OnQ; 2150

Quite a great commute over there right. It's soothing relaxing atmosphere it's comfortable you can leave it on all day you don't have to play the sympathy your joy to be free. All classical all day. Give it a try. I think you'll like it. Broadcast magazine is made possible by grants from the foundation the richer nations foundation the Pittsburgh foundation the foundation. The Health Care Foundation the great foundation corporate funding is provided by UPMC health plan. But you always wished your health plan would be quality choice. Access to

specialist without a referral. For more information. 1 8 8 8 3 8 3. You Pete and see. And by the members of WQED. Next on Q We are live with the Friday for city comptroller Tom Flaherty is in the guest chair. He joins our Friday regulars Ruth and banker Chris Fletcher and Fred Hans Berger for a look back at the News of the week plus the Carnegie Science Center and you have teamed up to create a new interactive sports exhibit. You'll get a first look as Dave and Dave check it out so stay with us because on cue starts right now. Following Karalee SB welcome to On cue Stacy Smith has the night off. Coming up

tonight a brand new destination on the north shore for sports lovers and it's not the two new stadiums. Check it out later but first Chris Moore is here with the Friday fearsome foursome. Chris. Thanks Carol and let's get right to the introductions our special guest tonight is city controller Tom Flaherty Tom glad you're here with us thank you to be here. Also with us tonight acts in writing and writing this is the new improved streamlined version All right. Friday regular Ruth Ann Baker Ruth Ann is a columnist for the Post-Gazette North EDITION and for Alan Cox today Pittsburgh magazine publisher editor Chris Fletcher thanks for filling in Chris we appreciate it. And finally last but never least Friday regular basking in the random burger we're going to get his entered I'm sure he can be heard afternoons on KDKA radio and seen mornings on PC in CTV. P.s. in CTV and there's lots to talk about so let's get right to it first up stem SALES Let's start with the speech. Here we go around the horn starting with you Ruth and very

quickly what how do you rate the speech do you give a a a b a c or what his presentation of the issue. THE PRESIDENT I gave a speech a presentation an A-minus I'm thrilled with this position and you're thrilled with his position. OK we'll get back to his position and second Chris what do you think of the speech B plus B plus Wow. He just didn't look comfortable just did not look comfortable and I think a lot of it was not so much his performance but the fact of the subject matter that he was tackling. Obviously it's something that weighed very heavily on him. You don't think it's over as he had just weighed heavily on the decision making process I think it was something in the spirit that sorry for your novel as listen to the extent of my IQ you know very well I think the presentation of the fact he never he never looks good on television he's not one of those guys look good on television I think it was a tough subject he had a well OK and you've maybe what. All right probably a C plus or a B you know is a partisan politics and it raises its own somewhat I think he was very somber.

Not so much over the issue but how he was going to navigate the politics of it because it was sort of a repeat of read my lips in a way he said that he was going to be against the federal funding of stem cell. But other than that as far as his appearance I thought he was sort of unusual from the way he usually is. I don't know if it was the makeup but I thought he was Stepford. He was a little plastic Fred saying as he had already we'll give you an opportunity to respond there. But let's get to the substance of the subject right now. Tom Flaherty says he's gone back and renege on his word that Mr. Bush shares but he got a lot of different ratings the head of the Catholic Conference of Bishops says this is totally unacceptable and yet JERRY FOWLER Well gives him an A-plus roof What do you make of the different critics that have come out on the president's position. Well my view of it is that that he he walked a very narrow line. He has his and he laid it out very well for

us the two questions he had to answer he presented to us and the one that people if it is I mean laden with with politics that are very difficult for this Republican president. He he laid that out very well and it is. Will we be funding the destruction of human life. And he navigated a very difficult strait there. And I agree with the position that he took. This is getting more and more complicated all the time when does human life begin and used to be with population. Now it's all the way to whoever put something in a petri dish and we never really know how do we update ourselves on this information Fred what do you think. What do you think. Well obviously there are religious beliefs and different people believe different things and the president last night said there are some who believe this is something I believe that this is an area you need to tread cautiously his campaign promises not to use federal funds for the destruction of embryos for stem cells. That was the campaign

promise and he stuck to it. And so you got some people on the right upset you got some people left upset when that happens usually doing the right thing. But here's the here's the here's the interesting thing. Everybody's making a big deal about this. We need federal funding for this research. Why. Well we need federal oversight of this Rechy research. Anytime the federal government gets involved Tuskegee project comes to my mind there was a great federal funding of a of a great research project. They botch it but we don't have can we pull out the negatives it's all too easy to pull out there. But a lot of advances in medical research have been made with the aid of federal fund don't need it you know what if the if the pharmaceutical companies find a cure for Parkinson's to do it that well they will do they care if they need federal funding that was one point in the president's speech last night that I actually disagreed with when he said that we need federal money in order to attract the best scientists you know because the best scientists are already working on it and we are we all know sitting here that federal money is a gravy train. What we need is federal

