Judge Xander Orenstein under fire for releasing Montour Trail stabbing suspect Anthony Quesen in prior assault case
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/judge-xander-orenstein-anthony-quesen-non-monetary-bail/
Judge Xander Orenstein under fire for releasing Montour Trail stabbing suspect Anthony Quesen in prior assault case
By Mike Darnay and Ross Guidotti
October 23, 2024
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pennsylvania magistrate judge Xander Orenstein is under fire for releasing Anthony Quesen, the suspect in Monday’s deadly Montour Trail stabbing in a prior assault case.
Quesen has been charged with homicide, accused of stabbing Benjamin Brallier, an off-duty Liquor Control Enforcement agent with the Pennsylvania State Police. Brallier was out for a run along the trail Monday when he was stabbed to death.
Monday’s deadly attack was not Quesen’s first run-in with the law. Last summer, Quesen was accused of robbing someone at Point State Park.
Court documents revealed that Orenstein set a non-monetary bail, which was revoked when Quesen failed to show up for hearings.
In the wake of Brallier’s killing, Allegheny County Councilman Sam DeMarco has issued a statement calling for Orenstein to either resign or for the state legislature to remove them from the bench by impeachment.
“We have long feared that Judge Orenstein’s reckless pattern of letting dangerous suspects back on the street would cost a life,” DeMarco said. “Now it has. And Xander Orenstein must be removed from the bench before the public loses all faith in the justice system.”
Republican state Sen. Devlin Robinson, who is running for reelection, called on the House to begin impeachment proceedings against Orenstein.
Democratic state Rep. Anita Kulik is also calling on Orenstein to resign and a “full investigation by the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court.”
When asked why they issued no bail in the prior assault case, Orenstein directed all media inquiries to court administrators, saying they don’t make statements about ongoing cases, which has been their policy since being elected.
Courts spokesperson Joseph Asturi also provided no comment, only saying that Orenstein handles landlord/tenant disputes, traffic cases, and criminal cases.
Past criticism of Judge Orenstein’s use of non-monetary bail
Orenstein was removed from hearing arraignments earlier this year by Allegheny County President Judge Susan Evashavik DiLucente because of scrutiny over no-cash bail decisions.
The judge’s actions came after a fugitive warrant was issued for Hermas Craddock, who failed to appear at a bond modification hearing earlier this week.
Despite a lengthy criminal record, Orenstein had released Craddock on a non-monetary bond after he was accused of leading Pennsylvania State Police troopers on a high-speed chase down Route 28, nearly ramming two cruisers and tossing a weapon from his car. Craddock was ultimately taken into custody after escaping to Florida.
Craddock was the second high-profile defendant who would be a no-show for one of Orenstein’s cases.
Orenstein also released New York City native Yan Carlos Cepeda on no-cash bail after his arrest for allegedly trafficking more than a kilogram of cocaine. The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office said they spent $30,000 sending detectives to New York three times to look for Cepeda after he failed to show up at his preliminary hearing.
Cepeda was arrested once again in New York City and was ruled to be held without bail by a different judge after being taken into custody.
Law enforcement descends on Montour Trail on Wednesday
Law enforcement conducted a massive search on Wednesday of the area where Brallier was killed.
Officers from multiple police agencies began searching the Montour Trail around 8 a.m., looking in the woods, on the trail and other places where the trail crosses Hassam Road. The officers searched until noon.
It was not clear what they were searching for, but investigators were seen carrying brown evidence bags from the scene.
People are making up excuses for Pittsburgh teenagers who commit crime.
By Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)
October 16, 2024
People are making up excuses for Pittsburgh teenagers who commit crime.
Here are two examples:
“More activities for them, instead of coming downtown wreaking havoc,” said Payne.
“There’s nowhere near as much things for these kids to do recreationally. If they turn one of these into a YMCA center or something down here for the kids, I guarantee you there’d be more for them to do,” said Banks.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/11-investigates-exclusive-teens-causing-211541770.html
These excuses are ridiculous. Most teenagers somehow manage to avoid committing crime because their parents raised them properly. The idea that teenagers commit crimes because there aren’t enough government-run babysitting services is ridiculous. These are not toddlers. They are teenagers. They shouldn’t need babysitters. When I was teenager, I was a babysitter – I did not need a babysitter.
The article goes on to say that these same teenage criminals have been committing crimes for months, but they’ve never had to face any consequences. By not punishing these teenage serial criminals, the government is sending the message that their criminal behavior is acceptable and that it will be tolerated. This is the exact opposite of the message that they should be sending.
