Some photos from today's March for Science in Pittsburgh from my friend Joy Sabl. She's a geneticist who's married to a nuclear physicist (because that's how my friends roll).
Brain hat replaces pussy hat today
The #unless refers to "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not." from The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Truth!
More truth!
Bonus Points if you get these.
The crowd
On the move!
HAPPY EARTH DAY!
Note:The quote in the title of this post comes from this article.
Hundreds of thousands of participants showed up at the Women's March on Washingtontoday (still ongoing -- watch C-SPAN!) and tens of thousands showed up at women's marches in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh had not one, but two marches today for women (click here for more about that).
The sister march Women's March on Pittsburgh held downtown had a reported 25,000 attendees. Here are some photographs from 2pj's own David:
(Speakers included Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner)
(David with Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto)
And, many hundreds showed up for the Our Feminism Must Be Intersectional Rally/March in East Liberty, a hollaback march to the one in D.C. Photographs are courtesy of Frances Sansig Rupp (pictured in last photo).
While none of these marches were specifically anti Trump, Fuck Trump.
Today is World AIDS Day. For information in Pittsburgh, please watch the video below (definitely worth seeing Alaska Thunderfuck followed immediately by County Exec Rich Fitzgerald) and go to AIDS Free Pittsburgh.
GILMAN AND KRAUS TO INTRODUCE CONVERSION THERAPY BAN
Legislation would prohibit harmful practice for minors within Pittsburgh
Sent 11/29/2016 @ 7:04 am
PITTSBURGH, PA (November 29th, 2016)- During today’s regular meeting of Pittsburgh City Council, Councilman Dan Gilman and Council President Bruce A. Kraus will introduce legislation to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQIA+ youth within Pittsburgh.
“The City of Pittsburgh bears the responsibility to protect all of its residents and this legislation defends LGBTQIA+ youth against the destructive psychological and physical impact of forced conversion therapy,” said Councilman Gilman. “By passing this legislation, the City is standing up for equality and ensuring that Pittsburgh is a welcoming city for all.”
“Protecting LGBTQIA+ minors from those who would seek to rob the very essence of one's being is foundational to this legislation,” said Council President Kraus. “Ensuring safe places for discovery, self acceptance, and growth for LGBTQIA+ youth must now and always be our focus."
Conversion therapy, which seeks to convert one’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, is formally opposed by a host of mental health, medical, and social work organizations, including American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, and the National Association of Social Workers.
You can read the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's "A guide to decide: Twelve tests to choose between Clinton and Trump" embarrassing non-endorsement here, or you can save some time and just watch this dumpster fire:
According to the editorial in today's paper, the "test" is meant to be "a useful exercise for the citizen’s own decision-making" lovingly curated by...we assume the Block Family (owners of the P-G).
If you're not familiar with the Blocks, here's John Block on Trump's private plane:
His brother Allan was notably heard in a NYC restaurant loudly voicing his support for Trump, and who "according to FEC filings, donated tens of thousands to Republican political candidates across the country since the late nineties."
There were even reports earlier this year that some P-G journalists were "worried about their paper’s credibility should it support the billionaire candidate who’s campaigned on a platform that includes deporting 11 million undocumented immigrants, building a wall between the United States and Mexico and banning Muslims from entering the country." (Sorry! Mission accomplished!)
So far, the P-G's endorsements have been running a bit heavy on the R side, especially for what was once considered a liberal paper:
Post-Gazette 2016 General Election Endorsements
REPUBLICANS
Pat Toomey, U.S. Senate
John Rafferty Jr., Pennsylvania Attorney General
Guy Reschenthaler, State Senate
Mike Turzai, State Representative
John Maher, State Representative
Jason Ortitay, State Representative
DEMOCRATS
Mike Doyle, U.S. Representative
Erin McClelland, U.S. Representative
Eugene DePasquale, Auditor General
Joe Torsella, Pennsylvania Treasurer
Mike Turzai? Doesn't this forever disqualify him from public office?
But, I digress. Back to the "test."
