Since it was a surprise maneuver, and I don't care for it, would it be too much to call it a Pearl Harboring?Pittsburgh City Council divided sharply today before taking the unusual step of opting not to interview 12 nominees to city boards prior to approving them. (P-G, Rich Lord)
It's only the Planning Commission, the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and the Historic Review Commission. Nothing controversial. ;->
Voting to go without interviews, and then to approve nominees, were Ricky Burgess, Darlene Harris, Mr. Motznik, Tonya Payne and Theresa Smith. (ibid)
So much for those fantasies.
*-UPDATE: F. Dok Harris urges the Mayor to reverse "this dangerous course of action".
**-UPDATE, THE DEUX: Councilman Peduto tweets in righteous indignation:
And as much as I'd like to leave it at that, a full accounting of the record demands that I point out that he tweeted on...
***-UPDATE, THE T'IRD: This is a good commentary by the CP's Chris Potter, and not just because he links to this very post (welcome, Slag Heap regulars!).
But if you're upset at needless delay in the board-appointment process, you're coming late to the party. As we note in a news story on the streets today (online tomorrow), just about every board in the city has at least one member serving an expired term. EVERY member of the Parking Authority has been operating on an expired term. But now, all the sudden, Jim Motnzik is objecting to political "gamesmanship"?
In fairness, all the Parking Authority has to do these days is figure out whether and how to solve the City's entire pensions crisis -- and do so with its unanimously expired board lacking a member of Council as required by law, because -- well, never you mind why we can't let a member of Council on it -- and with Danny's brother Strong Mad at the helm.
Bram wrote; "Since it was a surprise maneuver, and I don't care for it, would it be too much to call it a Pearl Harboring?"
ReplyDeleteHonestly Bram if this is your attempt at humor, don't quit your day job.
Show some RESPECT to the thousands of military and civilian personnel who were injured or killed at Pearl Harbor.
Not to mention that millions that died in World War II.
REAL CLASS ACT HERE. Frankly it is something the HUDDLER would expect over at Hoagie Inc.
let's hope the new appointees heed this action and pay it forward. :/
ReplyDeleteperhaps the dissenting votes were from persons who may not have proposed the nominations or are simply unaware of the nominees resumes.
If I were on my way out, then I would hope I could do some good by promoting like minded others to bureaucratic positions, considering my implicit standing with the administration...
what do they say.. cogito... caveat.. sine qu.. c'est...
No, Wait!
Semper Ubi Sub Ubi - yeah, that's it!
Quack. The Lame Duck strikes again.
ReplyDeleteGlad that the Kraus-Shields-Peduto-Dowd camp seems to have kissed and made up though.
ReplyDeleteWhat were the alleged council president shenanigans to which Judge Motznik referred?
ReplyDeleteAnon at 2:50: Insufficient application of the tongue to the mayor's ass.
ReplyDeleteI don't get it. The President's party has control over 60 seats in the Senate, and still EVEN NOW we're going through this time-consuming charade of asking the President's choice for an appointment, Sonia Sontamayor, where she stands on issues and how she thinks about the role she's about to play, and what qualifies her. You'd figure by now at least Sen. Dick Durbin would have demanded that we "cut out this political crap" and vote her in already. It's not like the clinic we are receiving in constitutional law is interesting, useful, or productive.
ReplyDeleteAs a member of the public, I would like to have met Luke's picks. I feel cut out of the process.
In all my years watching the 'vetting" of nominees during Council Sessions....
ReplyDelete...I have never seen anything like this...
I agree with Bram. The Huddler overreacted...GO NAVY!
YA BA DABA DO....
The HUDDLER?
ReplyDeleteOrigins?
Matt H. you were culled out...
Sounds like a hit on you from the Huddle?
For all the rhetoric from the HUDDLER about war dead...
ReplyDeleteWhy Does THE HUDDLER Blog fly Irish Flag and not United States of America Flag on Blog?
I question sincerity of using war dead to discredit Bram...
..while waving Irish Colors.
I spit in your face you disingenious tick..
GO NAVY!
Statement from the Dok Harris campaign on just this issue, released via facebook...
ReplyDeletePoor Dok....
