing to corporations and India.

2. Institute a magistrate in every stadium in the league.

3. Replace all union employees with $3.00/hour workers.

4. Create a reality series based on his time as baseball commissioner--"The Mayor of Baseball."

5. Put slot machines and whore houses in every stadium.

6. Create an oversight board for distressed financial teams.

7. Enlist the help of John McEnroe to make sure players and their fans are not wussies.

8. Free reign on players' and owners' tall blond wives and girlfriends (oh I didn't just write that).

9. Appoint David Cohen and Comcast to monopolize the broadcast of all games.

10. Cheesesteaks wit wit for everyone!

Mayor checking out again

2011-02-17T13:05:00.012-05:00

I read a disturbing article in the New Pittsburgh Courier last week that pretty much sums it all up.

Yet again, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl appears to be doing the right thing, talking about bridging the gap between the media and the African-American community. With the loss of WAMO radio station and KDKA TV Patrice King Brown's retirement, the community is wondering how they will continue to be engaged.

But as the article continues, it is clear once again, actions speak louder than words.

NPC's Managing Editor Ulish Carter speaks up about the Mayor's lack of communication with their Editorial Board and staff. In fact, Carter could another mayor's team not responding to the Courier's requests for calls and meetings. Carter has been with the paper since the 90's.

Carter questioned "if the county executive and the governor can come in or return our calls to us, why can't the mayor?" He has ignored them since he took office in 2006.

This is certainly not the first time a person of notoriety in Pittsburgh has questioned the mayor's ability.

Political Consultant Don Friedman said he has never seen a mayor with so many enemies. And our very own former Pittsburgh Mayor Sophie Masloff said she has never seen a mayor lose so many votes on City Council (and remember, she has been in politics since the 1930's)!

Ernest Benn said, "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy."

This seems to be true with our Mayor.

Singing The Star Spangled Banner

2011-02-07T09:32:00.002-05:00

For those of you who are going to be at a stadium or really any event that will require you to sing the Star Spangled Banner, please for the LOVE of GOD, learn the words.

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Super Bowl Ads

2011-02-03T09:42:00.002-05:00

If you are feeling overwhelmed about Egypt, then have a good laugh with these ads.

LE

Fixing The Prison System

2011-01-27T13:49:00.021-05:00

Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner released yesterday in a press conference a way to save taxpayers $50 million. It would involve alternative sentencing for non-violent criminals. Wagner goes on to suggest the savings could grow to $350 million over four years.

Wagner cites short-term solutions as one way we are wasting money--like last year's $250 million five-year contract with Michigan and Virginia to house 2,000 overflow inmates. That is about $68.49 per day, per inmate. I wish I knew Pennsylvania's cost per inmate.

According to the National Institute on Corrections, property crime accounts for over 85% of Pennsylvania crime.

On the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections site, in its 1999-2004 Recidivism Report, property offenders account for the highest rate of jailed individuals--at almost 50%.

Some other facts:

-Inmates who were paroled vs those who finished out their sentences, had a significantly higher return rate.

-After three years, inmates returned to prison over 46.3% of the time (up from the previous years)

-Almost all of our correctional facilities are over capacity; on average 117% over

-Pennsylvania is 60% above the national average in paroling inmates

On the Pennsylvania Auditor General website, there is no further information on what Wagner considers alternative sentencing.

Does alternative sentencing means a person convicted of a lesser crime may be sentenced to a half-way house? Or would it be community service? Maybe shoveling shit out of a pig pen?

Pennsylvania is 11% lower than the national average of those incarcerated, yet we spend 19% more per inmate than the national average. How does that work?

I know in these statistics, there is a lot of complexity.

But it sure seems to me that if our recidivism rate is about half of inmates; if more inmates are jailed for property crime; and those who are paroled are highly likely to return than those who finish out their sentences; then maybe solving our problem goes beyond where to house these inmates.

Maybe we ought to look at preventing crimes, and lowering how many inmates we parole. I know, I know, more government "programs" to help criminals. "Our" tax money going to thugs and gangstas when we should just throw them in jail and throw away the keys.

But is that really how we are going to solve this crisis? Or every so many years, we throw our money away to relieve overcrowding, but never reducing recidivism.

It seems to me jail has become a rite of passage instead of a deterrent. Time spent seems inconsequential--"I'll do my time, and when I'm out . . . "

And many of these inmates who are paroled, or freed, go back to the same neighborhood, same family, same friends that helped contribute to their lawlessness.

Maybe this time, investing in the people, rather than the prison is what will eventually solve this crisis.

On a crime and punishment website in the UK, http://www.rethinking.org.uk/, a posted document on the alternatives to prison reads:

Prison has an important role to play in protecting the community against the most dangerous offenders and in punishing the most serious crimes. But research and experience have shown the many disadvantages of over using imprisonment. Imprisonment can harm the chances people have to make amends and fulfill their potential as citizens. By definition prison limits the opportunities people have to contribute to civil society and democratic life. In theory, prison could provide its captive audience with decent education, training and employment opportunities. With one or two notable exceptions in the form of resettlement prisons, such opportunities are not provided on anything like the scale required. Most prisoners therefore leave prison no better equipped to fit into society than when they entered it. Some leave a good deal worse off.

What are our alternatives? As written above, we have half-way houses, electronic monitoring, community service, monetary, drug screening and testing, and therapy. We certainly have room for improvement.

What about home detention, or weekend prison?

In Texas, they require reading groups.

Maybe another option is to reform our sentencing and drug laws. New York has the "Rockefeller Drug Laws" of the 70's they are reforming. Think about this: 90% of those incarcerated on drug offenses in the NY Prison system are African-Americans. Yet they only account for 8.7% of the NY population in illicit drug use (whites are not very far behind at 8.1%). I doubt Pennsylvania is any better at this disparity. and when was the last time we looked at our laws for drugs? Remember, the whole drug industry tailed off around the country in the 90's.

How about Shame Punishments? In New York and Texas, the courts require DUI bumper stickers on those offenders.

If Wagner is going to continue on this issue, he must provide more alternatives, than just pointing his finger at the problem.

Green Burial Coming to Allegheny County!

2011-01-24T10:53:00.003-05:00

Green Burial Pittsburgh is an organization dedicated to "green burial."

What is this?

It is a natural burial method that does not damage or harm the environment. Caskets, if used, are biodegradable. Grave markers are plants, shrubs, trees, or stones native to the area.

According to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, Green Burial Pittsburgh is close to purchasing land in Penn Hills.

spring Hill resident, Pete McQuillen is the founder and president of the group. He has been working tirelessly to make this project work.

Get involved.

Support and donate to this innovative cause; join their Facebook page.

LE

Texting Girl Falls Into Mall Fountain Video

2011-01-18T20:10:00.002-05:00

Suzie, why are you all wet?

Man Tears Off Pic of AC Slater in Bathroom

2011-01-14T08:52:00.005-05:00

I was listening to Kiss 96.1 FM Morning Freak Show this morning and heard this story about a man tearing off AC Slater's picture in a urinal. I thought, Jeff Reed really ought to get control of his anger issues in bathrooms. . .

LE

Mental Health In America

2011-01-12T12:08:00.005-05:00

Who knows how we would be handling mental health issues today if Tipper Gore had been our First Lady. Maybe mental health issues would be a part of our mainstream discourse. But for now, we are severely behind in its understanding and treatment.

