Pittsburgh Hoagie: All meat no filler

Panella race

2009-11-03T22:59:00.002-05:00

Looks like PA Supreme Court candidate Jack Panella is going to go down in defeat tonight to Joan Melvin...from my view it appears that Allegheny County did not put up the numbers for him that he needed to bring home a winner. Allegheny County was nearly a split between the two candidates while Philadelphia County looks like it will go nearly 80-20 in favor of Panella.

98.21% in

2009-11-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

Ravenstahl 27,238 54.91

Harris 12,606 25.41

Acklin 9,604 19.36

90.23% in

2009-11-03T21:44:00.000-05:00

Ravenstahl 26,341 54.90
Harris 12,118 25.26
Acklin 9,362 19.51

85.22% in

2009-11-03T21:38:00.001-05:00

Ravenstahl 25,933 54.96
Harris 11,908 25.24
Acklin 9,188 19.47

20th Ward 8th District returns

2009-11-03T20:37:00.001-05:00

Luke Ravenstahl: 110
Kevin Acklin: 47
Dok Harris: 23

Overall with 61.14%:

Ravenstahl: 20,802 55.40
Harris: 9,353 24.91
Acklin: 7,272 19.37

Election Endorsements & thoughts

2009-11-01T00:01:00.005-04:00

ENDORSEMENTS:
Mayor, City of Pittsburgh: Kevin Acklin

This will not be received well by many of my political friends but I don't care. I really don't. This is a vote that I wrestled with for some time but lately the smoke has cleared and I am voting with my mind and for my community. I truly believe that Acklin is the best candidate for our city neighborhoods. Acklin reminds me of our late great Mayor Bob O'Connor in his community first approach to government. I have sat by for far too long and been a cheerleader for an administration that I once believed in and an administration that I believed would help me get through issues in my neighborhood. I am not here to say that I don't support this administration but I am here to say that I have lost faith in them and lost faith in the overall direction that this administration has towards Elliott. If Ravenstahl wins, which he will, I will give him and the administration the chance to make better efforts in my community. I am not going to pick fights but I will call out inefficiencies and I will let my neighbors know who is helping us and who isn't.

I know that this endorsement won't win me many friends within the administration and government but that is not what I am here for. What purpose does it serve if I am friendly with everyone at 414 Grant Street but my neighborhood looks the same as it does now in 4 years? I am a community first person and that is why I am voting for Acklin on Tuesday. I am not here to be involved in back slapping hey how you doing politics anymore. It's all about what can you do for me and my neighborhood.

Some people have brought up that fact that Acklin has donated money to various Republican candidates like Melissa Hart & Mitt Romney. I say this: who cares? What difference does it make in this election? Does it really matter that Acklin gave money to those people? Acklin actually voted for Senator Bob Casey and President Barack Obama. In this race he is a pro-choice candidate who supports the Roe vs. Wade decision. Not that it matters though. I'm hearing all of these side conversations about why Acklin should not be elected but I have yet to hear anyone make a substantial argument about why he shouldn't be elected. Can anyone give me one?

If Acklin is turned away at the polls then it is my opinion that Mr. Acklin should serve in some sort of capacity in our city government. Acklin would make any department of city government a better place.

Here is a copy of an E-mail I wrote to Mayor Ravenstahl last week:

Luke,

I am writing tonight in frustration. I am frustrated by the plans to close the West End library. This is something that really effects our community. For far too long we residents of District 2 have gotten the short end of the stick on EVERYTHING. We don't receive our fair share of services and we don't have any plan for our community. We see businesses closing in Sheraden, libraries closing in the West End, the lone mailbox in Elliott being removed by the post office, a lack of attention by BBI, a rental registration program that isn't working, a disruptive property ordinance that I loved when it was passed but hate now that nothing is being done with it other than "loose dog" complaints, abandoned cars left on streets months and months after being submitted to your 311 line. Complaints about high grass and weeds to BBI via 311 that are simply listed as acknowledged that were put in in June and it is now closing in on the month of November. We have roads in the West End that were slated for the past two years to be milled and paved but for some reason they weren't.

We see crumbling neglected parks in Townsend and the West End. We also don't see you at a meet the candidates night when you were invited. You left 50 residents of District 2 wondering where you were, including myself. You are losing control here in District 2. We don't see you enough or hear from you enough. For far too long I have stood by you praising you and your staff. I am at a breaking point. I can't defend something when it is painfully obvious. District 2 is falling apart and I don't see a plan to stop the walls from falling in.

We need action in our District and we need it now.

Here is a follow up letter to the Mayor and to someone who was CC'd on my original Email and who responded (not the Mayor):

I turn in hundreds and hundreds of neighborhood complaints to 311. The majority of them get resolved in a decent amount of time. Where I am, and other people across the city, are having troubles is with BBI. I know that the Director is quitting but I didn't think that was until November.

