Tuesday: Woaaaaaaaaah Listy!

Ravenstahl declares new era of productivity for Bureau of Building Inspection

He hopes all of those problems will be addressed by the new plan announced yesterday, which Mr. Ravenstahl said should help improve accountability and more effectively coordinate public safety efforts.

Having inspectors assigned to the police stations and working out of their city vehicles with handheld computers should make them more efficient, Mr. Ravenstahl said. (P-G, Ward and Lord)

The Comet always imagined BBI to be such a mess because no one actually has the nerve to execute and enforce the results of building inspections. Maybe all these investments and upgrades will work, but the willpower still has to be present.

New URA director takes reporter on ominous trek through Homewood

"No one would want to see, Rob least of all, government calling all the plays in the huddle," Swartz said. "The question is: Is he going to be the guy up in the booth relaying information to the field or the guy on the field directing traffic? It would be better if he were up in the box. (Trib, Jeremy Boren)

Stephany certainly knows how to talk the community talk. That's how he became Ford's deputy; somebody had to be able to do it convincingly. In any event, a URA director that seems to be focused on the URA's central mission may be enough progress. So long as the board behaves itself.

Area man killed in hail of gunfire.

A hail of gunfire?! A "barrage of bullets"??!! (P-G, Daniel Malloy)

Bank of New York Mellon actually investing in Hill District Neighborhood Partnership Program.

Well, I'll be! And in today's economy! Let's say the fundraising thermometer is now 3/10ths filled with mercury. (P-G, Edit Board)

Penguins likely to get their silly hotel.

It seems plausible, given where it's located on the map. (P-G, Mark Belko)

Indspec gas cloud was made of "fuming sulfuric acid".

Also known as "oleum", which is used to make "resorcinol", which is used to make rubber if one doesn't own a slave colony in the Belgian Congo (P-G, Michael A. Fuoco)

Onorato doing whatever he wants.

Cites mystery opinion from "legislative caucus" as justification. (Trib, Jim Ritchie)

Opposition to Roosevelt coalesces.

It's PURE genius. (Trib, Bill Zlatos)

Carbolic Smoke Ball releases compendium

This link brought to you by Please Don't Make Fun of Me In Your Book (Carbolic)

Chris Potter upset by racism

This link brought to you by Please Register for CP Blog Comments So We Can All Keep Potter Company (Slag Heap)

City Council to argue lots today about how to rename and renumber streets

Yes, it's true. As we understand it from watching the City Channel, Councilman Dowd wants paramedics, police, fire and 911 staff empowered to launch an efficient operation to get Pittsburgh's streets to make sense already. Councilman Shields supports that initiative, but wants to retain Council's power to retain fundamental oversight of the operation, lest on rare occasions the professionals amend something really critical to or beloved by the community. Dowd argues that council members really ought to stay out of functional administrative decision making, e.g. political plowing and political paving, yet the Comet counters that relinquishing all power to the administration can just as easily yield political results -- only without checks and citizen appeals. The streets of Pittsburgh have been jacked up for 250 years -- waiting 60 or 90 days for Council to pound a gavel isn't unreasonable.