Tuesday: The Data Behind The Data

Ricky Burgess is legislating.

Councilman Ricky Burgess has authored legislation that would give council 120 days to consider historic designations, and deem them approved if the Historic Review and Planning voted for them but council failed to act. Mr. Burgess said both commissions must give their opinions on that possible change and council must hold a public hearing before any vote. (P-G Rich Lord)

Also:

Pittsburgh Councilman Ricky Burgess introduced legislation today to create a trust fund to hold the $43,100 in restitution expected from former Councilwoman Twanda Carlisle in relation to her sentencing yesterday on corruption charges, and to disburse it to efforts to improve public safety in the city's northeast corner.

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"All of its funds would be used in ways that are compatible with the city's overall crime prevention effort," he said. "I'm just very grieved by the rise in the level of violence in Pittsburgh and what seems to be the renewal of gang-related violence." (P-G, Rich Lord)

There's going to be public discussion on all this.

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One Hill is getting pissed.

"We feel that in some ways, community members are being toyed with in this process where people come to the table but not in a serious manner, and you're just going to string us (along)," said Carl Redwood Jr., chairman of the One Hill Community Benefits Coalition.

Redwood appeared before members of the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority during a public meeting Monday to ask the agency to stop demolition, land purchases and other preparations for the arena until his group and local officials sign a legally binding community benefits agreement.

SEA board members refused. (Trib, Jeremy Boren)

SEA board members were also admonished by Kenneth of the Racial Equity Monitoring Review project (REMP) that the SEA board should use its initiative to do something, anything, at some time on some issue that supports aggrieved people, from the residents of Pittsburgh's own neighborhoods to taking steps to avoid the use of sweatshop labor.

Board members proceeded to conduct the rest of the day's business with lightening efficiency, and some of it involved the arena.

Redwood confided to us his frustration that he can only say the same thing so many different ways. The way he sees it, the Penguins won't deal with the community so long as the City and its boards and commissions keep delivering approvals.

COMET'S CALL: One Hill deserves its piece of pie out of the URA's slice. The URA does enough to support Jim Rohr, Jack Piatt, Todd Reidbord and their ilk. They can afford to lend some aid to a desperately struggling Pittsburgh neighborhood, being a public institution and all.

Let the Hill Faith & Justice Alliance apply some moral suasion to the Penguins, and perhaps they will both surprise us.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: If you want to be an REMP monitor, contact Celeste Taylor at taylor.celeste@gmail.com. It seems fun and easy. The Comet will continue to monitor the world using our own means and methods, but we endorse this endeavor.

The More You Know.