I have a whole list of BBI issues that I submitted in June & July which are only listed as acknowledged in the system which means that no one from that department has even looked at the situation. The biggest concern is abandoned cars on properties and high grass and weed complaints. It's now going into November and high grass and weeds complaints from June & July haven't even been closed out? That is a serious concern. I got so sick and tired of waiting for the city to use the "clean and lein" program that I actually went out and cut these lawns and weeds down. Neighbors would come out and ask me if I was with the city and I would say no and then I would hear how they have complained and complained about the high grass to the city but it always seemed to fall on deaf ears.

These concerns aren't new, for years the same issues have been popping up time after time, the Mayor's office is aware of this but they do not do anything about it. Instead of increasing their allocated budget dollars they were actually cut in the proposed budget. This department is woefully underfunded and it shows in the lack of results across the neighborhoods.

Bruce Kraus always talks about the need for the city to operate not just 9am-5pm. This city is a 24-7 economy but yet we don't have BBI out at night. BBI is needed to be out in the evening and night. I can't get graffiti cleared off of the buildings on Fifth Avenue in the Hill District that faces Duquesne University because there are cars normally parked in the areas where it needs cleaned up. Why isn't there an evening/night crew to take care of these problems? Why doesn't someone from that department make arrangements with the tenants of the buildings to make sure no one is parked there for a few hours on a certain day to ensure that the disgusting graffiti is removed?

I can send you the list of complaints that are unresolved as of today. I keep a detailed log of everything that is sent in and what is closed out. I drive by things I complain about to check that they are completed when I amt old that they are. You would be surprised the number of times I have checked out a complaint I have turned int hat was marked completed when in fact it wasn't. It's ashamed that I have to go out and check the work.

There are great mechanisms in place to make the neighborhoods a better place but they aren't simply being enforced. Programs like the rental registration program and the disruptive property ordinance are great tools for the city to use but they aren't being enforced. You can take a look at the results. It's on the city's web page about the disruptive properties ordinance. Where is the cross bureau cooperation on this program? If a police call is made about 123 Crucible Street and then BBI gets numerous complaints about the property is there anything in place for these two complaints to be cross-referenced and then placed together to be used against the owner under the disruptive properties ordinance?

Over the Summer it took a very heated argument between myself and Kim Grazanini's office to get more information on the program and to get my questions asked about enforcement on this program. To this day I am still unsure about it.
I like the talk of neighborhood plans and all that but I have heard that since Alan Hertzberg was in office. Until I see a plan in my hands I am hesitant and skeptical.

In regards to the community cleanups: I was in school those days but once a week in the cold weather and twice a week in the warm weather months I personally take the time to clean up the streets and sidewalks from Lorenz & Chartiers to Ernie & Chartiers to Crucible & Lorenz. I once put in a 311 request for the crews to pick up the litter around Chartiers Avenue near Townsend Parklet and it got sent back closed with the reasoning that it was private property. What sort of response is that? Why can't the crews pick up litter that they can see near a city owned park?

Just look at our parks in the District. There seems to be no plan in place to get these parks in good working condition. Instead of a plan all I hear is excuses as to why we can't do this or that. I'm sick of the excuses.

Why is it that I have to turn in the same pothole complaints over and over again for the same holes that seem to open up over and over again? Because the crews don't fill them correctly, instead of doing it the correct way and properly cleaning the hole and squaring it off they just throw in the asphalt, tamp it down and leave. This sort of behavior was mentioned in the Controller's office audit. Yet after the audit the same techniques are still used by these workers.

These are minor things that are turning people off and making good people like myself throw their hands up in the air and give up. You would be surprised how many other leaders like myself feel the same way.

There are certain things that I have liked under this administration: The Pittsburgh Promise, new vehichles for the police department, the handling of the police shootings in the spring, the reconstruction of Market Square, the placement of Rob Kaczorowski as interim Director of Public Works, the reopening of the ZONE 6 police station, the support of Anthony Coghill and Tonya Payne in elections and the additional of drug testing in the new fire department contract.

There are also some things that I have not approved of: a slow response to community needs, a delayed implementation of the gang initiative, the retention of Fulton Meachem as Executive Director of the Housing Authority, not enough visits to this community, board & commission vacancies, the PWSA fiasco, a decrease in BBI budgeting for 2010 when everyone knows this department is in dire need of more funding and more staff, the aftermath handling of the G-20 summit, bringing the G-20 here when everyone questioned what we would get out of it, and the proposed tax for college students in 2010.

