Early Returns has learned that the City Planning Department practically begged Pittsburgh City Council to act on the historic designation of playwright August Wilson's boyhood home for six weeks before council finally took the matter up on Tuesday. The big question is, who's to blame for the delay?

The background is here.

Seems City Planning, at least, wasn't at fault for the delay that could threaten the legality of the designation. On Dec. 3, that department's Special Project Operations Manager Dolores Hanna e-mailed City Clerk Linda Johnson-Wasler asking whether there was "any word when a public hearing will be scheduled for this historic nomination?"

A more detailed e-mail, noting that "no one is opposing this, but if it doesn't happen [by Feb. 6] it can not be renominated for another five years" followed on Dec. 11. According to another e-mail, there was no reply from the clerk's office to either of those missives.

ER has learned that the clerk's usual protocol on these matters is to go to the council member chairing the appropriate committee, and ask how to proceed. In this case, that would be Councilwoman Tonya Payne, who chaired the committee on planning last year, and also represents the Hill District, where some of Mr. Wilson's relatives are among her political foes.

On Jan. 9, City Planning Director Noor Ismail got involved, e-mailing Ms. Johnson-Wasler and city Policy Director Gabe Mazefsky. "Gabe - please advice [sic] on whether this has been put on hold for any reason that we may not be aware of," it read in part. Again, there was no response, and Mr. Mazefsky told us today he did not remember whether he took any action.

On Jan. 16, there was a flurry of e-mail on the subject, including one from Ms. Hanna to Carmen Pace, aide to Councilwoman Payne. "Did the Councilwoman hold?" it asked. "[A]nything will help, we are running out of time because the historic review commission has time limits on this stuff."

Ms. Pace's reply: "Let me check on that and get back to you."

Last week, Paul Ellis, the nephew of Mr. Wilson who had proposed the historic designation, met with Council President Doug Shields in an effort to get things moving. Last Friday, the administration resubmitted the designation legislation. And on Tuesday, Councilman Ricky Burgess introduced legislation that would change the historic designation process so that if council didn't act, any designation that had already won Historic Review Commission and City Planning approval automatically would be granted.

Looks like the Wilson house designation will sail through council now, though it may be vulnerable to legal challenge since it will occur after statutory deadlines have passed. Is all well that ends well? We at ER aren't sure, given the swirling political currents on the Hill. More in tomorrow's P-G.

Early Returns has spies everywhere, and even in Europe. Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has been unable to escape them. Fortunately for him, one of them was rather impressed.

Rose M. Burke, an editor for Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, sent back this dispatch from Paris chronicling the mayor's activities there this morning. For Ms. Burke, a Pittsburgh native who has been in Paris since 1994, it was a first encounter with the mayor, who was 14 when she left town.

"PARIS -- The mayor of Pittsburgh, on a European promotional tour, gave a breakfast talk at the new architecture museum before journalists and Pittsburghers like me who happened to receive an invitation by e-mail chain.

"I kept saying to myself, what a beautiful city, what a cute guy, as Ravenstahl spoke and clicked through the cinema-sized slideshow depicting PNC Park, The Golden Triangle -- and himself. He did a great job of pitching the city and its transformation from gritty to green, while promoting himself, too. Ravenstahl for president anyone? It didn't seem farfetched. In 20 years, anyhow.

"He was billed as the 'youngest mayor of a major U.S. city,' of America's 'No. 1 most livable city.'

"In this very old city in the Old Country, the crowd was incredulous that someone so young could be so poised and personable. Even funny, like when he tried to describe a Primanti's sandwich, 'steak, cole slaw, fries, between two slices of bread.' He opened his hand about six inches wide. He admitted that his description didn't quite capture the flavor. 'You just have to come,' Ravenstahl said.

"The mayor filled the room with fun facts. Did you know that we're now the No. 10 cleanest city in the world? And at 446 bridges, Pittsburgh has more than Venice? And that the French founded Pittsburgh, by establishing Fort Duquesne in 1758? And that we're the hometown of Gene Kelly, Andy Warhol and August Wilson? Although Ravenstahl didn't speak a word of French, he seems to know how to connect, with anyone, anywhere."

Assuming the mayor comes back to the office Monday, he may find it harder to connect with a council that is incensed at a new administration policy regarding communication with city departments.

Council members have traditionally contacted department directors, assistant directors and division commanders or supervisors directly in their efforts to get neighborhood needs met. They view their power to drag managers into the field to look at graffiti, crumbling retaining walls, tumbledown houses or spalling bridges as a key tool of their offices.

