Get Out! The Black & White Reunion and More...

First of all, I'd like to once again plug the 11th Annual Black and White Reunion, tomorrow from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church.

Right, maybe this is reminder is arriving too late to be of any use -- but based on past experience I give this event my highest recommendation.

Try to make it for the early shift for food, opening lectures, and old-timers sharing their stories on the microphone. If you arrive later you can still attend your pick of any number of themed workshops, or just schmooze through the hallways and try to hit up random organizational leaders or elected officials and candidates. I'm pretty sure there's a significant closing lecture as well.

Remember, these folks have been doing this for ten years already, so they have it down to a science -- it won't be time wasted. And if nothing else, you may get an idea how to put things together in support of your own causes -- got to figure the Queer and Straight Reunion can only be about 13 months away, for example.

Now, on a related note: it's time to start attending stuff like this and a variety of other large and small events. The Comet hopes to keep a respectable calendar together and maybe start doing "The Week Ahead" posts on Mondays.

It's also time to start reaching out to those candidate's committees which may intrigue you, and seeing what's up. They say the pen is mightier than the sword but take it from me, the shoe-leather kicks the ass of both. You're going to see a lot of great blogging from all comers in the coming months, but that's only one tiny ingredient. Now if you'll only make some calls for me, if you'll knock on doors for me, if you'll get in your friends faces and blahbity blah blah, you know the drill. You know it works, too!

Multiply yourselves. Change never occurred because somebody thought it seemed inevitable.

Risky Business: Lamargate Moving Forward

Just take those old records off the shelf; I'll sit and listen to them by myself.

Last month, the zoning board nixed the sign, on a tie vote that has the effect of denying Lamar's request for special permission to build a bigger- and higher-than-normal billboard where new signs aren't usually allowed.

Lamar's appeal argues that the permit was properly granted based on an established vinyl-for-digital swap process, and that the company relied on it when it spent well over $1.3 million on the unique, curved sign. The case hasn't been assigned to a judge. (P-G, Rich Lord)

Lamar Advertising is near-certain to lose this appeal of the Zoning Board ruling, because its case for any lawfully granted permit is awful. Just awful.

However, there remains $4 million worth of custom-built electronic billboard hanging there on a Downtown street corner. That leaves Lamar three bad options:

It could take yet another wild stab in a higher court against very well-established Home Rule powers. It could sue the City of Pittsburgh for damages incurred due to the erroneous granting of a faulty city permit. Or it could seize the Parking Authority building with private security forces, unilaterally activate the sign, and dig in for a long siege.

Lamar might also leave well enough alone -- just cut its losses and go home -- but I think we have to be realistic.

On Where Our Issues Might Ultimately Live

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See the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mario F. Cattabiani. [Trib]

Obama Spells Out the Obvious**

There were a variety of things that President Obama wanted to put to bed immediately on Day Two for some reason.

Let me say it as simply as I can: Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.

Our commitment to openness means more than simply informing the American people about how decisions are made. It means recognizing that government does not have all the answers, and that public officials need to draw on what citizens know.

The Huffington Post has all the details on the day's bloodshed.

The executive order on ethics I will sign shortly represents a clean break from business as usual. As of today, lobbyists will be subject to stricter limits than under any other administration in history. If you are a lobbyist entering my administration, you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on, or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years. When you leave government, you will not be able to lobby my administration for as long as I am President. And there will be a ban on gifts by lobbyists to anyone serving in the administration, as well.

*-UPDATE: I wonder if Obama would be okay with Superbowl tickets being sold to his officials through privileged channels at "face value", instead of the price you and I would have to pay.

##

The Post-Agenda session of council regarding the fund in the nature of an irrevocable trust, the draft defeasement agreement, and the nature of oversight in the City of Pittsburgh has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 2 at 10:00 AM. No word yet on whether ICA Executive Director Henry Sciortino is going to elect to, or be required to, attend. In the wake of this adverse ruling, there may be a feeling that this could turn into another one of these circuses.

However, it's easy to interpret that possibly all that occurred precisely because Mr. Sciortino didn't seem to be present at that session personally. This post-agenda could be a good opportunity to set records straight, get a menagerie of festering small issues out into the open, and put Pittsburgh back in a position where it can again invest with confidence.

##

A must-read from the P-G's Brian O'Neill:

People are beginning to get that we can't have it all. A week ago, I asked Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato whether his transportation priority would be a light-rail link between Downtown and Oakland or completion of the Mon-Fayette to Pittsburgh and Monroeville, and he answered, "I think we need 'em both."

That won't do with a president who says we need to make hard choices. Yesterday, he said if he had to pick, he'd opt for the light-rail extension in Pittsburgh.

Thanks for pressing him!

*-UPDATE: Transit agency leaders say those unforeseen costs added $117.8 million to the North Shore Connector's $435 million price tag and threaten to shut down the project without a bailout from a proposed federal economic stimulus package. (Trib, Jim Ritchie)

C'mon. Really? Or do you just see money on the table and are coughing loudly? Because if this diverts money away from the Oakland spine line or, say, the green restoration of Schenley High School, that would be extremely unfortunate.

Wednesday: Prospecting

So this is what's going on.

Now.

1. The Huddler writes about the Parking for Pensions notion:

The Huddler gives Mayor Luke a big old atta boy! Good stuff. Now we need Harrisburg to fix the law on this one. Mayor’s such as Tom Murphy should not be allowed to give away the house by increasing pension benefits WITHOUT funding them. In addition Pennsylvania has more public employee pensions systems than any other state. With administrative costs doubling and tripling those of most funds. The fat cats are getting rich at the expense of taxpayers, public employees, and retirees. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP!!!!! The Mayor has presented an idea here, let’s see where he goes with it?

