Shocked, Shocked to Find Gambling In This Establishment!

After I knocked Councilmember Bill Peduto for supporting the parking tax increase in Pittsburgh despite a thoughtful opinion article about the region's future, a member of his staff sent me the detail behind Peduto's call for an audit of how the Pittsburgh Parking Authority has raised rates in response to the tax hike. The detail, however, shows something that the Post-Gazette's article doesn't, which is that by and large the Parking Authority has raised short-term parking rates far more than it has raised long-term parking rates.

Suggesting this: Much as Council would wish it otherwise, the Parking Authority isn't going to be the target of scenes like this, with owners of downtown businesses loudly and publicly blaming Council (correctly) for driving business (and businesses) out of the city. The real money downtown isn't in retailing, which is why short-term rates don't matter so much. The real money is in firms with offices and employees driving in. The Parking Authority seems to get this. Council either doesn't, or it's waiting for someone else to step up to be a political punching bag.

It's difficult to imagine, but maybe Council didn't realize that if it raised the parking tax, parking rates might actually increase. Didn't anyone talk to the Parking Authority before passing the tax? Calling for an audit now sounds a bit like Captain Renault in Casablanca, shutting down Rick's Cafe for gambling, while pocketing his winnings. Or, maybe a more modern movie reference is in order. Remember Mel Brooks's line in Blazing Saddles: "We've got to protect our phoney baloney jobs, gentleman!"

Whither Howard Dean?

At least John Kerry is married to Teresa Heinz, giving this bit a remote Pittsburgh connection. With Kerry on top of the Democratic presidential field, Howard Dean (number two and fading) has a strategic decision to make: Should he come out blazing before the next round of primaries and try to knock Kerry off his perch? Or should he solidify his position as part of a two-candidate field by taking the legs out from under Clark and John Edwards?

I helped run a Democratic presidential campaign in Iowa 20 years ago, and what was true then remains true today. In a crowded field, the media are looking for two people to focus on. If you're not in that two-candidate group, your job is to get there and stay there.

According to today's New York Times, Dean "really geared up for what we thought was going to be a front runner's campaign. It's not going to be a front-runner's campaign. It's going to be a long war of attrition." Dean thought he could use Iowa and New Hampshire to get to the top and stay there, but those were gambles that didn't pay off. You can't run a front-runner's campaign until you're actually a front-runner, and Kerry is the first real front-runner we've had.

For Dean, the conventional wisdom today would be this. It's time to be strategic. Take out Edwards and Clark, then ride the rest of the primaries out, mano a mano with John Kerry. I'm betting that Dean follows his own muse, focuses on Kerry, and blows it. Edwards and maybe even Clark may last one more round. After next Tuesday, Lieberman will be all but gone, and Dean will be fading fast. Kerry and Edwards make it to the convention, with Kerry the nominee and Clark the VP.

George Carlin Was a Prophet

There is no Pittsburgh connection to this, just a sense of utter amazement that our Congress would pay even a moment's attention to whether there really are seven dirty words you can't say on television. Whoops. If Congress has its way, there will be eight. (Go to Thomas, the Congressional legislative research service, and type in HR 3687. Here's the FCC order that started the fuss.

The Amazing Disappearing Maglev

The redoubtable Henry Huffnagle asks me: whatever happened to the Maglev that was going to save Pittsburgh?

The Bright Side?

This is the right kind of conversation about Pittsburgh: What makes *your* list of the region's "bright side"?

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Or is it the reverse? Council member William Peduto published this wise-sounding commentary on Pittsburgh's future. But he also voted for the parking tax increase.

Whadya Know?

I could have been an expert for the Post-Gazette. It doesn't take a crystal ball, or an academic degree in business, to figure out what the FreeMarkets deal may mean for Pittsburgh. All it takes is thinking about business as a Silicon Valley phenomenon. Companies come, companies go. Energize people, not firms.

FreeMarkets Come, FreeMarkets Go?

There is hand-wringing around Pittsburgh today as we learn that one of our genuine e-commerce success stories has been plucked from our midst by a Silicon Valley company. Pittsburghers shouldn't cry in their Iron City (or Penn Pilsener) too quickly over this.

First, this isn't strictly a "California wins, Pittsburgh loses" deal. Whether or not Ariba (the acquiring company) keeps an office in Pittsburgh, FreeMarkets has been a big success for the high tech economy here, and the Silicon Valley is paying more and more attention to the efforts of Pittsburgh-area entrepreneurs. (Seagate is here. Intel is coming.) To a California venture capitalist, FreeMarkets may be one of a steady stream of local companies worth investing in.

Second, even if Ariba closes the Pittsburgh FreeMarkets office, many of the people who work there will stay in Pittsburgh (I hope) to start or work for other high tech companies.

