Patrick Dowd, in reaction to this upcoming Wednesday's video debate on KDKA being postponed by the station, and then effectively canceled by the Ravenstahl campaign (P-G):That a mayor who has never run in a contested primary is using last week’s tragedies to avoid a discussion about public safety and other critical issues facing our city is an absolute outrage.
Since he became mayor, Luke Ravenstahl has been absent time and time again: absent from meetings on the Hill District, absent from discussions on critical policy issues, absent from important decisions about circumventions of the permitting and zoning processes, some of which have ended in death and others of which have cost the taxpayers. Yet, he has had time to meet with campaign contributors, ensuring that they will continue to procure no bid contracts.
Now, there is no time for the citizens?
I have pledged that as mayor I will make my schedule available to the public. Luke Ravenstahl should immediately show the citizens what meetings are more important than hearing him be held accountable for his record.
Amidst a citywide increase in gun violence, a national economic crisis, and serious questions about ethics in the mayor’s office, Luke Ravenstahl must make time to debate his mayoral challengers.
This is an absolute outrage.
All of this was incidental to Dowd's campaign event on the North Side highlighting pavement management and cronyism (P-G, Rich Lord).
And yes -- there has got to be time to reschedule the debate. There is a lot to talk about; besides which, we oughtn't just toss those video questions from the public aside as though they're garbage.
*-UPDATE: Response, apparently from Ravenstahl campaign, at LINK.
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ReplyDeleteDowd is awash in sour grapes.
ReplyDeleteNothing unusual here.
By the book politics, if Dowd was Mayor same senerio would play out.
Dowd can't think outside the box, not Mayorial Material...
Wha Wha Wha
monk
I don't know what thinking outside the box has to do with the Mayor skunking out of a debate because he is too busy? What big sporting event, or celebrity is coming to town that could occupy that much time?
ReplyDeletei bet he don't miss the pens game on wed.........
ReplyDelete"What big sporting event, or celebrity is coming to town that could occupy that much time?"
ReplyDeleteDude - IC Light - 10.99 a case.
Folks, Luke is going to be Mayor for next four years. By virtue of doing a good job.
ReplyDeleteYes there is continuances of bad practice based in tradition.
Funny thing tradition, when it favors you is a good thing…when it doesn’t it becomes bone of contention.
Tradition dictates if you are front runner... with no credible competition there is no need to debate.
Dowd lacks credibility…Robinson is off radar.
If you seek change, convince Mayor to implement. He is temporarily compromised by tradition…
But given 4 year term “on his own” who knows ?
There is no one in race but Luke.
I know from personal experience…he is forgiving, understanding. Beyond his years.
As a City resident, I am comfortable in the fact that he listens….
The Mayor you see, dipicted here, is not the Mayor I know…
Until proven otherwise.
monk
I don't blame Luke. He doesn't want to give Dowd an opportunity to make him look like a fool on TV.
ReplyDeletefunny, where blame isn't placed
ReplyDeletemonk
So unfortunate. I really wanted to see how all the candidates, not just Robinson, Dowd and Ravenstahl, respond to the moderator's questions, as well as, fielding the questions submitted by the general public.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, why would local TV drop the idea, if only the incumbent is unable to attend? Why not move forward with a debate between the candidates which can attend?
Considering the gross disparity of campaign funding between the incumbent and the field of challengers, the local media can donate an hour for a debate between the challengers next week, and allow the incumbent to purchase a half hour infomercial to air on all the networks the night before election day.
----
The kid does care for the city, but that doesn't make him the most qualified person to lead the charge. His biggest weakness is the notion that all big ideas must come from his administration; that he, alone, must fix the problem. Why cant he learn to delegate tasks beyond his appointed, request and receive ideas from private industry and the universities or simply accept valid criticism?
I wish Peduto would run :'(
Monk, Blame could be placed alot of places, however it usually falls on the man in charge. That would be the mayor in this instance. I saw a post from Mark R. on another blog, talking about going on with a debate without the Mayor. Personally, I would like to hear the candidates speak on the issues raised. If that cannot include the Mayor so be it, it will still allow the citizens of this city (who deserve to hear) the ability to see where the other candidates stand on issues that the Mayor's schedule will not allow him to address.
ReplyDeleteRe: Ravenstahl's response. It's all phony outrage, with no explanation of why he doesn't have two free hours between now and the election to talk directly to voters.
ReplyDeleteI buy into the idea that the Mayor is dodging the debates, but I'm not sure he used the shootings as an excuse, did he?
ReplyDeleteI hope that part of the statement from Dowd doesn't sink - or at least significantly hurt - his campaign.
Whatever the reason, Luke jumped at the chance to cancel a debate. And Jerry said it best, the phony outrage of his campaign statement just distracts from the real issue: he can't find an hour between today and May 19 to talk about the issues facing the city.
ReplyDeleteP & G - It's a matter of interpretation. KDKA postponed the debate explicitly due to the Stanton Heights incident and its aftermath. Then the Ravenstahl campaign -- promptly, it seemed -- ruled out any possibility of rescheduling the debate, alleging fierce time constraints over the next month. So you make the call.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the desire not to go there, but there is where we are, all of a sudden, for the time being. It's a question of who you think put us there, and whether you think it was Luke or Patrick that was inappropriately opportunistic. Maybe both sides can back off, but that will be hard. It is a good argument to compare schedules and establish some validity to claims that have been made.
KDKA invoked the shootings as a logistical problem in that it was difficult to plan for coverage of the memorial and the debate (despite having nearly a week between the two events). Ravenstahl then seized the moment to - it would appear - get out of the debate altogether.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, I do believe that Ravenstahl will try to dodge as many debates as possible, and I'd like to see his busy schedule that doesn't have a free hour for a debate, but his stated inability to reschedule doesn't seem to be tied to the shootings, and I'm inclined to think that Dowd overstepped a bit when he made that accusation.
I'm sure he will have time for bingo hall visits. He's a liar. The only other person I can think of with less morals is a local blogger who posts pictures of politicians with their legs spread open.
ReplyDeleteIt would make sense that if he still has time to politic and campaign, in narrow venues, (which we know he will), the time should be made where the entire city can view and listen to his points of view and direction for the city in comparison to the other candidates. If he has matured in the position, as some contend he has, then that should become apparent in his debating skill.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he will have time for bingo hall visits. He's a liar
ReplyDeleteA door to door...leaf drop fliar..needs to be developed..to expose..the misdeeds.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many, if it were me, that is what I would do.
I think Dowd probably did overshoot by bringing the shooting into it, but you can see that it was genuine frustration and exasperation that caused him to speak that way, not political opportunism. Politicians don't say things like "I have 5 kids and I can make time for a debate" in the course of normal politicking. That's real frustration there. Can you blame him? Christ, I wish all Pittsburghers were so frustrated with our bozo of a mayor.
ReplyDeleteDebates are near and dear to me for many reasons that are rooted in good democracy, trust, values and of idealistic ambitions that are American.
ReplyDeleteKDKA and QED and others in the media who have been sleeping have to take a lot of the blame too.
Debate without Luke.
Dowd can counter in much better ways. How about if Dowd promises on his own to always debate dozens of times for the duration of his career with any and all challengers.
With YouTube and the internet today -- we don't need the mainstream media.