The rest of the endorsements:

Pittsburgh City Council District 2: Theresa Smith
Pittsburgh City Council District 4: Natalia Rudiak
Pittsburgh City Council District 6: No endorsement
Pittsburgh City Council District 8: Bill Peduto
Allegheny County Council District 1: Thomas Michalow
Allegheny County Council District 4: Michael Finnerty
Allegheny County Council District 12: Jim Ellenbogen
Justice of the Supreme Court: Jack Panella
Judge of the Superior Court: Robert Colville, Kevin McCarthy, Anne Lazarus, Teresa Sarmina
Judge of the Commonwealth Court: Linda Judson, Barbara Ernsberger
Judge Court of Common Pleas: Joe Williams, Phil Ignelzi, Arnie Klein, Susan Dilucente, Alex Bicket

-Big "ups" to City Council Doug Shields for his plant o keep the libraries slated to close open for a little while longer. Shields has a plan to shift $600,000 per year from the city fuel fund to the libraries over the next two years. This sort of leadership is what we should expect from City Council and in particular 414 Grant Street. What I don't understand is Council Jim Motznik's thinking when he says "At the end of the day, no library's going to close, and no one from council or the mayor's office is going to stand up and say, 'I did this,' which is what Doug is trying to do," he said.

I don't know if Motznik is claiming that Doug is playing politics here but if he is that's ashamed. Shields clearly wants to save the libraries, Shields is and always has been a supporter of community libraries throughout our city. Why would he make a game of politics out of this issue?

-Members of Pittsburgh City Council are suspicious that other people are reading their E-mail's. I don't know what to think about this but at this point I would not be totally surprised if this was the case. If these beliefs weren't without validity then why would they be bringing the issue up? I would hope that members of our city government would be above snooping on other people's E-mail's. It's wrong and if people are doing it then those that are doing it should be called out.

-City Council is talking about purchasing the ShotSpotter system which would enable police to respond to shots fired even if a 911 call is not made. The system would not be city wide but could be mobile and used in different hot spots within the city. I am in favor of purchasing this piece of equipment. It can't hurt and it seems to be worth the $379,000 cost that would cover a two-square-mile area.

-Is Republican Sen. David Argall's plan to shrink the size of the State Legislature to 153 members by 2053 a joke? Was he serious? I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and just assume he was drinking when he thought that one up.

-I read Lawrence Walsh's PG post your problem in early October and he was able to successfully help out a couple from Monroeville who were having extreme difficulties in getting a major billing issue fixed. After jumping through many hoops they finally contacted Walsh and in one phone call to the Verizon spokesperson they had the problem abated within 20 minutes, why can't these sort of companies just get it right the first time? Who hasn't dealt with companies like Verizon, AT&T, Comcast on customer service issues that never seem to end?

-Anyone who tells you that you should just vote for the party ticket is crazy. Always take a look at both candidates from both sides of the aisle. Even though I generally vote for Democratic candidates I always at least look at the other candidates. You owe it to yourself to do this. Slate cards and union endorsement cards are great tools but they should never just be used blindly.

Peduto Press Release

2009-10-28T11:07:00.000-04:00

Pittsburgh’s New Commuter Rail
Final Feasibility Study Presented to Council

PITTSBURGH – At a City Council Post Agenda this afternoon at 1:30 PM, consultants will present to the Council the findings of a feasibility study done on City Councilman William Peduto’s proposal for a new East End commuter transit line. The commuter rail would run on an existing rail line that connects Hazelwood, Oakland, Bloomfield, and Lawrenceville.

“This commuter rail line is a critical link that will connect the East End’s growing new economy,” said Councilman Peduto. “This line is also a key connector for all proposals for a regional commuter rail system.”

WHAT: Presentation of Commuter Rail Feasibility Study
WHEN: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 @ 1:30
WHERE: City Council Chambers, 5th Floor, City-County Bldg

Meet the Candidates Night

2009-10-28T00:01:00.001-04:00

The West End-Elliott Citizens Council hosted a Meet the Candidates Night" last night at Emanuel United Methodist Church in Elliott. I came away from this candidates night equally impressed with both Acklin and Harris. Here are some video excerpts from the event.

Acklin Press Conference video

2009-10-22T15:21:00.003-04:00

Chicago news

2009-10-16T14:32:00.000-04:00

Chicago reviewing who made G-20 detainee kneel for photo
Friday, October 16, 2009
The Associated Press

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department is investigating several officers for allegedly forcing a man they arrested during last month's G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh to take a photo with them.

Police announced earlier this week they were investigating the officers after a videotape of the alleged incident was posted on YouTube.

The video apparently shows about 15 police officers in riot gear posing for a photo with a man they detained kneeling in front of them.

Police officials say the officers were working at the summit on their own time but that the department won't tolerate misconduct no matter where it might happen.