The anonymous blogger is currently flying a City of Pittsburgh flag, followed by a Republic of Ireland flag, followed by Union Yes banner and finally an iconic Obama portrait with the caption, Progress. If many more like the Huddler are out for justice, the greedy amongst us should be sore afraid.

2. WWVB touched off a storm with this:

Our schools have days when students wear Black And Gold™ and we indoctrinate them so they grow up to be Steelers fans, and - unless they move away to find work - our children grow up to support the taxes, subsidies, and give-aways that our politicians provide to this business. Good little Steelers fans!

Just to be clear, this isn't what the Comet would say.

Yes, most politicians find a way to make good use of the "bread and circuses" aspect of governing, but doesn't mean that Steelers indoctrination at an early age is a bad thing, nor that a lifelong love-affair with a sports franchise is at all bad. It's an entirely healthy and useful instinct which instills solidarity and common purpose, and it can even be used to pass along civic virtues.

The only problems arise in how the teams themselves conduct their business -- and I don't think most Pittsburghers have a problem separating. Most of us hate the Pirates with good cause, are extremely wary about the Steelers as a business entity, and are getting a little bit sick of the Penguins already.

The Pens played on our anxieties excellently -- masterfully! -- to get their 28 acres and exclusive development credits, but on a day-to-day governing basis, I think all these sports teams are paper tigers.

3. Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents wrote a fantastic blog post, and "Franklin King" (among others) wrote a great comment underneath it:

Thanks for reminding us that with civil rights come civil responsibilities. That would include running legal, safe businesses and following the rules when it comes to compliance with local laws and ordinances. We want Allegheny County business owners to play fair when hiring gay people or renting to gay people. Our own businesses have to play fair, too. Equality is not a half-step.

I saw the piece of KDKA last night and my stomach sank. Even if these businessmen were not engaged in illegal activities at their club, it is very discouraging that they used political play to avoid the building inspection. It just reinforces that there's something sordid and naughty about gay sex.

As a white heterosexual male, let me just say that nothing is more gratifying than to hear a member of any minority group step forward and say, "Sometimes, some of us can be a little defensive." Ah, sweetness and peace.

"Henrieta" responding to Franklin's comment on Sue's post:

Such language. Responsibility. Next you'll be asking local gay business owners to demonstrate moral courage.

Let me say another thing. Regardless of what else happens, I think it is important to preserve Club Pittsburgh as a gay and civic amenity. It may be one of the rare and valuable things which makes Pittsburgh qualify as a major cultural center. If they do it in New York and Europe, right?

How can Club Pittsburgh adapt to its civic namesake, and vice-versa? That is an issue for its owners and for our city officials.

The Hon. Jim Burn Declares Game On

"If you don't know by now whether you're serious as a candidate, you're never going to know," Mr. Burns [sic] said yesterday. (P-G, Timothy McNulty)

What if you're serious as a candidate, but not interested in the endorsement?

For those of you just joining us, Jim Burn is the Democratic representative for County Council District 3. He enjoys the further distinction of presently being Chairman of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee.

We caught up with Mr. Burn shortly before the public hearing on an Allegheny County anti-discrimination ordinance. Jim was among those lawmakers who had co-sponsored the legislation. He remained on board as the proposal aroused opposition, even though others withdrew their sponsorship.

I asked whether he thought if those who withdrew sponsorship are still going to vote yes. Burn said that was his impression.

I jotted down some hasty notes:

"I think that equal protection is a fundamental right. I think the intent of this ordinance is to encourage that."

"I think there are specific provisions in this ordinance that are causing concerns among some specific groups."

The impression with which Burn left us was one of the current legislation being overlanguaged -- a word we once learned in relation to the first draft of a city billboard moratorium.

Tuesday: Carry it Forward

In June, the [water and sewer] authority's contract with Chester Engineers expired, and it has been continued on a month-to-month basis while the authority figures out what to do. One of the largest city-related contracts, it paid Chester $4.3 million last year, according to documents the authority provided to the Post-Gazette. (P-G, Rich Lord)

Northside United, a consortium of labor, environmental and community groups, has been trying to negotiate a community benefits deal with Continental for months over a proposed Hyatt Place Hotel development closer to PNC Park, but so far has been unsuccessful. Yesterday, the group turned its attention to the four-acre riverfront site that is expected to house would house the year-round entertainment complex. (P-G, Team Effort)

Lamar Advertising has appealed a city of Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment decision barring a half-completed Downtown sign and a proposed "ticker" sign that stirred controversy in city government last year. (P-G, Rich Lord)

In 2006, a jury found -- and the Superior Court this week agreed -- that Mr. Sciortino shifted $244,000 from a joint account with Mr. Johnson into one he alone controlled; that he spent $248,000 in Fairmont funds on things including his home driveway and car lease payments; and that he interfered with Fairmont contracts to the tune of $225,000. (P-G, Team Effort)

With discrimination against homosexuals a hot-button issue in today's society, a gay superhero is hitting television at just the right time. While fighting villains and seeking justice, Creed could very well deepen his viewers' understanding along the way. (P-G, Edit Board)

"I've been very angry about it," Grabowski said. "(Claire) keeps telling me to get over it. But I just look at that list of schools. Philadelphia Community College is eligible. Why is that covered and Grove City, which is 60 miles away, is not? Why in the name of peace would anyone from Pittsburgh want to go to Philadelphia Community College?" (Trib, Debra Erdley)

Margaret Philbin, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, said today that Buchanan and other U.S. attorneys were asked last week by President Barack Obama's transition team to stay in their positions for now. The request also was made of U.S. marshals. (Trib, Jason Cato)

President Obama is getting to work. (ABC News)