oversight federal regulations to say we won't let you do this to fetuses so we won't breed human beings in order for them to be doesn't already. They're doing about like this. If he says no we're not. It won't stop it's being done now. But isn't that what the appointment of the council is for the one that Leon Kass is going to head up to say here what the the regulations this is what the American people will support in terms of this I don't see federal funding but they're already creating embryos and destroying them for stem cells without the fear that a lot of interaction with Congress to decide what the law of the land will will allow and the scientists don't but the science right because the science is ahead of the law you know that the law will have to catch up in these people and he appointed a conservative to head that council from the University of Chicago those people have a lot of input on what we as a people allow. I think it's important to keep in mind that I think for the most part the flood gates are open on the issue and I'm not opposed. To that. But he kept referring to the 60 cells

the train as the train lined with the embryos that already been destroyed and from what I read today researchers could go through that quite quickly. You know that's not going to last long right. And so no it isn't and we want it. It's an infinite supply. They just breed more and more and more for it's almost like that is that it's just things also have an age on the right there's no determining how long that they're going to be useful. And plus it's like any other you need to find a match. And so if there are only these 60 lines to start from who knows you can if you're going to find a match if you look at if you saw Michael Fox this morning on The Today Show you know it was that was very difficult to watch him. There he was with Parkinson's he was shaking almost uncontrollably because his medication had not kicked in or he had taken his medication. I'm not sure but we might see the wrong thing to assume is that if we don't have federal funding that they won't find a possible cure from stem cells embryonic stem cells they will if there is one. They were one of the things that the president said last night. Remember we were all talking about this from fetal tissue all this could be great for this this could be great for that hasn't developed.

But you know what Fred if it moves it up a month three weeks by having the federal funding it's worth it. No because the ends never justify the MILF. I think the pharmaceutical companies will if they can do this. What do you think the stock's going to be of whatever pharmaceutical company says guess what some of them have already jumped when people announced that some companies when they announced they were going to get into human cloning and other kinds of things they stopped drunk jump dramatically yesterday. But the question is for individuals and I wonder where we all come down on this because this is pretty tough for me to decide what we're going to do and the only thing I could do is put myself in the case of the actor Christopher Reeves. And if I were paralyzed like that I think I would want this research. If I had a child that had Parkinson's or any other disease that this might lead to a cure I would want the research but I'm torn by what we're going to do with human life I wonder where you all come down on this. Yeah well I certainly am also very concerned about the whole

issue. But but my personal. Reservations aside this country has opened for me it's a glass I would you know personal relevation But regardless of what I may feel this country is going to move forward especially in the medical or bio Ed. Well morally backward part of that alliance is unifying Rove and certainly by the Christopher regional Michael J Fox is in the millions of other people throughout this country that have a severe affliction but it's also going to be driven by money big money. Pharmaceutical companies are a lot of lists Larry that doesn't make it right. Well regardless if it is slavery really didn't have any real pause are they are aren't they people that was the quote I mean the president that's why I was so thrilled by the speech last night he really charted the moral and philosophical ground that we have to say there are then he said

that that it is the potential for human life and its so that he would err on the side of caution and not fun. Then why do you think you didn't write it. A bishop who heads the National Conference of Catholic Bishops Bishop Firenze I believe his name is. Say that this is morally unacceptable How do you agree with us. Paul has your distance race with us just stand and politics has played in the the abortion foes in the abortion proponents see this. If they allow this that means we're going have more abortions all if they ban this. That's one step to banning abortion. So it's a it's a side issue and that's why they're hot. Well you know I think he has taken the first step. And when we no longer have the 60 lines or we have to replenish those lines or we ran out and we were on the verge of a great of a great break through and the only way that we can perceive is for a live embryo it will be much easier for George Bush if he's president then to take that second step. And I say he will think so.

I think he was allowed embryo away from using it in that's what you're saying right. No no I I think one of those strange while those strange came from embryos that are no longer in existence they are destroyed if they were to show right now where Will new strange or new lines come from if they are needed it's a huge if you are going to be related to my early in hypothetical say you are going to be what everybody knew that I had. Let me now we have a country where the political climate is riven left to right where we've got extreme leftists saying we won't even let you do this to puppies and mice and chimps. But yeah you can do government already funds about 40 billion dollars made research on animals are missing entirely and your point is that the left we have an extreme left saying you we won't even let you do this to baby animals who are humans on the same extreme left will say Yeah but you can do it to baby humans that's OK. And it's the right wing and some of them on it in an extreme way saying we won't even let you experiment on existing embryos.