As is the case of the Arizona shooter, Jared Loughner, who had many instances of mental health problems that people around him noticed, and still this act of violence was not stopped in time.

At what point should friends and his parents intervened?

Was it when he was kicked out of college for disturbing mental behavior?

Or when the Army didn't accept him for suspected drug use?

Or when people saw his You Tube video?

Or how about when he erected a shrine in his back yard with a fake human skull?

We have to get real about these issues in our country and start treating them like other diseases and disorders. I understand people's concern with the mental institutions of last century, doing all kinds of crazy stuff to sick people. But isn't that day gone? Aren't we more proactive when it comes to the rights of those who are dependent in some way?

In of itself, one problem with a person may not amount to anything substantial, but a history of erratic behavior? Come on.

As I have mentioned before, when our mental institutions closed, we saw a substantial increase of homelessness. No, I'm not saying all homeless people are "crazy," but there is a correlation between the mental health disabilities of the homeless and their need for more hands on care than we are willing to believe.

If we were to look at those with schizophrenia, and other disabling mental disorders, we take a back seat to their care, unless they do harm to themself or others. Should we really take this reactive approach?

Look at Richard Poplawski (killed three Pittsburgh police officers) or George Sodini (LA Fitness murders). With Sodini, those who worked with him had a running joke that if anyone was to show up with a gun at work, it would be him. Or Poplawski's neighbor who confirmed his past was unstable.

Again, I understand that people want a clear line between a person's right and their private lives, and the line of a potential threat, not be blurred. But at the same time, when are we going to get past our symptom-solving and on to real reform?

How many people are going to have to die or get hurt at the hands of those who are mentally unstable before we start to realize there is a correlation to past history and what they may do in the future? And I don't mean a Gattaca approach.

I've been watching the news and reading the papers for every single detail I can get out of the Arizona Shooting. Since 9/11, any time there is this kind of horrendous act on people, I can't stop myself from thinking and analyzing. I am consumed with all of the stories of the victims, and of the shooter, and keep questioning, Why did this happen?

One young man who tried to come to their rescue, spoke about his instinct to help others having increased since 9/11, and that he is more aware and willing to go to a dangerous place when something is happening.

I can appreciate that. When several heroic people on an airplane gather together and hatch a plan to thwart a terrorist attack on our nation and face their own death, then what excuse do I have?

What excuse do we have?

LE

Pennsylvania: Open For Poison

2011-01-04T08:57:00.004-05:00

It's one thing to have roads that need to be paved, schools that need to be improved, or even a terrible major league baseball team.

But when the Government, who is supposed to protect its citizens, allows polluting of their waters, then something is seriously wrong.

Bought and paid.

What happened to cleaning up Harrisburg's corruption?

An article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains how drilling companies such as Atlas Resources are "recycling" the byproduct of fracking. Yeah, and steel companies back in the day were just "recycling" their waste in our waterways.

Are we really prepared for an experiment in our water, do we really think all this "recycling" is really not harmful and do we want to take that risk?

This, coming less than a month after Hexavalent Chromium has been found in our drinking water. If you don't know what Hexavalent Chromium is, then just know it is very, very bad.

Over in Sandusky, Ohio, children are dying from leukemia and other forms of cancer. Amazingly, it's just children who are in this cancer cluster.

But don't worry, the companies over here in Pennsylvania are just "recycling."

Wake up and take action. Go to PA Clean Water Action before these companies start a new ad campaign about how they are making our drinking water safer.

LE

2010 Twelve Days of Christmas

2010-12-22T12:13:00.003-05:00

1 Wanstache gone
2 Ravenstahl brothers in office
3% Funding boost for Carnegie Libraries from the Regional Asset District
4-Game suspension for Roethlisberger
5 Supreme Court "justices" who let corporations secretly buy politicians
6-Packs at the grocery store
7 City Council votes against the Mayor's Pension/Parking Lease Plan
8.6% unemployment in Pennsylvania
9.8% unemployment in United States
10(,000) Highmark employees watch outsourcing to India begin
11 Steelers don't touch Jet running 100 yard kickoff touchdown return
12 Republicans elected to Pennsylvania U.S. House seats

1,368 marcellus shale wells drilled
2,916 marcellus shale permits issued
$125,000 in fines for James Harrison

Merry Christmas!

LE

Merry Christmas from the Steelers!

2010-12-22T10:11:00.004-05:00

You Tube Video

LE

Foreign Foods and DADT

2010-12-20T21:10:00.012-05:00

“Patio Tips: Don the bibbed barbecue apron and asbestos gloves and move the kitchen onto the patio, when the weather is nice.”

A recipe for Brandied Liver Pate (get the eff outta here!)

Italian is first among the “Foreign Foods section.” And remember, "When serving spaghetti, be kind to guests' clothing by providing paper bibs as cover-ups, and conversation pieces."

A recipe for Cold Jellied Turkey (using jell-o)

These are some of the recipes and tidbits I found in a cookbook for meat at a yard sale this summer. As I perused the pages, the recipes were not only dated, but so was the entertaining advice. I thought it was hilarious that back in the 50’s, Italian was the weird ethnic food. I think that was the one thing I was taken a back with. “Those spaghetti eaters!”

Nowadays, Italian restaurants are more common than regular American restaurants--whatever “American” might be.

The writers of the cookbook had a concrete idea of what was considered “American” food and the perfect housewife, and what made up “Foreign Foods.” Even the phrase, Foreign Foods, seems outdated in our world today.

The millennial generation, born from 1977-to the new millennium, are more ethnically diverse than any generation before, and are more socially liberal in many ways than their parents—the Baby Boomers.

We got a sneak peak at the millennial performance during the 2008 Presidential Election. And I am certain when they decide voting can and will continue to make the difference, sweeping reform will start to shape our culture yet again like it did in the 60’s.

Like the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. This is the first time a social issue has been changed by Congress in decades. A sign perhaps of the Baby Boomers and party heads understanding that their younger, bigger generation is moving towards putting Gays, et. Al. in the mainstream category—no longer “Foreign Foods.”

Even Gay Marriage will soon be a sign of the times. A majority of the Millennials agree with gay marriage—not domestic partnership. They want to see marriage and benefit packages become a part of America for gays. Take this from a group who knows about solid partnerships—many of whom had to endure the break-ups of their Boomer Parents. In their estimation, it really doesn't matter who you are, it’s about the relationship. No surprise when you see that being a good parent is ranked first among Millennial priorities.

We’ve asked ourselves, why is politics changing so rapidly from election to election? I have said before, Independents I believe are the main reason of the unsettled voting, mainly because they don’t know what they stand for in the first place.

But with the Millenials coming up, we dip into even more unfamiliar territory. They are described as environmentalists, pro-life, completely surrounded by technology as their main form of communication, spiritual, humanitarians, placing a focus on family rather than work.

And with this comes its seemingly insurmountable improvements—

-The idea that government reform can and will happen in a matter of months, rather than years;

-Pressure on businesses to start family-friendly environments for these Millennial workers (I.e., gone is the 40-hour 9-5 work week);

-Their urgency to rise fast and high in their careers;

-Their willingness to work as a team, groomed unknowingly by their Boomer Parents.

