[412] Ho, ho, yo to Running Mates and beyond. Post Festivus. Yet no Octopus

[412-public-campaign at rauterkus.com]

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

In response to Time Magazine's recent "Man of the Year" honors, my
statement is simply, "Thank you, thank YOU." Citizen journalists and
idealists do score victories!

Bad news: My wife's father passed tonight. She went to Maine to be at
his side -- and he waited for their arrival and opportunity to say
goodbye.

Visitor news: Joe Jencks, singer / songwriter, is visiting Pittsburgh,
again, this weekend. He'll perform for services at our church,
http://Sunnyhill.org, at 9 am and 11:30 am. The Chapel is for kids and
adults where we'll talk about how hearing happens with the ears and
listening occurs with the brain. Joe's music even engages feelings and
one's heart. Joe has a wonderful song I hope to include on CDs this
spring. The main service (9 and 11:30 for adults) is about Actions and
Deeds rather than just Words. Join us if you can.

Google's new CALENDAR UTILITY is a wonderful free way to stay plugged
into community efforts. Subscribe to my public calendars -- and I'll
tune into yours.

Festivus has come and gone. Now Pittsburgh awaits for the arrival of
three wise men. Ed, Dan and Luke sat with Mario to talk about a new
ice rink today. I have little hope in the collective wisdom there. The
Penguins might leave Pittsburgh, and that's a shame. I'd offer a
different approach, and I've been blogging about it, including:

+ Ask the Pens to play 10 of its home games in other cities, such as
Kansas City, until the new venue is built in Allegheny County.

++ Build the new facility with private funds elsewhere and NOT on the
lower hill. Move the team near the airport. With cheap land, create an
Olympic Village / Pens Village -- providing upside and profits to the
team's ownership in extended value that they can create.

+++ At the least, city council can hold a public hearing and post
agenda on this topic. Citizens should have a voice as the politicians
have shown little creativity.


I've been quiet in the past months with my 412-email contacts. Update
me with your new / changed email contacts, please. I've been blogging,
http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com, and my wiki,
http://Platform.For-Pgh.org/wiki, is plugging along. Comments are
always welcomed.

I quit my efforts in August to get onto the ballot for voters for the
PA Senate 42nd district race with the November 2006 election. That was
a depressing saga that I'm talking about in a podcast -- soon. I'm
still wondering if I should file an ethics complaint against an
certain undemocratic Democrat State Senator who used his office fax to
make a legal challenge so as to run without opposition. Court costs
were on the table as was a 2-week coaching trip to Canada that
couldn't change. So I made a prudent decision and pulled off the
ballot after entering paperwork into state's evidence. Politicians
can't use resources of the state office for campaign activities! And
if they do, they should make sure that the fax header is cut away
before it is delivered to opposition candidates. Stay tuned.

The end of 2006 was a quiet time, a ''dark time' of sorts for me. That
is behind us now and 2007 is sure to be busy with local and regional
developments.

The Octopus card is something we encountered on Hong Kong's mass
transit system. It is needed at the Port Authority, Ho, ho, yo to Mr.
Bland, new PAT CEO. PAT doesn't need light-rail tunnels under the
river. But, PAT does need a debit-card electronic bus pass system that
works much like the E-Z Pass on the PA Turnpike. PAT is clueless when
it comes to data for making decisions as to necessary service cuts,
fare hikes, capacity monitors, efficiency benchmarks and overall
service to customers. The Octopus cards used in Hong Kong are slick
and smart. They'd be perfect for Pittsburgh in many ways.

A month of public hearing to educate transit riders and vendors about
an installation of electronic bus passes would make for a fine,
low-budget investment to cut fraud, fare jumpers, toll boxes, and a
slew of other nasty behaviors. Then real-time data would clearly show
merited adjustments to the network.

As you wait for your next bus, ponder the cross-word puzzle that
became our holiday card feature. Catch it and a re-tooled web sites in
the weeks to come at Rauterkus.com. Now this 'Solstice Salutation'
fades to white....

Ta.

Mark Rauterkus     Mark at Rauterkus.com
http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
http://Rauterkus.com              http://Platform.For-Pgh.org
412 298 3432 = cell


PS:  Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best
wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially  responsible, low
stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter
solstice holiday, practised within the most enjoyable traditions of
the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your
choice, with  respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or
traditions of others, or their choice not to practise religious or
secular traditions at all...and a fiscally successful, personally
fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated  recognition of the onset of
the generally accepted calendar year 2007, and without regard to the
party, voter status, race, creed, color, age, physical ability,
religious faith, or sexual orientation of the wishee.

This wish is limited to the customary and usual good tidings for a
period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday
greeting, whichever comes first. "Holiday" is not  intended to, nor
shall it be considered, limited to the usual Judeo-Christian
celebrations or observances, or to such activities of any organised or
ad hoc religious community, group, individual or belief (or lack
thereof).

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This
greeting is subject to  clarification or withdrawal, and is revocable
at the sole discretion of the wisher at any time, for any reason or
for no reason at all. This greeting is freely transferable with or
without alteration to the original greeting. This greeting implies no
promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for the
wishee her/himself or others, or responsibility for the consequences
which may arise from the implementation or non-implementation of same.
This greeting is void where prohibited by law.

Happy New Year & Go O.U. Bobcats