We are so riven by this. There's no argument there but the point is there's already federal funding for animal and human research and this is just one more step down what Fred calls that slippery slope I think. He took I think he held the line if not took a step backward by creating his entire position resting on the idea that the embryos which are already gone. They've already been destroyed are the potential for human life and he will not give any federal funding to the creation and destruction of any more. All right we have some other subjects that we want to cover and some of them seem very Monday and compared to what we've just talked about. On the north side you just coming from the Adecco back over on the north to ask what was the noise level like I only asked because the Rooney's at the football stadium at Heinz Field are in a fight with people who live in that area and they say there's going to be too much noise and they shouldn't have a liquor license. That would be the leader for why they move there. Well they say when they hand over.

We live an hour long going to stay there more longer than the stadium is doing it was there for 30 years they had all these problems and it's not all the folks from the Allegheny West neighborhoods a few snob arrogant stuck up people like John to Santas and companies that we don't person a friend of yours you know and I've had him on the TV show and he did what he did was you know we reached a compromise with the Steelers. They're going to they're going to if I have a few they found is that they promise they will be louder than Three Rivers Stadium and they'll study for a year. They presented that to the Planning Commission I think with the Planning Commission I was only on it when I wasn't sure which and then some of the other neighbors that that's not good enough we want less. Dan Rooney is mad about this Chris Fletcher I would be too. It's you're talking about a game where the rules are changing all the time to it with the thought that they had to deal with these people when they come back but he mentions the everybody knows the Rooney's are going to get their way they got it with funding they're going to get their way all the way down and I just want to see a steeler game with no beer served and I but I must say that half of what I read in the paper today that they were saying that Steeler game would no be a would be to only kids. But but somebody

also said nobody ever gets drunk again. Have they had a meal is that yeah you know your struggle really maybe not in his booth. I got I got a letter from him a few years ago because I'm maybe the only one on here on this stage has been assaulted of the game by a drunk. We were assaulted while we were in our car by someone who was completely blotto and just jumped onto the hood of our car and started pounding it in for no reason and I don't remember. Yeah and the sad thing is we'd won the game what if we'd lots you know when I did I had a lot of the car and that I could read about it and got a letter from the Rooney's apologizing that they would never want this to happen and they have done that and saying maybe you wouldn't do anything did she say. I think the whole thing is so crazy. I mean I have a great deal of respect for Dan Rooney. I don't know why he's getting so personally involved. As you have said Chris we have built this stadium there's hundreds of millions of public dollars and the grooves are going to flow over there and if it

involved one thinks otherwise. I mean it's just almost a diversion and if anything maybe the police the Pittsburgh police not are saddled with more of it. Chores because of our stadiums and we're not getting reimbursed but nevertheless that I get to be good drollery be they could regulate the tailgating maybe some of the rowdy behavior out on our butt but that's not the tailgating is not the issue while being served in the stadium that is the issue OK let's move to something else something close and near and dear to your heart and that's the assessment process where are we here. And now you've been railing against this for a long time time. Yeah that's hard to her first of all you know what is right or wrong about it is if you want to be right out front. But anyways where it stands judge when it came to a point to call and said which is in the Celebrity think tank to oversee the

county it's sort of like a consent decree and whether they come out and write it well or saw quite a blue ribbon committee. RE I as a plaintiff in the Mon Valley unemployed as a plaintiff have people that are to interact with Khan said what was what was really fascinating on. Wednesday and Thursday we had Robert gloop men who came in from Arizona a foremost expert supposedly on appraisals on on computer mass appraisals of property. He said this is the worst he is ever saying he wanted to call and said met with them on Wednesday afternoon came back to us Thursday. We had hired him to help us. He said Now Khan said is interested perhaps in having him come on board to help them. But he said without a doubt it is still worse.

