It was time to make the sale of a building official, and Allegheny County Councilman Charles McCullough (R-Hilarity) proposed an amendment to the bill:Council members, who later admitted that they had not read the two-page amendment, approved the "rainy day fund" in a 13-1 vote, with only Joan Cleary, D-Brentwood, opposed.
Upon examination of the amendment, however, members learned that it provided restrictions on how the fund could be appropriated and raised the number of votes such expenditures would require. (P-G, Dan Majors)
Yeah, those 2-page documents can be a real bear.
Some council members said they had been lied to and that Mr. McCullough had "pulled a fast one." During the course of the discussion, there was shouting, interruptions, profanity, insults and, at one point, the throwing of a copy of the amendment to the floor. (ibid)
Squee!
Congratulations Pittsburgh City Council, looks like you won yesterday's daily Dignity Prize in a squeaker!
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*-Er, UPDATE: Obviously we are just kidding our good friends at County Council over such minor, endearing foibles! In actuality they are all more than alright, and today would be a good day to let them know you feel that way regarding the passage of the service equity bill -- personally via telephone or e-mail or even through a letter to the editor. We wouldn't want them to get them "incensed" all over again!
wait a - waita. Help me here, Bram. Isn't McCullough the lawyer who bilked that elderly lady's estate? Wasn't he disbarred?
ReplyDeleteOr does that make him, somehow, a more effective county councilor?
He is the one who is accused of doing that, yes. It looks like he is still barred, though no longer with his former law firm.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if that has made him any more or less effective, but for a Republican in a clear minority it seems he has always found ways to gum up Team Onorato's works out of proportion with what it seems like should be possible.
go Joan!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you guys might be set for Jan. 23rd and beyond!
ReplyDeleteWhat is the significance of 1/23/10?
Sorry, that's the approximate date I wrote that I'd be closing up shop here. That one Slag Heap post just reminded me strongly of something I'd see in this space is all. So much so that I don't feel like have any powerful post-election thoughts to impart yet, although it seems like between Monday's budget unveiling, the parking garage lease machinations on an accelerated timetable, and looking forward to the new Council makeup, everything is again taking on that queer feeling of moving forward in 'real time'.
ReplyDelete