Special needs student allegedly raped; grandma sues Pittsburgh Public Schools, popular coffee chain
When I attended Allderdice (class of 1989) the teachers were always telling us that the school was responsible for anything that happened to us during school hours. This news article says the male students took the female student out of Allderdice during class hours, and took her to the Starbucks where they raped her. If what my teachers said was correct, then Allderdice is definitely at fault for this rape.
I don’t see how this rape can be the fault of Starbucks.
The article says one of the rape suspects had a long criminal history. He should have already been locked up for that. Then maybe this rape never would have happened.
The article also says that 78 crimes have been committed at that bus stop. I’ve said before that these serial criminals should have been locked up. I don’t know why the city (or the county) is allowing these criminals to go unpunished.
I currently live very, very close to this bus stop, and I have been very critical of what seemed like a media blackout on this rape since it was first reported 15 months ago. I’m glad that we have been updated with new information.
I wish the best for this girl in this horrible situation that never should have been allowed to happen. I don’t know why the city (or county) has allowed these serial criminals to run around free for so long and commit so many, many crimes.
Special needs student allegedly raped; grandma sues Pittsburgh Public Schools, popular coffee chain
January 24, 2024
By Rick Earle
PITTSBURGH — 11 Investigates has learned that the grandmother of a 15-year-old “intellectually disabled” student has sued the Pittsburgh Public School District, Starbucks and Kappa Drive Associates.
According to the lawsuit filed in Common Pleas court today, the student was allegedly raped in the restroom of the Starbucks on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill in October of 2022.
The lawsuit said Starbucks leases the building from Kappa Drive Associates, and that they both, “refused to supply adequate security so that patrons could safely use its premises.”
“This young girl, was without question, one of the most vulnerable people that we have among us,” said Attorney Alec Wright, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the family.
The lawsuit claimed that three male students left Taylor Allderdice High School with the freshman around lunchtime and went to Starbucks.
“Just take a second and think about, ‘What if I received that phone call?’, that my child was the victim of a violent sexual assault when they should have been in school and should have been protected,“ Attorney Wright said.
And it contends that the school district, “allowed…three student-assailants to take her from Taylor Allderdice to Starbucks in broad daylight during school hours, despite its policy that students are not permitted off the school campus during the school day.”
“PPS did not supervise, manage or train its staff on this policy and the three student-assailants were therefore able to take Jane Do Minor off campus during the school day,” the suit claimed.
The lawsuit said two of the teens took turns raping the freshman in the restroom at Starbucks.
“Because Starbucks did not have security or trained staff present in its store, the students took turns going back and forth from the bathroom as they sexually assaulted and raped her,” the lawsuit said.
It also claimed the three males left the coffee shop and took the girl to a nearby construction site where one of them sexually assaulted her.
The suit said she suffered, “significant physical and emotional injuries.”
The suit alleged that she was, “incompetent and incapable of giving consent, and she was confused, scared, sad and upset.”
That area is a popular hangout for students from Taylor Allderdice, who are required to catch the bus at a bus stop near the Starbucks.
That location has been the site of fights among students.
In fact, during an altercation a month before the sexual assault, Pittsburgh Police Officers had to use Tasers to break up a fight.
The lawsuit also said 78 incidents of criminal activity had been reported in the area, including vandalism, drug dealing and assaults.
And the lawsuit said one of the students involved in the rape was already known to police.
“Defendants knew that one of the student-assailants was known for a litany of criminal activity including drug use, drug dealing, vehicle theft, violence and flight from police officers and that he would frequent Starbuck and the Starbuck’s bus stop,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also accused Starbucks of negligence and said the company, “should have known about the dangers and criminal activity occurring at and around its business location….and at the Starbucks bus stop that put Jane Doe Minor at risk of harm, and it breached its duties.”
Pittsburgh police investigated the rape allegations, but no charges were ever filed.
Attorney Wright said an examination confirmed that the teen had been sexually assaulted and he said he doesn’t understand why charges haven’t been filed.
He said the teen’s grandmother reported it to police with high hopes they would take action.
“Investigators will understand, and they will be tasked with doing something, but they won’t do anything. They’ll tell you that your daughter with a 60 IQ had the capacity to be gang raped on her own at her own volition,” said Wright, who is demanding a jury trial and seeking unspecified monetary damages.
A Starbucks spokesperson issued the following comment about the lawsuit:
“When we learned of these allegations, we acted with extreme urgency to and support law enforcement throughout their investigation. Our goal is always to keep our stores safe for our partners and our customers. Due to the sensitive nature of this matter, and out of respect for all involved, we cannot comment further right now.”