He has what is maybe this is what's contributing to our brain drain I don't know if people are leaving or not and so I had planned earlier this week to say that the population is becoming steady year maybe it's assessments and maybe it's property values maybe it's a whole lot but media wise Pittsburgh has slipped out of the top 20 for the first time in years when I first came here it was the 13th largest media market in the nation. Fred this slippage may mean something to eleven when I came here in the radio market we've been 22 in the radio market for a year to you guys and TV is just catching up they draw the line just a little That's why you guys always the leader but you go in a room to read what we want. What are you going to do it is you know guys like Tom and Jim furlough that want to keep raising taxes. So I don't know I think people think I'm just going to make people leave the reviewing region they just leave the city. Is that what that's about. Right and well this city has experienced more drop in any other major city in the last quarter half century and the reason why is because this city is an anomaly. It provides to the

region's tax exempt hospitals universities called for us to stadiums and it's only city taxpayers whose taxes keep going up. Everyone like all those old verbalizing like me and then they don't even want to play with the $10 high as a communist parking tax in the country 31 cents on the dollar watch 31 cents. Tempers 10 percent to $10 a year 5 percent tax all those people that are down at those stadiums are throwing millions of dollars and parking is that so much cheaper here than it is in many comparable to cities even if the city residents have to pay that also for us over the summer. 31 percent slippage in the media market 30 seconds unless you get the last word on this. This is important you get Pittsburgh magazine there are a lot of national accounts that won't even look at us now because we're not in the top 20 and that's a shame because there's so much going on in this market with national people coming in with Lord Taylor coming in recently you have Lidia's which is a national restaurant chain you have Palomino you have if you look over the entire market too there's only a

5 percent vacancy rate in our retail area so things are going well here. OK I guess we better realize and get some people back in here get it watching TV and listening to radio again to get our market back up and into that top 20. OK it's time to once again bring this portion of our show to a close. We want to thank Tom Flaherty for sitting in in the foursome regular guest chair and of course thank you to our regulars for Hans burger and on the other side of be here Ruth and Baker and Chris Fletcher filling in tonight for Alan Cox. Next up are you ready for sports works. It's an interactive exhibit that puts you to the test on cue contributors Dave and Dave check it out. They'll check it out next. First here's a look ahead to Monday on cue. At the age of 14 she debuted. Now she's an award winning pianist and inspiration in the community and a Pittsburgh musical treasure. Also Monday you'll find only a handful of stone carvers in this area and even a few of them women

will introduce you to the local women and help revive the nearly obsolete art. We look at things differently. Monday on imagine this 60 sporting exhibits under one roof. Now there's never been anything like it in the Pittsburgh area until now. The name sports works the place the North Shore and among the first visitors on Tuesday from day to day. That's right today we're going to answer that question better. Live in studio 7 new exhibits over 100 different things to do some more than one person. We can keep a lot of people walking by.

Take them to build the 24 months on the site. Roger Freeman would say the White House a lot a lot of pain along with it was very close to a kind of exam to see how we get up to size generator lane Olympic mando Sprint track where you can run against Olympic champion Jackie Joyner-Kersee. It's never on. No one picks it up on the dance. The technical name of whatever you want to practice that's technical. The limits of Pittsburgh history around still fam sign from Kennywood those are similar flips a completely upside down. We have all this your family original one programmed into it so you can ride it here forever. Now here my kids once again who are both things. So you go back and forth. I don't want to alarm you but there seems to be some woman behind you writing a fight and she can't possibly. How can you be sure that there's a void underneath her because the

center of the object including you in the way is so far below the beam. You can sway pretty good Hosley what have you ever been blinded by science blinded by the way we're going to find out who has the best day today. Do you have any predictions running with that show he's going to win. My original point. It's a great one. Better believe it's about time we might have the best day was the best. Thanks. Thank you Mr. Leno was above the headlines and isn't going

to love the behave. Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks to my three pitches Whoever gets more strikes with the right. My oh my

oh my oh my oh gee machines more speed are disappearing fast speed. Thanks to all these exhibits still taught how to do on the side. I tell you what there's only one real way to do it. It's the way real men side sports competitions the rock paper scissors. One two three one two three four. We're never going to figure this out. We're going to the top of the slope. If so you know what I am definitely does work on homes that do me the best. Reitman has the rest of expected Dave and now you can plan your own adventure at UPMC sports works

the exhibit just open to the public last Saturday at the Carnegie Science Center on the north shore and that's going to do it for us tonight. Remember you can watch a rebroadcast of on cue weeknights at 11:30 or weekday afternoons at 12:30. Have a great weekend everybody. Thank you. Thank

you. WQED is broadcast live on Q magazine is made possible by grants from the home of Heinz in Dallas. The absolute foundation of the Richard King novel and childish and the McEwen foundation the Pittsburgh foundation of the Henry L. Hilland foundation the Jewish Health Care

Foundation and the Grable Foundation and by the members of WQED. How can you catch any episode of Debbie slash television flashed up on your PC and it's on demand. Welcome back. It would be good for you.