Friday: Lots to Consider

Am I the last person to know about this neat little website? That would be ironic.

State Representative Chelsa Wagner was joined by several current and future Pittsburgh City Council members this morning in calling for the library system to detail how much money will be saved by closing each of the four libraries slated to be shuttered in the coming year. Wagner says the library told her that the data she was seeking is not available. She wonders how the board can know that closing the branches will balance the budget if that data is not available. (WDUQNews)

Wagner was not alone amongst elected officials in venting considerable confusion and frustration. Paging Councilman Kraus! It would be helpful to hear from an accountable-type person who possesses inside -- and presumably better -- knowledge of the Library's decision making.

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At least we are giving our thinking caps some exercise:

In the wake of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's Monday proposal of a 1 percent tuition tax, Mr. Burgess said that next week he'll introduce related legislation. He would have the city appraise higher education properties, estimate the costs of serving their students and press them for consistent, voluntary donations. (P-G, Rich Lord; see also Trib, Adam Brandolph)

What's nice about this idea, obviously, is that it would spread the burden over a larger number of nonprofit institutions, many of whom definitely deserve some burden. However, it's another measure based on negotiations and volunteerism -- which generally means a lack of predictability and quite underwhelming results.

I suppose the idea for this campaign is that Land Appraisals + Service Cost Estimates + our Financial Peril becoming Apparent to Joe Q. Public + the Present Political Atmosphere of Desiring to Legislate into the Nonprofits Wallets = maybe they will now see the light. It bears further discussion.

One more thing: I can't remember which news article, but Controller Michael Lamb suggested in response to the Fair Tax proposal that we should instead be going to Harrisburg to lobby for a payroll preparation tax on nonprofits. Um -- someone tell me we have already done so? With some seriousness?

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I hate columns that don't tell you what to do. No not really -- "hate" is a strong word, as sometimes no one knows what to do. Yet it sux to be left only with a sense of foreboding and anxiety. (P-G, Brian O'Neill)

West Penn Allegheny is like the Chuck McCullough of health systems. (Trib, Luis Fabregas)

Is it our "infrastructure needs" which are "sobering", or is it the results of that bond swap activity? I feel like I was talked into being outraged about something that now it appears I should accept as mundane. (Trib, Jeremy Boren)

Does anybody know to what reforms the Trib is alluding? (Trib, Edit Board)

And now, tweeting in living color:

Ew, hope not. Call me a purist, but with the neat and very apropos exception of "You" in 2006, I prefer my POTY to be people not concepts. Time Magazine should just pick somebody like Jon Stewart, or Capt. Sully, or Mayor Fetterman and be done with it.