Michael Lamb, the city's City Controller, released 2009's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. He said despite the economic crisis, Pittsburgh ended the year with a surplus of $8.5 million dollars, and a fund balance of $61.4 million. In 2009 there was an increase in the collection of earned income tax and a decrease in the deed transfer tax.
"All in all, kind of a vanilla year, in a year that most cities across the country continue to end in the red, we ended in the black - and that's good news," said Lamb.
There was an increase of $24.3 million in spending because of the G-20 summit. Lamb said they expect to be reimbursed by the federal government this year.
Fringe benefits, such as health insurance, pension and worker's compensation in 2009 cost the city $74.8 million and is expected to go over $82 million in 2010.
Lamb also said there are problems - the first quarter of 2010 is 3 million short compared to last year, there is the continuing pension problem and despite the fact that there is a growth of jobs in the city, people keep moving out. Lamb says this hurts the city's bottom line.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Rohrer: PA's Education Testing Standards "Too Rigid"
Republican gubernatorial candidate Sam Rohrer says he’d push for relaxed state-wide education testing standards, if elected.
Speaking to a Harrisburg education forum, Rohrer said Pennsylvania’s school curricula are centered too much around state and federal testing guidelines.
"You can’t test and measure, test and measure, test and measure, test and measure, the same way you do on a manufacturing line when you’re putting out a car. Because kids are different, and people are different, and teachers are different."
He said it’s a mistake to hold school districts accountable using only test scores.
"I believe that, yes – the state should have standards. But they ought to be goals of attainment. They ought not to be so specific that we are directing the hourly function of the teacher and the classroom, which is almost the way this has come."
Afterward, Rohrer argued Pennsylvania had been turning out well-educated students for hundreds of years, before federal benchmarks were put in place.
He says he’s in favor of setting standards, but argues they should be more flexible than the current guidelines put in place by the federal No Child Left Behind legislation.
UPDATE: Rohrer's opponent in the Gubernatorial Primary, Tom Corbett unveiled his education proposals May 3rd.
Speaking to a Harrisburg education forum, Rohrer said Pennsylvania’s school curricula are centered too much around state and federal testing guidelines.
"You can’t test and measure, test and measure, test and measure, test and measure, the same way you do on a manufacturing line when you’re putting out a car. Because kids are different, and people are different, and teachers are different."
He said it’s a mistake to hold school districts accountable using only test scores.
"I believe that, yes – the state should have standards. But they ought to be goals of attainment. They ought not to be so specific that we are directing the hourly function of the teacher and the classroom, which is almost the way this has come."
Afterward, Rohrer argued Pennsylvania had been turning out well-educated students for hundreds of years, before federal benchmarks were put in place.
He says he’s in favor of setting standards, but argues they should be more flexible than the current guidelines put in place by the federal No Child Left Behind legislation.
UPDATE: Rohrer's opponent in the Gubernatorial Primary, Tom Corbett unveiled his education proposals May 3rd.
16 Catholic Schools Close in 5 Years in Pittsburgh Area
Another school is closing in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. St. John Neumann Regional Elementary School in Lawrenceville will shut its doors for good at the end of this academic year. The closing of the school was approved by Bishop David Zubik on the recommendation of the pastors of Our Lady of the Angels, St. Lawrence O'Toole and St. Matthew parishes which support the school. The parishes cited serious fiscal challenges that make their ability to continue to support the school impossible. Enrollment has declined from 131 students to an estimated 92 for the next school year. A diocesan spokesman says they usually consider 100 to be the minimum number of students to keep a school open.
St. John Neumann will be the 16th elementary school that the diocese has closed since 2005.
St. John Neumann will be the 16th elementary school that the diocese has closed since 2005.
Gun Control Group Grades Candidates
Officials with the advocacy group CeaseFirePA say they're pleased with the Democratic gubernatorial candidates' support for gun control measures.
Joe Grace, the executive director of CeaseFirePA, says all four Democratic candidates supported a majority of the 18 reform issues they were asked about in the questionnaire.
"Two candidates are from western Pennsylvania, where it's particularly said that you can 't ever talk about gun violence prevention. And they are Jack Wagner and Dan Onorato. Both of those candidates support a majority of reforms proposed by CeasefirePA."