Pittsburgh Public Schools declined to comment.
Another act of vandalism leaves Squirrel Hill residents on edge
Another act of vandalism leaves Squirrel Hill residents on edge
By Laura Esposito
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Nov 12, 2023
Michael “Shlomo” Jacobs, 53, hung a small sign outside the front window of his business in Squirrel Hill, Marvista Design + Build, a week ago that said, “We Stand With Israel.”
He said he never expected it to make his business “a target of antisemitism.”
About 3:50 a.m. Friday, a woman was captured by surveillance cameras outside the business at 2435 Beechwood Blvd. using a hammer to repeatedly strike the window where the sign hung. Unsuccessful in breaking the glass, she left. A few minutes later, however, she was back.
She struck the window a few more times and took the sign. Before leaving, she smashed the windows of the company truck, which was parked nearby.
Pittsburgh police were investigating.
“There was a lot of hate in those swings,” said Mr. Jacobs, who found out about the incident the following day after noticing a literature rack outside the building was missing and saw the cracks in the window.
After reviewing the camera footage, Mr. Jacobs called it “a miracle” that the glass didn’t break.
“I can’t figure out why,” he said. “It’s unbelievable.”
He later learned that neighbors woke to the sounds of the hammer smashing against the window and called police, thinking they were hearing gunshots. Footage shows two police cars arriving at 4:01 a.m., but the woman was long gone. Mr. Jacobs said that when he filed a police report later Friday, the responding officer said he had not heard about the incident from the overnight shift.
As a resident of the neighborhood that contains the largest Jewish population in Pittsburgh, Mr. Jacobs said the community already felt unsafe as “a wave of antisemitism” had arisen since the start of the Israel-Hamas war Oct. 7. Now, he said, that feeling has only worsened.
Hateful graffiti was spray-painted on public spaces and homes across Squirrel Hill’s Summerset Neighborhood on Oct. 31, four days after the five-year commemoration of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.
Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld, 71, of the Lubavitch Center in Squirrel Hill, called the vandalism incident at Marvista Design + Build “very unfortunate,” and said that since the synagogue massacre, the community has come together peacefully and positively.
“Hopefully it’s somebody coming from outside the community, trying to do something like this to upset the beauty and the coexistence that exists in our community with everybody,” said Rabbi Rosenfeld.
The Squirrel Hill resident said he was informed of the incident “first thing Friday morning” from many concerned residents. He said he told them their response should be to “continue to do positive things and bring more light into the world.”
“Hopefully, that will affect everyone around us,” Rabbi Rosenfeld said.
Mr. Jacobs is not backing down. He has put up two more signs that say, “We Stand With Israel,” inside the front window of his business.
“We are Jewish. We have a business in Squirrel Hill,” said Mr. Jacobs.
“We serve the Greater Pittsburgh community — and I’m not going to hide.”
If this guy is intent on shooting someone else, there is no way that an electronic ankle monitor is going to stop him
https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-accused-shooting-injuring-duquesne-211911513.html
Man accused of shooting, injuring Duquesne police officer to be released from jail
July 11, 2023
A man accused of shooting and injuring a Duquesne police officer is getting out of jail.
The accused shooter, Shyheim Berry, has been in the Allegheny County Jail since he was charged in the officer-involved shooting in February.
Tuesday, a judge granted him bond which means he will be released from jail soon, likely within the next 48 hours.
On Feb. 22, the officer was responding to a report of a man opening fire on an Uber driver.
The officer said he pulled up in an unmarked police cruiser that was several feet away from Berry. Investigators said Berry was armed with a mini assault rifle.
The officer said gunfire was exchanged at the same time, after he told Berry to drop his gun.
Berry was hit in the leg and was later found hiding in a basement before being taken into custody.
“In my experience, an aggravated assault shooting case generally speaking a person would probably make bail so the fact the victim is a police officer is probably part of the reason why the accuse was in jail for so long to begin with,” said attorney Blaine Jones.
Berry’s attorney, Casey White, says he was defending himself because Berry thought he was under attack and had no idea it was a police officer firing at him.
Judge Anthony Mariani granted Berry a non-monetary bond with electric home monitoring with strict bond conditions.
I wish WPXI the best of luck in finding out why Magistrate Judge Leah Williams Duncan dropped so many charges of violent crime that had been filed against this suspect in Pittsburgh. Was he innocent? Or was there some other reason? I hope WPXI will find out the answers.
By Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)
February 11, 2023
On February 9, 2023, WPXI, the Pittsburgh affiliate of NBC News, published this this article, which is called, “Man linked to multiple violent crimes across Pittsburgh.”
The article includes the following text. I am redacting the name of the suspect in case he is innocent:
“Channel 11 dug into his background and determined that he is facing charges in other violent and armed attacks on people in Pittsburgh.”
“(Name redacted) has been named as a suspect in a case from Nov. of 2022, wherein a Jitney driver was threatened and forced to flee a traffic stop…”
“(Name redacted) has also been named as a suspect in a violent home invasion and robbery reported in July of 2022 on Tacoma Street. In that case, court documents claim three suspects held a woman and her young children at gunpoint.”
“… records show that Magistrate Judge Leah Williams Duncan last month dismissed all of the charges against (name redacted) in both cases. Channel 11 contacted Judge Duncan’s court to ask why that decision was made. At the time this article was published, we had not received a response.”
This WPXI article is primarily about one very recent case. The article says that last month, Magistrate Judge Leah Williams Duncan dropped the charges against this suspect in two other, earlier cases. WPXI says it asked Judge Duncan’s office why she dropped the charges, but there was no response. I hope WPXI will report those reasons in the future. If the guy was innocent, the public should know. If the charges were dropped for some other reason, the public should know what those reasons were. I wish WPXI the best of luck in finding out this information.
I asked ChatGPT why the city of Pittsburgh is not prosecuting the Allderdice High School students who repeatedly commit crimes at a nearby bus stop. This is how it responded.
By Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)
February 7, 2023
I’m 51 years old. I’ve lived in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Squirrell Hill my entire life. I graduated from Allderdice High School, class of 1989.
Today, I asked ChatGPT the following: “There’s a bus stop near Allderice High school in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood if Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Some of the Allderdice students near the bus stop smoke marijuana. They also shoplift from local businesses. And they trespass in areas that have a sign that says, “No trespassing.” Some of them assaulted a police officer. There was even a rape in the bathroom of the Starbucks. The police have been called many, many times. But no one has ever been prosecuted for any of these things. Is it not the job of the government to prosecute people who commit these crimes?”
This is the response that ChatGPT gave:
“Yes, it is the responsibility of the government to prosecute individuals who commit crimes. Crime is a serious issue, and it is important that those who break the law are held accountable for their actions.”
“However, the prosecution of individuals who commit crimes can be a complex process, and there are many factors that can impact whether or not a case will result in prosecution. These may include the strength of the evidence, the resources available to law enforcement and the justice system, and the willingness of victims and witnesses to come forward and testify.”
“If you are concerned about criminal activity in your community, it is important to report any incidents to the police and to work with law enforcement to ensure that they have the information and resources they need to effectively address the issue. Additionally, you may want to consider getting involved in community initiatives aimed at reducing crime and promoting public safety, such as neighborhood watch programs or public safety committees.”
Then I responded by saying: “The police have already been notified about these things a very large number of times. But no one has been prosecuted. Is Pittsburgh’s tolerance for crime going to turn into San Francisco?”
ChatGPT answered with the following:
“Every city has its own unique challenges when it comes to crime and public safety, and it’s not appropriate to make direct comparisons to other cities. However, a lack of prosecution for criminal activity can certainly be a cause for concern.”
“In some cases, a lack of prosecution may be due to challenges in the legal system or a lack of resources, and it is important for the government and law enforcement to work together to address these challenges and ensure that criminals are held accountable for their actions.”
“It is also important for communities to work with law enforcement and other organizations to address underlying social and economic issues that may contribute to crime, such as poverty, lack of education and job opportunities, and substance abuse.”
“Ultimately, the goal should be to create a safe and secure community for everyone, and that requires a collaborative effort from law enforcement, the government, and the community.”
Then I asked: “Please explain why you think rape is caused by poverty.”
ChatGPT responded with:
“An error occurred. If this issue persists please contact us through our help center at help.openai.com.”
I wanted to ask the exact same question a second time, but there was no longer a box for me to enter any text.
I reloaded the page. Now there was a box for me to enter text. So I asked: “Do you remember our most recent conversation?”
ChatGPT answered:
“As an AI language model, I do not have the ability to store memories or recall past interactions. I can only process information based on the inputs I receive in real-time.”
Then I said, “During our previous conservation, I complained about crime, including rape. You blamed it on poverty. How does poverty cause rape?”