And with these Millennials comes a point at which Baby Boomers must step aside and let them take over. And that is what I believe the problem of politics today. Boomers are doing just what they wanted their parents to not do—get in the way. As they are still in positions of power and are aging, they are reluctant to let go of their ideas and power. They, as for all, have been the gatekeepers for so long, pushing forward an agenda as old as the 60’s.

I can say for myself, I too have been disappointed in healthcare reform coming so slowly as well as other issues I thought would have happened by now. Of course, one side of my brain tells me it is an impossible task to ask of our government to compromise on such extensive legislation, as well as to get our government entities up and running to implement.

But that other side, that side used to texting instead of leaving voice mails; never wearing a watch—it’s on my phone!; going from one job to another, continuously disappointed that higher ups do not change things faster and better, I wonder why technology and all those stupid team building exercises I was forced to participate in all my life has not gone further to make our government more efficient. My tolerance for “we can’t do it” is so impatient, that I get discouraged like my fellow Millennials and blog, text or facebook about it.

And the time will come when we all figure out (like MoveOn.org) that we do have a say and we do have power.

As gay Americans revel in the fact they are now actual citizens in the military and not a category, what more will begin to shape our nation. Who else will be taken out of the “Foreign Foods” category.

This Christmas, All I Want Is A Job

2010-12-15T14:25:00.013-05:00

With the passing of President Obama's tax bill, thousands of Americans who have lost their jobs in this recession will benefit by receiving an extension of their unemployment benefits. It seemed as though a big minority of democrats were against this bill, citing unemployed people will just have to understand that not giving tax cuts to the rich far outweighs helping those who are unemployed.

In the end, it was only a handful of Democrats in the Senate who voted against the bill, proving (once again) President Obama has what it takes to not only unite his own party, but work across the aisle. Of course, he will get no credit for this . . .

Compromise isn't always easy.

Yes, President Obama, did run on no more tax cuts for the wealthy. But when Americans are hurting in the worse recession since the Great Depression, well, a compromise is in order. And to boot, his compromise was better than the touted Schumer deal some Democrats were masturbating over, offering a mere six months of unemployment benefits.

Since the steel industry collapse, this is Pennsylvania's worse unemployment rate. In the 1980's, when President Ronald Regan and VP George Bush were in office, they insisted there was no problem, people were just going to have to pull themselves up and get retrained or find a $5.00 job. It didn't help a family back then and it cannot sustain a family now.

I believe it was New Castle that VP George Bush barely got out with his life after the crowd got angry at his stupidity--going to the grocery store was never the same again after that.

Another thing occurred in the 80's. It used to be a worker-driven economy. What I mean is when companies had a profit, the workers were rewarded. A happier, healthier workforce meant happier, healthier consumers, and so on. CEO's and executives were paid well, and received bonuses.

But in the 80's it shifted. Look at Regan's deregulation of practically everything, including the stock market and banks. This gave way to a more selfish profit-driven economy. Instead of workers getting paid for their hard work and their wages increasing every year as profits grew, CEO's and executives instead rewarded themselves and slashed worker's wages to increase profits even more. And this was all due to the stock market pressures from deregulation.

You can see a huge increase in executive bonuses in the 80's compared to the 90's and rising still in the 2000's. And worker's wages? A minimum wage job, which was meant to support a family of four, cannot even support one person in this day and age.

Unions also became weaker during the 80's. I suppose we all have our gripes about unions, but consider this . . . Unions gave us:

-Child Labor Laws
-40-hour work week
-Weekends
-Minimum wage (or we would be working for nickels)

We can scoff all we want about unions and their tactics, but if it weren't for them, most of us would be working in the mills on a step stool at age 10. For better or worse, unions are indeed the working man's lawyer.

Think to yourself, if a company is left alone, no government regulation, would it really care about its employees? Or would the company demand every last ounce of productivity for as cheap as it can get (i.e., China, Mexico). Blahblahblah I can hear it now; over there, they are just super glad to work for those wages because it's better than what they had before, or she would have been a prostitute if it wasn't for that American company!

Aren't we proud.

Look at Enron, our banking industry; did they put workers first? Heck, some of them didn't even put consumers first!

I read about how this holiday season will be the best one in years, but I question, "For Who?"

Retail stores are holding back their deals in hopes consumers will pay full price. As I go out shopping this season, it still feels empty to me. It feels like our shrinking middle class is cashing in on deals for their own benefit because they had to cut back all year long, and not shopping for that perfect gift for Timmy or Aunt Sue.

Why should we be optimistic if this holiday season, Wal-Mart is showing a huge profit instead of Sears or Toys 'R Us. To me it still says although consumers may be spending more, the middle-class still must shop at Wal-Mart to have any sense of a holiday. It says to me working people cannot afford the prices of most stores because it's just too damn expensive.

And what a shame that is.

As the tax bill passed, I thought of those in need.

An idea crossed my mind. Tara Reynolds Marks, Executive Director of Just Harvest was recently in the Pittsburgh City Paper, talking about how hard it is to fill out a basic food stamps application.

To go further, it is even worse when unemployed people have to suffer through the paperwork of medical assistance for their family, the paperwork for unemployment and its antiquated web system, and all those other things a person must do to stay afloat.

Why not make our Congress and Senators go on a mandatory six month unemployment pay, scraping by on their "savings," apply for food stamps, and figure out how they will pay for medical insurance, or pay for COBRA for an outstanding $1700/month for a family.

Former PA Attorney General, tough on crime, Ernie Preate, saw the light after he went to jail and went on a crusade fighting for incarceration reform.

It's astonishing how the one tea party candidate, Republican Andy Harris, whined about his government medical insurance not kicking in until he took office. What would I do without healthcare for 28 days, he was reported as saying. Poor soul. 28 days is a long time . . .

And another astonishing statistic--over 40% of our US Congress is millionaires (Get angry now if you haven't already). Yes Virginia, Santa Claus is real and he's been contributing to US congressmen campaigns.

No wonder why many are so out-of-touch with the unemployed. Out-of-touch with what necessities for a family cost these days. Simply out-of-touch.

So, this holiday season, as you write off Timmy and Aunt Sue for presents and instead, scrape for a pair shoes for your kid or perhaps a winter coat, and remember this . . . It's the best holiday season in years!

The Mustache Is Gone!!

2010-12-07T21:58:00.003-05:00

University of Pittsburgh football program will no longer operate as a minor league feeder for the NFL--Dave "the mustache" Wannstedt was forced to resign as head coach. Pittsburghers will surely miss having their hopes crushed year after year.

Good Bye! Don't Let The Door Hit You.

2010-12-01T20:05:00.004-05:00

I was pretty ripped up inside when I heard Tom Sokolowski, director of The Andy Warhol Museum was stepping down unexpectedly. After all, he's been bitching about being in Pittsburgh now for 14 years.

I will not miss his pompous, condescending way about him, and I can only write that whoever agrees to hire him here in Pittsburgh will have to endure another 14 years of pure torture.

A Wealth of Pink Floyd Songs!

2010-11-15T13:38:00.002-05:00

Thanks to readers sending in songs. There certainly is a lot to choose from. This is my fav so far.

LE

A Wealth of Pink Floyd Songs!

2010-11-15T13:38:00.001-05:00

Thanks to readers sending in songs. There certainly is a lot to choose from. This is my fav so far.

