(Guest Commentary: Officer Jim)
According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics released on Thursday, it took a catastrophic natural disaster to keep the Pittsburgh region from losing more population than New Orleans.
We’ve also got, according to a story in One of America’s Great Newspapers (but not America’s Finest News Source), the rare distinction of having the lowest influx of international immigrants combined with high death/low birth rates.
The article cites, among other causes, a continued “decline resulting from the steel industry's collapse a quarter-century ago, which led to a heavy exodus of working-age people.”
I’m so tired of hearing that. Frankly, I think it’s a bunch of baloney. I realize that the shuddering of the mills and collapse of the steel industry in Pittsburgh has had long-lasting and far-reaching influence in the local economy.
But after 25 years, I don’t think we can still be bemoaning the loss of manufacturing for the continued decline of the region. It’s about high time we got over it and moved on.
Sadly, we have a lot of people who seemingly want to wallow in self-pity and cry about “the good ol’ days of U.S. Steel” while waiting desperately for some “white knight” to come in and rescue the region.
Ain’t gonna happen, people. And until everyone: the politicians, tax-payers, community leaders, analysts, and even the pensioners wake up and admit that we need to rebuild the region from the ground up, we’ll still continue to lose population and have stagnant job growth.
Our infrastructure is archaic. We have crumbling roadways, a dysfunctional mass-transit system, and a colonial-era patchwork of county and municipal governments that more often than not work against each other as opposed to co-operating to better themselves. Until this area starts to drastically overhaul everything, including public safety, public works, public education, and public transportation, we’ll never get anywhere.
There are a lot of young people still in this area. I’m one of them. I’d love to stay here; heck, last year I turned down a job in Florida for a chance to stay here! But it gets increasingly harder to do when nothing ever changes, and no one wants the make any sacrifices.
I don’t have any easy solutions. We need comprehensive reform of our tax codes; we need to consolidate municipalities and municipal services. But moreover, what we really need is a group of brave and far-sighted politicians who are willing to put forth, and force through, these ideas.
I’d love to hear some candidate for borough council somewhere around here campaign on putting him- or herself out of a job, via municipal consolidation.
But ah, therein lies the rub! Nobody wants to do that because, to quote the Honorable Governor William J. LePetomaine: “Gentlemen, we’ve got to protect our phoney-baloney jobs!”
Will it take absolute bankruptcy of every single political subdivision in the county to force change? I hope not. I’d like to think that somewhere, someone is working on proposals for real reform and change to the betterment of the Pittsburgh region.
Of course, I’d also like to think that the Pirates sweep of the Astros is a sign of a winning baseball season. Only time will tell, assuming that it’s not too late already.
. . .
Lest you think that investment and cooperation in the region is all “gloom and doom,” Thursday’s Daily News reported that Our Fair City and the county have entered into an agreement to expedite construction of the proposed “flyover” bridge connecting Lysle Boulevard with the McKeesport RIDC park.
While there is some controversy that this may be detrimental to two current businesses at the proposed intersection, the easier access that it will bring to the industrial park may outweigh the impact it will have. Whether in the long run it will attract more development in the RIDC park remains to be seen, but I’d like to think it’s a step in the right direction.
. . .
Thursday’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also included a mention of McKeesport native Helen Richey on the comics page, under the “My Generation” section aimed at kids. I can’t find an online link to the story (I doubt there is one), but I thought it was a nice write up.
Mother Nature to the Mon Valley: "Get bent."
I can't afford many nice things at my little heavily-mortgaged slice of Pennsylvania, but at least I have the daffodils and tulips that the previous owner planted. I really enjoy seeing them ... dead, like my soul.
They say in Maine that if you can't stand the winters, you don't deserve the summers. But in Western Pennsylvania, the summers and winters suck, so what do we have left? Spring and fall.
Do you know what happens during fall? Here's a reminder.
And now you've taken spring away from me, Mother Nature, you cruel harpie.
Damn you to hell! I'm puttin' my whole 401(k) --- that's right, all $342.17 --- into ExxonMobil stock. I hope they pump so much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that you choke on it and when you do, you just remember the delusional crackpot whose flowers you crushed beneath your frosty stilleto heels.
. . .
Then again, on the other hand, hope springs eternal:
The Twin Hi-Way Drive-In out in Robinson Township is reopening after 13 years.
With any luck, it'll be open before locusts and blood rain from the sky.
If not, you can just forget about going in a convertible.
. . .
P.S.: Yeah, yeah. I know Officer Jim is supposed to be handling the Almanac chores this week. I just couldn't hold this rage inside. I'm sorry you fine folks had to see it.
. . .
P.P.S.: The G.C. Murphy Memories website has been updated with a new photo of the month ... the toy department at the Monroeville Mall store, set up for Easter.
(Guest Commentator: Officer Jim)
People have been talking about it for the last few days. I haven’t watched the TV news, but I’m sure it’s been the lead story. And I’m certain that the area grocery stores are stocking up on provisions.
What am I talking about? Why, the weather, of course! (Had it been September, you could have guessed either “weather” or “Steelers” for equal credit.)
More specifically, I refer to the forecast for the end of the week. Now, it’s as much of a shock to my system as to anyone else’s. It was in the 80s on Tuesday, and according to the National Weather Service it will be 36 degrees by Saturday. (By the way, how do they know it will specifically be “36?” Saying “mid-30s” I could see. But isn’t it a bit arrogant to presume to know what the exact high or low will be?)