ChatGPT responded with the following:
“Poverty does not directly cause rape, but it can create conditions that increase the risk of sexual violence. People living in poverty are often marginalized and lack access to resources, which can make them more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Additionally, areas with high poverty rates may have fewer resources for law enforcement, which can create an environment where criminal activity is more likely to occur. However, it’s important to note that poverty does not excuse or justify the act of rape, which is a heinous crime that is never acceptable. The root causes of rape are complex and can include a range of factors, including societal attitudes towards women and gender-based violence, as well as individual psychological and behavioral factors.”
Then I said: “This is a middle class neighborhood. The police have been notified. The rape happened four months ago. No charges have been filed. What does poverty have to do with any of this? And why haven’t any charges been filed?”
ChatGPT answered:
“I apologize if my previous answer was not fully accurate or relevant to your situation. If the rape happened in a middle-class neighborhood and the police have been notified, the fact that no charges have been filed could be due to a variety of reasons, such as insufficient evidence, challenges in the investigation, or decisions made by the prosecuting authorities.”
“Regarding the relationship between poverty and rape, I mentioned earlier that poverty can create conditions that increase the risk of sexual violence. However, this does not mean that all people living in poverty are perpetrators of rape, or that all cases of rape are related to poverty. Rape is a complex and heinous crime that can happen anywhere and can be perpetrated by individuals from any background.”
I then ended the conversation.
I forgot to mention that an elderly female employee at a local store was punched in the face after she verbally confronted a shoplifter.
The city of Pittsburgh is allowing these criminals to do whatever they want, and is refusing to prosecute them. ChatGPT wants us to call the police, even though that has already been done a huge number of times. ChatGPT may or may not think that poverty causes rape. I wonder how this situation in my neighborhood will turn out.
There’s a “smart” phone app that tells you when your jar of peanut butter is empty. How dumb can people be?
By Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)
August 29, 2022
I’ve never actually owned a “smart” phone. And I guess this is one reason why.
There is now an app that tells your “smart” phone when your jar of peanut better is empty.
This article from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is from four years ago, but I just found about it now. It says:
Even though no one can see you eating peanut butter off a spoon in the middle of the night, the jar’s label might soon be “watching.”
Adrich, a Pittsburgh company that designs smart labels that could alert customers when they’re running low on their favorite products, just signed its first major deal to slap their innovation on products bound for consumers’ homes.
The labels will be able to track when and how much of a product people use. Sensors embedded in the labels can detect movement and also determine how much of a product remains, Aji said. Adrich then uses a proprietary algorithm to make sense of the data.
For example, during tests in which labels were on jars of peanut butter, Adrich found that people snacked on peanut butter at all hours of the day.
Companies can send coupons or other promotions when they sense a customer is about to run out of a product. Customers can learn when they should restock.
The labels — “almost like a mini-computer,” Aji said — contain a battery and sensors but are nearly as thin as a regular label. The label connects to a user’s smartphone through Bluetooth.
I’m 51 years old. I’ve been eating peanut butter ever since I was a child. And I’ve never, ever had trouble figuring out if the jar was empty.
And even when the jar is empty, well, I plan in advance, so I always have an extra jar (or a few, actually) because I always stock up on all of the non-perishable foods that I eat on a regular basis. That’s why homes have kitchen cabinets, shelves, and pantry closets. I have actually never, ever run out of peanut butter, soap, or toothpaste, because I always know that I’m always going to be using those things, so I always keep extra in my home.
Is there anyone who is so dumb that they need an app to tell them when their jar of peanut butter is empty?
KDKA TV (Pittsburgh) said people should call the police if they can identify the “civil” protestors who committed assault and theft. KDKA also says it muted their “civil” profanity. KDKA also falsely said restaurant patrons “clashed” with protestors.
By Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)
September 8, 2020
Let’s count the lies in this video of KDKA reporting on Black Lives Matter protestors in Pittsburgh:
1) Hitting someone on the head with a skateboard is not “civil.”
2) Stealing and then drinking the beverage of a restaurant customer is not “civil.”
3) There’s no need to mute language that is “civil.”
4) The restaurant patrons were just sitting there, minding their own business, They did not “clash” with anyone.
This last thing is not a lie, but it is an omission by KDKA: The guy on the bike was acting in self defense when he pushed the bullhorn away from his face. Sound that loud, that close to your ears, can cause hearing damage. The guy with the bullhorn was the aggressor, not the guy on the bike.
The city of Pittsburgh just got a little safer, as there is now one fewer burglar than there was yesterday. I love a story with a happy ending.
Intruder shot dead by accomplice while fleeing Wilkinsburg home invasion
September 1, 2020
Allegheny County detectives said early Tuesday that an intruder in a late-night Wilkinsburg home invasion was shot to death by an accomplice.
