"An Archeological Treasure is Giving Way to Corndog Stands"

Proving again that historical preservation is an issue that can unite liberals and conservatives, KDKA's Fred Honsberger recently interviewed John Quigley of the PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources LINK, and Michael Nixon and Richard Lang with the Fort Pitt Preservation Society LINK.

When confronted by a "shocked" Hons Man on the propriety of "converting a historical park to carnival use," Quigley reflexively and repeatedly cited local community input over forty public meetings, "at least one of which" dealt with historical issues. Nixon and Lang later disputed those points, saying the meetings were "by invitation only." Besides which, no one in their "wildest nightmares" thought Point State Park renovations overseen by state conservation watchdogs would entail such liberal use of bulldozers.

It was remarkable to hear Fred so hung up on the cutting of trees. I'd like to note that there's a fair chance that George Washington might have been tied to one of those trees, when he was captured by the French.

A Chilling Effect

This isn't over. A federal judge ordered a preliminary injunction, reinstating Catherine McNeilly to police commander, as she has reasonable likelyhood of success in her suit. A full trial is set to take place in which the Mayor will be asked to give sworn testimony.

"It was a decision that was made by the chief, and I supported that decision" said Ravenstahl, passing the buck maybe a hair.

A spokesman at his office stressed this is only the beginning. With an election looming, we wonder what Ravenstahl has to lose by graciously burying the hatchet, especially as McNeilly will resume her commandership without the confidence of city hall.

P-G coverage with Paula Reed Ward: LINK // Trib coverage with Jason Cato: LINK

"The public interest is always served by disclosure of wrongdoing and undue and/or inappropriate influence by public officials in police department matters," Judge Ambrose said. "The chilling effect of discipline and demotion to a police officer who makes a good faith report of what she believes in good faith to be wrongdoing and inappropriate influence in government never serves the public interest."

The Comet wishes it had the audio of McNeilly's ACLU attorney hailing the decision as victory for truth, justice, and apple pie -- and a clear signal to government workers across the U.S.A. that you will be protected if your conscience tells you to speak out.

Judge Ambrose insists this is not about corruption at the police department, but wrongdoing (is that much like evildoing?) at City Hall. Ravenstahl flatly denies both.

Addendum: Am I the only one mentally confusing the names "Ravenstahl" and "Roethlisberger"? Does that carry significance?

It's Quiet Out There

UPDATE 4:40 PM: McNeilly granted preliminary injunction preventing her demotion, reports WDUQ's Mark Nootbaar. Judge says evidence shows wrongdoing from Mayor's office, reports P-G's Paula Reed Ward. Comet Newsdesk full of bunk.

We're expecting a ruling in the Catherine McNeilly whistle-blower lawsuit within the hour.

Everyone (who hasn't hitched their wagon very directly to Ravenstahl's star) wants McNeilly to win her case, and be reinstated as Commander.

From the vantage of the Comet Newsdesk and (newly frigid) Luxury Balcony, Mr. Dennis Regan, however unsavory, never did anything illegal, so I'm not sure on what McNeilly could be said to have blown a whistle.

From that same vantage, Catherine McNeilly, although quite savory, did indeed do something illegal.

So it's hard to see how anyone could expect her to win. We wonder who's writing a copy of the "we're disappointed but moving forward" speech that's never going to get read.

Service Cuts or Project Cuts?

"It's a huge response, and that's no surprise, given what we've proposed to do," PAT spokesman Bob Grove said. "We're encouraging public feedback and want as many people as possible to comment." (Joe Grata, P-G)

But shaking down the state for more support is still the furthest thing from our minds.

Well, go get 'em. Pre-register to speak at a public hearing by calling 412-566-5437, or submit written testimony hyah.

A completely separate Grata/P-G offering points up the problems of backing out of the Wabash Tunnel or the North Shore Connector in order to save money and maintain the status quo. We would still owe the federal government for money already spent, or for depreciation. We'd still owe the contractors for planning and design.