LE

Pink Floyd Mayor

2010-11-12T16:02:00.011-05:00

I've been in a Pink Floyd mood. It comes when I am my most cynical and dark. I suppose Pink Floyd is not meant for days when you're ready to uncover the magic of unicorns and skipping in the forest. There's only so much angry rap can do for me when I am in this mood--I just have to make that switch to Pink Floyd.

And then it occurred to me . . . Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is in a Pink Floyd mood too. He exhibits all of the symptoms:

1. Isolation

2. Bitterness

3. Suspicion

4. Paranoia

His way or the highway we hear so often in Mayor Ravenstahl's administration. Time and again, if a council member votes differently than what the mayor expects, suddenly the police don't have enough money to patrol part of their district or the council members are not reassigned to an authority they were appointed to.

With Mayor Ravenstahl's pension plan, he has made it clear he will let the city collapse unless his plan is passed, yet the council majority is in favor to use the garages to fund pensions, just not by privatizing.

A reasonable mayor would compromise; a Pink Floyd mayor would assume it's a giant conspiracy and react by shutting down and blaming everyone.

A reasonable mayor would say people who vote with him most of the time are his allies; a Pink Floyd mayor sees any no vote as betrayal.

A reasonable mayor backs a long-time supporter for an open legislative seat; a Pink Floyd mayor runs his brother instead.

A reasonable mayor helps his party through building alliances and repairing broken partnerships; a Pink Floyd mayor bullies his own members and essentially burns bridges.

A reasonable mayor foresees city problems and uses the best and brightest stake holders to help come up with solutions; a Pink Floyd mayor believes everyone is trying to take away his power and relies solely on his own inside people to come up with solutions.

How can a Pink Floyd mayor be stopped?

Pittsburgh City Council must continue to band together, start to override him until the next election, when the people vote to throw him out.

Because right now, Mayor Ravenstahl is comfortably numb.

Facebook

2010-11-09T20:07:00.004-05:00

Worth looking in to Facebook sites:

I want to see John Boehner's Birth Certificate

Call/FAX John Boehner's Office And Ask Him Where The Jobs Are

Has the Post Gazette Gone Nuts?

2010-10-28T23:05:00.012-04:00

What do State Representative Mike Turzai and Governor Candidate Tom Corbett have in common?

Both were endorsed by the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Usually when an opinion is written for a political endorsement, it kind of goes a little like this one:

Mr. Levdansky's positions on guns seem to have drawn out challengers in recent elections, and this year is no exception. While a sportsman, the representative does not agree with some positions of the National Rifle Association. He has proposed legislation to balance the rights of gun owners with the dangers posed by too many weapons in the wrong hands -- measures endorsed by the police chiefs and district attorneys associations.
Mr. Saccone differs. He favors an expansion of the so-called "castle doctrine" that would allow a person claiming to be threatened to shoot, without fear of liability, a would-be intruder in the garage, on the porch or in the yard. As to the legal loophole that lets Pennsylvanians who have been rejected by this state for concealed carry permits to get them from Florida or elsewhere, he believes improper implementation of gun laws in Philadelphia is the real culprit, not Pennsylvania law.
On whether to impose a tax on Marcellus Shale gas drilling, Mr. Levdansky is firmly in the yes column, noting that the industry does not pay property taxes and will have cheaper delivery costs from Pennsylvania because of its proximity to population centers. Mr. Saccone says he still is developing a position on this key issue and his decision will depend on what the tax rate would be and how the money would be spent. He said his default position is that government should not undermine business.
In this race, voters can choose between two knowledgeable men with strong views. Mr. Levdansky has a history of bucking his party and a record of pursuing reform. The Post-Gazette endorses David Levdansky because he better understands the challenges that lie ahead in Harrisburg and is realistic about how to tackle them

On the other hand, the endorsements of Turzai and Corbett focused mainly on whether or not a candidate wanted to privatize the state's 750 liquor stores and 100 distribution centers. That was the deciding factor, all things being equal.

Actually let me rephrase.

Excluding everything, it seems that was the only thing considered in the editorial process by these six people:

John Robinson Block, Editor-in-Chief

Reg Henry

Susan Manella

Tony Norman

Dan Simpson

Tom Waseleski

Four gray-haired white men, one black middle-aged man, and one white middle-aged woman.

Not that I'm inferring anything, but IF I were, maybe the dying newspaper business ought to get a little younger and a tad diverse in their opinion poll. Just thinkin' out loud.

In the PG mailbag by Reg Henry, he assumes people are angry about the endorsement of Corbett for Governor because it is supposed the "liberal leaning" newspaper defected and endorsed a "conservative" for the top PA office.

But really, is that it?

I think Adam Shear's Letter to the Editor said it better than I could:

Absurd reasoning
For some time now, I have noticed that members of your editorial board seem to think that privatization of the Liquor Control Board is the most pressing issue facing Pennsylvania. This obsession has apparently reached a new level of absurdity in your endorsement of Tom Corbett over Dan Onorato for governor.
If I am reading your Oct. 24 editorial "Corbett for Governor" correctly, you disagree with Mr. Corbett on major policy issues (and agree with Mr. Onorato on these); believe that both Onorato and Corbett are good government reformers and outside the corrupt culture of Harrisburg; and believe that Mr. Corbett has made promises on taxes that he won't be able to keep due to fiscal realities (leading to the obvious question of whether Mr. Corbett is misleading the public or not up to the task at hand). You also (rightly) question Mr. Corbett's decision to join with other Republican attorneys general in challenging the federal health care plan in court.
Yet "the crying need for privatization" of wine and liquor sales apparently trumps all other considerations. I would be happy to shop for wine and whiskey in a private store (and for the state to get a short-term revenue boost from the sale of store licenses), but I think most reasonable people would agree that health care, transportation infrastructure and environmental issues surrounding the Marcellus Shale have to rank as higher priorities for the commonwealth.
Given that you apparently agree with Mr. Onorato and not Mr. Corbett on these issues, your endorsement of Mr. Corbett is baffling.
ADAM SHEAR
Squirrel Hill

Really, is privatizing the liquor stores the most important thing and the most decisive issue separating Corbett from Onorato? Is it not, let's say, ummmm, jobs?

Maybe I'm way off, maybe I just don't have the pulse of Pennsylvanians, but I really don't think that when you ask an average gray haired white man, he's going to say that his #1 concern for the PA Governor is to privatize the state liquor stores in the Governor's first 90 days, or it's a deal breaker!

Some People Kinda Don't Like Witches

2010-10-18T23:09:00.013-04:00

The more I think of Halloween, the more I giggle about Delaware. It's really gotten out of hand. Check out the SNL Skit.

Christine O'Donnell, a reformed witch, now a Teapublican, is desperately trying to regain her lead, if she ever had one.

If you ever thought all that crazy experimental shit you did in college would never come back to haunt you. . . well, take heed of O'Donnell!

I mean, you have to laugh your ass off when you hear her commercial that begins, "I'm not a witch. . . " I myself like to put it in English working class accent (think Monty Python and the Holy Grail).

What forces a candidate to air a rebuttal commercial that begins with those words?

I can think of one million ways to begin an ad. "I'm not a witch" is not one of them, nor would it enter an ad in any way.

It reminds me of another witch.

Former PA State Representative Tracy Seyfert, a Republican (there were no Tea partiers way back then) from Crawford County.

In 2000, she was sentenced to six months for taking a generator for the firefighter company in her district, then helping to cover it up--but that's not why her constituents turned on her.