Letter from State Rep. Bill Kortz

2009-10-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

Scattered thoughts

2009-10-09T01:28:00.005-04:00

-How sad it was to learn that some Carnegie Library branches will cease to exist, I am especially disappointed to learn that the West End branch is slated to close. I really think that these cuts should have been avoided. Having community libraries is very important to a community. What place is better for a young person to go? The biggest disappointment in all of this is the disappointment I have in the elected officials who knew this was coming down the pipeline. The Carnegie Library system has been talking about cuts and changes for some time now. Why didn't anyone step up to find some funding or why didn't Pittsburgh City Council ever increase it's $40,000 annual pittance to the system? Is $40,000 all that they could give? I know that the library system receives a ton of funding through RAD but it's just the point. While the Pittsburgh Police Department is getting grant money and spending money on noise making machines at $100,000 a clip libraries are getting the short end of the stick.

-President Obama was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize today. For what? This award through the years has lost so much luster. This just proves that you don't have to do anything to win something like that.

-Thanks to State Representative Chelsea Wagner for stepping up on the library issue but isn't this equivalent to closing the gate after the horse is already out?

-Current U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan is thinking about challenging Congressman Jason Altmire next fall. Are you serious? And the Republican party continues to wonder why they are a laughingstock. Candidates with names like Santorum & Buchanan continue to hammer home the point.

-On that not, why hasn't President Obama replaced Buchanan yet? Is Buchanan's name only being thrown around to maybe help her keep her current job? If Obama decides to finally let her go doesn't it smell of a political agenda? Hmmmm

-100 hundred days in and still no State Budget. Have our leaders in Harrisburg have no shame? Everyone of them are equally guilty in this whole mess. To me it's guilt by association.

-I recently read an article in the Post-Gazette about the United States Supreme Court and in it it made mention that Justice Clarence Thomas hasn't asked any questions to case participants in 3 years. And these folks are supposed to be the "finest legal minds" in all of the land?

-City Councilman Bruce Kraus is catching some hell in his district over some lines that were spray painted in front of local businesses who own and operate sidewalk cafes at their restaurants. There is no doubt that these sprayed on lines by some lazy or distracted Public Works employee were ugly and tasteless but an underlying issue here is the law. Kraus should be applauded for wanting the law to be upheld in his district. Has anyone tried to walk Carson Street at a busy time? With all of the sandwich board signs, chairs and other items out on the sidewalk it is next to impossible to navigate around all of these items. Whether the business owners like it or not they don't own 100% of the sidewalk.

Marc Feldstein, owner of Southside Steaks was perplexed as to why he only had 3 feet for his outdoor seating. Here is the answer: because it's the law. You must leave a certain amount of room under the new law. Don't hog the sidewalks and make people walk into the streets.

It's time for a few of these business owners to come into compliance with the law and do the right thing.

-Why is the URA going to waste $15,000 of our money on a study to examine the impact the SouthSide Works development has had on restaurants on Carson Street and other parts of the South Side and Station Square. Who cares? Don't we want businesses in the area? If anyone drives through the Southside they will see that it is pretty damn busy at any given time and that there is no such thing as too many restaurants. It also should be noted that there is quite some distance between the Southside Works development and the middle of the Carson Street business district.

-Some PAT bus drivers this week took it upon themselves to distribute fliers to riders warning them of service cuts. I think the riders and drivers of the city should hand out fliers to the drivers reminding them that we don't like it when they talk on their cell phones, pull out into moving traffic and act like they don't hear anything when a rider is knocking on the side in vain trying to get onto a bus who's driver has already shut it's doors.

-Another captain obvious moment has enlightened us. A new study entitled "Expect Delays: An Analysis of Air Travel Trends in the United States" tells us that Pittsburgh International Airport had worse-than-average, on-time percentages for both arrivals and departures.

Peduto Press Release

2009-10-07T15:51:00.001-04:00

Peduto Joins Carriage House in Celebrating LEED Gold Certification

PITTSBURGH – On Thursday, October 7, 2009, Carriage House Children’s Center located in Squirrel Hill will be presented with a plaque recognizing the success of the LEED Gold certified school renovation project. Holly Childs, Green Building Alliance of Pittsburgh’s Executive Director will be presenting the plaque and City Councilman William Peduto will be introducing the event. The children of the center will be performing a skit about the importance of recycling and caring for the earth.

Carriage House, who owns and occupies the 114 year old, 40,000 square foot Wightman School Community Building, is the largest building in Western Pennsylvania that has been environmentally certified for the renovation of an existing building. Many buildings in the Pittsburgh region have been certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as new construction projects, but very few older structures in this region have met the tough challenges associated with environmentally retrofitting an existing facility. The Wightman School Community Building is a registered with the National Historic Trust’s Registry of Historic Places and is recognized as an excellent example of a historic building adapted from cotemporary use.

