I'm not sure how to comment on this story:"I said [to the caller], 'I'd like you to give Mr. Ravenstahl a message that I don't appreciate him supporting a non-endorsed candidate,' " she said. "Where's the loyalty to the Democratic Party?" (P-G, Lord and Carpenter)
I actually want Mayor Ravenstahl to be able to support whoever he wants. I want everybody who chooses to get involved in Democratic Party politics to be able to support whatever Democratic candidates they desire. And I definitely don't want Karen Waight of Beechview to confuse The Democratic Party with her non-transparent, incestuous clique.
Hopefully this is just another in a long series of death rattles for 19th century politics.
Mr. Coghill, the mayor added, "would be a great ally of ours as we continue to grow the city," so he's backing him with calls. (P-G, ibid)
That I happen to have a handy response for.
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Cry me a river: the nonprofits used last night's candidate forum to grandstand over how they should continue being treated like the Lords of Dogtown.
"Nonprofits make a contribution every day to the city and fulfill critical services so that government doesn't need to," Bucco said. (Trib, Bill Zlatos)
Yes, and a select few of them accumulate tens of billions of dollars in revenue without contributing to the schools systems, infrastructure systems, and public safety systems which support them. You know who else contributes to the city every day? Lots of people.
I have zero sympathy. The economy is just as bad for the public sector. People who want "respect" should pay their taxes.
Mr. Ravenstahl said his administration is considering reviving and increasing a little-noted provision in the city code that requires developers to spend 1 percent of the budget of large building projects on public art. "We'll commit to increasing it," he said. (P-G, Rich Lord)
Wait, we have a community benefits agreement baked into our city code? And nobody's suggesting it's extortion? What else do we have hiding in our city code that is wonderful and completely ignored?
Aside from the Zoning Code, that is.
Ms. Robinson pointed to the April 4 Stanton Heights shootings of three police officers, before which a call-taker at the merged countywide 911 center failed to pass on information that there were weapons in the house, as an example of the downside of consolidation.
"When you consolidate services just to save a buck, you wind up with a debacle like April 4," she said. (ibid)
WHAO! That's ... well, for starters, I don't at all mind consolidating services to save a buck if it's managed well. I'm not into the Onorato-Ravenstahl-Nordenberg vision of consolidation either, but Carmen's proposed of rule-of-thumb is way too change-averse.
That's for starters. I don't want to prejudge the connection she has drawn in that statement because she might know, but jeez louise.
I think Jalapeno Hanna just blew the P-G endorsement with that one.
I can't wait to see Coghill taken down again. His campaign is a joke, the guy is a joke and his campaign staff are jokes. He's a "player" and yet he got the endorsement spank by a 29 year old?? too funny.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I kind of think that the dots might be a little too far apart for Ms. Robinson to connect.
ReplyDeleteI think her points about areas of the city getting swallowed up and overlooked as a result of consolidation have some merit and should be discussed, but she might have reached a little too far with that one.
From the PG endorsement of Natalia Rudiak:
ReplyDeleteAnthony Coghill, 42, a Beechview roofing contractor, is no stranger to the race. This is his third run for the District 4 council seat. He says neighborhood businesses have deteriorated during Mr. Motznik's tenure. An active member of the Beechview Merchants' Association , Mr. Coghill is the founder of one of the largest roofing businesses in Pittsburgh...
The president of Beechview Merchants' Association disputes the claim made by Coghill's campaign:
I would like to comment, after reading the article in today’s Post Gazette. The PG has endorsed Rudiak but the part I found interesting is the claim that Anthony Coghill is active in the Beechview Merchants Association. Mr. Coghill has not attended a meeting of the the BMA for at least 2 years and was voted off of the board last year for failure to attend meeting, a violation of our bylaws. I’m not here to endorse anyone but I would like to go on record as wanting to set the record straight.
Don Bell, president
Beechview Merchants Associationsource.
Nice catch, HotelGrandma! It would appear Mr. Coghill is telling fish tales about his involvement in various community organizations.
ReplyDeleteNow, checking out that same comment thread at P2 -- I just gotta ask -- is Rudiak really sporting Ravenstahl signage in her yard? Because that would figure in to my post-election analysis.
I don't believe Carmen is wrong in what she says. I definately believe consolidation of services in many area's can be achieved sucessfully. However, if you think that the City will and has not suffered, as many times they are treated with contempt, when those consolidations occur you would be mistaken. Many times the city still needs and requires the bulk of some of those services. The underlying feelings of many who prior to consolidation, dealt predominantly with the county, (not city) is that of screw you (city) you are just one piece of our pie. That being said, emergency services, at least in the City, probably wasn't the best choice to experiment with that undercurrent of emotion and contempt.
ReplyDeleteRudiak does have a Ravenstahl sign in her yard as of a few days ago.
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:41 - Team Rudiak denies that rumor flatly -- it seems they DO have a policy of promptly denying untruths, which is refreshing.
ReplyDeleteBut even if it were true, I'm pretty sure we'd give her a pass. If Mayor Ravenstahl can support a non-endorsed candidate, there's no reason why a non-endorsed candidate couldn't get away with supporting an endorsed one. Y'arr.
Drive by her place on Brownsville Road...there are signs for her, Marmo and Ravenstahl.
ReplyDeleteThe debate here isn't about unendorsed vs. endorsed it's about the fact that she has a sign up for someone is working very hard against her everyday.
What's funny is that I have heard that Matt Preston from her campaign has been absolutely livid about the Mayor getting into this race. This was something they weren't planning on and something that they don't have an answer for.
That's her neighbor's house, you idiot. Learn to read a map.
ReplyDelete