I assume the editorial board was, oh let's say, grabbed by their metaphorical pussies by the Blocks and had to come up with...something. What they came up with is mostly nonsense and false equivalence that ignores the worst that is Donald Trump. The absolute nadir of the editorial comes in the "Character" portion of the "Leadership Traits."
While acknowledging that Trump is "a vulgarian who never seems to study, to apologize or to learn" and a "sexist and a cad," they feel the need to throw in a bash at Bill Clinton, who is not the one running for office. Moreover, Trump is not just a "cad" (how purposely quaint!), he is according to his own words, a serial sexual predator. And a misogynist, and a racist, and a bigot, and a xenophobe, and a proponent of torturing innocent Muslims. He's a terrible businessman who doesn't pay his vendors, who declared bankruptcy six times, who wrote-off nearly a billion dollars in debt, who refuses to release his taxes because he hasn't paid any federal taxes in decades. He's a man who has a fraud trial starting later this month over his fake "university" and who has hundreds of lawsuits pending against him. He's a man who declared a war hero not a hero because he was captured and who tormented a Gold Star mother. He's a man with questionable ties to Russia's President Vladimir Putin and who doesn't understand why we have nukes if we don't use them.
He is a man who so thin-skinned, he can be provoked by a tweet. Reliably. Repeatedly.
He is a man who has called for his political opponent to be jailed and has alluded to her assassination.
And dozens and dozens of other horrors too many to list -- or even recall at this point.
All this, the P-G ignores.
But it gets worse. Here's what they say about Hillary Clinton's character:
Ms. Clinton would begin her presidential term under criminal investigation. Impeachment is a very real possibility from Day 1. How would she function? Like Richard Nixon, who won in a landslide in 1972, she might not serve out her term. But her dishonesty is more than legal — it is deeply embedded in her every word and gesture. The WikiLeaks provide us many smoking guns, not least of which is this: Nothing about her is genuine.
Christ Almighty!
She is not under criminal investigation.
Impeachment may be "a very real possibility from Day 1" only because the Republican Party, along with their standard-bearer, is determined to turn us into a banana republic.
And her dishonesty? Her dishonesty?!?PolitiFact, the nonpartisan fact-checking outlet, has found that '78 percent of all of Trump's fact-checked claims have been scored "mostly false" or worse.' They also awarded their "2015 Lie of the Year" to the collective campaign misstatements of Donald Trump!
Lastly, the Post-Gazette is on the wrong side of history. 456 newspapers and magazines have endorsed Hillary Clinton. 22 have endorsed Donald Trump (including the KKK’s official newspaper).
Post-Gazette Editorial Board -- you all cisgender, all-but-one white men -- you had a choice to make and you chose instead to make no choice. You chose to cover yourself in shame. You chose to write a dumpster fire of an editorial.
(Photo courtesy of Rep. Mike Doyle's Facebook page, pictured center.)
Who knew the Democrats in the US House of Representatives had this much cojones/huevos?
When the Democrats in the Senate's filibuster ended in gun control votes that went down in flames, it seemed like the issue was over, maybe at least until the next horrific mass shooting occurs...say, next Tuesday or so. I mean, the House can't filibuster, right? Right! So the beautiful bastards are holding a sit-in instead!
Damn!
THANK YOU!
And thank you Rep. John Lewis for starting it and my own Rep. Mike Doyle for being down there (literally) on the floor.
Pittsburgh's WTAE News anchor Wendy Bell majorly stepped in it when she decided to profile the yet unknown killers of the March 9 mass shooting in Wilkinsburg by stringing together a bunch of stereotypical racist insults on her Facebook page. She then contrasted them with a virtually tap-dancing Mr. Bojangles, Jr. version of a young man who happened to be busing tables at a restaurant where Miz Wendy was eating with her family.
The post was so disgusting, that she received a great deal of push-back. Then came the inevitable blocking of people and removal of comments, and, eventually, some editing of the original post*. It's led to a "Demand WTAE Hold Wendy Bell Accountable" Facebook campaign and a Post-Gazette article. But the best analysis comes from Damon Young at verysmartbrothas.com. Here's a taste, but please, read the whole article:
There are so many layers and layers and layers to Bell’s abject obliviousness to how racist this is; all made clear by the fact that she thought it was fine to print it. She’s practically a White privilege lasagna caught in the throat of a White privilege turducken.
