[PRCo] Re: Great shot of Liberty Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh 1960s

[John Swindler]

  Shapp also graduated from Case Western University in Cleveland, which indirectly stopped Skybus from being built in Pittsburgh.  PAT - and Allegheny County - needed the state share of the Skybus funding.  Ed Tennyson tells the story that during a heated meeting in Pittsburgh, Shapp asked Ed - "what's this light rail that you keep talking about".  Ed said "didn't you go to school in Cleveland, and didn't you ride Shaker?".  Yes, said, Shapp.  "That was pretty good transportation".   Shapp also started the Pennsylvania Lottery, and the free transit program for seniors.  Allegedly this evoloved from a meeting in Philadelphia where Rizzo promised seniors a ten cent transit fare, and Shapp countered with free transit for seniors.   He also started the state income tax.  And PennDOT expanded to around 24,000 employees during Shapps first administration.  PennDOT was borrowing against the future, and highway fund was near bankrupt.  By early 80s, PennDOT was well on way to 12,000 employees where it remains today. CheersJohn  
 > Date: Thu, 17 May 2012 23:05:51 +0000
> From: bobrathke at comcast.net
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementix.org
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Great shot of Liberty Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh 1960s
> 
> 
> A couple of recollections about Milton Shapp: 
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> - Before politics, he made his fortune by founding Jerrold Electronics, an early player in the cable TV industry (Jerrold was Shapp's middle name). 
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> - In 1976 he ran for the Democratic nomination for P resident, but he dropped out of the race  after polls continued to show him ranked below "no preference". 
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> Bob 
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> ----- Original Message -----
> 
> 
> From: "Herb Brannon" <hrbran at cavtel.net> 
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementix.org 
> Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2012 5:54:18 PM 
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Great shot of Liberty Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh 1960s 
> 
> Back in the 1970s PATransit participated in a Pennsylvania-wide program 
> titled, "Poetry In Transit". It was open to residents of PA to submit their 
> poetry for inclusion on the car-cards placed in the vehicles, statewide. I 
> remember many of the car-cards, in the PCCs, and one in particular stands 
> out. The poet was one, Milton J. Shapp, Governor of PA. His contribution 
> was, "....I never met a phor I didn't like". 
> Just a little transit trivia from PATransit in the PCC era. 
> 
> On Thu, May 17, 2012 at 6:40 PM, Bob Rathke <bobrathke at comcast.net> wrote: 
> 
> > 
> > I see a Milton Shapp billboard in the photo.  He ran for Governaor of 
> > Pennsylvania in the fall of 19 66, and East End trolleys ended in January, 
> > 1967.  The primary election was in the spring of 1966, so that would place 
> > this photo that year. 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Bob 
> > 
> > 
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > 
> > 
> > From: "Herb Brannon" <hrbran at cavtel.net> 
> > To: pittsburgh-railways at dementix.org 
> > Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2012 12:34:37 PM 
> > Subject: [PRCo] Re: Great shot of Liberty Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh 1960s 
> > 
> > Two of my favorite Pittsburgh items are in the photo.............the small 
> > street lamp at the end of the safety island and the traffic signal showing 
> > yellow over green. I did put the photo on my "watch list" on eBay. 
> > On Thu, May 17, 2012 at 12:54 PM, Barry, Matthew R <mrb190 at pitt.edu> 
> > wrote: 
> > 
> > > Really like this view of Liberty at Sixth, Downtown Pittsburgh - probably 
> > > taken between 1963 and 1966... 
> > > 
> > > 
> > http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pittsburgh-Trolley-Slide-75-Wilkinsburg-Car-1465-/150814841314?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231d43d9e2 
> > > 
> > > Matt 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > 
> > 
> > -- 
> > Herb Brannon 
> > In Cuyahoga Valley National Park 
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> > 
> > 
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> -- 
> Herb Brannon 
> In Cuyahoga Valley National Park 
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