This newspaper ran a front-page story on Sunday about hundreds of abandoned buildings and thousands of vacant parcels that the city of Pittsburgh owns as a result of unpaid taxes but can't take care of because of its abysmal financial condition ("Cutbacks leave city-owned abandoned buildings, vacant lots untended").

On Monday, another front-page story reported on plans by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development to celebrate Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary three years from now with a celebration that could cost $10 million to produce and promote ("Big plans are afoot to mark the city's 250 years").

Am I completely delusional -- don't answer that -- or is there a major disconnect here? And if so, couldn't some creative minds out there find a way to bridge it?

Could the Allegheny Conference, in honor of this auspicious anniversary, join with the city to clean up some of the blight, thus giving us all even more reason to celebrate? Could it go beyond its stated intention to "re-brand" Pittsburgh's image for outsiders by improving Pittsburgh's neighborhoods for those who live here?

It seems a little perverse to be talking about putting $10 million of anyone's money into touting our greatness when so many parts of town are rotting away from abuse and neglect. On the other hand, a commemoration that adopted as part of its mission an effort to rescue some of these properties from the junk heap and get them back on the tax rolls -- that would be where the PR rubber really met the road.

Of course, I realize we're talking about a partnership of two basically unrelated entities here.

The city of Pittsburgh is a governmental construct that's supposed to provide for the common good of its residents. But it's been having a lot of trouble doing that for reasons that have been covered in depressing detail -- shrinking population and tax base, bad fiscal management, too many wealthy nonprofit groups sucking up services they don't pay for, too many businesses leaving and too few taking their place, topped off by the total indifference of a bloated Legislature.

The Allegheny Conference, on the other hand, is a privately funded public policy organization that seems to have no money troubles at all. The conference uses resources from its 200-plus "investor" businesses and groups to, according to its Web site, "stimulate growth in southwestern Pennsylvania's economy and improve its quality of life."

How does it do this? Well, the conference's 2004 budget showed expenditures of $2.7 million on personnel -- including nearly $1.3 million for the top six salaries, not including benefits -- $1 million-plus on conferences, conventions, meetings, PR, advertising and printing, and $266,000 to promote a celebration of the French and Indian War.

These expenditures must be improving the quality of life for some folks, but they haven't had a lot of obvious trickle-down that the average citizen would notice.

Consultants hired by the conference recommended that in preparation for the city's 250th anniversary, local officials do some things to improve Pittsburgh's image nationally: complete the Great Allegheny Passage trail between here and Washington, D.C.; renovate Point State Park; commission an "iconic" piece of Pittsburgh-themed art; and construct a "Promenade of Stars" monument noting the achievements of prominent Pittsburghers, among other things.

Some of these multimillion-dollar projects would have to find their own funding. The $10 million, to be raised from 25 future funders, would be spent on other things -- $3.1 million for advertising; $2.8 million for marketing; $1.8 million for the artwork, "Promenade" and lighting of bridges; $525,000 for administrative expenses.

You see where I'm going with this. All of these things might be very nice indeed, but they're icing on a cake that happens to be in need of some more critical ingredients.

So here's my pitch: The conference, its various partners, and/or the 25 future funders all take responsibility for some blighted city property. They fund the repairs and renovations, then sell the finished products to new owners who will keep them up and pay the taxes. The city gets this monkey off its back, the neighborhoods lose their eyesores and the benefactors get bragging rights based on tangible improvements that everyone can see and appreciate.

Maybe this is pie in the sky, but there's something to be said for public relations based on real-life public good. A 250th anniversary commemoration that invests in Pittsburgh's neighborhoods would really be something to celebrate.