Going just a little overboard in preparing for Y2K on her farm did not cause her constituents to turn on her--hell, they were preparing for the apocalypse too!

And raising peacocks did not get her ousted (it was just a little weird).

Being a witch, well, they couldn't have that in Crawford County. It's one thing to have a farm full of federal surplus generators for firefighters, Y2K, and exotic birds, but a whole other thing to force state workers to listen to Deepak Chopra and conjure up Wiccan spirits.

Dan Working Hard for PA

2010-10-14T08:11:00.010-04:00

In an e-mail interview with Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, he makes clear his priorities as Governor of Pennsylvania are jobs and wise spending.

As I mentioned in a previous blog of mine, 4 years is a long time to have someone in office to handle our affairs in any economic time. While it seems there is no relief in sight in this expanding economy, as the statistics show (tell that to the 9% unemployed in Pennsylvania), we need a leader to guide us through with sound policies that won't drive the low and middle classes further into crisis.

On a daily basis, the Governor has more of an affect on our daily lives--transportation, safety, education, taxes, etc. We must pay attention to this election and start to focus our energy on making sure the right guy is elected.

Dan's commercials are gaining positive reaction across Pennsylvania, as he delivers a personal message to voters homes--lets change together what's happening in Harrisburg. That is our dependable thoughtful person we have all grown to know here in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

No-thrills? Homegrown? He is just what Pennsylvanians needs in this tough economy. A man who looks like he irons his own shirts, packs his own lunch to save a few bucks, shops at Kohls, and shows up every Friday at the City -County building to show pride in his hometown sports (well, maybe not the Pirates)!

A guy who gets it.

Gets that one must be a friend of the environment:

That’s why I’ve been endorsed by two major environmental groups: PennEnvironment and the Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania. As Allegheny County Executive, I named the county’s first Sustainability Manager, preserved green space and extended trails and recreation opportunities. I am the only candidate for Governor who has a plan to extend Growing Greener – the state’s major environmental conservation and preservation programs – and who is calling for a competitive severance tax so that we can enforce environmental standards and reverse the cuts to the Department of Environmental Protection, and so the gas drillers pay for the cost of protecting the environment.

Dan gets that a Governor must have common sense.

I asked whether he would bring the same common sense reform to the state as he did as County Executive. Would he enforce accountability and effectiveness with our tax dollars?

I gave two examples--

-Office Reform and electing judges; and

-PennDot currently does not coordinate projects, causing drivers taking an alternate route to sometimes then find it too is under construction (this just was timely, hehehe).

Dan's Answer:

Pennsylvanians need to have confidence that state government is using every tax dollar wisely, and reforming Harrisburg is a top priority of mine. Running Pennsylvania’s second-largest county, I championed reform – taking on members of my own party in order to make government work better and save taxpayers money. I’ve proposed an ambitious reform agenda – which you can read at voteonorato.com– and I’m the only candidate who has experience getting reform enacted. As Governor, I’ll make sure every state agency is responsive to Pennsylvanians, and I’ll look for ways to consolidate government and make it more user-friendly.

I also agree that we should change the way we select state-level judges. The current process of electing state judges gives too much power to special interests, and I want to work with reformers on how we can do it better.

Finally, Dan gets that we are in a recession.

I asked Dan's thoughts on Attorney General Tom Corbett, his opponent in this race, and his statements challenging Pennsylvania that it has jobs and those laid off or unemployed do not need unemployment benefits extended..

That’s just another example of how out-of-touch Tom Corbett is. Tom has never helped create a job in his entire career, and he really believes “the jobs are there” but Pennsylvanians would rather collect unemployment than go back to work. Tom is wrong. And Tom is also wrong to say, as he did in our debate last week, that the solution to the state’s unemployment compensation fund debt is to add a $3 billion tax on workers.
The economy is the number one challenge facing Pennsylvania, and Tom Corbett has made clear that he does not understand the needs of average Pennsylvanians and that he won’t put our interests first.
I have a detailed plan to help create new jobs and train our workforce – just like we’ve done in Allegheny County. Now our unemployment rate is lower than the state’s and the nation’s, and we have more jobs than any county in Pennsylvania. Please visit my website to learn more about my plan.

If you are undecided about this race, think about your home, your family, your job, your bank account, your children, your mental and physical health, your community, your environment; who would you rather have fighting for you in Harrisburg?

State Dems to Joe: We're All That

2010-09-28T22:50:00.009-04:00

I read the piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette where the state Democratic establishment is steaming that Joe Sestak will not coordinate closely with them. They want him to use their vast experience winning Senate elections in Pennsylvania.

Excuse me, but I seem to recall Dems only won ONE regular Senate seat in the last 40-some years and that was Bob Casey Jr. And he pretty much won that seat with his big name recognition and popularity (and a huge crew from DC).

This Dem gang manages to lose virtually ALL Senate races under their control. And they failed to nominate their preferred candidate Arlen Specter with the backing of the President, Governor and the rest of the establishment.

Using his unusual campaign strategy and structure, Sestak won by an impressive margin in May. Now, the Dems actually want him to trim his sails and use all their experience and wisdom because, after all, they know what they're doing?

Unbelievable!

What an $8 haircut will get you

2010-09-19T13:54:00.022-04:00

I heard if you go to a beauty school, you can get an amazing cut for an inexpensive price. What I wasn't told was I would have to sit there for 3 hours while the student consulted with her teacher over and over about the "squeeze" grip and laying the comb on my head to see the angles, separating my hair in the back so the reverse bob would be easier to cut, blahblahblah.

It looked okay when she was finished, but several days later, I began to look like George Washington. And $40 more and another 50 minutes fixed the initial $8 (plus $10 tip--I somehow felt I needed to give the student a super tip), and those 3 hours, well, you get the picture . . .

The "great deal" really wasn't so effin great.

Reminds me of several people I know.

Like Ed Rendell for instance.

I saw all these pictures of him cleaning Philly city toilets with his crisp white shirts rolled up; doing cannonballs in the city polls; eating cheese steaks with cheese wiz dripping all over his ties; hearing about how he "jogs" in these ridiculous running suits, and stops in at public meetings just to say hello. Great things, all of it. And I thought to myself, what a super guy--he gets us regular people.

But his nickname in Philly is "Fast Eddie." He was known as a "Pay to Play" mayor. So when I read about his former Mayor Chief of Staff David Cohen going to Comcast; his Homeland Security Secretary unknowingly spying on Marcellus Shale activists instead of militia members or terrorists; several of his staff members leaving to lobby for Marcellus Shale companies like Range Resources; I think, we should have known it would have ended like this.

We got what we voted (or didn't vote) for.

Then I look at my favorites, former State Representative Mike Veon and soon to be former State Representative Bill DeWeese. Most of what Veon did as a representative, DeWeese did, albeit not drive a motorcycle around in a van. DeWeese, however, did host a monthly blowhard dinner at some fancy restaurant where he invited a few staffers, a few representatives, maybe a female he liked, and some professor, elite, esteemed, whatever, that is informed on whatever topic DeWeese decided the dinner should be about--Gettysburg; Roosevelt; Black History, etc.

He too had his driver do odd things for him, like ride bicycles with him in races. But I think the thing that sticks out the most is wearing seersucker suits in Harrisburg, dressing to the nines, but in his reelection commercial, similar to Veon, dressing in jeans and a flannel posing in nature, pleading for the voters to keep him in office (Veon posed in front of a red barn, but his appeal didn't quite work).