Third, though it's a pipe dream to think that Pittsburgh's high tech economy can negotiate today as an equal against the Silicon Valley (or Boston, or Washington DC), there's no reason to assume that Pittsburgh can't play at that level in the future. Those areas are in the big leagues. Pittsburgh is, at best, playing AAA ball (one level below the top, for non-baseball fans). Pittsburgh should aspire to develop an economy in which some future equivalent of FreeMarkets can be the buyer of some Silicon Valley startup. With patience, hard work, and some creative thinking by local entrepreneurs, lawyers, and investors, Pittsburgh can make that transition.

Cleaning the Air

I don't know who is behind these websites, but they are providing a great service. Want to go out to eat and drink in Pittsburgh without smoking involuntarily? Find a restaurant and enjoy your meal.

Cool Beans

I saw these cool postcards about Pittsburgh at Crazy Mocha in Oakland.

It's a Start

Is there something to do in Pittsburgh? I don't much like the cultural defensiveness on which this site seems to rely. But the sponsors are honest in their ambitions.

Only in Oakland

The City of Pittsburgh is subsidizing some clever websites about business development in Oakland and things to do and things to find in Oakland. There's some well-done web design at work here. The problem is that the City is preaching to the choir.

Over the last several years, the City and the University of Pittsburgh have put a lot of money into new retail development along Forbes Avenue in Oakland. Older, locally-owned, and often "downscale" stores have been moved out. "Upscale" chains have moved in. For people who live in the neighborhood (especially students) and for people who work there during the day (especially University and UPMC employees), the overall tone of the boulevard is unmistakably better. It's cleaner, brighter, and there are more and nicer places to eat.

But if you weren't already in the neighborhood to begin with, why would you choose to go there? No Flash-y website will get suburbanites or East Enders into Oakland to check things out, when virtually everything that Oakland has to offer is also available locally, or at least in a nearby mall. Exceptions include some out-of-the way goodies, like Dave and Andy's Ice Cream, Spice Island, and La Fiesta (perhaps not coincidentally--these are all on Atwood, south of Forbes), and the music scene (which isn't part of the daytime Forbes Avenue streetscape anyway).

In some small shops--Crazy Mocha, on Bouquet, for example--there are flyers imploring consumers to patronize small shops and avoid the chains. This is solving the right problem in the wrong way. To make Oakland (or Shadyside, or Squirrel Hill) a place where outsiders want to go visit (and spend money), merchants' associations and those working with them (the City, the University, etc.) need to avoid the chains, and promote local small business. It's hard work, and it takes time, but the payoffs are worth it. Check out the list of merchants in my old neighborhood (Rockridge) in the other Oakland, a neighborhood that is what Shadyside aspires to be. Look ma! No Starbucks!

The Players

Worth knowing more about: Pittsburgh Filmmakers.

Pitts-Day

Pittsburgh is named after the first William Pitt, Earl of Chatham. The 300th anniversary of his birth comes up on November 15, 2008. Why not plan now for a municipal birthday party?

Pitt is more than a mere historical footnote. He was an English advocate of fair treatment for the American colonies. Speaking in Parliament in support of of the notorious Stamp Act, Pitt argued: "Trade is your object with them and taxing was ill advised. If you do not make suitable laws for them, they will make laws for you, my Lords." His colleagues, however, left the law in place, and the rest is history. Could history be repeating itself? The recent parking tax increase may be a ploy by the City of Pittsburgh to get suburban legislators to pressure the Legislature for meaningful financial help that puts some of the City's financial burden on the shoulders of the suburbs. There's no doubt that the city and the suburbs share responsibility for Pittsburgh's financial mess. But using parking for political leverage may drive them apart. William Pitt could teach the mayor and City Council a thing or two about how an old economy and a new economy can get along. If the City doesn't watch out, the suburbs may make their own rules--and they aren't likely to think about helping out Downtown businesses.

Few who commute to the City would mind a reasonable increase in the "commuter tax" (as opposed to the wacky parking tax increase), but any tax that discriminates in favor of suburban employment is a long-term loser for the City's budget. Downtown firms will continue to move out of the City. Moreover, when City politicians publicly express their contempt for regional residents who aren't their constituents, the attitude is bound to backfire. People will just stop coming Downtown. The City has to find a way to harness some of the wealth generated by firms located outside of its current boundaries. That means taking steps to reduce the ridiculous number of governments that we have in Allegheny County. It also means abandoning the idea that Downtown has to be the economic, cultural, and political center of Pittsburgh. Treat the suburbs as part of the solution, not as part of the problem.

Patent, Patents, Everywhere

Congratulations to The Webb Law Firm for this nice piece of publicity on its steady success in the patent law world. But by identifying Webb as a symbol of success in Pittsburgh's New Economy, the Post-Gazette may be missing the boat. Webb makes a nice story for the P-G because it's an old Pittsburgh economy business that survived the disappearance of Pittsburgh's old economy. It focuses on patent and trademark law (part of "intellectual property law") and little else, without getting too wrapped up in the business problems of its clients. We'll see how long that business model lasts if Pittsburgh's high tech economy really gets rolling. Today's tech companies don't treat IP law as the legal backwater that it was when Webb was founded, or even that it was 25 years ago. IP law boutiques around the country are folding or being merged into integrated law firms. Here in Pittsburgh, firms like the local office of Morgan Lewis provide full-service tech law counseling and may be better examples of where Pittsburgh's legal and business markets are headed.