WHAT: Carriage House LEED Certification Ceremony

WHEN: Thursday, October 8, 2009 9:30 AM
WHERE: Wightman School Community Building - 5604 Solway Street

Tuesday Takes

2009-10-06T00:01:00.001-04:00

-I am very alarmed at the news of the arrest of Elliot Madison who was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police when he was found Twittering the locations and movements of the G-2O police in various neighborhoods across Pittsburgh. Here is my huge problem with this. How do they know his tweets helped people break the law? Isn't the burden on the State now to prove that he helped the few people who broke windows and damaged various property? Isn't this also a clear violation of the first amendment? I am glad to see the ACLU getting involved in this case. This arrest is flimsy at best.

-News came across to day that the Federal Highway Administration will study motorcycle crashes, which have continued to rise even as accidents involving other vehicles decline. Here is the answer. More people are riding motorcycles than ever before. Let's save the money and scrap this study. How about we have a study on the way the government always seems to have studies.

-State Senate leaders today boycotted a conference committee meeting to discuss a state budget proposal and prepared to introduce their own budget plan this evening. Wow. Another prime example of the State Senate Republicans assuming that they have all of the answers when in reality they are doing nothing but the biding of the special interest groups that control their agenda.

Recap

2009-10-02T00:00:00.001-04:00

-Well the G-20 came and went and all is pretty well in the city. I believe that the media over hyped all of the protester stuff before the G-20. Pittsburgh seemed to be a security planners dream because of our limited access points. The security did very well in choking people off from the area. The police also did fairly well during the course of the G-20. Even thought here were some issues at the end of the week with the PITT gathering I believe that the police did a very good job at handling everything presented to them.

-No matter hoe successful the spinsters try to say the G-20 was I don't think Pittsburgh should entertain the thought of ever hosting it again. The end result of this summit will never justify the cost and the lost revenue of Downtown businesses and lost man hours that local businesses and companies will post.

-Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is making waves again saying he wants a role in the Republican Part's future. All I can say is good! I hope the Republicans run him for everything. Santorum is a dream come true for the Democrats.

-I hope the 2016 Olympic Games don't go to Chicago. Why would any city even want to entertain the thought of hosting this money pit?

-Still no state budget for Pennsylvania..."And these are the Days of Our Lives"

-More than 2,000 Allegheny County students were kept out of school yesterday because they missed a vaccination deadline. Come on parents. You all knew about this deadline but you still missed it? This is the same thing as a candidate missing a financial disclosure deadline. Just get it done and do the right thing. Your kids needs to be in school.

What Dok Harris did during the G-20

2009-09-29T00:01:00.001-04:00

University of Pittsburgh videos from Friday night

2009-09-26T20:22:00.003-04:00

Strange G-20 video

2009-09-25T21:42:00.001-04:00

Very interesting at about 1:53 in when what appears to be an unmarked MILITARY police car drive up, snatch a protester and whisk that person away.

CNN video of G-20 protest

2009-09-24T18:01:00.001-04:00

This & That

2009-09-22T14:06:00.004-04:00

-Pittsburgh City Council did the right thing by tentatively approving the G-20 review panel idea brought forward by Councilman Patrick Dowd. This is a monumental event in our city that should be reviewed from top to bottom to see what went right and what went wrong and how we got there.

-Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has unveiled his $452.8 million dollar spending plan for next year and it includes passing on some of the costs of this budget to college students who would be charged a "surcharge", which in my mind is a cover up word for a tax. The proposed charge is a $50 per semester fee. This is completely the wrong message to send to college students who our leaders at 414 Grant Street are always talking about finding ways to keep these future graduates in the city. Passing on these shortfalls to college students is wrong and is very short sighted. I find it rather ironic that expenses are being passed on to people who generally don't show up on election day. How creative the leaders are in finding ways to raise money by charging people extras fees to people who don't find their ways to the voting box. I am very disappointed in this administration for this proposed budget.

-Looking over the proposed 2010 budget I am also alarmed that the Bureau of Building Inspection is actually going to be $3,388,225 which is slightly less than this year which came in at 3,618,466. This is a grossly underfunded city department which constantly gets criticized and called out by city leaders but yet we are seeing a proposed reduction in funding for this department. This doesn't make sense to me. This is a very important department that touches every single city neighborhood. Right now in my opinion the department is slow and very unresponsive to neighborhood needs. Something needs to be done here and lowering their operating budget doesn't seem to be the answer.

-Democrat Joe Hoeffel is throwing his hat into the upcoming Governors race to challenge Jack Wagner Tom Knox, Chris Doherty & Dan Onorato. Could Hoeffel emerge from the crowded field of candidates? This race should be a good one but I fear it will also be one in which the Democrats beat each other up and this will allow Tom Corbett to sneak in the back door of the Governor's mansion.