At around 10:48 p.m. Monday, Wilkinsburg police were dispatched to the 1600 block of Penn Avenue for a reported home invasion in progress.
Police said five residents in the house — three men and two women — told them that two armed men had stopped one of the women outside at gunpoint and then forced their way into the residence.
Once inside, the intruders were confronted by two of the male residents, who were armed. One of the intruders began shooting at the residents as he fled out the front door, police said. The second intruder fled out the rear door.
Police said officers searched the area surrounding the home and discovered the body of a 29-year-old man who was wearing a ski mask on Superior Street near Penn Avenue.
Detectives from the county homicide unit called to the scene to investigate learned that the two armed residents did not return fire. Detectives said it appears the 29-year-old man was struck by gunfire from his accomplice.
The other suspect was not apprehended.
Police continue to investigate and ask that anyone with information about the incident call the county police tipline at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.
In Pittsburgh, idiot protestors are falsely claiming that it’s too hard for poor people to buy a ConnectCard that costs one dollar, and is sold at more than 100 locations
I live in Pittsburgh, PA.
I’m a regular rider of our mass transit system, which is called Port Authority Transit (PAT).
A few years ago, PAT adopted a new program where riders could pay their fare by swiping a card which is called the ConnectCard. The card is available at more than 100 locations, including every Giant Eagle (our city’s biggest supermarket chain), every Goodwill store, the downtown PAT office, and many other areas all over the city. Pretty much every bus route goes by a place that sells the ConnectCard.
The card costs one dollar. Riders can electronically put as much of their own funds as they want on the card. Then when they ride the bus, they pay the fare by swiping their card, instead of paying cash.
In order to encourage riders to use the ConnectCard, PAT offers a discount on fares. A cash fare costs $2.75. People who pay with their ConnectCard get a 25 cent discount.
A transfer (a person’s second ride within a three hour period) costs $2.75 if they pay in cash, but only $1.00 if they use their ConnectCard.
Thus, a round trip within three hours costs $5.50 for someone who pays in cash, vs only $3.50 for someone who uses their ConnectCard. That’s a discount of two dollars for using the ConnectCard. And the card only costs a dollar.
Thus, the very first time that a person uses their ConnectCard to make a round trip in under three hours, the card has more than paid for itself.
Even if someone has eight hours between trips, that’s still a savings of 25 cents per trip, meaning that the card will pay for itself after only two such round trips.
Despite this, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently published this article, which says that there are protestors who are complaining that it’s “unfair” to poor people that PAT gives these discounts to people who use the ConnectCard.
Now please keep in mind, as I already said, the card only costs a dollar, and it more than pays for itself the very first time you use it for a round trip that’s under three hours.
And as I said, the card is available at a huge number of places along bus routes.
Despite this, the protestors whined that it was “unfair” to poor people that people who paid in cash had to pay higher fares.
The article said the protestors were worried about the “upfront costs” of buying the card.
And the protestors said it was too hard to get to locations that sell the card.
What a bunch of idiots.
The only thing that’s preventing these protestors from getting a ConnectCard is their irrational insistence on viewing themselves as victims of a problem that does not exist.
If the protesters had spent their time buying a ConnectCard instead of protesting, their “problem” would be solved.
Anyone who rides the bus has access to more than 100 locations where they can purchase a ConnectCard.
Every Giant Eagle and every Goodwill sells them.
Since the protest took place downtown, the protestors could have gone a very short distance (by walking or riding the bus) to Port Authority’s Downtown Service Center to buy one.
Protestors’ concerns about “upfront costs” are unfounded, as the card only costs a dollar, and it pays for itself almost immediately.
The article also said that this issue was especially hard on “single mothers.” Well, whose fault is it that they are “single mothers” in the first place? Just like with people who refuse to get a ConnectCard, “single motherhood” is a case of victimhood taking the place of personal responsibility.
Let’s consider two groups of people in the U.S. The first group has a poverty rate of 2%. The second group has a poverty rate of 76%.
The first group consists of people who followed all three of these steps:
1) Finish high school.
2) Get a full-time job.
3) Wait until age 21 and get married before having children.
The second group consists of people who followed zero of those three steps.
Among people who follow all three of these steps, the poverty rate is 2%.
Among people who follow zero of these steps, the poverty rate is 76%.
(My source for that information is this article, which refers to this PDF, and the relevant data is on page 15 of the PDF. The study uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau.)
Despite this, social justice warriors want us to think that “single mothers” living in poverty are somehow innocent victims, instead of people who have free will.