Onorato frequently cites the federal money we "receive" for these projects as a strong reason to carry them forward. The Comet wonders, in the absense of local demand for these improvements, how Pittsburgh came to be blessed with such largese. Did it begin as those notorious "earmarks"? Did our congressional pugilists Arlen Specter, Rick Santorum, or Melissa Joan Hart wrest these on our behalf? Was it the contractors themselves that got the ball rolling?

Save the Penguins

"Our point has been all along that the Penguins ought to have some equity in this project, too," Barden said. "We think we're contributing more than our fair share."

With this quote in Mark Belko's P-G update, negotiations have officially spilled out into the public. There is no ellaboration of what a "fair share" might be for a casino entrepreneur who holds no interest in any NHL franchise, and whose own business karma is entwined with that of a totally separate struggling neighborhood that has not been the cause celebre of media concern.

Peduto discussed his Plan C on KDKA with Larry Reichart, and in bolstering the case for his own importance, reminded us of his dealmaking role in Heinz Field and PNC Park. The Comet wonders if this line on Peduto's bio won't be read as a net negative, and also wonders whether the composition of the Hill District (circa 2007) and the North Shore (circa 2000) invite similar strategies.

Finally, buried within Conte & Rossi's Trib piece on Who Really Runs the Pens, there is news that "Internet media blog Gawker.com has written about Burkle more than 50 times since March." We'll save you some time: he has been accused of "modelizing" with Gisele Bundchen and others, of spying on his ex-wife, of attempting to purchase media outlets, and of harboring Bill Clinton.

The Opening Swipe

"This is the perfect opportunity for Barden, the Penguins, the city, the county and the state to partner together," Peduto said. "It's a great way to keep the team in Pittsburgh, redevelop the Hill, get Barden more involved in the community, and lessen the impact on taxpayers."

"I'm saying scrap Plan B and create Plan C."

Quote courtesy of Mark Belko of the P-G, who thereby gets to ring the bell in the upcoming mayoral race, or at least gets to strut around the ring in a bikini, bearing a "Round 1" sign.

It is unclear whether Peduto's Plan C is different enough from Plan B to merit a new initial. And it is unclear how Ravenstonorato will react to this, as they are in the midst of high-stakes negotiations.

On Market Square

A recent Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership pedestrian traffic study quantifies the ugly perceptions of Market Square. When surveyers asked 202 people for their first thought upon hearing "Market Square," the No. 1 response was "homeless people" and "riffraff."
Other top answers: Dirty, drugs and "it's bad."

When I read that list of complaints, as reported by the Trib's Rochelle Hentges, my internal translation is "poor people, black people, and poor black people." The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, no longer content to deploy Safety Ambassadors for discouraging charity and hassling the homeless, is now hoping to renovate the untouchables clear from its business districts.

"We saw a lot of things that surprised us," said Strategic Metrics Group President Matt Brady. The researchers were harassed and threatened by some of the people loitering in the square, where obvious drug use was going on, Brady said.

I would like to have witnessed the demeanor of these clipboard-toting anthropologists toward the "riffraff" whose diaspora they were plotting. But I'm more concerned with the idea of "loitering" in a public square.

The P.D.P.'s "Vision and Action Plan" calls for many renovations and improvements to the square. I want to stress that many of its suggestions sound pretty neat. I'm not a naysayer and I always prefer some public concern to none at all.

But the document is loaded with pictures of how Market Square is "supposed" to look after the improvements. We find lots of people lounging about on benches and chairs, soaking in the sun, enjoying a chat. There is very little to indicate why they are not "riffraff" and why they're not "loitering." Unless you count the fact that every face in the document -- and there crowds in some -- is white. Well, on closer inspection, there appears to be one Asian young lady, but it's hard to tell.

Two points for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. Number one, after the improvements you hope to achieve, what happens if the poor black riffraff simply return, hogging the life-size chess set and scaring the money away? If your problem is with poverty, I'd like to hear your ideas on ameliorating poverty, not on shooing it out from your storefront.

And number two, if I owned a business on a certain street corner, I'd love to try to get my city to spend millions on new bells and whistles, rotate art installations, organize street performers, and generally turn my front stoop into a fairy wonderland. But a more practical idea, probably, would be to provide a better product or service, market that product or service more aggressively, and redd up my own sidewalk.