[snip]
Seriously, read this scribbled-on-some-toilet-paper-at-a-Hallmark-factory-bathroom bullshit again. And think about the state of mind that allows someone to juxtapose that awful tragedy with a night at the Cheesecake Factory. As if there’s any connection between the two besides the race of the server and the race of the victims. And, I don’t know, the fact that they’re both made out of space dust.
* To read her original version of the post, click on the arrow in the upper right corner and hit "View edit history."
UPDATE:In an AP story at ABC News (WTAE is an ABC affiliate), Wendy Bell gave a pro forma apology. The entire Facebook post has been removed.
The Pittsburgh Bicentennial is a yearlong celebration of the 200th anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Pittsburgh, giving citizens opportunity for self-governance. Pittsburgh was incorporated as a city on March 18, 1816. Mayor William Peduto formed the Pittsburgh Bicentennial Commission to recognize and celebrate the anniversary with unique and collaborative partnerships. Over 200 organizations, companies, nonprofits and individuals are participating in the yearlong celebration. For more information visit www.pgh200.com, follow @PGHbicentennial on Twitter for follow the hashtag #PGH200
You may have heard of girls in developing countries skipping school when they had their periods due to a lack of menstrual supplies, but do you know that it happens right here in Pittsburgh?
On the Spot is a campaign to raise funds to help purchase supplies/donate supplies for local schools to hand out to girls who find themselves unsupplied and ‘on the spot.’
Back-To-School Happy Hour When: Today at 6:00pm - 8:00pm Where: The Brew Gentlemen Beer Co., 512 Braddock Ave, Braddock, PA 15104 Cost: $10 at the door, or $5 and a box of supplies Facebook Event Page: Here
WHEREAS, on July 21st, the Huffington Post declared that "The Song Of Summer Is Dead," as it being more than halfway through July and yet, no Song of Summer has emerged as a contender for that title; and,
WHEREAS, people need a Song of Summer to get us through these cruel months; and,
WHEREAS, recent promotional videos for the City of Pittsburgh--ranging from Time Magazine'sbusiness-oriented tribute, to The New York Time'strendy view, to the AMPD Group'sbarftastic cheesefest--have been very, very, very white/and very, very, very male/for the male gaze; and,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the 2 Political Junkies blog does hereby recognize Pittsburgh! Then & Now and DJ Icey White for promoting
and preserving the very, very, very whiteness/malesness of the City of Pittsburgh in a satirical, musical form worthy of the title of Song of Summer.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the 2 Political Junkies blog does hereby declare July 25th, 2015 to be “Pittsburgh! Then & Now and DJ Icey White Day” in the City of Pittsburgh and further declares Pittsburgh! Then & Now to be the "Song of Summer" in the City of Pittsburgh.
Allegheny County Democrats Set Date for County Council Special Election
The Allegheny County Democratic Committee has set a date for the special election to select the substitute Democratic nominee and to fill the vacancy in County Council District 11.
The election is scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 2 at the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters IAFF Local No.1 Union Hall from 10 AM to 2 PM.
Eligible voting members include all chairs, vice chairs, secretaries, treasurers, and elected or appointed committee members in County Council District 11.
“After careful consultation with attorneys and members of Allegheny County leadership, I am pleased to announce that we are able to grant voting privileges to all committee members within this district,” said Chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills. “We know this is the most democratic– and most fair - way of conducting this election.”
Committee members will be voting on two separate issues. The first vote will be to select the replacement Democratic nominee on the November 3, 2015 ballot for a four-year term on County Council in District 11. The second vote will be to select the nominee to appear on the November 3, 2015 ballot to fill the remainder of the unexpired term in District 11 ending on January 4, 2016. These elections will take place simultaneously.
Candidates wishing to seek the Democratic nomination and/or to fill the remainder of the term in County Council District 11 should write a letter of intent and send it to the Allegheny County Democratic Committee, 429 Forbes Avenue, Suite 1301, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. All letters of intent must be received by 5 PM on July 3, 2015. All committee changes must also be received by this date.
