"Clearly, in order to be successful, you're going to have to educate the voters," said Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who added that he eventually plans to seek funding from corporations and individuals for the pro-merger campaign. "I don't think it could be successful without a campaign like that. People need to know what they're voting for." (Trib, Jeremy Boren)Yes. About that. What will we be voting for?
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Chelsa Wagner is interviewed on the O'Toland Factor. She and her host discuss the drink tax, the casino switcheroo, Bonus-gate, developments in her district, and the obligatory.
Wagner discloses that during her 2006 campaign, in which she challenged incumbent state representative Mike Diven, one of her volunteers actually received one of those dirty Harrisburg bonuses. She was "aggravated" and "outraged" upon discovering it within the two 75-page presentments of the scandal, and contends that there was no way for her to have known about it at the time. She would "never, never, never" have permitted such a thing knowingly.
When Toland hit her with "Are you running?", Wagner responded, with precision, "I haven't decided if I will run yet," which seemed to constitute something of a shift from, "That's so flattering, ohmygosh, tee hee."
I can say that when I did run [for state rep], my initial impetus for running was as a Beechview resident, and a City resident. I was very, very concerned with what was going on there.
Wagner was wearing a very executive-looking gray pantsuit.
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Having inherited the Redd Up Crew (which is tasked to clean up the city), and having instituted the Green Team on his own (which is to clean up the city in a slightly different fashion), Mayor Ravenstahl this week unleashed upon us his Hokey Patrol (which will clean up the city in a still more different way).
It must be exciting to work for the Department of Public Works these days. Everyone gets to wear a different set of Underoos.
Even better, nobody can muster the heart to ask serious questions about efficiency and governance. It is what it is.
Jeff Koch was appointed to the new post of "Special Projects Supervisor" for the DPW, correct? Does that make him head honcho over all of this? Would that mean anything?
So far Miss Wagner is the only likely candidate to oppose Mayor Ravenstahl. Some have said that Ravenstahl will be unopposed in the spring primary. I think that would be a very bad thing. Who are the other potential candidates out there?
ReplyDeleteI am pretty such there will a Republican candidate but as we saw with the election last fall the only chance for change is the Democratic Primary.
Mayor Ravenstahl this week unleashed upon us his Hokey Patrol (which will clean up the city in a still more different way).
ReplyDeleteWhat is a Hokey Patrol exactly?? I was hoping it was getting rid of those in PGH gov't who misuse tax dollars, lie, cheat, steal, and use their position not for the good of the people, but for the good of themselves....but of course that is a pipe dream....Luke The Fluke is not bright, but he is smart enough not come up with something that would put him out of office.
Jeff K isn't in charge.
ReplyDeleteHe is still waiting for the green light to get the route thing flowing from the folks above him. They are delaying, perhaps, until the first snowfall and waiting until there is money for the new license agreement for software use.
Chelsa Wagner is awesome. I think she would be the only one who could beat Lukey.
ReplyDelete1.) Young people would vote for her.
2.) People in the south of the river would vote for her.
3.) African-Americans would vote for her. (Her boyfriend, Khari Mosley, is a ward chairman in Lukeys own backyard!)
She can't lose with that coaliion. I love Chelsa - so will Pittsburgh.
Schultz - Lamb, Shields, Dowd, Peduto, Burgess, Ferlo (what?)
ReplyDeleteAnon 11:30 - Spruces up business districts, using state $ I believe.
Anon 10:20 - Does that make Quigley the high commander of redd up, redd up and redd up? What does that mean the Special Projects Supervisor does while he's waiting for green lights?
Anon 6:59 - Potentially a double-edged sword, no? Moving right along, a commenter on Draft Chelsa 09 pointed to her early support of CBAs on the Hill and in the North Side, as well as advocacy for gun control legislation, as legitimate reasons she might draw AA support. Any challenger would have to invest some serious time and energy in AA communities to get any significant help there. I would think going massively negative against the incumbent for X, Y and Z might have some effect also.