The solution to almost all poverty is to follow the three rules listed above.
And the solution to not having a ConnectCard is to buy one.
Pittsburgh synagogue shooter tended to by Jewish doctors and nurses, officials say
Pittsburgh synagogue shooter tended to by Jewish doctors and nurses, officials say
October 29, 2018
PITTSBURGH — Jewish doctors and nurses at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh put their personal feelings aside to help save the life of the man who allegedly claimed he wanted to “kill all the Jews” as he opened fire at a synagogue and murdered 11 worshipers.
Robert Bowers, 46, was shot multiple times himself and taken to AGH. In addition to killing eight men and three women, he wounded six other people, including four police officers, before surrendering Saturday.
“He was taken to my hospital and he’s shouting, ‘I want to kill all the Jews’,” Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, president of Allegheny General Hospital and a member of the Tree of Life Synagogue, told ABC. “The first three people who took care of him were Jewish.”
Another nurse, whose father is a rabbi, “came in from a mass casualty drill and took care of this gentleman.”
Cohen was one of the first people on the scene. He lives in the neighborhood and heard gunfire from his house.
“I was standing there…and you could start hearing very quickly what was going on,” he said.
Just like the first responders who rushed into danger, Cohen credits his doctors, nurses and staff for stepping up.
“We are here to take care of sick people. We’re not here to judge you. We’re not here to ask ‘Do you have insurance or do you not have insurance?’ We’re here to take care of people who need our help,” he said.
Cohen says he and Bowers had a brief conversation at the hospital.
“When I stopped in, I asked him how he was doing. Was he in pain? And he said, ‘No. He was fine,’” Cohen said.
Cohen says Bowers then asked him who he was.
“I said I’m Dr. Cohen, president of the hospital. Then I turned around and left,” he said. “The FBI agent who was guarding him said, ‘I don’t know if I could have done that.’ And I said, ‘If you were in my shoes, I’m sure you could.’”
Bowers was discharged from the hospital Monday morning and arrived at the federal courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh around noon.
He faces 11 counts of criminal homicide, six counts of aggravated assault and 13 counts of ethnic intimidation in addition to federal counts that include weapons offenses and hate crime charges. Federal prosecutors are expected to seek the death penalty against him.
A mass shooting in my own neighborhood
This morning, when I was in my apartment (which does not face the street) and I heard a very long succession of sirens from emergency vehicles going by, I suspected that something really horrible had happened, and the only possibility that entered my mind was either a bombing or a mass shooting at one of the nearby synagogues.
With large crowds of people, including large numbers of women and children, all together in an enclosed space, I’d thought for years that something like this could happen. But I never thought it would happen.
They still haven’t published the victims’ names, pending notification of their families.
I’m 47, and I’ve lived in Squirrel Hill my entire life. I’m hoping for at least another 47 years in this neighborhood. It’s too bad some scumbag deprived at least 11 of my neighbors from living out their lives. I don’t understand why anyone would do this.
The latest updates can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_synagogue_shooting
Pittsburgh police reviewing violent arrest of Ravenna man caught on video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY_ed4_xQbg
Pittsburgh police reviewing violent arrest of Ravenna man caught on video
September 21, 2017
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh officials are reviewing the violent arrest of a man by five city officers, an encounter recorded by a bystander and posted to Facebook.
The 52-second video shows one officer, in particular, punching the man on the ground while saying, “Stop resisting” Tuesday night near PPG Paints Arena. Officers can be heard cursing, and one calls for a Taser.
Police spokeswoman Sonya Toler says force was used because 47-year-old Daniel Adelman, of Ravenna, Ohio, allegedly interfered with the arrest of another man wanted on a forgery warrant.
The city’s Office of Municipal Investigations and Citizen Police Review Board are reviewing the arrest.
One of the officers has been assigned to desk duty while the others are working their usual assignments. Mayor Bill Peduto says Officer Andrew Jacobs will be on desk duty until the city and the district attorney complete. Jacobs is the officer seen punching Adelman.
Adelman tells KDKA-TV he was drinking at a concert when he stepped outside to smoke and intervened, believing one officer needed help. He says: “It was probably not the right decision to jump in without knowing the situation.”
I live in Pittsburgh, and I just deliberately drank a cup of tap water without boiling it
After reading this article, I just went and drank a cup of water straight from the faucet without boiling it. I do not have a water filter.
I think the city’s call to boil water was not justified. The filter at the city’s water treatment plant would stop the giardia. Also, there was only one reading of low chlorine, and it was only slightly below the normal level. No giardia has been found in the water that has gone through the city’s filter. No cases of the illness have been reported.
