The Mark DeSantis Post

The P-G's Rich Lord frames him as Marcus the Consolidator:

"When I think of consolidation, that is something that on Day One we would go after," he said yesterday. "Every function of government, every single function of government, is on the table to possibly be merged."

That contrasts Mr. DeSantis with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who has cautiously approached the folding of parts of city government into the county.

However, this puts him in striking accord with incoming controller Michael Lamb. We wonder how Mark DeSantis feels about data-driven decision making.

He said he's heartened by the Democratic primary victories of three city council challengers, and the pro-change platform of Councilman William Peduto, who abandoned a primary run against the mayor in March.

"This will cut across party lines," Mr. DeSantis said. "If you want change, profound change, that's what we're about."

Oh, it's we now, eh Kemo Sabe?

Not to be grossly outdone, the Trib's Jeremy Boren keys in on finances more broadly:

"The debt and liabilities are really off the scale," he said. "Unless it's addressed right now, directly, on a grand scale, it will overwhelm this city. It will overwhelm our ability to take care of ourselves. And to me that's a big deal."

We wonder how long it will take until DeSantis is cast as a dangerous pessimist, and an anti-Pittsburgh's-futurist.

We learn that DeSantis has a master's in business administration, another master's in technology management, and a doctorate in public policy.

He worked for George H.W. Bush and for Senator John Heinz; two more palatable Republicans you can not find.

At the present moment, the media -- from the mainstream to the backwaters and everything in between -- is largely inclined to report on what Mr. DeSantis has to say.

If Mark DeSantis and his cheerleaders ever learn to stop describing their aspirations as "at least getting Ravesntahl to debate," then little will stop him from being perceived as a serious candidate -- and those rusty Republican cash spigots might finally start turning.