Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Ravenstahl Quotes with Commentary (pt 2)

Stuff the Mayor said towards the beginning of the forum:

I've also put together an aggressive agenda for Pittsburgh's future.


Aggressive? Really? Let's look at it:

1. Common-sense responsible finance

2. Agenda to create 21st century jobs

3. Public safety -- Clean and safe streets

1. Your financial strategy is to refuse to scale back the cost of government, nor to work to pay off our massive debt -- but rather to ask the state to bail us out without precondition. Is this responsible?

2. 21st century jobs are great. How do you plan on making them happen? Actually, it seems like your opponent's tax break for small start-ups would be just the thing.

3. Can we please separate clean from safe? (That's a general note for everybody.)

"The economic development boom that is taking place in Pittsburgh."

One facet of the development boom is the casino, which was gifted to us by the state in its infinite wisdom.

The others are all heavily financed by public subsidies -- and they are not yet producing any economic boom. They may never. Can you say Lazarus?

So let's cool it with the economic booms that are taking place.

I'm out in the neighborhoods every day.

Are you? Are you out in all the neighborhoods, listening to residents stories and concerns?

Or do you frequent a few choice neighborhoods only?

Or are you more frequently at fine restaurants and country clubs, schmoozing gaily with the elite and calling it "city business?"

We're [Pittsburgh's] better off today than we were 13 months ago.

Any thoughts on this?

7 comments:

  1. You are wise my friend

    But one thing i will give to our mayor is that he is indeed in Pittsburgh neighborhoods every day. Meeting the lovely yinzers that love him so (the voters)

    And yes, He may go to fine restaurants and country clubs... But that’s because he knows where the real money and power are. (for better or worse)

    ReplyDelete
  2. He knows where the real money and power are? Then why is the nonprofit contribution to the City so low? And why hasn't there been any contribution to his Pittsburgh Lie? And why hasn't the state agreed to grant the City a donation similar to the $10 million it donated to O'Connor a year and 1/2 ago? No, he's at fine restaurants and country clubs for his own personal enjoyment, not to benefit the citizens of this city.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "We're [Pittsburgh's] better off today than we were 13 months ago."

    Is he saying that Bob O'Connor was a bad mayor?

    ReplyDelete
  4. He keeps saying it. Because he says things without thinking of the implications.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Luke slammed O'Connor a number of times in the debate that night.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "Is he saying that Bob O'Connor was a bad mayor?"

    Not at all. How could you come up with that from that quote?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anon of 5:10 said,

    "And yes, He may go to fine restaurants and country clubs... But that’s because he knows where the real money and power are. (for better or worse)"

    You know, we don't want to be unrealistic. It's fine by us if he goes out schmoozing where the money is -- if he comes armed with OUR concerns, and a *steady hand*.

    We have impressions to the contrary. We think he lets these bigwigs charm and use him, and sells them the whole store.

    ReplyDelete