Monday, October 29, 2007

Monday Links

Amendments have been added to legislation concerning open government records in Pennsylvania, and some are displeased.

The amended bill "is a significant step in the wrong direction and would result in less access than the public has today," said Tim Williams, Pennsylvania Newspaper Association president. Pennsylvania "would be the only state in the country that has such a broad e-mail exemption," he added. (P-G, Tom Barnes)

The Busman has been exercised about changes to the "Sunshine Law" for some time. This is not good news for readers of the Comet who enjoy corruption.

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Residents of something called "New Homestead" have been complaining about real-estate developers getting effective "carte blanche" to work exactly as they see fit, without proper oversight and enforcement, and despite numerous letters, 311 hotline calls, and community forums. You read now. (P-G, Rich Lord)

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The Comet infers from this article that the members of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board went into their big meeting knowing one thing: they all wanted to give the Pittsburgh slots license to PITG Gaming, presumably for the same reasons outlined previously.

The rest of the decision-making was crazy. (Trib, Bumsted, Conte, & Reilly)

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There's our streetwise Hercules. (P-G, Edit Board)

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The P-G and Timothy McNulty describe last night's debate moderated by David Johnson as political "bloodsport."

The Trib and Jeremy Boren say the candidates traded "partisan shots."

The Burgher has assembled a list of video clips posted by WPXI. The selections as a group display a more civil, substantive, even Socratic discussion about the City of Pittsburgh -- by both sides.

We highlight an exchange in clip #3, Sparring Over Nonprofits. The challenger won some laughs with this line:

If you think an RFP process is creative, Luke, you need to think again.

An RFP is a Request for Proposals. That is when you ask contractors or service providers to come up with their own ideas, and then select a winning bid.

No matter how "clear and transparent" an RFP process is, it very different from coming up with plans of one's own -- hopefully taking into account the city's unique situation and some intangibles. DeSantis faulted the mayor for not showing "creativity" with the nonprofits.

We would have called it leadership.

8 comments:

  1. i think the comments in the Trib about the lack of communication between Luke and Chief Harper describe this administration perfectly. The Chief basically said he doesn't get to meet with the Mayor, so no wonder they can't communicate. If Luke and his team were so concerned about crime, you'd think the young Mayor would be able to fit at least an hour a week of his schedule for meeting with the Chief and his leadership team to learn about what's going on and discuss Police Bureau responses/plans to make the city safer.

    guess it interfers with his golf game and bar-hopping activities.

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  2. Passed over this one somehow.
    http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_535091.html

    The quotes you are referring to:

    "The communication lines between he and I could be better, and that's my only criticism of the chief," Ravenstahl said."

    ""The mayor was unwilling to be specific," Malloy said. "When he was asked about Nate Harper, he ducked the question." "

    and worst of all:

    ""I think that possibly the mayor and I should sit down once a week and discuss what's going on within the bureau, as well as what's going on in the communities through the city," Harper said. He said he and the mayor now meet "hardly at all." "

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  3. Pittsburgh's third newspaper makes it's endorsement for a mayoral candidate.

    More info on www.monwharf.blogspot.com

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  4. Who will the New Pittsburgh Courier endorse? If they endorse DeSantis then I think its over.

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  5. That "something called 'New Homestead'" is a neighborhood of the city of Pittsburgh, as shown by the city's neighborhood maps. It is one of those non-Shadyside, non-Friendship, non-Highland Park, non-Squirrel Hill, non-white-parts-of-the-North-Side neighborhoods that some residents of Shadyside, Friendship, Highland Park, Squirrel Hill, and the white parts of the North Side like to call "outside the city."

    You know: the places where the yinzers you like to make fun of live.

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  6. You mean the places yinzoconservatives like yourself like to tear apart and sell out from underneath city residents? Right, we're on the same page.

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  7. For the record, that sausage picture is grossing me out everytime I look at it.

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  8. Pat Ford was a Republican until he came back to Pittsburgh...draw your own conclusion on who the real conservatives are in this election. DeSantis is the more liberal candidate, but that ain't saying much because Luke is a main stream right-winger.

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