-From the Sunday Tribune-Review Whispers section.

RALLY FOR CITY SERGEANT NIXED. Pittsburgh officials are fuming over an application from retired state Rep. Thomas Petrone to hold a rally during the Group of 20 summit this week on behalf of his friend, city police Sgt. Ray Rippole.

Petrone, 72, of Crafton Heights, has appointed himself chairman of The Committee for Justice for Police Officer Rippole, which he created.

Petrone, a 28-year veteran of the state House who retired last year, believes Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Public Affairs Director David White "screwed over" Rippole after he sought a promotion to commander in 2007.

Instead of promoting him, police Chief Nate Harper promoted then-Detective George Trosky to commander. Harper then transferred Rippole from his motorcycle beat in the city's western neighborhoods to the police training academy in Highland Park, where he was censured for helping two recruits cheat on a test.

Rippole now works in Zone 5 and doesn't have access to a police motorcycle. Petrone believes Rippole deserves to have his old beat and bike returned to him.

City officials rejected Petrone's request to hold a rally for Rippole at the West End Overlook in Elliott during the G-20. The summit will be held Thursday and Friday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

-Already there have been numerous complaints about the way in which the city police department is handling the events surrounding the G-20. It looks as if a lot of mistakes and miscommunications are taking place in the days leading up to the summit. How can we expect things to be any better when the real action occurs?

-Pittsburgh Mayoral candidate Kevin Acklin has released his first television commercial.

Mid-week briefs

2009-09-16T00:01:00.000-04:00

-It was nice to see so many people attend various neighborhood cleanups in preparation of the upcoming G-20 Summit but wasn't this cleanup done a little bit early? The cleanup should have been scheduled this upcoming weekend. Being experienced with these cleanups I can say that after all of the cleaning up a lot of trash winds up coming right back to where all the previous trash was picked up.

-When will the Pennsylvania state budget finally be passed? It's getting old, really old. It's time for everyone to come together and get a budget done. Everyone from Ed Rendell to the legislators should be embarrassed that this isn't done yet. How good will this proposed budget be? I question how some of this money is going to be raised and how a similar budget mess will be avoided for next year. The $97 million from a 25-cent per pack increase in the cigarette tax sounds good to me but how will the state really get $100 million from increasing prizes for "small games of chance'' and increasing taxes on them? Are these small games of chance poker machine and other electronic gambling games already in neighborhood bars? What incentive is there for these taverns and bars to be honest with the numbers? One-time license fee casinos would raise $10 million to $15 million dollars. Where does that money get maid up next year or down the road?

-The G-20 in Pittsburgh is still a bad idea. What do we get out of this as a city? What tangible results do we get? How about all of the silly pieces of legislation wanting to be passed? Like Councilman Peduto said today "You can walk Downtown during the G-20 with a gun hidden under your coat, but you will not be allowed to walk around with a piece of PVC pipe."

I don't like how they want to in my view temporarily suspend my right to walk around an area carrying handcuffs or pvc pipe. Even though I am highly unlikely to be carrying these objects at anytime it should be my right at all times to carry them in the public. Temporarily suspending the right to do something spells trouble in my books.

-Good job by Pittsburgh City Council in voting to approve the Verizon cable contract. Cable competition in this town is long overdue. It's ashamed that leaders dragged their feet in reaching out to Verizon and coming into agreement over the years.

-Pittsburgh City Council also voted in favor of a public urination ordinance today with Councilman Bruce Kraus calling for stricter enforcement of rules compelling bars to provide more bathrooms. I agree with Kraus on this one but in no way will this cut down on public urination on the Southside. Bars are very eager to clear out their establishments at 2AM, most people keep drinking and drinking and will not be able to go at the bar at the end of the night. Where will they go? Outside like they normally do.

Fun

2009-09-11T01:54:00.001-04:00

Too much fun stuff went on and is going on this week to be around here!

From Astorino

2009-09-04T09:41:00.003-04:00

According to White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, “Pittsburgh was chosen as host city for the upcoming G-20 summit because it is seen as a model for economic and environmental transformation in the United States and abroad.” Local architecture, design and engineering firm Astorino – with founder Lou D. Astorino at the helm – has played a prominent role in transforming Pittsburgh from an industrial town to a sustainable metropolis. For example:

· Of the 66 in-development projects in Pittsburgh aiming for green certifications once complete, Astorino is building 13 of them.

· Of the 39 already LEED®-certified projects in Pittsburgh, two were built by Astorino, and more than six additional buildings – including the new Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Consol Energy Center, Bakery Square and Three PNC Plaza to name a few – are awaiting confirmation of their certification.

