Weekend Warriors

While some of us will be grilling and drinking beer this weekend or attending various arts festivals, Mr Bluhm and Mr Barden will be in air-conditioned board rooms verbally wrestling over control of the Pittsburgh casino. Perhaps Barden still has hopes that he can name the casino which Bluhm will crush forthwith. Crushing the dreams of Barden while saving the casino makes Mr Bluhm my hero of the month. Now if only someone could come along to crush the megalomaniacal dreams of Mr Onorato.

(reference: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08194/896645-85.stm)

How I love the look of rusting steel on the riverfront

We've made our bed now we have to lie in it.
That's unfortunately the situation with Barden. If we don't continue lying in bed with this greedy leech, we'll have an eyesore and no new casino on the books. However, the Riverlife Task Force is pissed that Barden is delaying building of riverfront amenities he's been touting.

To the Riverlife Task Force, we all agree with you. We want a casino that has a unique riverfront access, that encourages outdoor use, and that will not maim our riverfront view. However, more importantly at this juncture of work-stoppage and finance-grasping, we want a casino instead of a hulking steel frame in limbo.

The promises to the gaming board are in writing. Clearly, Barden can't currently afford to make more promises right now. Please, badger him when he's actually making money in Pittsburgh instead of considering cutting his losses and running.

(reference: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08184/894071-53.stm)

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

I'm having a hard time working myself into a rage about Barden today, but he still deserves mention.

I definitely can't work myself into a rage about Schenley high school, but maybe that's because I don't have kids, and I'm a newcomer to the area. I was psyched to see that someone else actually donated some money to the Pittsburgh Promise. Thanks Massey-Buick!

I'm just content and hungover. Don't worry. I'll be back in a rage shortly!

Does anyone even like Rendell?

So Governor Rendell has voiced his opinion that Barden, whom nobody appears to like, has solid financing. This is news? That the governor thinks the plan is valid? Ok... I'll wait till there's actual financing in place before I believe it.

(reference: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08152/886340-85.stm)

Oh, Barden...

So, there was enough public annoyance and talking about that Barden succumbed to not being a total a**hole. The money he promised to the Hill District will (in a roundabout way) eventually end up in the Hill District.

Thanks to the Post-Gazette and the Tribune-Review for reporting extensively on this subject and raising awareness of Barden's back-handed movements.

Of course, the bigger issue is why Barden (the dimwit) added money to the Hill District in his casino bid that was related to being awarded the arena area? Perhaps, in future bids, he'll stick to relevant items.

(reference: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08119/877286-100.stm)