What's interesting with Veon is when he first ran in 1984, he showed up in a couple of Union events in a little foreign car. He learned his lesson quick, changing his car and trading it in for an American made car.

Have we learned our lesson yet? We got what we voted for (Greene and Beaver County certainly screwed us).

CasablancaPA makes fun of the fact that Attorney General Tom Corbett was "unaware" of the corruption in Harrisburg until he started cleaning it up as AG, says he is not a part of it, and vows to continue to clean it up as Governor. If you haven't seen the movie, "Casablanca," maybe you ought to.

The blog continues to point out his main contributors/fundraiser is Bob Asher.

A word to November voters--you get what you vote for.

Tea Party is a very interesting bunch of people. They are frustrated about something. Less government (this used to be a very Republican idea). In particular, they favor phasing our Social Security and abolishing the Department of Education.

What is truly ignorant about the movement is I would bet most of them probably were

educated through the public school system and currently receive Social Security as part of their retirement. It's part of the fracturing of the Republican Party that the country has to deal with (first the Christian Coalition), similar to the Independents who think things should change immediately--a year and a half to pass stimulus package, healthcare and financial reform is just simply not enough.

What I think is spectacular about the tea party is they think that the "less government, less taxation" platform is a brand new idea. They actually think the people they are electing are going to do something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than what the geniuses they elected previously did on the same exact platform (which still resulted in higher taxes and more effin government regulations).

A word of caution to the Tea Party--you get what you vote for. Good luck with that.

At least with President Obama, we got Dan Rooney as the Ambassador to Ireland.

Property Tax Hike to Pay For Libraries?

2010-09-08T19:46:00.010-04:00

Pop quiz: Who or what entity would pay an Iowa firm to poll Pittsburgh voters about whether or not it would be a super great idea to place a property tax measure on the ballot next year to pay for the Carnegie Library System?

The first question out was whether or not BurghChair reader would be voting in the City Council race next year. . .

Another interesting question posed by the pollster was whether or not BurghChair reader would favor a 3% shift in current property tax revenues from public safety and sanitation budgets to the library system budget.

Then of course came the "tricky questioning" part, where the pollster gives 10 or so phrases that tugs at BurghChair reader's heartstrings about funding the library through a property tax increase, how it will only cost the average Pittsburgh family an additional $19.00 a year, blahblahblah.

This would have trapped my reader into saying "strongly agree," whereas my reader said, "fuck no! Politicians should have spent our money wisely! In the Depression, not one single library was closed, nor were property taxes raised to pay for them!"

Well actually, reader said "strongly disagree."

Reader also corrected Iowa pollster on how to pronounce "Carnegie."

Who is up for City Council anyway? Darlene Harris, Patrick Dowd, Ricky Burgess, Doug Shields, Bruce Kraus. Hmmmm.

Friends of Lawrenceville Library Art Auction

2010-09-07T18:22:00.004-04:00

Do you really want "1984" to come true via Kindle? Oh wait, that already happened.

Preserving libraries is part of protecting our freedom of speech. Or do you really want Hallibuton or Amazon to be in charge of that?

You have three weeks to set that night aside and get a baby or dog sitter; save some cash and not buy 15 mocha lattes with extra cream and 6 lunches out; and stop yourself from buying that purse or pair of loafers until next month.

Congratulations! Your contribution helped keep our libraries open a few more hours!

Now make sure you get your ass there.

September 25th 6:00 - 9:30 PM

Lawrenceville Branch, 279 Fisk Street

More information: Susanne Park--susannepark@hotmail.com

Facebook: Save Pittsburgh Libraries

Invite

Mayor's Office becomes UPMC Office of the Mayor

2010-08-29T14:41:00.005-04:00

City Council will vote soon on Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s parking lot and garage privatizing. We’ve been banging our heads over and over about the sense this makes-- will Pittsburgh make enough money over the course of several hundred decades with the initial payout; will people be serviced the same or better in the long run; and will the garages/parking lots be run the same or better?

Ask Chicago and Indiana. Their answers will be a resounding “NO.”

In Pittsburgh, we privatized our zoo, aviary, the blacktop plant, and the city’s car fleet. Now parking is up for grabs, and we have a real threat of underselling that empire.

Pittsburgh has jobs and entertainment downtown; people come downtown and pay to park. There is a fine line between having affordable parking to keep downtown profitable and affordable making our city worth coming in to enjoy; versus gouging commuters, workers and visitors alike, devastating our thriving economy.

What HAS happened in Chicago and Indiana will likely occur here: after our payout, the pension sucks up its payment immediately, then we get nothing more while one of two things will happen with parking in the city:

1. The private companies will shoot up rates across the board; or
2. There will be rate options a person can purchase, like the EZ Pass—“EZ Parking." Once you get hooked, they bump the rates with “fees,” introduce an “all new parking level” or “premium express pass” for exclusive renters who pay even more, reducing room for less-paying parkers to go somewhere else. Maybe the North Shore.

And another thing: with the pay-to-play that goes on with contracts, does anybody REALLY think this is going be bid out the right way? I like City Council and all . . . but in the end, there will be a whole lot of “hearings” about the misbehavior, maybe even a public reprimand.

Unfortunately, while the city is arguing about privatization of the garages and not working on a real answer on the pensions (the reason this bad privatization plan was hatched in the first place), it was just announced the pension plan is getting much worse due to poor investment performance.

In the end, the city's plan would just make parking horribly expensive, at the same time that bus and T service is slashed. This is going to make downtown far more crowded and expensive, so businesses and people might very well leave for the suburbs just when we started reinvesting again.

If we HAVE to hike rates sky high, why not keep it in-house as a stable funding source for the pension fund? There have been proposals out there to turn the garage earnings directly over to the pension fund. Why outsource the funds if it can be kept public-owned? I guess the politically correct thing is to outsource it. Even if it doesn't make sense.

There comes a point when if you can’t beat ‘em, ya might as well join ‘em. If the public no longer matters when it comes to public assets, lets cut the pretense and get down to brass tacks, right?

Here are some more cash-raising privatization deals. I’m just sayin’, if the people are no longer in charge, lets acknowledge who is. The naming rights alone would be enormous! Just ask the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates! So let’s privatize (or the PC term, MONETIZE):

Office of the Mayor becomes UPMC Office of the Mayor.

City Council Districts 1-9 become the HEINZ, COMCAST, K&L GATES, PPG, TRIB TOTAL MEDIA, REED SMITH, UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, HIGHMARK, and CONSOL ENERGY districts.

Office of City Controller becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of KPMG.

It’s a win-win situation. The people don’t need to be bothered governing themselves any longer. Leave it to the experts! Instead of elected officials, be governed by benevolent appointees working at private firms! It’s the ultimate in American Outsourcing!

2010-08-22T20:40:00.001-04:00

"Our performance this year has been an embarrassment, to the city, to the Pittsburgh Pirates and to our fan base."

--Pirates team president Frank Coonelly

Onorato vs Corbett

2010-08-10T10:56:00.019-04:00

Fast approaching is the Governors race for Pennsylvania and here in Pittsburgh we are faced with I think a bigger decision than most people in the state.

With our downtown being revitalized and developed, new green business opportunities coming to our city, conventions filling up, tourism, sports, etc., things are steadily working out for us.