To showcase its role in the city’s vital transformation, Astorino has created a list of 20 key architectural projects – dubbed the “A-20” – that have helped define Pittsburgh and have influenced how the city’s inhabitants work, play, heal and live. Please see list below.

The Astorino A-20

A List of 20 Projects that have helped define Pittsburgh

HEAL – Projects that have re-shaped the way in which Pittsburgh approaches healthcare facility design

1. Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC – In the spring of 2009, Astorino unveiled the new, thoughtful and creative hospital design. Hallmarks of the facility include a four-story open-air atrium that doubles as the “town hall”; a rooftop healing garden that connects patients to the outside world and nature; and private patient rooms that families can personalize with decorations from home. The result is a nurturing healing space where design, culture and operating systems intersect and reinforce the hospital’s family-centered care philosophy.

2. The John G. Rangos Research Center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh – An integral part of UPMC’s replacement project, the research center – which has been submitted for LEED® certification– was designed to bring together multidisciplinary teams of researchers to tackle pediatric healthcare problems in a new, more comprehensive way.

3. UPMC Comprehensive Regional Cancer Care Center – As part of UPMC’s commitment to bringing comprehensive cancer care close to home, Astorino designed several state-of-the-art treatment centers located throughout several suburban Pittsburgh communities. The centers offer innovative diagnostic and cancer treatment for both inpatients and outpatients.

4. VA Pittsburgh (Ambulatory Care Center and Residential Villas) – The design for the Ambulatory Care Center links primary care, specialty follow-up, physical rehabilitation, audiology, outpatient pharmacy and patient education. Astorino’s design for the 61,000-square-foot Residential Villas took a revolutionary approach by providing home-like private and semi-private living environments to promote independence for veterans learning to re-join society.

5. Magee-Women’s Research Institute – Working with Smith Group, Astorino was tasked with building a new state-of-the-art, multi-disciplinary research institute that aims to improve the health of women and infants.

WORK - Projects that have made Pittsburgh a better place to work

6. PNC Firstside Center – When PNC Financial Services Group retained Astorino to create its new headquarters, which would consolidate bank activities for its Midwest region in downtown Pittsburgh, Astorino pushed for sustainable measures to be included in design. The building became the city’s first ever to receive a Silver LEED® rating – starting the sustainable trend that has now become Pittsburgh’s crowning urban development accomplishment.

7. Three PNC Plaza – As part of the PNC renovations and construction in downtown Pittsburgh, Astorino (with Gensler) designed a 23-story building, including 30 luxury condominiums, a 185-room hotel and 361,00-square-feet of office space – the city’s first downtown skyscraper in a decade. Together, the firms created an aesthetically pleasing, technologically-advanced building currently awaiting LEED® certification.

8. Bakery Square at Eastside – Formerly a Nabisco plant built in 1917, Astorino provided planning, architectural, engineering and landscape services to this new mixed-use lifestyle center that includes 380,000-square-feet of office and retail space, 120 hotel rooms and an 800-space parking garage. The LEED®-certified building offers employees, community members and guests to the city a place to live, work and relax.

9. Allegheny County Forensics Laboratory – The 78,000 square foot Allegheny County Laboratory’s design will provide Allegheny County with a state-of-the-art investigative and research facility that will house the County’s Medical Examiner’s Office/Morgue and the Forensic Division Crime Laboratory. The firm’s design of a state-of-the-art morgue/autopsy area includes skylights for improved functionality in procedure areas. The forensic laboratory will include an indoor firing range and specific labs specializing in Serology/DNA, drug chemistry, toxicology, trace and more.

10. Port Authority of Allegheny County – Astorino renovated two floors of the Gimbel’s Landmark Building to house the administrative offices of the Allegheny Port Authority. The contemporary design utilizes multiple finishes, painted wall patterns, glass walls, cork tile flooring and natural lighting – which received acclaim with the relocated employees.

PLAY - Projects that help continue Pittsburgh’s rich sports legacies

11. PNC Park – With the Pittsburgh skyline as a backdrop and the highest seat just 88 feet from the field, the design of the Pittsburgh Pirate’s stadium has won countless accolades and been called one of the best venues in all of baseball. Astorino designed the park to be fan-friendly, with all vantage points to the field to provide a great viewing experience.

12. Consol Energy Arena (with Populous) – At the start of the 2010 hockey season, the Stanley Cup-winning Pittsburgh Penguins will move from one of the oldest arenas in the NHL into their new home. Working with affiliate research firm, fathom, Astorino designed an arena that pays respect to Pittsburgh greats like Mario Lemieux, but contains up-to-the-minute design features that befit the new champions and their future. The arena is also targeting LEED® certification.