Early this week, council members started getting e-mails telling them of a new policy. Requests by council members or their staff to meet with managers have to go through the mayor or Chief of Staff Yarone Zober. Superdirectors Art Victor and Mike Huss need to be involved if public works or public safety staff are involved.

Members are trying to buck the order, by contacting city underlings directly in spite of the edict. But the good soldiers in the ranks are afraid of reprisals if they attend any unauthorized meetings with council members, and so are refusing to talk without Mayor's Office approval.

(ER notes that this seems a lot like the media relations policy instituted when Mayor Bob O'Connor took office in 2006 and his spokesman Dick Skrinjar told managers not to talk to reporters without his approval. That policy remains in force under current spokeswoman Alecia Sirk, though it isn't always rigorously enforced.

Under Mayor Tom Murphy, reporters could call department heads directly and get answers to factual questions, on the record, without anyone's approval.)

There's talk of a council revolt, which could take the form of refusal to act on bills the administration wants, or even the subpoenaing of managers. We at ER don't think it's going to come to that, but it certainly has soured relations between the administration and the new council.

State Rep. Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods, is trying to one-up Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell on the new state budget.

Mr. Rendell will make his annual budget speech on Tuesday. But on Monday, Mr. Turzai, a frequent critic of the governor, will hold a news conference of his own at the Capitol to propose "an economic stimulus tax cut."

He also will call for "controlled spending" in the next state budget, which will take effect July 1.

A news release today didn't say which tax Mr. Turzai wants to cut. But some Senate Republicans have said they'd like to reduce the state income tax, from the current 3.07 percent to something like 2.8 percent, which it was a few years ago.

Mr. Rendell has said that with the economy slowing, and tax receipts slowing with them, now is not the time for cutting state taxes, as politically popular as that might seem.

Legislation designed to reduce the noise and smelly exhaust fumes from tractor trailers that idle for a long time has taken a step forward in Harrisburg.

The state Senate Transportation Committee this week approved a bill by Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh, that would prohibit large trucks and other commercial diesel vehicles from idling for more than five minutes during any 60-minute period.

"Diesel-powered motor vehicles are major emitters of particulate matter and nitric oxide, which are substantial parts of ground ozone," said Mr. Browne. "This is a health concern in many parts of the state. With the new restrictions imposed in this bill, the time that these vehicles can idle will be limited."

There are exceptions to the five-minute rules, however, such as when a diesel truck is stuck in traffic. Another exception would let a truck idle for more than five minutes if needed as part of mechanical repairs -- but proof must be submitted of the repairs.

Also, armored vehicles, such as those that deliver or pick up money from a bank or other business, can idle longer, if necessary. Passenger buses may idle for 15 minutes out of 60 minutes if needed for the comfort of the passengers.

Mr. Browne said that reducing the idling time will improve air quality and reduce the number of wasted gallons of diesel fuel.

The full Senate still must act on the bill and then it would go to the House.

Even though there is a national economic slowdown, especially in the housing market, the economic news for the Pennsylvania treasury is fairly good.

Revenue Secretary Tom Wolf said that as of yesterday the state had taken in $14 billion, or $199 million more than anticipated, for the 2007-08 fiscal year, which ends June 30. The state budget for the current fiscal year is $27.2 billion.

The budget surplus, after seven months of the current fiscal year, still is less than the previous fiscal year, which ended June 30 with a $650 million surplus. But there's still five months to go before this fiscal year ends, and barring an unexpected negative jolt to the state's economy, the final surplus could be between $250 million and $300 million, officials conservatively estimate.

The two biggest money-makers for the state, the sales tax and personal income tax, are both slightly above estimates. Sales tax receipts so far this fiscal year are $5.1 billion, or $11 million ahead of predictions. Incomes taxes are $5.6 billion, or $74 million above estimates. In third place are corporate taxes, which are $1.7 billion after seven months.

Gov. Ed Rendell said last week that some neighboring states, such as New York and New Jersey, are looking at budget deficits, so Pennsylvania is doing fairly well.

A broad cross-section of 221 people from various religious faiths have written to U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, urging him to do more to oppose the torture of prisoners who are in American control.

The letter writers are of Christian, Jewish, Unitarian, Buddhist and Muslim faiths. They asked him to keep language forbidding torture in the Intelligence Authorization Act, which has passed the U.S. House and will soon be debated in the Senate.

The letter mentions the harsh treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and "the CIA's destruction of videotapes documenting the use of harsh interrogation techniques."

"We abhor the deterioration of any U.S. claim to international moral leadership by the escalating involvement of our government in such direct and indirect forms of torture," the letter states.

This blog includes items from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette staff writers Rich Lord and Tom Barnes.