We of course do have our problems--paying for pensions, transportation cuts, jobs, and the looming thought of property tax assessment.

We have before us two candidates and a quirk of Pennsylvania history that every eight years, the office of governor switches party--this time it is scheduled to be Republican.

The first candidate, Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett, who incidentally was raised here in Allegheny County, has been prosecuting Harrisburg politicians on both sides of the aisle for the last several years. I'm sure he's done a lot of other good things in both of his terms in office--like putting away online pervs and such, but the defining career making stuff is putting Beaver County Democratic Minority Whip Mike Veon behind bars; uncovering BonusGate in the Democratic Caucus; and to a lesser extent, in the other chambers.

The second candidate is Democrat Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato--born, raised, and lives here in the county. His biggest

successes have been staving off property taxes, producing jobs in the Mon Valley, airport area development, and saving the Kane Nursing Homes (County nursing homes). He also championed row office reform.

There are two other candidates--Marakay Rogers (how do you go from the Green Party to Libertarian???) and a Tea Party Candidate John Krupa. Hehehe.

Anywho, getting back to my POINT . . .

Will voters this year continue to be superstitious, beholden to history, vote for change "just because"?

Here's what's up. The Pennsylvania Senate is Republican right now, and the House is Democratic. If the House Republicans get a net gain of three--they will gain the House.

The consequences to Pittsburgh may not seem like a big deal to many people, but over eight years, it is, especially depending upon who we vote into office.

A Republican Governor with both chambers can certainly erode all of the progress we have made with education, just as we are starting to see an increase in our test scores. Cuts to our programs, larger class sizes, and well, Pre-K really would be the one to suffer the worst.

Transit is another program that would suffer and we all know it suffers already. There's some crazy stat that floats around like half of all those who work downtown use mass transit. Could we really afford more cuts?

Now it is true Corbett is from here. And I'm sure he would bring a little Pork our way. And he's one hell of a tough guy arresting all those naughty politicians and pervs online.

But . . .

Onorato has made his bed here.

Mark PATRICK Flaherty polling?

2010-08-05T21:02:00.008-04:00

I hear from uber LE fans that calls are being made for the May 2011 primary that focuses on the County Executive Election.

Those mentioned in the phone call are:

Mark PATRICK Seamus Dooley Eamonn O'Shanahan Flaherty

Rich Fitzgerald (who is he again? oh yeah, that Patrick Kennedy look-alike!)

And briefly Luke Ravenstahl and Michael Lamb

Mark PATRICK Flaherty, from what I heard, was paired up with one of these men, and asked whether the respondent was more likely to vote for him or the other, in a more cleverly worded way, of course.

And the respondent was asked if they felt very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, very negative, or somewhat negative for each answer.

Then there were a series of questions regarding Mark PATRICK Flaherty and Rich Fitzgerald's notoriety and if the respondent knew who the hell they were. Many of the questions focused on Mark PATRICK Flaherty.

Some additional questions were:

Do you believe the county is going in the right direction, or on the wrong track--you know, the pollster's way of sneaky wording.

Would tapping into Marcellus Shale be agreed to, neutral, or disagreed to in order to help with pensions?

Would increasing bus fares and consolidating routes be agreed to, neutral, or disagreed to in order to help close the county's debt?

The classic pollster question--The Catch 22--do you want your property taxes raised or vital services cut?

So, my questions:

Wow, a poll this early--I would take away from this if behind this poll is:

1. Mark PATRICK Flaherty--its to see how fucked he is as far as name recognition and how much money he needs to raise to beat all other possible opponents (We voted him as what? Controller? When? I thought all those row offices were eliminated!);

2. Rich Fitzgerald--read above

3. Luck Ravenstahl--three times a charm? Sizing up his opponents . . .

Second, if Marcellus Shale is going to be anyone's platform for pensions or budget downfalls (Dan Onorato proposed leasing airport property), it is no doubt going to be controversial. With Former Governor Tom Ridge now the lead lobbyist and politicians and communication directors alike signing on to move Marcellus Shale like they did the casinos, Allegheny County can fight to get in on the action, sell our souls (I'm not biased or anything), and gain tons of cash real quick until the lawsuits start coming in.

Third, transportation cuts? Really? Half of the people who work downtown use mass transit. And that may be a conservative estimate.

Fourth, interesting that Dan Onorato was not mentioned in the poll. Hmmmmm.

Am I A Self-Hating Woman?

2010-07-30T10:28:00.008-04:00

Okay, so I can't get the song, "I Love The Way You Lie" out of my brain. And how do you think that makes me feel?

Rihanna and Eminem video

So, is Rihanna being ironic in this song? Good girl gone . . . good?? Talking about how abused women really have a difficult time sorting out whether or not the man in their life is helping them or hurting them?

Has she gone Oprah to the masses, using what she has gone through to heal women (and men) through her music?

Or is she playing to the shock of her fans (and unfans), of her past, and her present? Selling records off of domestic abuse and exploiting that?

We all know Eminem uses his music to fight his own demons, constantly talking about battering women. Could he really be using an ironic voice this time?

Or is it all what we want to hear . . . Mainstream thought the Village People were straight. Here, it was an anthem to the gay community, "Come on out--join your straight friends and let's par-ty!" What an awesome sense of freedom that must have been. And pretty hilarious watching their own straight friends not knowing what the hell was going on.

So what's up with this song? And why do I feel so effin guilty listening to it? Really, any time I listen to anything by Eminem, I feel guilty--forgive me father, for I have sinned . . .

I know ten years from now he's going to reveal something even more sinister in his motives and lyrics, and all the while, I was jamming to him on my pink IPod--Damn him!

What's more confusing is the video. WTF. A real head-scratcher. Quick--someone, call the director of Vanilla Sky. Maybe he can make sense of it.

Pittsburgh Real Estate Ad

2010-07-26T10:37:00.002-04:00

Found this in the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

McDonalds, Cleopatra, EZ Pass

2010-07-18T13:36:00.011-04:00

When ordering tickets online or over the phone for the Cleopatra Exhibit in Philadelphia, you will be "fee to death" over it. And there really is no way around it, unless you want to take the chance that there will be tickets available when you show up that day.

You see, it's pretty much been sold out. And the Franklin Institute sells tickets in half hour increments. If all those tickets are sold, you have to wait a half hour on a first-come, first-served basis. So they encourage people to buy them online, most tickets already having been sold in advance.

What they don't tell you is these tickets, roughly $26.50 per adult (less for children, seniors and evening tickets), comes with a $3.50 per ticket "service charge" when ordering

them online, 50 cents cheaper when ordering them over the phone.

A method of purchasing tickets first was to cut down on expenses, and was marketed as a convenience, but now has uncovered a disgusting host of fake "processing" and "service" charges that don't even make sense.

At McDonalds, parents with little ones go in, get their happy meals and parents can enjoy their own Big Macs while their children play at Playland. But now, you must buy 89 cent socks before your child can play, if GOD FORBID, they are not wearing socks in the summer time.

Neatly placed under the cash registers are small, medium and large plain white socks, wrapped in McDonalds plastic wrap, where a parent MUST purchase this product, or NO playland for their unclean toddler.

I mean, who knows what kind of diseases, germs, and bacteria their feet might pick up on the Playland pad. Nothing that, I don't know, shoes could have prevented.