13. The Duquesne Club - One of the oldest private clubs in the country, and one of Pittsburgh’s historic spaces to both socialize and enjoy health and spa services. Astorino was tasked with updating The Duquesne Club without changing its 19th century aesthetics. Over the course of several years, Astorino updated a number of common areas and private guest suites with 21st century amenities without sacrificing the splendor of the original design.

14. UPMC - Sports Performance Complex – Even though the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and Super 2009 Super Bowl winners Pittsburgh Steelers play at Heinz field, they practice at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex. Designed to meet the every need of these fine-tuned athletes, the space is recognized as one of the best training facilities in the U.S.

15. YMCA – South Hills Branch – For the 7,000 members unable to fit in the space’s current facility, Astorino is creating a new 50,000-square-foot space including a gymnasium, indoor and outdoor pools, group exercise areas and senior and youth exercise programs. The space is also aiming for LEED® certification.

LIVE - Projects that have literally and figuratively made Pittsburgh a better place to live

16. Pittsburgh Crèche – Thanks to the tireless advocacy of Astorino’s founder and chairman Lou D. Astorino, Pittsburgh is home to the world’s only authorized replica of the crèche in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, constructed from plans by Vatican architect Umberto Mezzana. Every holiday season, families can enjoy the incredible larger-than-life-size renderings, which are accompanied by a professional sound and lighting system for added effect.

17. Trimont Condominiums – With its spectacular view of Pittsburgh’s famed Golden Triangle, the Trimont – with its mixed-use housing and commercial spaces – was the first luxury condominium erected in Pittsburgh. Located on Mount Washington, the Trimont quickly became the city’s signature housing piece – establishing a theretofore unseen way of viewing luxury living in Pittsburgh.

18. Heinz History Center- For the expansion of the Senator John Heinz History Center downtown, Astorino created a five-story addition to the centuries-old building. The space is now home to the Smithsonian’s Traveling Exhibits Gallery, as well as the Pittsburgh Sports Hall of Fame – making it one of the most important, and popular, cultural destinations in the region. The building is also targeting a LEED® certification.

19. The Metropolitan Shadyside – Designed to cater to the specific needs of luxury condominium owners, the building includes a unique mix of home elements and contemporary amenities to make it one of the premier living spaces in the downtown area.

20. Cabaret at Theater Square – The latest and final addition to the Theater Square Complex, Astorino provided architectural and interior design services to this intimate cabaret space. The beauty of the space is its flexibility to transfigure to accommodate various styles of theater seating – including theater in the round, classical cabaret or classic theater style, just to name a few.

Astorino

Thoughts

2009-09-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

-When will all of this G-20 madness just go away? This whole G-20 summit has proven to be nothing but a debacle at best. There are constant questions about the funding, the police levels and who will pay for what. In all honesty what do we get out of it? Anarchy? Missed work? Rioting? Lawsuits? What is the good that comes out of it? A few positive news stories? Who cares? Don’t we get enough of these positive articles in newspapers and other publications? Don’t the Steelers bring enough attention here? I’m way over this G-20.

-How scary is this statement?

"So it's not in compliance with state law. Big deal," he said. "I don't give a damn if [the tax break] is illegal or unconstitutional if it supports the poor people of the city of Pittsburgh." –Pittsburgh City Councilman Jim Motznik

Shouldn’t a soon to be District Magistrate not say something like this? This is scary.

-When will our wars in Iraq & Afghanistan finally come to a halt? Why don’t we bring our men & women home? We are long overdue to get out of these wars and start taking care of the American people. Boo to President Barack Obama and his war strategies.

-Healthcare to all. Yea to President Barack Obama’s healthcare plan.

-Pittsburgh Mayoral candidate Dok Harris has been allowed to stay on the November ballot to challenge Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. Dok’s place on the ballot was being challenged in court by supports of another Independent candidate Kevin Acklin. Can you blame them? Having 2 people on the ballot against Ravenstahl does nothing but hurt the other challenger. Instead of one candidate getting the anti-Ravenstahl vote it will most likely be split. For anyone of the candidates to have a chance at defeating the incumbent Ravenstahl they would have to challenge him head-to-head. Neither Harris or Acklin has any chance of defeating Ravenstahl this November. About 1,500 signatures from Harris’ petitions were struck. That’s sloppy at best. When asked about this Harris responded:

"I'm not a professional politician. I'm a businessman and I sell donuts"

-It’s nice to see that PAT is finally starting to make some route changes and streamlining some routes. This is long overdue. There are far too many stops and empty buses in this city.

Harris challenge thrown out

2009-09-02T12:59:00.001-04:00

The case was dismissed on the Franco Harris petition challenge that was clearly brought on by supporters of Kevin Acklin. I am glad that he is staying on the ballot. That clears the road just a little bit more to a clear Ravenstahl victory.