Reporter Bob Mayor to Pittsburgh City Councilor Darlene Harris, upon learning she was securing an unauthorized $2,000 plaque labeled "Ravenstahl" after the last mayor in her office, "You're not the Keeper of Public Plaques, right?"
What is it with Lil Former Mayor Lukey's administration? Taking home his city-owned desktop computer before leaving office because he was afraid the Peduto administration would move in and hide it?! Hiding plaques named after him because there was fear that it would be taken away and destroyed?!
It's like they were preparing for an invasion by a herd of thundering barbarians instead of a normal change in administration. The paranoia runs deep with this one. Or perhaps just projection...
Anyone want to guess what the next bizarre revelation regarding Lukey's departure will be?
First, a few notes on the Allegheny County Democratic Committee endorsement vote which was held yesterday.
Certainly the ACDC stamp of approval no longer holds the sway it once did. Candidates can win their elections without it and some no longer even seek the endorsement (see Mayor Bill Peduto).
The biggest headline to come out of the vote was the nod to Mark Patrick Flaherty over sitting incumbent Chelsa Wagner for Allegheny County Controller. Flaherty was Wagner's predecessor, and, because this is Allegheny County/Pittsburgh, Flaherty is the son of a former county commissioner and nephew of a former Pittsburgh mayor, while Wagner is the daughter of a former longtime chairman of the 19th Ward and niece of a former state auditor general. Meh.
And, while I'm no big fan of Wagner's, did the vote against her have to come on International Women's Day? Which just points to the fact that out of the 34 people ACDC endorsed, only eight were women.
This also leads to the following note from Kris Rust posted on Facebook by his husband, Pittsburgh Magisterial District Judge Hugh McGough, who did not win endorsement for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas:
This weekend, the Allegheny County Labor Council and the Allegheny County Democratic Committee endorsed a slate of three straight, white men from the Pittsburgh suburbs as judicial candidates for the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, passing over distinguished women and minority candidates, including Hugh (yes, LGBT people comprise a minority group).
The integrity and legitimacy of our government and our courts depends upon them reflecting the diversity of our citizenry. Yet, two-thirds of the judges on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas are straight, white men. While we are grateful to all of the folks who have supported Hugh throughout this endorsement process, I am disappointed that the majority of Labor Council and Democratic Committee members fail to recognize the value and importance of superlative credentials and diversity on the bench. Now I am ready to “rage against the machine!”
(If you'd like to help Hugh McGough's campaign--and I hope you do--his website is here.)
Another person who I would have liked to have been endorsed is Natalia Rudiak (though I have to admit that I don't know if she sought the endorsement). Rudiak is running for Pittsburgh City Controller and the only negative thing I can say about her is I would miss her on City Council. Her campaign website is here and her kickoff party is tomorrow.
Lastly, I hope that no one reading this takes the slate cards mailed out too much to heart. It's a real shame, but I'm guessing that too many people do rely on them, especially when voting for judges.
Richard Mellon Scaife's children have been battling over a trust fund set up in 1935 for Scaife for his "welfare" by his mother, the remainder of which would have gone to them upon his death. That fund went from nine figures to zero. They are demanding an accounting of the trust fund which they believe should not have been used to prop up their father's conservative Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper because of his "vehement dislike for the owners of the Post-Gazette."
Jennie Scaife’s attorneys wrote that the trustees “distributed over $300 million ... to Richard M. Scaife ... to use in funding Scaife’s newspaper and media operations — the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review — which by admission lost no less than $250 million as of 2007 alone and upon belief lost many millions more to date.”
A total of $700 million went to non-charitable and non-family recipients, including the Trib.
But don't cry too many tears for poor Jennie and David Scaife.
According to the article, they receive one million dollars a month each (yes, you read that right) from another trust set up by their grandmother. Apparently, this is not enough for them.
Yes, the rich are different. Cause if I had money like that...well...
This being Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, I appreciate Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay for posing with this sign when it was offered to him and for not backing down despite all the ridiculous controversy. I also appreciate Mayor Bill Peduto for standing by him, as well as for hiring him in the first place.