McDonalds is now holding parents hostage for even more money, more "fees" for this unreasonable purchase, and they must comply. They must bend over and take it.

We are slaves. Even on the Turnpike. What's 5 minutes of our lives to pay a person a toll when we've been cruising along at 65 miles an hour for however many hours? That's a person's job, and for what? An electronic device that we will grow to love and cruise through a toll effortlessly, and then, the inevitable . . .

Fees.

To charge it up once a month.

Or because we are not going through the money fast enough.

Or a yearly maintenance fee.

Or upgrading EZ Pass Electronic Nano Motherboard Fee.

It's inevitable.

And we will bend over and take it.

We will order those tickets to the Cleopatra Exhibit at the Franklin Institute and pay that $3.50 per ticket fee; we will pay 89 cents for socks for our kids to play at an indoor Playland at McDonalds; and we will most certainly pay an additional nonsensical fee to use the EZPass to sit in traffic someday at what was supposed to be a fly-through no-stopping toll.

Teddy a Texter

2010-07-12T09:13:00.012-04:00

I tried to shop this idea to Vannevar because he likes to do all that research and graph-like blogging stuff, but that was a while ago and it seems he, well, isn't going to do it.

So I guess it's up to me . . .

What does Andrew Carnegie and Teddy Roosevelt have in common?

They both believed the English language could be simplified.

It was thought that Roosevelt was a poor speller, but really, Roosevelt was very language-oriented--he spoke the major modern languages, and read the ancient ones (lets face it, he went to Harvard, he wasn't that illiterate).

Carnegie, under the power of Roosevelt and during his second term, convened the Simplified Spelling Board on March 11, 1906 in New York. Some of the notable 26-member board were author Samuel Clemens, U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Brewer, Publisher Henry Holt, and former US Secretary of the Treasury Lyman Gage.

The board wanted to make the English language phonetic again so that it could become a universal language, a pretty worthy goal.

Here are some of the things that really irked the board:

Silent letters: "e" in "axe" or "h in "ghost"

Complex words: "bureau" could be "buro" or "enough" could be "enuf"

Multiple spellings: "centre" was also "centre" or "plow" was also "plough"

The result was the board recommending 300 reformed spellings at first to be revealed to the public, then others to come later. Unfortunately, Roosevelt was a bit excited about the board's findings and ordered the Government Printing Office to publish his report to Congress, and to print it all in this new system.

Needless to say, it didn't go over well. Partly because there weren't many texters back then. Partly because he had done this all on his own without Congressional support. And partly because it was fucking crazy.

Well, actually, that's not true (I thought it was).

Turns out, presidents liked to screw around with spelling back then. Newspapers all over the country were not uniform, which also irked people.

Congress passed a joint resolution expressing disapproval of the executive action in a time when Roosevelt was incredibly successful at using the Conservatives and the Liberals against each other in his first term.

And he was publicly flogged. (jk).

So there's John Quincy Adams, a modern day tweeter; and now Teddy Roosevelt, a modern day texter.

WTF, rt?

The Heat Is On

2010-07-09T20:41:00.000-04:00

A break in the heat wave . . .

Is Veon's Vacation Permanent?

2010-06-29T12:48:00.017-04:00

Just getting back from vacation after an 8 week hiatus, it occurred to me, would former State Rep. Mike Veon be going on a permanent one; or would he appeal for a reduced sentence and take a little vacation out in Camp Hill, catch up on some PCN, start up his own blog and come out recharged, refreshed and start his own lobbying firm with some other convicted felons?

If he were to open up his own firm, and call it Felonious Associates (just a thought), he could call on some old buddies of his, like former State Rep. Tom Druce, former Senate Majority Leader Joe Loeper, former State Rep. Frank LaGrotta (if he's still not sore at him), former State Rep. Frank Gigliotti, and maybe even former Speaker of the House John Perzel!

Now that would be an interesting venture.

You're probably thinking to yourself, Who are these people, or, No one can come out of a political scandal and have a successful career! Oh, but you are wrong!

Come closer and read on . . .

Tom Druce was a lobbyist (and probably still is) while serving on house arrest wearing an ankle bracelet. He ran over a black high homeless man while in his state car with his girlfriend, both suspected to be drunk. Then he hid the car and girlfriend. He later claimed to have hit a PennDot barrell. Oops.

Joe Loeper became a lobbyist at his own firm after being convicted of ethics violations.

RNC Committeeman, former chair on Gov. Dick Thornburg's re-election campaign, big contributer of Tom Corbett, convicted Felon: that could only be Bob Asher. He was convicted of perjury, racketeering, conspiracy, bribery--what I like to call a "political buffet" of charges.

Asher resigned and served one year in federal prison. Maybe you know the case--PA State Treasurer Budd Dwyer was his co-defendant and blew his own head off on national

TV just before sentencing.

New Jersey's Bob Torricelli, although never went to prison, had a huge campaign contribution scandal involving an imprisoned Korean businessman. Note to politicians, don't accept donations from people in prison. He's a lobbyist for a real estate developer.

Ben Woods, former President of Pittsburgh City Council, was convicted of a political buffet in 1989 and served three years in federal prison. Although he's a former Democratic chair of the 27th Ward (and is still on the committee), he holds much political clout, most recently getting behind State Representative Candidate Dan Keller.

Philly's Jimmy Tayoun is now a journalist (if you can call it that), was a City Councilman turned federal prisoner for a political buffet.

My favorite, former Congressman from Youngstown Jim Trafficant (aka "Beam Me Up Scottie"), served eight years in federal prison for a political buffet. He's planning to run for Congress as an Independent this year.

The highest profile politician is Spiro Agnew when he was Vice-President for Nixon and the only one who had to resign from the administration for events unrelated to Watergate. As Veep he pled no contest to tax evasion related to taking alleged bribes as Governor of Maryland. After resigning as part of his plea bargain, Agnew became an "International Consultant" for several Arab nations. Yahoo!

So you see, there is hope for our Western Pennsylvania Hero-Turned-Felon.

Join this Twitter Account

2010-06-07T09:12:00.001-04:00

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Read It

2010-05-20T21:23:00.000-04:00

Casa Blanca blog

STOP the bleeding in the Gulf!

2010-05-20T12:03:00.002-04:00

Sign this Petition . . .NOW.

We Live In A Political World

2010-05-17T00:26:00.006-04:00

Bob Dylan "Political World"

Take a listen . . .

What do you know? What do you hear?

Sometimes it's hard to find your way through all the political commercials, phone calls and mailers to know who to vote for. But then, is it really?

If you are a constant bitcher about:

-Corrupt, well-connected, and politicians who are going to jail . . . who voted them in there?

-Corporations and powerful people who hold too much power in government affairs

-Tool of special interests

-Getting the job done?

-Not connected to the people, checked out

-Entitlement of elected offices

-Just a tool

Then do yourself a favor and start learning about candidates in other ways.

There's a million different candidate questionnaires out there candidates have filled out. Read one.

Look at their websites and go specifically to their issue papers, and yes, you have to READ.

Take a look at a candidate's Campaign Report and you will get an idea. It's one thing to be supported by a neighbor/group/union/business, but entirely different when a candidate is "funded" by one.

Skip the propaganda put out by campaigns on tv ads and mailers. If you don't and vote strictly on that, you will be bitching all over again about who elected these assholes--It Was You.