Those reforms include increasing penalties for the illegal possession of a handgun, requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms, and banning assault weapons.
The group graded the candidates on their support for gun issues.
Joe Hoeffel received an A, and Anthony Williams was given an A-.
Dan Onorato got a B+, while Jack Wagner received a C+.
Republican Tom Corbett was given an F, since he didn't fill out the survey. President Phil Goldsmith says he's disappointed Corbett didn't respond to the questionnaire.
"And frankly, I think it's inexcusable that here, the state chief law enforcement officer - obviously a leading candidate for governor, basically was not willing to share his views with the people."
Corbett's GOP rival, Sam Rohrer, didn't do much better, in CeasefirePA's minds - he disagrees with them on every issue, and was given a D.
Joe Grace, the executive director of CeaseFirePA, says all four Democratic candidates supported a majority of the 18 reform issues they were asked about in the questionnaire.
"Two candidates are from western Pennsylvania, where it's particularly said that you can 't ever talk about gun violence prevention. And they are Jack Wagner and Dan Onorato. Both of those candidates support a majority of reforms proposed by CeasefirePA."
Those reforms include increasing penalties for the illegal possession of a handgun, requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms, and banning assault weapons.
The group graded the candidates on their support for gun issues.
Joe Hoeffel received an A, and Anthony Williams was given an A-.
Dan Onorato got a B+, while Jack Wagner received a C+.
Republican Tom Corbett was given an F, since he didn't fill out the survey. President Phil Goldsmith says he's disappointed Corbett didn't respond to the questionnaire.
"And frankly, I think it's inexcusable that here, the state chief law enforcement officer - obviously a leading candidate for governor, basically was not willing to share his views with the people."
Corbett's GOP rival, Sam Rohrer, didn't do much better, in CeasefirePA's minds - he disagrees with them on every issue, and was given a D.
Endorsed Lt. Gov. Candidate Denies He's "Too Liberal"
Republican lieutenant governor candidate Jim Cawley is taking sides in the GOP’s Pennsylvania gubernatorial primary.
Cawley, the party’s endorsed candidate in the nine-way Republican lieutenant governor primary, took a not-so-veiled shot at state Representative Sam Rohrer during a recent interview.
"In my mind, at least, it’s hard for somebody to be about reform if they voted for pay raises. If they voted for pension increases, and then turn around and talk about reform. I’m hard-pressed to understand how they have a platform upon which to speak."
Cawley has made his support for Attorney General Tom Corbett clear from the beginning of his campaign.
The Bucks County commissioner refers to the Attorney General as his “running mate” in a television ad, and has already reserved the domain name www.corbettcawley.com.
When asked to explain why he calls Corbett a “running mate” before either of them have won a contested primary, Cawley said he uses the phrase because both men are the Republican Party’s endorsed candidates.
Cawley is defending himself against attacks he’s too liberal for the GOP’s fall ticket.
Opponents have recently distributed mailers saying Cawley supports abortion rights and would raise taxes.
Cawley says that’s not true.
"My record speaks for itself. We’ve gone four years in a row in Bucks County without raising taxes. We’ve grown our fund balance. We’ve gone two years in a row of actually cutting the size of the county budget while still providing quality services."
During an interview with WDUQ, Cawley twice ducked the question of whether he thinks Pennsylvania can balance its budget without raising taxes.
He returned to the topic later on, though, saying, “increasing taxes is not the answer. Period.”
Cawley, the party’s endorsed candidate in the nine-way Republican lieutenant governor primary, took a not-so-veiled shot at state Representative Sam Rohrer during a recent interview.
"In my mind, at least, it’s hard for somebody to be about reform if they voted for pay raises. If they voted for pension increases, and then turn around and talk about reform. I’m hard-pressed to understand how they have a platform upon which to speak."
Cawley has made his support for Attorney General Tom Corbett clear from the beginning of his campaign.
The Bucks County commissioner refers to the Attorney General as his “running mate” in a television ad, and has already reserved the domain name www.corbettcawley.com.
When asked to explain why he calls Corbett a “running mate” before either of them have won a contested primary, Cawley said he uses the phrase because both men are the Republican Party’s endorsed candidates.
Cawley is defending himself against attacks he’s too liberal for the GOP’s fall ticket.