The Answer is: World Peace

Here's the real reason that Pittsburgh should turn out to support its local professional soccer team, the Riverhounds.

Fading In . . . or Fading Out

The Post-Gazette has run two pieces recently on the woes of the Pittsburgh Airport and US Airways. One is this analysis by Steve Massey on why Pittsburgh may need the jobs that US Airways provides, but the airline industry may not need US Airways. (A longer analysis along the same lines appears here.) The second was a news item on the airline's decision to sell itself off, piece by piece. The curious thing about both Post-Gazette stories is this line: Pittsburgh is a top-20 market (roughly) "and fading." What's with the "fading" bit? I'm not defensive here; I just want to know. The airline and airport economy isn't doing so well, and the city is going through a rough patch with the budget, but in my neck of the woods (the technology and higher education communities), things seem to be humming along nicely.

The Big Time

I glanced at the Post-Gazette this morning before leaving for school, just long enough to be pleased by the announcement that the paper has appointed a California expatriate as its new sports editor. Welcome to Jerry Micco and his family!

Unfortunately for Jerry, while he's taking a professional step up from a decent suburban paper to a big-city paper, he's taking a sports culture step down. The San Francisco Bay Area isn't a sports-obsessed region, but it has a big-city sports attitude. Criticize the Niners, Raiders, Giants, or A's? They can take it; their fans can take it; the teams will (try, at least, to) prove it on the field. Pittsburgh loves its sports teams, but it has a small-town attitude. Exhibit A: Next to the story about Jerry Micco's appointment was this foolishness, the Penguins complaining that the Pirates ran a radio ad suggesting that Pittsburghers are looking forward to warm weather and blue skies--that is, baseball weather. Someone involved with writing or approving the ad may actually lose his job over this! Note to Penguins and their fans: grow up and stop whining. You don't want criticism of the team--even implied, indirect, and probably unintended criticism? Behave like you don't care--and win some games. As the great San Francisco radio newsman Wes "Scoop" Nisker says over and over again: If you don't like the news, go out and make some of your own.

The Chosen

What good is a blog if you can't promote your friends? But congratulating Jonathan Rest on his appointment as Artistic Director of the Jewish Theatre of Pittsburgh is not just doing someone a favor. The appointment is great news for both Jonathan and Pittsburgh.

Not Spam. Most Definitely Not Spam.

Speaking of major coups for Pittsburgh institutions, David Farber has left the University of Pennsylvania to join the Computer Science faculty at Carnegie Mellon University. Although he is frequently introduced as the former chief technologist for the Federal Communications Commission (which he was, during the mid-1990s), Professor Farber was in fact one of the very first computer scientists to appreciate the deep public policy problems created by the Internet. As a scientist and as a policy scholar, today he is one of the titans of the field of Internet public policy. In addition to his appointment in Computer Science, Professor Farber is also part of the InSITes (Information Technology and Public Policy) program at the Heinz School.

Getting Along

Earlier this year, the University of Pittsburgh scored a major academic coup, luring law professor Richard Delgado and his wife, Jean Stefancic, away from the University of Colorado. The pair are among the very best scholars of what's now called "Critical Race Theory"--to non-lawyers, they write and teach about race and the law. Pitt is featuring them, along with a group of first-rate nationally-known lawyers and others (including the Dean of Pitt's School of Social Work, Larry Davis) on an all-day program to mark the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision on school desegregation, Brown v. Board of Education. The program takes place on Friday, February 6, 2004 at the Pitt Law School (Forbes and Bouquet, in Oakland) and is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Professor Robert Berkeley Harper.

The Verdict

The bad news is that personal and professional considerations are forcing a good judge, Robert Cindrich, to leave the local federal bench. The good news is that Judge Cindrich, who sees the wisdom of moving Pittsburgh more forcefully into the 21st century, is stepping into a position where he may be able to have more influence on Pittsburgh than he does now.

A Question That Answers Itself

Why does the Pittsburgh City Paper have a far better website than either the Tribune-Review or the Post-Gazette?

The New York Times Goes to the Provinces

The "Letter From Pittsburgh" in today's New York Times mostly gets it right: the city's fiscal crisis is due to near-term management short-sightedness and the long-term denial of the fact that this mid-size city is no longer large enough to support its current large-size public sector. As the Times points out, that large public sector is a hangover from Pittsburgh's Big Steel heyday. Where the Times goes wrong is in subtly giving support to the idea that Pittsburgh will come back when large-scale manufacturing returns to the region. Not going to happen. Ever. The good news, which the Times doesn't quite capture, is that there are young professionals in town, and moving to town, who see the region's potential. But PUMP (the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project), which the Times quotes for the "young" perspective, needs to recognize that there is more to being a constructive Yuppie in this town than organizing cocktail hours.