I think the city cried wolf.
If there ever is a real need for a boil water alert in the future, this current incident will cause people to be skeptical and suspicious that there is a real need to boil water. The city goofed up.
With easy gun access, and 26,000 people, Squirrel Hill has had zero gun murders in the last decade
I live in Pennsylvania, where it’s very easy to get a gun.
My neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, in Pittsburgh, has 26,000 people.
In the last 10 years, there has been only one murder in my neighborhood. This gives it an annual murder rate of 0.4 per 100,000 people. If my neighborhood was its own country, it would have the sixth lowest murder rate of any country in the world.
That one murder consisted of a burglar bludgeoning a 90-year-old homeowner to death. He was convicted after just 14 months, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The burglar was from another neighborhood.
Lest anyone think it is a rich, exclusive neighborhood, the rent for my one bedroom apartment is only $725 a month, and there are quite a few vacancies in my building every summer, as many of the tenants are graduate students from all over the world, who only live here for a few years.
Anyway, I think it’s interesting that in my neighborhood of 26,000 people, where it’s very easy to get a gun, there have been exactly zero gun murders in the past decade.
I hope this cigarette will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law
Officials say cigarette sparked fatal motel fire
March 20, 2015
The state police fire marshal today said a cigarette was the cause of a fatal motel fire in Westmoreland County on Thursday.
Timothy Paul Shane, 43, of Hempfield was killed in the fire at the Motel 3 on Route 30 in Adamsburg, according to the county coroner’s office.
State police fire marshal Scott Mackanick ruled the fire an accident and said Mr. Shane was smoking a cigarette that ignited the blaze around 6:30 a.m.
A section of Route 30 was closed in the area of the fire, as was the Irwin exit off of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Mr. Shane’s cause and manner of death are pending toxicology results from an autopsy, the fire marshal said.
WTAE shows small business employees complaining about the high costs of Obamacare
Before Obamacare was passed, we critics said that its biggest parts were timed so as to not take place until after the 2012 election, and that these things would make health care more expensive. The Obama supporters laughed at us, called us racist, and said we didn’t care about people.
Now that the 2012 election is over, our predictions are coming true.
Pennsylvania voted for Obama in both elections. I live in Pennsylvania, and I still see Obama bumper stickers all over the place.
It’s too bad this news story from WTAE, Pittsburgh, doesn’t tell us which of these employees voted for Obama and which did not:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuA2_P-m4Sk
I disagree with the claim that heroin in Pittsburgh is a “major public health crisis.”
In the past week, at least 17 people in Allegheny and surrounding counties died from using heroin. Allegheny County medical examiner Karl Williams called it “a major public health crisis.”
I disagree with his claim that this is a “major public health crisis.” It’s not contagious. It’s not catchy. It’s not genetic. It is 100% completely, totally avoidable. So there is no “major public health crisis.”
This is a crisis, but it is a crisis of a very different kind. It is a crisis of bad decision making. It is a crisis of irresponsible behavior. It is a crisis of stupidity.
Pittsburgh employers who voted for Obama are now refusing to pay for Obamacare
I’ve lived in Pittsburgh for 42 years. Everywhere I go, I always see a huge number of pro-Obama bumper stickers. The overwhelmingly vast majority of people in this city are Democrats. They love Obama. They adore him. They voted for him in both elections.
Obamacare requires all employers with 50 or more full time employees to purchase health insurance for those employees, or pay a substantial fine. Obamacare defines full time employment as 30 or more hours per week.
Community College of Allegheny County has switched 200 of its adjunct professors and 200 of its other employees from full time to part time in order to avoid paying for health insurance for those 400 employees.
This decision was made by high level administrators and executives. I’m certain that the vast majority of these higher ups voted for Obama in both elections.
These high level employees have chosen to use a loophole to avoid paying for the very same insurance that they expect other employers to pay for. They voted for Obama. They supported Obamacare. But now they are exempting their own organization from paying for it. The stench of hypocrisy fills the air.
The Carnegie Museum has done the same thing. I’m certain that most of its higher ups voted for Obama. But now these very same higher ups have reduced the hours of 48 of their own employees in order to avoid paying for Obamacare. Again, this shows a tremendous amount of hypocrisy.
Since these two employers are unwilling to pay for insurance for their own employees, how can they support a law that forces other employers to pay for it?
You know a law is bad, when the very people who support the law exempt themselves from it.
Dan from Squirrel Hill's Blog 