Opponents have recently distributed mailers saying Cawley supports abortion rights and would raise taxes.
Cawley says that’s not true.
"My record speaks for itself. We’ve gone four years in a row in Bucks County without raising taxes. We’ve grown our fund balance. We’ve gone two years in a row of actually cutting the size of the county budget while still providing quality services."
During an interview with WDUQ, Cawley twice ducked the question of whether he thinks Pennsylvania can balance its budget without raising taxes.
He returned to the topic later on, though, saying, “increasing taxes is not the answer. Period.”
Police Investigate Bomb Scare Near Marathon
A microwave oven left on the sidewalk near the finish line of the Pittsburgh Marathon brought in police and the bomb squad. What was reported as a "suspicious" device was discovered around 7:30 yesterday morning on the sidewalk between Liberty and Penn Avenues. Police exercised caution amid the bomb scare in New York City's Times Square a day earlier.
Pittsburgh Police Lieutenant Kevin Kraus says the surrounding area was evacuated and authorities tried to re-route the race but eventually ended up delaying it in the area for 10 to 12 minutes. Kraus says they X-rayed the microwave and found "suspicious contents." A robot was used to disable "the device." But Kraus says they now don't believe there were any explosive materials inside the microwave.
The all-clear sign was given shortly before 11 a.m. Police say they will check surveillance cameras in an effort to find out who left the microwave on the sidewalk.
Pittsburgh Police Lieutenant Kevin Kraus says the surrounding area was evacuated and authorities tried to re-route the race but eventually ended up delaying it in the area for 10 to 12 minutes. Kraus says they X-rayed the microwave and found "suspicious contents." A robot was used to disable "the device." But Kraus says they now don't believe there were any explosive materials inside the microwave.
The all-clear sign was given shortly before 11 a.m. Police say they will check surveillance cameras in an effort to find out who left the microwave on the sidewalk.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Senate Debate 2 Weeks Before Primary
U.S. Senator Arlen Specter and Congressman Joe Sestak both claimed the other was distorting his record during a Saturday night debate in Philadelphia.
Specter, who switched from Republican to Democrat a year ago, began the debate by asking Sestak to apologize for calling him a liar in a recent television ad.
Sestak didn’t take the bait, and did his best to try and label Specter as an opportunistic career politician who only switched parties to avoid a tough primary fight.
"The major difference is this: I am a Democrat out (of) core beliefs and conviction."
Specter said his long track record of legislative achievements sets him apart from Sestak, pointing to a measure he authored during a back-and-forth on crime.
"Congressman Sestak talks about a resolution he introduced. I introduced a bill that was enacted into law."
The two debated each other during a February State Democratic Committee meeting, but this was the only face-to-face forum broadcast live across the state.
Sestak has called for more debates again and again, but Specter says this is the last one he’ll agree to. Specter's campaign has said all along that the 5-term incumbent traditionally does only one debate during the primary campaign.
Specter, who switched from Republican to Democrat a year ago, began the debate by asking Sestak to apologize for calling him a liar in a recent television ad.
Sestak didn’t take the bait, and did his best to try and label Specter as an opportunistic career politician who only switched parties to avoid a tough primary fight.
"The major difference is this: I am a Democrat out (of) core beliefs and conviction."
Specter said his long track record of legislative achievements sets him apart from Sestak, pointing to a measure he authored during a back-and-forth on crime.
"Congressman Sestak talks about a resolution he introduced. I introduced a bill that was enacted into law."
The two debated each other during a February State Democratic Committee meeting, but this was the only face-to-face forum broadcast live across the state.
Sestak has called for more debates again and again, but Specter says this is the last one he’ll agree to. Specter's campaign has said all along that the 5-term incumbent traditionally does only one debate during the primary campaign.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Multiple Events To Cause Traffic Woes Sunday
Start with the annual Pittsburgh Marathon tomorrow morning with a record 16,000 participants....then add the annual Rosary March beginning at 1:45 p.m. from Epiphany Church in the Lower Hill District to St. of Mercy Church in downtown Pittsburgh...then it's a Penguins' Stanley Cup playoff game at 2:00 at the Mellon Arena...and finally, at the same time, there's the University of Pittsburgh Commencement ceremonies.....that should means rolling road closures and traffic tie-ups in many neighborhoods and downtown Pittsburgh Sunday.