ReplyDeleteOnly local race that means anything is Democratic Primary for Gov.
Wagner vs Onarato.
Neither of which prevails in General Election vs Corbett.
Rendell ruined Dems chances...
Dok...sorry buddy, I don't do Facebook.
Dok, who do you support in Govs. race?
W/r/t my invocation of the events of Dec. 7th, 1941: it was borderline at best. I'm glad for the HUDDLER's prodding of this blog back away from that which is sure to alienate many Pittsburghers who don't read blogs like Wonkette and wouldn't want to. This gets back to what I called my "blogdentity crisis" -- perhaps by taking a serious tone about serious matters at other times, the Comet has sacrificed its ability to be some other blog. Or wait, hey, perhaps not. I don't know. Irregardless, I meant no disrespect.
ReplyDeleteI just found out Wrenna Watson was among those who were to be interviewed by the Council, for her reappointment onto the ZBA.
Now see, that's an incredible loss. This was the one chance the people had, through their representatives, to have certain public decisions explained to them. A rare accountability moment, down the tubes.
And for what? A week or three's delay? Someone was offended that they didn't receive a memo they felt they deserved? I'm not sure what the 5 felt like they were accomplishing by spiting the public in this way.
Hey, Bram.
ReplyDeleteStill awaiting ZBA decision on case #109-09.
Nobody exists from hearing except Ms Watson, who was not present at hearing...
David Toal and Ms M. were dismissed...
Watson, I presume, will rule as Judge... Might...
Raise hell...Bram
The bombing of Pearl Harbor was forecasted and ignored...
Navy guy that I am... served so that 'you' may speak...
It was and always will be a privilege to serve...the unheard.
I am mad enough to spit! How about a new appointee standing up and DEMANDING to be interviewed.
ReplyDeleteIamgine this is the city just written up for not thoroughly vetting applicants for jobs!!
Just as Doug Shields did in his fight to pull the plug on the Curfew Center because it was NOT part of the 5 year plan and would have to cost too much, $.5M in 2009, -- so goes this chapter.
ReplyDeleteThe Curfew Center should go away because the laws are discrimination. It should NEVER BE illegal to be alive and out.
Doug Shields should have moved to take the curfew laws off the books -- and then we'd have no need to have a $.5 M per year Curfew Center Boondoggle.
Likewise with the ZBA, Shade Tree Commission, Planning Goobers, and the other dozens of rubber stamps that are woven through the authorities and commissions and appointments in this town.
The Zoning Board is a huge problem. The board is stacked now. I'd move to NUKE it.
I like the older approach finally championed by Alan Hertzberg. He came around to the idea in his last seasons. ELIMINATE the URA.
But no. Bill Peduto wants to create a bigger government -- with the arrival of the stimulus overlords.
"Matt H. you were culled out...
ReplyDeleteSounds like a hit on you from the Huddle?"
Huh?
New Lamar billboard unveiled here.
ReplyDeleteMaria, that's good stuff once again.
ReplyDeleteThe morning's take on what is now yesterday's action is HERE.
A FOUR HOUR ARGUMENT? How ... how is that even possible? I so don't even want to watch that.
It escapes me how this could have been a good move for anyone -- for the nominees, for the Mayor, for the one side on Council, for the other side on Council, for the self-proclaimed uniters on Council, for ANYONE -- than simply putting the pressure on getting these nominees to the table swiftly, if that was really all that necessary to begin with. I just don't get it.
I ended up watching almost the entire repeat tonight. Let's just say that they had to bring in their parlimintarian a few times for rulings on process, plus their were twelve votes on twelve nominees after they ended up splitting up Motznik's initial bill/amendment. But the longest argument went on before a single vote was cast.
ReplyDeleteWhere can one watch the video of the council session?
ReplyDeletedo any of the appointees to the zoning board know anything about land use law?
ReplyDeleteAt 7:52: No, so they'll be perfect for the job the Mayor wants them to do.
ReplyDeleteTV channel 13 in Pittsburgh carries some of the best government provided entertainment around. Be careful though, if you watch at night, you never get any sleep. You could get all Incredible Hulk-y with anger.
ReplyDeleteMost of this runs several times on the weekend too.
SHENANIGANS!
ReplyDelete