We just had a fascinating conversation with the Battlecat of the Airwaves, Kevin Miller (who said Pat Ford changed his mind about going on Marty Griffin this morning).Miller's final question was, "Are there any adults left on Grant Street who are going to clean up this mess?"
Good question, and that's not a shot at Luke. The issue is, we told him, PF knows where all the bodies are buried.
If the theme of any investigation becomes a preponderance of special favors given in an official capacity to certain interests within the context of mutually advantageous personal or political relationships (aka corruption), this is usually pretty simple. One political party rolls the other one up like a carpet.
We have one political party. We've had it for a while. That's why this is so deep.
Failing that strategy, the "adults on Grant Street" would have to be persons who Mayor Ravenstahl and his predecessors have until now purposefully frozen out of the Reindeer Games of Pittsburgh. Or those too new to it all to have gotten involved.
Bill Peduto. Doug Shields. And the three new members of council.
NOTE TO MBB: CW ain't getting any guiltier.
Here comes the squeekin wheel.
ReplyDeleteThe way to get an adult on Grant Street is to put real energy and new blood (adults) onto the Pgh Ethics Hearing Board.
That is the hinge.
If the Pgh Ethics Hearing Board can go into overdrive -- with new members -- then there is some hope of getting city hall to a much cleaner place.
The people there now are not interested.
The way to clean up grant street is to encourage, then elect smart ethical people to elected offices. Then, those people need to appoint smart, capable, and experienced people to serve on boards and manage departments.
ReplyDeleteIf you want somebody compitent managing the economic development agency in this city, you should appoint somebody who has actually worked on economic development deals and is familiar with the process.
If you want somebody compitent managing the relationships between the mayor's office and the media, you should appoint somebody who has actually dealt extensively with the media and has strong command of language.
Congratulations. You get what you deserve.
"If you want somebody compitent managing the economic development agency in this city, you should appoint somebody who has actually worked on economic development deals and is familiar with the process."
ReplyDeleteThis interest me. We know PF has had a long 20 year career, with a cumulative 4 years or so in Pittsburgh. We know he was our zoning administrator for his first stint in Pittsburgh, and we know he has a considerable background in city planning and architecture.
Are you saying the development game was actually new to him?
Name a single development deal that PF was involved with.
ReplyDeletePick one. Name any development deal since Feb. 2006.
ReplyDelete...and before that? Dettore had a quarter century of experience in ED before he took over for Mulu.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it seem unpreceedented for someone that green to be given so much domain over ED decisions?