Some streets will be shut down as early as 6 a.m. and all should be reopened by 1:30 p.m.
Check out a full list of street closures for the Pittsburgh Marathon.
Some streets will be shut down as early as 6 a.m. and all should be reopened by 1:30 p.m.
Check out a full list of street closures for the Pittsburgh Marathon.
Pittsburgh: "Bicycle Friendly"
The League of American Bicyclists for the first time has designated Pittsburgh and 15 other cities as "bicycle friendly." Pittsburgh received "bronze status" in terms of friendliness toward bike riders. There are now 140 municipalities in the nation to be awarded "friendly" status.
Stephen Patchan is Pittsburgh's bicycle-pedestrian coordinator. He says since 2007 the number of bike-lane or share lane roads has doubled to 12 miles and 200 bicycle racks are being installed in neighborhood business districts and parks. All new major developments in the city are required to have bike racks.
Scott Bricker, executive director of Bike Pittsburgh, says it's inspiring how far Pittsburgh has come since 1990 when Bicycling Magazine named the city one of the three worst in the U.S. for biking...... “This award recognizes all the hard work of the bicycling and trail communities, and the strong partnerships we have built with the City of Pittsburgh and our funders in beginning to implement our vision of a bike friendly Pittsburgh. But this is only the beginning and we look forward to working with the City to follow the League's prescription to get us to gold, or who knows, maybe even one day platinum.”
Stephen Patchan is Pittsburgh's bicycle-pedestrian coordinator. He says since 2007 the number of bike-lane or share lane roads has doubled to 12 miles and 200 bicycle racks are being installed in neighborhood business districts and parks. All new major developments in the city are required to have bike racks.
Scott Bricker, executive director of Bike Pittsburgh, says it's inspiring how far Pittsburgh has come since 1990 when Bicycling Magazine named the city one of the three worst in the U.S. for biking...... “This award recognizes all the hard work of the bicycling and trail communities, and the strong partnerships we have built with the City of Pittsburgh and our funders in beginning to implement our vision of a bike friendly Pittsburgh. But this is only the beginning and we look forward to working with the City to follow the League's prescription to get us to gold, or who knows, maybe even one day platinum.”
Child Abuse Skyrocketed During This Recession
According to a multi-center study led by Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, the number of cases of abusive head trauma, formerly known as "shaken baby syndrome," increased signficantly since the beginning of the recession.
Lead researcher, Dr. Rachel Berger, a child abuse specialist and researcher at Children’s Hospital’s Child Advocacy Center, says they studied 512 patients with abusive head trauma ranging in age from 9 days to 6 years. Dr. Berger says
the number of cases of abusive head trauma rose from six per month before Dec. 1, 2007, to 9.3 per month after that date.
"it coincided with the economic recession, and that it’s not a phenomenon isolated to our region but happening on a much more widespread level. This suggests we may need to dramatically increase our child abuse prevention efforts now and in future times of economic hardship.”
Of the children studied, 63 percent had injuries severe enough that they had to be admitted to intensive care units, and 16 percent died. Dr. Berger said that in 2008, more patients at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh died from abusive head trauma than from non-inflicted brain injury.
In addition to Pittsburgh, the patients were treated at pediatric hospitals in Cincinnati, Columbus and Seattle. Results of the study are being presented by Dr. Berger today at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Lead researcher, Dr. Rachel Berger, a child abuse specialist and researcher at Children’s Hospital’s Child Advocacy Center, says they studied 512 patients with abusive head trauma ranging in age from 9 days to 6 years. Dr. Berger says
the number of cases of abusive head trauma rose from six per month before Dec. 1, 2007, to 9.3 per month after that date.
"it coincided with the economic recession, and that it’s not a phenomenon isolated to our region but happening on a much more widespread level. This suggests we may need to dramatically increase our child abuse prevention efforts now and in future times of economic hardship.”
Of the children studied, 63 percent had injuries severe enough that they had to be admitted to intensive care units, and 16 percent died. Dr. Berger said that in 2008, more patients at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh died from abusive head trauma than from non-inflicted brain injury.
In addition to Pittsburgh, the patients were treated at pediatric hospitals in Cincinnati, Columbus and Seattle. Results of the study are being presented by Dr. Berger today at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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