The temperature isn’t the only shock, however. Pittsburgh’s biggest dirty word was used in the end-of-week forecast. (No, not “metropolitanism” or even “regional cooperation.”) I mean S-N-O-W!
I’m not panicking, though. I expect cold, I expect rain. I’ll even give that a few flakes may fall. But I know that we won’t get any accumulation, and even if some does build on the grassy areas, it won’t last long. So please, give the nice folks at Foodland, Giant Eagle and Shop ‘n Save a break and don’t storm them (no pun intended) and wipe out (pun intended) the area’s supply of toilet paper and milk.
. . .
It’s a little far from the Mon Valley, but according to an article in that other newspaper sold in Our Fair City, the former Latrobe Brewing plant now owned by Wisconsin-based City Brewing will soon be turning out that lovely amber liquid again.
The Boston Beer Company has announced plans to contract out brewing of its Samuel Adams brand lager to the Latrobe facility. A Boston Beer Co. posting on their website says that they anticipate that an “investment in the Brewery is expected to be between $3 million and $7 million and commensurate with Boston Beer's commitment to the brewery, the parties are discussing the potential of Boston Beer having an ownership interest in the brewing facility.” The P-G reports that the projected employment could be 250 people within 3 years.
This is great for a town that was left high and dry after being trampled by Clydesdales. I’ve never had a Sam Adams, but this news might just induce me to add a new brew to my rotation of favorite beers. Now if only we could get them to start brewing some Tube City ...
. . .
From Sunday's Post-Gazette:
When the state directed a financial board of control to run the Duquesne School District in October 2000, then-Secretary of Education Eugene Hickok said he hoped it would bring financial stability. But, "more importantly," he said, he hoped it would help the children "get the education they need and deserve."
After more than six years, it hasn't happened yet.
Instead, the district's financial state has worsened and its options for students have narrowed.
"It's like the perfect storm," said Chris Berdnik, director of finance for Pittsburgh Public Schools, which the state hired last summer to help manage the district. "You've got a declining population base, declining enrollment, significant competition through charter schools, high special education costs, a challenged local tax base."
Enrollment, according to Shawn Farr, who has chaired the Duquesne board of control since July 2005, has been in a "death spiral," from 925 in 2001-02 to 746 currently. Staff turnover has been high. The district's test scores have stayed at or near the bottom in the state for years -- though some improvement on state math and reading tests appeared last year.
(Guest Commentator: Officer Jim)
Hullo all you faithful denizens and ex-pats of the storied Mon-Yough region. Once again it’s time for your faithful editor to take his annual “vacation” at the lovely and bucolic state run “hotel” at scenic Mayview.
So as the nice young men in their clean white coats were dragging him off…er…I mean, “escorting him to the courtesy shuttle,” he was sure to think of you, his dear reader(s)?. In fact, his first request to me was that I, faithful private servant Officer Jim, keep the Almanac running smoothly until his return. (Okay, his real first request was that I stop jolting him with the Taser, but then I digress.)
So while I can’t promise that the Almanac will be updated every day this week, I will try to provide some “filler content” until next week. Sadly, my filler won’t be nearly as tasty as that of an International Village pierogi, but it should hopefully get you though until your regular editor can resume his duties and/or escapes.
Speaking of mental health issues, are you as excited as I am by the Opening Day of Pirates baseball?
Really?
You are?
Geez, maybe we need to inquire about Mayview’s group rate.
Seriously, though, I have to say that I am a baseball fan. Certainly I’m not the most rabid or knowledgeable, but I am a little excited to see the boys of summer take the field again. And while Pittsburgh fans have spent more than our fair share of time in the Mudville Nine, I can’t help but believe that maybe, just maybe, this year could be the one that pulls us out of the losing streak. After all, even Charlie Brown hit a home run eventually!
Of course, I’m a realist and I ain’t looking for a pennant this year. (Or next year... Or the year after that...) And maybe it says something about a team when all the fans desperately want is a season at or above .500. And maybe we in this region are way too forgiving of an ownership group who has allowed us to wallow barely above the bottom of Major League Baseball (thank you Tampa Bay and Kansas City for stinking even more than the Pirates). And maybe the fans have allowed the league’s lack of a salary cap and some sort of reasonable revenue sharing plan erode the spirit of fair play between the larger and smaller markets. But doesn’t the love of America’s pastime transcend all that negative thinking?
Naw, you’re right… It’s getting purty darn tough to enthusiastically root for a team that has continuously failed to produce a winning record for the past 14 seasons. Maybe the players and owners don’t owe anything to Pittsburgh and the region (I can think of 262 million things they owe, but I digress again), but it seems to this mild-mannered flatfoot that if I spent 14 years on the job with sub-standard performance I’d darn well have to answer to somebody. Not that I’m saying anything new or earth shattering here (or that hasn’t been said more eloquently by others). I’m just tired of all the losing, and I don’t know if it will get better under the current ownership.
Maybe I’m wrong, though. Maybe only a minority of fans are disgruntled whiners, and everyone else in the region is perfectly happy with the losing record. Obviously the owners are quite comfortable with it. I’m not, though, so if you see me wearing my Boston Red Sox (not Elizabeth Township’s Boston, but that other little town up north) cap more often than my Pirates cap, you’ll know why.
What was the point here? Oh yeah. It’s baseball’s Opening Day! Wheee! (Season Opener tonight at 7:05 in Houston. Home Opener April 9th versus St. Louis.)
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